Top Ten Tuesday – Gateway Books/Authors

By Rachel
Top Ten Gateway Books and Authors

Top Ten Gateway Books/Authors

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday focuses on the books that turned us into book lovers – books we read as children that have stayed with us, books that got us back into reading after a drought and books that introduced us to a new favourite genre. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday puts a spotlight on those books and authors that we credit with our bookishness.

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1. The book that started it all: I remember this book vividly from my childhood and it’s the first book I can remember being obsessed with. I must have been around 5 years old, possibly younger. Alpaca (by Rosemary Billam) is a faded toy rabbit who fears losing his place as favourite toy to newcomers. This is the original Toy Story and I’m saddened to see it’s no longer in print.

2/3. The authors I grew up with: I could never pick just one favourite book from my childhood, but I could probably identify a few authors/series that I collected as a child that shaped the reader I’d become. Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson are the two most obvious choices for me. Roald Dahl are the classics that most generations have read and adore, from James and the Giant Peach, to The Twits and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t read some Dahl. I’ve already written of my love for Jacqueline Wilson novels – she touches on sensitive issues children face while growing up in an honest way, she doesn’t patronise her young readers, and I think we all appreciated that.

4. The books I will always love: I think a lot of the TTT lists are going to contain this series, they were a massive part of my generation and are definitely a modern classic that are sure to be adored for many years to come. I began reading the series when I was 9 years old and finished it at 16 when the last book was released. I am of course talking about the wizarding world of Harry Potter, fantastically written and loved by children and adults alike, I’m sure to reread these forever… in fact I proudly “fangirl” over this series; defending it and pretty much shouting from the rooftops that everyone needs to read it, everyone!

control your emotions

5. The first “issues” book that made me cry: I read quite a lot of “issues” books and one of the first I remember is the Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman. I should really thank my school librarian for this one, she encouraged us to broaden our horizons through reading and was never afraid to promote “issues” books in school. I’ve wanted to get my hands on this series for some time for a reread, mostly to see if their meaning translates into adulthood.

6. The series that never failed to pick-me-up: We all go through difficult times growing up and one of my go-to books when I needed a comforting word was the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. There are so many of these books and I only own a few but you are guaranteed to find a short story to make you laugh, cry, celebrate, commiserate and everything in between.

7. The first book that shocked me: We Need to Talk About Kevin (by Lionel Shriver) was one of the first serious “issues” books I read that really shocked me, definitely made me think and encouraged me to read more novels outside of my comfort zone, especially novels inspired by real-life events. It also got me thinking a lot about human psychology and sparked an interest in that field that would continue for some time. Basically, by the end of this book I was pretty much:

Shocked

8. The book that got me into reading again: Throughout my late teens and college years I definitely stopped reading as much as I did when I was younger, the reading bug had left me somewhere between the “required reading list” and the “recommended reading list”. I spent so much time reading textbooks and academic papers that even the thought of reading “for fun” just wasn’t fun anymore. The first series I picked up when I graduated in 2012 was 50 Shades of Grey, most likely because of the media hype that was surrounding the books. This was my first journey into erotica, as well as being the series that reawakened the Book Geek within.

50 shades of grey gif

9. The book that introduced me to historical fiction: Before reading this series I definitely would have considered historical fiction to be a major snooze-fest. I became hooked to the BBC TV show first and then discovered it was based on a series of books called The White Queen (by Phillipa Gregory). I snapped up the entire series and devoured them. Not only am I far more open to historical fiction but I’ve discovered I now have an interest in history in general, who knew?

10. The book that got me into dystopian/fantasy novels: Once I found the Book People I was buying series and collections by the box-load (literally) and this is when I came across The Hunger Games. Fantasy and dystopian novels were entirely new to me and I very quickly became addicted. I read the three books in four days and quickly moved on to The Mortal Instruments and Divergent, I’m am always on the lookout for a good dystopian or fantasy read, so feel free to recommend!

