toptentuesday

Top Ten Books From my Childhood Currently Still on my Shelf

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Another week, another list from The Broke and the Bookish! This week was a freebie, so I had to think it through a little bit. So, my freebie list is a little bit lengthy in description, mostly because it’s difficult me for me to make up my mind on these things!

For this week, I looked on my shelf of young adult/children’s books, one’s I actually read sometime between the ages of 8 and 14 (or somewhere around there), which I still regularly return to. Knowing where my reading interests are now, it might be surprising how very little fantasy sits on those shelves (or made it to this list). Instead, it’s filled mainly with historical fiction, with a smattering of others mixed in!

1.  Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson, has been around since 1980, and it won the Newberry Medal in 1981.  More importantly, it is an amazing story! A classic book, I fell in love with it at a pretty young age. I reread it regularly, and I cannot recommend it enough.

2.  One More River, by Lynne Reid Banks introduced me to conflict in the Middle East at a fairly young age.  I was obsessed with World War II and all the different aspects around it. This followed naturally into the founding of Israel and the formation of kibbutzs.  Lynne Reid Bank really gets the point of view of a young adult while giving some striking perspective on life in Israel and the war with Jordan.

3.  Afternoon of the Elves, by Janet Taylor Lisle will long remain one of my favorite books.  It is about imagination, friendship, and the importance of seeing through to what people need and where they are hurting.

4.  Sarah Bishop, by Scott O’Dell.  So, I know this “historical fiction” is really just fiction.  However, the strong independent woman living in the woods fighting off the witch accusations certainly captured my imagination.  O’Dell always excels survivalist stories!

5.  The Giver, by Lois Lowry.  What can I say about this book that hasn’t been said already? A classic, well loved by many, it certainly has had an impact on young adult literature and probably the life of many a child, including me. I admit, I haven’t read the rest of the series, partly because the first one means so much to me.

6.  In My Father’s House, by Ann Rinaldi.  Okay, so there are actually a LOT of areas in history I loved as a kid…this one is the Civil War. No wonder I now work at a historic site…this is all starting to make sense

7.  The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare.  So, I obviously also had an obsession with the witch trials. Hell, I still do. Maybe I should do a list just on those books…Anyway, this is fairly light fair even for the subject matter, but it is still gripping.

8.  I am Regina, Sally M. Keehn.  Okay, okay…the pattern continues…now we’re onto stories of Indian Captives. This one is supposed to be based on fact, but I know much of it is pretty much just imagination. Still, the themes for my younger self are here as well.

9.  Horror at the Haunted House, by Peg Kehret.  Finally we break the cycle!  A piece of fluff sitting on my shelf!  Simple, short, mystery (with a hint at the ghostly).  Perfect little popcorn tale, then and now.

10. Ozma of Oz, by L. Frank Baum.  Alright, so I have only read a random few of the massive series that is Baum’s Oz.  I love this one the most, and that is in large part due to the AMAZING film Return to Oz.  I love the 1985 film. I even have a chicken ornament named Billina.  Yes, this is my life and I’m proud of it! I really do recommend the book (not just the movie).

**Bonus, because not currently on my shelf for some odd reason…

The Big Lie: A True Story, by Isabella Leitner.  The list made me rethink this missing book in my library. This was my first book on the Holocaust, which I read in Second Grade. I can’t find my copy! What happened!!! While I have many, and I do mean MANY, books on the Holocaust (I did mention my WWII obsession), this one was definitive largely because it was the first, and it was perfectly written for a young audience.

Top Ten Authors I Want to Meet

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8a00a-toptentuesdayIt’s that time again, brought to us by the wonderful folks at The Broke and the Bookish, and after last week, I’m glad I can spend some time fawning over authors!  This was honestly a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.  There are so many authors I would enjoy meeting, narrowing it down to those who mean the most, the ones I would stand in front of and struggle not to cry, that took me a bit.  I think what is listed below, is the elite of authors for me…my own personal collection of Jimeny Crickets (my consciences on my shoulder).  So…short and sweet…well…for me…

1.  Jane Yolen.  Can I fawn over her enough? She may not be a big popular shiny new author, but I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, she changed my life as a reader and as a woman.

2.  Charlotte Bronte.  This is another non-shocker.  Bronte’s Jane Eyre changed my life as much as Yolen’s work.

3.  Ursula Le Guin.  I have only read two of her books, but Le Guin is the queen of science fiction and to meet her would be to meet a legend.

