Archive for Top Ten Tuesdays
Top Ten Tuesdays is an original feature created because The Broke and The Bookish is fond of lists. They love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see other’s top ten lists! Each week, they will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. Please link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your post AND add your name to the Linky widget.
This Week’s Question:
Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I’ve Read
Wow, I got way more invested in this Top Ten list than I thought I would. I mean, I knew I liked book covers, but I didn’t realize I liked them enough to lose a whole morning to scouring GoodReads and turning the living room upside down looking for contenders. Then I had to refrain from disappearing down the non-fiction rabbithole, the rabbithole of Top Ten Pulp Western Covers (Draw, pardner! Aaaahahahahahahahahaha), Top Ten Culinary Mysteries With Subtle Skulls In (so tempting) and of course Top Ten Hot Chicks With Guns (my issues, welcome to them. Let me know if you’d like a subscription.) I have spent quality time on this project, is what I’m trying to say.
1. Whales on Stilts!
Look, if there’s something better than a whale that shoots lasers from its eyes, I don’t wanna know about it.
2. This Frankenstein purse.
I love the Frankenstein myth so much. So much that my own bedraggled copy (with a not very exciting cover) is riddled with post-it flags, and I’m actually in the process of writing a Frankenstein iBook for the middle grades. I love this cover the best, I think because Frankenstein + steampunk = WIN. Plus bonus severed hands! And it’s a purse. For all your body-part-totin’ needs.
3. Edgar & Ellen Nodyssey #9: Split Ends
I can barely bring myself to write about these books, due to the publishers leaving the twins on a cliffhanger and then subtly cancelling the last book in the series. BUT! I shall prevail.
I love the style of the art, I love how equally it’s split between twins. I love the saturation of the colors and the way the trees are done and most of all, I love how Pet gets top billing.
This one gets the nod out of all of them though, due to scuba inclusion. A girl’s gotta have her weaknesses.
4. The Siege of Mt. Nevermind
It was hard to pick one entry from the sub-genre of over-the-top-old-school-swords-and-sorcery (which I just tried to spell with a silent w, thanks swords). I mean, you’ve got to look at your Discworld covers, your Wee Free Men, your Thieves World, everything by Mercedes Lackey, your Forgotten Realms and all your many, oh so many Dragonlance books to choose one representative. But this, for me, sums up everything about why I like both this book and the genre: don’t trust gnomes to do, well, anything.
Gnomes: now putting extra chaos in the Chaos Wars. If they can remember where they left it after last time.
5. Monster
Admit it. This does totally look like a yellow pages ad for an exterminator company. If, you know, there was such a thing as cryptological exterminators.
And if there aren’t, leave me in the Happy Bubble, please. It’s nice and quiet in here.
6. Lost
I don’t know why this creeps me out so much, but I love it.
7. Meg: Primal Waters
I like big SHARKS and I cannot lie
/ you other hunters can deny / but a fish swims in with a six-foot grin and half a seal in its teeth / the trap’s SPRUNG / Wanna get the net / ‘Cuz the shark’s all wet but you won’t dive on a bet.
Deep in the sea it’s DARING /
I’m hooked and can’t stop SEA-FARING!
…what?
8. Torpedo Juice
Whoops, I slipped, chick with gun. But first of all, I’m sure those dashboard hula girls are sick of being made to jiggle, (and honestly I find them a little offensive), and second, this is a way easier cover to explain reading during lunch at the office than this one. Don’t ask me how I know this.
9. Alabaster
This one doesn’t get you right away, and then you turn over the book to look at the synopsis and realize:
Oh.
10. Nova
You guys, I tried. I really did. But I just can’t help myself. Also it was this or a shark with a sword, and you know that means I’d have to finish my song…
Top Ten Tuesdays is an original feature created because The Broke and The Bookish is fond of lists. They love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see other’s top ten lists! Each week, they will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. Please link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your post AND add your name to the Linky widget.
