Tammy’s Top Ten Literary (Non- SFF) Books I Want to Read

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! Today is a FREEBIE Top Ten, which means we can pick whatever theme we’d like to!

Before I started blogging, one of my favorite genres to read was literary fiction, in particular books with something odd or quirky about them. But because my blog focuses on genre fiction, I don’t really read literary fiction anymore, because I just don’t have time. BUT if I did, these following ten books would be at the top of my list. For the sake of narrowing things down, all  of these books are new releases, or soon-to-be released:

1. City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg. This story is set in the 1970s, and features a real event, the New York City blackout of 1977. So, New York City, in the 1970s, rock ‘n roll, and complex relationships. That sounds like a great combination to me! Releases this October.

2. Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont. This is another story set in New York, about a married couple and the challenges they face when the husband’s secret life is discovered—by his children. This debut is already getting lots of attention from big-name authors. Releases this July.

3. The Turner House by Angela Flournoy. This story takes place in one of my favorite cities to read about (but not to visit!), Detroit. It sounds like an amazing family drama, and it’s also getting lots of attention. Now available.

4. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. I’m already a big Lauren Groff fan (she wrote one of my favorite pre-blogging blogs, The Monsters of Templeton), so it’s not a stretch to add this to my list. Groff’s story of the history of a marriage has been called “Gone Girl with nicer people.” I’ll be reading this for sure, no matter how many SFF review books I have:-D Releases this September.

5. Gold, Fame, Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins. OK, this book is nearly speculative fiction, as it takes place in the near future. Even though I’ve never heard of this author, I’m hearing amazing things about her. This is definitely a must-read for me, and I’ll be pre-ordering it for sure. Releases in September.

6. Delicious Foods by James Hannaham. This story looks very dark, from the description, and is about a mother, her son and a drug addiction. Now available.

7. Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum. From some of the reviews I’ve read of this book, the protagonist is an unlikable and unhappily married woman who sets out to find adventure, mostly in the form of extramarital affairs. Now available.

8. Sweetland by Michael Crummey. Canadian author Crummey tells the story of a man who lives on a tiny Canadian island and is offered big bucks if he’ll give up his home and leave the island. He refuses, and therein lies the story. I actually have a copy of this one, so I’m one step closer to reading it! Now available.

9. The Country of Ice Cream Star by Sandra Newman. This is another book just shy of being speculative fiction, as it takes place in a future postapocalyptic society. I’m DYING to read this, and I need to buy a copy soon. Now available.

10. The Water Museum: Stories by Luis Alberto Urrea. Of course I had to have at least one short story collection on here! I have never read Urrea’s stories, but he’s supposed to be an amazing and award-winning author. Now available.

Have you read any of these books? Which ones should I try to read for sure?

Posted May 19, 2015 by Tammy in Top Ten Tuesday / 26 Comments

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26 responses to “Tammy’s Top Ten Literary (Non- SFF) Books I Want to Read

    • Tammy

      Yes, I will absolutely review them if I read them. Especially if they are really good:-)

  1. Were you hungry when you made this list? Or getting there near the end? 🙂 “Delicious Food”, “Sweetland”, “The Country of Ice Cream Star” …. I now need to go get a snack 😉 j/k. Some great sounding books on this list. Among the Ten Thousand Things and Sweetland probably peeked my interest the most.
    Lisa @TenaciousReader recently posted…Audiobook Review: Corsair by James CambiasMy Profile

    • Tammy

      Ha ha!! I never noticed all the food references until you mentioned it! Maybe my sweet tooth was making itself heard:-D

      • I found it really uncomfortable to read, and yet so addictive (is that the right word?). The writing is beautiful. I’ve never read a book where I’ve disliked the protagonist so much, but also wanted to hug her at the same time. It’s not something I’d usually gravitate towards but I gave it 4.5/5 stars. My review is at http://www.strupag.com/hausfrau/ if you want to have a read. x

  2. Looks like we both were on the same wavelength when we did today’s TTT. Hausfrau is on my April-May-June reading list, so I’m going to fit it in somewhere. I’ll have to look into some of these others. They sound very interesting.

    • Tammy

      I know, of all the top ten topics in the world, we both landed on the same sort of topic:-D

    • Tammy

      I’m so glad to meet another Groff fan! I feel like she’s not that well known, but such a good writer:-)

  3. I was offered a copy of Hausfrau and I’m kind of wishing I’d taken up the offer now – it sounds good.
    I also like the sound of Ice Cream Star – or do I just want to eat ice cream – or maybe both.
    Lynn 😀
    Lynn recently posted…Oh no you didn’t…My Profile

  4. Kara S

    I’m a little late to this party! Since literary fiction is the proverbial bread and butter of my fictional diet (although I read mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, ya and an array of non-fiction too), I wanted to get in on the action and put in my two cents. For my part, I am eager to get started on Hausfrau, which I just obtained in a trade, and especially The Water Museum. I’ve been impressed by the stellar reviews, and the author is totally new to me. I’d be happy to read any of the books you list here if time allowed!

    Besides applauding your *exquisite* taste in books, I wanted to let you know I just finished The Turner House, and it was terrific! I had been eagerly anticipating this read well before I got mu hands on a copy, but because of Angela Flournoy’s astounding mastery of her craft I couldn’t have come close to over-hyping it in my own mind beforehand. Seriously, she’s awesome. She actually reminds me a lot of Jane Austen in terms of the way her narrator relies on wit to illustrate specific elements of character and setting.

    If you care to take a look, here’s my review about it on Amazon (it’s posted on Goodreads and LibraryThing too): http://www.amazon.com/review/R1BDP69V6BFT89/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
    Positive votes always brighten my day. 🙂

    Seriously, The Turner House is not to be missed! Happy reading, Kara S

    • Tammy

      Thanks for your comment! I’m glad to know I’m on the right track. I’m even more excited about The Turner House now:-)

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