Top 10 Tuesday (#17) - top 10 bookish resolutions

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists.  - See more at: http://girlreporter.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=top+ten+tuesday&max-results=20&by-date=true#sthash.N0Vjo8wR.dpuf

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists. This week's top 10 is... top 10 bookish resolutions. In no particular order...

1. Read more poetry
This is my big reading challenge for 2014. You can find out more here.
 
2. Set time aside weekly to read the Quran
This is obviously a very personal one for me, and a very important one that falls outside the realms of blogging, but I wanted to include it. I usually only read the Quran during Ramadan and a few other occasions during the year, but I've been feeling the need to get more in touch with my spirituality, and would like to set aside at least half an hour a week to read the Quran. 

3. Read some classics
Like with poetry, I haven’t really read many classics since I left university. In fact, I can think of one – Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. This year I’d like to read a few more – Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which I’ve *gasp* never read; Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, which I’ve been wanting to read for more than a decade; and something by Charles Dickens that I haven’t read.

4. Don’t be scared to let books go
My bookshelves are stacked to bursting, and there are now books in bags waiting for space, plus books in the office. Proofs I have to keep or recycle, but those books that I haven’t read in years or didn’t particularly love in the first place – they can be donated to the charity shop or the library.

5. Don’t buy books from Amazon
Having recently started a job where I talk to publishers and bricks-and-mortar book retailers nearly every day, I’m more aware than before about how Amazon’s low prices affect so many people. Yes, Amazon is convenient, but I’d rather support my bricks-and-mortar stores – be they chains or indies.

6. Be more proactive with promoting my own blog
I often write reviews and posts, and then forget to promote them. For 2014 I’m making a resolution to promote my work on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.

7. Do all the little cosmetic things I want to on my blog
I have a to do list which has things like ‘create banner’, ‘redo about me page’ and the like on it. They’ve been on my to do list for months. 2014 is the time to get them done.

8. Keep up My Week in Books, but find a new name for it
Although many people aren’t reading it, I enjoy compiling my feature where I link to all the things I read during the week about books and blogging that I found interesting. I want to continue doing the feature, but it really needs a better name! All suggestions welcome.

9. Leave more comments
I love reading other people’s blogs, and I’m a big fan of reading reviews, so I pledge to leave more comments on all posts I read, but especially the reviews, since I know they take a while to write.

10. Have fun blogging
I started blogging for fun, and as an outlet to the professional writing I do. I want to make sure I remember that whenever I blog.

Top 10 Tuesday (#16) - best books I read in 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists. 

This week's topic is...top 10 books I read in 2013. This is a tough one, since I read a lot of great books, and this list will probably change right after I compile it!

Reviews:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
The Siege, Three Days of Terror Inside the Taj by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Fortunately, the Milk... by Neil Gaiman
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Lean In - Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I'd love to do a honourable mentions list, but it would get ridiculously long, so I'll leave it with my top 10. What were your favourite reads of 2013?

Top 10 Tuesday (#15) - autumn reading list

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists. 

This week's topic is...top 10 books at the top of my autumn TBR list.

There was a similar topic a few months ago - top 10 books at the top of my summer TBR list. I failed really big there, and managed to read one of those books this summer, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. The other nine, which carry over into autumn, are Fallen by Lauren Kate, The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling, Burn Mark by Laura Powell, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini, Inferno by Dan Brown, White Teeth by Zadie Smith, Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, and Planet Google by Randall Stross.

For autumn, I add (from my shelves)...

1. The Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman
I've heard so much good stuff about this series, I'm really looking forward to eventually getting round to it.

2. Sharp Objects and Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Seeing as Gone Girl was the only book I read off my summer list, chances are high that I'll read at least one of Flynn's two other novels I own this autumn.

3. The Body in the Library, The Moving Finger and Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
I've never read any Christie before, but I love a good mystery, so hope these will entertain.

4. The Magicians and The Magician King by Lev Grossman
These are billed as Harry Potter for grown-ups, which draws me in.

