Top Ten Tuesday: As Time Goes By

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

This week's topic is books that you feel differently about after time has passed. I have to admit, this one was a little bit hard for me. A few books immediately came to mind when I approached this topic, but it was hard to fill up all ten slots. I just couldn't think of a lot of books that I feel differently about. Still, I persevered, though I was only able to come up with eight books that fit the bill. Some books on my list I don't love as much as the first time I read them. Others I love much more than I my first encounter with them.

8: What's Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges

The movie is one of my all-time favorites. When I found out that it was a book, I knew I wanted to read it. I really liked it a few years ago, but now that time has passed I don't consider it a favorite like I used to. It has some risqué descriptions that I don't care for and Gilbert is much harsher in the book. I'm glad that Peter Hedges changed those things while writing the screenplay for the film. I'll stick with the movie on this one.

7: Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keys

I remember reading this when I was around sixteen. I thought I was so cool reading a mature novel like this. Like What's Eating Gilbert Grape, it has some risqué situations that I wish they'd left out. I still think it would be a good novel had those not been included, though it is a very sad story.

6: True Colors series by Melody Carlson

It isn't that I don't like this series anymore, I just don't love it the way I used to. I think that's pretty understandable though, because it's definitely a series targeted toward teens. I really loved them when I was between the ages of 14 and 16, and have read all of them. I own 11 out 12 books in the series and will keep them until I feel I no longer want them.

5: A Life of Faith series

I loved these books when I was a young teen. I remember tearing through them one summer. I tried to re-read one of them recently and it just wasn't the same. I guess I was at just the right age when I read them the first time.

4: Fame Is Infamy by Andrew Schwab

When I was in my early teens, Project 86 was one of my favorite bands. When I found at that their lead singer was publishing a book, I really wanted to read it. I loved it when I was fifteen. I still consider it a good book, though I don't love it as much as I did then.

3: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

I had read this book last year and thought it was okay. When Amber hosted a read-along of it this last March, I participated and came to really enjoy this book. Reading it as part of a group caused me to dig further into the book and pay more attention to detail rather than skimming over it like I tend to do with some classics.

2: Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

The first time I read this gem of a novel, I kind of had mixed feelings about it. It has a bit of a heavy tone, seeing as the protagonist is going through a challenging time in her life. Yet the second time I read it, I fell in love with it and now consider this book a favorite.

1: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I read this book for the first time when I was fifteen. I really liked it back then and had plans to re-read it for years. This past February, I participated in a read-along and fell in love with it even more. It's one of my all-time favorites and I am glad to have revisited this lovely classic novel.