Tuesday Top Ten: Bookish Christmas Gifts

I haven't done a Tuesday Top Ten in I don't know how long. A million years? Roughly. I mostly stopped because things got busier and I got worse and worse about checking on the new topic and being able to do the hop part of things, so I figured it was unfair. But I'd like to try to get into this again, so hey, let's see how this goes.

The topic is Top Ten Books (or non-book bookish items) would I like Santa to leave under my tree.

Typically I don't ask for books for Christmas. I usually don't have a lot of books I am like MUST HAVE THIS so I prefer to just browse and buy books on a whim. So let's see what I can come up with.

1. Social Justice Reads - I thought I'd keep this as a single item because I literally just wrote a post about the SJRs that I want, and it seems silly to repeat that. But if these were to show up, I wouldn't be upset.

2. Book gift card - I was looking through my TBR list to try to find some other specific books that I'm like "Not only do I want to read this, but I want to read it IMMEDIATELY" and I'm not really coming up with much, so let's go with a gift card to somewhere like The Strand. See now I HAVE to use this money on books. No choice, really.

3. Litographs - We already have a print of a scene from The Great Gatsby made up of the text of The Great Gatsby so why not get more of that? I'm loving the Midsummer scarf. Or maybe The Tempest t-shirt.

4. Shakespeare insults mug - While we're on the topic of Shakespeare stuff, why not a mug made up of Shakespeare's insults? OH WAIT, I already got that as an early Christmas gift. Win win win.

5. A metal thing to use my Shakespeare fridge magnets - Remember that word poetry stuff that was so great? There's a Shakespeare version of it and I have them. BUT my fridge does not work with magnets. Which I guess makes it look nice and clean and whatnot but means that all my cool magnets are homeless. So I guess in this sense the item itself is not bookish but would facilitate bookish stuff. Though I guess I'm sort of just asking for a piece of sheet metal. maybe gussy it up a bit?

6. Bookish socks - I am in need of socks pretty much all the time. I don't know what I do to them, wear them EXTRA HARD, but pretty much all of my above-the-ankle socks have holes in them. If I have to get new socks, why not make them awesome ones, like the banned book socks?

And here we go. I'm already running out of ideas. I'm sure there are more, but I can't come up with them now. And really, item 1. is really multiple items, so I've made it beyond 10 items, so I'll stop here. What are your bookish wants, that I'll prob steal. (Not the items, the ideas. Just to be clear.)

Why I LOVE being a reader and a book blogger

The Broke and the Bookish posted the Tuesday Top Ten prompt reasons I love being a blogger/reader. I didn't answer it cos I'm doing the Bleak House readalong, which also posts on Tuesdays. What, post 2 things in one day? You're cute. So yeah, I didn't join in (or know it was a thing until I saw other people posting about it) but I like the prompt. I meant to write my own post answering this prompt pretty much every day since then. Except I clearly didn't get around to it until now because lazy.

Anyway, why I love being a blogger and reader. Let's do this

New worlds/new people - How else am I going to know what it's like to someone/something different without stories? Stories are the best way to experience life from another point of view, and for me I connect with books more than I do with TV shows or movies (not that I don't loooooove both of those other things).

Escape - I know I've said this a jillion times, but I do most of my reading on public transportation. Public transportation I'd rather forget I was riding. Books are amazing for this. I can read and (mostly) forget about the crazy man yelling racist things and his invisible friend*.

There is always something else to read - I know there can't actually be infinite books out there, but it feels like it. I at least know I will never get to the point where there is NOTHING for me to read. Especially considering how often I re-read things.

You can major in it - Seriously, reading is my hobby but also what I literally went to school for. And it's a real major that almost every university has. It's like cheating at school. PLUS, I saved serious money on school books. One math text book: $360 (or something ridiculously high). Every book I had to buy for a every class in a semester: $100.

Connecting with people - I LOVE all of the people I have met through blogging about books. It is such a welcoming community, the people are awesome, and have been introduced to so many new favorite books. And now I can bore the people I see IRL less often about book things.

Readalongs - It's like a book club ONLY BETTER. Rather than discuss the book at the end you're talking about it as your making your way through. And the gifs. OH the gifs.

My space - I love having this space, to write about something important to me and to keep track of all of the books I've read and to see how many opinions change. I'd have vague remembrances of a book I'd read, but a lot of them would be mostly forgotten. Not now! And while this is all through a bookish lens, I can track important things that have happened to me. I've moved (I believe 4 times), bought a house, got engaged, and will soon get married, all since starting this blog.

I'm blanking on other reasons, though I'm sure there are more. Because really, I love love love reading and blogging about reading. I can't stress that enough. And with that, I'm off.

One last boop

*I tweeted the highlights, so you really, you should probably be following me there.

Top 10 Characters I'd Never Want to Trade Places With

I haven't done the Broke and the Bookish's Tuesday Top Ten in awhile but I liked this week's prompt and also I don't have a book review ready. I also don't have a book read to review so yeah, it's going to be some time before I get to that point. In the meantime, here are the top ten characters I would never want to change places with.

1. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Because OBVIOUSLY. I'm pretty sure this won't be an original selection but also, do not want to play the Hunger Games kthxbai.

2. Dana Franklin from Kindred by Octavia Butler: Dana is a black woman that gets sent back to antebellum Maryland and could things be shittier than that? Not really. In this case I would need to become Dana, or at least a black lady, for the terribleness to be at max levels.

3. Eddie Russett from Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde: Anytime you're dealing with a dystopia you know it's not somewhere you want to be. This is a place I might be able to handle but all the Leapbacks, the strict social structure, the attack swans. No thank you.

4. Anyone from 1984 by George Orwell: Actually, I guess being Big Brother wouldn't be so bad, but anyone else NO THANK YOU. I haven't read this book since high school (which means I'm probably due for a re-read) but that book scarred me.

5. Offred from The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: Another one that's probably on a lot of lists but yeah, dystopian (again) world where women have no rights. At all.

6. Jack's Ma from Room by Emma Donoghue: Woman kidnapped and raped for YEARS while trying to make a normal world for her son. Yeah, no.

7. Anyone in the Lamberts family from The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen: Not a dystopia, but I think I'd rather take my chances in the Hunger Games. I don't even want to be a distant cousin of these guys.

