Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers all over share their list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top 10 Series I Haven’t Finished

This topic is right up my alley!  I didn’t realize how many series I’ve read, and how many I want to finish (or not finish in some cases) until I started working on this list.  Some I decided not to finish but there are some I really want to finish.

1. Game Of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin.  I know it’s not actually that Game Of Thrones series.  I just can’t be bothered to google the actual series name.  I was bored out of my mind reading it, so I won’t be finishing it.
2. Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya.  I have no clue why I haven’t finished it.  I might know how it ends, but that’s no excuse for not finishing it.
3. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.  I have been putting off finishing it for some unknown reason.
4. The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray.  See my reason for Paranormalcy.
5. Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine.  I fell in love with this series after the first book, and yet I’ve only read the first couple.  At the rate I’m going, the entire series is going to be out by the time I get around to reading a few more.
6. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.  This is another series I won’t be finishing.  Interesting idea, but I just didn’t like the characters.
7. Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent.  I’ve only read the first book in the series, so I have a few more to go.  See Morganville Vampires.
8. Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston.  I like the series so far, but I really, really need to finish some of the other series I’m reading.  This one is pretty low on list of series to finish.  I like it, just not enough to finish reading it RIGHT NOW.
9. Firelight by Sophie Jordan.  Same thing as Wondrous Strange.
10. Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot.  I’m pretty sure I haven’t finished this series, and I’d really like to.  Plus, I haven’t read since high school, so it’ll be nice to revisit a YA series I read when I actually was one.

Are there any series you haven’t finished?

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted every week by the lovely folks over at The Broke And Bookish.  Bloggers from all over are invited to share their lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top 10 Bookish People I Want To Meet

This was a fun list to put together!  It ranges from inspirations to authors that seem cool to the book blogging community as a whole.  Here’s my list!

1. J.K. Rowling- The Harry Potter books are my favorite books of all time, and I’d just love to meet her and thank her for sharing Harry’s story with the world.
2. John Green.  He seems like such a cool guy, and meeting him would be so fun.
3. Stephen King.  The last time I read his stuff on a regular basis was high school.  But he comes up with some of the most interesting, strange ideas, and I’d love to know his inspiration for some of those ideas.
4. Lani Diane Rich.  I haven’t read any of her books, but I just started listening to her podcast, yesterday, and it seems like she would be fun to have a cup of coffee with.
5. Laurie Halse Anderson.  I’m a huge fan of Laurie Halse Anderson, and I just love her books.  She’s just someone I really admire, and if I ever write a YA contemporary, it’s because of her!
6. Alison Weir.  I just love the books I’ve read by her, and being able to talk to her about Tudor history would be amazing.  Her knowledge of Tudor history astounds me.
7. Tahereh Mafi.  She just seems so adorable and cool and she seems like someone I’d want to hang out with for a day.
8. Joy Wilson.  She’s the baker behind the Joy the Baker blog.  She has a cookbook, out so that totally makes her bookish in my world  I’d love to meet her, and I wouldn’t mind talking about totally unimportant important things.  Or baking.  Maybe unimportant but totally important things while baking!
9. Erin Morgenstern.  She just seems cool based on a couple of blog entries I’ve read over at her website.  And The Night Circus originally started out as a novel written during National Novel Writing Month, so we could totally talk about that.
10. And of course, I can’t leave out my fellow book bloggers!  I honestly can’t pick who I want to meet the most, so I’m going with everyone!

Is there any particular author or other bookish person you’d like to meet?

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top 10 Books That Make You Think

This is a really interesting topic…but also a really cool one!  There are quite a few books over the years that have made me think, and all for different reasons.  That’s the cool thing about reading- it really does open up a whole new world, and you get to read about things you don’t necessarily see or know much about.  Here are 10 books that made me think.

1. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.  I had some issues with the book…but you start to think about how what you say and what you do can have a lot more meaning than you’d think.  Words and actions can have a bigger impact than you think.
2. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  This series makes you think about beauty and how the definition of beauty changes over time.  But I liked seeing Tally struggle with her looks and wanting to fit in and be with her friends.
3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman.  I really liked Unwind (and UnWholly is just as good).  One reason why I liked Unwind is that Shusterman doesn’t take a side as far as abortion and reproductive rights go.  Is compromise possible?  And he does a great job of showing how extreme both sides can get.  And organ donation is pretty important.
4. The Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson.  The interesting thing about this book is that you start to ask yourself, where do you draw the line?  In a book about a girl who is considered illegal because of the life-saving medical treatment she received…how could you not think about the ethics of medicine and how much is too much.
5. Still Alice by Lisa Genova.  I loved this book because you see Alice, who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.  You don’t think of someone in their 40’s or 50’s as being someone with Alzheimer’s, but that’s why I like this book so much.
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  What will the government do to keep it’s citizens in line?  And what will people do to make sure nothing happens to them or their families?  I just love The Hunger Games and how there’s a definite divide in terms of class and wealth.
7. A Mighty Long Way by Carlotta Walls LaNier.  She’s one of the Little Rock 9, and this is her story of what it was like to attend Little Rock Central High School.  Brown v Board of Education wasn’t all that long ago, and that things can change.  A Mighty Long Way is such a good reminder of the not-too-distant past and it really puts things in perspective.
8. The Coming Of The Third Reich by Richard Evans.  I know that when I hear Holocaust and World War 2, I automatically think of Hitler and concentration camps.  But this book does a pretty good job of showing how the Nazi’s (and Hitler) came to power and all of the factors that played a role in how they came to be.
9. Hate List by Jennifer Brown.  After reading this, you definitely see how horrific school shootings can be.  But it’s about more than just school shootings.  You see how people are still struggling to deal with the aftermath of a school shooting and how it can damage or strengthen relationships.
10. Exposed by Kimberly Marcus.  Exposed is really interesting in that it’s a book about a girl who’s dealing with the rape of her best friend…and her brother as the one who raped her best friend.  It’s nice to see how rape can affect more than just the people directly involved…because it does.  And things are not always black-and-white.

What books made you think about life or see the world differently?

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all previous top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top 10 Books On My Fall TBR List

I am so excited about this list!  There are so many books I want to read this fall, but these are the 10 I’m most looking foward to.  Now that I think about it, there are quite a few pre-orders I’m looking foward to…plus a few I keep skipping over.

1. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling.  It’s the first post-HP books she’s written.  Need I say more?  This one is most certainly at the top of my list.  The Casual Vacancy comes out on September 27!
2. The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa.  Iron Fey spin-off!  I’m super-excited, because I love that series so much.  And it focuses on Meghan’s brother Ethan, who was pretty important in the Iron Fey…but no so much in the rest of the series.  The Lost Prince comes out on October 23.
3. Beta by Rachel Cohn.  This one looks really intriguing.  The main character is created in a lab- and is an experimental model of a teenage clone.  Sounds cool, right?  Only a few more weeks until it’s published!  Beta comes out on September 25.
4. Crewel by Gennifer Albin.  This one also looks intriguing.  It’s about this girl who’s a Spinster, and works for Arras’s Manipulation Services to decide people’s lives.  Crewel will be published October 16.
5. Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi.  Destroy Me is a novella that bridges the gap between Shatter Me and Unravel Me.  It’ll have to hold me over until Unravel Me comes out in February.  Destroy Me comes out on October 2.
6. Meant To Be.  I love the cover!  But it’s about a girl who doesn’t break the rules and has picked out her childhood crush as her meant to be.  After a party during Spring Break, she gets romantic texts from an unknown number.  It sounds fun and cute, and I need to read more fun and cute.  Meant To Be comes out on November 13.
7. Renegade by J.A. Souders.  Another really pretty cover with an intriguing plot.  Being selected as the Daughter Of The People in an underwater utopia, Evelyn realizes everything she knows is a lie.  Renegade comes out November 13.
8. Darkness Falls by Jessica Sorensen.  This one has been on my Nook for a while, and I keep skipping over it to read other books.
9. Storm Glass by Maria Snyder.  I really liked Inside Out, so I definitely want to read Storm Glass.  Plus, I like the idea of glassmaker and a magician tapping into a new kind of magic.
10. Glitch by Heather Anastasiu.  A girl whose implanted computer chip start to malfunction and has uncontrollable telekinetic powers as a result?  I’m so there!

