Top Ten Character Names I Love

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. It's super easy to link up, so feel free to go to their site and join in the fun!

Top Ten Character Names I Love

October 22, 2013

1. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore from Harry Potter: The perfection! Ahhh. I mean, let's just stare at this name for a second. To some it may be too long and complicated but to me it's perfect. 
2. Sybella from Grave Mercy/Dark Triumph: I love this variation on other classic names! It's original (I've never heard of it, or seen it used in any other book), and yet it still holds all the grace of Isabella or Annabella. I love the sound of the "s" and "y" together and it's just so beautiful!
3. Isla from Isla and the Happily Ever After: To be fair, I've never read this book. But the title name! It's lovely and beautiful. I absolutely love the combination of "eye" and "la". 
4. Severus Snape from Harry Potter: This name is absolutely perfect for the character of Snape! I have no idea how J.K. Rowling comes up with these flawless representations of her character. 
5. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter: Yet another Harry Potter reference... I'M SORRY. But really, this name... love it. Luna means moon too, which is super cool, and the nickname of "loony" really ties into the story too.
6. Lissa Dragomir from Vampire Academy: Now technically her full name is Vasilisa, but I prefer her nickname. It's simple and pretty, yet ancient and magical-sounding. 
7. Caelena Sardothien from Throne of Glass: I know it's a long and complicated name, but I honestly love long and complicated names. Doesn't it sound lovely?
8. Felicity from A Great and Terrible Beauty: I don't totally love her last name, but her first name though! For some reason I actually love the name Felicity. It sounds so Victorian and just ugh. 
9. Scarlett March from Sisters Red: I have always loved the name Scarlett, and the character in Sisters Red really fulfills and embodies the name. 
10. Sturmhond from Siege and Storm: Cause HOW could I not. I'm sorry but he's flawless. 

As you may have noticed, for some names I chose to include the last name, for others I chose not to. This depends on whether I love the last name or full name as a whole as well.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this post! Have a great day. (:

Top Ten Covers of Books I've Read

It's been a while since I did a top ten tuesday, but I've been busy this time of year and I've been posting other things too. This topic however really grabbed me! I will include photos of each cover in this post as well.


This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. It's super easy to link up, so feel free to go to their site and join in the fun!

Top Ten Covers of Books I've Read

May 21, 2013

1. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
2. The Archived by Victoria Schwab
3. Angelfall by Susan Ee
4. Plain Kate by Erin Bow
5. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
6. Splintered by A.G. Howard
7. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 
9. Blood Red Road by Moira Young 
10. The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan
11. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
12. Dreamland by Alyson Noel

Thanks for reading! If you want further explanation on why I chose these twelve (oops, I cheated) covers, leave a comment below. I won't be posting for at least the next five days so I am posting this early, as well as posting a lot today! Hope you liked all the posts. :)

*wow my taste in covers was different then! :O*

Top Books I Liked Less/More Than Expected

Sorry this post is a day late, but I really liked this week's topic and didn't want to miss out because I forgot to write it yesterday!

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. It's super easy to link up, so feel free to go to their site and join in the fun!

Top Ten Books I Liked Less/More Than Expected

April 23, 2013

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: When I was younger, I used to joke about how I would never read this series. Then I read it in elementary school and I absolutely loved it-- So much that's it's still my favourite series of all time. :)
2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: Gah. The Hunger Games was such a phenomenal debut and Catching Fire was an impressive sequel but Mockingjay? I was bored and amazingly confused while reading it. Didn't live up to my (very high) standards for sure. 
3. Altered by Jennifer Rush: I read this book on a whim. I knew it was a new release and it sounded interesting but it came in from the library for me before I was ready for it. I still decided to read it and I loved it! Can't wait for Erased. 
4. Eragon by Christoper Paolini: I completely thought I was going to love this. Yeah noooooo.... I don't know why I was so bored by it, but I was. I still love the whole idea and dragons and everything but for some reason it did not work for me... at all... 
5. Blood Red Road by Moira Young: LOVE. I saw this book on the library shelf and thought it sounded interesting. I read it later and am so incredibly glad I did. It's absolutely amazing!
6. Gone by Michael Grant: One of the most disappointing for sure... I thought I was going to love this so very much. But I didn't. I just couldn't connect with it and there were far too many weak moments from some of the characters I was expecting much more of. 
7. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines: I didn't expect much from this one because it was just a fun one, but it turned out to have a much darker side--- and I enjoyed that!
8. The Archived by Victoria Schwab: I was really excited for this release but it didn't live up to my expectations. I mean, I really enjoyed it, but I was expecting something super awesome and intense and I just didn't quite get that. 
9. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson: I'd never heard of this book before, but it was at my local library as a new paperback and it sounded interesting, so I checked it out. Even though it took me a while to finally read it, when I did, I ended up really enjoying it, even more than what I thought. 
10. Prophecy by Ellen Oh: The idea behind this one was great (if not a little generic), but it was the choppy execution and children's/middle grade writing that was the turn-off for me. I also wanted more from the characters. I'd recommend this one to middle-grade readers, but it just wasn't for me. 
11. Shimmer by Alyson Noel: After flying through Radiance and not loving it, I wasn't that excited or expecting much from the sequel. However, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this book more than the first. 
12. Bookweird by Paul Glennon: This book had been recommended to me but I was just so bored. I read this a few years ago (or more than a few) but I just know I had to push myself all the way through to get to the end. 

