Books I Recommend to Others the Most

I have been a reader all my life, and a librarian for the last twenty years (albeit a retired one for the last few).

I hesitate to recommend books to people.

I ask questions. I listen to people's responses. I'm always happy to share what I have loved, but my reading tastes tend to be a bit...let's say, quirky. I delight in offering a list of titles that a person might like. Still...I hesitate from recommending books...

Nevertheless, over the years, I've run across a number of books that I've Loved, Loved, Loved, and recommended to others, books that people have read and have loved as much as I have. 

Here are some books I've successfully championed the most...

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption 

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Press Here by Hervé Tullet

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

Still, I'd have to say my successes are heavily outweighed with those with mixed results and my complete failures...

Book recommendations with mixed results:

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

Book recommendation failures:

Possession by A. S. Byatt

Civility by Stephen L. Carter

True Grit by Charles Portis

Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman

The World is Not Enough by Zoé Oldenbourg

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam

The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

What books have you successfully recommended to others?

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.