Come on baby, and rescue me: Top 10 Books I Would Save From A Burning Building

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke And The Bookish and was created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner.

You ever play the burning building game? You know when you ask someone — if you were in a fire and you could only save X amount of items what would you save? This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is pretty much a book lover’s version of that game.

The Top 10 Books I Would Save From A Burning Building:

1. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

harry potter and the sorcerer's stone book cover

I've caught the golden snitch!

Why? The Harry Potter books have SO MUCH sentimental value for me. My Harry Potter books were actually gifted to me for Christmas, and since I rarely get books as presents, they mean a lot.

2. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth, Book Cover, Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth

Why? My copy is battered and old and has seen me through so many tough times and good times and old romances and current romance. It just means A LOT to me.

3.To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee leatherbound B&N edition

To Kill A Mockingbird Book Cover Harper Lee

To Kill A Mocking Bird

Why? Even though it is the B&N edition and not worth a whole lot, I think the leatherbound edition of To Kill A Mockingbird is the most gorgeous of all my editions (I have 4 copies).

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, Book Cover, Dominoes, Prinz

The Book Thief

Why? Although I could just buy another copy, and I have purchased multiple copies, there is no way in hell I would let The Book Thief burn up in a fire. It just would not feel right.

5. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution Jennifer Donnelly Book Cover

Revolution

Why? My copy is a signed first edition and again, has sentimental value because that was from the first launch party I ever attended.

6. The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Knife Of Never Letting Go book cover Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Why? The characters within, Todd and Manchee and Viola are too precious to lose.

7. The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists Of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Book cover

The Mists Of Avalon

Why? I have the most beautiful hardcover edition of The Mists Of Avalon and I would just hate to have to hunt for another edition and know that I would definitely have to pay much more than what I originally paid.

8. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver signed copy

Before I fall, Lauren Oliver, Book Cover, Sam Kingston

Before I Fall

Why? I have two copies of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. One is the hardback I bought when it first came out, that I use for lending and YAvangelism. The other is a signed hardback that means a lot to me.

9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games Book Cover

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Why? My copy has seen a lot of hands and traveled through many people. It’s weird, but sometimes I think books that have been read by many people, a physical copy I mean, means A LOT. Like, it doesn’t change the content inside passing the book around, but it definitely impacts the readers, that one physical book and I like having that sort of evidence, that MY book was passed around by non-YA readers who actually gave it a chance. That is dumb, yes. BUT important to ME.

10. The Once And Future King by TH White hardback edition

The Once And Future King Book Cover TH White

The Once And Future King

Why? I have two copies of The Once And Future King, one is softcover and one is hardcover. The hardcover edition is exactly the same cover and everything of the original copy I read which was borrowed from the library. And again, weird habit of mine, but I love owning the same cover/same edition that I originally read, as opposed to whatever new or updated edition it is. I am very sentimental, I suppose.

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April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.
About April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

Comments

  1. I agree about the lending books out adding sentimental value. I think this list theme shows that books are more than the stories they contain in their pages.

  2. So right on To Kill a Mockingbird. I almost can’t believe I don’t own a copy of that book, but if I did, no way I’d let it burn.

  3. I would totally save Harry Potter as well, if a natural disaster befell my house. I grew up reading the series and would definitely make an effort to keep it for sentimental reasons.

    I agree about lending books – sharing them with people and having them love it as much as I do always makes me feel like the book is even more meaningful to me.

  4. Fab choices April! You know I totally agree with Harry Potter 🙂 I bet your leatherbound copy of To Kill a Mockingbird is gorgeous, and I love that you chose Revolution because it was your first launch party – all great reasons!

  5. I’m amazed how you have multiple copies of books, but totally get your point. There are some books I own that I want to let others read and experience and hopefully love like I do… but at the same time, I don’t want to let them out of my sight. But you’re right about books that have been loaned out multiple times… it’s like you’ve given someone a little bit of yourself with the book and, in return, gotten a little something back when they return it.

  6. I already have my copy of To Kill a Mockingbird (and three other well loved books from my list) in a fireproof safe ready to run if I need — I’m a bit paranoid and they have very sentimental value to me.

    I also agree on The Book Thief – it just wouldn’t feel right.

    -Jac @ For Love and Books
    (Top Ten / Teaser Tuesday)

  7. I am the same kind of sentimental, April.

    Good choices.

  8. Yay for The Knife of Never Letting Go! I have that on my list as well (except I cheated and said I’d take the entire trilogy with me)!

  9. I loved Once and Future King! Great pick! If I had that on my shelf, it just might make it to the pile!

    Hopping by… hope you stop by my Ten Saves.

  10. YAvangelism. OMG I AM USING THAT FOREVER AND ALWAYS. And I totally get what you mean about The Hunger Games. My paperback’s in awful shape.. but I love it.

  11. Ahh, yes, if I had an extra second, I think I’d grab my Phantom Tollbooth too!

  12. Oh I am so jealous you went to the launch party for Revolution. That is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I was DEVASTATED when I discovered that Mahlerbeau wasn’t a real person. I even went so far as to go to the library and look up some of his audio recordings because I was CONVINCED he was real and I really wanted to hear the Fireworks Concerto. But I played classical piano for 13 years so I’m a nerd like that.

  13. I LOVED The Phantom Tollbooth when I was younger. I never owned a copy since I never really owned my own books as a kid, but that’s definitely a book worth saving.

  14. Hunger Games is on our list too! 😉

    We own The Book Thief, Revolution, and The Knife of Never Letting Go but *hides faces* we haven’t read them yet. Heard GREAT things though! 🙂

    Our Top Ten..err – NINE!

  15. I have a few books that I have passed from friend to friend and that mean a lot to me. I even have one that I lent to a friend and she had it signed for me by the author. Awesome friend she is.

  16. The Book Thief is one of those amazing books that I really need to get on my bookshelf. I suspect the same will be true of The Knife of Never Letting Go when I finally get around to reading it…

  17. Not dumb. Not dumb at all, all the sentiment.

    Also Todd, Viola, and Manchee ARE too precious to lose. You have that right.

  18. Hah hah, great picks! I love the one you chose. 🙂

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden