Heart Full of Elves: top ten tuesday

Showing posts with label top ten tuesday. Show all posts

Wednesday 25 May 2016

Top Ten Books I Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is Ten Books I Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed. Click the book covers to go to the Goodreads links.

1. The Color Purple by Alice Walker ↑

I studied this for English last year and I didn't really enjoy it while I read it, but afterwards I really appreciated the themes and symbolism and what-have-you.

2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller ↓

This is still one of my favourite books, but seeing other people's criticisms of a) how Patroclus was characterised and b) how Thetis (one of few female characters) was essentially demonised made me think a little less of it.

3. The Selection by Kiera Cass ↓

What was I thinking, honestly?! How did a dystopian version of The Bachelor appeal to me AT ALL????

4. Inheritance by Malinda Lo ↑

I didn't like this book as much as the first one because at the time I was uncomfortable with the idea of polyamory. Now, though, I'd like to read it again with a more open mind on that subject.

5. Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray ↓

I actually dropped my Goodreads rating on this one, due to being very unhappy with the characterisation of Augustus and Livia after I'd learnt a bit more about them.

6. Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block ↑

This book is based on The Odyssey and has a transgender love interest. I really should read it again to appreciate it more.

7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams ↑

When I read it, I just thought it was weird and didn't understand the humour. After watching the film and reading the next few books, I get it now.

8. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl ↓

I didn't love it at the time, but now I just think of this book and roll my eyes. It's so clichéd and pointless.

9. Matched by Ally Condie ↓

Yawn. I hadn't read much dystopian fiction when I read this, so it was vaguely interesting and original at the time. Now I've read more of the genre? Pfft.

10. Wildthorn by Jane Eagland ↑

I can't believe I only gave this 3 stars! It's about a Victorian lesbian and being locked up in a mental asylum! Not to mention the cover is gorgeous! Dear younger self, you don't know what you were missing.

What about you? Do you share the same opinions? Do you have other books you think differently of, now that time has passed?

Top Ten Bookish Events in a Bookworm's* Life

7:20 pm meme, top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is Top Ten Bookworm Delights.

*bookworm = me

1. Finishing a book.

As a student, finishing a book, no matter how much you enjoyed or disliked it, is a huge achievement that gives you a great amount of satisfaction.

2. Receiving a gift voucher for a bookshop.

Not only does the person giving you the voucher know that you love reading, but they know better than to try and choose a book for you. It means a lot.

3. Finishing a series that has a satisfying conclusion.

Need I say more?

4. Loving a book that you bought with your own money.

Buying books is risky, so it's always great when there's a positive outcome.

5. Getting helpful writing advice from an author.

Whether it's addressed to you personally, or to the crowd at an author appearance, the result is the same - you will take that advice and use it.

6. Finding a really cheap copy of a book you really wanted to own or at least read.

An unexpected delight. (When I say "really cheap", I mean $3 or less.)

7. Finding a book on the library shelf that you'd given up on looking for.

Sometimes, enough is enough and it seems to be fated that you'll never read that book. But finding the book at last is exciting!

8. Rating a book 5 stars.

A rare event indeed, and one to treasure for the next year or two until the next time it occurs.

9. Understanding a pop culture reference in a novel.

Especially if I know the referenced material very well. Because yay, the characters are aware of their own setting!

10. Understanding a Classical reference in a novel.

Two years of Classics (the study of Ancient Greece and Rome) in high school has its benefits! And it's nice to know that plenty of other people know Classics well enough to make these references.

What about you guys? Do you share the same bookworm delights? Do you have any others?

Top Ten Songs I Wish Were Books

8:39 pm meme, top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is music and books. This could be challenging, but let's go!

1. Girls Like Girls - Hayley Kiyoko

Watch the music video and tell me this wouldn't make a cute LGBTQ novel.

2. Castle - Halsey

I'm imagining an epic fantasy with medieval elements, and a cold, kickarse female protagonist.

3. Bad Girls - M.I.A.

EPIC. BADARSERY. Do I even need to explain?

4. Wonderland - Natalia Kills

Possibly an urban fantasy with a dark twist.

5. LDN - Lily Allen

I love reading books set in London, but they seem to romanticise the place. This song doesn't.

6. Empire - Shakira

Either historical fiction or space opera, I can't choose which I'd prefer to read more!

7. Bitch Better Have My Money - Rihanna

The music video is fantastic, but imagine how a book would complement it...

8. Fly - Nicki Minaj feat. Rihanna

The book I'm picturing for this song is nothing like the video. I'm thinking more of an epic fantasy series than a dystopian novel.

9. Willing To Die - Gin Wigmore feat.Suffa, Logic

I love the whole aesthetic for this video, so how cool would it be as a book? Revenge is sweet, yeah?

10. My Vietnam - P!nk

We've all read books exactly like this theoretical one, so what's one more?

Top Ten OTPs

1:29 am meme, top ten tuesday, tv & movies

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

This week is a Valentine's Day themed freebie: Top Ten Books That Would Make Great Valentine's Day Reads (or anti-Valentine's day reads), Top Ten OTPs, Top 10 fictional crushes, top ten great love declarations in fiction, swoony quotes from books, etc.

