Top Ten Tuesday | Characters Who Need Their Own Books

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 out more about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Characters You Wish Would Get Their OWN Book' and I really struggled this week, which is odd because a lot of the time I find myself growing attached to side characters more than I do to main characters. So today I only have six, although three of them are grouped together so I guess technically I do have ten people...

Anyway, here my my Top Ten Six!

The Four Founders from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: I know a lot of people say they want a series set in the Marauders Era, and while I'd certainly buy and read those books if Rowling ever decided to write them I can understand why she never will; we already know what happens to James and Lily and Sirius and co., and honestly I'm not sure we'd find Voldemort all that intimidating after having already read about Harry defeating him. The Founders, however, fascinate me, and I'd love to read a book about them. They were alive during a time when people could be executed for witchcraft, and during a time when women were viewed as beneath men. I want to know about these four; I want to know how they met, how they went about building the first school and finding pupils, and what really happened with Salazar. I want to know!

Neville, Luna and Ginny from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: While the golden trio were fighting Death Eaters in the wilderness, the silver trio returned to the school, despite the fact that they could have stayed at home, and did everything they could to protect the other pupils and fight against Voldemort's influence. I'd love to read something - even just a novella - about that year at Hogwarts for them.

Ellen Fettiplace from the Shardlake series by C. J. Sansom: I've been meaning to write a blog post about Ellen for ages. She's a character from Sansom's historical crime series, first introduced in Revelation, who really interested me, and as much as I love Sansom's books I hated what he did with Ellen in the end. She has the potential to be a fascinating character in a genre like historical crime, and in my head she's having adventures and solving crimes like a babe.

Alma Coin from Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: A lot of people hate Coin, and while I might not be her biggest fan as far as ethics go I do find her fascinating. I'd love the opportunity to get inside her head and see what drove her to make the decisions she made throughout Mockingjay.

Michelle Benoit from Scarlet by Marissa Meyer: And the coolest grandparent award goes to... Seriously, as soon as I found out Scarlet's grandmother was a pilot in her youth I wanted to know more about her, and that curiosity hasn't gone away since. She's like a sci-fi version of an SOE agent!

The Black Sisters from the Harry Potter series: Again, I know everyone loves Lily and James (as do I, and Sirius and Remus are some of my favourite literary characters of all time!) but the thought of a book about Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa just thrills me. All three of them go down such different paths; Bellatrix goes mad, Andromeda defies her family to marry a muggleborn and Narcissa maintains the facade of a dutiful daughter that hides a very subtle strength. Can't you imagine how fascinating a story about their Hogwarts years would be?

Who made your list?

Top Ten Tuesday | Books I'd Like to Reread!

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 out everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books I Want To Reread/Would Reread In An Ideal World'.

I wasn't sure if I was going to take part in TTT this week because I don't tend to reread books that often; I have such a huge TBR list that I'm usually too busy reading something I haven't read before to reread an old favourite. What I tend to do is reread some of my favourite sections in books rather than reread the entire book. That being said I would like to try rereading books more in future, and these are the ten I'd most like to reread!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling: To be honest I'd like to reread the entire Harry Potter series because it's been far too long since I last read them and I miss this world and these characters!

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy: Again, this is another series I'd like to reread and then finish. I've read all of the books up to Kingdom of the Wicked, and there are that many characters with that many bizarre names that I think if I tried diving into Kingdom of the Wicked now I'd be pretty confused! These books are so much fun, though, so I really don't think they'll take me long to reread when I get around to them.

Sabriel by Garth Nix: This is another book I haven't read in years. I first discovered Sabriel when I was around 13/14 and I loved it, so I'd love to reread it, and the rest of The Old Kingdom series, very soon - especially with the recent release of Clariel!

Cress by Marissa Meyer: I read The Lunar Chronicles a lot more recently and it's quickly become one of my favourite series. I really enjoyed Cinder and Scarlet, but I adored Cress - it was so action-packed and cool and fun; I can't wait for the releases of Fairest and Winter next year!

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson: This is one of my favourite standalones. It's beautifully written and just gorgeous, so I'd love to reread it.

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë: I'm actually hoping to reread Agnes Grey pretty soon, not only because it's one of my favourite classics but also because I'd love to challenge myself to adapt it into a screenplay. For years I've been complaining about how there's no drama adaptation of Agnes Grey, and then it occurred to me that if I want an adaptation maybe I should write it myself.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins: Another of my favourite classics. I'd love to reread it but, as with most Victorian literature, it's very dense!

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris: I have yet to read Hannibal Rising, Red Dragon or Hannibal, so once I get my hands on some copies of them I'd love to read the entire series, including a reread of The Silence of the Lambs. Plus I need my fix until season 3 of Hannibal...

The Undressed by Jemma L. King: Unlike the other books on my list, this is a poetry collection. I read it earlier this year during my publishing internship, and I'd love to buy my own copy and reread it to my heart's content - it's a fabulous little book.

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu: Another favourite classic of mine. This book has one of my favourite last lines of any book ever, and as much as I often go back and reread that final little section I'd like to read it from start to finish again.

Which books made your list?

Top Ten Tuesday | Best Books of 2014 (so far!)