Sorry, had to add one extra more/less set! Hope you enjoyed. :)

Top Ten Books/Series I Read Before I Was a Blogger

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. It's super easy to link up, so feel free to go to their site and join in the fun! Sorry for skipping TTT last week, but I just was really lazy and not in the mood for a post! Anyway, I have done this week's topic and if you're interested in an explanation for each book, comment, or check Goodreads, it will have a synopsis and maybe I'll have a few lines of a review for you.

Top Ten Books/Series I Read Before I Was a Blogger*

April 9, 2012

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
2. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth
5. Ingo by Helen Dunmore
6. The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel-Frederick
7. Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz
8. The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
9. Percy Jackson/The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
10. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

*I have not been blogging long (only since September), so I have a lot to choose from! That said, some of these may be middle grade favourites as well.

Thanks for reading! If you'd like, post the link to your Top Ten in the comments. :)

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend the Most

This week for Top Ten Tuesday I have split it into two divisions: Popular and Less Popular books because I feel like some of the books I strongly recommend, everyone has read! :) I also have included series as well as books.

Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most

March 26, 2013

More Popular: 

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: Seriously, who hasn't read this? But if you haven't, do it RIGHT NOW. You will not regret it. 
2. Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld: This series was a very consistent, excellent series! The character development and world-building was maybe the best I've ever seen in the dystopia genre. Overall, tons of twists and turns and awesome adventure! I can't stop myself from recommending this to everyone. 
3. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins: Again, almost everyone has read this. If you haven't, where have you been???? The craze has mostly died down, but I bet it'll be back when Catching Fire comes out as a movie! Anyways, the first two books were amazing and I definitely recommend it for those of you who haven't read it. 
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth: I've really been seeing this book growing in popularity and encourage you all to read it! The character development is a bit lacking and there are some holes in the world-building, but overall an action-packed dystopia adventure that will keep hooked the whole way through.
5. The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan: Of all his series, this one is definitely my favourite. Even though I'm not in middle-grade, I really enjoy these books! The plot never fails to surprise me and I really like the Greek mythology. Definitely recommended reads.

Less Popular:

1. Blood Red Road by Moira Young: Though I don't really recommend the sequel, this debut was absolutely amazing. I am so glad I happened to see this on the shelves at my library and picked it up because now I can't stop raving about it! I recommended it to several friends who have all enjoyed just as much as I have. Seriously-- You will not book this amazing dystopia adventure down.
2. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder: This book was so amazing! I don't think many people know of this author, but I really enjoy her books. Magic Study wasn't as good as this one, and I haven't read the rest of the series, but I very highly recommend this book to anyone (except younger people because some parts are a bit mature). Whenever someone asks me what they should read, I show them this book. 
3. Legend by Marie Lu: I almost put this on the "more popular" shelf, but in truth, it's kind of in between. Anyway, I think more people should read it than they are currently, so I put it in this section. This is another phenomenal dystopia (I knowww) with great characters and a twisty plot. Yay!
4. Ingo series by Helen Dunmore: I read this series quite a while ago, but re-read the first one last summer, and I really loved them in middle grade! They are full of suspense and adventure and I often recommend it, especially to younger readers. 
5. Variant by Robison E. Wells: My friend recommended this to me and since then I read it and at the sequel (not as good), but really loved the first one. Anyone who wants a mysterious sci-fi should look no further. 

That's it for now! Thanks for reading.

Top Ten Books I Own That Are Sitting On My Shelf Unread

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in. This week's topic I have slightly modified so it makes more sense to me. And it is...

Top Ten Books I Own (bought or received) That Are Sitting On My Shelf Unread (long title!)

March 19, 2013

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: This has been showing up on a lot of my lists lately, but honestly, I can't wait to read this! I was given the LOTR pack for Christmas, but was seriously considering buying it anyway, so I guess I'm guilty there. Anyway, I'm just waiting for the right time to read this.
2. Shine by Lauren Myracle: I need to read this! I won it and I honestly cannot wait to pick it up. I'm thinking in April, maybe?
3. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen: I guess this is a bit of a cheat, because this is my sister's book, not mine, but I'm sure she would let me borrow it. Anyway, she's read it and it's sitting on her shelves, waiting for me, so I'd like to pick it up. I liked What Happened to Goodbye, but my expectations are way higher for this novel. 
4. Chu Ju's House by Gloria Whelan: Not the usual book I would pick up, but it's my sister's and she said she really enjoyed it and gave it to me, so I'm excited to read it too. 
5. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis: I've never read the Chronicles of Narnia *gasp*, not even one book. I received this as a gift and would really like to go back to my childhood and read this book, and the series if I enjoy it. Does anyone know which order I should read it in? I'm a little confused. :-/
6. Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen: Again, way out of my comfort zone, but I also won this book with a friend and I think it sounds interesting and I am really looking to try different genres of books. I hope it will have a good storyline, interesting characters, and stay entertaining!
7. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: I read "A Little Princess" when I was little and loved it! I know this classic is more like a children's book, but I think the term "classic" means it can apply to all ages. I don't know how I got this, but I'd like to read it. 
8. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: More classics I haven't had the chance to read (that's a lie, more like I have too many other books I want to read first). I do own Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but Huck Finn is the abridged version so I would get it out from the library instead.
9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: I plan on waiting before reading this, but still. I have heard such good things about it and I really want to read Charlie's supposedly touching diary entries. Love it or hate it books always intrigue me. 
10. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling: I really want to read this, but have decided to wait a few years before doing so. But I really had to buy it-- It was Jo's first book since HP!!!

