Sept 12: Top Ten Tuesday: Throwback Freebie

September 12: Throwback Freebie: Ten Books I Loved During The First Year I Started My Blog, Favorite Books Published 5 or 10 or 15 Years Ago, Ten Older Books I Forgot How Much I Loved, etc. etc. Tweak however you want!

For this week's list, I'm going with a very literal throwback: some of the oldest books I've read, based on date of publication, according to Goodreads. I didn't go with all of the actual oldest books, since most of them were classics I struggled through for school. These are old books that I enjoyed and would recommend to anyone. 

1. 1340: A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees by Kenko Yoshida 
This was an accidental philosophical read, full of nuggets of wisdom and beautiful words.

2. 1818: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
I think this was the most "dated" of these books, but the terror and ethical dilemma of Frankenstein's experimentation is timeless.

3. 1835: It was snowing butterflies by Charles Darwin
This is just an excerpt from his diaries, and I'd love to get my hands on a full copy. If all naturalists and biologists wrote this beautifully, textbooks would be a breeze to read.

4. 1908: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Anne Shirley's appeal transcends time and location. For a Filipino kid growing up in the late 90's and early 2000's, she was the most relatable book character, equalled only by Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik.

5. 1917: Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
This also felt pretty dated at times, but Helen's spinsterhood and "fed-up-ness" fit in with today's issues.

6. 1931: Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
I don't even have anything to say about how this is universal or relatable, or feels timeless or current. It's just beautiful writing. 

7. 1949: Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien
These are medieval short stories that I think should achieve fairy tale/nursery rhyme-levels of popularity and ubiquity.

8. 1951: Fallen into the Pit by Ellis Peters
This Post-WWII mystery is what got me interested in what I call "old-timey detective stories," and introduced me to Agatha Christie.

9. 1952: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Another childhood favorite, this was a fun read and never felt stuck in any time period.

10. 1954: Half Magic by Edward Eager
I guess this is also dated for a children's book, but the premise is so, so good (your wishes only get half-granted) that it didn't matter to me.