Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Book Covers

I could tell you what they all are – or I could simply show you. I vote for option 2. Who’s with me??

I just like all the little details included in the branches and whatnot. Such a good book.

The cover got me to read the book which was a sad disappointment honestly. But the cover is cool

Love this cover.. All steampunky and swirly. Yep. Great cover.

No question what this book is about.at. all. I love how striking and vibrant the cover is.

While this is not the cover of the English edition, I think this one is so much better.

It took me forever to realize that the girl was there. Looking at it now, I don’t know how I missed it.

I like simple. This one is a great example

I also like a cover that makes you look twice – like this one.

Simple lines

Finally the kind of cover that just is amusing so you must pick it up.

Okay, I admit that my list probably looks very different than most. What would you add that didn’t? Which cover do you hate on here?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books dealing with tough subjects

Okay, last week was rough – I know. This week shouldn’t be as hard to come up with books for but is still a tough week because we are dealing with books that are  hard to read for one reason or another but normally deal with difficult subjects like suicide, abuse or drug use.

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher – This deals with the aftermath of teen suicide and what is left behind when a person decides to end their own life.

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – Deals with kids trying to deal with their own cancer, attempting to have a normal life, all while knowing they are dying.

3. A Child Called “It” by Dave Peltzer – This book and the follow ups deal with the author’s personal experiences with abuse. There are also a couple of books written by his brother who was abused after he left.

4. Room by Emma Donoghue – Deals with a girl who is abducted and the has to raise her child by her kidnapper. When they finally escape, it also goes into the emotional upheavaltat comes with leaving the situation.

5. Please Stop Laughing at Me… by Jodee Blanco – This book deals with the torment that children can force on their peers. This girl’s personal account of being bullied through school. Being a victim of bullying myself when I was a kid, this book really hit home.

6.Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott – Written as YA fiction, this deals with a girl who is kidnapped and lives with a pedophile until she reaches the point where he no longer wants her and tries to use her to kidnap someone else.

7. The Tiger’s Child by Torey Hayden – The story of a teacher and a wild little girl. A little girl that no one understood.

8. Trafficked by Kim Purcell – A modern day human trafficking story.

9. No More Bullies by Frank Peretti – A personal story of how he was bullied as a child and a call to stop bullying.

10. Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman – A discussion on the secret world of girl bullies, how it has continued and what we can do to stop it.

I think that these kinds of books are very important because they deal with the reality that some people are forced to live through. While I think that a steady diet of this kind of reading, wouldn’t be healthy, some of this is important so that we can have some understanding of what others around us might be going through. What would you add to this list?

Top Ten Tuesday: Light and fun reads

Okay, honestly this topic terrifies me a bit. I don’t really do light and fun. My view of something light and fun would make most people run  for the hills because  the kind of thing that I find fun is not at all what others find light fun reading. I think a lot of the reads in this category for me include things like classic literature or horror. Yah. I know. I’m strange. I’m going to attempt to write a list though.

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – This is just a fun read if you are gamer, grew up in the 1980s or find dystopian novels fun. (Yah, number one on the list and there is already a dystopian novel. I’m in trouble).

2. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Wiesberger – A book about a horrible boss and a girl’s attempt to deal with her. (yep. I fail at fun and light reads).

3. Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford – Hilarious book about Jane Austen trying to get published in the modern day. How is she still alive you ask? Simple. She’s a vampire. (great. Now I’m including books involving vampires – this is not working well)

4. Maps in a Mirror and Keeper of Dreams by Orson Scott Card -This man is the master of short stories. Short reads with something for everyone.. including one of the scariest stories I’ve ever read. (now I’m recommending scary stories… good job)

5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – umm…  (*facepalm*)

THAT’S IT! I fail at this – completely!!

I kid you not, these were the immediate thoughts for fun light reads. Others included Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, The Sookie Stackhouse books, and A Series of Unfortunate Events.  I think there is really something rather wrong with me….

I went through my list of read books on goodreads even and couldn’t come up with anything decent to list. Yep. No luck there either.

Anyone out there have actual light and fun reads to recommend? Since I apparently don’t do light or fun reads…

Top Ten Tuesday: Words/Topics that instantly make me pick up/buy a book

This could be a very very long list. I’m a avid readers and find a lot of things that interest me. I think it would honestly be easier to do a reverse of this list because there is very little that I find uninteresting to read about. So I think you’re going to get both today. The ones that will make me pick up a book and the ones that will make me throw a book back on the shelf like it’s diseased.

Topics/Words that make books fly into my hands

1. OZ – Yep. I’ve loved the original series since I was little. To this day, if it’s on TV, everyone knows they aren’t going to be getting the TV back anytime soon.

2. Stephenie Meyer – Odd I know but if she recommends it or it is written by her, no questions asked, I’m checking it out.

3. Dystiopian – As much as I complain about the overabundance of dystopia fiction coming out, I still read tons of it. I find the different ideas fascinating. (Can we add this word to spell check and the dictionary already?? I hate those little wavy red lines popping up under things I know are right.. grr)

4. The Doctor – yep. If you’ve read my blog, you know have I a slightly unhealthy obsession with anything related to Doctor Who. I’ll even read authors who admit to throwing references into the book in the forward or acknowledgements. (Maybe I need help….. nah).

5. Fairy Tales re-imagined – I have always loved fairy tales. I love them even more when authors take the original story and flesh out the characters, adding their own spin to it. Right now there are so many wonderful books doing this. I really like it when they blend the modern with the original. A modern person getting pulled into something magical. So much fun to read.

6. Steampunk – I have to admit that I love this stuff when it’s good. So often though it is all flash and no substance. I like steampunk with substance.

7. Music – If the story is about musicians or has a large music element to it, the chances of me picking it up to read are highly likely. As a musician, it is always interesting to see how others write about music. Right now I’ve got a couple of music books waiting in my rather large stack and it is taking some serious will power not to yank them out and read them now.

8. high fantasy with a very high word count – Yep, I love a good long fantasy series.

9. Anything with the words geek or video game – I’m not talking about books based on video games. I don’t want to read about the game worlds. I’m talking about books about uber-geeks or gamers. Being a huge geek myself, it’s like reading about a friend I haven’t met in person yet.

10. hidden worlds – I love the idea of secret societies or a world existing just next to our own that bleeds through to ours. The idea that something much more interesting is going on that we simply don’t notice is intriguing.

Okay, not a bad list If I do say so myself Anything you think I missed here? Here are the things that will make me throw a book back down when I hear them.

1. Mystery – yep. Hate the genre as a general rule. I usually figure them out way too soon and they are just not interesting.

2. Murder investigation – see number 1. (Unless it is a serial killer – then I ‘might’ be interested)

3. Romance – we are talking the cheesy Harlequin kind.

4. Biography – I don’t find real people that interesting – sorry.

5. Non-fiction – Yah. No.

6. 90% of Christian fiction – Why? Because it is poorly written and cheesy. (Actually I think the 90% number might be generous… that implies that 10% of it might be okay – I honestly don’t think the number is that high). Please someone – write something good! I beg you.

7. Self- Discovery – This means the main character is going to be stuck in their own head most of the book. It also means it is probably going to be a HUGE snooze fest. There are notable exceptions to this one though.

8. Ernest Hemingway – I simply can’t stand the way he writes. If an author is compared to him, good luck getting me to read his work.

9. Western – I live in the Southwest. This gets shoved down my throat enough. No thank you.

10. Anything with half dressed people on the cover – No thanks. Just no. I don’t normally judge a book by its cover, but in this, I think I’m justified.

Comments? Suggestions? Think I’m crazy? Totally agree? Let me know

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I thought I would like more/less than I did

We all have preconceived notions when we get a book in our hands. Whether it is the cover, synopsis, a review or something else, we get an idea of how we think we are going to like a book before we start it. Sometimes our opinion is spot on, but there are occasions where we are very very wrong. These are some of mine.

1. Wicked by Gregory Macguire – This book has so much going for it. First of all, we are dealing with a retelling of the Wizard of Oz. Second this is a villain’s story which are always more fun. Third, there was so much hype surrounding this book. I was so excited when I started reading it. But then I read it. I was never so disappointed. The book is honestly just awful. It’s not the actual basic plot though. The basic plot is great but the way Macguire writes is as dry as dust and there were so many things he threw in that just weren’t necessary, many of which were completely distasteful. Started hearing the music for the musical though and went to see that. Loved it. I think they need to rewrite the book basing off the musical and not letting Macguire have a thing to do with it.

2.Archangel by Sharon Shinn – I really try not to judge a book by it’s cover but I simply couldn’t help it with this one. The cover is honestly cheesetastic (yep, not a word – I know). The synopsis is almost as bad. Really the only reason I read it is because one of my good friends from work was thoroughly convinced that I would love it. I picked it up and was completely engrossed. The story is wonderful and I am halfway convinced that I need to start a petition for a new cover. It’s a great book that suffers from bad artwork. So sad.

3. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – I picked these up out of curiosity. They were already getting a ton of press about how evil they were. Churches were beginning to ban them. As a Christian, I wanted to see what all the controversy was about so I picked up a copy of the first couple of books. Not only is it completely fantasy, they are simply wonderful children’s books. I may have been in line at midnight for the release of every book after that and read them through before going to bed. Never thought I would love them so much. I really don’t understand all the hype surrounding them to this day.

Wow this list is really short and I can’t come up with any more!!!

Honestly, I’m usually spot on about what I read. if I have an opinion beforehand, most books uphold my opinion. However, I really do enjoy going into a book with little to no preformed opinion which is why this list was so hard to create. I like to make decisions for myself and not base them on the decisions of others.

What would be on your list?

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND: Favorite Childhood reads

This is the very first of the Top Ten Tuesdays. Since I just started doing these recently, I figured no better place to start the rewinds than with the very first one on the list that I haven’t done.

1. Imogene’s Antlers by David Small – I absolutely loved this book when I was a kid. The story of a girl who wakes up one day with antlers sticking out of her head and how they try to deal with them. A book that deals with being different without overdoing it.

2. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – The first book I ever read on my own and still one of my favorites.

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry – An early start to my obsession with dystopian fiction. I read this when I was young and it struck a nerve. It is one of those books that I’ve never forgotten.

4. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle – Loved the idea behind this book. Meg and her relationship with her little brother and the fact that she doesn’t know how important she is makes the book so wonderful. I think that one of the things it communicates best is that everyone has something important to offer. I love how her family is constantly trying to convince her that she is intelligent and important even though she doesn’t have something obviously exceptional about herself that she can see.

5. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien – A book about what happens when you research on animals. It’s a fun read. One I checked out from the library many times.

6. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh – I loved how she snuck in everywhere and was constantly wrong about everything going on. I was always a people watcher as a kid so I understood her desire to see into people’s personal lives when I was younger.

7. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams – This book is all about a boy’s love for his favorite toy. I think we all had a toy or two that we were more attached to than the others growing up. I love the life that author gave it after the child could no longer have his toy. Such a great book.

8. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst – I loved this book especially at the end of a rough day. My mom used to read it to me all the time when I was younger.

9. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – I loved the utter nonsense that was this book when I was younger. I had a copy that included this and Through the Looking Glass.  I needed some nonsense in the middle of all the serious reading I did when I was younger.

10. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgeson Burnett – My mom loved The Secret Garden growing up and while I enjoyed that one as well, it was always second to A Little Princess. I loved the idea of the main character being someone other than who they though she was.

What were some of your childhood favorites?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorites from before my blogging days

Okay, I’m not only going to try to come up with ones from before my blogging days but ones that I haven’t mentioned or have  barely mentioned before on this blog. So that means no Anne, Doctor Who, Terry Goodkind, Twilight or Ender, among others. I promise.

1. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden – Wonderful book about love in the most unlikely of places. Worth a read if you haven’t picked it up yet. The movie is also wonderful.

2. 1984 by George Orwell – The father of dystopian fiction before the term even existed. My freshman year English teacher gave me a copy of this book for reading the most books that year and I read it many times. It was one of the first times I was exposed to the idea of dystopian fiction and it has become one of my favorites.

3. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy – A story about a woman falling in love with the man who just happens to be her husband. I’ve only ever read the first book in the series but I loved it.

4. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton – I loved this book. Wonderful read with all kind of scary business inside. One of the few books that I read after watching the movie. The books are so much better.

5. Matilda by Roald Dahl – One of the favorites of my childhood and she continues to be one of those characters that stay with me even though my childhood is long since past.

6. Roots by Alex Haley – Wonderful book about a family’s history from Africa to the modern day through history. Wonderful book that sparked the most watched mini-series of all time.

7. Redwall by Brian Jacques – I loved this book and the many others that followed. I actually am planning on rereading them again int he near future. They are such a good read. The only animal based books that I ever liked.

8. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti – This book and the follow up really got me thinking about spiritual warfare in a whole new way. While it id definitely fiction, the idea behind an impression even years later.

9. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – A book with hundreds of character to keep straight and a very complex storyline. I’ve read it a bunch of times and always seem to catch something new.

10. Wurthering Heights by Emily Bronte – A plot where the main characters only redeeming quality is how much they love each other. Other than that, they really have nothing good about them.

There are so many others I could mention on this list. If you are a blogger what would you list?

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters who I would crush on if I were also a fictional character…

Yep, this post is otherwise known as who would my top choices for fictional boyfriends be. Honestly though, I think really this list is the worlds I simply would want to live in. Honestly, I wouldn’t want them in my real life but in their fictional worlds, becoming one of the characters – yep. The real name of this list should be books I want to live in and characters I would date if I were in their fictional worlds.

1. Let’s just get him out of the way, shall we? Yep, first on my list is Edward Cullen. A guy who could read my mind. Not saying that I would want to go through everything Bella Swan goes through in the series but Edward Cullen would definitely be in my top ten. Yes, I’m team Edward. Always have been. Always will be. Would I become a vampire for Edward Cullen? Absolutely.

2. Okay number two on my list is in books. Sort of. Books based off the TV show but still in books therefor he counts! Who might that be? Why the Doctor of course. If I had to pick a version, it would be Ten and I would be Rose. I absolutely love that storyline. While the others are wonderful and River Song is a very close second, it would have to be ten and Rose for sure.

3. Here is another sort of member of my list since there are books written about this character. Superman would definitely be on my list. No question. I don’t think this even needs explanation. Lois Lane is just awesome even though I wish it wouldn’t take so long for them to figure everything out.

4. Next on my list would be Richard Rahl from the Terry Goodkind series. If we want to talk torturing two characters and creating an amazing love story, this one is amazing. Of course, they are constantly fighting, almost dying and being pulled apart but when they are together, they are amazing. Plus Kahlan is a phenomenal character on her own.

5. Okay five on my list is Harry Potter simply because the love story between him and Ginny is wonderful, sweet and adorable. The problem is that I have two in this story that need to be mentioned, so my number 6 is…

6. Ron Weasley is number six simply because I am a whole lot like a muggle version of Hermione down to the crazy bushy hair and big front teeth. Not to mention the bookish rule follower that I used to be in school.

7. I think another would be Gilbert from the Anne series. I don’t know that I would want to live during that time period but I do think the way he loves her is amazing.  Even though she doesn’t see it, he knows from the beginning that they are meant to be and he waits for her as long as it takes until she realizes it too.

8. The love interest of Elisa in The Girl of Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson. I simply love this story. The whole thing sneaks up on the reader in a way that you don’t expect. I really don’t want to say much because it would completely ruin the story

9. Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. I love this love story. I think that Jane makes all the right choices and I love how it all ends. Although I could do without the crazy wife in the attic.

10. Eragon would be the last one on the list simply because he loves her completely. However, I would completely change the end of the last book. Completely.