8. Anyone in Dreamcatcher by Stephen King: Fart aliens. Do you need more? Sure there are lots of terrifying King worlds, but this one is scary and horrible.

9. Kathy H. from Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: It's hard to talk about this one without spoilers so I'm just going to say...reasons.

10. Piggy from Lord of the Flies by William Golding: This book. This book about how terrible little English boys are, apparently. I don't like camping in good, non-murdery conditions.  So this would just be a double whammy.

Top Character Names I Love and a Few Terrible Ones

I'm going to be upfront with you. This is a procrastination post. I am writing this post so I can have something to post without having to write up reviews for Alif the Unseen or Quiet or Coraline, all of which I enjoyed (to varying degrees [EXCEPT CORALINE WHICH I LOVED]). I even have a wedding update post I was planning on writing/posting last week and that clearly didn't happen. Last week and this week are just stress extravaganzas so the odds of a well thought out review are unlikely.

Instead, I'm doing this week's Tuesday Top Ten (hosted by the folks over at The Broke and The Bookish) which I like the topic, but my heart isn't totally in it. I'm sorry, and I'll make it up to you next week.*

Top Character Names I Luuuuurve

1. Thursday Next from the Thursday Next series - I don't like names that are ridiculous or unusual just for the sake of being unusual. Thursday's name is just unique enough to be interesting, but not so out of the blue that I think "You poor dear. Your childhood must have sucked."

2. Coraline from Coraline - As with Thursday, it's juuuust this side of unusual. I mean, it's really just Caroline with two of the letters switched but I LOVE THE NAME CORALINE. (Did I mention I read this not long ago and very much enjoyed it so I'm still in internet-shouty mode?)

3. Rosalind from As You Like It - I just think this is a pretty name.

4. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird - I supposed technically this is a nickname, but still. it's so much more her than "Jean Louise" is.

Top Character Names That Make My Eyes Roll So Far Back I Actually Give Myself A Headache

5. Jaime Lannister from The Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones series - The name itself isn't bad. The fact that this is a character in an epic fantasy series and his nickname his "Kingslayer" but his real name is Jaime, and I'm sorry. No. That makes me laugh every time. A fantasy name with lots of consonants would have made more sense. But Jaime is not a name that instills fear in my heart. *Updated* to fix the fact that it's  Jaime and not Jamie. Neither name is scary

6. Bella Swan from the Twilight series - Really? Bella Swan? Not even going to try the whole "subtly" thing, huh?

7. Renesmme from the Twilight series - Oh Meyer, you made it here twice. Congrats. At least she seemed to realize, at least on some level, that this name is ridiculous given she had characters make fun of it. I mean, she also later had a teenager fall in love with a new born, so I guess that was his punishment.

8. Anastasia Rose Steel Grey from the 50 Shades of Grey series - Ladies and gentlemen, we have our champion. I think 8 year old me would have put this in the other category, because 8 year old me had terrible tastes. (Have you read Jennifer's 50 Shades recaps? Cos if not, you are seriously missing out)

*I understand I could just not post. But I WANT to post. I just don't want to write anything that requires too much brain power. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to yelling a fictional characters on TV.

What to read when you need something light & fun

I haven't done one of The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesdays in awhile  but this week's topic, light and fun reads, seems like something I could handle. Especially when you consider about half of my reads fall into the light and fun category. I was going to say something about these being great books for great weather, but I'll read these books whenever I feel like I need...well, something light and fun. When the weather is nice, when the weather is crappy, when I need a break from what I'm currently reading, when I'm in a reading slump, when I'm reading a lot. You know, whenever. So here we go

1. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson - I love this book. I've read it a couple times now and it still cracks me up. It's a great to pick up sporadically. There's no real story so it doesn't matter if you put the book down for a couple months and then pick it up right where you left off. I'm sort of making my way through it and when I get to the end I just start over.

2. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged by the Reduced Shakespeare Company - I can't tell you how many times I've read this play. All the times, if I had to venture a guess. I pretty much know it by heart but that's OK because it's great and I heart it. Nerdy Shakespeare jokes for the win.

3. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde - The whole series counts as a single light and fun read, but seriously, it's so good. It's fun and it's quirky and it has Bookworld. How can you have a Bookworld and have it NOT be fun?

4. Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson - As I mentioned in the Lawson entry, I like books that I can pick up and put down without worrying about losing my place. This is a collection of columns Bryson wrote for The Mail on Sundays about what it was like to move back to the States after living in England for so long and it's so Bryson-y. He curmugeons about things, and is in awe of the wonders of the world, almost in equal parts.

5. Moranthology by Caitlin Moran - This is a new addition to my collection of light and fun reads (and I'll have that review written any day now. You know, after I finish procrastinating by writing posts like this.) Like the Bryson book, it's a collection of her columns from Times about things like how Ghostbusters is the best movie ever.

6. Bossypants by Tina Fey - And while we're on the topic of hilarious ladies, Fey's memoir is the best. It's hilarious and she has lots of stories about being a woman comedy writer and a mother, sometimes even at the same time.

7. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby - Who knew that a book about the male psyche would be one of my favorite books? Well actually, considering how many "middle class white guy problems" books I've read, perhaps it's not that surprising. But still, isn't that in itself surprising? Anyway, listening to Rob & company take music way to seriously is lots of fun, even when he's making bad decision after bad decision. Bonus, since I'm also a fan of the movie, I always picture Jack Black as Barry.

8. Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt - I've recently been listening to the Freakonomics podcast so this book is on my mind. Want to examine how incentives affect just everything? Want to compare how the KKK is like real-estate agents or if names really matter.

9. Who Are You People? by Shari Caudron - Why yes, I would like to read a book about a journalist who decides she needs to get to the bottom of people's obsessions, including ice fishing, Barbie enthusiasts, and Josh Groban fans. The book is funny without being condescending to the people she's writing about and she's only sort of creeped out by the furries. So there you go.

10. Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson - Any collection. 10th Anniversary that includes notes from Watterson? Definitely. The Complete Calvin & Hobbes? As long as you have a comfortable couch to sit on, absolutely. There's never a bad time for Calvin & Hobbes.

What are some great light & fun reads that I've missed?

