Top Ten Tuesday #19

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is the top ten books you read before you were a blogger.

Aaaa!!  I only started blogging in 2009, and I read A LOT of books before then.  My high school reading list alone was seven pages long (please note I'm not trying to brag; just showing how difficult this TTT is for me).  And I'm supposed to pick the top ten of all those books?  HOW?!

The only way I think I can pick ten is by focusing on specific years or genres.  I read a lot of classics in high school & college, but have only read one or two since becoming a blogger so I think I'll focus on that genre only.

Top Ten Books I Read Before I Was a Blogger - The Classics Edition

• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen  -  Not only one of my favorite pre-blogger books, but also one of my all-time favorite books ever.  Witty dialogue, a great romance, and amazing characters, P&P was my first Austen novel and, in my opinion, the best.
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte  -  Another all-time favorite book.  It has forbidden romance, Gothic mysteriousness, jealousy, attempted murder, and Mr. Rochester.  I re-read this book constantly.
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas  -  I read an abridged version as a kid so when I read the full-length book, I was surprised at how much of the story was left out.  There's so much depth to the characters; Edmund's emotional turmoil and desire for revenge is palpable.
• The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy  -  I love this book for its romance and its humor.  Sir Percy Blakeny is so funny when he decides to play the fool, you'd never guess his real intelligence or his passionate nature.  This book also has one of the most amazing romances ever.
• Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen  -  I read the book after seeing the 1995 movie with Emma Thompson, and the book is way better than the movie.  Marianne's over-the-top reactions and Elinor's hidden emotions are so much more intense and real.
• Persuasion by Jane Austen  -  If I had to pick a second favorite Austen novel, Persuasion would be it - the story of a romance that's faced family opposition, separation, and misunderstanding.  The letter Captain Wentworth writes to Anne is one of the most beautiful and romantic love letters.
• Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier  -  I'm in love with both the book and its 1940 movie adaptation.  It's romance and mystery and murder and creepiness and secrets and suspense all wrapped up in one incredible story.
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott  -  This is the book that started it all.  My 5th-grade teacher recommended it, and as soon as I started it, I was hooked on reading for life.  Because of that, Little Women will always hold a special place in my heart.
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens  -  I've read several of Dickens' novels, but this is my favorite.  The backdrop of the French Revolution, the hatred of Madame DeFarge, and the ultimate sacrifice of Sydney Carton all work together to make a great historical novel.
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank  -  I read and re-read this book so many times in high school because Anne was an amazing writer for her age, who beautifully shared her thoughts, dreams, and insecurities.  It can be heartbreaking to read though, knowing that it's an actual diary, not fiction, and the girl who wrote this and her family suffered tremendously and died in concentration camps.