Top Ten Tuesday: Not in the Zone
This week's topic is: Top Ten Books I Read that Were Outside my Comfort Zone (whether I liked them or not)
10.Suze Orman, The 9 Steps to Financial FreedomI don't usually read self-help type books, or financial books, but this one is pretty interesting. LIKED IT.
9.Kenji Siratori, Headcode
I took a sci fi/ cyberpunk class in graduate school and pretty much everything was out of my comfort zone. This book is made up entirely of strange code type world salad. It is the worst book I've ever read. LOATHED IT.
8.John Milton, Paradise Lost
Milton is totally out of my comfort zone. I'm a little afraid of Milton and I'm not afraid to admit it. Prepping for my M.A. exams, this loomed like a dark cloud over me. DID NOT LIKE IT.
7.Louise Erdrich, The Beet Queen
This was outside my comfort zone because of the time in my life when I read it. I think I was in eighth grade, and the book was a little over my head. LIKED IT. 6.Stephanie Meyers, Twilight
I was studying for M.A. exams when I read Twilight and it was definitely outside the realm of what I was reading at the time. LIKED IT (okay, maybe I loved it a little).
5.William Burroughs, The Ticket that Exploded
I am really hard to offend, and I don't really find anything to be that strange, but this book is super weird. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I LIKED IT.
4.Republic of PlatoThis is the first full book of philosophy that I read, and so it was totally nerve-wracking. I ended up really getting into it though and I still enjoy reading philosophy now. LIKED IT.
3.Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf
I didn't really read this, just pretended to, so I don't know if it belongs on this list. I mean it's by Hitler and it is really really long. I had a copy of it for a Junior year in high school honors project. PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HATED IT.
2.J.G. Ballard, Crash
I put this on the list last week, so to revisit: This made me super uncomfortable (like nightmare times) when I first read it at sixteen. HATED IT, THEN LATER LOVED IT.
1.Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon
Mysteries and detective stories are outside my zone, but this is a great book, so I LOVED IT.
Wow tough books. I don't think I could ever bring myself to read Mein Kampf, so kudos to you. I can't even think of where to begin with my top 10!
ReplyDeleteHmm that's interesting about The Beet Queen. I tried reading some Louise Erdrich and just couldn't get into her (I think it was Love Medicine) Maybe I should give Beet Queen a try . . .
ReplyDeleteI've got Twilight on my list as well. I would love to get through Paradise Lost, but I just haven't been in the right mind-set.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT
I've been meaning to read Maltese Falcon for ages, I'm glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteHeadcode sounds VERY VERY weird, I don't blame you at all. Also - the cover is hideous.
Haha. I picked up a book by Burroughs once and turned to a really nasty, wierd, disturbing passage. I can't even remember what it was now but I remember it was shocking. After that experience I've never been that anxious to read anything by him ...
ReplyDeleteParadise Lost was a huge burden for me, too. I read it for a 17th century lit course and it was really difficult. That and Beowulf :D
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness, I enjoyed reading Twilight (the book, not the entire series) too. :)
ReplyDeleteYay for The Republic! I love it too, but to be fair, it's totally inside my comfort zone because of my half a philosophy degree thankyaverymuch :). I still genuinely believe we should have philosopher rulers though
ReplyDeleteYou've got some serious out-there things on your list. I respect that. Definitely wouldn't have gotten through the Plato or the Hitler on your list.
ReplyDeleteI was excited to find a copy of Crash a couple of years ago, but I've yet to read it. I've seen the movie so I know what to expect, and I generally love weird, confrontational, made-me-uncomfortable books, so I'm curious about this one!
ReplyDeleteIt is always interesting when I read a book that is outside my comfort zone and discover that I love it. What does reading outside one's comfort zone do to our rating of a book? I think it adds value, somehow.
ReplyDeleteI really love this meme, because everyone's comfort zone is different. I loved The Maltese Falcon and keep meaning to try Louise Erdrich. I don't think I could get around to Mein Kampf, though, nor Ballard's Crash, so good on you for having got through them!
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