Top Ten Tuesday #3 | Most Unique Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted byThe Broke and the Bookish. This week: Top Ten Most Unique Books I've Read (maybe the MC was really different, maybe it was the way it was written, a very unique spin on a genre or topic, etc.)  Yes, I know, there's only 8.  One day I'll get to 10 again.  Just you wait!

1. Night Film by Marisha Pessl - I really like books with images and stuff that aren't just pictures of characters, you know?  This has case files and journalist notes and stuff pertaining to an investigative journalist's journey to the truth behind the death of the daughter on an infamous horror film writer/director. Super cool, and I felt cool when I read it.

2. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews - I include this because SPOILER: the brother and sister do it.  However, this is not the first story I've read with incest, and tbh, it probably will not be the last.  Familial relationships are interesting developments (under different circumstances than being locked in a closet and poisoned by your grand/mother) all around, and it's a good detour to take once in a while from the usual fiction I read.  In case you're not familiar and you're fooled by the gross misrepresentation of the new cover, this is not a love story.  It's actually pretty fucking disturbing, the least of which is because of the incest.

3. God Save the Queen by Kate Locke (Immortal Empire Series) - So basically, a steampunk series wherein there are races of vampires, goblins, etc.  And it's pretty awesome.  I wish I had more to say about this but it's just so different (to me). While there is a pretty common trope involved (rich guy - well, vampire - falls in love with a regular girl - well, goblin queen), I felt like the rest was so unlike any book (supernatural or not) I'd read.

4. The Lunar Chronicles by Marisa Meyer - Ugh, I have so many feelings about why I love this series.  Maybe it's not unique, but I just feel like it has so many great aspects and ties to multiple genres that it just...makes me want to hug the books so tight and roll around on the floor.  Was that TMI?  I don't care I love it so!  It's not the most gripping set of books (so far), but the potential for greatness keeps me reading.  I am actually a little worried about the final book next year.  What if it doesn't blow my mind?!

5.The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Pretty sure this is the first dystopian novel I read (except pretending to read The Handmaid's Tale in high school).



6. The Fearless series by Francine Pascal - YA about a girl born without the fear gene. That's pretty cool, come on. I'm sure there was more involved but tbh I read this more than 10 years ago.  I LOVED it, though.

7. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - Sort of a fairy tale but like, super creepy.  Reminded me of Pan's Labyrinth in that way. Another dimension, scary creatures, an axe man, a revolution in kingdom that may or may not even exist.  Good stuff.

8. The Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson - As you can imagine, this is not your average autobiography.  I don't even know what made me pick it up, because I have never even had the desire at all to listen to Manson's music. I think I read this the same time I watched Bowling for Columbine where he speaks to accusations that his music is the reason these kids made their decisions and how the town cancelled his concert there but still allowed the NRA to have their convention/gun show the same week. I'm sure I thought "Hmm, how fascinating, better read up on him."  It's an insightful read.

Leave your TTT in the comments - I'd love to check it out!

Top Ten Tuesday #2 | Gateway Books

Yay to me for keeping with something for two whole blog posts!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week, the topic is Top Ten Five "Gateway" Books/Authors In My Reading Journey.

1. Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel

This is the first book I can remember reading, and it's about, you guessed it, potty training.  Well, it's not exactly about potty training - it's about using a potty and it's for the kid to read (or the parent to read to the kid). I actually loved this book and I read it for a while after I learned to use the bathroom.  It was like my bathroom reading of choice.  I was a weird kid.  I am dubbing this my gateway book into reading.

2. Daughters of the Moon Series by Lynne Ewing - Gateway to new releases/YA supernatural/fantasy genreThis was the series of books that introduced me into the supernatural/fantasy genre. I read these as they were released - not that I tracked them or anything (was there even the internet in 2000?) it just so happened that I went to the bookstore (in the mall) super frequently and checked for new books.  I also think these were the first books I had as hardcovers and I felt super fancy with them all next to each other on my bookshelf.

3. The Dallas Women's Guide to Gold-Digging With Pride: A Novel by J.C. Conklin - Gateway to Jennifer Crusie

The image for this book is just not working! I borrowed this book from the library during the summer of 2010.  This was the summer I didn't work or intern so I just sat around and after a while I couldn't take it any more so I went to the library.  It was like going into a new world because, hello, it's FREE. I'd never really perused the library for non-academic purposes before.  Anyway, this was the first contemporary romance I'd ever read (I think) and...it was pretty much the gateway into it because when I returned it the next book I borrowed was by Jennifer Crusie and, well, we all know how that ends.  (Hint: it doesn't ever end.)

4. Author Jennifer Crusie - Gateway to Contemporary Romance genreThe above blurb provides a jump-off point for me to wax poetic about the Great Jennifer Crusie.  Bet Me is one of my favorite books of all time. My goal is to read all of Jennifer's books.  After I read Bet Me read all of the Crusie books in my local library. I've read Crazy About You twice. I really should make more of an effort to reach my "author expert" goal. Maybe the April readathon...

5. The Dresden Files Series by Jim Butcher - Gateway to adult supernatural/fantasy genreMy dad bought me the first book in this series because I "like that Harry Potter guy so much."  I put off reading it for a while because, well, my dad has never really given me a book that I enjoyed reading.  He must've researched this series or something because I can't imagine how he came across it.  The series follows the life and times of Harry Dresden, a wizard in the Chicago area who sometimes consults with the Chicago P.D. on "weird" occurrences (aka supernatural shit). It's a really great world and Jim Butcher does a fantastic job building it without boring the shit out of me...like some horror/supernatural specialists we know. The books are not particularly thought provoking or complicated, but they are really interesting.  And ALSO - I was very, very pleased that Jim didn't try to force a romance into the storyline.  Any romance (if you could call it that) happens so naturally and amazingly in the background of every book.  

Top Ten Tuesday #1 | Bookish Bucket List

I'm always nervous to engage in a more regular posting schedule because I know I'm not gonna keep up with it - yikes!  But, here goes. 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week, the topic is Top Ten Things On My Bookish Bucket List.  So let's see how it goes!

1. Attend BookExpo America!  I think this would be so fun and such a great experience for all book lovers.

2. Don't know how it's gonna happen, but one year I'd freaking love to read 100 books.  How sweet would that be?  The downside would be that they'd likely have to be short books which means I'll have to finish GoT way before that.

3. What a great segue into finishing A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin before I die.  I've read A Game of Thrones and now obviously I'm "reading" A Clash of Kings. It's been like a year.

4. I'd also like to re-read the entire Harry Potter series.

5. Buying a Kindle has always been on my Bookish Bucket List and I was able to purchase one at the beginning of this month!

6. Read a book that truly scares me.  I don't want to make it seem like I'm trying to give myself nightmares but...I'm kinda trying to give myself nightmares.

7. I'd like to go to a book signing (really any book signing).  That experience seems like it'd be cool.  Except I don't like waiting on line so.  We'll see.

8. Regular blog posting, anyone?

9. So, most of my "reviews" on here have been lame because, let's face it, most of the books I'm reading have been lame.  I'd like to read a nice piece of literature and write a well thought, nicely developed book review.

10. Uh. Read all the unread books I own?  A girl can dream, right?


What's on your bookish bucket list?