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Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Set In Schools

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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 are invited to share their own top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Books Set In Schools

This week, we get to pick our favorite books set in any setting we want!  There are so many possibilities but there’s something about the school setting that I love, so that’s what I went with!

  1. Harry Potter.  I’m not going to lie…I just really wanted to include Harry Potter, and books in a school setting were much more common than the UK.  Is that weird?  Either way, I still want to go to Hogwarts.  (But I’ll also settle for Pigfarts).
  2. This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers.  I liked This Is Not A Test for a lot of different reasons, but taking shelter in a school during the zombie apocalypse is interesting and different enough to get my attention!
  3. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins.  A boarding school for magical delinquents?  Totally fun!
  4. Etiquette And Espionage by Gail Carriger.  It’s a steampunk boarding school.  Enough said.
  5. Wander Dust by Michelle Warren.  The cool thing about Wander Dust is that it’s set in a school for teams of students who travel through time.  They all have their own abilities, and I love that everyone has to work together so they can make the most of their abilities.
  6. Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.  I just loved Anna And The French Kiss, and part of it is because it’s a boarding school in Paris.  What’s not to love?
  7. Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick.  There are some dark and twisted things in Drowning Instinct.  A lot of the book takes place at Jenna’s school, and you’re watching things unfold, wondering how things would have turned out for Jenna if things didn’t lead her to her new school.  And what would have happened had she been a regular student…
  8. Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot.  Mia, dealing with typical teenager stuff while also dealing with princess lessons.  I also love seeing the glimpses of how her classmates react to Mia being a princess.
  9. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray.  It’s set in an all-girls prep school set in the Victorian-era.  Historical fiction is pretty awesome, and when it’s set in an all-girls school where a few of the girls happen to come across magical realms, you get a series that that totally gets my attention!
  10. Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg.  It’s set in a performing arts school, which is a school setting I don’t read much of (actually, i think this is the one of the very few) , but I loved Esme’s story and the focus on music and life as a student at a performing arts school.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels

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

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Top 10 Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels

This was one I thought I would have a lot of trouble with, because I read so many series, and it felt too weird adding sequels, you know? But I was surprised  by the number of books I would totally revisit had they had a sequel.  

  1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  This one was the first one that came to mind, because I was truly sad when I finished it.  At the same time, part of me wouldn’t want a sequel because it’s so magical.
  2. Blood Of The Lamb by Sam Cabot.  I finished this one recently, and the ending had me wanting another book because it definitely ended on a really surprising note.
  3. That Time I Joined The Circus by J.J. Howard.  Because I kind of want to see Lexi at the circus again.
  4. A World Away by Nancy Grossman.  I loved A World Away, and I would love a sequel so very much!  Mostly because I want to know how Eliza adjusted to Amish life and how connected she was to the English world.
  5. And All The Stars by Andrea K. Höst.  Because the epilogue didn’t answer all of the questions I had by the end of the book, and I want to how how everything turned out for the characters.
  6. Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick.  Because the book END MIDSENTENCE, and this is unacceptable because I need to know what happens to Mitch and to Jenna’s mom.
  7. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams.  Kara’s story of escaping from a polygamist sect was an interesting one, and I know there’s more to her story.  I want to how she adjusts to life outside the one she grew up in, and if she ever sees her family again.
  8. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan.  I was so intrigued by the criminals who have their skin dyed to match their crimes and how there’s not really a separation of church and state that I want to learn everything I can about this fictional but creepy world.  Especially because the details I wanted weren’t there.
  9. Faking Faith by Josie Bloss.  Because the contrast between Dylan’s family and Abigail’s family was pretty interesting, and I’m really interested in how Abigail’s story turns out.
  10. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.  I haven’t read this one in forever, but it’s one of those books that I want to revisit in the form of a sequel.  Not only does Kostova have an interesting take on the Dracula story, but I would love to see the characters take on some other myth.  Either way, I’m good.  

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Beginnings/Endings In Books

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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 are invited to share their own top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Favorite Beginnings/Endings In Books

This is a cool topic!  There are some great beginnings, and also some great endings…but apparently, how books end are much more memorable, as there’s only one beginning that stands out.  And…I apparently cry at endings a lot.  There were a couple where I couldn’t remember if I cried at the end, but I think it’s safe to assume that I cried at the end.

Awesome Beginnings:

  1. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone: Such a memorable opening paragraph!  This one was the first one that came to mind, and it’s such a great start to a completely awesome series.

