Top Ten Settings In Books

This week The Broke and the Bookish Top Ten meme is to list our personal top ten settings (real or imaginary) in books. This should be easy, as I love settings. To me, they count as a character. Without further ado, my list:

Hogwarts from Harry Potter- Come on, I know it's obvious, but it just HAS to be included. As settings go, it's just about perfect.

Prince Edward Island from Anne of Green Gables- I would love to go here someday. For real. Along those same lines, I would also include the island of Guernsey from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

The Lands Beyond in The Phantom Tollbooth- Island of Conclusions. Kingdom of Wisdom. Doldrums. Digitoplois. Now I probably wouldn't want to visit all of this places, but Norton Juster is a genius in my book.

The planets in A Wrinkle in Time- I don't read much sci-fi/fantasy, but I have to admit writers of this genre come up with awesome settings.

Battle School in Ender's Game- Another example of an amazing sci-fi setting.

The Community in The Giver- I had to include a dystopian setting, and this is my favorite dystopian novel.

Republic of Gilead from The Handmaid's Tale- Okay, one more dystopian setting. Both are places I definitely wouldn't want to be, but they are so well written.

Terabithia from Bridge to Terabithia- Lovely, imaginative place.

Salem from all the various books I've read on the Salem witch trials- The Salem witch trials are a subject I find really interesting. I plan on making time to visit the town whenever I make it back East next, even though I'm sure it's mostly a huge tourist trap now.

Top Ten Books You Lied About

This week's Top Ten meme at The Broke and the Bookish asks us to list the top ten books you've lied about... lied about reading, about not reading, about liking or disliking, etc. This will definitely be a short list, because I'm having a hard time thinking of these.

Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar- I liked the show, so I read the first few books. I'm somewhat embarrassed about it, so I usually omit that I have read them. They are quick reads though, and might show up on my beach reads list next week.

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- I was at a work event and they were playing the "stand up, sit down" game. If you had not read the Lord of the Rings, you were supposed to sit down. You all have no idea how badly I wanted to lie and stay standing. I've meant to read these books, and I'm ashamed as an English Literature graduate that I haven't read them I did read The Hobbit, though, so that's a start.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer- I have this on my "read" list on Goodreads, but I've never read all of them. I even rated it four stars, but that's because I loved the tales I did read. Yep, I've only read some of the tales, and it was for school.

The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot- The Waste Land is a 15 page poem. I had to read it multiple times in a 2-3 week period and then write a paper praising it. I was so sick of it by that point, but I wrote the paper as if I wasn't.

Top Ten Favorite Minor Characters

This week's Top Ten meme from The Broke and the Bookish asks us to name our top ten list for minor characters in literature. This has been hard, because sometimes minor characters have such an important role that in your head they seem like major characters. I finally had to allow myself to select characters like that, characters that really make an impact to the reader but don't always have a huge presence in the book.

Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter- At some points, they play a bigger role, but if you look at the series as a whole I think they are minor characters. Oh, how I love them though. I love how loony Luna is, and I love how much Neville grows throughout the series.

Aunt and Uncle Gardiner from Pride and Prejudice- I"ll be honest here- I couldn't remember their names and had to look them up, but they definitely make my list. I took a condensed British Romantic Literature class in college, and my final essay was about these two. The balance they give the Bennett girls from their parents, especially the aunt, is really important. Plus, they play a pivotal role in Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth finally getting together.

Gabe from The Giver- I think Gabe is the reason Jonas leaves in search of a better place, to give Gabe and other children a different and better future.

Boo Radley, Mr. Cunningham and the mad dog from To Kill a Mockingbird- When I got to thinking about it, Harper Lee is the queen of minor characters (and isn't too shabby about writing major characters, either). It seems like every character has a place in the book and that place really means something. Boo Radley is obvious, of course. Scout, Jem, And Dill are obsessed with him, and then he ends up saving them.