About Rachel

Avid reader & #bookblogger. Lover of all things business. A fan of drinks & dancing. Ever optimistic. Feminist.

19 Responses

  1. Milka Read.Read.Read.

    I still haven’t read We Need to Talk About Kevin (even though I have a copy of it on my bookshelf), but I LOVE the film and it really did shock me (and did so even during rewatches) so I’m thinking the book might be even more of an experience.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Rachel

      Hey! I haven’t seen the movie yet, a couple of friends of mine who are big We Need to Talk… book fans put me off by saying it wasn’t as good. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it, but you can imagine how shocking the ending was when reading the book, and Lionel Shriver is a fantastic author. I would say get it read! Especially as you have it sitting waiting for you already! I’ll add the movie to my to-watch list, definitely have to see what they did with it…

      Thanks for commenting!

      R

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    1. Rachel

      Hey, thanks for commenting! I’ve literally just ordered the Noughts and Crosses set from Play.com for my payday treat 🙂 I last read these when I was in my early to middle teens and they were very impactful then, I’m curious to see what my older self makes of them!! Phillipa Gregory has really impressed me with The White Queen series, I’m pretty well versed in Tudor England these days! I’m keen to read more from her but definitely give The White Queen a go, really enjoyable!

      R x

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    1. Rachel

      I’m beginning to think every book blogger has Harry on their list! What a great testament to the quality of J K Rowling’s story-telling. I stumbled upon Chicken Soup for the Soul books that were in the house when I was younger, and I had ran out of age appropriate things to read, so I got stuck in and worked my way through quite a few of them, very uplifting!

      R x

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    1. Rachel

      Hi, thanks for the comment! I see Twilight was a popular choice for you guys, I read it after college and after 50 Shades or I would have included it too. R x

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    1. Rachel

      Did you have Chicken Soup for the Soul?? Great minds, eh?? I think we’re the only ones so far (that I’ve seen), I love these TTT posts but they just add more books to my to-read pile! Gonna nosy at yours now… R x

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      1. anotherafterthought

        I don’t even remember Chicken Soup being that popular (at least it wasn’t extremely popular here). I’m just more-so surprised at people remembering the book than anything else!

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      2. Rachel

        I remember when it was raved about on Oprah and everyone seemed to have a dog-eared copy… I think it was featured in a movie or two as well and that’s how the whole thing kicked off. A lot of people seem to be remembering them fondly once they’ve been mentioned in a post, nostalgia at its finest! R x

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  6. Lottie

    Great post! I really want to read Noughts & Crosses, and I definitely need to check out some Philippa Gregory books! Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson were favourites of mine as a child also. 🙂

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    1. Rachel

      Hi, thanks for your comment! I just purchased the four book set yesterday (Noughts and Crosses) for around £20, definitely excited to have a reread at them as I’ve seen a few top 10’s that feature them and I want to know if they still have the same impact on me! Are you based in the UK? The Book People are usually my go-to shop and they have four of The White Queen books in a set for £6.99 – (they ship internationally too but you can get free delivery in the UK) http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?productId=396496&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&searchTerm=the+white+queen

      I’ve mentioned my favourite childhood authors a couple of times in the past month… I wonder is there a nostalgia challenge or club for rereading your childhood favourites… The Twits may need a dust off…

      R x

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    1. Rachel

      It has been a while since they have done the rounds! I would have forgotten all about them too if it hadn’t been for this post prompting me, it’s been a long time since I’ve read them but they were really popular for a long while and as far as I know they are still going strong! Thanks for your comment 🙂 R x

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    1. Rachel

      Jacqueline Wilson was such a massive part of my childhood, and I didn’t even realise it. I was always a big fan of her work but it was only during a recent A-Z Survey that I discovered I’ve read at least 16 of her books, I had no idea it was that many! I wonder has she ever, or would she ever venture into writing for a more YA/NA market… Chicken Soup seems to be a firm but forgotten favourite, I might need to take a delve into it later. Thanks for commenting! R x

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