This week’s topic is an interesting one. I remember reading about this in Anne Fadiman’s book Ex Libris. She talked about how most readers have an odd niche interest in their reading – in her case, arctic exploration. She couldn’t explain exactly why, but books on this topic fascinate her and she has a shelf dedicated to her books on it. I think most avid readers have at least one of these, as well as a host of particular interests that, if they show up at all in a book, however incidentally, will pique their interest. I definitely have several hot button things that will make me look twice at most any book. Here they are:
- Books set in England
I’m a sucker for certain settings, and England is really my #1 spot to visit through literature. I think it’s something to do with it being my ancestral home, and never really having come to terms with my parents’ decision to make me Canadian. I do not fit in here. It is way too surface friendly, the sky is too big, the streets are too orderly and there isn’t enough variation in the buildings. I prefer cute and old buildings (like pubs with crooked walls), the accents, the language (I mean really, “crisps” is so much better than “chips”), and most of all, the humour. It’s my jam. These three books are all very different, and yet there is a common culture that runs through them that just feels like home to me. When life is too much, England is where I want my books to take me.
- Bookstores
Of these three books The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was by far my favourite, but I was definitely drawn to all of them because they held the promise of time spent with shelves full of books, and let’s face it, I can’t resist that.
- WWII
I can’t always handle war books, but WWII is the only historical time period I will read. I’m not generally a fan of historical fiction, this is my only exception. Lately I’ve been more interested in reading about the time right after the war (I’ve also watched a lot of Call the Midwife), but anything about the home front during or after is going to pique my interest.
- Motherhood
I am in a delicate place with this topic right now. I am drawn to it, because I’m looking for people who get how hard it is to be a mom when you’re not a naturally kid-oriented extrovert. It’s also hard to spend too much time thinking too much about it, so I have to ration myself. I adored Shirley Jackson’s Life Among the Savages because she wasn’t a perfect mom, and she dealt with her various domestic crises with patience and humour. Goals. I just finished Small Animals which was hard going topically, but gave me lots of food for thought. I’m excited to get to Kid Gloves because I haven’t tried a graphic novel in ages and this one looks really interesting.
- Immigration
It’s been a minute since I read Hearts and Minds, but I loved that it deals with a few different immigrant storylines and brings up some of the issues immigrants face without that being the focus of the novel. Americanah dealt with a Nigerian woman who moves to the US to go to in ivy league school, and the things she finds hardest about being an African in America but not an African-American. Homes was one of the two finalists in this year’s Canada Reads and is a memoir of a teenaged Syrian refugee’s experience fleeing to Canada.
- Indigenous/minority rights and issues (fiction and non-fiction)
I’m always looking for books that will teach me something, and I think it’s particularly important to try and learn more about the experiences of and issues facing minority populations. We like to think we’ve come such a long way, but we still have so far to go. I worry that we (I mean white folk) have the option of ignoring issues facing immigrants, indigenous people and minorities and we too often take that option. So books that speak on these issues are ones I try to get to on a regular basis and recommend to others.
- Books set in the southern US, particularly New Orleans
I’ve only visited New Orleans once, but it was enough for me to fall in love with it. I can’t even explain what I loved – the energy, the lush flora, the colours, the late-night drinking, you know, the high-brow stuff. So I love reading books set there. They are vibrant and have a particular feel to them that is impossible to find anywhere else.
- Books about the criminal justice system
This is one of those oddly specific topics readers are often obsessed with. I could widen this to sociological topics in general, or even civil rights. That would also be accurate. But these two books were both amazing, and I feel like understanding the injustices of the US criminal system is important in understanding the larger social context.
- Quiet books
I love books that whisper rather than shout. About normal people, and the small moments in their lives that are poignant and meaningful. All three of these books are more about the characters and their internal lives than any external events, and I loved all three of them.
- Books about reading/readers
This one is pretty self-explanatory. I think all readers are constantly looking for other people who share our obsession, whether they’re real life people or exist solely between the pages of the books they adore. I read to hear that same devotion I feel, to hear which books have inspired lifelong love, and to build out my TBR (though god knows I don’t really need any help there). I will spend as much time as I can with fellow book-lovers, so any book about a reader is going on my TBR list. Please feel free to share your recommendations down below!