Thanks for reading. That's it for today! Comment with your thoughts to my Narnia question above and post the links for your lists. Thanks! :)

Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in. For this week, my list could go on forever, but it does say "top", so I sadly had to narrow it down. :'(

Top Ten Books at the Top of My Spring 2013 TBR List

March 12, 2013

1. Pivot Point by Kasie West: I have heard nothing but wonderful things about this novel and it sounds like a riveting book. The cover is stunning as well. I can't wait to get it in my hands, but I had to suspend it so I actually have time to read it. :P
2. Taken by Erin Bowman: I need this book. Re-reading the synopsis, I've determined how much I want to read this book on a scale from: I'll read it at the last minute once I get it or put it on hold again to I will stop whatever I'm reading and read it right away, regardless of other books due dates or priorities. I am leaning to that very extreme "I'll read it right away despite anything". 
3. Going Vintage by Lindsay Leavitt: I don't really read cutesy, contemporary books, but this one sounds really fun and spring is the best time (at least to me) for light reads, so this is definitely on my list! 
4. Shine by Lauren Myracle: I first found out about this book on a "beautiful covers" list on Goodreads and have since won a copy that I share with my friend. It is absolutely beautiful and sounds like an emotional and powerful story.
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer: I tried this book and I just wasn't into reading it at the time, but really am dying to. This spring is the time to read it for sure. 
6. Mind Games by Kiersten White: This is lower on my list than expected because I am nervous about reading this book. I think it sounds amazing and want to like it so badly, but it seems a lot of people are not liking it as much as they thought they would. Nooooo.... But I still think it will be a great book!
7. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson: I think this book sounds very interesting, plus I have a new copy of it from the library at my house and I am the first person to sign it out. :) 
8. A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass: Several of my friends have read and loved this book, and I feel like it will be a great spring read. The story sounds interesting and very enlightening. 
9. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick: For some reason I never read this book. In middle school, everyone was reading this, and I was kinda like "I'm sorry, what???" It is a middle grade book for sure with big illustrations and not a ton of text but the title and cover has always intrigued me and I think I would still enjoy it now. 
10. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: I'm practically chanting "read it!" to myself right now about this book. Lot's of people seem to love it and I also would like to read it in anticipation for the movie release. 

That's it for my top ten! Leave the link to yours in the comments. :)

Top Ten Series I'd Like to Start But Haven't Yet

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in. This week's topic is...

Top Ten (eleven, really) Series I'd Like to Start But Haven't Yet

March 5, 2013

1. The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices: I feel like such a bad person for not having read these yet aha. 
2. The Lynburn Legacy: Someone inform me why I have not began this series yet. 
3. The Raven Cycle: I love the cover of this book and the name and cover of the next book were just released! So gorgeous! The story sounds amazing and I can't wait to read it. 
4. Caster Chronicles: I've heard awesome things about these books, and I can't wait to read them, especially considering the movie that's coming out soon! Ah!!!!
5. Tiger's Saga: A YA fantasy about tigers and the circus. I can't wait to read this series, and I've had a high recommendation from a friend.
6. Breathe: I can't wait to read this dystopia book! It looks really good and I really like the cover. Also, the title and cover for the next book, Resist, is now released! 
7. The Iron Fey: Now this one isn't really my fault, because I have it on hold from the library but there is only one copy so it could take months to get to me (seriously people, if there's one copy of the book get in gear and READ IT... And this is coming from a book hoarder and even I would read it right away! Rude...). Now that my rant is over, I can say that this series sounds really suspenseful, magical and awesome!
8. Shades of London: The Name of the Star is sitting on my shelf, waiting for me, but dang it I haven't read it yet! This looks like an amazing historical fiction!
9. The Lunar Chronicles: This is a bit of a lie because I read 20 pages of Cinder in January but I didn't really feel like reading more at the time, however I am very interested in actually starting and pursuing the series. Several people have also encouraged me to stick through it. :P
10. The Giver: This is one of the older dystopia books and I am so excited to read the series. I've meant to many times but never did. 
11. The Lord of the Rings: Now this is technically one book, not a trilogy, let alone a series, but I had to put this on because I've been meaning to read it and I need to get my act together! 

