Top Ten Tuesday: Books I feel as though everyone has read but me.

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

TOP TEN BOOKS I FEEL AS THOUGH EVERYONE HAS READ BUT ME

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. The blurbs just haven't ever caught my interest, but I constantly see other bloggers swooning over some of the male characters. If they're that good, I feel like I should check 'em out. But then I see the summary again and turn away.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. Seriously, people. This one isn't even out yet and I would need more than two hands to count the number of people I know that have already read this. Can I just say it's driving me CRAZY? I cannot express how much I'm anticipating this one. Really, I can't. MUST HAVE!

The Vampire Diaries series by L. J. Smith. I know absolutely nothing about these except, again, there are swoon-worthy male characters and everyone loves the TV show. Don't get me wrong - I love vampires. I guess I just never saw the appeal.

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Do I really need to explain this one? (Please don't advise me to try it; I couldn't get past the first thirty pages.)

Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles. West Side Story meets Romeo and Juliet? Eh..... As "hot" as they may be, they just sound rather cliche.

I Am Number Four series by Pittacus Lore. I started this but never had the desire to finish it.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I've heard it's incredible.

Crank series by Ellen Hopkins. I know, I know. They're practically staples in a YA library. And as much as I love verse novels, these never caught my interest.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. Might as well throw in Supernaturally, too.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. Never could get into this.

Top Ten Tuesday: Trends I'd Like to See More or Less of.

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

TOP TEN TRENDS I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OR LESS OF

I'd like to see more...

1. Contemporary lit - I don't always want to be a vampire-loving faerie queen caught in a war with angels and trapped in a utilitarian compound.

2. Verse novels - You know, books like Lisa Schroeder's. Verse. Poetry.

3. Older characters - I don't understand why setting a story in college is so taboo and unheard of.

4. Horror stories - I don't always want an overly cheery or depressing read. I like a good thriller.

5. Male MCs - I can't stress enough how much I love reading a male POV or having male main characters. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I don't want to read about guys.


I'd like to see less...

6. Faeries - Don't get me wrong, I loooove stories about fey. (Iron Fey & Wicked Lovely series, anyone?) But I've seen some others surfacing, and they seem to mimic one another.

7. Mythology - The ideas all seem really cool and interesting, but the executions have been less than stellar.

8. Dystopian - I've read the Hunger Games and tried Possession. It's just not for me.

9. Historical romances - Not my thing.

10. Series - Why can't a story wrap up in just one book anymore? I don't want to have to invest all of my money in like twelve sequels.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Authors I'd Die to Meet.

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

TOP TEN AUTHORS I'D DIE TO MEET

1. J.K. Rowling

2. Charles de Lint

3. Melissa Marr

4. Lisa Schroeder

5. Vladimir Nabokov

6. Laurie Halse Anderson

7. Natalie Babbitt

8. Julie Kagawa

9. William Shakespeare*

10. J.M. Barrie


*He'll probably always be my favorite.

Top Ten Tuesday: Why I Love Book Blogging.

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

TOP TEN REASONS WHY I LOVE BOOK BLOGGING

1. The books. No, I don't mean the free ones. I mean all of the books introduced to me through all of you fellow bloggers, tours, memes, etc. My TBR list is very long because of this - and I love it; I will never not have anything to read.

2. The people. Seems obvious and generic, right? But truthfully, we all know book bloggers have their little niches. And I'm so happy to have gotten to know some of you. I hope it continues.

3. The practice. Not only do I get to better my writing, but also my blogging skills. And that entails everything from publicity to HTML.

4. The authors. When I first started blogging, I had no idea authors were so receptive to the book blogging community. But after hosting several interviews and giveaways, I now know that authors ROCK. I've come across some of the kindest people, easily approachable and ready to share their work with their readers.

5. The discussion. If there's one thing I LOVE, it's talking about books. Anything and everything related to books. This is the ultimate book-talk forum.

6. The versatility. I know. This one's a weird one. But really. Where else can you discuss, give away, tour, celebrate and tweet about books?

7. The change. Another weird one. But honestly? You all have helped me get into books I never would've considered reading otherwise.

8. The excitement. I know blogging can sometimes be hard work, but it's totally worth it. I love those moments when one blogger gets excited about a particular book and, in turn, makes every other blogger just as excited. There's always something to look forward to.

9. The challenge. Like I said above, blogging is hard work sometimes. But I love figuring out in what direction I want to take my blog.

