Top Ten Tuesday | She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds'; this includes characters who read, characters who write, characters who work in a bookstore... You get the idea.

This will be my last TTT post for a few weeks, as I'm going on a sort-of hiatus to get some much needed writing done!

Oddly enough I did struggle with this list a little. I have a lot of books about readers on my shelves, but I haven't read a lot of them yet; Among Others by Jo Walton, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly are all books I still need to read.

While I often find myself reading about readers, I think writers have a tendency to gravitate towards readers, I also read a lot of books about people with other interests. As an avid reader I already know what it's like to be an avid reader, so I like to read about people who enjoy music and maths and science and food.

Anyway, in the end I actually ended up with eleven rather than ten. I tried to narrow it down, but I didn't want to cut any of these characters from my list!

So let's get the most obvious choice over with first...

Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: Of course Hermione was going to be on this list, and I wanted to include her because she seems to read more nonfiction than fiction, particularly while she's at Hogwarts. I don't read about enough characters who enjoy reading history books and academic books, so I couldn't leave Hermione out!

Jo March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: Jo reads and writes voraciously, and she's always been one of my favourite classic heroines because of it. The book can be a little sickly sweet at times but I love the March sisters, and I particularly love the 1994 adaptation starring Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon and Christian Bale!

Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey is a fairly recent read for me, and I loved Catherine's obsession with Gothic Literature. I ended up studying a lot of Gothic while I was at university, so it was fun to revisit so many of the tropes with Catherine. I'd love to think that if Catherine were to live in the 21st century she'd be a big SFF fan, dragging Henry Tilney to Comic Con so they can cosplay as Han and Leia.

Sebastian from Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Did you really think I was going to miss an opportunity to mention this book? You thought wrong! I fell in love with Meche and Sebastian when I read this book, and it was nice to see Meche as the science-minded character while Sebastian took up the role of book lover, as so often it's women who are portrayed as artsy and men who are portrayed as logical.

Dee from Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and Stjepan Šejić: I think any introverted book-lover could relate to Dee who, while at a party, was much more interested in reading her book than being hit on.

Haroun from Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie: If you haven't read this book then I highly recommend that you do, especially if you're a fan of retellings and books about books. Haroun learns to love stories all over again when he goes on an adventure to save the Sea of Stories, which is being poisoned and putting his father Rashid, a storyteller, out of business.

Matilda Wormwood from Matilda by Roald Dahl: Matilda is another character who just had to be on this list. I think Roald Dahl will always be remembered as one of the best children's authors of all time, and one of the reasons he was so brilliant was because he wrote for everyone. Not only is Matilda a fun story, but it's also a deeply hopeful story for the people in this world who, sadly, are born into families that just don't appreciate them.

Lirael from Lirael by Garth Nix: Another introverted bookworm, I first read Lirael when I was around fourteen and I've loved The Old Kingdom series ever since. Both Lirael and Sabriel are quite bookish, but Lirael is similar to Matilda in that books help her to feel less alone.

Dash from Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: Really I could have used Dash and Lily for this, but I decided to go with Dash because, if I remember correctly, he liked to collect dictionaries. If that's not a book nerd then I don't know what is!

Maddy Whittier from Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: When you're allergic to basically everything and you can't leave the house, you have a lot of time to read.

Mo Folchart from the Inkworld trilogy by Cornelia Funke: There were so many characters I could have picked from this series for this topic, but I ended up going with Mo because he was one of my favourites. It certainly doesn't hurt that I picture him like Brendan Fraser in my head. (Yes, I know, the film adaptation was terrible, but Brendan Fraser is very pretty, okay?)

Who made your list?

Top Ten Tuesday | Are you still okay?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Characters You'd Like To Check In With', which basically means ten characters you'd like to visit to see how they're doing now that their story is over! I had a lot of fun compiling this list, especially as many of the characters mentioned are characters from my childhood.

I'm probably going to be mentioning spoilers in this post, even if they're only little, because it's very hard to talk about characters after a book or series has finished without giving away a little of the ending. So if you haven't read any of the books or series that I mention and you want to, please be wary of that!

Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: I'm going to be very surprised if this guy isn't on pretty much everyone's list - or at least everyone who's a fan of Harry Potter. To be honest it'd be nice to make sure all the characters I love are okay. Or at least the ones who survived the final book. But it's Harry in particular I want to check on. I know, thanks to the epilogue, that we know he's okay, but after the horrible childhood he had, followed by some tumultuous years at school, I just want to sit back and watch him do mundane things that people have to do when they become husbands and fathers. Strange, I know, but nothing would make me happier than seeing him just hanging out with his kids, and being part of a loving family like he always wanted.

Sabriel from The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix: To be honest I'd like to check in on Lirael, too, but considering Sabriel basically got to become the queen when she married Touchstone I think checking in on her would be a lot of fun. I'd love to spend the day watching her go about her duties like the absolute babe she is, and if Touchstone and Mogget are there then I'd be even happier!

Nobody Owens from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: I only read The Graveyard Book last year but it's quickly become one of my favourites. I just want to make sure Bod's alright and that he's managed to make a life for himself after leaving the graveyard and all his friends and family in it.

Johanna Mason from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: Is it just me or does Johanna just... disappear by the end of Mockingjay? I can completely understand why Suzanne Collins couldn't write an epilogue detailing where everyone was and how they were doing, but as Johanna is one of my favourites in the series I'd love to know that she's alright; that she managed to find some sort of peace, and maybe that she spent her days travelling around Panem, smashing the patriarchy.

Connie Goodwin from The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe: I'm pretty sure, if I remember correctly, that Connie's part of this story takes place in 1991 (the year I was born, woo!) meaning if I were to check in on her now she'd be in her 40s, approaching her 50s. I'd just like to see how her life has been so far, and if she managed to come to terms with her powers and produce any magical daughters of her own. With Sam, hopefully, who is one of my book boyfriends because I imagine him as exceedingly hot.

Callie Rose Hadley from the Noughts & Crosses series by Malorie Blackman: Wow, Callie's early life is one real roller-coaster ride. This series is amazing, and if you haven't read it yet then I highly recommend that you do. From what I remember I'm pretty sure Callie wanted to go on to study law and improve their shitty justice system, and I'd just love to see if that's what she did or if, like so many of us, her dreams changed.

Dolphin Westward from The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson: As with pretty much all the characters on this list, I just want to make sure Dolphin's okay. She was in foster care when we left her, and I'd love to know that her Mum got better and that Dolphin was well taken care of and that, hopefully, she managed to have a regular relationship with her Dad and his family.

Queen Violante from the Inkworld trilogy by Cornelia Funke: I loved this trilogy when I first read it - it's so imaginative and the characters are such fun - but it was Violante I loved most. By the end of Inkdeath the crown was hers and the people had grown to love her, so I'd jump at the chance to see how her reign is going - well, I hope!

Minerva from Pirates! by Celia Rees: Pirates! is the book I have to thank for my love of historical fiction. I read it back during my pre-teen days and loved it, and in particular I loved Minerva. It's been a while since I read it, but from what I can recall she was pregnant by the end of the book. I'd just love to check in on her and see how she and her little pirate family are doing.

Neil Parker from the Puppy Patrol series by Jenny Dale: When I wasn't reading Roald Dahl, Grimm's Fairy Tales or this huge dinosaur encyclopedia I used to constantly get out the library, I was reading animal books. I was an animal nut when I was little, and to me the Parker's life was a dream; Neil's parents owned a kennels, meaning he and his sisters were surrounded by dogs. I loved reading about their adventures when I was little, and I'd love to know what they'd be up to as adults.

Which books made your list?

F is for Funke | Blogging from A to Z

Inkheart
by Cornelia Funke

I first read Inkheart when I was 16, and I found a copy of it in a little independent bookstore while on holiday in Scotland. I remember that holiday fondly - we went to the Edinburgh Dungeon, which was so much fun - and I was incredibly pleased to finally have my hands on a copy of this book. It was one of those books I'd always been aware of, I'd just never read it. I don't know why, either, because I love books about books very much.

To this day I still love the Inkworld trilogy, and I've often thought of re-reading it along with many of the other series from my teens I'd like to revisit, although sadly I no longer have my copy of Inkheart. From what I can remember one of my sisters borrowed it, and neither of them are particularly good at looking after my stuff. As I'm sure you can imagine I'm pretty gutted not to have it, especially as I got it on that great holiday, but I do still have my copies of Inkspell and Inkdeath sitting safely on my shelf. I should probably replace my copy of Inkheart at some point, but I'm still holding out hope that one day I'll find my first copy.