Whew. That list was very hard to come up with. There are many other stories that I love that I would never want to be in for example, while I love The Hunger Games, I would never want to live in that storyline. Another one would be The Host. Love the story but wouldn’t want to share my body with Wanda or be Wanda and have to share my body with someone else. Yikes. What characters would your list contain?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I recommend Most

This topic is actually going to be rather difficult. To come up with only ten that I recommend most is tricky. Part of the reason that I did this blog was so that I could give better recommendations of what to read to people who asked me quite often what to read. Not everyone enjoys the same kinds of things and since I think the most important thing about reading is that you actually do it, I recommend whatever people are most likely to enjoy. That being said, there are some books I recommend more often than most. Here is the ones I suggest the most often in no particular order.

1. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card – Great science fiction with wonderful characters and the start of two fabulous series of books that are still being written. Yep. Worth reading.

2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery – I grew up on these books. I love them so much that I wore out multiple copies completely and had to get new ones. Definitely the one I recommend to my female students who are looking for something new to read.

3. Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer – I usually recommend this to people who have refused to read it before I tell them to. Normally these are people who have only seen bits of the movie and have no idea what the story is really about. While it isn’t the best thing ever written by far, the plot line is wonderful and the characters are so much fun to read. It was the first light reading that I fell in love with and was the books that got me started on YA fiction.

4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare – I loved this series. The feels. Oh the feels that go with the story of Jace and Clary, especially in the first three books. Wow. This book is the definition of angst.

5. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo – This is probably my favorite book of all time. The story is wonderful and complex and tragic and amazing all at the same time. There is something for every mood you might be feeling at any given time. It is epic wonderfulness. Am I gushing? Yep. Is the book completely worth gushing over? Oh yes.

6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – This is a wonderful story of what happens when everyone betrays you and you seek revenge only to realize that living a life and being happy is more important than revenge. I ALWAYS recommend the unabridged version. There is so much that you miss out on in the abridged version of this classic. So much of the priest and his time in prison which makes the whole book make more sense.

7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – Completely tragic love story that ends so very badly. A cautionary tale of how love can ruin you completely. So wonderfully written with parallel stories running through it that capture the imagination. The ending is tragic of course but the whole thing is a wonderful read.

8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – This is a wonderful book that will caught my imagination completely and wouldn’t let go the whole time I was reading. Competing magicians who have no idea what is going to happen or how the competition will end.

9. Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind – If someone is looking for really good fantasy, this is where I send them every time but I’m sure those of you who read my blog know this by know.

10. Quiet by Susan Cain – I recommend this to every single introverted person I know and anyone who knows someone introverted and doesn’t seem to understand them. As someone who is an introvert, this book helped me understand myself so much better.

Okay, I’m sure there a bunch I would recommend that I didn’t include on this list but these are the ones I can come up with right now. What are the books that you recommend most often?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I HAD to have… but haven’t read yet.

This is my personal list of shame. I simply had to have these books and get them read. Yet, for some reason, they are still sitting on my shelves. I haven’t touched them at all. They were bought with the best of intentions and I still plan on reading them but somehow – they are still waiting to be read.

1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield – I must admit that the reason I picked this up was due to the fact that I read a fan fiction based on this book and  something else. I thought the story line was very interesting and so I picked it up. I’ve had it in my bag, it has taken trips with me, and yet, I simply haven’t gotten there yet. Maybe someday…

2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova – I have read her second book, after buying her first and never reading it. I still have it sitting on my shelves, just waiting to be read. However, all it is doing is sitting there – doing nothing. I think I may have even read a few pages once. I loved The Swan Thieves so much that I picked up a copy so I could read it again after having checked it out from the library. I really need to get to this one.

3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – I have had this series recommended to me time and time again. One of my good friends has raved about this book. I bought said book. I haven’t read said book. Not much more to it than that.

4. The Maze Runner series by James Dashner – I’ve checked these out from the library, more than once. I have yet to read any of them.

5. Insurgent by Veronica Roth – I’ve got it. I loved the first book. So excited about reading it. Haven’t read it yet. I think that I love having it sitting there waiting to be read. I know I’ll love it. I just can’t bring myself to read it – yet. I know I’ll get there soon.

6. The First Confessor by Terry Goodkind – I know right? Considering how much I rave about this author, it is a bit shocking that there is something on my list of things I haven’t ready yet by this wonderful writer. I simply haven’t gotten there yet.

7. Reached by Ally Condie – I was so excited about this book. I think I dread the idea that it’s over which is why I’ve been avoiding it.

8. The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare – One of my favorite authors and yet her book is sitting on my shelves untouched. Honestly it’s simply because all I want to do right now is reread the first three books. I don’t think anything can match the angst that pours from those pages.

9. The Map of the Sky by Felix J. Palma – Sitting there in my dusty waist-high stack of new books waiting to be read.Yep. Still haven’t read it.

10. A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin – No excuses. I know.

I often tell myself that I need to read all my library books so I can tackle these books. I’m never able to get to the bottom of my library pile before I break down, go in and find new things to read. I think I need to put a halt to all library visits until I tackle some of these… we’ll see if I’m successful.

Top Ten Tuesday:Top of my Spring To be read list

Okay, my to be read list is crazy long but I will attempt to narrow it down.

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – This might be a cheat but I have just started this one and am really excited about it because it is all about pop culture of my childhood and I happen to be a bit of gamer plus the plot just seems cool.

2. The Maze Runner series by James Dashner – I’ve heard so much buzz about this series and been wanting to get into it. I finally got a copy of the first book and can’t wait to read.

