This week's meme, from Lost in Books, asks, "What are your 3 favorite genres?"
Here is my list:
1) Travel Memoirs: I love reading well-written accounts of peoples' travels. Travels with Charley, Blue Highways, Imagined London, Long Way Round, are all great examples. I tend to really enjoy ones that avoid whining about personal issues and focus on their experience during the trip and the people they meet.
2) Historical Fiction: Whenever I read historical fiction I feel like I'm learning something while being entertained. Great historical fiction is always well researched. The Red Tent, The Book Thief and anything by Tracy Chevalier are all good examples and I was surprised to learn that Memoirs of a Geisha is listed as the best historical fiction book ever written.
3) Classics: It's a big genre with many sub-genres, but overall it's one of my favs. I've found that most books stand the test of time for a reason. Obviously there are classics that aren't my cup of tea, but many of my favorites would fall in this category.
12 comments:
Glad to find your blog via Lost in Books!
I have read most of the classics!
Read mine here!
+JMJ+
Yay for Classics! =D
I'm more wary about trying Historical Fiction, since I have to trust the author to be historically honest and I've been burned too many times by authors with agenda rooted squarely in the present. =(
And I really should read more Travel Memoirs, since I love reading about places all over the world. Here, my problem is that I have to like the narrator enough to let him be my "traveling companion." If I don't feel that connection when I'm browsing his book, well, that's that.
I've read 2 of the books in the Historical Fiction section and I loved them! Memoirs of a Geisha was fantastic, and when I was on a business trip to Washington DC when the movie came out, the National Geographic museum had a small exhibit of the most famous geisha of the time, complete with her robes and videos of her singing performances. Unbelievable!
I blogged about The Heretic's Daughter as well about a month or so ago -- that is also an excellent read as well. You will love it!!
Hi, I found you through the meme at Lost in Books and I really love your blog! I became a followr and will defintiely be coming back, I think you have great taste in books!
gautami - Good for you. I feel like my classics TBR is always growing.
Enbrethiliel - I agree with your travel companion comment. I didn't like Eat Pray Love, because Gilbert isn't someone I could travel with. She was way too whiny.
Coffee - I agree, Memoirs of a Geisha and Heretic's Daughter were both great books. Good historical fiction, like those two books, describes the time period so well that you can truly picture living there.
We're big fans of travel memoirs here. I'll have to look at Travels with Charley and Long Way Round. And I really enjoyed Memoirs With A Geisha but I don't know if I would have rated it that highly.
I've been meaning to read more travel memoirs (I love travelling, so really, what's not to love?), so I really appreciate those suggestions :)
Three genres I love as well! I had not seen that Ewan McGregor memoir before. I'm going to ave to look that one up.
Rebecca - Long Way Round was good not because it was a famous guy's book, but because it was such an amazing journey. I hope you enjoy!
Historical fiction ALMOST made my top three, but not quite. I do love it though. Maybe I needed to post a top ten?
Great post. I think Eat Pray Love is the only travel memoir I've read. I do own a book by AAGill who is supposed to be good but I've yet to open it. It's been too long since I've read any Historical Fic and I still don't know when i'll get to it. the Classics - TOO BIG a category! or maybe not. I do like a good (short) classic every now and then. I'm glad to say I've read Memoirs of a Geisha and really want to try some Waugh. I like to read all over the place so I can't pick a top 3 genre.
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