TOP TEN TUESDAY | TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT TWO BOOKS

This a tricky one… I don’t know if I can list ten things I love about one specific book! I’m going to try, but might have to hop between a few if I run out of ideas. Here goes!

Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

1. Obviously, the first one is going to be the humour. Gadsby’s sense of humour is absolutely the type I respond to the most and find the funniest. It’s dry, often dark, and has no problem with poking fun at anyone who deserves it.
2. LGBTQ+. Gadsby discusses both her childhood community’s negative views on homosexuality, and her own journey to understanding this part of her identity and accepting it.
3. Neurodivergence. Gadsby struggled her whole life because she couldn’t understand social cues, couldn’t connect with people around her, couldn’t interpret unclear terms of speech. She was diagnosed with ADHD, and later with autism. She discusses this journey in depth, and shares how difficult it was for her, especially before she understood.
4. Her use of her Art History knowledge. This is more in her shows – she has a degree in art history, and while she has a lot of knowledge about famous works of art, she tends to turn it on its head and point out all the pieces that don’t really  make sense, particularly in their portrayal of women. It’s hilarious, and completely on point.
5. Her vulnerability and strength. She shares a lot of stories about her life in which she was victimized, misunderstood, pressured to conform in one way or another and made to feel like she didn’t belong. But she also confronts the negative messages she received, she stands up and shows the world who she is without flinching. It’s not easy to do this in your own life, let alone in front of an audience of millions. I have so much admiration for her – in particular that she has not only survived, but that she has built a life for herself in which she is valued and loved.

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

1. That it’s not difficult to enter the world. A lot of fantasy novels have extensive world building and a lot to learn about how society functions. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it takes a lot of effort for me to get my brain to pay attention and really take in all the detail in these types of high fantasy books, and I often get exhausted before I even get into the story. This one pretty much just drops you right in and lets you find your own way around.
2. The characters. They’re just so easy to care about, and though they may not have the most development, they have enough to really make you invested in them.
3. Appreciation of talents. Viv, the main character, is surrounded by characters who bring their own unique and extensive talents to the table, and those talents are appreciated and valued. I love seeing that in a novel.
4. LGBTQ+ representation. There’s not a ton of romance in this book, but what there is is a really sweet Sapphic romance that wasn’t too much.
5. Change. Viv was a mercenary, a fairly solitary and violent existence. That she is able to give up that life, start a new path and also find a way to open up her life to others and trust them is a wonderfully inspiring part of the book.

I picked these two books because they’re very different, but I loved them both. And they encapsulate what I look for when I’m choosing books to read. I want to learn about people and about the world, but I also want to escape from the hard parts of it for a while and enjoy a story that has more of how I wish the world was. These two books cover those elements. And they’re both beautiful.

What about you guys? Which book or books would you pick? Did you love similar things about them? Have you read either of these, and if so did you love them as much as I did?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.