3. The First Confessor by Terry Goodkind – I actually haven’t read this one yet even though it came out a few months ago. I just haven’t found the time to dive into something so long.

4. Reached by Ally Condie – I’ve been wanting to finish this trilogy for a while but will be sad to see it end which is why I haven’t read it yet. I know I’ve got to pick it up soon though.

5. Insurgent by Veronica Roth – I know, I know. I need to get to this one but I just haven’t found the time. I really want to see how this continues however I’m slightly nervous that it won’t live up to the first book.

6. The Game of Thrones series by George R. R. Martin – I’ve heard so much about this. I really need another good fantasy series.

7. Prodigy by Marie Lu – Can’t wait to read this one. It’s on hold at the library and I’m going to pick it up tomorrow I LOVED the first book and can’t wait to see where the author takes this story.

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson – I know I’m very behind the time on this one but I really need to get to it. I’ve tried to get into this before but apparently I didn’t get far enough.

9. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel – I’ve simply heard far too much about this book to not read it. Pretty much the only reason. Yep.

10. Partials by Dan Wells – I think the idea behind this book is intriguing and honestly want to read it merely for the summary.

 

Top Ten: Series I’d like to start but haven’t… yet.

It always seems like there is just not enough time i the day to get all the reading done that I would like to. There are literally stacks of books in my room waiting to be read. There are quite a few series that I have been wanting to start but just haven’t yet. A series, I find is a much larger commitment than picking up a single book or even a trilogy. With a series, unless you dislike it, you will find yourself reading from days to weeks depending on how long the books are and how many there are. One of my favorite series currently takes me over two weeks to get through and the author is still writing more! So I approach a series in a bit different manner than I approach other reading. There are quite a few that I am wanting to get into but haven’t yet. Here are a few:

1. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King - Stephen King writing fantasy! I love the way the man handles the written word even if I don’t always like his plot lines. The idea of a fantasy series written by him really seems very interesting to me. The only reason I haven’t gotten to this one yet is because I have been told I need to read quite a few books that I haven’t read yet like The Stand and It before I dive into this series. Once I finally get through these, I think I’ll pick this series up fairly quickly.

2. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan - A friend of mine recommended these to me and I have tried to get into them but every time I have tried the first book, I really haven’t enjoyed it. I don’t think I’ve given it enough of a chance though. I’ve really only read about 20 pages into it and with a series this long, that is not nearly enough to paint an accurate picture of this author. With the end of the series just being published, I really need to get to this one!

3. The Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin – I have heard so much about this series and with all the buzz around the TV show that I can’t watch because I don’t get the channel, I have been very intrigued to get started on this series. I hear that this author really loves killing of his characters though so I don’t know how well we will get along….

4. The Newford Series by Charles de Lint – I have been wanting to start this after reading a book of his short stories. His writing can be so imaginative however I found that he’s a bit hit and miss. Some of his stuff has been lovely while other things have not really appealed to me. I hear that this is some of his best stuff and I really want to get around to it.

5. The Doctor Who books by various authors – I would call these books less of a series and more sanctioned fan-fiction but none the less, I’ve read one book out-of-order and would love to go back and read all the ones starting with the 9th doctor through the current material. Then I would like to go back and read the older stuff. First though, I need to get through the classic Doctor Who that’s now available on Netflix

6. The Safehold Series by David Weber – A friend of mine has recommended these to me and I have actually purchased the first couple of books in the series with the full intent of reading them. However, I don’t think I’m going to get to them until this summer because frankly these books are huge and going to be a rather long time commitment but since this is the same friend who told me to read Terry Goodkind, I’m fairly certain that I’ll be a bit obsessed with these.

7. The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher – I find the idea behind this series very intriguing and would love to pick these up but they are not at the top of my list by any means.

8. The Maze Runner series by James Dashner – I’ve been waiting to pick these up for a while and finally got my hands on the first book. It’s currently sitting in my very large to be read pile. I think the plot line is very interesting and can’t wait to get into these!

9. The Foundation books by Isaac Asimov – I know that these are classics, I just have never gotten around to them. I know that I really need to but just haven’t gotten there yet. I’m sure I will though.

10. The Homecoming series by Orson Scott Card – I really haven’t read these because they feel like the last series by Card that I’m going to love and haven’t read yet. I’ve read almost everything else by him except for the Alvin Maker series but honestly I can’t stand any short story I’ve read from that series. I gobble up anything new he puts out but don’t want to feel like I’ve exhausted this author yet.

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors on my auto-buy list

My top ten artist on my auto buy list. An auto-buy list being a list of authors that you would buy a book from simply because of the author no matter the topic or genre. I can definitely thing of some names for this but I hope I can come up with ten. Many will be easy to guess I think

1. Stephenie Meyer – let’s just get this one out of the way

2. Orson Scott Card – I love everything this man has written with the exception of the Alvin Maker series and that isn’t bad, just not up my alley. I haven’t met a book by him that was badly written.

3. Terry Goodkind – Amazing. That’s all

4. J.K. Rowling – Despite The Casual Vacancy, I really love the way she writes and the characters she creates.

5. Christopher Paolini – As much as the end of Inheritance drove me insane, I love his books and would read anything he’s written.