10. The experience. From my first post up until my last (whenever that will be - hopefully never), I'll be able to say that book blogging has been one heck of an experience that I wish I'd discovered sooner.

*Happy one year blogoversary, TB&TB!

Top Ten Tuesday: Minor Characters.

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

TOP TEN MINOR CHARACTERS

1. Peeves, from Harry Potter. Talk about biting the dust. The hilarious, yet annoying, poltergeist seemed to disappear from the series

2. Richard, from Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and The Last Little Blue Envelope. Ginny’s uncle and Aunt Peg’s husband. He’s clueless but very sentimental – and successful! I wish the stories would’ve focused on him just a bit more, because there’s definitely more to him.

3. Princess Tiger Lily, from Peter Pan. C’mon. She’s such an awesome little girl, and much less annoying than Wendy or Tinkerbell.

4. George “Puck” Harrison Prescott, from Secret Society Girl. He’s the hot guy with emotion! What’s not to want? I’d have loved to hear his story.

5. Irial, from Wicked Lovely.  He definitely has a history. And I want to know every bit of it.

6. Tony, from Infinite Days. Hello? He’s Lenah’s first normal bff, then poof. And he’s funny. I wanted more from him.

7. Finnick & Annie, from The Hunger Games. Love, love, love them. Enough said.

8. Mercutio, from Romeo and Juliet. Sorry, couldn’t help myself. He’s such a fun, zany character. I always preferred him over Romeo.

9. Matt, from Twenty Boy Summer. I know it’s not possible, but… he’s such a likeable character. I always wanted more of him.

10. Kimmie and Wes, from Deadly Little Secret. They’re a dynamic friend duo and hardly get any of the spotlight.

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books in 2011.

 Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

* Some of these are going to be released later this month, so they're not all technically 2011 releases. But I'm super excited for them anyway, so I thought to include them. As it is, I couldn't even make a list of 10.

1. Deadly Little Games – Laurie Stolarz – 12/28/10.

Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: They both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense things through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend.

Before either teen has a chance to fully grasp these abilities, an unresolved family tragedy resurfaces in Camelia's life, irrevocably changing everything she cares about...

2. Darkest Mercy – Melissa Marr – 2/22/11.

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.
Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

3. Bumped – Megan McCafferty – 4/26/11.

4. What Happened to Goodbye – Sara Dessen – 5/10/11.

5. The Lover’s Dictionary – David Levithan – 1/4/11.

basis, n.
There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.
If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.
How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves?

6. Abandon – Meg Cabot – 4/26/11.

When Pierce first sees him, she thinks he is a murderer. She's right about one thing -- he does take lives. But not in the way she ever imagined. Pierce is drawn to the dark stranger even as she tries to uncover the mystery surrounding the tragic death of someone close to her. As she gets closer to the truth -- and the stranger -- unexpected secrets are revealed, even in her own heart.

7. The Last Little Blue Envelope – Maureen Johnson – 4/26/11.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fictional Crushes.

Reading is slow this week for me, as I sluggishly attempt to finish all of my schoolwork. So, another meme! Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Draco Malfoy, from the Harry Potter series. Despite everyone thinking this is beyond illogical, I cannot help but swoon over him. Sure, he’s a tightwad, but he knows it. He’s my bad and good boy, and with a duality like that, I can’t pass him up.

2. Hank, from the Half-Life of Planets. He’s nerdy in the most adorable, humorous ways. And smart. That’s always a plus.

3. Heathcliff, from Wuthering Heights. He’s the epitome of the pining, romantic lover. What girl doesn’t love that?

4. Marcus, from Sloppy Firsts (and the rest of Jessica Darling series). He’s dark, mysterious, and incredibly poetic. I couldn’t help but fall for him.

5. Seth & Irial, from Wicked Lovely (and the rest of the series). They’re both awesome and loyal, with a touch of kickass.

6. David, from All-American Girl. He is the biggest sweetheart.

7. Landon, from A Walk to Remember. Another bad/good boy, but also quite possibly the perfect guy.

8. Jacob, from White is for Magic (and the rest of the series). Sweet, caring, cute – 3 things that are all good components for a guy.

9. Ben, from Deadly Little Secret (and the rest of the Touch series). Mysterious, strong, but also a total softy. I like that he’s not a pretending tough guy.

10. Tom Riddle, from the Harry Potter series. I started with Harry Potter, now I’m ending with Harry Potter. Again, everyone thinks this is just as illogical as Draco, but really? Before going insane and rearranging his name, Tom was awesome, intelligent, and very complex.


... Can you tell I like the bad boys?