Update: I need to include one more because HOLY HELL how did I forget Attachments by Rainbow Rowell? I'm disappointed in me, and I also blame ebooks, since having it on my Kindle means I can't just glance at my shelves for inspiration. But seriously, this book is so good and cute and funny and every time it's mentioned I want to read it again. It's such a feel good book.

Top Ten Characters I Would Crush On

Today's Tuesday Top Ten (hosted by The Broke & The Bookish) is Top Characters I Would Crush On If I Were Also A Fictional Character. First up, why do I have to be fictional to have crushes on these characters? No I'm sorry, the fact that these people are fictional does not stop real life me from having my crushes. So let's change this to "Top Ten characters I totally have crushes on even though they are fictional and I don't know why you keep bringing that up like it makes a difference." In no particular order, let's do this

1. Sirius Black from The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - I'm taking part in the Harry Potter ALL THE GIFS readalong so Sirius is on the brain and I LOVE HIM. You can try to keep pointing out his faults like it will change my mind or something (Alice) but sorry, nope. Love him. Even when he's all angry and pouty about being stuck at Grimmauld Place he's stick pretty great. And yes he has his faults (wreckless and rash and proud) but I can't hear them over his awesomeness.

2. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - OK, so I feel like this is an obvious one and will probably show up on everyone's list but don't care! I enjoy the fact that he sucks at declarations of love (Against my better judgement and the fact that your family is SO LAME, I still like you? You like me? Please check yes or no) and is witty little remarks.

3. Lincoln from Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - What a super sweet nerd. Sure he's not the most outgoing, considering he spends most of the book reading the emails between Beth and Jennifer instead of actually talking to them. But it's cute and not stalkery, I swear.

And because I can't think up enough guys, here are some of my major literary lady crushes

4. Marian from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - Marian is the best. The best. She's so smart and you need a mystery solved? Marian's got this, all while deflecting criticism (ladies can do things?) by pretending she's just meek and mild. AND she's part ninja/part velociraptor. Well, not in a literal sense. That would have made a whole different book. But her spirit animal would be a ninja velociraptor.

5. Thursday Next from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde - Thursday kicks ass. She investigates literary crimes oh and also spends half her time living in Book World sorting out mysteries there. She's smart and can fight if she needs to but most of the time she can think herself out of whatever crazy situation she's gotten into. She and Marian together would be a force.

Aaaaand that's all I got. I really thought I'd do a better job with this and apparently not. I'm probably missing some big names, and thus will have to amend this after I see other people's lists.

Here are some people I thought of AFTER publishing this post.  

6. Jonathan Strange from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - I considered him for my original list but ultimately left him off. I can't totally remember why. Something about him being a little crazy. Except I mostly wrote this list LAST week cos I mixed up the weeks for this TTT topic. I can't remember my reason for leaving him off and I do like the guy. So can do magic, very clever, super devoted, all good reasons to add him to the list.

Tuesday Top Ten: Auto-Buy Authors

This week's Tuesday Top Ten list (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) is our Top Ten Three Auto-Buy authors. Here's the thing about this, I don't have 10 authors I auto-buy. Not even close. But I still like the topic and I want to play along. So here is my short list of authors whose books I will buy even if I know nothing about the book. Or if I already have a copy. (Warning: this is is going to be repetitive of my favorite authors lists. So yeah, don't expect surprises here.)

1. Jasper Fforde - I'm putting him first because my friend told me he found a stack of Shades of Grey on sale and asked if I wanted him to pick up one for me. Even though I already have two copies of it. The answer was yes. I haven't read all of his books just yet, because I like to wait for books to come out in paperback. This is actually the reason I had 2 copies of Shades. I wanted to read the book immediately so I bought an e-copy. Then I found another paperback copy on sale and said "Yes, I will also need this one."
Other Fforde books I've read & reviewed/rambled about here
The Eyre Affair
One of Our Thursdays is Missing
The Big Over Easy 
Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron
 
2. Christopher Moore - I have already bought and read all of the Moore books out so far. Before I got to that point, I would randomly walk into a book store and pick out whatever Moore book looked interesting that I hadn't already read. It was a sad day when I realized I'd read all of his books already, so trips to the bookstore didn't mean I'd be guaranteed something new by him. I even broke down and got a hardback copy of his most recent book Sacre Bleu, but that's because he came to town for a book signing and I HAD to go. Had to. I may end up getting a copy in paperback as well because I have problems. MOAR MOORE PLZ
Moore books
Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story
You Suck: A Love Story
Bite Me: A Love Story
Coyote Blue
A Dirty Job
Fool
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
Sacre Bleu: A Comedy D'Art
The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

3. Bill Bryson - I love Bryson and there's a good chance I've re-read his work the most. Moore and Fforde are close but Bryson's easy to pick up and put down randomly without worrying about losing the story. The only problem I have is it can be difficult to find him in bookstores. Fforde and Moore are easy cos they just show up in Fiction. Bryson is all over. Sometimes history, sometimes travel, sometimes I don't even know. I usually just find him on those tables placed around the store.
BRYSON!
At Home: A Short History of Private Life
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America
The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way
Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe
Shakespeare: The World as Stage

Who are your author auto-buys?

Tuesday Top Ten: Settings I'd like to see more of

This week's Top Ten Tuesday list (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) is literary settings I want to see more of.

1. New York City - Because I heart it here so why wouldn't I want to see more stories set here?

2. Boston - Because I used to live there, and I like seeing stories where I know the geography.

3. Italy - Because it's gorgeous there, and I was able to forgive a lot of problems with Angels and Demons based totally on the fact that it took place in Rome.

4. Bookworld - Because Jasper Fforde created such a fun world that I never want to leave it. So please keep the Thursday Next books coming.

5. Dystopian futures - Because I like seeing what could happen if things go very, very wrong in the present.

6. Somewhere in Maine - Because this means that Stephen King has turned out more books.

7. Seattle - NOT because of Twilight but because I heart that city.

8. Shakespeare's plays - I don't think this counts but I'm already not going to make it to ten so I'm getting very loose with the definition of setting. But I do love modern books that take place in the realm of Shakespeare works (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Fool)

OK so with a couple exceptions my whole list is "American cities I am a fan of". So, yeah. Not the most exciting list but I guess the setting is secondary (or tertiary) in terms of things that are important to me. My favorite book, Lamb, takes place in Biblical times but I'm not really clamoring for more of that.

