For Day Three of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, the topic is What have you read and loved because of a fellow blogger?
I have found so many books in the past two years thanks to other bloggers, and I regret that I do not keep very good track of where I heard of them. So although I’m not always able to thank the book pushers in person, I am grateful for each and every one of them.
One author I can trace back to the source is Margery Sharp, whose delightful comic novels I started hunting out because of Jane’s celebration at her blog Beyond Eden Rock. They are not available through the libraries and bookstores I frequent, so I would never find them just by browsing — a great example of how blogs can widen our reading horizons. This year I read the Gipsy in the Parlour, and I’m hoping to track down The Innocents next thanks to Jane’s wonderful review.
I started reading Mary Stewart for a reading week over at Gudrun’s Tights. This author’s books are more widely available but my interest had not been sparked to read them so far. Once I started, I couldn’t stop! I enjoyed many of both her romantic suspense and her Arthurian novels last year, and reviewed several on my blog. I also wrote an article for Shiny New Books that summed up what I enjoy about this smart, entertaining author.
Here are a few other books I enjoyed, and where I heard of them:
- The Brandons by Angela Thirkell – The Captive Reader
- All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor – The Midnight Garden
- In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides – Books on the Table
- The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker – She Reads Novels
- Is That a Fish in Your Ear? by David Bellos – Wensend
All of these made my year-end list of Emerald City Gems, so it’s clear that my reading life would certainly be much poorer without other bloggers. Thank you all!
The Emerald City Book Review Archive 
Interesting list – yours is probably the site I visit most of all for recommendations 🙂
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Thank you, I am very honored to hear that.
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I picked up The Golem and the Jinni because of a blogger review too. Entirely worth it. 🙂
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Yes indeed!
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Oooooh, Gispy in the Parlour looks neat. Happy BBAW!
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So glad to have piqued your interest. 😉
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The BEST book recommendations to get from bloggers are recommendations of new authors with huge backlists. A commenter recommended Kage Baker’s Company series, which is a lengthy sci-fi series, and I tore through all of those books in a few weeks. It remains one of my most favorite reading experiences since I’ve started blogging.
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I read the Company books pre-blog, but I definitely know what you mean!
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I have Is That a Fish in Your Ear on my TBR pile, too, because of a review I read during Nonfiction November. I love how many new-to-me authors I’ve discovered because of book bloggers.
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I would never find all of these books browsing through a library or bookstore, or even reading review publications. Bloggers are such a great resource.
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I wish I started using the Goodreads feature of saying who recommended a book from the beginning as it would have been great to keep track of who recommended a book to me. I should start doing it now. I do love Mary Stewart’s work, but I have many more of her books to read still. Her brand of gothic romance appeals to me. 🙂
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I should definitely figure out some system. I would like to give credit where it’s due.
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First thing I noticed here was a book by Mary Stewart – I love her books! Started reading them when I was in junior high. She and several others were my teenage favorites for gothic suspense. It’s been a long time since I read My Brother Michael. I’ll have to think about finding that one again.
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She’s an author I skipped over in my teenage years, but I found her at the right time.
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I’m pleased to see The Golem and the Jinni on your list! And Mary Stewart is one of my favourite authors, so I’m glad the reading week encouraged you to start reading her books. I love both the suspense novels and Arthurian novels, although there are a few I still haven’t read, including My Brother Michael.
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I love reading weeks and other blog events! Tomorrow I’m going to post more about those.
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I love the cover of Margery Sharp’s book! I hadn’t heard of that one before. The Golem and the Jinni is on my TBR shelf, waiting its turn. I have a lot of books there I really need to get to . . .
Book pushers indeed! I like that term. 🙂
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It is a great cover, and really made me want to track down the book. I hope you like The Golem and the Jinni when you get to it.
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Love this list — so many new-to-me books AND new-to-me bloggers. My blog roll is about to explode with awesomeness.
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I’m finding that too, as I read everyone’s lists.
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The Golem and the Jinni came to me by way of blogger recommendations too!
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Very cool, and I just found out the author is writing the sequel — not to be released until 2018, alas.
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I have tried to read The Golem and the Jinni a few times with no luck… I really must try again!
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Well, not everybody loves it as much as I did. But sometimes you just have to hit the right book at the right time.
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That is why I plan to try again. 🙂
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