Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by The Broke and the Bookish. A new top ten question is posed every week. I encourage you to start your own Top Ten Tuesday list. This week:

Top Ten Rebels In Literature (characters or authors)
Those people who stood up for what they believed in despite the cost of doing so.

1. Harry Potter - The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Ok, so this is partly because the final movie is next week, but really he is one of the biggest rebels in literature. He went against the Ministry of Magic to destroy an evil they didn't believe existed anymore.


2. Dumbledore - The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Where there is a Harry Potter rebel there is a Dumbledore rebel. He risked his position as Headmaster, getting sent away and replaced by the Ministry for supporting Harry. He risked his life to protect him and the wizarding world. And we come to realize he was a rebel even as a young adult.

3. Rose - The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
Rose is one of the biggest rebels there ever was. She drops out of school to protect her best friend, ignores any and all school rules, drops out of school again to hunt down someone special, ignores any and all Court rules, breaks someone out of jail, breaks herself out of jail, you name it she's done it.

4. Tris - The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth
Tris makes a choice that could and does change her entire life. In the process she has to hide who she really is because the secret about her is that she is designed to be a rebel by nature. And in the end she follows her rebel nature to its limits.

5. Claire - The Morganville series by Rachel Caine
She rebels against the vampire race, facing them down even when she's told not to. She tries to save them, but ends up challenging other vampires in the process. And she rebels against her own housemates when they try to keep her locked away in the house when she'd rather be out facing the world and taking everything as it comes.

6. Shane - The Morganville series by Rachel Caine
He rebels against the vampire race too, but as a hunter. His dad trained him to be a mole for insider knowledge to hunt them. But when his dad returns, he has to put that rebel nature behind him to rebel against his father to save his own life as well as the lives of the ones he loves.

7. Cassia - The Matched trilogy by Ally Condie
As she begins to learn the truth about the Society that she's grown up in and under the control of, she realizes that what she wants and what she believes in is something entirely different and she's willing to fight for that even if it means leaving everything behind and risking her life.

8. Alex - Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
He turns his back on his gang to be with the girl he's falling for and to protect his little brothers from meeting the same fate as him. He loses people he loves as the gang life dictates. And eventually he rebels entirely against the gang when he chooses to leave it and gets jumped out brutally.

9. Frankie - The Monster High series by Lisi Harrison
She only has a month of life behind her while her friends have years, but she doesn't want to hide who she really is behind normie makeup and doesn't want her friends to hide either. She wants equality between normies and RADs (monsters). While she doesn't exactly succeed in her attempts, she isn't entirely failing either. It's just a continuing pile of drama as she rebels and convinces others to rebel with her one-by-one.


10. Percy - The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Rebel against the gods? Always. He rebels against his father for "abandoning" him. He rebels against Zeus for believing him to be a thief. He rebels against Camp Halfblood when they tell him he can't leave camp and he knows he's the only one that can do the quest no matter what they say. He knows what he has to do and learns what he's capable of in the process and doesn't let anyone hold him back.



I like rebels. I think that's why dystopian societies are starting to grow on me because they are full of rebels. Rebels make books more fun! And I try to be a rebel in my own right every day!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by The Broke and the Bookish. A new top ten question is posed every week. I encourage you to start your own Top Ten Tuesday list. This week:

Top Ten Reasons I Love Being A Book Blogger/Bookish Person

1. Knowing that somewhere out there are other people that love books as much as I do, and one day having the opportunity to share this love for books with them.

2. Going to the movies and being in on information that was left out of the movies, but that we all know is so important to the plot ;)

3. Learning author styles I admire and hope to emulate in my own writing.

4. Likewise, seeing through blogs what everyone else is into so that I know what my writing path should be (and possible future reader pool).

5. Knowing that I can go to my favorite blogs to find suggestions on books I wouldn't necessarily have picked up on my own while also knowing that I'm recommending books that others may not have picked up otherwise.