5. The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway
This is cheating, as I've already started this novel. However, it's been months since I picked it up, and it's absolutely huge, so it's going to take me a while to finish.

6. The MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood
I have all three books in my possession, and have been caught up in the buzz surrounding the release of the final novel, so really need to read them to see what all the fuss is about.

7. When Mr Dog Bites by Brian Conaghan
Apparently I'll like this if I liked A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which I did.

8. The Wall by William Sutcliffe
A friend recommended this, and I trust her.

9. The Island, The Thread and The Return by Victoria Hislop
I've been slowly gathering Hislop's books for a while, now it's time to start reading them.

10. The Bones series by Kathy Reichs
I love Reichs' novels for young adults, and I bought a stack of the Tempe Brennan books to read, in the hopes I'll enjoy them equally.

Yes, I'm well aware that's way more than 10, but I'm hoping if I set a really high target, I might actually get more than one of these read, and it won't be a complete fail like my summer list!

What are you hoping to read this autumn?

Top Ten Tuesday (#14) - from page to screen

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists.

This week's topic is...top ten books I would love to see as movie and/or TV show (set in a perfect world...in which the books we love aren't butchered).

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

One of the best books I've read this year, and would make a stunning mini-series.

2. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

As an actor, Colfer's writing is quite episodic already, so this would work well as a children's programme.

3. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner was a really good film, and I'd hope something equally good could be done with Hosseini's second novel

4. Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman

A dystopia unlike the ones we've seen translated to the big screen before, this would have a really likeable hero.

5. After Tomorrow by Gillian Cross

A film of this would give an insight into the world that awaits if the financial crisis ever gets really, really, really bad.

6. Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

A little Black Swan-ish, this would be a dark teen film.

7. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

This could make either a film, or could be the basis of a television series. With Gossip Girl gone, 90210 going/losing the plot, and Pretty Little Liars having just revealed its biggest secret, there's a gap in the market for a high school drama.

8. The Heather Wells Mysteries by Meg Cabot

I love Heather Wells, and think she'd translate really well on film.

9. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Surely this has already been picked up by the movie studios? Let me know.

10. The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence

A touching story about friendship, this would have the vibe of Little Miss Sunshine or one of those kind of indie-ish films.

Alas, we don't live in a perfect world, so all these books would be ruined if turned into films or television programmes, so let's just keep them as novels! If we did live in a perfect world, though, what would you pick for the journey from page to screen?

Top Ten Tuesday (#13) - most memorable secondary characters

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists.

This week's topic is...top 10 most memorable secondary characters. For the purposes of this top 10, I'm going to take secondary to mean anyone who wasn't the protagonist, regardless of how big their role was.





1. Ron Weasley - the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Ron was everything a best friend and sidekick should be, and I loved every glimpse we got of him and his life.

2. Hermione Granger - the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
As above, Hermione was a great secondary character. Without both her and Ron, the Harry Potter books, and Harry himself, would not have been as brilliant as they were.

3. James - All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
A really intriguing secondary character, I wanted to know a lot more about James.

4. Mr Peterson - The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence
I'm not actually finished with this book yet, but I love Mr Peterson for his wit and his acceptance of Alex.

5. Isabel - The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater
I loved Isabel so much, and really, really wanted to see more about her life. I thought her story was as powerful as the protagonist's, a sign of a really good secondary character.

6. Gus - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Oh Gus. What is there to say? A wonderful secondary character who we fall in love with as Hazel does.

7. Lula - The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
I recently reviewed Notorious Nineteen and said the series wasn't as good as it was when it first started. Lula, however, is still as hilarious as she was in the first book, maybe even more so. She's everything a sidekick shouldn't be, but it works.

8. Jasper Cullen - The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer
Edward and Bella - *yawn*. Jasper, on the other hand, was a fascinating character and I wish we'd spent more time with him.

9. Gilbert Blythe - Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
I loved Gilbert, and his and Anne's relationship was easily the most fascinating of the book for me when I was younger.