Is anyone else excited about J.K. Rowlings first post-Harry Potter book?  What other books are you looking foward to?

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top 8 Bookish Confessions

I had a really hard time with this one- it seemed so easy but maybe I wasn’t in a book confession kind of mood.  Or something.  I honestly have no idea.  Anyway, here are my bookish confessions.

1. I don’t mind if my series don’t quite match up.  The covers don’t need to match, and I don’t mind if some of them are paperback and some are hard-cover.  The only thing I’m really picky about is format- if one copy is on my nook, then the rest of them need to be on my nook…or a physical copy, if that’s what I have…speaking of the whole e-reader debate…
2. Pet Peeve: When people refer to “real books.”  You know, as opposed to the imaginary ones.  I get what they’re trying to get at, but it annoys me because of the implication that certain types of books/formats are better than others.  A book is book, no matter what genre or format it’s in.
3. I sometimes buy books based on the cover…or the title.
4. Serious confession: Sometimes, I’m still scared to say what I really think about books because I don’t want to be judged for what I like or dislike…especially if I seem to be in the minority.
5. I try not judge people for what they read, because everyone has their own interests…but I will judge them for how they talk about other books and its fans.  I don’t care how much you like or dislike something…just don’t be rude or mean or anything.  Calling people stupid for liking or not liking something?  Not cool.
6. I miss reading romance novels.  Why did I ever stop that?  I must get on this…eventually.
7. I dog ear books…but only if they’re my copy.  Because it’s totally rude to do that to a poor, innocent library book.
8. I love my e-reader because I’m less likely to throw it at a wall if I’m annoyed with a book.  Same thing with library books…no way I’m throwing that at a wall!

What are some of your bookish confessions?

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own lists based on the topic of the week.  You can see all past top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top 10 Favorite Books I’ve Read Since I Started Blogging

I was so happy to see this topic!  I’ve read a lot of books in almost 2 years of blogging, and there are some that really stand out.  The ones that I work into any list I can…the ones I repeatedly recommend…the ones I can’t stop thinking about.  Anyway, here are my 10 favorite books since I’ve started blogging!

1. Hate List by Jennifer Brown.  I’ve read this book a couple times and I can’t help but cry for about 5 or 10 minutes after.  It’s just so emotional.  I don’t know why I’ve connected with it so much, but I have.
2. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.  Another one that I’ve really connected with.  I just love Laurie Halse Anderson, period.  But this is one of my favorites by her.
3. Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan.  This book is haunting and I feel anxious every time I think about it.  Anxious, like oh my god, I can’t believe that happened to her kind of anxious.
4. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.  This is my favorite John Green book, and both times I’ve read it, I’ve cried.  Actually, I think I cried harder the second time.  But I just love it.
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  This is my favorite book (and series) I read last year.  It’s so good, and there are a lot of really interesting things to think about.
6. The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa.  This is one of those series I can’t stop talking about.  I just love the creativity and the details in this series.  And I’m super-excited about The Lost Prince, which is the spin-off to this series.  I’m hoping it lives up to the really high expectations The Iron Fey set.
7. Wings by Aprilynne Pike.  Another series I can’t stop talking about.  Like The Iron Fey, I just love the creativity in this series.  Fairies being really similar to plants is totally believable.
8. Need by Carrie Jones.  Yet another series on the list.  But this is one of my favorites.  You can’t go wrong with pixies…just like how you can’t go wrong with fairies.  It’s fun and I love the mythology in the series.
9. Paranormalcy by Kiersten.  Clearly, I am a fan of series, because they’ve taken over my list.  But the one thing that sticks out is how Evie is pretty kick-ass and STILL LOVES SHOPPING, PINK AND SPARKLES.  And she has a taser named Tasey.  That’s pretty rare, at least in the books I’ve read.  Plus, it’s fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
10. The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  I love the Uglies, and it’s one of my favorite dystopic series.  Actually, I haven’t read a lot of dystopic novels, but this one stands out because I thought the idea of a pretty committee and how the society was structured according to looks was really interesting.

