Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Most Unique Books I’ve Read

There are so many things that make books special, and some stand out for so many different reasons.  Some are unique because of the characters, others are unique because of the settings, and a few are even unique because of what it’s about. No matter why a book is unique, these are the ten that stand out because of how awesomely different they are!

1. Evie from Paranormalcy.  One of my favorite things about this series that Evie is a pink, sparkly person who is full of awesome and kick-assery.  It’s one of my favorite combinations.
2. Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins.  I like that it’s an Amish guy because almost everything else I’ve read that has someone who’s Amish has been a teenage girl.  So it’s nice to see an Amish guy for once.
3. Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb.  I like that the main character is a witch, and that conflict between Elizabeth and Mary is minimal.
4. Between Shades Of Grey by Ruta Sepetys.  It’s WW2 historical fiction that doesn’t focus on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.  It’s nice to read a book set during WW2 that focuses on a part that doesn’t seem to be talked about a lot.
5. Eon by Alison Goodman.  It’s fantasy that’s not reminiscent of medieval Europe.  I know fantasy and medieval Europe are BFF’s, but honestly, I find it kind of tired, and so it’s nice to see a fantasy novel not in a medieval Europe-type of society.
6. A Moment Comes by Jennifer Bradbury.  It’s about the partition of India, which I didn’t even know was an actual event until I read this book!  Basically, it led to India and Pakistan being two separate countries, and the book focuses on three very different teens who are affected by it.  I really love it when historical fiction focuses on something I know nothing about.
7. Shadow And Bone by Leah Bardugo.  I like that Shadow And Bone makes me think of Russia, and not medieval Europe.  For some reason, non-European fantasy settings intrigue me.
8. Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck.  For me, Tiger’s Curse was just okay, but what’s unique about it is that it focuses on Indian mythology.  It’s such a nice change from Greek mythology!
9. Exposed by Kimberly Marcus.  I found Exposed to be interesting and unique because it’s narrated by a girl caught between her brother and her best friend, when her best friend accuses her brother of rape.
10. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.  I just love what she did with fairies in this series, and how there are fairies who have changed to be okay with being around iron.  She made fairies so interesting and awesome and different.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Gateway Books & Authors On My Reading Journey

So many books and authors are really important to me- some I keep going back to, because they’re comforting, and others got me into a genre I really like.  My reading journey wouldn’t be complete without them!

Books:

1. Harry Potter.  I doubt it’s a surprise to anyone who’s met me or to anyone who’s read more than a few of my other top ten Tuesday lists.  Harry Potter is the one series that I can read over and over and never get tired of, and it’s really the only fandom I consider myself to be a part of.  The words I would need to explain how much Harry Potter means to me don’t seem adequate enough.
2. Twilight.  I love me something paranormal, and Twilight is a huge reason why.  I went through the series so fast, and even though I haven’t read it in forever, it’s still the reason why I love paranormal so much.
3. The Hunger Games is what got me into YA.  Like, really into YA.  I read a little bit of it before then, but it really is the pivotal gateway YA book for me.
4. Pride And Prejudice sparked my interest in classics.  Granted, I don’t read a lot of classics, but it is the classic that got me to be more open to reading them in the first place.  I don’t even remember what got me to pick up Pride And Prejudice in the first place, but I got it, read it, and was hooked!
5. Fruits Basket is what got me into the manga I keep meaning to read but somehow never manage to do.  Still, I’m 100% positive I wouldn’t even be interested in manga if it weren’t for Fruits  Basket.

Authors:

1. Laurie Halse Anderson.  I love her so much, and I still remember reading Speak back in high school, and it’s stayed with me for ten years.  Her books have a way of making me feel like everything is going to be okay, no matter what’s going on.  She’s definitely one of the many reasons why I love YA.
2. Alison Weir.  She’s my go-to for Tudor non-fiction.  While I really should start reading books written by people who aren’t Weir, I think she’ll always be the one I go back to when I want to read anything having to do with the Tudors.
3. Mary Roach.  I’ve listened to a couple of her books recently, and I’m not super-into science, but I think she’s going to be my gateway into fun and quirky books about science.  Because she makes it fun and interesting!
4. Philippa Gregory is definitely the author who got me into historical fiction.  There’s something about her books that make me want to keep reading!
5. Rachel Caine.  To be honest, I’m not quite sure why Caine makes the cut, but she does.  I think it’s because she does slightly different things in the paranormal genre, and makes it fun.  I’ve never even considered adult paranormal romance until I started reading Rachel Caine, and now I can’t wait to see what else is out there.  She’s also one of the big reasons why I love paranormal so much!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Things On My Bookish Bucket List

I’m not really the type of person who’s into bucket lists, but the idea of a bookish one is intriguing!  I’ve never considered the idea of a bookish bucket list, because they’re not two things I would associate together.  Still, it’s fun to think about the bookish things I want to do!

1. Go to BEA.  I’ve seen so many people talk about that it makes me want to go!
2. Also: I have friends who keep telling me I would love the L.A. Times Festival Of Books, and I’m actually going to it this year, so I’ll be crossing it off the list next month!  Do you know what will happen if I don’t get to see John Green talk?  Very bad things.
3. Meeting J.K. Rowling would be amazing…even though it’s unlikely to happen, it would be completely awesome to meet someone I really admire.  I can’t imagine my life without Harry Potter.
4. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who wants to have a library in wherever I live.  It’s totally not going to happen in the foreseeable future, and one of the reasons why I love my Nook is that I have to keep my print books contained to a really small area…but at least I’ll have a really good idea of what books will go into that small reading area whenever it happens!
5. The Jane Austen Society Of North America has an annual general meeting that has all sorts of interesting workshops and stuff…including a regency ball that sounds really fun!  I think you have to be a member to go (which I currently am not) but either way, it sounds fun and different.
6. I keep telling myself I’m going to read banned books during Banned Books Week.  I’m pretty sure quite a few books I’ve read over the last few years have been challenged or banned, but I like the idea of doing something during Banned Books Week.
7. World Book Night also seems interesting, and participating in some way would be fun.
8. Keep blogging!  I love being able to talk about what I’m reading, and I hope to do it for a long time!
9. I really need to be part of a YA book club.  Like, I know Forever Young Adult has book clubs, but I always forget to check it out, even though I keep meaning to.
10. And I really need to go to the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter.  I’ve wanted to go since I first heard about it ages ago, and it’ll happen one day!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish. Every week bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon

This is perfect for this week, considering Valentine’s day is just a few days away!  The number of books that make me swoon…it’s one of my favorite things about reading!

1. Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.  This can be explained in three words: Etienne St. Clair.
2. The Princess Diaries.  How can you not love Michael Moscovitz?
3. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa.  Because of the lengths Ash went to so he could be with Meghan.
4. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.  It feels weird to have this book on my list because of Lennie’s grief over the death of her sister, but part of me couldn’t help but fall in love with Joe.
5. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows.  I don’t know what it is about this series, but I can’t help but swoon over it.
6. The Summer I Turned Pretty/It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han.  I love both Jeremiah and Conrad, and they are two of my favorite characters in this series.  I like both of them with Belly but for very different reasons.
7. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand.  Tucker.  I love Tucker.  I wish he were real!  Also: Christian!  But mostly Tucker.
8. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.  It’s another one that feels like an odd choice, but I love Augustus and found myself swooning while crying my heart out.  He and Hazel really are amazing together!
9. The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger.  I love Lord Maccon.  I really do. especially when he’s with Alexia, because that is something that is always entertaining.  That is all.
10. Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen.  I know it’s all cliche to love P & P, but I can’t help it!