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| Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. |
This weeks topic is - Freebie - The first ten books I remember reading, ever!
I’m 41, my memory only goes back so far but there are books that stick in my mind from my childhood, my mum is a great reader so I was forever nicking her books too.
For years I was oblivious to the fact that Carolyn Keene was a pseudonym, was I the only one? Nancy Drew and pals where to me the American Famous Five. Did Nancy have a dog? I can’t remember! Anyway I loved her detective ways and it could be scarier than the Enid Blyton books I was used too.
Have you read any of these books?
I’m 41, my memory only goes back so far but there are books that stick in my mind from my childhood, my mum is a great reader so I was forever nicking her books too.
The Hills is Lonely is one of my mums books that I borrowed and never gave back, she knows where it is! A beautiful story where an English lady moves to a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides and encounters a group of eccentric, charming islanders who welcome her with open arms. It’s part of a series and the other books are just as charming.
I’m pretty sure this was my mums too, still have her copy!! Set in the Scottish Borders, its a story of childhood, making friends and rolling countryside. The price on the back of my copy is 70p!
I can’t dance to save myself but I longed to pirouette after reading this book. Pauline, Petrova and Posy are orphans who find themselves under the care of Great Uncle Matthew. Each girl is very different, I loved their story growing up.
Ah the Twins at St Clare's, one of the many Enid Blyton stories that made me want to go to boarding school, it sounded great fun. The O’Sullivan twins first term at St Clare's is about them making friends and playing pranks on teachers. Set in a very different time.
Before Harry Potter there was Mildred Hubble. Mildred is a young disaster prone with and I loved her stories. I might actually prefer her over Mr Potter and pals!
Another series that made me want to go to boarding school, this one if I remember correctly was almost like a castle on the coast. It’s main character is short tempered Darrell Rivers. I can’t remember for the life of me half of the things she got up to but if its anything like St Clares it was making friends and playing pranks.
I love the film, I love the books. My copy had both Wonderland and Looking Glass in it, I devoured them both and really wished I could fall down a rabbit hole - quite frankly it was possible as there was some big ass rabbit holes not far from where I lived - Carroll and his imagination fuelled mine.
There was an adaptation of this back in 1988 and after watching it I had to read the book. I didn’t have a big old wardrobe in my house but I remember one in my grandparents house, to my disappointment there was no door to Narnia. I’m still looking.
I don’t know if this was popular outside the UK, Adrian Mole was a total nerd, he considered himself an intellectual and his love for Pandora Braithwaite was infinite. His diary was a hysterical look at working class life from the POV of a lovestruck teen.
Have you read any of these books?
Great list! Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is still one of my favourite classics, and I loved The Worst Witch growing up. =)
ReplyDeleteThe Worst Witch is wonderful, I really should watch the new tv show!
DeleteOoh! You got me interested with The Worst Witch. I'll check if it's available in our thrift bookstore.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a lovely read and it is a series of books!
DeleteAwh my Mum had the box set if Narnia books in the design you've pictured here when she was younger and she's given them to me and I absolutely love them. I've only read a few but they're such comforting books x
ReplyDeleteThey are lovely books, they take me back years!
DeleteEnid Blython! I didn't find The Worst Witch books until I was much older but I still enjoy them and I have been finding some of the Dutch editions for my son in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe Worst Witch is a great series, I love how each generation discovers it.
DeleteI'm glad to see someone else who 'borrows' their mum's books for an extended, life-long period! :D
ReplyDeleteThe Worst Witch was one of my favourites as a child and Narnia, Alice in Wonderland and Adrian Mole were firm favourites too! I am feeling all nostalgic!
Yep, now she borrows books from me! I’m excited to see so much love for Adrian Mole!
DeleteI read Nancy Drew when I was growing up, too! My grandma had a bunch at her house, so we would read them when we were there!
ReplyDeleteI loved them, Nancy was great!
DeleteBallet Shoes sounds like such a fun read!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT .
It is such a lovely read!
DeleteAlmost all of these (all except the first two, I think) are on the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read list. I'd like to see if I can find the first two. They are new to me.
ReplyDeleteI have a big author party going in Paris, after the pandemic, and I'd love to have you stop by and join in. All our favorite writers are there. Join us here!
I think the first too are quite Scotland specific, they are lovely reads though.
DeleteI have visited Paris and enjoyed the company of legends, thank you for inviting me!
I haven't read any of these books, but I love your choice for this week's freebie. I wonder what books I would come up with for this topic???
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT post.
Thanks for stopping by Natalie!