6. Practically living at the library. (I've got my job interest card in there, but they are never hiring.) It's quiet and comforting and peaceful. Who could resist that? And...I can drop my son off in the kids computer lab for even more peace :)

7. Escape. I love that when I'm in a horrible mood I can pick up a book and escape to some other place. And...true story: My grandma asked what I was doing this summer out of school, I said reading because that's what I do every summer to catch up on what I missed, she said I should be getting out of the house and actually do something, I said I didn't want to spend the money to leave the house when I could travel wherever I wanted with a new book. Haha, at least I leave every now and then to go pick up another library book!

8. Seeing how excited my son is about reading. He can finally read some picture books on his own and he wants me to start reading him chapter books without pictures. Shock! We've already bought Peter Pan to attempt this summer.

9. Meeting some really amazing guys! I don't care if they don't exist. I mean it sucks that all my favorite guys are fictional characters, but at least it shows me the kind of guy I'd love to have in my life one day, setting standards and all that...

10. And blogwise...keeping track of what I'm reading (and my thoughts on it). Looking at my blog I always feel a sense of accomplishment for all that I've read, it stands as a sort of trophy, and reminds me why I love reading and writing.

Top Ten Tuesday

I haven't been around in a while because of school, but it's about time I get back in the swing of things. What better way that a Top Ten Tuesday?


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by The Broke and the Bookish. A new top ten question is posed every week. I encourage you to start your own Top Ten Tuesday list. This week:

Top Ten Settings In Books
(All those real or imagined locations/worlds you loved reading about OR settings you think would be perfect in a book)

1. Boarding schools!
Who doesn't love a good book with a boarding school? Harry Potter, Vampire Academy, The Catcher and the Rye.... Young adults without parental supervision makes for the best stories.

2. The South.
I love to see how authors portray the Southern accents in their writing. Now, I'm from the South, but where I'm at, there isn't a Southern accent like the rest of Texas or rest of the South East USA. But I love a good accent (read: British, Italian, Australian, you get the picture), and something about Southern accents makes my heart swell. Maybe it's Southern hospitality and the idea of Rhett Butler. Yeah, I'll go with that.

3. West Coast.
I've only been on the West Coast once, but I'll never forget it. It's not like I can see the beach on a regular basis and I love books where I get to imagine being on the beach all the time, lying in the sand, feeling the waves wash over me. Especially when reading a summer book in the winter.

4. The forest.
Even if a book isn't a magical fantasy novel, I still imagine fairies and elves and such. A forest is an enchanting place full of magic and wonder all on its own. Even if it's filled with big bad wolves and murderous rampages, there is still something engaging in it.

5. Local.
I like books that are set where I'm at locally. Right on the Mexican-American border in the middle of the desert. Who doesn't like reading about home when you're from a small seemingly unrecognized place and you're reading a book that has national or even international appeal? I love when I hear El Paso, Texas in comedy sketches, Food Network shows, etc. and it stands even more so in books that last well beyond media.

Ok, since I was more general with my answers I couldn't make ten this time around, but still good to be back in the swing of things. And hooray for summer, I'm blowing through books like there is no tomorrow and the librarians are wondering why I'm there almost every day, haha :)

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by The Broke and the Bookish. A new top ten question is posed every week. I encourage you to start your own Top Ten Tuesday list. This week:

Top Ten Authors That Deserve More Recognition
This is an easy one for me. You want to know my answer?

All of them!

As an aspiring author myself I don't feel like enough writers get the recognition they deserve. A big part of that is also a issue of genres.

Many of us YA bloggers know the effects of being "caught" reading YA in a group of people who deem us as incompetent or childish because of our book choice. Of course with an experience like that there is no doubt to why YA authors don't get the credit they deserve.

I've done a research paper on feminist criticism in writing and found that female authors still don't receive the respect they deserve because the world is still vastly male dominated whether we want to admit it or not. And yet, majority of readers seem to be females. So there is the under-appreciated chick-lit genre for you.

