Tuesday 20 October 2015

Top Ten Tuesday | Genie in a Bottle


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 '10 Wishes I'd Ask the Book Genie to Grant Me', and I managed to think of ten a lot quicker than I thought I would!


  1. I wish I had more shelf space: I'm seriously running out of room, but because I have no self control I still buy books. Now that I have my kindle I have quite a few books on there (and by quite a few I mean over 50) but I still like to buy physical books, especially pretty books like these two. You'd think it'd be easy enough to put some new shelves up, but in all honesty I just need a bigger room. In fact maybe this wish should really be 'I wish I had my own personal library'...
  2. I wish my bookshelves were neater than they are: I'm so envious of people who organise their shelves by colour, or genre, or author. One day I'd like to be able to do that myself, but I have so many books that just the thought of rearranging them all tires me out.
  3. I wish I could stick to book-buying bans: I'm weak. WEAK.
  4. I wish publishers didn't do cover changes right in the middle of a series: Mismatching books didn't used to bother me as much as they do now, but now that I'm more of a shopper who will seek out a particular cover of a particular book I hate it when my series don't match. It's so satisfying to see a complete, matching series on my shelf. I have no problem with cover changes, I just wish publishers would at least finish off the series in the original covers.
  5. I wish authors travelled more: As someone who doesn't live in London, it's so frustrating when an author I love only does events in London or another big city like Birmingham, which is also nowhere near me. Neil Gaiman came to the UK earlier this year to help promote his new short story collection, and I think he only did a couple of evenings in London and then he was back in the States. I understand he's very busy and he lives in the States now, but it's a shame that he doesn't travel around more of the UK.
  6. I wish it was the law that every copy of Fifty Shades of Grey must be used as kindling: Do I really need to explain this one? If you like Fifty Shades of Grey that's your call, everyone's tastes are different, but it really does romanticise an abusive relationship. I don't mean the BDSM aspect, because BDSM is all about consent, but Christian Grey wouldn't know what consent was if it punched him in the nose. Kill it. Kill it with fire!
  7. I wish there was more diverse historical fiction: I'm a big lover of historical fiction, as I'm sure any of you who have been following my blog for a while will know, and there is diverse historical fiction out there. My main problem is the amount of historical fiction novels set outside Europe and North America that still have white, western protagonists. I'm not interested in the colonisers' stories, we already have those: they're called history.
  8. I wish I was better at buddy reads and reading books I receive to review: I love receiving review copies of books and I love buddy reads, and yet whenever I sign up for one or the other I so often fail miserably. It's like as soon as I say I'm going to read a book for review or for a buddy read it becomes the book I'm least in the mood to pick up. I don't whether it's because I feel pressured to love it, because I'm reviewing or reading it with someone else, or whether I'm just a bit hopeless. Probably a mix of the two.
  9. I wish more bloggers stepped outside of the YA bubble: I'm hoping I don't offend anyone with this, because it's honestly not my intention to do so, but one of the comments I so often receive on my TTT posts is 'Your list is so original, I haven't even heard of most of these!' It's a lovely comment, but my list only seems original because I don't tend to stay in the YA bubble that means I'm reading similar books to what people who mainly read YA are reading. I have nothing against YA - I really enjoy YA, and one of the best books I've read this year is a YA book - but I do think it's possible to get caught up in a bubble that means you don't step out of your comfort zone and try something new. It happens the other way around, too; I knew several people at uni who refused to read YA because they thought it was beneath them, but you miss out on some fantastic books that way. Plus, on a more selfish note, I'd love to be able to talk about more non-YA books I've loved with other bloggers who've read them!
  10. I wish Hogwarts was real: I'm still waiting for my letter.


What did you wish for?