DeleteWhat a lovely post! :) I loved so many of these books as a child too - especially The Worst Witch, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe and Malory Towers!
ReplyDeleteThanks Hayley, I must get around to rereading them one day!
DeleteBallet Shoes was one of my favourite books as a kid as well. I enjoyed The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and The Worst Witch back then too.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/28/top-ten-tuesday-274/
They are all such great reads!
DeleteI am still hoping to find the doorway to Narnia. Loved those books as a kid
ReplyDeleteI’m looking too, its not turned up yet!
DeleteOh yes, Nancy Drew, Narnia and Alice. Great list!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kimberly!
DeleteI loved the Nancy Drew books when I was little. :)
ReplyDeleteLauren @ Always Me
I loved her advertises, I wanted to be a detective for a while because of her!
DeleteAw Ballet Shoes! I loved that one as a kid. Here is my post-https://paigesofbook.blogspot.com/2020/07/top-ten-tuesday-favorite-books-of-2020.html.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a lovely book!
Deleteyour graphic are on point girl :D happy I've found your blog
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT if you want to check it out https://readwithstefani.com/10-books-i-want-to-read-by-the-end-of-2020/ Have a great day ahead!
Oh why thank you! That is sweet of you to say!
DeleteThese sure bring back memories. Such great covers, too. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletehttps://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2020/07/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-reasons-i-like.html
You are welcome, thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI'd never heard of The Worst Witch before, but now I want to read it.
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday.
I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI loved Ballet Shoes! And, of course, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Two favorite books from my childhood. And I was a big fan of Nancy Drew, too. Great list! :D
ReplyDeleteI’m seeing so much love for Ballet Shoes! I love that book!
DeleteThe Secret of the Old Clock is one of the first books I remember reading as well!
ReplyDeleteNice list, love your choice of topic!
Thank you Resa!
DeleteI actually read The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole as an adult and it had me in stitches. Adrian and his outlook and his experiences were just so funny.
ReplyDeleteAdrian is such a character, I read the follow ups Growing Pains and it was just as funny. I feel a re-read coming up!
DeleteSuch a fun nostalgic post!! I loved Nancy Drew, The Worst Witch, and Narnia as well!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://mamaneedsabook.blogspot.com/2020/07/next-up-classics.html
Thank you, they are great books!
DeleteIt's always fun to take a look back at childhood favorites!
ReplyDeleteI love looking down memory lane!
DeleteGreat idea for a topic! Childhood books are so special. Here's my TTT list this week.
ReplyDeleteThey are, they create such good memories!
DeleteI'm a few years older than you are, but your memory is much better than mine! I do remember reading Nancy Drew, Narnia, and ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Thanks for trip down memory lane :)
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
My memory ain’t what it used to be!
DeleteI love looking back at older reads! It's so fun to visit childhood favorites. Nancy Drew for sure, I loved those old covers, and Narnia too.
ReplyDeleteThe older covers are usually so much better than the newer ones too!
DeleteGreat list! I read a lot of Enid Blyton, in French actually, because I grew up in France
ReplyDeleteShe has such a wonderful catalogue of books.
DeleteI loved Enid Blyton growing up too! Absolutely one of my favorite authors, and I have fond memories of reading her books to this day.
ReplyDeleteI still dip in to her books from time to time, they are still lovely to read.
DeleteAlice in Wonderland is one of the first books I remember reading too. I read it so many times that the covers fell off. I might still have the pages around here somewhere.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I think I’m on my second copy!
DeleteI've lost count of the amount of times I've read Mallory Towers. I loved those books as a child. :)
ReplyDeleteThey are great, I really wanted to go to boarding school!
DeleteLavinia Derwent! That takes me back to when I was pretty much living in the library as a kid! I don't remember if I read it but I do remember her. I loved the Enid Blyton boarding schools! I soooo wanted to go to Malory Towers! I've got copies of them to re-read at some point.
ReplyDeleteYou’ve made my day knowing who Lavinia Derwent is! I love that book, I must actually re-read it one day. I wanted to go to Malory Towers, St Clares and the one that George and Anne went to!
DeleteMildred! My son and I discovered the television show on HBO and I was excited to find out there were books, but the books were too kiddish for a ten year old boy. However, I borrowed all of them from the library and read each and every one. 💜💜💜
ReplyDeleteMildred is ace, the books are lovely and they are definitely needing a reread!
DeleteWhat a wonderful list. I have read #s 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, a lot of them as an adult with my children, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my TTT earlier.
I read Nancy Drew too, and the old Trixie Beldens. I'd love to read one of those now.
ReplyDelete