Jess Suggests | Middle Grade

Last month I read two middle grade books - Malkin Child and Witch Hill - and they got me thinking about some of the books I loved reading when I was younger; books which I still love to read now. So today I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite middle grade books, books I think readers of any age can enjoy!

Skellig

by David Almond

When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain. Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital. But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael's world changes for ever . . .

Skellig was the first ever book I was assigned to read in secondary school - when I was around eleven/twelve years old - and it's been one of my all time favourite books ever since. Something about this story seems to pull in everyone who reads it; I don't think I've met a single person who's read this book and forgotten about it. This book is gorgeous, and I highly recommend it!

Inkheart

by Cornelia Funke

Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

Characters from books literally leap off the page in this engrossing fantasy. Meggie has had her father to herself since her mother went away when she was young. Mo taught her to read when she was five, and the two share a mutual love of books. He can "read" characters out of books. When she was three, he read aloud from a book called Inkheart and released characters into the real world. At the same time, Meggie's mother disappeared into the story.

I feel like the Inkworld Trilogy isn't talked about enough in the book community, which is especially confusing when we take into account that this is a book about books! Inkheart, like a few of the other books on this list, is often classed as YA rather than middle grade, but personally this trilogy doesn't feel like a YA trilogy to me. It has a very middle grade feel to it, and I mean that in the best possible way. A lot of YA nowadays is romance heavy, but this book is nothing short of an adventure book; it's the kind of story that will remind you why you love reading - give it a try if you haven't already!

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean

by Justin Somper

Conor and Grace are twins, recently orphaned after their widowed father's death. Rather than being adopted by the town's busy-bodies, they decide to set sail in their father's last possession, his sailing boat. But a vicious storm sees their boat capsize and the twins are separated. Two mysterious ships sail to their rescue - each picking up one twin before disappearing into the mist. Conor wakes to find himself on a pirate ship and is soon being trained up with a cutlass. Meanwhile Grace finds herself locked in a darkened room, as the vampirates wait for night to fall and their feasting to begin... Determined to find each other, yet intrigued by their new shipmates, the twins are about to embark on the biggest adventure of their lives...

This book is just so much fun! It might not be a literary masterpiece or a stunning piece of writing, but it's a fast-paced, action-packed story, and frankly I refuse to believe that everything we read has to leave us with some powerful message. Sometimes we just need to read something fun and enjoy it - this book is great if you're in the mood for an adventure!

The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors.

The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. One day, with the help of two unexpected companions, she discovers a way in. Is everything in the garden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life?

This book is a classic, and I just had to include it on this list because I guarantee that you can enjoy this book whether you're six or sixty! This story is nothing short of lovely, and as well as being one of my favourite children's books, it's one of my favourite classics, too. In fact this book is a great place to start if you're intimidated by classics, or if you're a younger reader who's looking to start reading them!

Holes

by Louis Sachar

Camp Greenlake is a place for bad boys, where the belief is: "if you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." When Stanley Yelnats, accused and found guilty of a crime he did not commit, is sent to Camp Greenlake he really doesn't think it can be so bad. Stanley and his family try to pretend that he is just going away to camp like the rich kids do, and he promises to write to them every day. But the harsh realities of the camp, and the evil Warden with her lizard-venom impregnated fingernails with her own reasons for making the boys in her charge dig so many holes, sometimes make dying seem like a great idea. When Stanley leaves the camp to go in search of his friend Zero, their journey towards freedom becomes a battle with hunger, thirst and heat in the shadow of Big Thumb--a mountain so entwined in Stanley's own family history that he knows if they can reach it they will somehow find salvation.

We started with a book I read in secondary school, so I thought it was fitting that we end with another. Like Skellig, there's something about Holes that just seems to stick with everyone who reads it. This story has so many layers; it'll make you laugh as much as it'll make you cry, and stay with you for years to come. The film adaptation is also worth a watch! 

Have you read any of the books on my list? What are some of your favourite middle grade books?

J.

Top 5 | Worst Book Adaptations

From Harry Potter to The Great Gatsby, over the past few years book adaptations have been absolutely everywhere. I've already done two previous posts in which I talk about my ten favourite adaptations, so now I think it's time that we address those adaptations that we wish had never been made in the first place.