12 comments:

  1. Hogwarts made my list too! Great minds think alike. I totally get where you are coming from with the YA bubble thing, and as someone who is stuck in that bubble I am always wishing that I read more genres. And I have tried, so many times, but I somehow always seem to end up back in YA. Maybe when I become a grown up (because my current age of 23 cannot be considered grown up! I still have teddy bears in my bedroom!) I might start reading more diverse books, but for the moment I am ok with being stuck.
    I also totally agree with number 5! I have the exact same problem but instead of this wish, I instead wished for free travel to all author events! But I also have the same issue that authors don't come near me very often and so I'm always really jealous of people who get to meet my favourite authors!
    Oh, and I have giant bookshelf envy too. It always makes me super green when I'm flicking round instagram and see TONS of pretty bookshelf pictures, and then I look at mine and *sob* :(

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  2. Lol - I love #1! And yes, yes, yes to more diverse historical fiction :-)

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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  3. LOVE the Genie gifs ♥ YES to Hogwarts being real!! OMG. Yes to bloggers stepping out of the YA bubble too. I also wish authors would travel more and for more bookshelf space! And I second your notion to use 50 Shades as kindling. UGH. Awesome wishes^^ xx

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  4. I agree about the library, and yes to cover changes too. That is so annoying. Or when a book has a great cover, then the movie happens and the movie tie- in cover is not so great. And the YA bubble is a good one too- I read YA and adult but it can be easy to get into one or the other a bit much, especially with so many YA"s coming out. Great list!

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  5. Numbers 4 and 5 are my favorites!! I HATE cover changes!! Mismatched books completely kill me. I do love my YA bubble though! I didn't start reading YA until a couple years ago, so I've been on both sides of the fence. I wonder if more bloggers read YA because people who read YA are more likely to have time for blogging...

    Here are my Top Ten!

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  6. Love the wish that bloggers would step out of the YA bubble! My heart breaks every time someone stomps on the entire genre of classic literature and says its boring/hard/insert negative adjective here. I think a lot of bloggers would love some classics, or any other genres if they tired them. Also feel you on wish one and two. I can't wait until all of my books are in one spot and on shelves! Sigh, someday.
    Thanks for stopping by the The Local Muse

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  7. :-) Great list Jess! I try to read a wide range of genres so I can have a more diverse blog. I tend to get that comment too...

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  8. Great top ten wishes :)
    Here is my TTT:https://silvybooksaremylife.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/top-ten-tuesday-5/

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  9. Great list! I definitely try to get around from the YA bubble when I can, since I get tired of seeing all YA reviews on my blog feed. Or at least look for YA that most people haven't heard of yet. I think most authors don't travel much because most publishers don't pay for the travel expenses, I didn't find that out until last year. Sort of sad.

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  10. I can totally relate to numbers 4 & 5! That really annoys me too. Sometimes I actually refuse to buy physical copies of books because it's not the right cover. Also, I've never met an author in real life! It's so hard to find out where they're going in time to book it off work and make travel arrangements, especially if it means travelling across the UK :( I know you can relate to this, I live in East Yorkshire.
    About the YA bubble. To be honest that ever confuses me a little... A lot, lol. I just read what I like and you can class it as what you want :) I go through phases... Sometimes I have a week of classics, then supernatural, then romance, etc. I love mixing it up! :D
    Really interesting list, I love it. I love your honesty here.
    Have a great day,
    Amy x

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    1. Can't edit it... "Ever" means "genre" lol. Speed typing fail :( lol X

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  11. Ohh great post! Can we please all give a standing ovation to the Fifty Shades one!? PLEASE? We don't even need a genie to help, just some common sense! UGH it makes me absolutely stabby!

    As for the YA bubble one, you know, I have often wondered how you (and other bloggers who DO step out!) feel about the rest of us! I mean, it has to be annoying to be one of the few people talking about other books. Now, I don't know that this will ever come to fruition (without the genie, I mean), but it's nice in theory. But, I will probably stay in my comfy little YA bubble, every so often peeking out to expand my horizons. But not TOO much, of course ;) HOWEVER, I love seeing the diverse lists, so keep them coming!! :D
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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