And here are some honorable mentions: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, In Honor by Jessi Kirby and The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine.

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over the at The Broke And The Bookish.  Bloggers from all over share their own top 10 lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find the top 10 Tuesday schedule here.

Top 10 Romances That Would Work In Real Life 

Or, a few couples I actually thought about and a whole bunch I just want to be together, regardless of whether they’d work out in real life.  As I was thinking about this list, I realized I had an explanation for only a few of them, with a gut feeling for the rest of them.  That totally works, right?  Let’s just pretend it does.

1. Augustus and Hazel from The Fault In Our Stars.  I have no explanation for this one.  It’s really more of a feeling on this one.  Besides, they need to be happy.
2. Hermione and Ron, Harry Potter.  They fight a lot, and are two very different people, but I think they would make a lovely couple in the real world.  Seriously, it’s not the first time best friends or high school sweethearts have gotten married.
3. Harry and Ginny, Harry Potter.  See Ron and Hermione, above.  Minus the fighting, of course.  And a crush that’s only resolved by Ginny talking to and dating other guys.
4. Evie and Lend, Paranormalcy.  This one is just wishful thinking but I’d love for them to work out in real life.  They’re just so adorable together.
5. Evan and Emma, The Breathing Series.  I so want Emma to be happy, and while their relationship has a lot of issues (especially in the beginning), Evan has been there for Emma, and is such a good guy.  She deserves that.
6. Mia and Michael, The Princess Diaries.  I’ll admit that it’s been a long time since I’ve read The Princess Diaries…and that I can’t remember if I’ve read the entire series, or just the first few.  But I think they have a lot of potential to work out, because they’ve known each for, like, ever.  So Mia totally knows that he’s not with her just because she’s a princess.
7. London and Jamie, A Walk To Remember.  Another book I haven’t read in forever, but had she not died, they totally would have been married for years.
8. Tohru and Kyo, Fruits Basket.  This totally reminds me that I need to finish the rest of series…and that I know they get married.  I can’t explain why I think they would work.  I just know they would.  They’re adorable together.
9. Clara and Tucker, Unearthly.  I just love them together.  No explanation for this one either…they’d work out, I just know it.  That is all.
10. Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, Pride And Prejudice.  You can’t go wrong with this couple.  Seriously, it’s Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett.  They would so work out in real life.  Especially because Jane Austen was very much inspired by real life.

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Brokish.  Every week people share their lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find past Top 10 Tuesday topics here.

Top 10 Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With For 24 Hours

There are so many characters I love and yet it was hard to think of 10 characters I’d want to switch places with.  It did get easier once I didn’t take it so seriously.  It is amazing how many characters who I wouldn’t want to switch places with…which is a really good idea for a future blog post.  So who would I want to switch places with?  Find out below!

