Top Ten Tuesday: Genre Books

I'm joining in on a new meme that sounded like fun. It's called Top Ten Tuesday and its run by the Broke and the Bookish Bloggers. Here's a quick explanation from their blog on how it works:

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

So, this week's theme was top ten books in any given genre.  Now I'm a genre junkie, so this was really difficult to do.  Because I am taking a class in YA fiction this term I have decided to use that as my springboard. So without further adieu, my top ten books (in no particular order!)

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. (Okay, so there is a little bit of an order here!) I've been a huge fan of these books since they came out and am so excited about the movies. It's great for guys and gals, has incredibly strong characters and great action. I wish I wrote these books.

2. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Yep. I have to include it. I plan on reading these books to my children, and my children's children....and my children's children's children....

3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. There is no use in denying it. I once was a victim of the twilight craze. All you have to do is search through some of my old posts to see my once great love for the books.  The movies may have killed that passion off but I'll give the books their rightful credit (even if the pages are laced with crack).

4. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. I don't understand why more people aren't talking about these books. At least the first four. Cassandra Clare is fantastic and just like the Hunger Games, these books have serious action and romance.

5. Matched by Allie Condie. The second book in the series may have been a dud, but this first book, Matched, was awesome. Dystopian fiction done well, in a world where so many others have tried and failed.

6. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. This is an oldie but goodie. It wasn't required reading in my high school though I wish it had been. Such a political novel full of power, control and manipulation. It's also a quick read. A plus in my book.

7. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This is a great book for slightly younger YA readers, I'd say 7th grade-9th grade or so.  Don't let the cute sketches full you. The story is full of emotional drama that may cause you to shed a tear more than once. It also deals with the very delicate issue of race in a very delicate manner. Powerful stuff.

8. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Dystopian fiction when it wasn't so cool. I remember being intrigued by this book when I read it and years later I still find myself comparing newer Dystopian novels to this book.

9.  The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.  The only, and I mean only, Zombie book I have ever enjoyed.  It is beautifully written and she even manages to introduce a romance into the plot.

10.  Red Glove by Holly Black. This is actually the second book in the series. The first I found incredibly slow and if it were up to me I would have combined books one and two because they make a much stronger story together.  Anyway, the Mob and Magic? How can you go wrong?

So there it is? Do you have any faves that I should have put on this list?

The Dark Side

It seems that every YA book I pick up nowadays has one thing in common (two if you count the over predominance of love triangles) and that is they take place in dark dystopian universes with a clear delineation between good and evil, black and white. I don't have to ask what brought about this obsession. I'm as big a fan of The Hunger Games Trilogy as the next person and when I finished that book I was clamoring for more. The books since have been hit or miss, some with fully fleshed out worlds, conflict and characters others merely an illusion of what could have been. As someone who is working on a story that might be considered to fall into this category I found myself longing to step back and think about this trend and what is perpetuating our new YA mantra: the darker the better.

I stumbled upon a piece in the New York Times called "The Dark Side of Young Adult Fiction" in which readers, writers and professors had an opportunity to share their own thoughts about the trend. The contributors, some of which have written dark dystopian YA novels themselves, provide insight and bring new perspectives to the topic that I found intriguing. And though the article is more than a year old, it is incredibly relevant to the types of work that is still being published. In fact the last three out of four books I read were YA Dystopian novels. The interesting thing, was that the non-dystopian novel was the best out of all three. Perhaps the sub genre is headed the way of the witches, weres, and vampires. Too much of a good thing and all that jazz.

Check out the article and let me know what you think. Do you like the new YA take on Dystopian Fiction? What are your must reads in the genre?

Reading Journal: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

So I just finished reading Wither, the first book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy ad I have no idea what to make of it. The book was advertised as the next great read for hunger games fans, but the only thing it has in common with Suzanne Collins HG trilogy is the post-apocalyptic setting. For every sappy vampire book Twilight brought to the forefront as a result of its success there is an dystopian tragedy waiting in the midst as a result of the success of the Hunger Games.  I admit, I fell victim to this craze, which is probably why I have about ten of them on my to-be-read list. The first of which was Wither. 

Plot Overview:

Wither takes place in a future world where genetic manipulation of the population has resulted in a deadly virus that kills off all of its victims in their early twenties. Women die at twenty-one, men at twenty-four.   There is no escape, there is no cure, despite the fact that members of the first generation (the only generation to live out full lives) are desperately searching for a way to reverse the curse. 

Rhine, the main character, is kidnapped and taken from her kid brother and sold to stranger to be one of his three brides. The story follows her struggles for escape and peace in a world full of death and disease. 