4.  Neil Gaiman.  I fell in love over his comics, and I’ve stuck around to fall in love with the rest.  I should add Amanda Palmer here as well since they are a dynamic duo, but independently I also find them awesome! They are both amazing, creative, and just plain likeable. I feel like meeting them, especially Amanda, would be like meeting long-lost friends.

4.  Patrick Rothfuss.  I’m a newbie to the Rothfuss fan club (in comparison to his millions of devotees).  However, not only is he a stellar writer, he seems to be one of the most likeable and human people out there. Plus, he kissed a llama. HE HAS MY VOTE!

5.  Virginia Woolf.  Talk about another huge impact on my life. Mrs. Dalloway remains one of my all time favorite books.  Woolf dealt with a lot, and meeting her would be an honor.

6.  Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas.  Okay, another one where it should be TWO, but I’m stretching it here. Really, authors or not, I would adore meeting both of these incredible and iconic women.

7.  Brandon Sanderson.  I have yet to read a book by him that I do not love.  World building, magic systems, religion, politics…yes please!

8.  Libba Bray.  Again, I’m fairly new to the Libba Bray fan club, but I love her writing style, her originality, and, of course, her sense of humor. She comes across as the crazy cool cousin that you see once a year and ask yourself why you don’t talk more.

9.  Mark Twain.  Okay, so I generally am not a fan of classical American tomes. However, meeting Twain would be an honor on many levels. One: I’m from Missouri…gotta love a Missouri author. Two: Huckleberry Finn is one of my favorite books.  Three (and most important): Twain was outspoken for his time and had a major impact on literature as a whole. How could I pass on meeting him!

10.  Hildegard von Bingen.  Okay, so most people own’t know who she is. If you do, it might be as a canonized saint.  Really, I fell in love with her when I read her 11th century Physica and Causae et curae back in college when I started my fascination in folk cures and the evolution of medicine.  In a time when women were rarely recognized or remembered, Hildegard was writing about theology, science, medicine, and music. I cannot help but be eternally impressed by her and grateful for her example.

Ten Books (or Authors) I Will Probably Never Read

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8a00a-toptentuesdaySo, I’ve slacked on my Top Ten Lists. Time to pay another visit to The Broke and the Bookish for this week’s list filled with fury and disgust (or rather just the knowledge that these are NOT books for me).  It is supposed to be about ten books I’ll never read, but I’ve expanded some to the author in general.

I’m honestly not really so hateful, but like most readers, I do form strong opinions and that includes some books or authors I just can’t bring myself to get into.  However, I realize saying you don’t like something is often fighting words for most avid book lovers, so be warned!

1. 50 Shades of Grey, by E.L. James. I just can’t even….I made myself read (or skim) Twilight, so I could understand the hype and argue why the series is just so maddening.  This one, I can’t even justify that little bit.

2.  Middlemarch, by George Eliot. This may not need to be on my NEVER list.  Indeed, I’ve read part of it, and hated it.  Still, the parts I did read caused enough of a strong reaction in me to make me never finish and want to never pick it up again.  I know it’s a classic, but it might just be the ONE English classic I can’t stand (besides Wuthering Heights).

by Gemma Doyle

3.  Anything by Cassandra Clare  (besides the first City of Bones, which I’ve already read).  I disliked her first hit SO much, I just can’t read anymore. Her writing may in fact improve, but I find her uncreative, and her online bullying in the fan-fic community is just a shame.

4.  Anything else by Stephenie Meyer.  As I stated earlier, I read Twilight to be able to fight against the series with clear arguments. I don’t want to suffer through read her stuff again honestly.

5.  Under the Dome, by Stephen King. I like King, but I couldn’t make it beyond the first few chapters of this book.  I’ve tried twice.  It doesn’t help that there is tons of imagery of people being sliced in half or losing limbs when the dome falls…and I tried to read this (the first time) only a few months after I sliced off my own finger and almost lost it completely. Bad Idea.

6.  James Patterson is another author I just have no desire to read.  I’m not much into straight mystery or what I sometimes not so lovingly call generic fiction.  He easily fits that category for me. Just boring.

7.  Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher.  This is more of a probably because my friend has been begging me to give the series a try.  I just don’t like the sounds of it.  We’ll see if I ever give in to her request.

