top ten books on my spring to-be-read list

Tuesday, March 12, 2013 |
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we all get to exercise our OCD tendencies and come up with bookish lists.  If you’d like to play along, check out this post.


I began participating in the Top Ten Tuesday meme this past summer, so the autumn to-be-read list was my first attempt at this seasonal topic.  I’d say I’ve done well since last fall – I’ve read five of ten, and I have plans to read two more this month.

For spring I’m taking a slightly different approach.  The following books are on my list not because they’re out this season or because I’ve been meaning to read them for ages (although that is true of a few) – they’re on the list because they’re all by Irish authors.  Now, this isn't some St. Patrick’s Day stunt (though the timing of this post is a lovely coincidence).  I’m planning to vacation in Ireland this September.  As soon as I’d made up my mind on location, I (like any good bookworm) started researching Irish authors.  After all, I want to recognize names in the local bookstores!  Bookshops are an essential part of any balanced vacation adventure (clearly).

Top Ten Books On My Spring To-Be-Read List


1. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer – I’ve been meaning to read this first in a middle grade caper/spy series for… a long time.  This is the perfect opportunity to finally follow through.

2. The Demon’s Covenant & The Demon’s Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan – I read the first book in this series (The Demon’s Lexicon) almost four years ago, right after it first came out.  It’s about time I finished the story (and had a terrific laugh, which these are sure to provide).

3. Saga by Conor Kostick – This is another second book in a series.  I’m not very good at reading sequels, it seems.  But apparently I am good at reading Irish authors!

4. A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle – I have been assured by the Lonely Planet country guide to Ireland that Doyle is a BIG DEAL, literarily speaking.  I saw reviews of this one a little while back, and it sounded sad and sweet.

5. Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd – If you search the internet for Irish YA, it is apparent that Dowd was an acknowleged master of her craft.  This title won the Carnegie Medal in 2009 (in other words, it should be spectacular).


6. The Fire Opal by Regina McBride – Historical fantasy set in Ireland.  Yes please!

7. Curse of Kings by Alex Barclay – An epic fantasy that promises adventure ‘in the tone of The Hobbit.’  Don’t mind if I do!

8. The New Policeman by Kate Thompson – Critically-acclaimed YA fantasy that promises adventures in new worlds, culture clash, and a thread of music along the journey.

9. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne – I read Boyne’s middle grade fable/gentle fantasy Noah Barleywater Runs Away and loved the subtle magic of it.  This far more famous title was an earlier effort that inspired a film of the same name.  Figured I’d better read it.

10. Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes – I’ve never read Keyes, but I was caught and held by the summary of this book and her darkly funny voice accompanying innocuous (one would think) recipes.

What books are you looking forward to this spring?

22 comments:

Liviania said...

I'm not a fan of The New Policeman, but I like the other books on this list I've read.

I recommend having both Demon's books to read at once.

Maria @ bookchilla said...

I finished books 1&2 in the Artemis Fowl series, and it's enjoyable :)

And I will start the Demon's Lexicon soon!

my TTT

Randi M said...

I love the Irish theme! I'll be adding several of these to my list. :) Roddy Doyle's book Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha is excellent, as is Frank McCourt's memoir Angela's Ashes.

My TTT

Randi @ Cardigans, Coffee and Bookmarks

Anonymous said...

Boy in Striped Pyjamas is an amazing book. Good pick.

~Sara @ Just Another Story said...

I haven't read anything by any of the authors you've mentioned but I have heard of a few of them. I have always wanted to visit Ireland, it looks absolutely gorgeous there.

I hope you get to read all the authors you mentioned.

My TTT

Anonymous said...

Roddy Doyle is a big thing. He wrote the book behind the movie The Commitments which was huge when it came out.
And what about James Joyce??? ;-)

Unknown said...

I've also got to read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I've had this book on my shelf for at least 3 years now and I'm yet to read it :(

I've read a Roddy Doyle book and I wasn't thrilled with it, it was called "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha".

My Top Ten.

Have a great week!

Charlotte said...

I hope you like Greyhound--I did, lots! I don't like Roddy Doyle's grown-up books, but this one was lovely.

Amber (Books of Amber) said...

I've been meaning to read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas for the longest time! I've heard it wasn't so great, but I watched the movie and I feel like I need to read the book now.

Books of Amber

Courtney said...

I picked up a copy of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas in a Hostel in Madrid. I had finished a book I had no intention of keeping or reading again (it was so, blah), and they had a leave a book/take a book table. And I STILL haven't read it. I need to get on that.

Nina said...

OMG, omg I totally forgot about The Demon's Lexicon. For a long time I had the book on my tbr list. I can't remember why I never picked it up.
I hope the series is good. And if it is, please let me know. :)

Nina@J'adore Happy Endings

Anonymous said...

Artemis Fowl is great! I highly recommend the audiobook - it's fantastic. Artemis is such an interesting character - definitely not your average hero. Hope you enjoy it.

Happy reading :)

Jen | Book Den said...

I hadn't heard of The New Policemen. It sounds wonderful.

Unknown said...

I love all the Irish books. I plan to check those out. And the Marian Keyes book looks awesome too. I'm definitely adding that to my TBR list.

Artemis Fowl is one of my favorite series. I hope you enjoy it!

Ashling @ Reading, Writing, & Anything But Arithmetic

Samantha Stewart said...

I really want to read the Artemis Fowl series too! The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is such a sad book! Hope you manage to get to read all of these books!
My TTT

Anonymous said...

I'm actually new to most of these books! Enjoy reading the Demon's books - I love Sarah Rees Brennan's writing and storytelling.

Mel@Thedailyprophecy said...

The fire opal has been on my list for a while now. A curse of Kings sound good. Nice list! :)

TTT -Mel@thedailyprophecy.

Dana said...

What a great way to pick books for this week's TTT! Lots of new to me books on there. I'm sure I'll be adding to my TBR list!

Tales of Whimsy said...

What a cool list. I love that it's full of stuff I've never read and some I've never heard of. You'll keep me on my toes. ;)

Steph Su said...

What a great idea! I can't express my excitement enough here in text, but basically, there's also a chance I'll be in Europe this summer/fall. Maybe we could try to meet up if you're not otherwise too busy??

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed Demon's Lexicon but the series gets even better in book 2 and 3 (especially if you love Alan as much as I do!).

carol said...

Looks like a good list. And I love the cover of Saved by Cake.

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