6. Neil Gaiman – His stuff is amazing. I would start with Neverwhere or Stardust.

7. Rachel Joyce – She’s only got one book out. On the basis of her first book, I’ll buy everything else she writes… Harold Fry is NOT my kind of book but it was amazing.

8. Elizabeth Kostova – Read her second book, The Swan Thieves and you’ll see why she made this list.

9. Arthur Golden – As far as I know, he’s only written one book but that book was amazing. Might not be for everyone though.

10. Thomas Harris – This one is not for everyone. Thomas Harris created Hannibal Lecter. I really enjoy physiological thriller like these books. Monsters don’t scare me. When I am in the mood for a good scare though, these books are some of my go to favorites. Again, this not for everyone. If you don’t handle gore well, don’t pick up this author.

Who is on your top ten must buy list?

Top Ten Tuesdays: Favorite Fantasy Characters

Here we go… this list should be easy

1. Hermione Granger – I wonder if J.K. Rowling somehow met me and cloned me for this character even though she lives halfway around the world. Even down to the frizzy brown curls and the know it all attitude which I try to keep under control.  Yep, I was Hermione in high school. I knew she was going to pick Ron from the first book… ugh. (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

2. Kahlan Amnell – She’s amazing. That’s it. Nothing else really to say. Again I tell everyone. READ THESE BOOKS. (Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind)

3. Elisa de Vega – This girl grows in hardship and becomes something amazing. She is forced into a certain position due to who she is and yet she doesn’t allow it to control her life. I want the third book already! (The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson)

4. Celia Bowen – What a character. The whole story centers around this girl and her ability to alter perception of the world around her. The competition between herself and her unknown opponent is intriguing and while she is the center of the story along with Marcus, the rest of the book is still wonderful. I think she’s a favorite simply because the book is so good. (The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern)

5. Edward Cullen – Confession. I was really trying to not mention Twilight this time. I didn’t make it. Sorry. I find all of the Cullens intriguing because the reader is only given snippets of who they are. We get more of Edward than most but there is so much more that I want to know about this character. Really wish Midnight Sun was finished. Just saying…

6. Tris – Those who have read Divergent know why she’s amazing. Those who haven’t though, should go find out. Tris comes from a totally different world than the one she chooses for herself. She is forced to go so far outside of her comfort zone that it disappears. I love that she does things on her own terms and tries to live outside of the expectations of others. (Divergent series by Veronica Roth)

7. Jane Fairfax/Austen – Can you imagine Jane Austen in the modern world? Yep. That’s the idea behind this character and she is hilarious to read. I laugh every time I open these books. Simple as that (Jane Fairfax series by Michael Thomas Ford)

8. Ender Wiggin – Honestly I could fill the rest of the list with characters from the Ender universe but I think that might annoy everyone. Why Ender? Simple. He was the one who sold me on the series. I think I might like Petra and Bean better but Ender started it all. (Ender saga by Orson Scott Card)

9. Matilda – A girl who likes to read and has telekinesis? Sign me up (Matilda by Roald Dahl)

10 Clary Fray – She is a wonderful character who dives into a world that tries to take everything from her time and time again. Cassandra Clare based her on another character on this list though so her inclusion should come as no surprise. (The Mortal Instrument series by Cassandra Clare).

There are so many more names I could include on this list but these were the first ones to come to mind so they made the list. Who makes your list?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Romances

Ahh love… that thing that makes characters do all kinds of stupid things like leave the person they love for their own good, marry someone they don’t care about, and commit suicide because the person you love is dead. Of course it is also the reason husbands and boyfriends are currently scrambling to get restaurant reservations and will make an attempt at romance in just a couple of days. In honor of the holiday, here are my top ten favorite romances (if I can find ten that is…)

1. Anne and Gilbert – When love starts with a smashed slate and takes 3 books to be realized, you know it’s gonna be good (Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery)

2. Ginny and Harry – These two don’t let a little thing like love keep them from their destiny. Of course it also means that she wasn’t there during some of his toughest challenges but that was his own fault. I loved this story because I never reached a point where I got annoyed with them. (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

3. Richard and Kahlan – These two are the definition of epic romance. These two have so many obstacles to overcome and so much in their way and yet they love each other even when the entire world would rather see them apart. The two are ready to give up anything and everything for each other while still working to do what is best for their people.They are the embodiment of true love conquers all. If you haven’t read these books. Start. Now. No really, don’t even finish this list first. (Seeker of Truth series by Terry Goodkind).

4. Peeta and Katniss – Yep. It starts with a loaf of bread. Survives a futuristic Colosseum (twice) and endures through brainwashing and torture, not to mention a love triangle. (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)

5. Jane and Rochester – When the idea of a rich guy falling in love with the help came from.  I love that Jane doesn’t give up her standards for love.  She is rewarded for keeping her ideals. Just wish there had been a bit more to the ending… So reader, I married him is just not quite enough. (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte)

6. Bella and Edward – Do I really need to explain this? Really??? If so, go back and read the many Twilight themed blog posts. (The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer)

7. Percy and Marguerite – Nothing like a story about a woman falling in love with her husband. It’s sweet and conventional and just a great story. (The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy)

8. The romance in The Crown of Embers – I don’t want to give away who the character is because it might completely ruin the first book but only true love refuses the immediate because it is the right thing to do. I want book three – yesterday. (The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson).