Also, some trilogies I'd love to read: Gemma Doyle, Under the Never Sky, Shatter Me, and more! 

Note: Some books such as the Lynburn Legacy or Breathe, I am note sure how many books will be in the series/trilogy/duology. 

Thanks for reading! That's it for now. :)

Top Ten Books on Your Auto-Buy List

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in. This week's topic is...

Top Ten Authors on Your Auto-Buy List*

February 26, 2013

1. J.K. Rowling- She wrote Harry Potter, which is my favourite series of all time, so obviously I would read whatever she writes. 
2. Maria V. Snyder- I enjoyed the Inside duology, and loved Poison Study, and all her other books sound amazing. Overall a very talented author.
3. John Green- Though I have only read his short story in Let It Snow, I am incredibly excited to read his other books and will read anything he publishes. :)
4. Scott Westerfeld- The Uglies series was amazing, and I'm excited to read his other books (except for maybe Leviathan...). If he publishes another book, I will definitely pick it up.
5. Laurie Halse Anderson- Again, I have only read one book she's published (Wintergirls) but I think all her novels have very important messages and so I would read at some point whatever she publishes.
6. Jackson Pearce- Her quality of writing is fantastic and she has really good novel ideas, so if she published another book I'd be sure to read it.
7. Marie Lu- I know she's only written one series (Legend), but it was so good that if she published anything else I would definitely pick it up. 
8. Rick Riordan- His books are great middle-grade novels, and I loved them when I was younger (and still like them now). I love mythology, so I am super excited for his norse mythology books, and whatever he publishes!
9. Suzanne Collins- I loved The Hunger Games and Catching Fire (Mockingjay, not so much) and also read the first of her Underland series, which I would've liked a lot better when I was younger so I chose not to continue it. I can't wait if she publishes something else!
10. Rachel Hawkins- So far I have only read Hex Hall, which was a really fun read, but I really love her writing style because it's concise with a really fun, snarky narrator. Demonglass is currently in my to-read pile, and I am looking forward to the spin-off series and Rebel Belle, as well as anything else she publishes!

*I don't usually buy books, so I interpreted this as books I would automatically read because of the author. :)

Comment and leave your top ten if you'd like! :) Thanks for reading. 

Top Ten Characters in Dystopia and Fairytale Retellings

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in. This week's topic is...

Top Ten Characters in X Genre

February 19, 2013

*X genre = Half dystopia/half fairytale retellings to honour my book topic this month

Dystopia

1. Katniss Everdeen: I bet anyone doing dystopia will choose her, but it's Katniss people. Especially in the first book of the trilogy, I love her as a main character. 
2. Tally Youngblood: I love how flawed, but rebellious, of a character she is. Definitely easy to relate to and love along her journey to find true beauty.
3. Molly Pratt: I really enjoyed her as a minor character in Rebel Heart. I thought she added a lot to the story in the way of revealing more about other characters and providing a connection to Jack. She also is just awesome. 
4. June Iparis: The first time I read about her, I knew I was going to love her character. Smart, strong, and a little bit sleuthy (yes, I invent words for a living :P), she combines all the elements that make (to me) an excellent female lead. 
5. Will: This was a real toss-up between Will and Christina, but because I realized I have four other girls on this list, I thought I should probably choose a guy. I really like Will because he's super sweet and funny, though I would've liked to see more development around him. SPOILER ALERT, It is very unfortunate that this cannot happen in the last instalment because he has been killed off by Tris herself. >.< SPOILER ALERT OVER. 

Fairytale Retellings

1. Inigo Montoya: "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Enough said.
2. Bramble Wentworth: A trouble-maker through and through, Bramble was always fun to read about. You could tell by reading the book that she cares deeply about her family though, and I just loved the separate personalities of all the 12 sisters.
3. Snow: This is Snow White from The Stepsister Scheme, and though I had a tough choice between her and Talia, I had to go with Snow. She was constantly joking around and lightening the mood, and some of her comments were really quite funny. She was sweet and fun, yet still deadly and dangerous when she wants to be. Awesome! :D
4. Scarlett March: Though I didn't agree with a lot of what she did or thought, she definitely was very intriguing to read about and I liked her chemistry with Rosie. She also can hold her own against a werewolf. Multiple times. She does it for a living. 
5. Skulni: I am finding myself wondering why the heck he is on my list. I have a very strong dislike for this character, and I remember he used to freak me out when I was younger (I had nightmares about this guy). But he is one of the main reasons the book was so excellent to me and was a very creative villain, and so he managed to make his way onto this week's list.

I would love to see what genre everyone else chooses! Leave the link to your top ten in the comments, and anything else you would like to say about my list or blog. :) Thanks for reading!

Top Ten Best Romances in Books

Oops! I was kind of busy yesterday, and so I did not post my top ten tuesday! :O So I am posting it now. Because this element is not generally what makes a book great for me, I only have five this week.