And The Endings That Are Just As Awesome:

  1. Requiem by Lauren Oliver: I have mixed feelings about Requiem, but the last few paragraphs were so beautiful that I was crying at the end.
  2. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green: I almost put this one on my favorite beginnings lists, but I had a change of heart.  Besides, I love the ending much more: “I do, Augustus.  I do.”  Totally trying to not cry just thinking about it.
  3. If I Stay by Gayle Forman: It’s totally another book where I found myself crying at the end.
  4. Hate List by Jennifer Brown: Another one that came to mind automatically.  Five minutes after finishing Hate List, I was still crying on the couch.  
  5. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: I’m having trouble deciding which line I like better: “I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime” or “The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years.  All was well.”  Both lines are equally memorable…you know what?  I’m going with both!  Rest of the epilogue aside, it’s a pretty memorable ending.
  6. The Breathing Series by Rebecca Donovan: I honestly can’t pick between the 3 books!  Reason To Breathe had an ending that had me looking at my Nook in a moment of WTF…which led to immediately buy and start reading Barely Breathing so I could know what happened.  And that ending led me to anxiously waiting for Out Of Breath, which is, overall, a great ending to this series.
  7. With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent: Overall, it’s a great ending to the series…but it was the last few pages that did me in.  it was bittersweet, but everyone got their happily ever after, so all ended well.
  8. Beautiful, Dark And Deep by Amy McNamara: I was still crying a few minutes after finishing it, Such a beautiful ending.
  9. Destined by Aprilynne Pike: Because David’s letter is the end of the book for me, and it’s absolutely beautiful.  It should be no surprise that I was crying a little at the end…
  10. Bonus pick: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa: Because I love Meghan and Ash and how he sacrificed his immortality for Meghan.  And that makes The Iron Knight the perfect ending to The Iron Fey series.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Words/Topics That Make Me NOT Pick Up A Book

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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 are invited to share their own lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Words/Topics That Make Me NOT Pick Up A Book

Or as I like to call it, a bunch of genres and general categories that I don’t read a lot of.  This is a really hard one for me because I’m not a picky reader, and I feel like I’m pretty open as far as reading goes…so why not talk about the things I don’t read a lot of?

  1. Ghosts!  I’ve read a few paranormal books about ghosts, and they’ve been okay.  But I’m determined to give it a chance in the hopes that I will actually come across one that I actually like!
  2. Zombies.  It’s hard for me to get into zombie books.  I’ve read some I’ve liked, but I just have a hard time finding them.
  3. Mash-ups.  I’m hesitant to put this one on my list, because I did like Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter…the only one in this genre I’ve read.  I don’t want to judge it on the one book I’ve read (and liked) but…overall, I don’t have a lot of interest in the Pride And Prejudice And Zombies genre.
  4. Westerns.  Again, I hate making judgments on things I don’t read…but straight-up westerns…I just can’t do.  Actually, I think I’ve read a romance novel or two that was set on a ranch or something, and I liked those, so maybe it’s a matter of finding something that’s appealing.
  5. Books that people make fun of: because, well, I’m scared that people will judge me and think I’m weird or stupid or something in the event that I actually read it and like it.  I really need to work on that, because there are probably a few books out there that I’m missing out on because of this.
  6. Werewolves.  Soulless by Gail Carriger is the exception to this, because she made werewolves cool.  Other than that, I’ve had to DNF every other werewolf-only book I’ve picked up.
  7. Steampunk.  Gail Carriger is apparently my go-to author for all things steampunk and werewolves, because hers are the only steampunk ones I find hard to put down.
  8. Women in historical fiction who seem too modern.  It’s not a bad thing, and I totally appreciate the women throughout history who were ahead of the times.  Sometimes, it’s not annoying, depending on the book, but overall, I tend to not like it.

I’m actually going to call it a day on this one because I really can’t think of anything else…so…Happy Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

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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 are invited to share their own lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

This is a great topic!  I’ve come across so many great authors, and there are so many that totally deserve more recognition, because I love their books so much.  It was hard pick just 10, but these are the 10 that are on my mind right now.

