Top Ten Tuesday - The First Ten Books I Ever Reviewed

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.  It has since moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

The First Ten Books I Ever Reviewed

Oh man, this is taking me back.  I started book blogging on this site in 2010 (I started blogging on this site in 2009, but have hidden those early entries...yikes), so I have 9 years worth of bookish content saved up.  

I feel like my reviews have definitely changed in style over the years, so this was fun for me to look back and re-read them!  Links below all go to the reviews themselves.  Please check them out and laugh along with my first puny attempts at reviewing!

Book One - Reviewed 10.11.10 

I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away - Bill Bryson

I had to post a book review for my Creative Non-Fiction class in Undergrad.  Luckily, I already had a blog.  This was the turning point that this blog became a book blog.  Also, because this was for a class, it is much different from how I review books now.

Book Two - Reviewed 12.04.10

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

I adore Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, and I had read both their previous books, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, so I knew I would love this one too.  I had also gotten a copy of it from the first big conference I went to, NCTE, where I got to meet Rachel and David and have them sign my books.  

Book Three - Reviewed 12.12.10

The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black

Another book I got from NCTE, and my first ARC ever!!!!  I loved this book, and was my first introduction to Holly Black.

Book Four - Reviewed 12.16.10

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Another book from NCTE (seeing a pattern here?).  A cool re-imagining of Shakespeare's plays, but a series that I, unfortunately, never got into past the first book.

Book Five - Reviewed 01.05.11

Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

This is still one of my favorite anthologies.  It's so much fun, and has a story for everyone.  The format is cool as well because you can read all the stories in order, or by mythical creature.  Definitely one to check out if you haven't!

Book Six - Reviewed 01.09.11

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Another ARC from NCTE and my first real foray into YA contemporary romance.  It was adorable.  Love this whole connected series.  It is for sure a YA contemporary staple!

Book Seven - Reviewed 01.11.11

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

One of my very favorite books to this day, I couldn't put it down when I first read it.  I got it as an ARC at NCTE, and boy, was I sure glad I did!  I've since gotten to meet and correspond with Beth several times, and each book of her's I just adore!

Book Eight - Reviewed 01.30.11

Metamorphosis: Junior Year by Betsy Franco

Probably one of my most disappointing books.  I didn't like the way this was formatted and the development of the plot and characters was slow or non-existent.  Not a recommended book at all!

Book Nine - Reviewed 02.14.11

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Two of my favorite YA authors equals one of my favorite YA books.  I devoured this book, and own like three different copies (of which are all signed by both John and David).  Just love it, and encourage everyone to read it!

Book Ten - Reviewed 02.23.11

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Not my favorite of Rick Riordan's books, but still very good!  It's told differently than his other series, which makes it stand out.  Also, I don't believe he has written more in this series in a while, which is sad because I do find Egyptian mythology fascinating.

And there you have it, my first ten book reviews!  Definitely a blast from the past reading through all of these.  Also, I forgot how much I loved reviewing books back in the day (I certainly did it more often of my own volition and not due to a book tour).

What were the first books you reviewed?  Let me know!  Maybe I'll get some new books for my TBR!

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Top Ten Tuesday - Authors I'd Love To Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.  It has since moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Authors I'd Love To Meet

I love this question.  It's like that idea of who would you invite to dinner, if you could.  So while this probably means authors who are alive, I'm throwing in a few deceased authors too.  Because if this is my wish list, these would be the ones on it.

Let's start with the deceased authors first.

Emily Dickinson - Her poetry was the reason I got into writing.  The way she crafts language is beautiful and heartbreaking.  I would love to meet her, of course she being a recluse, I don't know if she'd be thrilled to meet me.

William Shakespeare - I couldn't claim to have an English Literature degree if I didn't include my main man Will.  He is responsible for some many words in the English language (take a linguistics class, it's very interesting) and again his command of language is amazing.

Now for the still alive folks.

Tamora Pierce - She is the one author that I would do almost anything to meet.  She is my idol for fantasy writing.  She was the first author that I binge read her books; I have every single one of them, all wishing for her signature inside.  I love her, and if you haven't read her books, then you are missing out big time.  I recommend starting with Alanna: The First Adventure!

J.K. Rowling - I think this one is pretty obvious.  I fell in love with a boy named Harry when I was 11 years old, and I haven't fallen out of love yet.  While I know there's been some problematic things happening lately, I can never forget the joy she has brought with Harry and his friends.  I am a life-long Hufflepuff, so just to be able to pick her brain would be a real treat!

Laurell K. Hamilton - So Laurell writes adult supernatural fiction, like ADULT adult.  But I first read the 3rd book in her Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, The Laughing Corpse, when I was in 9th grade. Yes, completely out of order, completely inappropriate, completely hooked.  If you're looking for a series about vampires, shapeshifters, and sex, whelp here you go.  I am personally partial to her Merry Gentry series (which is set in the same world), as it's about the Fae.  I'm all about sexy, sexy fae.  My go-to feel good (no pun intended) books.

Susin Nielsen - A new to me author this year, I read her book Optimists Die First in January, and loved her writing.  I quickly devoured her other books, and she is now an auto-buy author for me.  She handles family, grief, mental illness, suicide, friendship, divorce, and much more with exquisite depth and nuance.  I feel like I am a part of her characters lives, and whether the book is Young Adult or Middle Grade, it is perfect.  She is a contemporary author that you need to read!

Marissa Meyer - If you're looking for a fantastic fairy-tale re-imagined series, then look no further than Marissa's The Luner Chronicles.  She takes Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White and mixes them with sci-fi.  The end result is excellent!  She also has other amazing books, one that remixes Alice in Wonderland and then a superhero series that's presented with a twist.  Everything is so good, so she's a definite to meet author.