8.  Any book (or movie) by Nicholas Sparks.  Just. No.  *shudder*

9.  The rest of The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I read Beautiful Creatures and it was okay, but it was also enough to let me know I don’t really need to read the rest.

10.  Lastly, Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin.  I do love the show, but I don’t feel the desire to read the books.  Maybe one day, but I think there are plenty of other books out there I’d rather read first.

Ten (well, almost ten) Inspiring Quotes from Books

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I haven’t felt much like writing lately, but I hope that another Tuesday with The Broke and the Bookish will serve as a bit of inspiration.  This week is inspiring quotes from books.  I’ve gathered at least a few that stick out for me, even if I’m not quite up to ten.

1.  Do you think I am an automaton?-a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched form my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! – I have as much soul as you – and full as much heart!   And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you.  I am not talking to you now through the medium custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal – as we are!”  —Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte always takes the cake.

2.  “But you know, Matilda, you cannot pretend to read a book.  Your eyes will give you away.  So will your breathing.  A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe.  The house can catch alight and a reader deep in a book will not look up until the wall-paper is in flames.  For me, Matilda, Great Expectations is such a book.  It gave me permission to change my life.” —Mr. Pip, by Lloyd Jones.  This was the last Christmas present my Uncle Bob gave me before he died (though I’m sure my aunt had a hand in the purchasing). However, this quote summarizes the impact of reading on the reader, quite nicely.

3.  When movement has been banished from a nature that seeks its continuity, when it becomes renegade and remarkable by virtue of its very discontinuity, it attains the level of esthetic creation.  Because art is life, playing to other rhythms. —The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery as translated by Alison Anderson.

4.  Whatever happens. Whatever
     what is is is what
I want. Only that. But that.       —“Prayer”,  by Galway Kinnell.

5.  “No. This is where I have always been coming to.  Since my time began.  And when I go away from here, this will be the mid-point, to which everything ran, before, and from which everything will run.  But now, my love, we are here, we are now, and those other times are running elsewhere.”  —Possession: A Romance, by A.S. Byatt.

Top Ten Characters You’d Like to Check in With

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One more Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and the Bookish.  There are far too many characters in the world of books for me to choose! These few are some I’ve felt like I could be friends with, and I wouldn’t mind visiting with them again.

1. Bitterblue  from Kristin Cashore’s Bitterblue.  I know Cashore might return to this world still, but as it stands, we don’t know how Bitterblue is doing as she continues to mature into a young ruler. I’d love to see her grow up more!

2. Paloma from Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog.  A lot of people don’t really care for this book, but it had a powerful impact on me.  I want to see Paloma as a young woman after what she learned in this book

3. Neville & Luna from J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter.  I’m sure plenty of people will choose someone from this series. It’s such an iconic one after all, for millions of people young and old.  Out of all of the characters, these two are the ones I miss the most (and I choose to consider them together… always…even if they’re not…I love them both).

4. Tamir/Tobin from Lynn Flewelling’s Tamir Triad.  The world skips her time as queen and goes into a much later tale (when she is reduced to legend).  Well what else goes on in the kingdom? How does she rule? I NEED TO KNOW!

5. Chava & Ahmad from Helene Wecker’s The Golem and the Jinni.  If you haven’t read this book yet, do yourself a favor and DO!  Lovely historical fiction with amazing characters.  I’d love to see where it is exactly that they go in the world.

6. Alanna of Trebond from Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness quartet.  Technically, we get to see her again in Pierce’s world.  However, I’m interested in the in between time.

7. Aza from Gail Carson Levine’s Fairest.  Most people are more familiar with Levine’s  Ella Enchanted (the book, not the goofy movie) which takes place in the same world just before this book. However, Fairest is quite a different book and seeing Aza as an adult would be interesting.

8. Stuart & Fran from Stephen King’s The Stand.  This book doesn’t really need more fleshing out (it is over 1000 pages long after all), but I’d like to peek in on these two especially after all the chaos.

9. Charlotte Doyle from Avi’s The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.  One of my favorite book’s as a kid.  Spoiler alert: I want to see her back on the seas, years down the road, after she’s abandoned the elegant life for good.

10. Richard Mayhew & Door from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.  Really, who CAN’T get enough of this world?!