I thought and thought about what topic I'd pick for my list, but since I'm not a romantic at all, except when it comes to my ships, I went for the boring but hopefully relevant option. So here are my top ten OTPs, mostly from TV (again). Warning: there is little heterosexuality on this list.

1. Xena & Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)

I'm a bi girl from New Zealand who was born in the mid-late 90s. No further explanation necessary. My mum saw some pictures of these two on my phone recently and asked if they were a couple. To paraphrase, I said, "Sit down and let me tell you a thing..."

Yeah... "subtext"...

2. Achilles & Patroclus "Patrochilles"

A love that has lasted millennia. The Iliad is an amazing story, and to anyone who thinks these two were not lovers: their ashes were mixed together! That is not a symbol of friendship!

BTW, if you haven't already, read The Song of Achilles. Now.

3. Agron & Nasir "Nagron" (Spartacus)

I don't know how to talk about these two without having a massive fangirlish ramble so let's leave it at "they're adorable and hot together". *Spoilers* In a show where everyone dies, they survive. Wise decision, Steven DeKnight.

Look at these adorkable cuties.

4. Gaia & Lucretia (Spartacus)

Two beautiful, intelligent, manipulative Roman women. The hair and the costumes alone are shippable. What's brilliant about their relationship (apart from the insanely hot sex scenes *fans self* (it is an R18 show, peoples!)) is that it has a huuuge impact on Lucretia's character development. Because darker versions of characters are always better.

Insanely hot, I tell you.

5. Piper & Alex (Orange Is the New Black)

A relationship that's totally not healthy but I love it all the same. I just want them to be together, is that too much to ask?

Why can't they just be happy and together? At the same time.

6. Leia & Han Solo (Star Wars)

Probably my first ship, long before I knew what shipping was. I was attracted by the love-hate relationship, and I still love it every time I watch the original Star Wars trilogy. By the way, I haven't watched The Force Awakens yet, so please no spoilers!

Is it just me or does Leia look bored?

7. Joel & Maggie (Northern Exposure)

Would you look at that, another love-hate relationship! Theirs is classic. They have this tension season after season and it's amazing. Too bad the last season of the show was terrible.

8. Clara Oswald & Jane Austen (Doctor Who)

This one is a little bit of a crack ship, but it has canon foundations! In the ninth series of Doctor Who, Clara has a couple of lines that suggest a romantic relationship with the writer Jane Austen. Cue the headcanons and fanfiction.

Gif source

The one line that started it all.

9. Jack & Ianto "Janto" (Torchwood)

Over the past few months I've been moving on from this show, but Janto was a huge part of my life for about 18 months and it would be wrong to leave them off this list. Their relationship is Tragic and has too many parallels with Patrochilles to keep a fangirl sane.

Caption that.

10. Alec & Magnus "Malec" (The Mortal Instruments)

Likewise, these two have similarities with Janto. I wish I'd watched Torchwood when I saw Cassandra Clare at the 2011 Readers and Writers Festival, because then I would've asked her if she based Magnus and Alec's relationship on Jack and Ianto's.

This post ended up way longer than expected. That's what happens when you let me get started on my ships. Moral of the story: don't let me do it.

Top Ten Historical Settings I Love

8:59 pm historical, meme, top ten tuesday

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

This week's topic is Top Ten Historical Settings You Love/Top Ten Historical Settings You'd Love To See or Top Ten Futuristic Books You Love/Ten Futuristic Societies I'd Love To Read in Books. I adore historical fiction, and I love reading and watching things set in these eras.

In a very loose order, these are my ten favourite historical settings:

Ancient Egypt
Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
Regency England
French Revolution
Victorian
1920s/Prohibition
Renaissance Italy (especially Venice)
Medieval
Elizabethan England

I'd love to know what historical settings you guys love, as I'm always up for discovering more! Reading a book set in a new era is always interesting.

Top Ten LGBTQ Characters

9:30 pm lgbtqia characters, meme, top ten tuesday, tv & movies

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

This week is freebie week, where you pick a topic "near and dear to your heart". Since LGBTQ representation is extremely important to me, I thought I'd pick my ten favourite characters belonging to this group. 70% are from TV, the rest from books and movies. (By the way, sorry about the lack of T in this list, but I know barely any transgender characters. They're out there, I just haven't come across them.)

1. Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess, played by Lucy Lawless)

2. Lucretia (Spartacus, also played by Lucy Lawless)

3. Agron (Spartacus, played by Dan Feuerriegel)

4. Saxa (Spartacus, played by Ellen Hollman)

5. Jack Harkness (Torchwood, played by John Barrowman)

6. Ianto Jones (Torchwood, played by Gareth David-Lloyd)

7. Achilles (The Iliad by Homer & The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (not the Troy version, despite the image I've used!))

8. Lisbeth Salander (Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson)

9. Piper Chapman (Orange Is the New Black, played by Taylor Schilling)

10. Alexander the Great (Alexander (2004), played by Colin Farrell (yes, the movie kinda sucks, but he's my second historical fave so we'll let that slide))

Since this is a topic close to my heart, comments are more than welcome!

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

8:11 pm meme, top ten tuesday

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.