Top Ten Tuesdays #4

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Top 10 9 Books I'd Hand to Someone Who Says They Don't Like To Read

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (duh! this appears on ALL my lists haha) But seriously it's so full of adventure it's sure to pull in the reluctant reader.
2. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert I know I know it isn't 2008 anymore, but it seems everyone who reads the books loves it. Plus, I cannot get enough of travel memoirs. It's like a whole new level of escapist reading because someone went out and actually did these incredible things.
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett Another one of those books that seem to span across the board and yes I am aware of the controversy but it still seems to evoke good strong feelings out of people.
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Intriguing, interesting, and so full of depth. There is something for every level or taste of reader.
5. The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling If there are people still left on earth who haven't read them, then yes I will give them these books to read.
6. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Now *this* is a book. Wonderfully written and is so unique with a beautiful story underneath.
7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon I have not met a person who has read this and didn't like. Good enough for me.
8. The Outsiders by SE Hinton When I think of classics and YA, this book is front and center, like a cornerstone of great lit. It is a cryin' shame if kids don't get to experience this book.
9. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen This book is pure love. It's whimsical and full of joy. I don't always read uplifting book but when I do, it's this one.

 

Top Ten Tuesday #3

This week was a freebie!

I went with Top Ten YA feminist friendly novels.

Disclaimer: These are only ones I have read and make my inner feminist squeal with delight, where as a lot of books makes my inner feminist squirm or yell obscenities. I have plenty more that are recommended to me by feminist friends and bloggers, but alas I have not read them therefore I cannot attest to their strength to be on this list.

My criteria was pretty simple. The female characters are the focus of the story. The MC is proactive in her life and decision making. She is full of action and established personality not in relation to male characters. Gender norms are broken or challenged. They are not Mary Sues.   

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
3. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
4. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
5. Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block
6. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
7. The Book Theif by Makus Zusak
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan 
10. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

"When your only female character exists to be bartered and abused, that is lazy writing. When you raise the stakes by threatening a woman with rape, that is lazy writing. When you demonstrate the “seriousness” of a situation by describing a brutal rape, that is lazy writing. When you inject emotion into a flagging scene by making the man throw the woman against the wall, that is lazy writing. Not only is it lazy writing, but when rape is used lightly and cheaply as a convenient narrative device, it hurts people.
Try harder." - Monica Byrne

Top Ten Tuesday #2

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read Young Adult

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Duh. This is a no-brainer. I believe this has made a believer out of many.
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It truly is a cross-over book.
   
3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore. This breaks free of stereotypical associatations with teen books.
4. I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier. Aaaahhh. This book is so good and timeless.
5. Unwind by Neal Shusterman. Original and suspense and amazing.
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Emotional and real no matter what age.
7. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was a game changer for the genre. 
8. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. The writing. The characters. The setting. Perfect.
9. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. No words. I can't.
10. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Dark, disturbing, and daring.

A great young adult book makes the teenage reader feel like an adult, and the adult reader feel like a teenager again.

Top Ten Tuesday #1

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

 Top Ten Five Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

1.  Stephen Chbosky - He wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It shook my 14 year old self to the core. It was life changing. I can't even put into words how this book makes me feel, it makes me feel EVERYTHING. I would read anything, any other book he wrote.
2. Emily Bronte - Only wrote the epic genius that is Wuthering Heights. I have no doubt that if she hadn't died so young any other book would have shown incredible depths of characters and human nature.
3. Suzanne Collins- Come on woman! I KNOW you have it in you! Dazzle and amaze us one more time!
4. Laura Whitcomb - I read both her books. One was so beautiful and amazing, and the other I didn't care for at all. But that's alright. I love A Certain Slant of Light so infinitely that I would read another by her in a heart beat.
5. J. K. Rowling - I would be there release day for whatever she chose to write next with bells on!

I could only think if five!