Top Ten Best Romances in Books

February 12, 2013

1. Hermione and Ron from Harry Potter: They are on almost every list but I don't care because they are just so, so perfect together. In the sixth book especially, their romance and comments are hilarious. Their romance is never, ever boring. 
2. June and Day from Legend: I like how there is not too much focus on romance in this book, so their chemistry was nice to see when it did happen.
3. Yelena and Valek from Poison Study: Yay! No insta-love! Together, they are perfect, except for the fact that Valek is like, 30-something and Yelena is 18 or 19. Whatever. 
4. Saba and Jack from Blood Red Road: I did not like this aspect in Rebel Heart, but it was really well thought out and sometimes quite funny in Blood Red Road, earning the two of them a spot on this list. 
5. Jubilee and Stewart from Let it Snow: This was just really, really sweet so I felt the need to put it on my list. 

That's it! Thanks for reading. :)

Top Ten Best Bookish Memories

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in. This week's topic is...

Top Ten Best Bookish Memories

February 5, 2013

1. Reading the Harry Potter series and re-watching the movies: AHHHHH! THIS WAS MY LIFE. Still is my life, actually. The experience of reading and watching, then re-reading and re-watching is just something I'll always remember. No book will ever be held as dearly with me as with HP. 
2. Seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (twice) in theatres: It was just so... Amazing. The end of the beginning. The beginning of the end. That was my entire childhood....
3. Private showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly hallows Part 1: This is similar to the first one, but this time it was a private showing! And it was part 1. And there were free donuts... ;)
4. Passing notes in the library: Slipping notes into the hold's... So much fun. 
5. Entering my first writing contest: Just the other day I entered my FIRST WRITING CONTEST. This is huge for me. :D
6. Becoming aware of the book community: Blogs, YouTube, Goodreads. I'm so glad I was introduced to this, and to me this counts as a memory. 
7. Walking down the street in my Gryffindor scarf: This may seem like a small thing but it actually just kind of makes my day.
8. All the stories I wrote when I was younger. Oh my gosh they were horrible, but cute, and I will always remember writing them. 
9. "I volunteer as tribute!": Several times I have heard people answer this to a question and such and I just love hearing people say it, especially random people I don't know. 
10. Reading books: Yes, this is a memory. Every book I've read, love it or hate it, I remember and this just had to be my final one. 

Nearly half of those are Harry Potter... The top three are at least... Typical me. What are your top ten? Please comment and compare if you would like. :)

Top Ten Tuesday- Jan. 29

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in. This week's topic is...

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters Ever

1. Peeta from the Hunger Games: Congratulations! You are the most frustrating character ever. I know I am in the minority here. Everyone seems to loveeee you, Peeta. But you're just too... perfect. Too sweet. I like male and female leads with some spunk in them. So tragic, your tale of how you stalked Katniss since you were little... *sigh*. Just kidding. Anyway, I love the Hunger Games but Peeta...
2. Lugh from Rebel Heart: I seriously debated putting you first, but didn't. You are so ungrateful and rude to your sister. She just saved your life, you miserable jerk, and you complain about her. Then you go and be all hypocritical and gosh, I just wish you'd disappear. Leave Saba alone.
3. Addie from Let It Snow: You cheat on her boyfriend, then turn into a whiny brat when he doesn't show up at a cafe with you? Sorry, no sympathy here. I couldn't connect to the story at all, because of you. 
4. Saba and Emmi from Blood Red Road: The two of you together managed to really make me angry throughout the book. I loved the evolution of your relationship, but seriously, you both can be such jerks to each other. Especially you, Saba. You should be a role model to your sister. 
5. Four from Divergent: Four, I would've thought you'd have got the message by now. Tris acts on impulse. No one can help that. So stop trying to change her! 
6. Ky from Matched: I guess I find that you just weren't developed enough, which made your chapters in Crossed verrrryyyyy frustrating. I can't connect to you at all, Ky. You just seem so... boring. Dull. Mundane. 
7. Benson and Becky from Variant: You know, the two of you just aren't developed enough for me. Your romance... not working. I found you, Benson, to be just generally annoying, almost like a robot yourself (why did I feel this way? do you have emotions?). And Becky, I just... I didn't understand why Benson chose you, I guess. You were kind of weak, to be honest. 
8. Ron from Harry Potter: You're amazing and I love you, but gosh, you do some stupid things. And seriously, Ginny can date whoever she wants, so stop giving her a hard time. 
9. Starr from Poison Study: Ugh. You are so annoying. Talk about scamming your way to success. Maybe you could actually DO something, hmm? How does that sound?
10. Kid from The Unidentified: You star in a book which had a very undefined, abrupt ending. Therefore, you were severely lacking in backstory and future story as well. Not to mention you were boring, as if you were just going through the motions. I was in your head, but I never once related or connected, even understood you. So sorry, but you've achieved the status of "frustrating". 

Hope you enjoyed my list! :)

Top Ten Tuesday- Jan. 22

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in.