10. Justin - Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black
Justin is a character we don't know a whole lot about, but what I saw of him I really liked. I assume he will play a bigger part in the sequel.

Who are your favourite secondary characters?

Top Ten Tuesday (#12) - things that make life as a reader/blogger easier

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists.   

This week's topic is...top 10 thing that make my life as a reader/book blogger easier.






1. The library
I can't praise my local library service enough. As a youngster, there is no way I would have been able to afford all the books I read, so the library was an invaluable resource. As an adult, I like to support my local library so it can give others the same opportunities I had. Libraries are a gateway to the whole world, and I adore them.

2. The internet
Where else would I find out about new books, read posts by bloggers and order books I just can't wait to go into a shop and buy?

3. Bookshops
Because while the internet is great, there's nothing like being surrounded by shelves and shelves of new or second hand books. The internet won't be able to replicate the lovely smell of paper for a while.

4. Twitter
I've only recently started following many, many publishers on Twitter, and I'm discovering a whole host of new authors and books through the medium.

5. Blogger
Okay, I know it's not the best blogging platform out there, but I'm time poor and Blogger is pretty simple to use, so I like it.

6. Bloggers
Bloggers are great for finding out about book stuff and for encouraging my love of literature.

7. Bookmarks
A weird one, but I love bookmarks. I'm one of those people who absolutely can't turn the corners of pages, so I need bookmarks to help me keep my place.

8. My mobile phone
Another strange one, but if I'm browsing in a bookshop or the library and see a book I want to read but haven't got time to at the moment, I'll take a photo of it and store it in my phone so I remember it for the future.

9. Goodreads
This is another tool I've only recently started using, but I'm enjoying interacting with other people, seeing what they're reading and discovering new books.

10.Bookshelves
Because I'm a little bit OCD, I need somewhere I can organise my books in alphabetical order by author's surname, and piling them up on the floor doesn't enable me to do that. Hurrah for bookshelves.

What makes your life as a reader/blogger easier?
 

Top Ten Tuesday (#11) - books I wish could have had sequels

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists.   

This week's topic is...top 10 books I wish could have had sequels (they were complete stories but you just could have read more and more about these characters or set in that world).

This is a tough one, because lately I've been speaking out about how every book nowadays seems to be part of a trilogy or series. I think a lot of great books stand on their own, and don't need sequels. Therefore, none of the below are books I really, really want to read a full sequel to, but ones where I sometimes wish I'd been able to get a definitive answer on what happened next.

1. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
We'll start with I Capture the Castle. When I first read it (as a young teenager) I was saddened to find there was no sequel. I felt like I'd been shown a slice of Cassandra Mortmain's life, and I really wanted to know exactly what happened next. Now, I see why Smith worked that way, but I still want to know more.

2. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
This is one of my favourite books, and ends on such a perfect melancholy note. Still, I'd love to ask Shriver what she thought happened next, and how Kevin and his mum dealt with each other.

3. Matilda by Roald Dahl
I'd love to find out what a grown-up Matilda was like. I imagine she set up a school for clever girls, and spent her life making sure all women got an education.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Okay, I don't want a full sequel but five minutes with John Green to find out his headcanon for Hazel would be great.

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Lord of the Rings series has a huge number of appendices which expand on the history of Middle Earth and events outside the books. I'd like something similar (on a much, much, much smaller scale) for The Hunger Games, where Collins tells us more about the world and how it copes after the Games finish. We get a small glimpse, but since it's through Katniss's point of view and she's out of it, we don't get much.

6. After Tomorrow by Gillian Cross
I read this recently (review here), and I'm quite happy that there's not a sequel, because I think the characters I met are just fine. I would like to know from Cross, though, how (if) the world recovers and what's ahead for Britain in her universe.

7. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
A beautiful, haunting novel, Never Let Me Go (review here) is pretty much perfect. Sometimes a small part of me wants to know exactly what happened to Kathy though, rather than me being the one to figure it out. I think it would be easier to come to terms with if Ishiguro spelt it out.

8. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
I'm a huge fan of Gaiman, and could read more of his worlds anytime. It was a toss up between Neverwhere and Stardust as to what went on this list, and I went for Neverwhere.

9. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
There is actually a sequel to this, called Scarlett, and written by someone who's not Mitchell. I don't need a full book, I just need to know whether Rhett ever forgives Scarlet and the two get together.

10. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Another book I recently read (review here), Gone Girl's ending is jawdropping. I won't spoil anything, but I'd love to know how the lives of the characters panned out. If you've read it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

What books would you like to see sequels to?

Top Ten Tuesday (#10) - opening lines

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists.   

This week's topic is...top 10 favourite beginnings or endings in books. You're free to talk about books that started or ended just perfectly or with a bang, but I'm going to go mainly for opening lines. I've been thinking about opening lines a lot this week, so this is a good topic, but it's also a really difficult one. I've realised, in compiling this list, that many of my favourite first lines are from childhood, but I guess that's the power of a good line - it stays with you.

1. "Once upon a time..."
-traditional, various.

2. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
-A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens.

3. "Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter."
-Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter.

4. “This is how the story begins. On a dark, dark hill, there was a dark, dark town."
-Funny Bones, Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

5.  "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."
-Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J. K. Rowling.

6. "It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers."
-Matilda, Roald Dahl.

7. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." 
-Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen.

8. "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
-Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy.

9. "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink."
-I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith.

And one powerful ending...

10. "But in the meantime, there is a second bedroom in my serviceable apartment. The bedspread is plain. A copy of Robin Hood lies on the bookshelf. And the sheets are clean."
-We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver.

If you need some inspiration, Stylist has compiled lists of the 100 best first lines from children's books and just generally, and The Telegraph has a list of 30 great opening lines here.

Top ten Tuesday (#9)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists. 

This week's topic is...top 10 words/topics that make me not pick up a book.







1. Misery lit
This makes me sound horrible, but I have no interest in reading about the terrible things people in real life went through in their childhood.

2. Horror
I don't like being scared, so I avoid horror. I've read one horror in my time - Stephen King's Misery - and that was because it was required reading for university, and it terrified me.

3. Zombies
I love dystopian fiction, but zombies don't hold much interest. I tried Gena Showalter's Alice in Zombieland recently to see if that could change my mind, and it didn't.

4. Erotica
I love romance, and I'm a big fan of people like Nora Roberts, but I can think of nothing worse to read than 50 Shades of Grey and its ilk.

5. "The next ..."
I don't mind recommendations of the "if you like this, you might like this" sort, but books should stand on their own merits, so I don't like being told something is the next whatever. Chances are it's not.

6. Angels/fallen angels
Okay, I can't categorically say I don't like this category, since I can't recall having read too many books in the genre, but it doesn't appeal hugely. I have Fallen on my bookshelf, but it's so far down my TBR list I won't get to it for years, it seems like.

7. Magic/wizardry
I'm fine with the Harry Potter series being the only books I'm willing to like in this genre in the near future.

8. Beat literature
I've tried reading Jack Kerouac and the like, and just can't get into this style.

9. Aliens
I don't mind sci-fi, but I'm just not interested in aliens, or aliens that come to take over the planet, even though I'll watch that kind of stuff (Roswell, Battlestar Galactica, anyone?).

10. Lurid covers
Not a word or subject, but I dislike covers that make my eyes hurt. Get a proper designer!

What's on your no list?

Top Ten Tuesday (#8)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists. 

This week's topic is...top 10 books at the top of my summer TBR list.

For this one, I'm going to try and stick to the many, many unread books on my shelves.




1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I bought this last year, and then put it on my shelf and promptly forgot about it. I am determined to getting round to reading it though, since I've heard so many good things.

2. Fallen by Lauren Kate
I'm not sure how I feel about this book, but it's another one I've seen floating around a lot, so I bought a copy. I hope to tackle it later this summer.

3. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, and want to see what Rowling's adult work is like.