9. Eve and Caleb – Leaving your love for their own good. Frustrating but wonderful at the same time. Often compared to The Handmaid’s Tale, these books are wonderful. (Eve by Anna Carey)

10. Valancy and Barney – These two get thrown together in what seems to be a temporary situation but realize that they mean more to each other than they thought. This is a story where love sneaks up on the characters in the best way. (The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery)

Who are your favorite romances in what you’ve read?

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Bookish Memories

Memories when it comes to books are easy for me. I’ve been reading  obsessively since I learned how to read. By the time I was out of grade school my library was almost as large as my parents and since then it has only grown to be massive. Books and reading have always been a big part of my life.

1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – I’ve talked about this before on my blog but I learned to read with Charlotte’s Web. We were riding in a car headed somewhere and I started sounding my way through the first two pages of the book. By the end of the second page I stopped reading out loud and was completely transitioned to reading in my head and worked through the book.

2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery – I was eight or nine when my grandmother sent me the Anne of Green Gables books as a kid. I devoured them and found my first literary sister or kindred spirit as Anne would say. something about this character really connected with me. I wore out two more sets of the books until my grandmother started finding them for me in hardback because I just destroyed them so quickly due to the massive number of rereads.

3. When reading made me cool – I’ll never forget the time I got my teacher in trouble because of my reading speed. Almost every year my mom would get the same phone call at the beginning of the year. The teacher would call and say that they were having a problem with me lying about reading. My mom would tell them to ask me comprehension questions and call her back. They would. I would answer correctly and they would call my mom back and apologize. In junior high though I had a teacher with a temper. She didn’t like me from day one. The first time we were to silently read came up. This teacher though didn’t think to call my mother. Instead she asked me comprehension questions and then after I answered correctly, called me a liar in front of everyone and was rather nasty about it. I was furious and told her to call my mother. She did, thinking she was going to get me in more trouble. Instead, they had me read something else and asked me to retell the story. I watched the instant the teacher’s face fell because she had finally realized I was in fact telling the truth. The rest of the class was in awe. I went from being a nerd to being kind of cool. I had gone up against a teacher – and won. I had been bullied so badly by my peers before that and this event stopped it all. For the first time in my school life, I wasn’t being picked on. Of course, less than six months later we moved and I was back to nerds-ville and bullies again but those few months were awesome! As a teacher, this experience really helped me learn to give kids the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.

4. The Portrait of An Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce – The book itself was never something amazing to me but until I read this book I really struggled with symbolism. For some reason this book pulled back the veil for me an I was able to understand the hidden meaning behind what was being written. It gave me a whole new perspective on some of my favorite authors.

5. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – This book helped me discover my love of reading after spending four or five years doing very little free reading due to college and my music education. Well, very little reading for me.

6. The Twilight Series – Did anyone really think I would create a list without it? This helped me discover less intense reading. I needed a way to keep reading without it being in depth, heavy material with my job which was taking a lot from me. This book captured my imagination in a way that very few books had before and got me writing again.

7.  Hitting 250,000 readers – When you hit a quarter of a million readers with your fiction as an amateur author, it definitely leaves a lasting impression. That so many people would read something you wrote is amazing. It made me want to explore writing more. While I have a long way to go, I definitely feel like anything is possible.

8. When someone you know gets published – A friend getting a publishing deal is almost as cool as getting your own – almost At least I think so since I haven’t gotten one – yet.

9. Every time I read to my kids – As a teacher, one of the best things I get to do is share my love of reading with my students. I get to show them that reading is a part of everything they do and how important it is. I also get to share how fun it can be as well

10. Getting my first nook – When I realized I could carry hundreds of books at once and never had to carry a separate bag for my books on vacation again. Overjoyed doesn’t quite cover it. Now if I can only convince someone to get me a simple touch with glowlight…

Top Ten Tuesdays: Most Frustrating Characters EVER

I honestly think this one is going to be tough… let’s see..

1. Anna Karenina – Don’t get me wrong. This is one of my favorite books but Anna drives me a bit batty. So many times she could have had a simpler life and yet she chose time and time again to mess it up. Why could she not make a good choice once?

2. Jacob Black – The first time I read Twilight, I could stand him – kind of. Then I read New Moon and he was annoying. Then Eclipse happened. Whatever happened to the idea of doing what is best for the other person? Nope. Not Jacob Black. Instead lets manipulate the situation to get his way. When I read Breaking Dawn all I could thing was that Stephenie Meyer was much nicer to him than I would have been. (I might be team Edward – just for the record).

3. Hester Prynne – Just tell someone already. Seriously. The whole book was just not necessary.

4. Martha Jones – For all my fellow Whovians, I only include her because there ARE Doctor Who books. Martha how many ways can we say this? He’s just not that into you… seriously. Get a clue.

5. John Hammond – If you’ve read Jurassic Park, I don’t think I need to go further. However just in case you’ve only seen the movie I’ll explain. This man went into a business he had no reason to be in and still when everything was a mess he was planning to try again. He spent his time and money on all the wrong things. One programmer??? Really? I cheered when he bit the dust. Seriously. The movie version was much less annoying than the book one. Good call Spielberg, good call.

6. He-who-must- not.. forget it… VOLDEMORT – You mean Harry has to kill him exactly HOW many times? Seriously????

7. Arya – Seriously? After all that you aren’t going to go with Eragon? Really??? Can I say that if I ever meet Christopher Paolini I will give him a talking to about the end of the fourth book?? Four books of build up and then – nevermind I’m not going with you. Sorry. ARGH!!

