Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Reads From 2015 (So Far)

This week's topic at The Broke and the Bookish is the best books read so far this year. Here is my list:

1. Maus by Art Spiegelman: I mostly read this because I'm taking a course on graphic novels, but I loved it. There are so many layers here in Spiegelman's account of his father's experience of WWII and the Holocaust.

2. He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope: To be honest, I didn't know if I would like this book about a man's excessive jealousy. I think if it were only about jealous Louis Trevelyan, I would have gotten tired of the book, but the sub-plots and cast of characters kept me engaged.

3. Breaking the Tongue by Vyvyane Loh: A novel about World War II in Singapore.

4. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden: I've been putting this on a lot of lists lately because it's just so good. It takes a new look on Canada's History and despite the violence, I loved this novel.

5. Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden: Yeah, he's a new favourite of mine. This novel deals with two young Cree men and their experience as snipers in World War One.

6. Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov: As a Russophile, I really should have read this ages ago, but I finally picked it up this year and loved it. Poor, lazy Oblomov!

7. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel: Despite it's length, I plowed through this book quickly as I just couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read Bring Up the Bodies.

8. Villette by Charlotte Brontë: A young teacher moves to France to teach in a girls' school. I really enjoyed reading about her experiences and emotions.

9. Us Conductors by Sean Michaels: Bonus points for the fact that shortly after I read this book, he came and spoke at a library near me so I got my book signed!

10. Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay: There are so many things going on in this story: Intrigue, distrust, jealousy, love. I really enjoyed it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR List

Is it almost summer already? It feels like spring has gone by so quickly! This week at The Broke and the Bookish, we're blogging about the books we plan to read this summer, so here goes:

1. Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas: This book has been on the list for a looooong time, so I am stoked to finally read it.

2. Petersburg by Andrei Bely: To continue on the Russian theme that I've had going this past year. This book is high on the list as I've been nostalgic for my days in St. Petersburg lately.

3. Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay: See above. I'm always on the lookout for contemporary books that cover Russian well.

4. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley: Last year I read The Once and Future King, so it seems time for another version of the Arthurian legends. I bought this book last fall at a used book sale, so I'm looking forward to having a chance to read it.

5. Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie: To finish off the trilogy of biographies of Romanov tsars.

6. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks: Just because it looks interesting and it's on a few of those lists of books you should read before you die.

7. The Case of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge: I read about this book in Martin Sixsmith's history of Russia and it seemed right up my alley, as I'm somewhat fascinated by the Stalinist purges of the 1930s.

8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman: I keep hearing about he's amazing. I've read one of his books, but this is supposed to be a magnum opus, so I hope to enjoy it.

9. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness: I've been slowly making my way through her trilogy, and plan to enjoy this book in mid-August when my summer courses are done.

10. The Jefferson Rule: How the Founding Fathers Became Infallible and Our Politics Inflexible by David Sehat: A friend in an online political events group mentioned this book, and a few of us thought it would be interesting to read over the summer and check back to discuss.

It was hard to narrow down this time, you guys! I think it's because I got a tablet and the Overdrive app, so now I want to read allllll the books I can find. Happy reading!