Well, this snuck up on me...again. Thanks to the ladies at Estella Society for hosting this year and bringing this community building event back to life. If you don't have a blog, you might think this event doesn't have much to offer you. But you'd be wrong. Because this is a great chance to get to learn about books and what people who love books (and read a lot of books) read and love.
Today our wonderful hosts have asked us to talk about the books we've read and loved because a fellow blogger introduced us to them. Oh. So. Many.
In my twenties, I read a lot of Stephen King. And then I didn't. I didn't read any Stephen King at all. But a group of book bloggers have convinced me to take up the master again, most notably in 2013 when I joined them in reading King's Under The Dome, which weighs in at over 1000 pages. But it's King so it flies a long. King keeps the action moving along and the cast is large, but he also manages to draw the reader into their lives and care about them. And I defy you to see where this one is going. Seriously, if you tell me you figured it out before King laid it out, I'd be tempted to call you a liar. Extra fun when you get to talk about it with other people!
Ti, of Book Chatter, loves Haruki Murakami. Loves him. Writes about his books so eloquently that she had convinced me that I really needed to read one of his books sooner rather than later. And then she put together a readalong of The Windup Bird Chronicles and I was in. And I was hooked. I had no idea what the hell was going on a lot of the time but talking about it with other people and allowing myself to just make of it what I would turned out to be the perfect way to read this one and to fall in love with Muraki's style. I enjoyed it so much that when Ti talked about rereading Kafka On The Shore last year, I didn't hesitate to join her.
Maybe my favorite ever book that I was convinced to read by other bloggers was Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow. I don't read much science fiction or fantasy and no space travel. The Sparrow is all of those things. But it's so much more. It's a book that a year and a half later is still making me think, still touching my heart. I keep very few books after I've read them. I know the chances of me rereading a book is small. This one, though, this is one that I'm certain I will reread again. Soon. I've read a lot of books I've loved in the past few years but very few that have impacted me in the way this book did. Andi of Estella's Revenge sold me on this book and Trish of Love, Laughter, and A Touch of Insanity put together the readalong that got me to read it. Thanks to both of them!
What books have you read and loved because of a blogger?
I am so impressed you worked on understanding Haruki Murakami. I, also under the influence of Ti, tried but gave up early! :--)
ReplyDeleteWell, Ti convinced me that Murakami doesn't really have a deep, hidden meaning that we're working to try to figure out and that I should just go along for the ride. Just put "Kafka On The Shore" into my son's hands and he loved it so he's pretty impressed with my literary taste about now.
DeleteAs I said in my post about this, what books haven't I been influenced to read by other bloggers? Well, not very many. I'm constantly getting suggestions and ideas from wandering around, reading blogs. I agree that The Sparrow was such a unique book. I had no idea what it was about when I read it many years ago and then it was a favorite. I need to reread it. And Stephen King - well, loved him 40 years ago, love him now.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't you think that after 40 years, King would run out of ideas for new ways to scare us and creep us out?!
DeleteStephen King is on my list because of bloggers and I know my genres have been expanded a bit and my TBR piles have grown to beyond massive proportions because of all the fabulous reviews I've seen! I like the look of The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I'll have to find a copy!
ReplyDeleteI continue working on trying to get all of my tbr lists put on to one list but I'm a little frightened by it. Thanks to blogging, there are enough books on my list to keep me reading for something like 10 years if I didn't add any new books to the list!
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ReplyDeleteWhen I finally read a Stephen King book, I know all the bloggers in the world will be on my recommender list. That is one author high on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteAlso, "for a good third + of the book, I was not very happy with those people. Then everything changed and I ended up deeply attached to the characters" - it's funny when this happens. LOL.
Oh my goodness, I ended up crying when I got to the end of that book - I never would have dreamed that I would become so attached to those characters!
DeleteYep. All of these things. Actually, a real life friend told me about The Sparrow and it was only later I started to see it everyone in blogland. SO GOOD, SO GOOD! And I loved Hedgehod and I was in on that Dome-along and no-I am not a Murakami fan but don't begrudge anyone who does find his work appealing and... I guess that's it. You and I *do* have similar tastes.
ReplyDeleteYep - I know if you liked it, I'm definitely going to be reading it sometime!
DeleteI was exactly the same with The Elegance of The Hedgehog, adored it by the end.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read anything else by her? I really must look to try her again.
DeleteI still haven't read The Sparrow. I've started twice now, and always ended up setting it aside. Maybe someday I will try again. I haven't yet read Haruki Murakami either. I really want to give him a try. I just need to get over my intimidation of him. I've gotten so many great recommendations from the blogging community, including from you. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe thing with Murakami is that I'm always thinking I'm missing a deeper meaning. I just have to let that go and enjoy the ride and what I am getting out of it. But also, Ti tells me that she thinks that's how Murakami writes them, that there isn't a hidden meaning. Now, you do have to be ready to read some pretty gruesome stuff which will randomly appear in them. But as long as the whole book's not like that, I can get over it.
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