  1. Wendy Higgins.  I love her Sweet trilogy, and can’t wait to read the last one, even though I’ll probably be sad it’s over!  I love her take on angels.
  2. Rachel Caine.  Her books are so fun to read, and I can’t recommend her enough.  Especially if you’re a big fan of paranormal.
  3. Laurie Halse Anderson.  For me, her books are YA classics, and her books are pretty freaking awesome.
  4. Jennifer Brown.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve read Hate List, but it’s a story I still can’t get out of my head after first reading it almost a couple years ago.  Even though I have yet to read her other books, I think she deserves a lot of recognition for Hate List.
  5. Cynthia Hand.  I totally love her take on angels, and while there is a battle between good and evil, it’s pretty subtle.  I totally think everyone should read Unearthly because she has a pretty unique take on angels.  Anyone who can create an entire world around an angel trying to find their purpose in life and make it hard to put down while crying tears of happiness and sadness at the same time deserves all the recognition she can get!
  6. Aprilynne Pike.  I cannot talk about Wings enough.  Fairies being similar to plants is an interesting twist on fairies, but also one that is super-believable.
  7. Kiersten White.  Never have I loved a character more than the way I love Evie.  Paranormalcy is such a cute series, and she totally deserves more recognition for it.
  8. Rebecca Donovan.  I absolutely LOVE her Breathing series, and I hope to see more amazing books from her.
  9. Katherine Longshore.  For some insane reason, I haven’t read Tarnish, but I really liked Gilt, and I love that she writes YA historical fiction.  I think she deserves recognition just for that, but she also makes Tudor history really interesting, and easy to relate to.
  10. Maria V. Snyder.  I bought pretty much everything she’s written after reading only a couple of books she’s written.  She’s definitely one of my favorite fantasy writers.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations

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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 are invited to share their own lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations

This one was a lot harder than I was expecting.  Here’s the thing: I’ve read the book but never seen the movie in some cases.  In other cases, I’ve seen the movie but I haven’t read the book.  I really need to work on that.  I actually have a confession to make.  As much as I love to read, I PREFER SEEING THE MOVIE FIRST.  It seems like pretty much everyone likes to read the book first, but I tend to enjoy both book and movie equally when I hold off on reading the book.  It’s just less stressful.  Here are my picks for my favorite and least favorite adaptations.

Best:

  • Lord Of The Rings.  The movies are the pretty much the only reason I could even get through the books.
  • The Hunger Games: Definitely one of my favorite book-to-movie adaptations.  There were a couple of scenes that were really irritating but it’s definitely one of my favorite adaptations.
  • Water For Elephants: Water For Elephants was such a great adaptation.  Despite half of the novel not making it to film (because other than the beginning, we don’t really need to see Jacob at the nursing home), I thought everyone did an amazing job bringing the story to life.
  • The Notebook: Because it is The Notebook.  That is all.
  • Prisoner Of Azkaban.  Not only is it my favorite HP book, but it’s also one of my favorite HP movies.
  • Pretty much anything Stephen King writes: I vaguely remember liking everything he’s written that’s appeared on the big screen, so I’m going with it.
  • Deathly Hallows, Part 1/Part Two: I liked each of them on their own, but together, I loved them!
  • Princess Diaries: I actually like that scenes from a lot of the books have made it into the two movies, and the movies were so fun to watch!

Worst:

  • The Other Boleyn Girl: I think.  I’m pretty sure I didn’t like it as an adaptation, but as a movie, completely separate from the book, I think I liked it.
  • Half-Blood Prince.  My least favorite of the HP movies.  Stuff was left out…but on the plus side, certain things were covered a bit more in Deathly Hallows.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Intimidating Books

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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 are invited to share their own lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Most Intimidating Books

This is such a good topic, because there are some books that are really intimidating!  The one thing every single book on my list has in common is that I’m intimidated by the fact that there’s a lot of love for these books I have not yet read.  I’m slightly worried I won’t like them, but I’m determined to read them because I won’t know until I try!

  1. Shadow And Bone by Leah Bardugo
  2. Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor
  3. Tiger Lily by Jodi Anderson
  4. Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  5. Across The Universe by Beth Revis
  6. Between Shades Of Grey by Ruta Sepetys
  7. Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
  8. The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer Smith
  9. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
  10. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Books So Far This Year

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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.

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Top Ten Favorite Books So Far In 2013

I totally love this topic!  It’s a pretty good recap of my year (in terms of reading), and it was a lot easier to come up with ten than I was expecting.  I have to say that I’m looking forward to coming up with a favorite books of the year list at the end of the year to see how the list has changed.  Until then, enjoy my favorites over the last 6 months!