Reading Goals for 2013

I usually stay away from making goals for the year. Or any type of resolution. Because, you know

But this week's Tuesday Top Ten (hosted by The Broke and The Bookish) asked what your reading goals are for the new year and I figured I'd try to come up with some.* So in no particular order, some reading goals

1. Read more ladies - I don't think making sure I read a diverse collection of authors is the MOST important thing because the story itself is the most important thing. That said, I need to read less guys. Not that male authors are BAD but perhaps get a different point of view every once in awhile.

2. Read more non-white people - Ditto for some racial diversity in my authors.

3. Read more non-US authors - Also some authors from somewhere other than my home country. And yes, I COULD have just said read less white guys from America but that would have been 1 goal instead of 3.

4. Go to more author signings - I don't have any in mind or have any idea when authors I heart have books coming out and thus will be doing a book tour, but the 2 I went to last year were so fun I WANT MORE. Goal 4b is be less awkward at said book signing. I didn't make this a separate goal because I'm pretty sure it has no chance of happening. But I thought I should mention it.

5. Get my review of The Parable of the Sower just written already - It's been awhile now. And it's not that I don't WANT to review it. I'm just lazy with reviews.

6. Finish the Harry Potter readalong - I'm confident I'm going to accomplish this goal, but I want something on this list I know I'll be able to check off. Man, I really hope I didn't just jinx myself.

7. Do a better job answering review requests - I'm not trying to make this a humble brag cos I really don't get that many review requests. Which really just makes it all the worse that I have a tendency to just not answer most of the requests I get. Which is rude and I need to answer people, even if it's just to say "thanks but no thanks".

8. Read The Corrections - This has sorta been a goal for years now. Which is stupid. This book needs to stop mocking me. I CAN DEFEAT YOU, FRANZEN.

9. Listen to more audiobooks - preferably while running (or at least walking) since that was something I was PLANNING on doing when I got all of the HP audiobooks

10. Do a better job reading the newspaper - I know this isn't quite the "reading goal" TB&TB people were asking about (I assume, anyway) but we get the NYT delivered each weekend and I pretty much read: the magazine (especially Chuck Klosterman as The Ethicist column), the Real Estate section, and the Book Reviews. I only randomly pick up the other sections, and I should really make an effort to have an idea of what's going on in the world. I cannot get all of my current event knowledge from Twitter.

So, what are your reading goals for the year?

*Did you also figure out which goal is a the reason I decided to write this post instead of working on another one? Yeah. I'm starting off my goals by putting them off. Good job, me

Top Ten Tuesday: Deserted Island books

So after the Book Riot top 50 books list, I mentioned something about how that list was completely different for whatever list I would put together. And then Brenna suggested I list out my top books. It just so happen to work out that today's Broke and the Bookish Top Ten Tuesday is about your top 10 Deserted Island books. Now while these won't be EXACTLY the same list, there will probably be some overlap. But at least this is pushing me towards creating that other list.

1. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore because THE BEST

2. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde because I will need some sort of fantasy to forget I'm stranded. Also this means I get a bunch of books and can keep it as one item

3. World War Z by Max Brooks because then I can think "At least this island doesn't have zombies on it." If the island does, I would like to change this book...

4. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson because I will need something that makes me laugh until I'm crying while I slowly starve to death.

5. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare because those stories are timeless and maybe while I have nothing else to do I'll make it through the plays I've yet to tackle. Also when someone eventually finds my body they'll see this and think I was smart.

6.  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard because we may as well keep the Shakespeare together. And besides, I think I'd enjoy watching someone else's existential demise while dealing with my own.

7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee because come on, it's a great story.

8. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark because you should have a chunkster with you while you have all this uninterrupted reading time.

9. Kindred by Octavia Butler because ending up in a terrible predicament means you should read about someone that was way worse. It's like literary schadenfreude.

10. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen because it is seeming like this is the ONLY way I will actually get around to reading this one.

So what are your deserted island books?

Top Ten Bookish Confessions

I haven't done one of these in awhile, but given this one seems like an easy one for me to crank out, I figured I'd play along with this week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week they're asking for our Bookish Confessions. Here goes

1. I don't go to the library - I know I should. But I don't. I had a library card for the Boston Public Library back when I was a freshman at school. And not since. I like owning my books instead of borrowing them, though I'm considering trying out the library for Kindle books. We'll see if I get around to that since step one is "finding a library and getting a card".

2. I've read the entire Twilight series - Not only did I read it. I own it. It sits on a shame shelf, sorta hidden, on a bookshelf in the hallway. I read it in a week. Because everything that has been said about it (it's got horrendous writing, stupid characters, an AWFUL moral lesson especially for girls) is true and it's also addictive as hell.

3. I never get rid of books - Hence the whole hiding the Twilight books thing. I'm just about out of bookshelf space (not space on my bookshelves, but places to put more bookshelves) so perhaps I'll have to do a book purger sooner rather than later.

4. I'm a bit OCD when it comes to a book series - If I have a series of books, I want them to all look the same. Know why I didn't read Catching Fire right after finishing The Hunger Games? Cos it wasn't out in paperback yet and I have HG in paperback so OBVIOUSLY they must match. My Harry Potter set is cobbled together but still makes sense to me. So books 1, 3, 5 and 7 are the normal American cover trade paperbacks. Book 4 is American cover hardback. Book 2 is some mass market paperback I got in Rome. Which mean I had to find book 6 in a similar vein so I bought a used copy of the "adult" cover, which luckily just has a spell book on it and isn't actually HP porn.

5. Sometimes the movie is better than the book - Sarah said this too, but I'm repeating it because it's true. Lord of the Rings books, I wanted to love you, but sorry, the movies stole my heart.

6. I don't dogear pages. Or write in books. But I'm jealous of those that do - Sorta jealous anyway, because it's way easier to just fold over the page instead of always making sure you have a bookmark (or ticket stub, or whatever) on you. And it would be way easier if I underlined quotes in the book so I could find them later instead of just trying to remember where they were. And inevitably forgetting.

7. If I can't pronounce a character's name, I make up my own - I do this for pronounceable names as well, though usually it's a case of misreading it once and deciding I like mine better.