Top Ten Books Recently Added to My TBR List

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8a00a-toptentuesdayI’ve been off my writing game lately. Busy week/weekends, work, and life all distract. I even passed on last week’s Top Ten! For Shame!!  So, briefly, I’ve compiled this week’s list from The Broke & The Bookish which is Ten Books recently added to my TBR List. I’d love to hear your suggestions!

1.  On Immunity: An Inoculation, by Eula Biss.  I just picked this audiobook up on a whim, so it will be one of my next listens.  She has good reviews for what appears to be a well rounded discussion/argument for vaccines.

2.  A Madness So Discreet, by Mindy McGinnis. Historical Fiction Thriller set in 1890 following a main character struggling with her own sanity. McGinnis’ book isn’t out until the fall, and I cannot wait!  Plus, look at that lovely cover art!

3.  Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days Book #1), by Susan Ee.  Another blogger recommended this series to me and warned me not to be put off by the angels.  Since I love post-apocalyptic fiction, I decided to listen to her suggestion!

4.  Partials (Partials Sequence #1), by Dan Wells.  More Post-apocalyptic YA and another blogger recommended read.  The blurb had me at “for fans of The Hunger Games, Battlestar Galactica, and Blade Runner.”  It piqued my interest further with the concept of war between humans and genetically engineered beings.

5.  Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch #2), by Ann Leckie.  I just finished the first one in this series, and I can safely place it somewhere in my all time favorite top ten books.  Good sci-fi with themes of culture, identity, social norms, and gender.  I’m looking forward to the second with the third due out sometime this year.

6.  Blood Red Road (Dust Lands Trilogy #1), by Moira Young.  More post-apocalyptic fiction with strong female characters. I’ve had two different people recommend this book to me recently, so it should probably be tackled sooner rather than later.

7.  Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality, by Christopher Ryan & Cacilda Jetha.  Yes, this one totally switches gears! I love studying gender, relationships, and how/why we are built the way we are.  After a good discussion with one of my friends, she told me about this book which she too had just put on her To Be Read list.

8.  Shift (Silo #2), by Hugh Howey.  I reviewed Wool about a month ago. This is the follow up, though it is more of a prequel.  I already have the audiobook, so it’s just a matter of time before I listen to it.

9.  The Good House, by Tananarive Due.  This was one of those “on a whim” purchases on Audible (it was on sale). It looks good though! Supernatural thriller…haunted house…good reviews…I’m in!

10.  Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, & the Body, by Susan Bordo.  I’ve read selections from this book. Correction, I’ve TAUGHT a selection from this book.  However, I am ashamed to say I’ve never read it! I forgot about this one until recently, and so, I’m making it my goal to read it before the year is out! Bordo always has a good way of analyzing culture and the body, both male and female.

Ten Books for Readers Who Like “Female Action/Heroines/Dystopian” topics (ie Hunger Games)

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Another Top Ten Tuesday brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.  How I love them so! I’ll admit though, that this week’s Top Ten is a bit of a challenge. For Readers Who Like….a certain Genre? A certain Character? A specific book/series? Yogurt? I dunno…the possibilities are endless (though I doubt I can recommend books based on Yogurt).

I’m going to bite the bullet and go the easy route, since this is only my second “Top Ten Tuesday” list.  Therefore let me present:

The Top Ten Books for Readers Who Like:

Let me clarify a bit before we get to the list.  These are Dystopian or female-action oriented reads. It’s all about the heroines kicking ass.   Honestly, we could leave the Dystopia out of it!  I chose this, because it’s been on my mind lately, and because, though I enjoy The Hunger Games trilogy, I get bogged down by the end (in other words, I HATE IT), and I think there are other books out there tackling the subject matter in better ways. So, enjoy. Tell me what you think! Any others you think should also be included? I’m certainly not an expert, and I know there are tons out there that I have yet to read.

1-3.   The Graceling Realm Trilogy by Kristin Cashore (Graceling, Fire, & Bitterblue).  I have to include the entire series, because they are just that good.  It isn’t a Dystopian series but the heroines are all strong, realistic characters (book two even features a female archer).  It is action oriented, in a broken world, with strong character development, and of course, romance.  Cashore’s heroines deal with relationships in a decidedly more adult and less trivial manner than many young adult books treat love (including Hunger Games).  She provides alternative ideas of what expectations a person should have in a relationship, and her characters are well rounded and ever evolving.  Of course, you also have the battle for freedom, rebellion, and some intense dark moments throughout the three stories. Really, I can’t recommend the series enough.

