Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is actually books that you won’t let anyone touch. I’m not much for holding my books sacred (though I am pesky about getting them back…I’ll actually often buy a secondhand copy of a book and just give that one if someone wants to borrow a book so that I don’t have to worry), but if I had first editions of these books, I’d definitely hoard them all to myself! I’m highlighting five of my favorite books I’ve come to love as an adult, as well as five that meant a lot to me while I was a kid.
The Virgin Suicides: I love this book so much. I do have a signed copy, which no one is allowed to touch, but a first edition would be something special.
Lolita: A masterpiece that inspired me to not just enjoy reading, but to really appreciate the way the English language can be used.
The Secret History: I first read this book at 18 and it is STILL my go-to recommendation if someone hasn’t read it yet.
In Cold Blood: Truly one of the greatest non-fiction books I have ever read.
1984: I read this when I was a teenager and it blew my entire mind.
Wild Magic: I was a kid who often felt better connected to animals than to other people, so this book about a teen who literally has a magic bond with animal life was something that spoke to me.
Sabriel: The whole series is good, but the first book is one I’ve read over and over again and still enjoy every time. I feel like these would have been monster smashes if they’d been written a decade later instead of being cult hits.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: The British original that started it all.
Northern Lights: The title was changed when it came overseas to America, but this series still means so much to me that I want to get my hands on the actual first edition.
Catherine, Called Birdy: As a hard-headed smart-mouthed often-disobedient daughter, Catherine was everything.