My Reaction:

Overall I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read, though it started out a bit slow, I found myself drawn into this mysterious and dark world and wanted to know more about what has and will happen to the characters. At first I found the main character, Rhine, pretty annoying. She is initially obsessed with escaping, unwilling to learn anything about her captures/husband or her other sister wives. She's set on finding her brother but (spoiler alert!) he never even gets an appearance in this book! It was hard for me to believe she is so desperate to return to such a grisly and dangerous life. It sometimes felt as though she were resisting just to resist. 

Later as she began to learn more about her new family the book becomes more interesting and you see new relationships born and difficult sacrifices made.  Still the whole book seems to be setting you up for heartache. After all, how likely is it that someone in this world is going to find a cure in the last three years of her life, if they've been searching for twenty years to no avail? Definitely a happily for now, kind of read. 

Join us at Marcon!

This weekend I will be returning to the biggest science fiction and fantasy convention in Central Ohio, Marcon and sitting on some very exciting panels. I have spent the week preparing for them and connecting with the other readers, writers and fans joining me up on stage.  I cannot wait to see how much controversy we can stir up and hear what the audience has to say about one of my favorite genres of all time....Young Adult fiction!!! Yay.  I am doing three different panels, one on Twilight: Breaking Dawn, one on Hunger Games and one general panel on Science Fiction and Fantasy YA.  This is also great timing as I just chose my area of focus for my MFA and guess what, it's YA. LOL. Yes, I love this stuff.

Let me go back for a moment and talk a little bit about Marcon, because this convention in particular makes me very happy.  It was one of the first, science fiction and fantasy conventions I ever attended. Prior to this, I would never have been caught dead at one of these things. At the time I didn't even consider myself a fan of SF. But like so many people I was quick to lump all types of speculative fiction into one large category.  What I learned was that this writing community offers incredible wisdom, knowledge, intelligent and sometimes irrational debate and lots of great, lifelong friendships. I also discovered something that I haven't found at any of the other conventions offering writing workshops, at an SF and fantasy convention you come as you are, and are rarely judged for that. So if you want to walk down the hall like a storm trooper or a half naked blue alien like avatar, you go right ahead and do it!

Anyway, this year's theme for the convention is Alternative Histories with Guest of Honor Harry Turtledove. You can learn more about the con by visiting the site www.marcon.org. If you're in the area consider getting a one day or weekend pass. And chances are, if I'm not in a panel I'm in the bar!

Dystopia What-ah??

One of my favorite YA series out now is the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I know your jaw just dropped because you can't believe that I read something other than paranormal romance and urban fantasy. But I do. In fact, I've been craving it recently. Something different, something original, something that doesn't feel like the author created a replica of the exact same supernatural world that existed in the last five books I picked up off the shelves. It doesn't mean I love my PRUF writers any less. Hell, I am one of them! But it does mean that I was eagerly searching for something different to fall in love with.

Boy did I get my wish. I discovered the Hunger Games after attending a YA panel at DragonCon last year. Their were several librarians who basically went through about a hundred YA books out today and gave quick summaries/reviews on each. We had the opportunity to follow along on our own list and mark off anything we wanted to check out based on their comments. Hunger Games was one of those books.

I wasn't certain if I would like it but like many readers, I feel in love with it as soon as I picked it up. It was a surprising delight (not the story, but my love for the story and the characters) because it was so unexpected. It was the same feeling I had when I picked up my first Twilight book back when no one knew what Twilight was.  But, I digress!

So you get the point, I love the books. I can't wait until the third book comes out (which happens to be the week of my birthday).  As I was browsing blogs for the blog hop I discovered an interesting little challenge that Parajunkee was running over at her site and I just had to join in on the fun.

Parajunkee's Dystopian Challenge: The Rules

No I know you are thinking, what the heck is Dystopian Fiction! I could answer you, but Parajunkee does it so much better.  Click on the link above to learn more about Dystopian Fiction and the Challenge that ParaJunkee's View has thrown down. There is also a great entry on Wikipedia that lists out Dystopian novels by decade. So no matter what you prefer, the classics or the new stuff, there is something on the list for you. I think I can conquer the challenge. I'm excited about trying, even if we are a few months in. I've already got three books that fit the bill right now. Anyone going to join me?

Twilight New Moon Giveaway

Hey Peeps,

We have a contest running on Wicked Jungle and are giving away the NEW MOON DVD and SOUNDTRACK!!! It is really simple. All you have to do is post about the contest on your blog and add the link to the Wickedjungle.com comments so that they can verify your entry. You can get additional entries by adding Wicked Jungle to your blogroll or joining the Wicked Jungle Fan Page on Facebook.

Good Luck! Please feel free to repost!