1. Grimalkin from The Iron Fey.  I think it would be easier to assume that I’ll keep mentioning the Iron Fey a lot.  But I love how Grim explains everything with one simple explanation: “I am a cat.”  And I love how he randomly disappears and then randomly appears.
2. Hermione from Harry Potter.  In a lot of ways, I’m like Hermione.  And if I could be Hermione for a day, I’d love to wander around Hogwarts and see what sort of books wizards read.
3. Luna from Harry Potter.  I feel like I have some Luna-like qualities, but to be her would be completely amazing.  She’s just…her, and I’d love to see what a typical day for Luna is.
4. Mary Anne from The Baby-Sitters Club.  I’m going way back to my childhood with this one, but I loved the BSC when I was in elementary school and wished there were more kids in my neighborhood so I could start my own club.
5. Mary Boleyn from The Other Boleyn Girl (and various non-fiction books).  So, TOBG was my first introduction to Anne’s sister.  There were times I wouldn’t want to be her, of course, but considering she was really the only one in her family who ended up unscathed after Anne’s fall…can you imagine what that would have been like?  Still, I find her an interesting character (and real-life person, of course) and I’d like to see her life.
6. Jessica Wakefield from the Sweet Valley books.  Another childhood favorite of mine.  I decided to go with Jessica (instead of Elizabeth, who is my favorite from the 50 million SV books out there) because she usually got involved in some crazy adventure.
7. Any of the girls from Pretty Little Liars.  I did get tired of the series by the 10th one, but I’d still want to switch places with any of them for a day.  Mostly because I’d love to know what it’s like to be rich and get whatever I want but also because of all the shit they get away with.  It would be nice.
8. Scarlett from Suite Scarlett.  It would be cool to live in a hotel, and while it’s probably not that glamorous or cool, I’d like to think it is.
9. Cassia from Matched.  It would be nice to have a day where others made my own choices for me.  Seriously, just one day where I’m told what to read, eat and listen to.
10. Tally from The Uglies.  I’d love to switch places with her for a day.  I’m not sure why, but it seems like she’s having fun.  I do love that world so it would be cool to hang out there for a day.

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, people from all over post their own lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find past Top 10 Tuesday’s here.

Top 10 Most Vivid Worlds And Settings In Books

One thing I love about reading is the setting.  I love being transported to a completely different world that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.  I want to immerse myself in a place that is real and full of interesting characters and places.

1. Hogwarts from Harry Potter.  Hogwarts is one of the first places that came to mind, because who wouldn’t want to go to Hogwarts?  I feel like I knew the castle so well, partly because of Harry’s wanderings and the Marauder’s map, but also because of the details.  The suits of armor, the ghosts, the talking portraits…what’s not to love?
2. The Seven Kingdoms from Graceling.  This is actually the first book I thought of when I saw the topic.  I just love the 7 Kingdoms and how different they are.  And I love that each book in the series focuses on a different kingdom, instead of the same one.  I think Monsea is the one that stands out, and I love the historical feel of the setting.
3. Avalon From Wings.  I know I’ve mentioned Wings several times reccently, but I can’t help but love Pike’s version of Avalon.  It’s a shame we didn’t see it very much in the series, but I still loved Avalon.  It felt pretty and full of life and energy.
4. The nevernever from The Iron Fey.  I promise, I’ll stop talking about the Iron Fey at some point.  But we spent so much time in the Iron Kingdom and in the Seelie and Unseelie Courts that I so want to go there.  I love how our memories and stories play a huge part in keeping the nevernever around.
5. Narnia.  When I was little, I hoped that my closet would lead to Narnia, or some other equally magical world.  I loved how getting to Narnia was so magical and so random.  You ended up there when you least expected it, and that is why it stands out.
6. Middle Earth from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.  Middle Earth is so vivid because of all the work Tolkien put into creating it.  With actual languages, different lands, and a super-detailed history of Middle Earth, it’s no wonder it feels real.
7. The Realms from the Gemma Doyle series.  This one is on my mind because I just finished Rebel Angels.  But I love that the Realms are more complex than I ever imagined.  It seems like a beautiful, carefree place, and yet there is a darkness there.
8. A Wrinkle Time series.  Honestly, it’s the house and the town that Meg lives in that is so memorable.  Her home is so warm and inviting, and I’d love to be friends with her just to be able to go to her house.
9. The Island Of The Blue Dolphins.  I felt like I knew every inch of this island, because we spent so much time following Karana’s life as the only person living there.  I’d love to know a place that well.
10. The Night Circus.  I wanted to go the circus after finishing The Night Circus.  And not just any circus, but one as magical as the one in the book.

That’s my list for this week!  What other settings/worlds stand out?