4. Burn Mark by Laura Powell
Okay, I don't actually own Burn Mark, but I do own Witch Fire, its sequel, and I can't read that without reading the first book.

5. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This collection of short stories has been sitting on my bookshelf for about 18 months.

6. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
I adored both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns and am really looking forward to Hosseini's latest novel, although I'll need a box of tissues to capture all the tears I'm sure to shed while reading.

7. Inferno by Dan Brown
A birthday present from this year that I want to read before my next birthday rolls round.

8. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
A modern classic that's been on my TBR list for years.

9. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
A fascinating, awe-inspiring man I'd like to learn more about.

10. Planet Google by Randall Stross
This book is probably wildly out of date now, considering how fast the internet moves, but it's all about the power of Google and how the organisation works.

Top Ten Tuesday (#7) - Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists. 

This week's topic is...Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I've Read.

I'm not really one to judge a book by its cover, so this is a really difficult topic (I say that with every topic, don't I?!).

1. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
While I think the book isn't amazingly written, I do love the cover of Twilight, and in face all of its sequels. Minimalist but striking.










2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling A lot of people say the American covers have better illustrations, but I'll always have a special place in my heart for the very first book's British edition, since that was how I got into the series.









 
3. The Land of Stories - The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer Gorgeous, gorgeous cover from illustrator Brandon Dorman, who has also done the illustrations for Colfer's second novel, and they're just as gorgeous from the previews.

4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
I quite like simple designs on book covers, and this, with just three colours, really works for me.

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
There are many different covers for The Hunger Games, but this is the edition I own, and I'm a fan of it.

6. The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton One of my favourite books from childhood, and still a cover I love.

7. Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black
Just a beautiful cover, and I love the font used for the title.

8. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
I love shoes, therefore I love the covers of all of Weisberger's books!

9. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Obviously, the West End/Broadway posters are much more famous now than the book cover, but I have to go back to where it began. Plus, my edition has green page edges.

10. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
One of my favourite books, and another minimalist cover that I love.











What book covers do you love?

Top Ten Tuesday (#6) - Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, where the writers, like me, are particularly fond of lists.
 
This week's topic is...Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects.

This is a really difficult topic, but looking back at my reading history I realised a lot of the books I included I read at a young age, and so were often my first exposure to the difficult subjects they spoke about.



1. Junk by Melvin Burgess
I read this book soon after its release in 1997, and it was really hard hitting and just brilliantly written, dealing with the tough subject of drug addiction.

2. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
One of my favourite books, the issue of school killings isn't as big over here in Britain as it is in America, but this book still caught me. The question of whether people are born bad or made bad was an interesting one, and I was left as conflicted at the end of the book as Kevin's mother.

3. 10 Rillington Place by Ludovic Kennedy
I'm firmly against capital punishment, whatever the crime. This true story about an innocent man hanged for murders his neighbour committed, which I read while at school, only cemented my position on capital punishment.

4. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult tends to churn books out like a butter factory, but My Sister's Keeper is a brilliant read, and one that poses really difficult questions about organ donation, keeping someone alive when they may not want to live, and family relationships.

5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
While this book is heartbreaking and deals very realistically with cancer, I still found it uplifting at moments, something that shows just how skilled a writer Green is.

6. Wasted: A Memory of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher
I was quite young when I read this book, probably too young. Hornbacher's experiences of battling eating disorders were tough to read about, but I guess that was the point.

7.  The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
A relatively short book, this was another one I read while I was at school. Every moment of The Virgin Suicides is full of heartbreak and confusion as to why the characters would take the action they did.

8. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
The fact that this book doesn't spell out the despicable things the Nazis did or the horror of the concentration camps makes it all the more sadder.

9. Tully by Paulina Simons
A novel that deals with abuse at the hands of family members, as well as a host of other things, I found this a compelling read.

10. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
On the surface Kazuo Ishiguro's book is about one thing, but what it's actually about is the tough subjects of love, loss, memory, loyalty and what happens when you know you only have a finite amount of time left to live.