Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Learnt Something From

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week there is a new topic for bloggers to choose and list their top ten. This week’s theme is a back to school/learning freebie, so I picked Top Ten Books I Learnt Something From.

It took me a while to come up with this back to school/learning freebie topic mostly because when it comes to the books I read most of them are fantasy stories; stories which keep me on the edge of my seat but which offer an escape from the real world. When they’re over that’s it, but every so often there’s a book I pick up which stays with me long after I’ve closed the last page and makes me want to learn more about the topics it’s discussed, and those are the books I’ve featured on this list.

---

Circe by Madeline Miller

I’d actual say both of Madeline Miller’s books should be on my list this week.

I’ve always loved Greek mythology books and retellings, but there’s something about the way Madeline Miller writes which feels more real. Through her writing it’s almost like I’m transported back in time, watching the stories of Circe, Achilles and Patroclus play out for the first time.

---

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I read The Hate U Give back when it was first released and it has stayed with me ever since. This book is such a powerful read, and Angie Thomas has used her voice to bring to light an important issue that’s currently affecting so many people today.

---

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I struggled a little to pick between this book and The Book Thief, but in the end I picked All the Light We Cannot See because it gives both sides of the war a voice. We follow the stories of Marie-Laure who flees Paris with her father, and Werner who is drafted to fight for the German army.

---

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Before I read this book my knowledge of Norse mythology was whatever I’d picked up from the Thor movies (not accurate at all I know that). Neil Gaiman retells the stories of Odin, Thor and Loki, and through his writing I learnt so much about the gods and monsters who shaped the Norse culture.

---

The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

For me it was Izzy’s voice which made this book. She’s such a confident character but as the story unfolded you saw cracks start to appear, it made my heart break for her. There are so many memorable quotes and messages in this book, and overall this is such an important read.

---

Moonrise by Sarah Crossan

I’d never read a book that was told solely in prose before picking up Moonlight, but that in no way diminished the emotion in this book. Sarah Crossan leaves it down to us as readers to decide what really happened that day to Ed, but in my opinion that just made the story all the more hard hitting.

---

Wing Jones by Katherine Webber

Katherine Jones focuses on a family on the wrong side of a drink driving accident. We watch as Wing and her family go through so many emotions they can’t truly express because of what happened, and through the writing we see what happens to those left in the wake of an accident like this.

---

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

When I saw the blurb for this book I was hooked. All the short stories are based on the mythology of East and South Asia, and at the end of each the authors explain in more of the detail what inspired their writing. A Thousand Beginnings and Endings opened a whole new world up before my eyes.

---

And I Darken by Kiersten White

I’m not saying Kiersten White’s The Conqueror’s Saga is an accurate retelling of Vlad the Impaler’s story, I do not know enough about the history to verify that. What And I Darken did do was make me aware the history of Vlad, Wallachia, and the Ottoman Empire, and made me want to learn more.

---

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Percy Jackson books are fun reading. They’re funny and fast-paced with characters you can’t help but root for, but they also give so much background into the Greek myths which shape the characters abilities and the quests they find themselves on.

Like with Madeline Miller I feel like I could have put all of the Rick Riordan books that I’ve read on my list this week, but if I had there would have been more than ten and they would all be by Rick Riordan.

---

So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what you picked for this week’s themed free-for-all, or what books you learnt something from. Are any of the books with messages that stayed with me books which had messages that stayed with you?