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.
Loved Sarah’s Key, Prisoner Of Night and Fog and The Wrong Boy. I do need to discover some more though.
What a great post! Starting with with the fact that you’ve inspired me to check out Ex Libris. How could I have forgotten books about reading?? It is such a varied category, I feel like any book lover can find something in that genre that speaks to them. Have you read The Shelf by Phyllis Rose? I thought it was such an interesting project to try on my own, and the same for Howard’s End is on the Landing.
Absolutely yes to English settings! That’s my #1 armchair vacation country, present day or historically. And I’m cracking up at your “the sky is too big” assessment of Canada, which is my new favorite complaint about living anywhere.
LOVE that Shirley Jackson book. Great pick.
I love books about reading so much. I haven’t read The Shelf, but it looks familiar so I think I might have it on my shelves somewhere. Is it good? I tried Howard’s End is on the Landing and it wasn’t bad, but I found the tone didn’t work as well for me as some others.
I can’t take credit for the sky assessment – it was my English aunt who came up with that one on one of her trips here. I should have said in the post – oops! That’s what happens when I run out of time to go back and proofread.
I’m so glad to hear someone who enjoyed the Shirley Jackson! Most people seem to be fans of her fiction, but I adored her memoir. Made me want to befriend her. Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Do you have a blog? If so, can you drop the link so I can stop by and check it out?
Yes! Books in bookstores! I can’t get enough of those. Great list!!
Interesting take on this week’s list! I’ve read a lot of books about Hitler and World War II Germany, as well as the Weimar area. I also like Russian inspired books. I think Locking Up Our Own sounds like a really interesting book.
You should check out Olive (abookolive) on YouTube – she’s a booktuber who I believe lived in Russia for a time. She reads a lot of books about and set in Russia and is very honest about her impressions of them in regards to whether they are good representations of the country and culture. She’s discerning, and doesn’t pull punches, so I adore her.
YES to so many of these. I love books about WWII, immigration, motherhood, the South, and books about books or set in bookstores. Fun that we have so many reading interests in common 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I’m so glad to hear that! I always love finding readers who share some of my tastes. Recommendations always welcome!
So many of these are favorites or already on my list. Kindred soul.
That makes me feel warm and fuzzy! 🙂
I like reading books about immigration, too.
My Top Ten Tuesday post.
Any recs??
I enjoy books set in England as well, and bookstores are a wonderful setting. Here is our Top Ten Tuesday
I think most readers share my fascination with literary tales – something about finding kindred spirits, even if they’re fictional!
I love that you like books set in England! I tend to avoid them because I’m sick of my own country haha.
Yeah, I feel similarly about books set in Canada sometimes! I think it’s that grass is greener thing… or in my case, the cities are older and have more history and personality! If you ever want recommendations for Canadian books to get you out of your home turf, let me know and I’d be happy to give you some! 🙂
I do like WWII books, but so much of the historical fiction that I read is based then, I’d love to find some more historical fiction based a little earlier!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/02/top-ten-tuesday-205/
Yes, while it’s the only historical period I gravitate towards, I still only read a couple books a year set in that time period, and lately they’ve been more focused on post-war and home front because the fighting is a bit much for me emotionally. I am curious about specific books set in different time – like Hilary Mantel’s books – Wolf Hall in particular. I can’t remember when they’re set, but definitely earlier. I’ve just heard nothing but praise. I hope you find some that better suit what you’re looking for!
Yes, I think you are right. I see my list of shelves at Goodreads, it becomes very clear what themes I like in a book (happiness – 204), and which ones I simply tolerate (science – 28).
Ooh I didn’t even think to look up topics on Goodreads! I’ll have to see if I can figure out how to do that – I’m intrigued!
WWII is something that I’m really intrigued by too. Wonderful list! 🙂
Just headed over and left my response on your post – but I’d love to hear any recommendations of WWII books you have, particularly ones that focus more on the home front or aftermath than the actual fighting (unless it’s spies. I love spies.)