Five Books People Have Been Telling Me I MUST Read

I can’t get to ten on this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, primarily because if enough people recommend a book (such as The Fault in our Stars by John Green), I will usually read it fairly promptly…which makes it ineligible for this particular list! I’ve also excluded books that have been brought to my attention by the authors themselves—I don’t mean via spammy advertising here (that NEVER works), but books where I’ve gotten to know the author on Twitter or similar and then decided to buy it.

So, here is my list, such as it is!

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I’ve lost track of the number of people that have recommended this book to me, and after including it in my list of books I’m not sure about reading, I got even more endorsements. I’ve bought the paperback and it’s on my to-be-read pile.

Everything by Mary Renault. That’s not the name of the book, mind you! But I recently read her book The King Must Die, and a friend, on seeing this via Facebook, insisted I have to read all her other books set in Ancient Greece — which I think is all of them. I’ve been reading a lot about the era recently, both fiction and non-fiction, so I may well do. (Currently I’m a little bit in love with Achilles from The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. After I reviewed The Raven Boys, it was suggested that I pick up this book. I will eventually, if Stiefvater’s books keep being as awesome as The Raven Boys was, but I really want to read the rest of The Raven Cycle first — at least, that part of it that is already available in paperback!

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. A zombie-mad friend recommended this one, and the blurb sounds really interesting: zombies, steampunk technology and an alternate history America? Ok, why not!

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. A couple of friends gave rave reviews to this book on Goodreads and their blogs. On top of that, Jay Kristoff (who wrote The Lotus War trilogy) is co-writing a book called Illuminae with Amie, and he also recommended this. These Broken Stars is firmly on my wish list but I haven’t bought it yet.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’m Not Sure I Want to Read

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is, as the title says, books I’m not sure I want to read. Not books I’ll never ever read — like Fifty Shades of Grey, a book about which I have MANY THOUGHTS — but books I sometimes think I might, but then I’m not so sure. Or books I’ve bought and think I will, but I keep procrastinating about. They could be perfectly awesome books. And one day I might find out.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Two of my besties on Twitter were raving about this and how amazing it was — without specifics — so I ordered it out of curiosity. But then I heard that the writing was a little…unorthodox. What if I hate it? I don’t usually read literary fiction. What if reading it feels like homework? So, yeah, I’ve moved this down the TBR pile a little. I will get to it, though, just to see what all the fuss is about. I guess if I hate it I can stop.

Torment and Passion by Lauren Kate. These are books two and three of the Fallen series. I originally bought them at Canty’s, an awesome secondhand bookstore here in Canberra. But I hadn’t read the first one yet; Canty’s didn’t have it so I bought it new off The Book Depository. It was okay, but I wasn’t a huge fan of Luce, the main character. She was, well, wet. She needed rescuing a lot and spend an awful lot of time obsessing about boys. The book did get interesting in the last few chapters, and maaaaayybe the sequels will be better. I dunno, but I keep finding other books I want to read more than these, so they sit on my shelf, gathering dust.

The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb. I loved her Assassins Apprentice trilogy. The Liveships one didn’t wow me as much because I’ve never been a huge fan of ship stories, but it was still pretty good — and the liveships were awesome, I have to admit. Still, this book is the start of another trilogy set in that world, one presumably about dragons. Which I love. The only explanation I have for my reluctance is that my tastes have shifted to urban fantasy over the years, and huge epic fantasy tomes put me off these days.

The Snow Queen, The Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey. I used to be a HUGE Mercedes Lackey fan. I own seventy four of her books — including these three I haven’t read. They all set in the Five Hundred Kingdoms. I loved the first book in the series, and rushed out and bought the rest. The second was okay, but then I started getting annoyed at the way the romances seemed forced (one of the main characters should have stayed single, dammit) and some of the storytelling was repetivie. Also, one particuarly bad example of characters reaching an intuitive leap just because it suited the plot in the last book I read made me very cross. Still, The Snow Queen is about the same fairytale that inspired Disney’s Frozen, so that might be enough to bring me back to it one day.