8. Sookie Stackhouse – make. up. your. mind. already.

9. Julian ‘Bean’ Delphinki – His whole relationship with Petra. Love Bean but it seems like every time he makes me want to scream lots.

10. Katniss Everdeen – Many will disagree with me here. I know. This is why I leave this for last. Every time she makes a decision, except for the one to take her sister’s place. I love The Hunger Games but Katniss, think please. She frustrates me every time I read the books.

Top Ten Tuesday: Settings I would like to see more of…

I really felt the need to share what I want to see less of as well so…

10 settings I would like to see more of

1. The desert – There are so many things that can be done and hardships to face. I wish there was less forest setting and more desert settings. Growing up in the desert, to me I always have a better connection with the scenery when they are set here.

2. Utopian societies – I know dystopia is all the rage but I would love to see more of the kid fighting to get back to his perfect world than the kids fighting to escape their horrible situations. Or even adult Utopia. Please??

3. Suburbia – Please someone for the love of all things interesting, for once set a book in the world where most of us live. I’d love to see an action scene where someone is getting chased through Target or Walmart or trying to escape the cops in a cookie cutter planned community. Think of the challenges they might face.

4. Turn of the century – I want more steampunk. I want good steampunk. Even – dare I say it – American steampunk. There I said it

5. Made up worlds – I need more science fiction. Good science fiction that ISN’T set on earth. Even fantasy not set on earth. Please?

Okay… the other half of this list are things I NEVER want to see again. Seriously.

1. Boarding school/ Prep School – Please stop. Just stop. It’s lame and overdone.

2. New York City – Okay, I can’t say that I NEVER want to see books set here again, just a whole lot less of them…

3. Dystopias – Yep. As much as I like them, I can’t seem to find a book lately that isn’t dystopian. Write something else.

4. The Beach – Ugh. Yes, it’s pretty but…

5. The seedy bar – I don’t think this even needs explaining.

What do you want to see more/less of?

Top Ten Tuesday: 2013 Debuts I’m looking forward to

Okay, I had to put some research into this one.. and I chose to interpret this as new books not new authors because I’m just not enough in the know for that.

1. The new Rae Carson – I can’t wait to read the next book by this author. I’m hoping that it will be making out this year. Please??

2. The end of Sookie Stackhouse – I loved her. I’m ready to see it end. Really. It is definitely time. (Wish the TV show based on these books was actually viewable – just saying…)

3. The new Diane Setterfeild – Crazy since I haven’t actually read her first book yet. It is still sitting on my shelves waiting to be read (along with a ton of other books). She has something new coming out though. Can’t wait.

4. Middle C by William H. Glass – Pretty much am a sucker for anything about musicians. Yep. The only reason it’s on the list.

5. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare – Love this author and can’t wait to see where she takes this next piece of the series.

6. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer – Can’t wait to see if this second book lives up to the first, Cinder which was one of the most surprising books I read last year.

7. Prodigy by Marie Lu – Can’t wait to read the second book in this series loosely based off of Les Miserables.

8. Rise by Anna Carey – The third and what should be last book in the Eve series. This one has kept me on my toes….

9. Anything Orson Scott Card – I know that the sequel to The Lost Gate is coming but I’m sure we’ll get more than one book from him this year.

10. The untitled Terry Goodkind book – If you haven’t read any of these yet, run and pick them up. Seriously, walking won’t get you there fast enough to get through these before the new books come out but they are worth the time

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Goals for 2013

I decided that one of the ways I was going to add more than just reviews on here was to start doing top ten Tuesdays from Broke and Bookish. I really love the idea and I’ve come across it on so man other blogs. I’m going to attempt to at least do this for a few months…

Bookish Goals for 2013. I’m not sure I have ten but here goes…

1. Read less YA fiction – I feel like I’ve been reading too much YA lately. While I enjoy it and it’s an easy go to, I need to pick up more serious literature again. Although with my master’s degree program still going, we’ll see if that happens.

2. Read at least 100 books this year – Yes, last year I read over 150 but I was working on a year long contest and I’m finishing my master’s up this year, I just don’t realistically think I’m going to get as much reading done as last year.

3. Be more on time with ARCs – I get free books quite often and lately they have been quickly piling up. I really need to be on top of these more this year.

4. Spend more time writing – some day, a long way down the road I would love to be an author myself. In order to do that, I need to spend more time writing and less time reading.

5. Finish NaNoWriMo in 2013 – I entered for the first time this last year and sadly did not complete the journey. I really want to get through it this year!

6. Allow myself to do more rereading - I love to reread. Pretty much the only reason for this goal since I wasn’t doing any rereading due to the page count contest I was in.

7. Read one new classic or book of the 1001 list a month – I’ve been really wanting to get into that list but just haven’t done enough. I need to spend more time getting to know the essentials beyond my favorites.

8. Stretch my horizons and try a new genre - There are a few genres I completely avoid. I feel like I need to try something new. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger right? I might even – pick up a mystery willingly Or maybe not…

9. Work on getting my husband to hate reading less – yep. I married a non-reader. It drives me nuts sometimes. I’m still bound and determined to show him that he is missing out on something HUGE. Any suggestions out there?

10. Thin out my library - As painful as that sounds, I have no more room for books and it must be done. Sad but true. Maybe I just need to buy them all on my nook…

I can’t believe I found ten goals! I’m going to be a busy girl this year…