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Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

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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.

Top Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

One of my favorite things about reading is that it lets me travel without leaving the comfort of home.  Granted, reading isn’t the same as actually going places, but books makes me want to travel to both fictional places and real places (and reading will just have to do until I can afford to travel).

  1. Hogwarts.  I am still waiting for my letter to Hogwarts.  Who wouldn’t want to go to Hogwarts or the wizarding world?
  2. Narnia.  As a kid, I would hide in the closet in hopes that I’d be transported to Narnia.  Narnia sounds amazing.
  3. Middle Earth.  I’m not a big fan of the Lord Of The Rings (but I will admit that I LOVE the movies) and yet I still find myself wanting to visit Middle Earth.
  4. Candyfreak by Steve Almond did make me want to visit all of the candy factories he mentions in the book.
  5. Paris.  All because of Anna And The French Kiss.  This book makes me want to go to Paris so bad.
  6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern makes me wish such a circus existed because I would to LOVE to visit a circus like this.
  7. India sounds like an interesting but bustling place because of Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
  8. England…I can’t pick just one book that makes me want to go there, because there are so many!  I think it’s all of the books I’ve read about the Tudors…
  9. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han makes me want to visit a place like Cousins Beach and spend the entire summer there.
  10. New Orleans is a place I want to visit, notably because of the Arelia LaRue series and Out Of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books For People Who Like Character Driven Novels

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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.

Top Ten Books For People Who Like Character Driven Novels

To be honest, I had to think about this one for a while, because I don’t pay a lot of attention to whether a book is more character-driven or plot-driven.  But after looking through everything I’ve read the last few years, I managed to come up with a few.

  1. You Look Different In Real Life by Jennifer Castle.  I listened to this one recently, and was struck by how much each character stood out, despite the fact that there are so many of them!
  2. Tampa by Alyssa Nutting.  I can’t believe that I’ve mentioned this one for the second time in as many weeks,  but you really get into the characters head, as disturbing as it is.
  3. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.  One of the things that has jumped out at me while reading Code Name Verity is that it’s more about the narrator telling her story than it is about what’s actually happening.
  4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  I feel a little weird putting this one on my list, as I didn’t actually finish it, because from what I did read, it did seem to be more about the characters.
  5. The Homecoming Masquerade by Spencer Baum.  Yes, you announce you’re in the running for a shot at immortality by wearing black to homecoming, but it really does go into all of the characters and their motivations.
  6. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.  It really is about Cath figuring out who she is, and I could so relate to her story.
  7. The Trial Of Dr. Kate by Michael Glasscock.  I’ve really enjoyed his Round Rock series, and this one in particular really highlights the people in this small town.
  8. A World Away by Nancy Grossman.  I’m not sure if this one counts as character-driven, but I liked seeing Eliza experiencing new things for the first time.
  9. Every Day by David Levithan.  I’m not a big fan of the book, but I think it’s an interesting read when your identity changes every day.
  10. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.  Really, any of her historical fiction books would work, but this is one of my favorite HF books by Weir.  It’s such a good (fictional) look at Elizabeth, and it felt very much like everything actually happened, even though some of it is fictional.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Were Hard For Me To Read

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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.

Top Ten Books That Were Hard For Me To Read

There are a lot of books that are hard for me to read, for many different reasons.  Whether it’s because I’m bored or because of the subject matter, some books are just really hard to get through.

  1. Tampa by Alyssa Nutting.  This one is the first that came to mind, because it’s about this teacher who seduces one of her students…there was a point where I was going to DNF it, but in the end, I managed to finish because I wanted to see if she’d face any consequences if she got caught.
  2. A Game Of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin.  I had to force myself to finish it, because the detail and length were overwhelming and intimidating.  Not to mention, I was really bored reading it.
  3. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley.  Now that I think about it, it was hard to read, because of how real it felt, and how much I could picture everything happening- but it’s also a story I hope we don’t forget.
  4. It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han.  Of the 3 books in the series, the 2nd one was the hardest, because I couldn’t stop crying long enough to read it.
  5. Some Boys by Patty Blount.  Because it’s horribly unfair that everyone will turn against a girl just because they don’t want to believe that the town golden boy is capable of rape.
  6. Out Of Breath by Rebecca Donovan.  Mostly because Emma’s story, and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her aunt, was so heartbreaking that all of the crying made it hard to read.
  7. This Much Is True by Katherine Owen.  It’s such a heartbreaking, angsty story that was hard to read at times, but it was so worth it.
  8. If I Stay by Gayle Forman.  Because a book about a girl deciding to live or die is a hard book to read.
  9. And The Band Played On by Randy Shilts.  I know what AIDS is like now, but it was hard to read a book about the first few years of the AIDS epidemic.
  10. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.  I felt like Hannah was far too willing to blame everyone else, and it made the book really hard to read, but I did like the message that your actions and words have more of an impact than you realize.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Fall To Read 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 share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Books On My Fall To Read List

So, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately- which I think I may be coming out of- so working on a fall to-read list seems a little weird, but I’m also hoping that at least one of the following books will help me out.