Top Ten Settings I'd Like to See More Of

1. Fantasy Worlds: I just love a good fantasy world. I'm especially thinking of this now as I'm reading poison study, reminding me of how much I love medieval-fantasy worlds. 
2. The United Kingdom: Because I've always wanted to go to the UK and you can never have enough books set there. X) 
3. Anywhere cold and wintery: I love adventure novels or any novel really set in a really cold climate. Because I love snow. And winter (no, I'm not crazy).
4. Another Realm: I really like books that have 'realms' of sorts. Almost like an alternate reality or dimension that connects to our world. Often involving portals. 
5. Paris or London: I've never been to either of these places but they're at the top of my list of places I want to go. I read Wish You Were Eyre, which gave me a taste of Paris. For London, I know I've already said the UK, but this is a more specific place that has a lot of history that I would love to live through a book. 
6. Jungles: I would love to see some more books that take place in a rainforest or jungle landscape. I can't think of any books off the top of my head but I feel like I've read one. 
7. Ocean: Whether it's literally an underwater society, or just set on the beach, I LOVE books that take place near water. One of my all-time favourites is the Ingo series by Helen Dunmore. 
8. Villages: I love olden-dayish kind of places where there is a bunch of little stores and such. Some good examples are Plain Kate and the Magyk series that I enjoyed when I was younger. I really like it when the village is a woodland or village in a meadow. That's always fun.
9. The Sky: So, I've read one book that took place in a spaceship, though I'm not going to answer what book because that would kind of be spoiling it, and it was quite enjoyable, however, I think it would be really cool if there was a society in the sky, not space. Hey, there are books underground and underwater, why not above land and water?
10. Hogwarts: Oh c'mon. You knew this was coming... J.K. Rowling MUST write some backstories or stories about Harry's parents or kids!!! Or even just from another angle, like Draco's son. I actually am really desperate. 

What are your top ten? Go to the Broke and the Bookish to find out how to join. :)

Top Ten 2013 Debuts

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish in which they will post a topic and then participants will make their top ten according to the topic. Feel free to go to their site and join in. Because I am really excited about some books that are starting new series but are not debuts from the author, I bolded the books that are the author's first individual publication.

Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To

January 15, 2013

1. The Archived by Victoria Schwab: Because it sounds freaking amazing and I already have it on hold from the library. 
2. Mind Games by Kiersten White: Same with this one. More dystopia-awesomeness. 
3. Taken by Erin Bowman: This showed up in my Goodreads recommendations, and I'm glad it did, because it looks really, really, really good. 
4. The Program by Suzanne Young: Ahahaha. More dystopia...
5. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd: Sounds kind of haunting and complex so I really want to check it out. 
6. Prophecy by Ellen Oh: Sounds interesting, and I'd really like to read a new fantasy novel. 
7. Splintered by A.G. Howard: Alice in Wonderland retelling? Yes please. 
8. Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza: Have you noticed almost this entire list is dystopia? Have you noticed I love dystopia?
9. POD's by Michelle K. Pickett: Sounds like a really good concept, and of course it's science fiction/dystopia. 
10. My Name is Rapunzel by K.C. Hilton: Another fairytale retelling (which I've fallen in love with since I read Sisters Red and heard about a lot of amazing retellings). I have never read or seen a movie on Rapunzel so this should be good. 

Thanks for reading! 

Top Ten Bookish Resolutions for 2013

This is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish (link in sidebar). Please check out their (really awesome) blog, and feel free to join in the fun!

This week I mixed things up by doing a vlog (video blog) rather than a written one. Please enjoy. :)

*Note: The pictures go slightly duller in the video, so please pay no attention to that. :)

Top Ten Books I Resolved to Read in 2013

Hey everyone! It's New Years Day, and not only that, but it's Tuesday! This week's topic for Top Ten Tuesday hosted by the Broke and the Bookish (link in sidebar) is a nice way to start off the new year. As well, I am again going to cheat and put series as one, and I will probably go well over 10! :P

