I saw this idea on someone else’s blog, a fellow member of my penpal club. It got me curious about my own books, so I headed over to GoodReads and sorted my books based on total number of ratings.
I was surprised by how hard it was to narrow it down to just ten! It turns out I’ve rated a lot of books well that are not so popular. I discounted all the picture books, since picture books are not really in GoodReads’ target audience. Some of these are relatively recent, so perhaps they will acquire more attention as time goes on. Here’s what I finally narrowed it down to:
This Day in the Life: Diaries from Women Across America ed. Joni B. Cole, Rebecca Joffrey, and B.K. Rakhra
Year Published: 2005
# of ratings: 190
Avg rating: 3.57
My rating: 5
This book is a collection of journal entries different women in the US kept on the same day. Most of them are very ordinary, but offer a really interesting look into the lives and perspectives of different people. As an avid journal-keeper, I am all about it.
Augie and the Green Knight by Zach Weiner with illustrations by Boulet
Year Published: 2014
# of ratings: 176
Avg rating: 4.16
My rating: 5
This book is hilarious and also really well-written and illustrated. It’s a retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from the perspective of the Green Knight and his sidekick, Augie. (Augie would say the Green Knight is her sidekick). I wish it had been around when I was a kid.
Why’d They Wear That?: Fashion as the Mirror of History by Sarah Albee
Year Published: 2015
# of ratings: 169
Avg rating: 4.12
My rating: 4
A history through fashion covers two of my interests in one, and does so with great pictures.
Microshelters: 59 Creative Cabins, Tiny Houses, and Other Small Structures by Derek Diedricksen
Year published: 2015
# of ratings: 146
Avg rating: 4.00
My rating: 5
This book was SUPER interesting, with lots of great pictures about how these tiny houses are constructed and manage to fit everything in.
No Place for a Lady: Tales of Adventurous Women Travelers by Barbara Hodgson
Year Published: 2002
# of ratings: 111
Avg rating: 3.71
My rating: 5
I think about this book a lot. It tells the stories of a few brave women who decided to travel the world at a time when it wasn’t socially acceptable or safe for women to do so. Their observations are so interesting, and their ways of dealing with their detractors are informative even for modern life.
Teen Angst: A Celebration of Really Bad Poetry ed. Sara Bynoe
Year Published: 2005
# of ratings: 59
Avg rating: 3.46
My rating: 4
Pretty much what it says on the cover, and you KNOW I am here for that.
African Princess: The Amazing Lives of Africa’s Royal Women by Joyce Hansen
Year Published: 2004
# of ratings: 25
Avg rating: 4.08
My rating: 5
This book introduced me to some really cool historical figures I’d never heard of before! I wish I had been exposed to more African history beyond Ancient Egypt earlier in life.
The Barbarian Princess by Laura Buchanan (aka Florence King)
Year published: 1978
# of ratings: 21
Avg rating: 3.95
My rating: 5
This book is what you get when a historian is forced to write a trashy romance novel to fund her alcoholism. Because that is exactly what it is. Set in the final days of the Roman Empire, the heroine meets a bunch of historical figures and also is like a reincarnated druid princess or something (you can pinpoint the exact chapter in the writing process where the author decided, fuck it, writing drunk is good enough). Despite all of its ridic flaws, it’s probably the most researched trashy romance novel I’ve ever read. And you know my credentials on that.
Foods That Make You Say MMM-MMM by Bob Garner
Year Published: 2014
# of ratings: 18
Avg rating: 4.06
My rating: 4.00
Bob Garner reviews restaurants for our local PBS show, North Carolina Weekend, but he also knows a lot about the state’s food history. I learned a lot from this book, and there were some good recipes. More about it here.
The Knit Parade: 12 Statement Sweater Patterns, 12 Motifs to Meddle with by Wheres Me Jumper
Year Published: 2013
# of ratings: 5
Avg rating: 3.60
My rating: 4
This is the book I read that taught me how to do this:
Look at this beast
I didn’t include this as part of the ten, but felt like I should add as a post script:
The Knight, the Wizard, and the Lady Pig by Patricia R. Ladd
Year Published: 2004
# of ratings: 4
Avg rating: 4.75
My rating: 5
Gotta give your own book 5 stars on GoodReads, guys.