  1. Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis.  I’ve added this one to my currently reading shelf, so technically, I’m reading it…even though I actually haven’t started yet.  But I’m still excited to read this one ever since I first heard about, and I’m really looking forward to reading the advance copy I have!
  2. You Look Different In Real Life by Jennifer Castle.  I’m really intrigued by the idea of a movie being made about a few kids every few years…I think it’d be great to listen to, but it’ll have to wait until I have some time to listen to an audio book.
  3. Silk Is For Seduction by Loretta Chase.  I’ve been meaning to read more Loretta Chase, and I’ve had this one for ages.
  4. Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.  I just need a cute, fun YA contemporary romance, and I think Isla fits the bill perfectly.
  5. City Of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare.  Right now, I’m in a YA paranormal mood, plus, I want to see how some things get resolved.
  6. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith.  I really need to read more Jennifer E. Smith.
  7. Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols.  I also need to read more Jennifer Echols, and I think this music-centered book is right up my alley.
  8. Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh.  I’ve heard such good things about her books that it’s about time I start reading her!
  9. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.  I’ve been really nervous to read this book, but I’m going to have to get over it, and read it this fall.
  10. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.  I’ve been meaning to read this book for ages, and I need to stop putting it off.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I Need To Read More Of

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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.

Top Ten Authors I’ve Read One Book From And Need To Read More Of

I have a tendency to read every book an author has written, so it was quite the challenge to come up with 10 authors I’ve only read one book from!  But, there are some authors who I really need to read more of, so here are my 10 authors!

  1. Jennifer Echols.  I’ve only read Such A Rush, and I LOVED it, so I have no idea why I haven’t read her other books yet.
  2. Jennifer E. Smith.  I loved Statistical Probability Of First Sight, and yet, I have yet to read her other books.
  3. Emma Raveling.  I read Whirl, the first book in her Ondine series ages ago, but for some crazy and unknown reason, I haven’t finished the series yet.
  4. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of Splintered series by A.G. Howard.
  5. I’ve read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, but I’m terrified to read her other books- especially Eleanor & Park- because I feel like I won’t like them the way I loved Fangirl.
  6. Makiia Lucier.  A Death-Struck Year is one of my favorites so far, and I really want another book by Lucier to come out soon!
  7. I’m really looking forward to reading more books by Abbi Glines.  Why have I not read her other books?
  8. After reading Me Since You, I’ve decided that I need to read more Laura Wiess.
  9. And I feel the same way about Leila Sales after reading This Song Will Save Your Life.
  10. Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara is another favorite, and I really want her to come out with another book, because I know it’ll be just as awesome as Lovely, Dark and Deep.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Underrated YA Books

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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.

Top Ten Underrated YA Books Of All Genres

There are so many YA books out there that really need more attention!  I was going to go with YA contemporary, but I kept thinking of so many different awesome books that I couldn’t stick with just one genre.

  1. Witch Child by Celia Rees.  To me, it seems like historical fiction isn’t huge in YA- and within historical fiction, the 1920’s, World War 2 and the late 1800’s/early 1900’s are super popular to the point that it seems like nothing else exists.  Witch Child is is about a young woman (who just happens to be a witch) and finds herself living with the Puritans.  It’s such a great book, and I love that it’s in diary form.
  2. Illuminate by Aimee Agresti.  I’m sure a lot of people are probably over the paranormal genre, but I think Illuminate is great!  It’s a slightly different take on angels, and I like that Haven doesn’t have to make a decision to fight for good or evil.
  3. The Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson.  I love that Jenna Fox is sci-fi, and I feel like straight-up sci-fi isn’t huge in YA.  But it definitely makes you think about how far is too far in terms of science and ethics.
  4. Unwind by Neal Shusterman.  Unwind is a really underrated dystopic novel!  It’s interesting that it deals with unwinding kids (the compromise made between people who are pro-life and pro-choice) and that Shusterman has narrators from so many different points of view.  He does a great job with showing all of the different sides.
  5. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  I really wish more people talked about Uglies!  It definitely focuses on beauty, and given how much people like to talk about beauty standards for women, you’d think this one would make more waves.  It’s definitely one of my favorites!
  6. Speechless by Hannah Harrington.  I love that Chelsea’s vow of silence taught her so much, and that she had to deal with the consequences of her actions.
  7. Wander Dust by Michelle Warren.  Wander Dust is such a great paranormal book!  I like that’s it’s all about time travel, and that you have to work in teams, and that each team member has their own strengths and talents.
  8. Witch Struck by Victoria Lamb.  Witch-Struck is such a good combination of historical fiction and paranormal, and I love that they go so well together.  Plus, it’s set during the reign of Bloody Mary, which had me sold!
  9. A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier.  Another historical fiction, this time set during the Spanish flu epidemic.  I definitely want to read more about it because of this book.
  10. The Crown by Colleen Oakes.  I love this take on Alice In Wonderland and how it’s about the Queen Of Hearts and how she got that way.  And I love how dark it is.  It’s definitely a great book.