Top Ten Books I Resolve to Read in 2013

January 1, 2013

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: It's happening. Finally, it's going to happen. I'm super excited to read them now, as I just watched the Hobbit in theatres on December 23 (review to come soon!) and I received the boxed set of the novels for Christmas. 
2. Divergent #3 by Veronica Roth: Well, duh! This was one of my favourite series in 2012. 
3. Study series by Maria V. Snyder: These books sound AMAZING! I loved Inside Out and Outside In, and am ready to give some of her new books a try.
4. Gone by Michael Grant: I really want to love this series. I hope I love this series! I can't wait to read it.
5. Legend and Prodigy by Marie Lu: I've heard a lot of great things about these books and would love to try them. 
6. Angelfall by Susan Ee: If I don't read this in the next four or five days, then I need to read it next year! I've heard simply amazing things about the book.
7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer: My friend read this book and really enjoyed it. It sounds like an excellent book, and I've been meaning to read it since before the summer. 
8. Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness: This is definitely going to be a October read to celebrate Halloween. I'm not a big fan of horror, but this sounds like a great mix of action/dystopia/horror.
9. Eon duology by Alison Goodman: Yay! Chinese mythology + dragons + action= my type of book! 
10. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson: High fantasy!!!!!! I need some high fantasy and this is a must-read. 
11. The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima: More high fantasy? Yes please!
12. Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi: Sounds like a great dystopia. 
13. Demonglass and Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins: Time to finish off this series! I loved Hex Hall and really want to read the next two books. 
14. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater: This just sounds really, really good. And the cover is amazing!
15. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: Seems to remind me a bit of the Hunger Games for some reason, just by the synopsis. But it sounds really amazing. 
16. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson: Sounds like a really touching, beautifully written story that I can't wait to read. 
17. The Giver by Lois Lowry: I've never read this and I said I would last year and the year before. About time I get my act together and read this!
18. The Archived by Victoria Schwab: A new series that sounds phenomenal. It's already on hold from the library!
19. The Program by Suzanne Young: Another amazing-sounding dystopia debut. 
20. Mind Games by Kiersten White: The beginning to a new series from the author of Paranormalcy. More dystopia!
21. Any John Green book: I have friends who absolutely love him and his novels. I'd love to read his works because they sound very emotional and seem to have great stories. 
22. Any Sarah Dessen book: Because I've heard she's a great author and her books sound great.
23. Any book I do not finish from my December haul, as well as the books from my January haul. And any book sitting on my library pile right now. :)

Thanks for reading my (very long) list! I can't wait to read all these books. 

Top Ten Books/Authors I am Thankful For + Books I Received this Christmas (Countdown to Christmas)

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful day filled with holiday cheer! For Top Ten Tuesday's freebie and my Christmas Countdown, I have decided to mix two Christmas topics: What authors/books I am most thankful for (this was the topic during Thanksgiving which I missed, but it also applies to Christmas), and a random topic I created: books I received this Christmas! Enjoy. :)

Top Ten Books/Authors I am Thankful For and Books I Received this Christmas

December 25, 2012

1. J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter: I love her, and I love HP, and the series is the most amazing I have ever read. It challenged me when I was younger, and still continues to awe and inspire me whenever I think about it. Which is still often. 
2. Uglies quartet by Scott Westerfeld: Not only were these novels amazing stories, but also taught and portrayed important underlying messages about beauty in society today. 
3. Underground to Canada by Barbara Claassen: This book opened by eyes about what slavery was like in the USA during that time period, and for that I am very grateful for Barbara Claassen's amazing story that portrayed this to me. 
4. Blood Red Road: Because this book was just THAT good. 
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: This opened my eyes to the horrible things that have happened and could happen on our earth. Not only that, but this book alone introduced me to a whole new genre of books that has now became one of my top favourite genres. Because this book introduced me to a genre, I have discovered sooooooo many amazing new books that I loved! Plus this book was amazing, and I am thankful to Suzanne Collins for writing it. 
6. The Rainbow Fairy novels by "Daisy Meadows": It just occurred to me today, since I read these so long ago and I of course didn't pay attention to stuff like that then, that Daisy Meadows HAD to have been a pseudonym (to be honest I would've been scared if it wasn't, considering these are the "rainbow fairies" books we're talking about). Goodreads proved me right. Anyway, this is on my list because they are the first books I ever read. Well, real novels, really, and I am grateful for them for easing me into reading to become the obsessive book-lover I am now. :D

Books I Received this Christmas:

1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: I already own a very old copy, but this copy goes with my new set of...
2. 3. 4. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien! I am so happy! I wanted this so badly, and now I have the complete set! I am definitely even more encouraged to read these novels in the spring. Awesome!!!

Thanks for reading! I am so grateful for my beautiful Lord of the Rings set I just received and the aforementioned books on my other list, as well as many, many more. Merry Christmas everyone, and Happy Holidays!

Top Ten Books I Read in 2012

Hosted by the Broke and Bookish (link in sidebar), this meme features a topic in which you list your top favourite books, authors, etc. within that topic. Check out the Broke and Bookish blog to join in. :) And I am going to cheat with this one and list series instead of just one book sometimes ;).