Seanan McGuire - I had never read a book by Seanan before this year, and, boy, have I been missing out.  I will say that I've only read her Wayward Children series, but, man, oh man, what a series it is!  This is such a beautiful and haunting fantasy series.  A series that I never want to end, I want to ask so many questions about her thoughts on the development of fantasy worlds/tropes.

Becky Albertalli - So you've probably heard of Becky because of Love, Simon, the movie based on her book Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.  Which I loved, but the book that really sealed the deal was The Upside of Unrequited. I am Molly, the main character.  I connected so hard to this book, and it does have a connection with the Simon universe, which was fun.  But yeah, contemporary romantic humor is Becky's thing.

Courtney Summers - If you want dark, intense contemporary stop here because Courtney dishes it hard.  From rape to murder to abuse, Courtney tackles the hard to digest subjects and doesn't shy away from the raw reality.  If I had to choose one book to start you off, it would be Sadie, her newest book.  It is amazing, and a book not to be missed!

So there's my list of all the authors I want to meet.  But more than meet them, I want to have a conversation with them.  Also, I find it interesting that this list is 90% women, which was not intentional, but definitely shows the mindset I am in right now with all the crap going on in this country against women. 

Who are your must-meet authors, living or dead?  Let me know!  Maybe I'll meet some new favorites!

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Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Disliked/Hated but Am Really Glad I Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.  It has since moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Books I Disliked/Hated but Am Really Glad I Read

I will say that all of these books are classics.  As other English Lit majors can attest, we have to read A LOT of books; not all of them are the things we'd choose to read.

I, myself, have never been a big classics girl; I like my literature contemporary for the most part.  Of course, there are contemporary "classics" and some "classics" that I love, so it's all subjective.  But below are definitely 5 books I disliked when reading, but am glad I did.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Focusing on a pair of downtrodden ranch hands during the Great Depression, there is a lot of themes going on in this book, talking about the American Dream, loneliness, and how people ostracize themselves from one another with hatred.  I felt the book was boring and the end, what happened to poor Lennie, the whole circumstances around Lennie in fact, just made me hate the book.

Moby-Dick, or The Whale by Herman Melville -  Beautiful imagery and symbolism showing the struggle of man against nature and the destructive drive of their own ego.

But wooh boy was this tedious to read.  TEDIOUS.  Too long, much too long.  I get it, Ahab is searching for The White Whale and it is his life's mission, but I don't need to go on the whole journey.

Paradise Lost by John Milton - I read this in my Catholicism and Literature class, and wooh boy was it intense.  I have never read the Bible in it's entirety from cover to cover, but it felt like I almost was when reading through this epic poem (it's a POEM guys). 

But the importance of this piece, especially utilizing the events/characters of the Bible to critique the monarchy of England at the time, is undeniable.  But it is intense for sure.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - I understand the importance of examining Pip's moral maturity, but I really didn't care.  I felt this book was boring, and a waste of my time. I guess I feel like I couldn't connect with this book.

I've read other "rags to riches" stories that I've liked much more, so this one just isn't for me.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - I am sticking to the film from 2012 for this one.  I have never read a longer book, nor a book that spends so much time describing a building or a park.  It's beautiful and speaks to the greed of men, etc., etc. But it is too long.

It rambles all over the place, with Hugo sometimes interrupting the narrative by inserting himself, and there is just too many "lucky" breaks and too many "unhappy" coincidences for me to really have enjoyed this 1,500 page (YES that many pages) book.

So there you have it, 5 books I disliked/hated, but still happy I read.  For me, the reason I'm happy to have read these is that they are literary classics and I have learned a lot from studying them.  But man did I hate reading them.

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Waiting on Wednesday - Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, started by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming/recent releases that we seriously can’t wait to read

Here's my pick for the week:

Undead Girl Gang

written by Lily Anderson

Publication Date: May 8, 2018

Mila Flores and her best friend Riley have always been inseparable. There's not much excitement in their small town of Cross Creek, so Mila and Riley make their own fun, devoting most of their time to Riley's favorite activity: amateur witchcraft.

So when Riley and two Fairmont Academy mean girls die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.

Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders, but they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer...before the killer strikes again. 

(Summary from Goodreads)

Amateur witchcraft turn necromancy?  Yes, please!  I love the mix of the supernatural and murder mystery.  Also, look at that cover!!!!  I need this to grace my shelves immediately!  Luckily, Undead Girl Gang hit shelves yesterday across the nation, so oops I bought it!

What book are you waiting for?

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Top Ten Tuesday - Books With My Favorite Color On the Cover

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.  It has since moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Books With My Favorite Color On the Cover

My favorite color will always, without a doubt, no arguments about it, be blue.  All types of blue: sky blue, turquoise, navy, cobalt, periwinkle, etc.  I mean just look at these gorgeous blues (not an exhaustive list, there are a crap-ton of shades):

With my love of blue, it stands to reason I am attracted to book covers with these beautiful shades gracing the covers.  Below are my top 10 favorite blue book covers (in no particular order because I can't possibly pick one blue shade over another)!

    

    

    

    

    

Each of these covers utilizes the shade of blue in an interesting way, either as a shadow or highlight, a depiction of cold or isolation, of love or magic, a stark contrast or crowded blur.  But within each cover the blue helps tell the reader what this book may hold within its pages.  And that is what great cover design can do, whatever shade or picture it utilizes.

What is you favorite color and favorite matching book cover?  Let me know in the comments, so I can stare at all the pretty, pretty books!

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