The Iron King by Julie Kawaga. The description sounded cool — I heard about it as I was shopping Isla’s Inheritance and loved the idea of reading a different kind of fae story — but then, I dunno, I just keep finding other books I wanted to read more. And maybe I was scared I’d read it, see similarities and get frightened away from finishing my trilogy. But mine is done now, so I might go back to this series. (Surely I’m not the only neurotic writer that does this, right?)

Are there any of these that you either love or loathe? I’d be interested to hear your opinion, one way or the other. Or do you have other books on your shelf that you’re not sure about?

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors by Whom I Own the Most Books

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is authors by whom I own the most books.

I was a prolific — but not very adventurous — reader when I was a teenager. My love of reading really started when I read Dragonsdawn by Anne McCaffrey in English class; I picked it because it had a dragon on the cover and I’d really enjoyed The Hobbit. I fell in love, and went on a McCaffrey spree. From there, after reading a series she co-wrote with Mercedes Lackey, I read Magic’s Pawn and went on a Lackey spree.

These sprees are reflected in the numbers. They’re also often reflected in my Top Ten Tuesday lists, because while I own a LOT of books (as the removalists snarkily observed last year when they were carting boxes upstairs) I don’t own a huge variety.

My tastes have changed since then, largely moving from fantasy to urban fantasy. While I still have my old favourites, some of the newer Mercedes Lackey releases (for example) haven’t really wowed me. I still own many of them, though, for sentimental reasons as much as anything else.

Robin Hobb and Charles de Lint — 12 books each (tied)

Kate Forsyth — 13 books

Jacqueline Carey — 14 books

Laurel K. Hamilton — 17 books

Charlaine Harris — 19 books

David Eddings — 22 books

Stephen King — 33 books*

Terry Pratchett — 35 books

Anne McCaffrey — 63 books

Mercedes Lackey — 74 books**

* If you count all the Green Mile novellas as one book.

** Three of these I haven’t even read yet. Whoops!

This is one shelf of my Mercedes Lackey books. There are more. (Please ignore the random fluff on the carpet — I have dogs.)

My Stephen King collection, hanging out with Jay Kristoff and Kermit.

All my Anne McCaffrey books. She co-wrote quite a few, especially as she got older, but they TOTALLY count. (I didn’t count the books in here that were only written by her son, Todd.)

Yes, I am a book hoarder. I think I need help more shelves! Which authors would be at the top of your list?

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Characters I’d Want on a Deserted Island

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is the top ten characters I’d choose to have with me on a deserted island. I’ve only dipped into five different books, though.

Hermione Granger (The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling). My reasons for choosing Hermione should be obvious: she’s clever and versatile. Obviously life would be easier if she had her wand with her, but even if she didn’t, her knowledge of random trivia would definitely come in handy. I’d pick 18-year-old Hermione, though, not 12-year-old Hermione. Because she’s passed her OWLs.

Katniss and Primrose Everdeen (The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins). I’d wager anyone doing this week’s Top Ten Tuesday who reads a lot of YA will have Katniss on the list, because she’s the ultimate survivalist—good with a bow and traps, knows how to skin an animal, great with her herb lore and so on. I’m adding Prim because she’s competent with low-tech medicine options and isn’t as likely to freak out and go comatose as her mother is.

Jude (The Rephaim series by Paula Weston). Jude is nearly indestructible, and totally hot. He also has an in-depth knowledge of boats—he wouldn’t just be eye candy! (Plus there’s a chance he may be able to teleport. Useful!)

Yukiko and Buruu (The Lotus War series by Jay Kristoff). Yukiko’s fast with a sword and able to talk to animals…and if she had her thundertiger, Buruu, with her, we’d have a way off the island if the boat thing doesn’t work out. Plus Buruu can create storms with his wings so we’d have a source of water. The only downside would be the language barrier—Yukiko is from a Steampunk fantasy version of feudal Japan. I wonder if Hermione speaks Japanese? If she doesn’t, Jude might. He’s travelled.

Gandalf the Grey; Aragorn, son of Arathorn; and Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein). These three are all being added for different reasons. Like Hermione, Gandalf knows a lot about a lot, and we might be able to use his fireworks to make flares. Aragorn could supplement the food brought in by Katniss—although I’d wager those two would get it on in a hot minute—and help Prim with healing herbs. And Sam would be in charge of cooking.

Actually, I’m going to go back to The Hunger Games and add Peeta Mellark. I’m not sure whether Sam can bake. That might complicate Aragorn wooing Katniss though. 😉

So that’s my ten. I’ve got hunting, general knowledge (and magic), a boat, medicine and cooking taken care of. Plus Aragorn and Jude are honeys, and Peeta’s not bad either. I’d be set!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favourite Books of 2014 (So Far)

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is the ten best books I’ve read so far this year. This is a hard one, you guys, like they’re asking me to choose between my children. (Of course, in reality I only have one child, but that’s NOT THE POINT!)

So, grudgingly, here they are — listed in alphabetical order. I mention this because it’s hard to make this list as it is; asking me to prioritise it internally is just too cruel.

Now, two of these books are not currently available, due to the collapse of a certain, lame small press earlier in the year. I realise this sucks for you, because they are awesome — but I fully intend to shout from the rooftops when they come back to us. And one of them is already on the way.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Take Cinderella, stick her in a future Earth and make her a second-class cyborg. Stir in some political intrigue, a terrible plague and a handsome prince, and I’m so there! Review.

Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash. The romance between Mae and Jax is well-developed and, even though I’m firmly Team Will (Mae’s best friend), by the end I thought Mae and Jax were a cute and above all realistic couple. Review. (Forget Me Not is scheduled for re-release by Harper Collins later this year. Oh my frickin’ god!)

Haze by Paula Weston. This is The Rephaim #2. I could just write IT’S AWESOME GO BUY IT RIGHT NOW in all caps and then put in some animated gifs of people squeeing all over the place, but that’s not particularly coherent. I gather there’s at least one more book in the series, maybe two. Like Shadows, Haze has an ending that has equal parts closure and setup for the next book. I MUST HAVE IT NOW! Review.

Immagica by K. A. Last. With this book’s main character, Rosaline, being fifteen, I thought maybe I’d be a little old for the story. I should have remembered I loved Harry Potter back when he was a scruffy twelve-year-old. Review.

In Stone by Louise D. Gornall. Beau’s voice shines from the beginning. Even crying over her broken heart in the park, her sass came through. I wanted to take her home, make her a hot chocolate and watch chick flicks with her. Which is saying a lot, because I NEVER watch chick flicks. Review. (In Stone has been re-released with a pretty new cover.)

Running Home by Julie Hutchings. This book is a bit like riding a roller coaster. It starts clicking along the track, and there’s a slow build … and then you get to the top of the first incline and it’s all waaaaaah! The particular vampire mythology is also something I haven’t seen before, which is saying something given how many vampire books are on the market. Review.

Sleeper by S. M. Johnston. Sleeper sits somewhere between YA and NA; the main character, Mischa, is eighteen and about to start university, but the themes sit closer to the more-typical YA fare of self-discovery. And while there’s a lot of kissing there’s no graphic detail in here that might make some teens (or parents of teens) uncomfortable. Review. (Sleeper is currently unavailable. 😦 )

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Some of the moments in Stars are hysterically funny. I love the banter between Hazel, Augustus and Isaac. It’s often classic gallows humour, and although some people may find it shocking, if anyone is entitled to it, it’s those three teens, all with cancer that has cost them big time. When it’s not gallows humour, it’s still clever and wry. Review.

The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K. McKellar. For me to pick up a contemp, it has to be special. The Problem With Crazy blew me away. I stayed up till after midnight — on a work night, no less — thinking “just one more chapter”. Review.

Wicked After Midnight by Delilah S. Dawson. This is Blud #3. I love this series. Love love love. The world, a sort of medieval parallel to modern day Earth, is rich and dark and has clockworks and magic in equal measure. Plus Dawson’s love interests in each book are smoking hot, strong, dangerous to their enemies and respectful of their leading ladies (which is one of the reasons they are smoking hot, in my book!). Review.