In general I think that genres and the authors within them need more respect, their appeal needs to be expressed, and what better way than book review blogs. It is the bloggers that gain more recognition for deserving authors and I hope that one day when I finally publish that all the bloggers out there will spread my name on their top ten lists.

Happy Tuesday everyone! I went more psychological than straight list this week, but it was something I was more passionate about ;)

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by The Broke and the Bookish. A new top ten question is posed every week. I encourage you to start your own Top Ten Tuesday list. This week:

Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves
(all those things that annoy you in a story, with book covers, bookstores, etc)

Oh I can't express just how much I love this topic. As shown by my bio I definitely have a number 1 pet peeve and now I can think about others that really get to me.

1. Bookstore section titles (aka "Teen" rather than "Young Adult")

Look at the variety of book blogs on the internet and you'll discover that women between 20-40 LOVE young adult books. People of all ages really. And when I walk into an aisle labeled "Teen" I feel like I'm out of place and should be embarrassed. It has gotten to the point that I'll refuse to shop at places that label their young adult section as such.

2. Typos.

I don't mind a few. Sometimes it's just unavoidable. J.K. Rowling had her share. I loved that when reading Glass Houses by Rachel Caine I only found one typo in the entire book. Bravo! However, there is one book series that I couldn't forgive and I won't list. There were multiple glaring typos. And sentence structure? Hor-ri-ble! Example: "the glass's shattered surface," no thanks I hate pluralizing inanimate objects, let's try "the shattered surface of the glass" please.

3. Slow and unexciting first half.

There are two books I have read so far that I almost put down until I got to the middle. The first was because the writing was juvenile and hard to follow. An elementary student could have written it better. However, by the middle of the book I was hooked IN the story and stopped caring. The second, is Matched, in which I was stuck in not knowing what was going on until the middle of the book and the drama finally arrived and again I stopped caring about everything else. The whole point of a book is to catch the reader's attention as quickly as possible, that failed, and both are lucky that I have an inability to put down a book even if I have to force myself through it, and even luckier that they eventually won my heart.

4. Too many issues that don't get resolved.

I was in love with a series that I didn't want to put down. That is, until the third book. The first book was cut and dry--introduce drama, resolve it, leave opening for sequel, done. The second book same thing with a reasonable cliff hanger ending as well. Book three? Waiting for the cliff hanger drama to resolve and then another dramatic plot twist is introduce, still waiting for first twist to resolve, third major plot twist introduced, one chapter left in book and first twist is finally resolved, and then it ends. I'm sitting there going "WHAT?!" The fourth book comes out and at that point I didn't even want to read it, but I did. The two remaining plot twists were resolved near the end of that book and another introduced, and a linger of a twist from book two I might add. Book five came out last summer, it's still sitting on my shelf, any wonder why?

5. Picking up where we left off.

Doesn't sound like a bad thing, right? Then let me explain. Most books when you pick up a sequel and you're reading through it, the author reminds you of background info, details from the past books, etc. Now I used to hate this because I was reading a series all at once and didn't need the reminders. And then I came to a point in which a series I was reading didn't have a subsequent book until a year and a half later and I realized that those reminders were pretty awesome because I don't usually re-read something. Then one day I picked up a sequel book to one I had read a year or two before and it started right in the middle of the action where the other one left off. I have NO idea what was going on and realize I have to re-read the first one if I even want to know. Thanks for the waste of time, I have other books to read.

6. Cliff hanger chapters.

I don't necessarily mind cliff hanger endings because then I'm excited about the next book even though I'm impatient as well. However, cliff hangers at the end of chapters? Not so good. I read before bed, only a chapter or two at a time. And then there are books where I reach my two chapter limit and it's a freaking cliff hanger so I start reading the next chapter, and then it happens again and gah next thing I know three hours have passed and I have to get up in only a couple hours. Many times I've been forced to stop in the middle of a chapter, which I hate, just to avoid the cliff hanger and get to sleep.