Mr. Cunningham is Scout's classmate's father, and is part of the mob that comes one night to get Tom Robinson. I love how he is able to realize what they are doing is wrong because of Scout talking to him about his son and how Atticus has helped them as well. He's able to get the crowd to leave for the night.

Lastly, the mad dog. He's only in the book for a few pages, but his presence teaches Scout and Jem that there are things they don't know about their father and that you shouldn't brag about your talents. 

Erika Berger from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millenium trilogy)- I know, all of the female focus in this series is on Lisbeth, and rightly so. I think Erika is pretty amazing too. She's strong, smart, and willing to help Lisbeth when she needs it. 

Angus from Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging- I know I've had all serious picks, so I thought I would end on a light-hearted note. Angus the pet of the Nicholson family. He's a half Scottish Wildcat, and is just hilarious as far as cats go.

Top Ten Jerks In Literature

This week's Top Ten meme from The Broke and the Bookish asks us to name our top ten list for jerks in literature.

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice- He's definitely in the "just acted like one but could be quite loveable" category.

Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye- I know some people liked him and related to him, but I was not one of those people. He annoyed me to no end and I thought he was a jerk.

Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl- I'm almost ashamed to add him to the list, but yes, I have read a few of the books and I watched the first two seasons of the show. I stopped when him and Blair broke up. If they get back together, let me know. They are both brats and are perfect for each other.

Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter- Of course, he had to be on this list. I'm sure he'll be on most peoples' list.

Nils Bjurman from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- Horrible, horrible man that abuses any power he gets.

George Wickham from Pride and Prejudice- Boy who can accept no responsibility masquerading as a man.

Benedict Fludd and Herbert Methley from The Children's Book- Not many people have read this book so I won't give their sins away, but these two men are messed up.

Books I'm So Happy Were Recommended To Me

This week's Top Ten meme from The Broke and the Bookish asks us to feature the books you probably wouldn't have picked up without a good recommendation.

A Family of Readers: The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature by Roger Sutton- Janssen at Everyday Reading reviewed this on her blog, and I am so glad she did. It's an amazing resource for any parent who loves to read and wants to pass that love onto their child.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart- Another recommendation from Janssen. Love, love, love this book.

White Like Me: Reflections on Race From a Privileged Son by Tim Wise- This book was briefly mention on a post by Kristen at Rage Against the Minivan. The title sounded familiar, so I did some digging and I had read an excerpt from the book in a gender studies class in college. It's a hard, but important read.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- My county and the library systems in it did a "One Book, One County" program for a little while. This was the book in 2008. This is one of my favorite books and he is one of my favorite authors even though I've only read two of his books.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison- I first heard about these books from a fellow English major, Heather. These books are so funny (at least 1-4 and then the last one).

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry- In 2009, I decided to make a list of 100 books to read that year. When I asked for recommendations on Facebook, Danielle mentioned this one. Out of all my other choices, this is the only I for sure would not have ever read. I hadn't ever heard of it, for one, and then when I went to get it at the library it was huge (over 600 pages). So glad I stuck with it.

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt- I'm in a small book club where we take turns picking the book. One month, one of the women chose this book. It's another big one. I've had another book by that author (Possession) on my to-read list for a long time, so I was intrigued. I liked it. The reading almost was like things I read in my literary history classes. I'm glad she chose it, but I don't know if I would recommend it. Out of four women, I was the only one that finished it and liked it.

I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells- Heather also recommended this one. It popped up on her Goodreads profile with this short review: "This could be the best book I've read this year and in a long time." Of course I had to read it.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer- This one has nothing to do with regular book blogging, but it's still a book I am extremely glad was recommended to me. A friend who is a doula told me to read it, and then my midwife did too. Such a good book for pregnant women that want to be informed about birth.

Top Ten Fictional Crushes

This week's Top Ten meme from The Broke and the Bookish is a rewind meme- a chance to do one you missed the first time around. Since I haven't been doing this long, I had a lot of choices. I chose to name my top fictional crushes.

Logan Bruno from The Baby-Sitters Club- He was my very first fictional crush. Since I was so shy, just like Mary Anne, I loved her character in the books AND her boyfriend.

Nick Zsigmond from My Girl 2- I know, I know... this is a movie, not a book. He's still fictional, and this is my list. I watch this movie SO many times.

Dave the Laugh from the Georgia Nicolson series- What can I say? I go for the funny guys.

Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird- He's an amazing parent. Plus Gregory Peck plays him in the movie, and he's really handsome.

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice- Love, love, love. It doesn't hurt that Colin Firth played him in the BBC version. Just think about the lake scene and thank me later.

Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars- Logan is the ultimate bad boy redeemed. His first kiss with Veronica is tied for my favorite on-screen kiss.

Tom Lefroy from Becoming Jane- Tom and Jane's kiss in the woods is my other favorite on-screen kiss. I love the actor James McAvoy. Love. I love him to the extent that while I am not a fan of X-Men, I will be seeing the next X-Men movie just because he is in it.

Captain Jack Elliot from These Is My Words- He's so devoted that he helps Sarah through her labor when it was not the norm for the father to even be present, much less the main support.

Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series- I love his character in the books- he's funny, loyal, and a romantic at heart.

Will Schuester from Glee- I've loved him from the beginning. Honestly, he looks like the high school teacher I had a crush on when I was in high school. The singing and dancing doesn't hurt either.

Top Ten Books I'd Like to See Made Into Movies

Top Ten Books I'd Like to See Made Into Movies

These Is My Words by Nancy Turner- I realize it would have a Western feel to it, and I don't normally like Westerns. However, I would love to see Jack and Sarah's love story on the screen.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart- Fun and feminist. That is all.

Looking for Alaska by John Green- Really, I'd love to see any of his books made into movies.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin- This or Extraordinary- my two favorite Werlin books.

Room by Emma Donoghue- It would be a hard movie to watch, but so worth it. Love this book.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood- One of my favorite dystopian novels on the screen? That would be awesome.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano- Another great dystopian novel, actually similar to The Handmaid's Tale.

And for my last three... book to movie adaptions already in the works that I simply cannot wait to see:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) by J.K. Rowling- I am so excited to see this, but I will also be sad when it's over.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett- Loved the book, and I love Emma Stone (she'll be playing Skeeter).

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- I know some people have complained about the casting, but I think the actors appear to be more talented than another extremely popular movie (coughcough::twilight::coughcough).

Meme from The Broke and the Bookish

First Quarter Reading List 2011

1- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling- I'm trying to reread the series this year before the last movie comes out.

2- Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets by J.K. Rowling- Amazing, as always.

3- Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama- Great kids book.

4- A Family of Readers: The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature by Roger Sutton- I loved this book. It led to starting a goodreads list of books I want to read to Brayden.

5- Notes From the Cracked Ceiling: Hilary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and What It Will Take for a Woman to Win by Anne Kornblut- Interesting read.

6- Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Perfect YF romance

7- Room by Emma Donoghue- reviewed- I still think about this book a lot.

8- I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman- Meh.

9- If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now by Claire LaZebnik- Meh.

10- A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz- reviewed

11- Harry Potter: Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley- reviewed- I still want this for my birthday, which is coming up. Any takers?

12- The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller- reviewed

13- The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan- reviewed

14- Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale- reviewed

15- Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller- reviewed

16- Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale- Decent follow-up

17- Fly on the Wall: How One Girl saw Everything by E. Lockhart- Sucks.

18- I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells- reviewed

19- The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff- Sucks.

20- The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger- reviewed

21- The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo- Meh.

22- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness- reviewed

23- Trapped by Michael Northrop- reviewed

24- Whiter Shades of Pale: The Stuff White People Like, Coast to Coast, from Seattle's Sweaters to Maine's Microbrews by Christian Lander- Okay.

25- Delirium by Lauren Oliver- reviewed

26- Mr. Monster by Dan Wells- reviewed

27- Bumped by Megan McCafferty- will be reviewed

28- The Pioneer Woman: From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels- A Love Story by Ree Drummond- will be reviewed

29- Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay- Okay.

30- Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A Mother and Daughter's Uncommon Year by Laura Brodie- will be reviewed

Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves

Oh, do I have some bookish pet peeves to share. I am such a nerd.

-Censorship. This is so much more than a pet peeve. When The Golden Compass movie came out, the community I love in sent e-mails and wrote editorials protesting it. I read them at that point because no one is going to tell me what I shouldn't read. (Side: I do think parents can censor books for their children, but not to the extent of asking a library to ban a book.)

-I don't like it when people act like YA fiction is just "fluff." YA fiction is just like any other genre. It has its fluff, and it has true literature too. No one could tell me novels by John Grisham or James Patterson are better quality than novels by Markus Zusak.

-Along the same note, it's not necessarily bad if all your kid will read is graphic novels. He is reading! Many kids nowadays will be brought into the world of reading by graphic novels. That's okay, in my opinion.

-I get so annoyed with series that last too long. The story usually gets repetitive, and I start to feel like the author is only continuing it because it's a proven formula.

-As mentioned in my review of A Discovery of Witches, I don't like not knowing ahead of time that the book will have a sequel. I guess I have to prepare myself.

-Another bookish pet peeve is that my husband limits me to one bookshelf for my books and one for children's books. It's only because of limited space, though. He says I can have more once we buy a house. I can't wait.

-This was an example given on the meme list, but it hold true for me as well. I hate stickers on my books!

-I hate it when people act as if reading is simply a leisure activity. It is relaxing for me, don't get me wrong. I often feel, however, like mommy brain is taking over and I'm losing IQ points daily, but reading helps me offset that. :)


Meme from The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Book Characters I'd Want As Family Members

Top Ten Book Characters I'd Want As Family Members

Atticus from To Kill A Mockingbird- I'm going to try to have a lot of variation from last week's list, but Atticus absolutely HAS to be included. He is so moral and such a wonderful father.

Molly Weasley from Harry Potter- I know, I know, Harry Potter was featured on last week's list. It just might be on any list I make, so get used to it. Molly is such a loving mom. And her line to Bellatrix in the last book is one of my favorite lines in the whole series. I will probably be my favorite part of the movie.

All of the sisters from Little Women- For some time, all the sisters have is each other.

Katniss from The Hunger Games- She's a courageous and loving big sister.

Anne Shirley, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables- These characters show that a family can be formed without blood. Matthew and Marilla, as siblings, take Anne in basically as help, but they truly become parents to her. And she becomes a daughter for them, caring for them as they age.

Top Ten Dynamic Duos

Top Ten Dynamic Duos
Note: I know there was a separate meme for favorite fictional couples, but I'm including some on my list since I didn't do that meme. Also, two of my choices are more than duos, but I had to include them.

Harry, Ron and Hermione from the Harry Potter series- Duh. This group belongs at the top of the list, no ifs ands or buts about it. This is one of the best, if not the best, examples of friendship in YA fiction.

Scout and Jem from To Kill A Mockingbird- Another given, at least for me. They are probably the ultimate brother-sister duo in my eyes.

Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist from the Millenium trilogy- A tormented girl and a progressive journalist join forces to fight men who hate women.

Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice- Needs no explanation.

Jack and Ma from Room- For the first 5 years of Jack's life, all they have is each other. I can't even imagine how hard that would be.

Matilda and Miss Honey from Matilda- I just love Matilda. And since Miss Honey is the only person to give her the love and attention she deserves, I love her too.

Jonas and the Giver from The Giver- Another student/teacher relationship, but not a typical one. I love their symbiotic relationship. The Giver gives Jonas the strength to do what he knew needed to be done, but could not do himself.

Sarah and Jack from These Is My Words- Read this book if you haven't already. I love this couple! I know I'm a bit of a birth junkie, but one thing I loved about them is that Jack helped Sarah through her labor in a time when men were NOT ever a part of the birth.

Marley and his family from Marley and Me- I know some people thought this book was cheesy, but I loved it. I won't claim it has amazing writing, but the story is worth it. If you had a family dog growing up, this will take you back to those fun experiences you had (and the sad too).

Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre- This is another one that needs no explanation. I will say I didn't like the pairing the first time I read this book, but I was a teenager. I read it again last year and loved them.

Meme from The Broke and the Bookish

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

Lies My Teacher Told To Me by James W. Loewen- This was recommended by a blog friend who has similar reading taste (YF and non-fiction). I know high school History classes get it wrong, and I want to be informed.

The Wonder of Boys by Michael Gurian- I picked this up at the D.I. I really want to make sure I'm the best parent I can be for my boy.

The Wilderness World of John Muir edited by Edwin Way Teale- I picked this up on vacation at the Muir Woods in Northern California. This was in 2006... don't know if I will ever get to it but I still think John Muir is fascinating.

Spook and Bonk by Mary Roach- I loved her first book, Stiff. She's a great non-fiction writer and made cadavers super interesting (weird, I know) but I just haven't gotten to these two yet. They are about the science of the afterlife and the science of sex, respectively.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver- I love her writing and have had good things about this one as well, but I just haven't read it yet. I picked it up at the D.I.

Telegram!: Modern History as Told Through More than 400 Witty, Poignant, and Revealing Telegrams by Linda Rosenkrantz- Another history book. I really enjoy reading about history, though I wouldn't call myself a history buff because I suck at remembering dates and exact details.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi- True story about women fighting against literary censorship? Sounds great, and I still really want to read it. I bought it at a yard sale, which is another great place to find books.

When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins- This is another one I WILL read someday. I enjoy reading about the history of feminism.

A Room Of One's Own by Virginia Woolf- Loved Mrs. Dalloway, thought Orlando was decent, but wasn't enjoying this one when I first tried to read it. I'm still going to keep it around to try again someday.

Meme from The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Book to Movie Adaptations

I found a great book blog this week- The Broke and the Bookish. They do top ten memes every Tuesday with different topics, a list of which can be found here. This week's meme is to list your favorite book to movie adaptations. Without further ado, here is my list.

To Kill A Mockingbird- This is definitely the top of my list. I love this movie just as much as I love the book.

Pride and Prejudice (BBC version)- For a 5 hour movie, this better follow the book well, right? My favorite part of this movie is when Colin Firth is coming out of the water. Swoon. Don't tell me you don't enjoy it.

Bridget Jones's Diary- What can I say? Colin Firth is in this one too and his character is named Mr. Darcy. Seriously, though, this story is so much fun.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- I read the book for the first time right before seeing the movie. I think they did a really good job following the book, and also with casting and cinematography.

The Notebook- Better than the book.

Harry Potter- I know some people think they don't follow the book, but I think they've done okay, especially with the later ones. And I think they did an AMAZING job with casting.

Precious- This movie is based on a book called Push by Sapphire. Not many people have read it. I only have because it was required for a class I took. I wouldn't recommend it because of the graphic issues it deals with, but the movie adaptation really follows the book so I included it on my list.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- I think all three of the movies were amazing. Hollywood is doing its own version, but I doubt it will be better than the Swedish movies.

Into the Wild- I think I like the movie better than the book with this one too. The main character is so interesting (and maddening at the same time). Plus, just thinking about the movie makes me want to go to Alaska someday.

Fantastic Mr. Fox- This movie was so fun. I think it's funny how George Clooney was his voice, because it made me see the movie almost as an animated Ocean's 11.