Cute Little Blog Award

Thanks to Amanda for passing on the love! One of my favorite things to do is commiserate with other writers and lucky for me the internet has made so gosh darn easy to do!

Before I dive in to my nominations lets go over the rules of the game!




1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting. (see below)
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Okay, here are my seven fun facts about myself:

1. I am totally addicted to The SIMS. It is one of my favorite computer games of all times. I have versions 1, 2, and 3. Though my computer needs to be fully upgraded so that I can really enjoy the newest release. Sometimes I use the characters from my favorite books as inspiration in my game.

2. I love the geek revolution that is taking place. Its suddenly cool to be a gamer, to know a little about technology,to be obsessed over a tv show that isn't star trek. I've enjoyed my ride.

3. Writing is all I have ever wanted to do. My dream is to be able to support myself with my writing full-time and to become one of those authors who writes books that readers savor for a special "lazy day". I just want folks to relax, laugh, and enjoy my novels.

4. I suffer from the oldest child complex. Though in my defense I might just be the only sane person in my family.

5. I may write gritty, passionate, cynical stuff but deep down I'm a total romantic. I believe in soul mates and true love. I'm still looking though so if you're out there...hem hem...any day now. lol.

6. If I could choose one fictional world to live in it would be Harry Potter. There is something beyond magical about the world that JK Rowling has created. It is so much more than spells or potions. She made that world come to life right off the page and it's completely addictive.

7. I absolutely hate revisions with a passion. I know that it is necessary, but it is like pulling teeth for me. I love getting crits and feedback, but actually making the edits, cutting scenes, adding scenes, rearranging scenes...it's a pain in the you know what. I think I am going to have to just set aside my vacation to do nothing but revisions and crank them out like boot camp. That way they are done and I can more on.

Last but not least:

Here are my nominations for cool Kreative Bloggers. They include fellow urban fantasy authors and some of my favorite book review sites.

Linda Robertson: http://www.wolfsbaneandabsinthe.blogspot.com/
Laura Bickle: http://www.salamanderstales.blogspot.com/
Donna a.k.a Fantasy Dreamer: http://fantasydreamersramblings.blogspot.com/
Reverie Book Reviews http://reveriemedia.blogspot.com/
The League of Reluctant Adults http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com
Preternatural Reviews http://preternaturalreviews.blogspot.com/
SciFiGuy http://www.scifiguy.ca/

What I do when I'm supposed to be writing...

Discover random contests for signed copies of Breaking Dawn (4th twilight book) on twilightguy.com. You love me don't you??? I knew you did. All you have to do is click on the link, hop on over to Twilight-Guy's post and leave a comment! Warning, there are already 630+ comments and the drawing is completely random. you don't get any extra shots for commenting on my post either! But you're welcome to do so.

And just for fun, another random new moon spoof/video.

Tom Felton: Saturday 9/05 panel Dragon*Con 2009

I know I talked about how much fun Tom Felton was, so to prove it I am posting a little clip from the panel I was in on Saturday. Enjoy!

Urban Fantasy Author Rachel Vincent Goodies!!!

I just found another free read. This one is the prequel to Rachel Vincent's new YA series My Soul to Take. Right now you can download the ebook for free!! How cool is that. Here is the link. Let me know what you think.

Free E-Book My Soul to Lose

Harry Potter: HBP New Scene

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

New Moon Official Trailer!!!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Rachel Vincent Fans: New Cover Art

Rachel Vincent has posted the cover to the second book in her YA series. The release date is January 2010. I can't wait to read these books. Sounds like something new and fresh.

HP- Half-Blood Prince Trailer

Still geeking out. Can't believe I forgot to post on my blog!

Have You Read Me Yet

Here's a glance at the bestselling YA series on the market today--courtesy of the NYTimes. For the full list of bestsellers check out http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/index.html. How many have you read?

This Week		Weeks on List
1	THE TWILIGHT SAGA, by Stephenie Meyer. (Megan Tingley/Little, Brown, hardcover and paper) Vampires and werewolves in high school. (Ages 12 and up)	86
2	DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Abrams, hardcover only) A boy records the hazards of adolescent life. (Ages 9 to 12)	11
3	HOUSE OF NIGHT, by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. (St. Martin’s, hardcover and paper) Vampires in school. (Ages 14 and up)	31
4	THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, by Cassandra Clare. (McElderry/Simon & Schuster, hardcover and paper) A girl battles the forces of darkness. (Ages 14 and up)	1
5	MAXIMUM RIDE, by James Patterson. (Little Brown, hardcover and paper) Winged children try to save the world. (Ages 10 and up)	47
6	FABLEHAVEN, by Brandon Mull. (Shadow Mountain/Aladdin, hardcover and paperback) Evil is afoot in a sanctuary for magical creatures. (Ages 9 to 12)	5
7	THE 39 CLUES, by various authors. (Scholastic, hardcover only) A brother and sister travel the world in search of the key to their family’s power. (Ages 9 to 12)	4
8	MAGIC TREE HOUSE, by Mary Pope Osborne. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. (Stepping Stone/Random House, hardcover and paper) Winged children try to save the world. (Ages 6 to 9)	204
9	NIGHT WORLD, by L. J. Smith. (Simon Pulse, paper only) Supernatural races form secret societies. (Ages 14 and up)	17
10	HARRY POTTER, by J. K. Rowling. (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, hardcover and paper) A young wizard hones his skills while fighting evil. (Ages 10 and up)