7. Real people on book covers.

I can't imagine characters the way I want when that happens. And many times the person on the front of the book has absolutely nothing in common with the descriptions in the book. Example: Rachel Caine said that for one of the books from her Morganville series the cover was shown to her including a girl with pink hair, she couldn't argue so for it to make sense she added a scene at the end of the book where the main character wears a pink wig. I would rather have an artistic cover with filigree or such. My favorite cover: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I love the cover for their sequel too.

8. Photoshopped covers that look like an amateur did on the first try.

I totally judge a book by its cover. If the cover looks amateur I imagine the writing is too and I have no need to read it. Even if I see a review or recommendation for the book that is wonderful I will question its integrity.

9. A series that starts in paperback and then suddenly the next one is hardcover.

I like my books to match thank you very much. I began reading the Harry Potter series in paperback because they were cheap and once I was hooked I gave all my paperback copies to a young girl I knew and went out and invested in the hardcovers so that everything would match and look great on my shelf. I have one series in which the first three books were released in paperback, the next two in hardcover, now my shelf is uneven, but I don't feel like going out and buying the paperback versions when they come out almost a year later. Another has similar numbers. And I've seen others that have the first six to eight books in paperback and then suddenly a hardcover.

10. Uneven prices.

When a book comes out I can find it at Walmart for around $3 off the cover price. Yet Barnes & Noble sticks to the cover price like they're afraid of sale stickers. And then they wonder why they're losing business. Even Amazon has much cheaper prices and often even with the shipping they come out cheaper than B&N. Especially with their pre-orders when they refund you the difference if the price drops even more after you already pre-ordered. While I love sale prices, I wish that they'd be more even so I wouldn't have to troll the internet and Walmart for the books I want just so I don't have to sacrifice the extra money and gas for a trip to B&N.

Well I didn't think I'd make it to ten, but look at that I did. This industry is insane. And you know what, I want to add a.....

Runner-up: Kindle/e-books
The price isn't much different than the price for the book itself and you know what it's easier to read from a page than it is for me to read from a screen. I like having a bookshelf to look at everyday instead of a "playlist" of sorts.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by The Broke and the Bookish. A new top ten question is posed every week. I encourage you to start your own Top Ten Tuesday list. This week:

Top Ten Book Characters I'd Want as Family Members

Great topic. An easier one would be what characters we wouldn't want as family members haha. There are so many that I would love to have in my life for real.

1. Holden from The Catcher in the Rye.
I wouldn't be the only crazy one in the family and that support might keep us both sane.

2. Rose from the Vampire Academy series.
Her strength is contagious. And a lot of the time her Rose-logic reminds me of my own.

3. Sally Jackson from The Lightning Thief.
Best Mom EVER. All the sacrifices she made for him were heartwarming.

4. Riley from The Immortals series (by Alyson Noel).
Ghost or not, she'd be an awesome little sister. The right amount of snark and sweetness.

5. Ky from Matched.
I want to be the one to support him and tell him everything will be alright. I think he'd be a great brother.

6. Shane from The Morganville Vampires series.
He proved to be an awesome big brother and protector. And I love how laidback he is. Besides, who doesn't want to try his famous chili? :)

7. Michael from The Morganville Vampires series.
Yes, I know, same book. Clare is lucky to have two awesome guys that have her back. And I have a thing for acoustic music, the guitar relaxes me so much.

8. The Weasleys from the Harry Potter series.
Oh yeah I want all of them as family. They represent the epic, loving, supportive family.

9. Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series.
Another book repeat, so sue me. He'd be the best crazy grandpa ever! With an affinity for candy!

10. The Cullens from the Twilight series.
Another solid family I'd want as my own. I love vampires and a family full of them would be awesome. They all have such amazing and vastly different personalities that would be interesting to get to know. And I've always loved Alice, she's sweet and spunky and fun for all.