  1. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.  I feel like I’ve been talking about Beauty Queens a lot lately, but it’s definitely one of my favorites.  I loved the commercials and footnotes scattered throughout the book, and it’s really rare for me to laugh hysterically the entire time I’m reading (or listening, as was the case with this one) something.
  2. If I Stay by Gayle Foreman.  If I Stay was really emotional and my heart broke for Mia.  I was fighting back the tears at the end, but it was totally worth listening to!
  3. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.  I totally loved this Little Red Riding Hood re-telling, and how Scarlet’s story worked so well with Cinder’s.
  4. Boundless by Cynthia Hand.  Boundless…I was sad to see this series end but it ended on such a great note.  I’m glad things turned out the way I was hoping they would.
  5. Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols.  I could relate to Leah in so many ways, and I loved that flying was her safe haven and that she had Mr. Hall as someone who actually seemed to care about her.
  6. Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur.  What makes Love, Aubrey one of my favorite books so far is the relationship Aubrey has with her grandma.
  7. A World Away by Nancy Grossman.  What really made A World Away amazing was the narrator.  Jessica Lawshe…she did such an amazing job I’d listen to anything she narrates.  Eliza and her experiences came to life and I loved seeing her experience things for the first time.
  8. That Time I Joined The Circus by J.J. Howard.  This is one of two books where I specifically mentioned that it was one of my favorites of the year.  I loved the circus setting, and Lexi figuring out who she is.
  9. Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara.  This one is the only one that I said was a favorite so far.  Lovely, Dark And Deep was so freaking beautiful and honest and heart-breaking and one of the few books that where I was still crying a good 5 minutes after finishing it.
  10. Where She Went by Gayle Foreman.  The 2nd Gayle Foreman book on the list!  It’s just as emotional as If I Stay, but in a completely different way.  I loved seeing Adam narrate and the songs at the beginning of each chapter were a great part of the book.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

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

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Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

I am really happy it’s summer!  And that means it’s time for another seasonal reading list!  There are so many books I want to read, and these are the ones I’m looking forward to reading this summer!

  1. The Darwin Elevator by Jason Hough.  Because Jason is pretty freaking awesome and I’m REALLY HAPPY that his book is finally coming out!  I’ve been looking forward to The Darwin Elevator since I found it Jason was getting his book published.  If I read any book on this list this summer, it’ll be The Darwin Elevator.
  2. Life And Death Of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives.  I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while, and since I’ve been watching The Tudors, I’m feeling inspired to get back into one of my favorite time periods.
  3. Shadow And Bone by Leah Bardugo.  Because I need to know why so many people love it.
  4. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi.  Because I’ve been putting it off, and I really need/want to know what happens next.
  5. Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.  Like Shadow And Bone, I need to know why people love it so much.
  6. The very vague romance novel.  Summer and romance go hand in hand, so I’ll definitely try to read a romance or two.  I wish I could be more specific, but nothing is jumping out at the moment.
  7. Another Little Piece by Kate Quinn.  It’s YA horror!  It’s been a while since I’ve read horror but I’m definitely intrigued by something that’s described as Stephen King meets Pretty Little Liars.
  8. Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor.  I’ve been meaning to read this one for ages.  And while I’m slightly scared I won’t love it the way everyone else does, I am determined to actually read it this summer!
  9. It’s Not Summer Without You/We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han.  It take place during the summer, so to not have it on this list would be weird.  Plus, I loved The Summer I Turned Pretty.  And contemporaries and summer go hand in hand.
  10. Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols.  I loved Such A Rush, and this YA contemporary looks like it’s going to be a good one.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Beach Reads

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

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Top Ten Beach Reads

Summer is upon us, and so it is now time for my favorite beach reads.  I find this ironic because the weather is nice enough for me to the beach year-round, and yet I never go.  But if I happen to find myself at the beach this summer, these are the books I’d want to read!

  1. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.  Nothing says beach read more than Beauty Queens.  It’s a fun and hysterical read, and a bunch of beauty queens stuck on a not-so-deserted island is a good book for just sitting around and reading.  
  2. Soulless by Gail Carriger.  Soulless was fun to listen to, and Alexia was hysterical.
  3. Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt.  Going Vintage is so cute, which is why it would be one of my beach reads this summer!
  4. Weather Wardens by Rachel Caine.  I don’t know what Rachel Caine does to her books, because they’re really addicting.  Weather Wardens is one of my current book obsessions, and they’re short and fun books to read while at the beach!
  5. Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent.  I’m sad this series is over, but I have no problem reliving the fun at the beach.
  6. Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.  If I’m going to be taken away to Paris, reading Anna is the way to do it!
  7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer.  Cinder makes the list just because it’s Cinder.
  8. Illuminate by Aimee Agresti.  Illuminate makes the list because Haven has the unique ability to capture who people really are just by photographing them.
  9. Gilt by Katherine Longshore.  Gilt is such a great beach read because it focuses on Katherine Howard (wife #5 of Henry VIII) and her circle of friends as she becomes Queen of England.  The descriptions are totally amazing too, which also makes it great!
  10. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.  It takes place at the beach, and it’s during the summer!  You can’t go wrong with that.