Top Ten Tuesdays: Top Ten Characters I Want Sitting At My Lunch Table

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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.

Top Ten Characters I Want Sitting At My Lunch Table

This is such a good topic, as it’s back to school time!  I’ve been out of school for quite some time, but if I did find myself back in school, this are the characters I’d want to be sitting with.

  1. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. Everyone needs a Luna in their life, and she’d be great to have lunch with because she’s so quirky.
  2. Mia from Princess Diaries.  Mia and I would so be friends in real life.  We’re totally the type of people to freak out about stuff, so we’d probably get along great.
  3. Meg from A Wrinkle In Time.  I love Meg, and she’s another character I would probably be friends with in real life.  I feel like we’re a lot alike.
  4. Claire from Morganville Vampires.  I feel like Claire and I would be friends in real life, because we both seem to be into school, and trouble seems to find her, she’s also a pretty nice person.
  5. Anna from Anna And The French Kiss.  It would be so fun to go to the movies with her!
  6. Iko from Cinder.  I love Iko, and she’s such a loyal and good friend that I’d totally want to have lunch with her.
  7. Joanne from Weather Wardens.  I really want her sense of fashion, and she’d be a great person to shop with!
  8. Ana from Incarnate.  Is it surprising that I think Ana and I would be friends in real life?  Because I’m pretty sure that we’d be good friends…I feel like we’ve both struggled with being different and finding our place.  While it’s something we all experience, I feel like I’d totally invite her to sit with me.
  9. Tonks from Harry Potter.  Mostly because Tonks is fun and tough, and I’d like to think that maybe some of that would rub off on me.
  10. Fred and George from Harry Potter.  I know it’s weird that Hermione isn’t on the list, but Fred and George are really funny, and it’d be hilarious to have them around.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Want To Read That I Don’t Own

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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.

Top Ten Books I Want To Read That I Don’t Own

So, I thought this list would be really hard, as I tend to buy books, and not read them.  But as I have a tendency to keep adding books to my TBR-pile, I actually found that this was easier than I expected!  It’s mostly non-fiction, because I’m more likely to buy non-fiction in print, and yet I’m also more hesitant to buy non-fiction.  Still, these are books I really want to own someday!

  1. Dear Mr. Potter.  A printing was done ages ago, and it looks like another one isn’t going to be done anytime soon, so it actually looks like I missed the boat on this one.  Which bums me out, because I’d love a copy of this book.
  2. Fruits Basket…like, volumes 16 to whatever the last one is (I think it’s 22 or 23 but I can’t remember).  I’ve been so slow with finishing this manga.  I put reading it on hold for some reason I can’t remember, and now it’s out of print.  I think I’ve seen used copies on Amazon before, so I may have to check that out.
  3. Winter by Marissa Meyer.  As it hasn’t come out yet…but I really want to read it!
  4. The Art Of Spirited Away.  I love Spirited Away, and it would be so cool to have this book to look through.
  5. I also want to have a Harry Potter collection!  I have the books in print, but I really want the audio books- both the Stephen Fry narration and the Jim Dale narration.  And there are so many interesting covers of the books out there (like, the Dutch covers are pretty cool, and the Swedish covers are really odd, but entertaining enough to be on a bookshelf).  I don’t even care that I’m sadly not fluent in any other languages, because I am that obsessed with Harry Potter.
  6. Brian Froud’s World Of Faerie.  I LOVE fairies, and while I’d love to have all of Froud’s books, this is the one that is at the top of the list.
  7. The Art Of The Disney Princess.  Apparently, artsy coffee-table books are on my mind today, because I’m just interested enough in Disney Princesses to want this book.
  8. House Of Leaves by Mark Danielewski.  This book sounds completely bizarre and I am utterly confused as to why I don’t have it yet…because I am a fan of weird things.  (Just don’t let my love of YA fool you!)
  9. Unsouled by Neal Shusterman.  I’ve been wanting to read it for a while and yet I never seem to get to it…it’s such a different world that I really can’t wait to see where things go.
  10. School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins.  I really liked Hex Hall, so I don’t get why I don’t have this one yet…especially since this is a spin-off of Hex Hall.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books People Tell Me I MUST Read

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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.

