Top Ten Tuesday: Freebie! Ten Books by Men

I tend to gravitate to books written by women due to the sort of stories I prefer. So, for my freebie, I’ve picked male authors I enjoy.

These are not in any ranked order. Remember, I do not make any money off this blog–the links are for your convenience.

Some Current Authors

1. Mosquitoland by Dave Arnold

I met the author at a book festival so I had to read his book, right? It was worth it! I love road trip books and have done a few posts on them here and here, Mosquitoland has an unusual, yet appealing, cast of characters that make you keep reading. You can learn more about this book here.

2.  Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

This author’s new book, Nickel Boys, is high on my TBR list right now. Underground Railroad, which has taken the world by storm, was one of the most interesting novels I’ve ever read. You can read more of my thoughts on this instant classic here.

3. Shotgun Love Songs by Nickolas Butler

If you loved this summer’s super-hit Daisy Jones and the Six and yearn for more Rock ‘n Roll fiction, try Shotgun Love Songs. A John Mellencamp-type in a small town, this time in Wisconsin, makes the story very engaging. My thoughts and review are here.

4. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and several others by him

From my old blog:

“I happen to have LOVED Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand –the gold standard of widower’s tales. Look out Major, Ove is here! Saab-loyalist extreme-o, Ove finds life without his beloved wife to be, well, not worth living.  But then the neighbors get in the way! To say more would be to spoil it all. “

You can read my thoughts on other books by this author: Beartown, Us Against You, Britt-Marie Was Here 

5. Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford and others by him

This book is a life-time favorite of mine now. I love his writing, even if I haven’t been so taken with a storyline here and there. He brings you into the world of the story like few others can do. You can read my thoughts on this and other works by himhere. Love and Other Consolation Prizes .

7.  The Dinner by Herman Koch and others by him

Koch’s unreliable narrators, believeable set-ups, and everyday people in uncomfortable situations make his books a nice break from too much goodness in my reading.  My review of Dear Mr. M .  Summer House With Swimming Pool.

Some Old Favorite Authors

8. To Serve Him All My Days by  R.F. Delderfield and others by him

When I was starting in on “grown-up” books, in the early-to-mid 1970s, I often enjoyed books my Mom was reading. Delderfield’s God is an Englishman series, was among the first that I tackled. I fell in love though with To Serve Them All My Days, starting as it does in World War I. When it came on PBS years later, I was happy to point out the differences between book and tv version to my folks as we watched it. I don’t know that they were as impressed as I was! (FYI, I’ve shown “my” cover rather than the awful new ones. This is so much more representative of the story than the black and white photo on the newer edition.)

9. The Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk and others by him

Gone With the Wind was the first massive book I read. Winds of War was the second. I’ve since read nearly everything Wouk wrote and he remains one of my favorite authors.  These two novels were also made in to t.v. “miniseries” in the 70s or 80s. 1.

10. Casino Royale and all the others by Ian Fleming

I suppose today you’d be thrown out of a high school for reading James Bond books. He’s probably misogynist. His wife dies on their wedding day. He goes back to treating woman appallingly in the very next book and he drinks and smokes. Who cares? The books are fun (they also have boring parts). They’re essentially a men’s “romance” if you will–escape-reading for JFK, Mad Men and my grandfather. Fleming wrote a nonfiction book, The Diamond Smugglers, and the children’s classic Chitty Chitty Bang Band, too. By the way, I also hate the new 007 book covers, too!

Check out the rules at That Artsy Reader Girl and join in next week!