4.  Wool, by Hugh Howey.  I just reviewed this book, so of course it’s at the front of my mind.  Howey creates an amazing and mysterious Dystopian world in his Silo Saga.  I’ve only read book #1, so I can’t speak to the rest of the series, but it boast a strong female character who is logical, intelligent, determined, and strong.  It has rebellion, and truth seeking, and yes, a little romance.  One of the best Dystopian books I’ve ever read.

5.  The Glass Arrow, by Kristen Simmons.  

Okay, I can’t REALLY  recommend this one since I only just bought it and haven’t read it but come on…it looks like it will fit and I can’t WAIT to start. Seriously, the only reason I haven’t opened it up yet is because I have to finish this book club book first.  Just read this (and the rest of the description) and you’ll understand: “The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.”

6-9. The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce. Really, you could count ANYTHING by Pierce. I also recommend Wild Magic from The Immortals quartet, which directly follows the events of the first series. They are for a slightly younger reader, but all of them have strong female heroines who we watch grow up throughout the series.  Alanna, our main heroine, must hide her gender and true talents, battle her way into becoming a respected knight, and help save her kingdom from upheaval.  All of this of course takes place while she is turning into a woman and trying to decide who and how to love.  Yes, we get a love triangle here, but it doesn’t bother me like the whole Peeta/Gale debacle.  Also, the relationships are realistic: troubled but not over-dramatized, physical as well as emotional. And her choices might just surprise you.

10.  Cinder and the entire Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer (though I can’t vouch yet for Fairest and Winter isn’t out until November).  Back to Dystopian fiction here, though really it’s just straight sci-fi and not a Dystopia. Meyer writes an entirely addicting series.  We have a futuristic world with yes, fairytales, and our Cinderella is, of course, a cyborg (part human/mechanical-tech parts…not to be confused with AI or full robot from other futuristic tales).  We have romance, action, and even a bit of a whining heroine. Really though, the little bit of whining, which is expected with Cinderella in my opinion, is my only complaint. I started to get annoyed with the romantic story, but Meyer fleshed it out so startling well and realistically in Scarlet and Cress (yes also fairy tales), that it has become one of my favorite examples of HOW you do romance in fiction (nearly up there with Cashore).

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books (from the past 3 years)

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, with a new list prompt each week. What a wonderful way to try to get back in the writing rhythm.

This one will be quick, since I didn’t know about the weekly list until today! In no particular order, here are the top ten books I’ve read in the last 3 years (some may actually be a little outside of that time frame, but it’s all relative anyhow).

1. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is one of my more recent reads. I can’t believe it took me this long to get to this feminist classic. I’ll be reviewing it more in detail soon.

2. The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan.  Keeping up with my constant focus on gender studies and persisting stereotypes of domesticity, it is of course fitting that I’ve read Friedan. She is a must if you are interested at all in the feminist movement or gender studies in general.

3.  The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery.  I read this probably closer to 5 years ago, but it resonates with me still. Few novels have such beautiful language and bring out such sincere emotions.

4.  The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson.  Few people can create complex new worlds like Sanderson. Here, he is in his element, setting up a world and an epic fantasy series that promises to be more than divine!

5 & 6.  The Name of the Wind & The Wise Man’s Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss.  For now I lump them together, since Rothfuss is still writing the series.  Talk about true character development and depth!

7.  Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer.  This book about Everest is a little outside my norm.  Recommended by a friend, I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Krakauer really brings to life the longing for conquering Mt. Everest while displaying the complexities of increased commercial climbs and the horror of one of the deadliest days on the mountain.

8.  The Art of Asking, by Amanda Palmer.  I’ve reviewed this book already just back in January. I still love it. I still maintain that the message is valuable for all of us.

9.  The Diviners, by Libba Bray.  1920s supernatural horror. Really. What isn’t to like?! Bray sets up a supernatural-historical-world blend like only she knows how. I couldn’t see all the twists (yeah!), and I cannot wait for Book #2. Please hurry!

10. Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey. Really, I recommend the entire trilogy (Phedre’s Trilogy).  For some, the first book starts slow. However, I love the complex political building Carey does here.  The series only get’s stronger.

11. Fire, by Kristin Cashore.  Again, I could go on forever about the entire trilogy (Graceling Realm), but instead I’ll just mention my favorite of the three.  All of them are great, but this one is perhaps the most consistent.