Top Ten Books People Tell Me I MUST Read

If some of the books on this list seem familiar, it’s because some of them may have made my TTT for last week…as hesitant as I may be to read certain books.  Actually, consider this the list of books I need to read so I know what people are talking about, because that describes most of the books on my list this week.

  1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.  As hesitant as I am to read it, I feel like it’s one of those books I need to read so I know what people are talking about.
  2. Eleanor And Park by Rainbow Rowell.  I’m even more hesitant to read Eleanor And Park, but it’s another one that I want to at least try reading because so many people have loved it that I need to read it.
  3. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.  I have them so I’ll read them at some point, but people seem to love it more than Mortal Instruments, so I’m curious to see what else Clare has done in the Shadowhunter world (even if all of the planned series set in this world makes me nervous).
  4. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead.  This is another series where people seem to like the spin-off more than the original (or, at least, they seem to like it as much as the original series) so I’m definitely going to have to read it eventually.
  5. Just One Day by Gayle Forman.  Again, a lot of people seem to love, so I’ll have to read it one of these days.
  6. A Discovery Of Witches.  I’m fairly certain this was recommended to me at some point (I wish I could remember who) and while I’m feeling too lazy to see what it’s about, I’ll definitely have to read it.
  7. A Confederacy Of Dunces.  It’s come up as a topic of conversation with some friends quite a few times, and while it wasn’t recommended to me specifically, I feel like it’s another one to read someday.
  8. Pretty much anything by Sarah Ockler.  Unlike my list so far, I’ve actually gone ahead and included an author as opposed to a specific book.  But again, she seems to be someone people love, to the point that I want to see why so many bloggers seem to like her.
  9. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau.  I’ve seen it reviewed quite a few times, and I’ve been curious about it, especially since it seems like reviews are mixed.  But it still seems right up my alley!
  10. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.  My friend Heather recommended this one a while ago (come to think of it, I’m pretty sure she recommended A Discovery Of Witches) and I’d really like to read it someday!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I’m Not Sure I Want To Read

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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.

Top Ten Books I’m Not Sure I Want To Read

Today is all about books we’re not sure we want to read!  Sometimes, you want to read something, but you’re not quite sure about it for a number of reasons.  Hopefully, I’m not the only one who’s unsure about some of the books on our TBR-pile!

  1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is one of the first books that came to mind.  So many people love it that I’m really scared to read it for fear I’ll be the weirdo who doesn’t like it.  (Especially since that’s what happened with The Book Thief).
  2. 50 Shades Of Gray is the other book I immediately thought of.  I mean, I want to know what everyone’s talking about, and I also want to form my own opinion about it, and I can’t properly do that if I haven’t given it a try.  But I also have a pretty good idea of public opinion about it, and I don’t want people to think less of me just because it’s something I may or may not read one day.  (I also need to worry less about what people think of my reading choices, but that’s a completely different post).
  3. Pretty much any Cassandra Clare series that’s not The Mortal Instruments series.  I’m enjoying that series, but I’m hesitant to read what seems like an overwhelming number of books set in that world.  I don’t know that I enjoy it enough to give her other books a try (although I’ll probably read the Infernal Devices series since I actually own them), and part of me is already kind of sick of this particular world.
  4. The Lying Game series by Sara Shepard.  Mostly because I’m concerned that it’ll drag on for too long (which is how I felt about Pretty Little Liars) but part of me is intrigued enough to at least read the first on.
  5. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.  Partly because I bought it ages ago, and now I’m not sure if I’m intrigued enough to actually read it, but enough people seem to like it that I’m worried it won’t live up to the hype.
  6. Working Stiff by Rachel Caine.  I love her other series, and I’m worried that this will be the one series of her I hate.
  7. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson.  What if I don’t love it the way I love her other books?
  8. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.  Actually, I’ve already read it (back in high school), but I’m scared to re-read it! Mostly because re-reading books I read as a kid kind of scares me.
  9. Eleanor And Park by Rainbow Rowell.  I almost forgot to include this one, but I’m also not sure about it!  My biggest reason for not being sure is the hype, and how much people seem to love it (which seems one of the themes for today). And it’s something that makes me really nervous, because then I get disappointed when it doesn’t meet the really high expectations for it.
  10. Just One Day by Gayle Forman.  Like several other books I’ve already talked about, the hype surrounding it makes me unsure about reading.  And I loved If I Stay/Where She Went, and I’m worried I won’t love it like I loved those books (also like some of the other books I’ve talked about).