This Week’s Question:
Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects
Ohhh. I do love a good tough issue book. This is my list on Goodreads, and I’ve only read a smidgen of them.
- A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah: This is a real life account of a young boy in Sierra Leone who was unwillingly recruited as a child soldier in the civil war. It’s an ugly story with an incredible ending.
- What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage: I had to read this book for an elective course I took on public health issues. It’s a story about a woman who is HIV positive and makes her way back to the small town she left years ago, to rekindle relationships and find herself.
- House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III: You may have seen this movie, starring Jennifer Connelly and Sir Ben Kingsley. I enjoyed the movie a lot, but it is not as good as the book, which is chock full of intense emotions.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky: Awww. This book is so special. I want to hug Charlie close and never let him go.
- Crank by Ellen Hopkins: I still can’t believe I haven’t read the rest of this series! This was my first venture into reading a novel written entirely in prose but it really adds to the intensity. Seeing the character slowly fall into bed with “the monster” was pretty horrifying.
- White Oleander by Janet Fitch: I had to read this book for my Child Welfare elective. It was supposed to show the extreme side of foster care, but also proves that resiliency does exist.
- Scars by Cheryl Rainfield: This book is worth a read, especially when you find out why this young lady harms herself they way she does. It’s horrifying but rings true about real life.
- Stolen by Lucy Christopher: Holy Mindfuck, Batman. A book about a young girl who is kidnapped and taken to a secluded spot in the Australian desert to live with her captor will leave you feeling extremely uncomfortable. The way the book is written truly makes you flip the last page and feel the effects of Stockholm Syndrome.
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: WOW. This is a recent read for me and it packs a serious punch. A book about kids with cancer that is really a book about living life to the fullest. Lots of emotions, people.
- Ordinary Beauty by Laura Wiess: One of the many books that book club chose that I would never have picked up otherwise, and I am so pleased that it graced my life. It shows the truly ugly side of mental illness and family discord, only to show that one caring person in a child’s life can truly make a difference.
Top Ten Tuesdays is an original feature created because The Broke and The Bookish is fond of lists. They love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see other’s top ten lists! Each week, they will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. Please link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your post AND add your name to the Linky widget.
This Week’s Question:
[The Not Quite] Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun
It has come to my attention that I don’t read a whole lot of “Light & Fun.” However, I do have a few gems…
May I first HIGHLY SUGGEST the audio book of Beauty Queens by Libba Bray? Libba herself narrates it. I promise you won’t be disappointed. My review is for the print version, but after so much love for the audio, I had to listen. Win!
And then…
Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill
The Infects by Sean Beaudoin
Clarity series by Kim Harrington
The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne
What’s on your list for light, fun reading time?
Top Ten Tuesdays is an original feature created because The Broke and The Bookish is fond of lists. They love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see other’s top ten lists! Each week, they will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. Please link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your post AND add your name to the Linky widget.
This Week’s Question:
Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book
Oh, I really love this topic! I like lots of different things, and will share a few of my fav books in the categories…
- Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: Everyone is sick of it, but not me. I love the dark and gritty. I love witnessing humans fight to survive against a horrific government, invasion, or natural disaster. I love watching humanity slowly being stripped away from the population because I LOVE when there are characters that fight to keep it intact. I love the desperation and rock bottom that people hit, only to rise up again in the ashes and fight to overcome the injustices, terror or simply rebuild a new life. I love the hope that these characters represent.
- Zombie Fiction: Give me meatskins / walkers / the living dead and the chaos they bring with them. I love how I am always on the edge of my seat through these novels, waiting for a zombie to shamble up and surprise a character. As with the above category, I love seeing characters lose their shit and seeing others become leaders and fight. I am also just fascinated with zombies, in general, and the different approach authors have on how the zombies came to life, so to speak.