Top Ten Books I Read in 2012

December 18, 2012

1. Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld: I read this series over the summer after hearing about it numerous times. The series was consistently amazing. The world-building, plot, characters, and everything were very, very well done. My favourite in the series was between Uglies and Extras, Specials following close behind, and Pretties still a very good book but not quite as good as the others (in my opinion). 
2. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: I finally read The Hunger Games!!! The first book was absolutely amazing, I was blown away by Collins amazing writing skills and original ideas. The second book, Catching Fire, was an impressive sequel to the Hunger Games, but not quite as amazing. The trilogy was concluded with the final book, Mockingjay, which overall was a fine book but to me was a bit disappointing. All in all, however, I loved the series!
3. Blood Red Road by Moira Young: This book surprised me with it's amazingness. Sure, I thought it would be a good book, but not as good as it was. I read it in maybe two days and I couldn't put it down. I'm waiting anxiously for Rebel Heart to come in from the library. Anyway, the original concept and fast-paced action landed Blood Red Road the third spot on my top ten favourite books/series of 2012.
4. Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker: I finally read this! I can't believe how long I waited. I loved this book so much! For more of my thoughts, check out my recent reflection on the novel. 
5. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: Love love love!!! There was awesome description in the novel and I love Middle Earth! Gollum and the riddles was definitely my favourite part of the book. Though sometimes I found myself a little bored, I loved the archaic language and the parts with action were really great. All in all, I loved the book. I can't wait to see the movie!!!
6. Divergent/Insurgent by Veronica Roth: I'm so glad I decided to read this! Full of action and suspense, this book was another book I finished in about two days and couldn't stop reading once I started. The second book, Insurgent, was not a disappointment, and I hope that in the last book of the trilogy Roth will develop her "world" more and explain more aspects of the dystopia society.
7. The Princess Bride by William Goldman: I haven't read a fairytale in a very long time, so I decided to place this on hold after wanting to read it for a long, long time. I saw the movie, but it was a long time ago so I didn't remember anything about it. This novel has action, romance, phenomenal characters, sword fights, great backstory, and hilarious, charismatic narration. I loved the book, and I can't wait to re-watch the movie.
8. Variant by Robison Wells: After this book was recommended to me by Brianna at The Book Nook (http://booknook24676.blogspot.ca), I put it on hold from the library, after being warned of  the extreme cliff-hanger ending. I waited to read it before I got the sequel, Feedback, and then read them both consecutively. I loved Variant, it was packed with suspense and action, but the sequel really fell flat for me. But that's ok, because Variant still ranked high enough to be on this list!
9. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder: This was a dystopia novel which reminded me a tiny little bit of Uglies (though the ideas were very, very different) about a girl named Trella who is a scrub and accidentally leads a revolution. The book was very well-written with great action, though quite slow at parts, and an interesting premise. I'm really glad I read this in 2012.
10. Wish You Were Eyre by Heather Vogel Frederick: So sad! The final book in the Mother-Daughter Book Club series, which I've been slowly reading over the years! I love all the characters, so it was amazing to follow all five of them through their lives from Grade 6 to Grade. I'm still in denial that this is the last book. 

Onto the honourable mentions! Other books I read and enjoyed this year include Entwined by Heather Dixon, the Riley Bloom series by Alyson Noel, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, the Awesome books by Neil Pasricha, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon and the Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. 

That's it, everyone! 

Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2012

This is a meme I have been doing for the past two weeks hosted by the Broke and Bookish (link in sidebar). Anyone can join in, so check out their blog to see the requirements. Anyway, getting on with it. :)

Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2012 (in no particular order)

December 11, 2012

1. Suzanne Collins: Can you believe it? I finally read The Hunger Games in 2012. I loved the first book, the series was great as a whole, and I also read the first book in her children's series, Gregor the Overlander, out of curiosity. I would love to read more of her books if she chooses to write and publish more.
2. Scott Westerfeld: LOVED the Uglies quartet. LOVED. Essentially this was the series that really, really sparked my interest in sci-fi, though the Hunger Games prompted me to read more dystopia. Anyway, I have heard of his other books such as "Peeps", which sounds great, and I like his writing style, so I really would like to read more of his books.
3. Moira Young: Loved her style of writing and unique, fast-paced plot. Definitely a re-read book. Can't wait for Rebel Heart to come in and I will definitely check out any other books she writes. 
4. William Goldman: This man is a genius. A genius. I probably won't read his other books, but he totally had me fooled for so long in his plot, and I love his story-telling ability. 
5. Maria V. Snyder: I read Inside Out and Outside In this year and loved Snyder's ideas and concepts within the novels. I am very excited to read her Poison Study series and her Glass series. I will definitely be reading more of her works in 2013 after becoming interested in Inside Out this year.
6. Veronica Roth: Divergent and Insurgent were awesome and action-packed, and I loved the plot Roth created. I really like her writing style. 
7. J.R.R. Tolkien: Finally read the Hobbit! I'm craving more Middle Earth, but I really want to be ready to dedicate to it when I read the Lord of the Rings. I love Tolkien's archaic language and story-telling prowess. 
8. Neil Pasricha: Sure, he doesn't write novel novels, but his "Books of Awesome" really put me in a good mood when I read them. If he ever chooses to write more "awesome" books, I would love to read them. I can't wait to read the Book of Holiday Awesome this Christmas and I'm really enjoying the Book of Even More Awesome.
9. Maggie Stiefvater: Though I didn't really like Lament, I still added Stiefvater to this list for one specific reason: her other books sound amazing. The Scorpio Races and The Raven Boys in particular sound great, though I'd like to read her most popular Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I also love her poetic, beautiful language she uses in her books. 
10. Barbara Smucker: I got around to reading Underground to Canada this year, despite owning it for a very long time. I loved the book so much, and the language was so eloquent and beautiful. It was just one of those times where I had to write so many lines down in my journal because I loved them so much. Smucker's poetic writing style and excellent portrayal of the time period of slavery made the novel amazing for me, therefore earning her a place in my top ten favourite authors I read in 2012. 

Thanks for reading! Look out for another TTT next Tuesday!