Well now I'm a little sad. At the end of the list we realize they never could really be part of our families. The whole reason I read young adult fantasy is escape reality, and at the end of every book I feel a sense of loss of the people and the world I have come to love and feel a part of. It's okay though, there is always the next book to read and lose myself in, and I'm off to do that now.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by The Broke and the Bookish. A new top ten question is posed every week. I encourage you to start your own Top Ten Tuesday list. This week:

Top Ten Dynamic Duos (those bffs, partners in crimes, or powerful couples that you just can't forget about)

1. Rose and Dimitri -- The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
They remind me it's possible to find that true love, the perfect match that knows you instead and out, that anticipates your moves and words, that compliments you. I need my own Dimitri :)

2. Harry and Ron -- The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Sure, Hermione had the brains that kept them in check, but it was the dedication in their friendship that really made it work, with or without her. Who else would suffer through the Yule Ball with you while the girls you really want are with others guys? Your best friend that's who.

3. Ennis and Jack -- Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
I think this duo speaks for itself. I still cry every single time I read the story and feel a deeper layer of their love each reading. I love these boys and I don't need to hide it with a fishing trip.

4. Stickboy and Matchgirl -- The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories by Tim Burton
Yes, that's right, Tim Burton. I discovered this book a decade ago and I have never been able to put it down. It is morbid and beautiful, and with its simple rhymes I read it to my son as nursery rhymes from the day he was born. Stickboy and Matchgirl were my favorite characters and their story is hot and destructive, like most seem to be.

5. Holden and Phoebe -- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
This book will forever be one of my favorites just as Holden will forever tug at my heart. Phoebe looks up to her big brother as a savior and in turn it is Phoebe that saves Holden. Love in its purest form.

6. Claire and Shane -- Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
His protection of her is fierce and her strength in his stupidity is hilarious. Their romance is so wrong and so right at the same time. It gives me the warm, gooey chills and keeps me rooting for them.

7. Percy and Annabeth -- The Last Olympians series by Rick Riordan
While the love-hate relationship thing might be cliche, it works for them and they compliment each other in so many ways. Just as Athena and Poseidon worked together to create horses, these two can achieve great things when they stop bickering and put their heads together.

8. Clare and Henry -- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I usually say the book is better than the movie, but this was only one exception as the movie was immensely better. It's hard to get emotion across during time travel without movie cut scenes and honestly the book felt like it was droning on at some points. HOWEVER, their love is a love for the ages and after all they went through together their love was strong, so strong she waited for him all her life to meet her in the future.

9. Ever and Damen -- The Immortal series by Alyson Noel
It's easier to name the challenges this couple doesn't face. Their lives seem to be eternally against them and nothing will stop to get out of the way. But despite the challenges, past lives continue to meet and connect hoping that this time will finally work out right...or will it?

10. Victor and his monster -- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Each is the driving force of the other. The monster is bent on destroying Victor's life for denying him love and Victor is bent on destroying the monster he created. Their lives are so intertwined that they almost can't live without the other. It's Victor's dedication to his mission that takes his life metaphorically and literally.


This was a good week. So many duos so little time. I can't wait to get to my next stack of books to discover more dynamic duos that'll warm me to the core! :)

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by The Broke and the Bookish. A new top ten question is posed every week. I encourage you to start your own Top Ten Tuesday list. This week:

Top Ten Books I Just HAD to Buy...But Are Still Sitting on My Bookshelf

1. Prom Nights from Hell by Meyer, Harrison, Cabot, Myracle, and Jaffe
(impulse purchase at Sam'sClub)

2. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

3. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

4. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

5. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

6. Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast

7. Evernight by Claudia Gray

8. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

9. Old Magic by Marianne Curley

10. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

This list does not include all the classics I bought at B&N's buy 2 get 1 free sale: Austen, Tolstoy, Carroll...


Notable mentions are series' I'm in the middle of and haven't read the latest release, yet I had pre-ordered the copies a year in advance:
Radiance and Night Star by Alyson Noel
Beautiful Darkness by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia