Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant To Get To But Didn't

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme is Top Ten 2015 Releases You Meant To Get To But Didn't. I was terrible at my book-reading in 2015 (I failed my reading challenge by 3 books, noooo!) but I got a new library card today so I'm hoping that will encourage me to get on with my to-read list this year. I've already placed holds on some of these, which is a start.

 1.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

2.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

3.

  

Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) by Libba Bray

4.

  

The Girl in the Spider's Web (Millennium Trilogy #4) by David Lagercrantz, Stieg Larsson (Creator), George Goulding (Translator)

5.

  

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

6.

 

Murder & Matchmaking by Debbie Cowens

7.

Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

8.

 

Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales

9.

  

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

10.

  

The Flywheel by Erin Gough

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Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme is Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015 (by only 2015 releases, overall, by genre, etc).

1.

 

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

2.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

3.

Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

4.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

5.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

 6.

 

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

 

7.

 

The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson 

8.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

9.

The Future Collection by Beth Revis

 10.

 

 The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Book Tag: How I Read

Thank you Nemo at The Moonlight Library!

How do you find out about new books to read?

Through other bloggers who have reviewed or mentioned new and upcoming releases. Sometimes through my mum, as she's a librarian.

How did you get into reading?

I don't remember; I think I always loved stories and books.

How have your tastes in books changed as you got older?

I don't read Jacqueline Wilson anymore, for a start! As well as the natural maturing of tastes that happens as you grow up, I don't read as much fantasy as I used to and I read more adult novels. I have a greater respect for short stories than epic series now, probably due to a shortening attention span.

How often do you buy books?

Hardly ever. I've been very good this year as I'm too poor to afford it and I don't have any shelf space left.

How did you get into reviewing books?

Younger me set up a Blogger account to keep in touch with her mummy, and since books were the light of my life it made sense to write about them.

How do you react when you don’t like the end of a book?

I have a little rant on Goodreads or Tumblr.

How often do you take a sneak peek at the ending to see if there is a happy ending?

I tend not to anymore. I've ruined a few too many endings for myself doing that, and I've learnt my lesson (mostly)!

Do you use bookmarks in your books?

Yes, although a lot of my reading is done on my e-reader, which remembers where I'm up to without me having to tell it, the clever thing.

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Top Ten Book-to-Movie Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To or I Still Need to Watch

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme is Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To or Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Still Need To Watch.

1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (I loved the book and I can't wait for the film!)
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Now that I'm 18 I'm old enough to watch it and compare it to the book.)
3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 (I just need closure for these films, to be honest. I can barely remember what happens in the books.)
4. The Martian (I haven't read the book, but my sister and my mum loved it and the film, so I should probably watch it.)
5. Paper Towns (I don't remember this book as anything special, but I should watch the film out of obligation.)
6. Insurgent (No-one talked about this movie so I didn't even realise it had come out. I loved the books and the first movie so it's a must-see.)
7. The Looking Glass Wars (These books were really cool, so I'm curious as to how the film turns out, if it gets made.)
8. The Ruby in the Smoke (I actually watched what I think was the second (TV) movie before I read the books. Now that I've read them all I need to watch the (TV) movies, in order. Billie Piper in Victorian costume? Yes please!)
9. Anna Karenina (I haven't read the book, but I've watched an older movie adaptation, and now I want to see the newer one. I can't resist Keira Knightley.)
10. The Three Musketeers (I read the book last year, and I'm thirsty to see Matthew Macfadyen,
    Logan Lerman, Luke Evans, and Orlando Bloom all in the same movie! I'm also interested in the TV adaptation.)

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Top Ten Books That Would be on My Syllabus if I Taught Historical Fiction 101

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme is Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught X 101 (examples: YA fantasy 101, feminist literature 101, magic in YA 101, classic YA lit 101, world-building 101).

1.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

I reviewed this the other week and gave it a pretty high rating, so it has to make the list!

2.

 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

More mythology than historical fiction, but it's still all shades of awesome. I reviewed this one too.

3.

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

There might not be much to teach, but it's still excellent. The students would probably end up finishing the series without me needing to say so.

4.

The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf

Everything they need to know about Titanic they would learn from this book. I reviewed this last year.

5.

The Sultan's Eyes Kelly Gardiner

This is a sequel to a book I can't even remember reading, but this is great for learning about Italy and Turkey and the Inquisition in the 17th Century. 

6.

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy

Really good for learning about the Roman Empire in the 6th Century CE. Interesting information about religion and society as well as Theodora's life.

7.

The Girl in the Mask by Marie-Louise Jensen

I read this aaaages ago and there's probably not a lot in it, but I loved the romance and the setting (I think it was 1715, an era I'm not familiar with, so it was vaguely educational).

8.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

I used to love the movie, until I read the book. Then I found the movie incredibly lacking. There is much more in the book so I would make students read this instead. That doesn't mean the songs from the musical aren't fantastic though.

9.

The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner

One of my favourite books ever, there's no way I would miss the opportunity to teach this book. French Revolution, romance, magic (so that's more fantasy than historical, but I wouldn't label this novel as fantasy)... I love it.

10.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen, Philip Smiley (Illustrator)

I don't know why Pride and Prejudice is still taught in schools, because it's not serious literature - it's good, but Jane Austen herself said that she couldn't write a serious novel to save her life. This book is definitely not serious literature, so what's the harm in levelling up a bit? At least the humour is more suited to 21st Century readers.

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Top Ten Authors I've Read The Most Books From

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Posting a day late because I haven’t had internet for the past twenty four hours.

1. Tamora Pierce (24)

Mistress of fantasy, I started reading the Song of the Lioness quartet in 2010 and couldn't stop. 

2. John Marsden (14)

Why is Australian fiction so good? We will never know. I actually saw John Marsden speak at the Auckland Readers and Writers Festival in 2014. He was very funny. 

3. Louise Rennison (14)

Her books aren't necessarily good, but they make me laugh. Out loud.  

4. Miyoshi Tomori (13)

I'm not a big manga fan, but I absolutely loved her A Devil and Her Lovesong series. 

5. Isobelle Carmody (12)

Isobelle Carmody. Sigh. One of my favourite fantasy authors, but doesn't seem to be able to just finish a bloody book.  The first Obernewtyn book was published in the 80s and the last one still isn't out yet. It's a similar story with Legend Song. She came to my school to speak to the Year 9s two years ago, and I still haven't forgiven my sister for listening to a talk about one of my favourite authors when I wasn't invited because I was Year 11.

6. Cassandra Clare (12)

Words can't describe how much I love her Shadowhunter books. I'm undecided on whether to read her next series, but I love her already published books. I saw her at the Auckland Readers and Writers Festival in 2011 and she signed my copy of City of Fallen Angels. 

7. L.A. Meyer (11) 

The Bloody Jack books are fantastic - they're historical fiction with action, romance, and humour. Definitely recommend.

8. Robert Muchamore (10)

I started reading his CHERUB series, which I really enjoyed, but never got around to finishing. 

9. Allan Frewin Jones (10)

It's been a very long time since I read his books, and I think they'd be too young for me now, but I especially loved his Warrior Princess books.  

10. Carolyn Meyer (9)

She writes historical YA fiction, mostly about quite mainstream queens when they were young, but you do learn a lot about those characters.

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The Ultimate Book Tag

Let's say I was tagged by Alise at Readers In Wonderland (though I wasn't individually tagged).

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
 
Yes. I can't read in the car at all. I can barely look down at all without feeling dizzy.

2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?
 
Moira Young's in the Dustlands trilogy. She writes with the grammar and spelling that her characters use, and it's very original. (Although I later read The Color Purple, which does the same, but I read Dustlands first!)

3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer. 

Harry Potter.
1. I've actually bothered watching the films.
2. It's not about vampires.
3. It's not about an annoying American teenage girl caught in a love triangle. 

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is in it (besides books)?

No, I don't, although sometimes I bring a bag to the library if I'm intending to get out lots of books. (Which rarely happens these days.)

5. Do you smell your books?

Not usually. 

6. Books with or without little illustrations?

I don't mind either way - sometimes illustrations are a nice break, but sometimes they just waste space and make the book longer than it has to be. 

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?

I loved Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story by Lisa Fiedler the first time I read it, but when I reread it two years later I was very disappointed. 

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share! 

I used to ask to be read "Baa Baa", one of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes books. That's not that funny, just kind of cute. 

9. What is the tiniest book on your shelf? 

My copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion is pretty small. 

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?  

From memory, City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. 

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

 Yes and yes. I hope to some day return to writing original fiction (as opposed to fanfiction). 

12. When did you get into reading? 

I've been reading for as long as I can remember. Practically since birth. 

13. What is your favourite classic book? 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.   

14. In school what was your best subject? 

I'm still at school, and I don't know because it changes. 

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated, what would you do?

"Oh, I've read this before. Um, thank you..." 

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games? 

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy is a bit like Harry Potter. 

17. What is a bad habit you always do while blogging? 

Check Goodreads because I suddenly forget everything I've ever read. 

18. What is your favourite word? 

I love the word charisma. It's such a good word!       

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above? 

I'm a nerd, sadly enough. But an extroverted one. 

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why? 

Fairies, I've always loved them. Never understood the point of vampires. 

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why? 

Angels because they don't change their shape. Shapeshifting makes me kind of uneasy. (I blame the Torchwood episode Something Borrowed. Which is not a book, but oh well.) 

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why? 

Spirits, because they're more comforting. The good kind are, anyway.  

23. Zombies or Vampires? Why? 

Neither, but I guess blood-suckers aren't quite as terrifying as brain-eaters. 

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?

Forbidden love. Love triangles make me want to damage something. Preferably the character stuck in the middle of one. 

25. Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in? 

Action-packed! Romance on its own is boring.

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Top Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.When I first saw this week's theme, I thought that I'd never be able to find ten books I've enjoyed that celebrate diversity, but I was wrong, and here we are.

1.

 

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

I'm studying this in English this year, and at first I thought it was just another boring book about racism in America, but it's so much more. The protagonist is a lesbian POC in the early 20th Century, and this book was published in the 80s! Yay for diversity!

2.

 

Blood Red Road (Dust Lands Trilogy #1) by Moira Young 

A post-apocalyptic series written how the characters talk. The language takes some getting used to, but it's very effective, just like the above! (That wasn't a conscious decision of mine when doing this meme.) The protagonist may or may not be a WOC, it's hard to say - she describes her brother as light and herself as dark, so it's possibly they're mixed race. But it has been some time since I read it.

3.

 

The Comet's Curse (Galahad #1) by Dom Testa  

This series is futuristic sci-fi, and with all the characters it would be hard for there not to be diversity in race and background. It could have had more LGBT representation though, as it's set on a spacecraft with 251 teenagers from Earth. 

4.

  

Light Years by Tammar Stein  

This novel taught me a lot about the reality of life in Israel, and completely changed my misconceptions about the country. 

5.

 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 

This may be pushing it a bit, but it's such a great book (that I can relate to) that I couldn't leave it off the list!

6.

  

The Elites by Natasha Ngan 

A dystopian novel with racial diversity (but not necessarily acceptance) that I read in the past couple of years and actually didn't get sick of. Read my review here.  

7.

 

Adaptation (Adaptation #1) by Malinda Lo

 Aliens and a bisexual protagonist. All the yes! 

8.

 

Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers 

One of the first LGBT-ish novels I ever read, complete with music I recognise from my parents' time. 

 
9.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills  

The first (and possibly only) novel I've read with a transgender protagonist. Very educational; I strongly recommend it.  

10.
  
Sister Mischief by Laura Goode  

An awesome novel about a Jewish lesbian lyricist. I really enjoyed this one, and it was also one of the first LGBT novels I ever read.

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