Triple Choice Tuesday

Triple Choice Tuesday: The Little Reader Library

kimbofo

Triple-Choice-TuesdayWelcome to Triple Choice Tuesday. This is where I ask some of my favourite bloggers, writers and readers to share the names of three books that mean a lot to them. The idea is that it might raise the profile of certain books and introduce you to new titles, new authors and new bloggers.

Today’s guest is Lindsay Healy from The Little Reader Library.

Lindsay grew up in Yorkshire, enjoyed reading from an early age and dreamed of being a writer when she grew up. She studied German at university, has worked as a proofreader and a charity bookshop assistant, and is currently a library assistant. She also helps at a rabbit rescue organisation and is tentatively trying her hand at creative writing.

She lives in the south of England with her husband, an Old English Sheepdog named Daisy and ten-year-old houserabbit named Cosmo.

She also Tweets @linshealy.

Without further ado, here are Lindsay’s choices:

The-Outcast-by-Sadie-JonesA favourite book: The Outcast by Sadie Jones

I think I am often drawn to novels that feature outsiders and their struggles to fit in and find a place in the world and people who will love and accept them. I was really impressed that this was a debut novel; the story captivated me and the writing is beautiful. I loved the story of Lewis and his struggle to fit in. It’s a book I recommend to others time and time again.


Mayor-of-casterbridge-penguin-editionA book that changed your world: The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

I was in my mid-teens when I read The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. We were studying The Return of the Native for English Literature A-Level at school and I wanted to read more Hardy, so after reading Far from the Madding Crowd I picked The Mayor of Casterbridge. It made a lasting impression on me due to the behaviour of the main character, Michael Henchard, who so dominates the book, and I remember identifying with aspects of how Michael’s daughter felt. I admire how keenly Hardy captured the pain and cruelty that those closest to you can inflict. I remember my friend in the English class commenting how much she disliked Hardy and how depressing the stories were, but for me this was exactly why I liked his work; having an unhappy existence growing up, I felt like someone had written about things in a way I could identify with, that sadness affected the lives of others too and I felt less alone. This book has always stayed with me.

StreetSweeperA book that deserves a wider audience: The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman

I hope that The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman already has a fairly wide audience but I would love to see even more people read it. It was my favourite book of 2012, so you can tell it made a very big impression on me. There are so many layers to it, hugely important themes at the heart of it, and some great characters, all of which comes together to make up a brilliant, passionately written, tremendously moving and intelligent novel that depicts the best and worst of humanity.

Thank you, Lindsay, for taking part in my Triple Choice Tuesday!

I’ve not read The Outcast, but I’ve heard lots of good things about it; I’m a Hardy fan and I loved The Mayor of Casterbridge when I read it a couple of years ago; and I’m also an Elliot Perlman fan, although I haven’t read this one… yet.

What do you think of Lindsay’s choices? Have you read any of these books?

Published by kimbofo

I am a book obsessive who has been charting my reading life online since the early 2000s.

17 thoughts on “Triple Choice Tuesday: The Little Reader Library”

  1. I’ve only read The Mayor of Casterbridge when I was going through my Hardy phase at school too and remember it having a huge impression on me. I haven’t read the others but they are on my list already!

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  2. Oh, Lindsay’s choices are right up my street!
    I thought ‘The Outcast’ was brilliant – one of those rare books that had me so completely invested in the characters that I started talking back at them. I was less impressed by Jones’s second novel “Small Wars” (I thought Stevie Davies’ “Into Suez” which came out at around the same time covered similar ground much more effectively) but her third, last year’s “The Uninvited Guests” was an absolute delight. She’s one of those authors whose new books I pre-order without even glancing at the synopsis.
    “The Street Sweeper” was one of my favourite novels of last year – not only is it brilliantly written and engaging, it feels necessary. I know the repetition annoyed some people, but I thought it was a stroke of genius and it worked too: these are stories that need to be remembered and learned almost by rote, and I do still remember them.
    And although I haven’t read ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’, I’ve loved what I have read of Hardy and really must read more.

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  6. It’s lovely to hear you are a fan of these books too, David. I thought The Uninvited Guests was very good too. I am the same with this author now, looking out for what she will write next. I was thrilled when I got to meet her at Cambridge Wordfest last year. The Street Sweeper really moved me and I hope to read it again soon. It’s lovely to discover another fan of this book.

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