- Psychological Thrillers: I don’t read nearly enough of these, but I sure do love the hell out of them. I don’t know what is so fascinating about being totally mindfucked, but it’s damn entertaining. I guess maybe it’s an escape from reality, which I could use from time to time. I also enjoy picking apart the psychopathology of the characters. It is wicked fun and scary.
- Epic Fantasy World-Building: You know how much I love a well put-together and imaginative world, complete with culture, politics, traditions, laws, etc. I am fascinated by a lot of YA fantasy novels for this very reason. I can get completely lost in the EPIC awesomeness of it all.
- Tough Issues: I don’t read this area a lot either, because I live it through my job. I’ve met these characters. It’s not fun to read about this stuff because my job as an emotional component to it and you can get burned out if you don’t watch it. That is the entire reason I read fantasy and paranormal books. I want the escape. However, I definitely enjoy a good book that is seated in reality and packs an emotional punch. They reinforce why I do what I do.
- Urban Fantasy: I LOVE the urban setting mixed with the fantastical beasties. It is SO exciting to read about paranormal creatures converging on a real setting that you are familiar with. I also love when they have to blend in with human society, or even when they are out in the open. Either scenario brings lots of crazy.
- Smexy Paranormals: Come to mama.
- Dark and Gritty: I love the dark, gothic feel to some worlds. It is both alluring and nerve-wracking to experience them.
- Historical Fiction: It is SO entertaining to read about other eras. I love historicals with or without romance or fantasy. Come one, come all. Bring awesome history, vibrant characters and epic world-building!
- Strong Heroines: My leading ladies needs to have a backbone, intelligence, compassion and honor.
What interests you when it comes to reading?
Top Ten Tuesdays is an original feature created because The Broke and The Bookish is fond of lists. They love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see other’s top ten lists! Each week, they will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. Please link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your post AND add your name to the Linky widget.
This Week’s Question:
Top Ten Books I Thought I’d Like MORE Than I Did
I might get pelted for some of these…but they just did not resonate with me. I did not think about them much after finishing, or maybe I did but it was more negative thoughts. :Þ
Let’s start with the heavy hitter. The series that really let me down hard. But first, let me preface by saying that Shiver was an incredible book. The ending of this book is one of pure perfection. Sam and Grace are one of the most beautiful YA couples I’ve experienced. Still, to this day.
But then these two came along, and tainted the damn beauty of it all. I just…ugh. I did enjoy Linger more than Forever, but I was ready to throw in the towel while reading Forever. A very intense scene saved the book and kept me interested. I did not like the introduction of the new character POVs, but I enjoyed those characters more in Forever, when it felt like our main couple was lost. *sigh*
Next up is Starcrossed. I love Greek mythology and I’m always excited when I hear about a new series with mythological world-building. I had wicked high hopes for this one, but it ended up being a DNF for me.
I think time travel books are hit or miss with me. I loved The Time Traveler’s Wife and Ruby Red was enjoyable, but Tempest was just too damn hard to follow. It took the fun right out of it.
And then we have the gorgeous cover that lures you in, only to waste your time on lots of nothing. I own the entire Fallen series, but unless I get pretty low on books to read (HA!), I am just not sure that I will ever read them. But the covers look so pretty on my shelf. I was pretty disappointed in this book because I love angel mythology!
I read Matched, Bumped and Delirium back-to-back. That is when I learned the hard lesson that spreading out genres or similar books is WICKED important when you read like us bloggers read. I love the dystopian genre so I was pumped to have 3 hot reads to plow through. Whoops…
I enjoyed Delirium well enough. It didn’t stick with me long after, however, and I still haven’t read the rest of the series. Matched was good, but it didn’t floor me. Bumped was the pits for the first half, but I definitely found the world horrifying.
Oh, Cryer’s Cross! Why did you let me down? I was so engrossed with the story (and Jacian) but the ending was blah. So blah..
And lastly, I give you The Replacement. Another cover that lured me. The book wasn’t horrible by any means, but the story telling was odd in some places, so I didn’t enjoy it all the way through.