This post isn't meant to be cruel or to make fun of anyone's tastes, these are just my five worst book adaptations!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

dir. Chris Columbus

Based on The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

First up we have Chris Columbus's adaptation of the first book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.

Now I have to admit I haven't actually read any of the Percy Jackson books. Yet. I actually started The Lightning Thief some time last year and I really enjoyed the chapters I read, but then my dissertation got in the way and I just haven't returned to it. While I have yet to really read the series, the chapters I did read were enough to tell me that the film isn't a very faithful adaptation.

That being said, I do actually like this film! If I watch it and forget it was a book first it's a lot of fun - something easy to watch on the nights when I just want to relax and not think. Even so, as much as it might be a fun film, it's not a good adaptation.

Inkheart (2008)

dir. Iain Softley

Based on Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

In many ways this adaptation of the first book in Cornelia Funke's Inkworld trilogy is the same as the Percy Jackson adaptations. If you forget about the books entirely and just watch this film then it's an enjoyable film; I remember seeing the film advertised in the cinema before I'd even heard of the books and I thought it looked really cool, but thankfully I read the trilogy before I watched it.

The main reason this book has made my list is because I love the Inkworld trilogy. I discovered it during my teens and I absolutely adored it; Funke's worldbuilding is fantastic and her characters are beautifully written (though I have to admit Meggie becomes less and less of a main protagonist after the first book). So when the film adaptation was relatively weak in comparison and the ending ruined the possibility of them making adaptations of the second and third books, I was so disappointed.

There's so much in this trilogy that I actually think it would make a brilliant TV series instead!

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

dir. Mel Stuart

Based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Whenever I tell someone I prefer Tim Burton's adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I'm usually met with gaping mouths and cries of: 'but the 70's adaptation is a classic!'

I, however, really cannot stand this adaptation. Why? Because rather than telling the story of a little boy whose luck finally changes when he finds the last golden ticket, this film is basically 'The Gene Wilder Show'. The fact that the name in the title has been changed is proof enough of that.

For me the 2005 adaptation is a lot more bizarre, fun and true to the original story. Obviously I don't expect an exact replica of a book when I sit down to watch an adaptation, but this film really takes the biscuit. It's also worth mentioning that Roald Dahl himself disowned this film, claiming that he was disappointed with the lack of emphasis on Charlie.

Eragon (2006)

dir. Stefen Fangmeier

Based on Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Do I really need to say anything?

I'm not a fan of Eragon. I tried reading the book a few years ago and I managed to get about three quarters of the way through before I just had to put it down. Whenever I've told fans of the Inheritance Cycle this they've often told me that the series gets especially good from the second book onwards, but I'm not the kind of reader who appreciates having to 'just get through' the first book before I can start to enjoy the story. I could be reading something else!

Having said that, even though I've never finished the book even I can recognise that this adaptation is just appalling. Like Percy Jackson and Inkheart, if you forget that this is an adaptation you can sit down and enjoy it on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but even then it's still a pretty bad film.

I really do feel sorry for fans of the Inheritance Cycle.

Birdsong (2012)

dir. Philip Martin

Based on Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

Unlike the other adaptations on this list, this adaptation of Birdsong is a two-part BBC drama. And it's terrible.

If you haven't read Birdsong then I can't recommend it highly enough, and now that we're honouring the 100 year anniversary of WW1 it's the perfect time to read it. It's a story that takes place both in France during WW1 and in England during the 70's. In France we follow a soldier called Stephen Wraysford through his harrowing experiences, and in the 70's we follow Elizabeth, his granddaughter, who is trying to learn more about the war.

It's one of those stories that will haunt you forever. Every now and then it creeps back into your mind and it's just stunning.

So when I discovered the BBC were doing an adaptation I was both excited and extremely nervous. Then I watched it, and was devastatingly disappointed. So much so that I didn't bother watching the second part. Honestly, the majority of the first part was just Eddie Redmayne and Clemence Poesy staring at each other in what I think was supposed to be sexual frustration, but looked more like constipation. I wasn't a fan of the casting either; Redmayne looks nothing like the Stephen I imagined while I was reading.

Out of all the adaptations on this list this one is definitely my least favourite - just seeing the cover makes me grumpy.

So those are my least favourite book adaptations, what are yours?

J.