There's probably more but I can't think of them at the moment. What are your bookish confessions?

Books I want to see on the big screen

Some people hate it when a book gets made into a movie. Not me. I'm all for it. Even if most of the time I think the book is better. I get to be the director when I'm reading the book so it's my vision. Of course I think it's better. I'm very vain. But that doesn't mean I hate every movie based on a book. All of this rambling is to introduce this week's Tuesday Top Ten topic hosted by the Broke and the Bookish: top ten books I'd like to see made into movies. Some of these may have already been made into a movie, but I'd like someone to give it another go. Some of them haven't been made yet and hurry up already Hollywood and give these a try! You're clearly out of ideas anyway. Let's get to it, shall we?

1. Fool by Christopher Moore - He actually talked about this possibly being made into a stage play (!!!) but I would also love to see this on screen. King Lear but from the Fool's point of view, with lots of dirty jokes and some very touching moments.

2. The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde - I considered the Thursday Next series, but I'm not sure if it would work on screen. The Nursery Crime series, however, has a shot. And Hollywood seems to be all about re-purposing characters. Abraham Lincoln is about to be a vampire hunter, Edgar Allen Poe is going to help detectives solve murders based on his crimes, so why can't Jack Spratt be a detective working to solve the Humpty Dumpty murder?

3. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - I realize this has been made into a movie but awhile ago and I haven't seen it. Haven't just finished reading this and LOVING a number of the characters (Marian, Fosco, Mr. Fairlie) it would be so much fun to actually see them. If there could be references to Marian being a velociraptor all the better.

4. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke- This might work better as a mini-series but regardless, this would be so much fun on screen. Magic brought to life in Victorian England? Yes please!

5. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers - It's funny and heartbreaking, and don't movies always advertise that you'll laugh and you'll cry? This is just the type of story the academy loves to award. AND it's based on a true story. Really I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

6. 11/22/63 by Stephen King - I actually heard they were making this into a movie, which isn't really surprising. King movies can be pretty hit or miss but the fact that this one isn't a horror story means there's more chance things will go right.

7. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper - Middle-aged white guy problems but oh so funny. The Foxman family hasn't been in the same room as one another in years but with the father's death everyone comes together. Of course Judd's wife won't be joining the family, seeing how Judd just caught her in bed with his boss. Judd's in crisis which sucks for him but is hilarious for us.

8. Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein - Jake is the only American working at the Japanese newspaper working the crime beat and he learns of Tokyo's seedy underbelly. He wrote the book because he learned too much about some Yakuza crime bosses and figured if the book was out there, there's no reason to silence him. Hollywood loves crime stories, especially ones with conspiracies. And again, true story!

9. My Name is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs and Shakespeare by Jess Winfield - It's Shakespeare so, you know, classy. But it's also sex and drugs so, you know, Hollywood. Everybody wins! There's a contemporary story of a professional student studying Shakespeare and then scenes of Shakespeare's early inspirations. Like a prequel to Shakespeare in Love. Kind of.

10. Time and Again by Jack Finney - Another time travel story but different from King's telling. There's no famous political figure but we do get to visit New York in the 1800s. And there's a mystery! Plus a lot of the setting is spent in my "if I could live anywhere I'd want to live here" building, NYCs Dakota.

What books do you think would make great movies?

New to book blogging? My humble advice

I haven't participating in the Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesdays in awhile, but this week's prompt intrigued me. So Top Ten Tips for New Book Bloggers.

1. Write what you like. This seems obvious and I would assume if you're writing about books and reading you like books and reading. But beyond that, make sure you're enjoying what you're writing. Don't write something just to get traffic. Those posts are obvious, so you're not fooling anyone. And if you don't even like what you're writing, why should anyone like reading it?

2. Comment on other people's blogs. The book blogging community is the best part of book blogging and you'll never get the full experience if you just post but don't engage.

3. But don't leave pointless comments. A comment like "Nice post" is boring and doesn't start a conversation. Don't feel like you have to comment if you don't have anything to say.

4. You will find other like-minded book bloggers. If you like paranormal YA romance it might be easier to find those like-minded book bloggers. But no matter what genres you like or what writing style you're into, there are blogs out there you will like. You may have to look for them but when you find them, it's great.

5. Post regularly. That doesn't mean you have to post every day or even every week. But don't let your blog sit idle for months. Or I guess do that if those are only the times that move you to write. It just may be difficult to find a regular audience if they don't know when you'll show up.

6. Try out some of the memes/hops. There are lots of different ones out there and it is a great way to learn about other blogs. Just make sure you actually hop around and visit the other blogs.

7. But don't feel like you have to do any of the memes/hops. If something isn't for you, don't do it. If you don't like the prompt, if your tastes change, don't feel bad about skipping it for a week or dropping out entirely. It goes back to enjoying what you're writing.

8. Back up your reviews. If you love a book, tell me why you loved it. If you hate a book, tell me exactly what it was about the book that made you want to chuck it into the ocean. That doesn't mean you can't write a review that is based on emotion. Those can be great, as long as I can relate. If all you say is "I loved it!!" I got nothing.

9. Don't be cruel. Maybe you hated a book. Maybe you vehemently disagree with another blogger's post.  Maybe someone left a comment on your blog and totally missed the point you were going for. That's fine and you should feel free to disagree. The conversations would be no fun if it was just everyone patting each other on the back. But don't get nasty.

10. Write what you like. Did I mention this already? Well, it's that important. If you're doing this because you love it, why make it a chore for yourself?

What tips have I missed?

Stop mocking me, TBR pile

I've skipped the last few Tuesday Top 10 posts because I really couldn't think of anything for those lists. This week however, I got it covered. This week's top 10, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish is the top 10 books that have been on my shelf for the longest time but I've never read. Oh, you mean books that are a sense of shame for me? Yup, I got this list...

1. The Once and Future King by T.H. White - I took this book from my grandparent's years ago when they were looking to downsize their books. It looked interesting and since then I have carried it around with me from apartment to apartment and I've never read it.

2. The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine and Selected Stories by H.G. Wells - Here's another book I took from my grandparent's library that I think I've had even longer than TOFK and I've still yet to read it. I'm hoping the Back to the Classics challenge will fix that.

