“We will now take a break from this regularly scheduled programme…” Okay, so confession, I’ve been using the scheduling tool a lot more recently and have been passing over blogging in the last few days (passing over…pass-over… it’s Passover- a time for family, wine and bad puns apparently).
Anyway, I had planned a post for today, but decided to change it up a bit cos nothing’s more fun than breaking a self-imposed schedule.
As I mentioned in my “Books to Read in Pairs” post the other day, I usually try to read books that are polar opposites after each other. So I thought I would share with you some books that I enjoyed reading together. And these they are:
- Tess of the D’Urbervilles & Persuasion – I will admit that there was a time in my life when all I did was read Hardy followed by Austen followed by Dostoevsky, but personally I feel like after the soul-crushing romance of Tess, you need a book that tells you that love can withstand, even the longest of separations.
- Crime and Punishment & Northanger Abbey – Both of these have dark themes, but let’s face once you’re done with the punishing finale of Crime and Punishment, you need the happily ever after of an Austen novel- especially this one which turns everything dark on its head.
- Gulag Archipelago Volume I-II & Forever in Blue – So this one’s kind of cheating, cos I actually read this during rather than after Gulag (which I only just finished) cos man this was a hard book to read and I needed a break!! If you do check this out, and I recommend you do, just know you will need several YA contemporaries to hand during and after this book. I know I’m going to line up loads for the rest of these volumes (only 5 more to go!)
- Hogfather & The Bluest Eye – This is actually the reverse of the other books- cos sometimes I need some Pratchett to psyche myself up to reading (emotionally) challenging books.
- The Godfather & Corrupt Me – These actually go together really well- so I should have included this in my last post- especially since I love any opportunity to pimp out the lovely Jillian Quinn’s work! But while they do complement each other, they are really different. Definitely worth reading back to back!
So who else tries to read different books together? What books do you like to read in pairs? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Passover!
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Thank you!
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This is a really cool and interesting post 🙂 I’ve been wanting to start reading Pratchett recently but think I need to wait until I have some time to devote to it haha xx
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Thank you!! Ah I hope you enjoy it if you do check it out 😊 xx
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Great pairs!
I really enjoyed Crime and Punishment but I am so painfully aware that I really need to read The Gulag Archipelago pronto! It’s been on my list for ages!
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Thank you!! I’m glad!! It’s really good and I can definitely recommend it- though I’ve only read the first two volumes so far- haven’t been able to get hold of the other 5 yet! I hope you like it!
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Interesting pairings! I’ll have to give this a try.
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Thank you- they’re mostly opposites, so I imagine a lot of people wouldn’t want to read these in pairs, but I find it a fun way to read 🙂
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I’ve been reading a hard copy and an e-book in tandem, but I have to make sure that they are completely different or I start mixing up the stories, which is unfortunately easier than you would think. 🙂
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haha that makes a lot of sense!! I would have to do the same too 🙂
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Interesting idea! I’ve never read any of these books, sadly, but since Jane Austen is one of my all-time favorite authors I plan on giving her books a shot! And, since they’re paired together, why not read the other ones, too? Thanks for reviewing! Looking forward to reading all of these in the (hopefully near) future.
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Ah awesome!! Absolutely 🙂 They’re very different books, but I highly recommend them!! Thank you for commenting!!
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I don’t know if I’ve ever told you but your header for your blog is gorgeous!! I have yet to read Persuasion by Austen just because I’m in the middle of Pride & Prejudice xD Definitely will eventually get to all her books though!!
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Aww thank you so much!! That means so much!!! Ah awesome- I really hope you enjoy! 🙂
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No problem!! (;
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Interesting pairings.
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Thank you!
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Interesting idea. I’d never have thought of doing something like that on my own. Which means I don’t have any suggestions.
But. Hurray for Hogfather! My favorite Discworld book…
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Thank you!! haha no worries!! Awesome- I *loved* that one!!
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So interesting!
I love reading Hardin; I need to read Tess as soon as possible.
I love how you always make me think 🙂
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Thank you! Ah I really hope you like it- it’s amazing!! Thank you so much 🙂
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Unless I go on an author-splurge, I also quite like to read dissimilar books together/one after another. For me its usually non-fiction and fiction; history book and sci-fi novel is a classic combo.
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Ah awesome- glad I’m not the only one that does this! That’s a great way to do it- sounds like a great combo 🙂
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‘Sometimes I need some Pratchett to psyche myself up to reading (emotionally) challenging books’, oh my lord, I thought I was the only one who did this.
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haha so glad I’m not the only one!!!
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Such a wonderful list!! *rushes off to start number 5* :))
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Thank you!! I really hope you like it!! 🙂
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Agreed, Toni Morrison must be preceded by a courage tonic 😅 She writes the most haunting work of any writer I know.
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Yes so true!!
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This is so cool! I am such a whimsical mood reader that I couldn’t plan something like this out, though. :p
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Thank you!! haha I can understand that!!
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The Crime and Punishment & Northanger Abbey is sooooo justified! I don’t remember what I read after crime and Punishment, but man.. I’m pretty sure it was something a lot less dark and epic! My brain needed a break after so much awesomeness. 😀 Very interesting pairings you’ve got here!
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Ahh I know right!!! Yes absolutely!! I often find my brain is a little numb when I’m done with something like that- it needs/deserves a break! Thank you!
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Great post. I tend to read in pairs too if I know a book will be emotionally exhausting or very scary, which I often pair with light reads. But that’s as far as my pairings go.
Love the last matchup.
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Thank you!! Yeah I do that a lot too. Haha glad you liked it!!
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