Good Books: A Book Lover's Companion by Steven Gilbar was one of the first books-that-recommend-books I read. I bought a copy long before computers could do the things they now do. I very carefully write down the books Gilbar recommended that looked good to me, and I took my list to the public library and looked through the library's card catalog (a real card file of book listings---ask your mother or grandmother if you don't know what I'm talking about) until I found copies of books I wanted to read. I also studied James Mustich's mail-order catalog, A Common Reader, (again, ask your mother or grandmother) each time it arrived, on the search for the good books.
It wasn't long before I obtained a copy (probably from A Common Reader) of 100 One-Night Reads: A Book Lover's Guide. There is no better guide to short books.
Noel Perrin's A Reader's Delight arrived about the same time.
I remember thinking that 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die felt like one of the most comprehensive lists of good fiction I'd ever seen.
My marvelous friend, Louise, of A Strong Belief in Wicker, told me about 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. I have now read 700 of 1001 children's books you must read. Thank you, Louise.
I'll just say it: I prefer women authors, so 500 Great Books by Women was a natural choice for me.
I love fiction from around the world so Bloomsbury's Good Reading Guide: World Fiction is another perfect book for me.
I love Nancy Pearl. I first discovered Nancy Pearl as a librarian on NPR recommending books. That quickly led me to Book Lust, which led to More Book Lust, which led to Book Lust to Go, which led to Book Crush.
Side note: I had great fun with Book Lust. I sent out two copies of Book Lust through BookCrossing, and with each book I included a journal in which BCers could add books they recommend for each category listed in the Book Lust. The books traveled for seven years to seventy-four readers through twenty-seven states of the US, plus Canada, Portugal, Ireland, England, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, France, and Australia, and ended up back with me. So much fun!
This is the latest books-that-recommend-books I've read and loved. This is a library copy, but I hope to get a copy of my own soon.
Please share any good books-that-recommend-books with me.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.
It must be fascinating to compare these books to see what are the similarities and what the differences are.
ReplyDeleteknow I read the first Nancy Pearl book and found it so interesting and of course it increased the TBR. I also bought 1000 Books to Read Before You Die and well, yes, more good missed ones for my list. LOL (Double edged sword for sure.)
ReplyDeleteI loved this list, Deb! I didn't realize there were so many books that did nothing but recommend other books.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT .
Now you have produced a list of recommendations of recommendations! Maybe someone will find other bloggers who have listed their favorite compilations, and we can have recommendations of recommendations of recommendations. Or lists of lists of lists.
ReplyDeletebe well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Recommendations of recommendations of recommendations!
DeleteI appreciate this list so much. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing about your Bookcrossing book. I tried it a few years back but didn't have much success.
ReplyDeleteI think I need to write a whole blog post about the experience. It was honestly one of the most fun things I've ever done.
DeleteI, for one, would love to hear about it!!!
DeleteI've got that 1001 books to read before you die - I like ticking off the ones I've read in the index! Good recommendations :)
ReplyDeleteI have a tab on my blog where I list perpetual challenges. It's there for me.
DeleteI love this list. I am definitely going to check a couple of these out to get some recommendations. Great take on this week's Top Ten.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiitng my TTT earlier.
ReplyDeleteBooks that recommend books is certainly a great choice for this topic. I will definitely see whether I can find any of the ones you mentioned.
Oh, and I love your little library display. Where did you find it?
You have me trying to remember which books recommended books! I know I've read a few that have.
ReplyDeleteI have a few of these (the 1001 Books before I Die and all the Book Lust books) and now I want to get all the others on this list. A lovely post.
ReplyDeleteWow! I had no idea there are so many books about book recommendations!! This is awesome.
ReplyDeleteNancy Pearl!!! If America had a British Style honor's list, she'd be DAME Nancy by now. I am a librarian and her appearances on NPR raised the profession's coolness factor by many, many degrees! I love that you have her action figures and accessories---those rocked the profession in the best way when they were introduced!
ReplyDeleteI'm fortunate to have Mustich's book, it's so gorgeous. My other two favorite are: The Complete Review Guide to Contemporary World Fiction, by M. A. Orthofer; and: The World Between Two Covers, by Ann Morgan
ReplyDeleteOoooo I want all those books and that is so cool about the Book Crossing book and journal traveling around for 7 years and finally making it back to you! What fun that must've been to look through it!!
ReplyDeleteI love books. I love having books recommended to me. The books on this list is exactly what I need in my life! It would be so much fun crossing them off when you've read them, like a little checklist!!! ��
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this wonderful list!!
Happy Reading!! <3
I don't tend to read books about books or book lists. I guess I use blogs instead. But, I do love a "best of" list when they come out from various sources.
ReplyDeleteBooks about books are such a dangerous thing for already-prolific readers with long TBRs...but I love them! What a fun story about the first book -- topped only by your Book Crossing story. Those journals must be priceless.
ReplyDeleteI haven't actually perused that many book-recommendation books, but I've found Open Library an absolute gold mine of old reference books/annotated bibliographies of 20th century juvenile literature. It both jogs my memories about childhood books and creates vast lists of interesting looking titles -- I'm sure if I counted, I'd be in the hundreds already.
700/1001! That's amazing. I feel sad that I've let that quest drop by the wayside recently. I think I needed a break from it for a while. I need to get back to it some day. I love these types of books too. I bought a copy of the Mustich recently. I'm not getting all that much reading done at the moment, but that doesn't stop me wanting to know about more and more books, and acquire more and more books.
ReplyDeleteI'm still plugging away. I back away for a while, and then run across a copy of one of the books I haven't read yet, and suddenly feel motivated again.
DeleteWe must always acquire more and more books. Even if we never read them.