3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein - Maybe there's something about authors that use initials but I've had this one since my dad bought it for me when I was, I think, in middle school and still nothing. This is also on my Classics challenge list so maybe I can fix this.

4. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Lewis Stevenson - So many classics, so many good intentions. Now to just actually read them. This is also tentatively on my Classics challenge. It's one of the reasons I'm doing this challenge; I need to fix all of these books I keep dragging with me but I haven't read.

5. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - I bought this a little over a year ago in an airport bookstore so I haven't had it with me all that long. However, it is a sense of shame because I started reading it on the plane (I'd run out of the books I brought with me) but then when I got home I put it down and haven't picked it up again.

6. The Malcontents: The Best Bitter, Cynical and Satirical Writing in the World - A friend of mine in high school gave me this book because she said the title made her think of me. I am a ray of sunshine. It's a really great collection with some heavy names (Moliere, Cervantes, Shaw, Wilde) and while I've read some of the stuff in other settings, I've never read this book. Looking at this now I realize there are select works from Flann O'Brien, which makes me really want to read his stuff, since I used to go to a dive bar in college of the same name.

7. The Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters - I may have taken this from my brother after he had to read it for a class. It sounded interesting but I got about a page into it before I got distracted by something else and I've yet to pick it up again.

8. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger - Another initial name! I've read Catcher but nothing else. Now technically this is one of boyfriend's books which I'm sure he has read but it's been sitting on our bookshelves for the last 4 years and I haven't read it yet so it counts.

9. Lying, Cheating & Stealing: Great Writers on Getting What You Want When You Want It - I found this on some discount table at a bookstore years ago and loved the writers included in it (Dorothy Parker, ee cummings, Dashiell Hammett, Mark Twain) but I've never made it further than the first short story by Woody Allen. Why haven't I been reading this?

10. All The World's A Grave by John Reed, adapted from the works of William Shakespeare - When I saw this book that says "A New Play by William Shakespeare" how could I not pick it up? It's the characters and the text from Shakespeare rearranged to form a new play. But it's intimidating. At least with Shakespeare-Shakespeare I can read a summary of the story or watch the play, so it's easy to follow along. I can't do that with this Shakespeare-Reed. I've given the play a few tries but I've always backed down.

So what have you had on your TBR pile for years?

Top Halloween Reads

This week's Tuesday Top 10, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish,  is right up my alley (haha) so I'm excited to list out my top "however many I can make it up to" favorite Halloween reads.

1. World War Z by Max Brooks - I've been in a zombie groove and I know lots of people are getting sick of them and by all accounts I should to but I haven't yet. While I may get freaked out while watching The Walking Dead, Brooks's book is the one that gives me nightmares. It's a realistic portrayal of what the world would be like, what the international ties would be like, what the military would be like, what general civilization would be like, if the world was overtaken by zombies.

2. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - I actually just wrote about this one so it's still fresh in my mind. It's such a creepy story that starts out so innocently.

3. Everything's Eventual by Stephen King - I included this around last Halloween when I listed out the top 10 scariest books but I have to put it on here again because I love the story "1408". When you look at it, it's a very simple story (haunted hotel room) but it's told so well and there is so much build up and atmosphere. I remember reading this story, finishing the last page, letting out a big breath (I'd been holding it near the end) and then immediately started the story over again.

4. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris - It's hard to read this book without thinking of Hopkins as Lecter but the story still stands up to the movie. I mean there are not one but two serial killers! And not your everyday "kill a lot of people" killers with no imagination but "wear you like a lady suit" and "eat your liver" type of serial killers. I think I may have a problem.

5. The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe - You really can't have a list of great Halloween stories without including some Poe on here and currently I'm loving this story. There are so many good ones it's hard to choose and this one doesn't have the violence that makes up so many of his other stories, nor does it have the crazy untrustworthy narrator. Similar to King's "1408" this is all about atmosphere and being unable to escape your horrors. Beautiful language and imagry.

8. Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare - The gore alone in this story makes it a good Halloween read, especially if you're looking for something that will impress people at dinner parties. Assuming those people aren't really all that familiar with Shakespeare and don't realize that this play is, as the Reduced Shakespeare Company referred to it, Shakespeare's "Quentin Tarantino phase". There limbs keep getting hacked off, tongues cut out, ladies (OK, just one lady) ravaged, madness, and the whole thing is bookended with cannibalism. Plus it has some of the best one liners ("Villain, I have done thy mother.") so really, what's not to love?

7. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore - I figured I'll now veer into some of the not-so-scary but still good Halloween reads and Moore's A Dirty Job is a good place to start. I mean it has a beta male who finds out he's death (with a little "d" which is different from Death, the big guy) and there are Hell Hounds (they're great with kids) and little creatures roaming the sewers watching everything and a vampire makes a cameo and my favorite, the emperor of San Francisco. All this with Moore's humor.

8. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith - I know I've written about this one ad nauseam but it's so much fun. The literary (and there's a lot of Austen in here, so you better like her stuff) and the ridiculous (zombies. It's right there in the title) mash up so any time there are one too many long balls or carriage rides the monsters bust in and shake things up a bit. Also there are ninjas.

9. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, illustrated by Stephen Gammell - I included this on my last Halloween list as well but it is that good. Honestly, it's scarier than numbers 7 and 8 but it is meant for kids. I still love these books but the stories aren't super scary like I remember them. However, those Gammell illustrations are still terrifying today. Who let that guy illustrate something for children? Actually, my outrage is completely feigned as I saw somewhere there was a new version of the books with different, cuddlier illustrations and that was blasphemy.

10. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - Historical fiction plus wizards. It's not a horror story but there are creepy characters and hidden histories that make this a wonderful but not terrifying October read.

Oh hey, look! I made it to 10. So what are your favorite Halloween reads?

Top Ten Most Successful Book Titles/Covers

It's another Tuesday which means another Top Ten list, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week they ask what are the top 10 book covers or book titles that made you want to pick up that book?

I make a lot of my reading selections based on a good cover or an intriguing cover. It's my favorite part of going to a bookstore and it's the part that shopping online can't replace. I've never been able to browse books online like I can at a bookstore. These are books either I've read or want to read largely based on their cover and/or title. I put all the titles at the bottom of the post because trying to get it to format nicely in text was making me want to throw things.

1. Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg - I actually have the other 2 books in, what I guess you could call a series, Why Do Mean Fall Asleep After Sex and Let's Play Doctor but those don't have the same intrigue as that first book. And if you're curious, guys have nipples cos they start out as ladies while in the womb.

2. Shakespeare and Modern Culture by Marjorie Garber - Shakespeare in the title and bright colors. How could I not be drawn in?

3. An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton - It's a "classic collection of collective nouns" with things like "a gaggle of geese," "a rash of dermatologists," or maybe "a panic of paranoids".  And it's by James "Inside the Actors Studio" Lipton.

4. Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti - I'm amazingly immature so seeing "full frontal" makes me giggle. And then "feminism" makes me want to pick it up.

5. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - Ultimately I read this because of some great reviews but it had been on my radar because that cover just stands out.

6. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith - This is a book title and cover that makes you pause. It worked for me. I picked it up when the person in front of me in line decided last minute she didn't want it. Her loss, my gain.

7. You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore - Now I'm a big fan of the guy but before I had read any of his stuff I saw this book sitting on one of the tables. The bright cover and the title got me to check him out and I'm so happy that I did.

8. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - Before I knew anything about Franzen this book caught my eye. I actually think if I never ended up finding out more about the guy I would have read this by now. I will get to it. Eventually.

9. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan - Omnivores are having a dilemma? But I am an omnivore. And bam, just like that, I am now interested in a book despite the fact that the cover is one I'd normally walk right by.

10. How I Became A Famous Novelist by Steve Hely - It's such a simple cover, but it stands out. It's the type of book I would normally pick up off of those tables they have scattered about a bookstore. I haven't picked this one up yet, but I plan on it.

*Fair warning, I'm writing this while watching the Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead. So if I inexplicably start typing "shoot it in the face, shootitintheface!!!!" it's because I'm so sucked into the show that I've starting typing what I'm yelling and also that I forgot how the backspace button works.*

Top Ten Book Endings That Made Me Say "Whaaaa?"

It's Tuesday again so here's another Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week's topic is top ten book endings that left me with my mouth hanging open, maybe because of a cliffhanger when dammit, this story was supposed to give me some resolution jerks. Maybe because that was so amazing . Maybe because it was so awful I can't believe the author screwed me like that, coping out as they did.

This is going to be spoilery because I'm going to be talking about endings. That should be obvious but in case it wasn't, here's your warning.

1. Hogdoggin' by Anthony Neil Smith - I specifically mentioned the ending in my review. I loved it because it just happens. Normally if an author has an ending just jump out at you you're pissed. But that's only if the author just does that cos they don't know where to go. Smith knows what he's doing and things drop out right when the tension was high and it was fantastic.

2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - This was a case where I felt like the author did just drop the the ending on me. There is so much build up to what happened and what will Melinda do and will she speak again? And then there's the confrontation and about 6 pages later the book is over and she's healing and we're done. It was overall a good book but the ending let me down.

3. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - Yeah there are surprises and shock and whatnot in the other HP books, but this is the one that got me. Because I loved Sirius and this was before Rowling started killing people off left and right in all of the books so I wasn't expecting this major character to be bumped off. I had started re-reading the series sometime before I started this blog but I stopped after I got a few pages into the 5th book because I didn't want to get to the ending.

4. Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane - Even thought I knew the ending of this book going in, that doesn't make it less powerful. Both endings, where you find out what's happened to Amanda and where you see what Helene is up to at the end, just leave you shocked and angry. And angry. Not at Lehane but at Helene cos what the hell?

5. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - The book is 800 some odd pages long*, and not all pages that fly by, and yet when it ended I wasn't quite ready yet. Probably because it ends on a cliffhanger and you want to know what else is going to happen because apparently 800+ pages wasn't enough. You're both happy with the ending and ready for some more.

I'm sure there are more great/terrifying/shocking/awful endings that I've read but I'm coming up blank right now. I'm going to blame this on a food coma brought on by pumpkin pecan cheesecake which was amazing. See I told you I was going to start getting to all of those great pumpkin foods in October.

So what are your top book endings that left you with your mouth hanging open?

*I would give a more specific page number except my copy of the book is upstairs. And I am downstairs**. And I'm lazy.
 **Actually I wrote this last night but now I'm sitting in the room right next to where the book is. And I'm still not checking because I haven't had enough coffee yet. Just, it's a lot of pages.

Books I want to re-read

I'm a bit (a lot) late on this topic but it's still Tuesday so here I am. The question for this week's Tuesday Top Ten, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, is about books I want to re-read. I felt like I should do this because I re-read a lot. It's not that I don't have plenty of new titles out there I want to explore. It's just that sometimes I want to curl up with something I already know I love versus reading something new that could end up sucking. This blog has cut down my re-reads but they're still there. Since the beginning of the year 21% of my books are still re-reads*. Keeping that in mind, I'm going to actually list my favorite books that I love to re-read.

1. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde - I mention this all the time, I know, but I love the series. Love it. It's a quick read and at this point it's like visiting with old friends.

2. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - I'm actually listening to it now on the few and far between cases when I run. But it's been great motivation not only to keep running but to actually get off my butt and run because I want to continue the story.

3. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner - I think I've read it 5 times but I still love it. It's a quick read but very interesting. Especially the chapter on names

4. Fool by Christopher Moore - I was actually thinking about how I wanted to read this again when I realized I've recently re-read it already. At least since I started this blog. I'll push it off a little longer but that may mean I'll need more Moore soon.

5. Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson - Bill Bryson is probably the author I've re-read the most. Whenever I'm not sure what I want to read next but I know I want something quick that will make me smile I reach for his stuff. And this is my favorite of his, so it's the one I end up re-reading the most.

6. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by The Reduced Shakespeare Company - I honestly can't even count how many times I've read this one. I used to pick it up about once a month, but it's short so it can be finished in a couple hours.

7. A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare - I love this play. I won't argue that it is the best Shakespeare play, but it is my favorite. I have 5 copies of it (1 normal, 1 in a complete works, 1 in a complete comedies, 1 in Italian and 1 a copy of the First Folio**) so I have to make use.

8. Too Good to be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvand and The Complete-As-One-Could-Be Guide to Modern Myths by N.E. Genge - I don't know what it is about urban legends, but I seek them out. I haven't read these two books in awhile but they are well-worn copies.

9. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahme-Smith - I'm so close to having a respectable entry in this list and I blow it by adding zombies. But what can I say, I love Austen's language and I like when things start to get dull that zombies show up.

10. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Oh! I thought of a classy entry. There are a few times recently I've thought of picking this up again but I wouldn't know what to say about it on here, so I haven't picked it up again. Yet. But that's coming.

*yes that's the actual percentage because I'm a super nerd and have this tracked in excel.
**Have I made my super nerdiness sufficiently obvious yet?

Top Ten Books Everyone Has Read But Me

It's Tuesday again which means it's time for another Top Ten, Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Last week the topic was about blogging peer pressure. This time it's just general book reading peer pressure only this time it's the peer pressure I resisted. Or else it's the books I missed that I should probably fix. Or books that I might get around to reading or might not. Whatever. 

Books/Authors I'll get to when I'm done with all of the other books

1. The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - I read the first one and after that I was good. No need to keep going with the series. 

2. Nicholas Sparks or Jodi Picoult - I'm putting these 2 as one entry. Maybe they're completely different and I have no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe I'm really missing out on something and my life is less complete not reading them. It's a risk I'm willing to take while there's so much else out there I want to read first.Update: I may not want to read her, but I should at least spell Picoult's name right. Fixed.

Books that I'm "meh" about reading

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - So many people have read this and so many bloggers talk about it. I'm not actively avoiding it, but I'm certainly not going out of my way for it.

4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - I read A Thousand Splendid Suns and enjoyed it. Well liked it enough. Clearly not enough to run out and read this one that was on pretty much everyone's reading list for awhile. I wouldn't turn it down if it appeared in front of me and I had nothing else.

5. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that a few different trusted bloggers have mentioned this as a worthwhile read, this would probably have landed in the first category. Maybe I'll give this a try someday but honestly, every time I look at the summary I think "hmm there are some other books I'd like to read first..."

6. Nancy Drew by "Carolyn Keene" - I put this in this middle category because I'm not against reading them. They seem interesting and the type of thing that most people read when they're young. And I actually had the entire collection growing up, that I got from my grandmother and mom. And yet I still didn't read them. I'm not opposed to them, but apparently even putting them in front of me didn't get me to check them out. 

Books/authors I haven't read but should remedy

7. Lord of the Flies by William Golding - I somehow missed this one in high school. I was in the group that read 1984. But I'd like to read this. And I will get to it. Soon-ish.

8. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Another one I would have thought I'd get to in high school but I never did. My friend read it in her class so apparently I was just in the wrong class. That and I'd like to have a better memory of Steinbeck because when I think of him I think of Grapes of Wrath which I did read and didn't care for. Although I've been told I should give this one another try. Maybe someday.

9. Ernest Hemingway - I've never actually read any Hemingway and I'm a bit ashamed of this. I feel like I should have read him. He's not difficult like a Joyce so I don't really have an excuse. Plus my brother has read him and liked him. My non-reading brother has me beat here. I cannot let him win.

10. Julius Ceaser by Shakespeare - This is another one that I'm ashamed I haven't read. I've read a lot of Shakespeare. I've even read ones like Cymbeline. I've read speeches from JC. I even said Et tu, Brute this week coming out of a Mets game. This wasn't actually in reference to anything that happened so much as we were parked near "A2" and I noticed they sound the same because I am smart like that.

What are your everyone-has-read-this-but-me books?

Book reading peer pressure

Getting into the Book Blogger Appreciation Week spirit, the ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish have come up with the following Tuesday Top Ten topic: Top Ten Books I Read Because of Another Book Blogger. I feel like I need to start this off with an apology because I know going into this, I'm going to forget some of the books I've read because of a fellow blogger. And starting off on that high note, onto the list

1. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper, recommended by Greg from The New Dork Review - This is one of the first book blogger recommendations I remember listening to, and I'm glad I did. The book is touching and funny, with just the right amount of sarcasm (a lot. A lot of sarcasm is the right amount). I may have picked up this book on my own. Maybe eventually. But I definitely picked this one up because of Greg's review of this book and a few other Tropper works.

2. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, recommended by Greg again, The Reading Ape and Brenna from Literary Musings - This was a collective effort, although it's not like they all knew they were working together to get me to read this. The Pulitzer scared me off but these three calming explained that the book rocks and I need to get over it and just read it. OK, not directly at me but that was the message I got. And I'm glad I did because this was easily one of my favorite books of the year.

3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, recommended by (& won from!) Jennifer from Soy Chai Bookshelf - This one was recommended to me a couple times by college friends but I never actually read it until I a) read Jennifer's review of it and b) won a copy from her. And I'm so glad I did both because it really was a good book and I should probably apologize to my friend for ignoring him

4. Beijing Coma by Ma Jian, recommended by Pete from What You Read - When I began the China Rican Reading Challenge, I needed some recommendations on books and lots of people came through with Chinese suggestions (Puerto Rican was another story...) but I ended up going with Pete's suggestion of Beijing Coma which was crazy long and intense and very good. I know this is one I wouldn't have picked up if I didn't trust the recommender's taste.

5. The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman, recommended by (& won from!) Alice from Reading Rambo -  So yes, another book I won but that's not the only reason I read it! Or rather, I wouldn't have entered the contest in the first place if I didn't like Alice's review of the book and think "I need to check this out for myself". It was a pretty hilarious read that I'm sure I would never have gotten to if she hadn't recommended it.

6. Recommendations from Ben of Dead End Follies -  I was going to list out separate entries for each book and then realized while that might get me to 10, Ben would kind of take over the list. I didn't realize how often I take his book recommendations until they're listed out, so here they are:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane (though Ellen from Fat Books & Thin Women gets some credit for this as well)
Black Coffee Blues by Henry Rollins
Hogdoggin' by Anthony Neil Smith

Now there are other bloggers whose recommendations I plan on taking, like Devouring Books Laura's recommendation of Joyce Carol Oats's book Blonde but I figured I'd go with the books I've already read instead of the ones I plan on reading but haven't made it that far yet. And of course there are the books like Room and The Help that I'm reading essentially cos everyone else read them and said (mostly) good things about them so I can't give credit to any one person.