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 out everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year' so, in the order I read them, here's my oops I only have eight list:

January:

American Gods 

by Neil Gaiman 

Days before his release from prison, Shadow's wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Glitches

by Marissa Meyer

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In Glitches, a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch...

February:

Cress 

by Marissa Meyer

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

March:

Dark Triumph 

by Robin LaFevers 

When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.

But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for . . .

Year of Wonders 

by Geraldine Brooks

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders."

April:

Alice in Tumblr-Land 

by Tim Manley 

The Ugly Duckling still feels gross compared to everyone else, but now she’s got Instagram, and there’s this one filter that makes her look awesome. Cinderella swaps her glass slippers for Crocs. The Tortoise and the Hare Facebook stalk each other. Goldilocks goes gluten free. And Peter Pan finally has to grow up and get a job, or at least start paying rent.

Here are more than one hundred fairy tales, illustrated and re-imagined for today. Instead of fairy godmothers, there’s Siri. And rather than big bad wolves, there are creepy dudes on OkCupid. In our brave new world of social networking, YouTube, and texting, fairy tales can once again lead us to “happily ever after”—and have us laughing all the way.

The Haunting of Hill House 

by Shirley Jackson 

First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill Househas been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

May:

Feed 

by Mira Grant

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

What are your favourite reads of the year so far?

J.

Top Ten Tuesday | Books That Made Me Cry

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 out everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's Top Ten Tuesday theme is a freebie - we can pick our own topic! So, as I'm currently in the middle of a trilogy that's breaking my heart more and more with each page I turn, I thought today would be a fitting time to share with you the top ten books that have made me cry. Unfortunately I could only think of nine, but that'll have to do!

I never used to be much of a crier when it came to books and films, but half way through adolescence I started becoming an emotional wreck whenever I watched or read something which, for whatever reason, really struck a chord with me. There are a lot of instances in which I haven't cried where I probably should - I've never found any of the deaths on Game of Thrones particuarly cry-worthy, nor did I cry while reading Mockingjay - but do something horrible to a character that I love and I'll weep.

So, in the order I read them, here are the ten nine books that made me weep:

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
I first read this series, which deals with themes such as race and terrorism, back in my early teens, and it had a huge impact on me. The first book in the series has always been my favourite, though the other three are also brilliant in their own way, and it has the honour of being, to my knowledge, the first ever book that made me cry. This is still one of my all time favourite books, and if you haven't read it you're missing out.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is always going to be one of my all time favourite series, and as a lover of Sirius Black I'm sure those of you familiar with the series can understand why this book made the list. I'm still not over it.






Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

I'm sure all of you can understand why this book's on the list. Oddly enough I didn't cry because of the deaths in this book, I actually cried because of the epilogue. It was so emotional to see these characters that I'd grown up with leading happy, peaceful lives, and knowing that as soon as I finished reading the epilogue the story I'd followed for the past ten years would be over.



Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

During the first year of my A Levels I studied War Literature, and while Birdsong wasn't on our syllabus we were given it to read by our teacher and I'm so glad we were. If you're familiar with the BBC adaptation but haven't read the book please, please read it; the adaptation was appalling compared to how exquisite this book is. Considering it takes place during WW1 I'm sure you can imagine why this book made it onto my list, and now is the perfect time to read it as this year marks 100 years since the start of the war.


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

WW2 this time, and I imagine even those of you who haven't read Zusak's masterpiece know someone who has; this book touches everyone who reads it in some way, and I'm not ashamed to say I cried more than once while reading it. If you've yet to read it then do pick it up, but I'd recommend the film adaptation too - it's a great adaptation!



The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

An obvious one, I know. Do I really need to say why this book made me cry? I'm pretty certain everyone in the world has read this book by now. I wouldn't call this book one of my all time favourite books by any means, but all the same I found it very emotional.





Glitches by Marissa Meyer

This is probably a bit of an odd one because it's really more of a short story than a book, but I cried reading this. If you're familiar with The Lunar Chronicles then you've probably read this (but if you haven't Meyer has made it available online here!) and if you're not familiar with The Lunar Chronicles then you need to make yourself familiar with them. It's one of my favourite series, and it's so fun. This is a prime example of what I mentioned earlier: getting emotional over a certain character.

Cinder is one of my favourite fictional heroines (why not check out my Top 5 YA Heroines?) and this story takes place before the events of Cinder when Cinder is a little girl. It just broke my heart to see her so little and so vulnerable and so unloved by the majority of the people around her. I definitely cried.


Feed by Mira Grant

And now we're onto the trilogy I mentioned above as currently being half way through. I can't say too much about this book because the reason it made me cry - and I mean really, really cry - is a huge spoiler for those of you who might want to read it. Those of you who have read this book, however, can probably guess why I cried so much at the end of this book. This is another case of growing attached to a character and then having my heart broken because of it. If you haven't read these books yet please do, I haven't even finished the second book yet but I'm already certain this is one of my new favourite trilogies.


Deadline by Mira Grant

Yep, that's right. The second book made me cry, too. In fact I'm not even half way through this book yet and I've already cried almost as much as I did at the end of the first one. Again, those of you familiar with this book can guess why it's already made me into an emotional wreck. Read this trilogy, but prepare yourself for heartbreak.



So those are the top ten nine books that have made me cry! Which books make you emotional?