Once again, it's blog chain time. This round is brought to us by Shaun who wants to know:
What are three books you would tell people that they need to keep reading even if they aren't immediately sucked in by the first page?
Oh. Golly. I love the books that take time to build. They don't have the wham, bam, thank you ma'am right up front. For me, the books that lure you in slowly are often the ones that truly do pack the most punch.
1. BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves. The first scene of the book is a little confusing, but what comes afterward turns logic and reality on their head. Reeves' book is an absolute trip of horror, confusion, and a girl desperately wanting her mother's approval. I loved it.
2. REBECCA by Daphne DuMaurier. "Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again." It's probably one of the most harmless first lines of a novel I think ever composed. So simple, and yet finding out why the narrator is plagued with dreams of this place is a sweeping, romantic and yet terrifying journey. REBECCA is a prime example of a Gothic novel, and through it all, you can't help but wonder how much worse things are going to get for poor Mrs. DeWinter. DuMaurier heaps trouble after trouble onto the narrator and there's another thread of not being able to measure up to the first Mrs. DeWinter, the late Rebecca, and her ghostly presence still lingering in the house that is simply chilly.
3. AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman. I have had friends who struggled with this book at first when I recommended it to them only to come back to me and say it blew their minds. If you're a writer or reader of fantasy work, you are undoubtedly acquainted with Neil Gaiman. Some don't want to give him a chance. I say they're missing out. What looks initially like yet another "broken male goes on long journey to find himself" book is far beyond such. What makes the book exceptionally rich is Gaiman's use of various mythologies and the way he brings the old gods to life.
So those are my picks. What books do you recommend for people to keep reading even if the first page does draw them in? Make you check on Jon's post on this topic as well.
I've read #2 and #3, and I didn't have any trouble getting into them. I guess it's all subjective.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these! Dang. I like to be able to compare. I have read Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman, which is supposed to be similar.
ReplyDeleteLike Matthew, I haven't read ANY of these books! *face palm* BUT Dia Reeves' books sound incredible. Especially Slice of Cherry. Have you read that one??
ReplyDeleteI'm loving these lists! :D And I keep waiting to see if someone will list the ones I'll have on my post LOL So far no one has :D
ReplyDeleteI totally agree on these three!
ReplyDeleteI've had Bleeding Violet in my TBR stack for quite a while. Moving it up to the top... :)
ReplyDeleteI loved Bleeding Violet, but agree that it was a little hard to get into at first, probably because it was just so hard for me to categorize or fit into anything that I had read before.
ReplyDeleteI'm noticing a pattern of more literary-ish novels in these blog posts. Maybe it's the norm for literary novels to begin slowly and pack a punch later? I haven't read these. (see my post concerning impatience. hee hee)
ReplyDeleteI have always meant to read American Gods, though. Maybe I'll move it up the stack. Thanks for the reviews!!
Thank you for the book list. I haven't read any of these, although I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! Neil Gaiman is a writer I've been wanting to check out.
ReplyDeleteI adored Bleeding Violet but it did take me a bit to get into it. American Gods on the other hand, is a book that I never seem to make it through. I've tried a couple of times, and make it a little further each time, but it just never catches me. He's a great writer, but something about it leaves me cold. Great picks!
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