We all know about Harry Potter and Twilight. But my lesser known fave would have to be Mortal Instruments Trilogy. I just finished reading the last book and I loved it. Meatier than Twilight and more adult than Harry Potter (at least the early HP books). The Patterson books are on my to read list. I already have the first one but haven't had time to dive in. And I just want to read the diary of a wimpy kid because it looks so cute. If I had a little boy or nephew, I would be reading it with him!

You're probably wondering why I didn't mention the LJ Smith books. Because they are super old and I read them years ago when the first came out. In my opinion they don't stand up to the the strength and quality of the new YA that is out there. I reread one book in 2008 because I was so excited to see that it was in reprint, but the reading was a big let down. The big question now, will I think that about Twilight or Harry Potter when I re-read again in ten years? I doubt it since I just finished a full read through of HP in Feb and loved it. Go figure.

What are your favorite YA books right now? Anything I should add to me to read list?

Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix: What You Didn't See

It's that time again...

The Order of the Phoenix (OotP) is is going to be released on DVD soon. I completely forgot about it. I've been watching the movies on ABC Family. They had a different one on each night...and well it just looks so cool on my new plasma TV.

There are some great extras on the TV. They've been showing clips of Tonks around the set. She's funny. Then I found this story on MTV http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1574304&vid=191842 with a few video clips from the DVD as well. So take a look. It's pretty cool. I'll post one on on here--but you will have to follow the link to see them all.

Have fun.

This Harry Potter OotP Clip is Funny...

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Twilgiht The Movie...

This might as well be the Stephenie Meyer Fan Site. I've got more to say about the Twilight books. Turns out they are making a movie...scheduled to go into production in February of 2008. They announced the actress who will be playing Bella Swan. She's perfect. Just what I imagined. She also looks familiar, although I can't put my finger on what she has been in. Her name is Kristen Stewart.

I also finished Eclipse last night. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have been trying to figure out why. Isn't that silly? I just fell in love with the books and got this giddy feeling that I haven't felt in years. It's that fresh, puppy love, sheer intoxication that you get from discovering a new author, a new set of characters to put into your collection of favorites. It's such an exciting feeling. One that fuels my desire to write and see my books published. I love the idea of giving someone else that much joy. I love the idea of my characters calling to them...nagging them to hurry back and explore the world with them.

Maybe I am crazy. My dad thinks so. He recommended that I join a recovery program for readers. So what if everyone doesn't take a book with them to the movie theater. I had a logical reason for doing so. And it's a good thing to, because we saw Enchanted. Yuck.

Anyway...a toast, to new books and new loves!

The Twilight Series

I am reading a new book called Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. I should be editing my own but I am too far into the book and now I can't stop reading. I read for about six hours yesterday and loved it. It is the greatest feeling in the world when you get so drawn into the story that the world around you passes by in a blur. For a moment all your problems go away and you can experience a new world, a new life.

This is actually a young adult series. I stumbled upon it at BN when looking for the Harry Potter books on tape. The books are huge--400 pages and up. Hard cover too. I didn't buy them then, but I reserved some at the library and the most recent book came in. So I started in the middle of the series, but I am okay with that. That is usually how it happens. Then I go back and re-read the rest.

This series is supernatural, like most of the stuff I read. It has a little light romance (which is good--it's the romantic chemistry and tension between characters that makes a story good. Not sex. ah hem.

I'm not sure what the plot is yet and I am 200 pages in. I know that this girl is in love with a vampire. I know that her childhood friend is a werewolf. I know that there is some treaty between the wolves and the vamps that keeps them from playing nice together. Unlike many of the paranormal romances on the shelves, this is not simply a teen novel with a vampire or witch thrown in. I wonder why it is that publishers think we want that?? Kind of like it's just a career choice. Make the protagonist a doctor and everyone who likes medical thrillers will read this book. Um no. They won't. Like wise, make the character a witch or a psychic and paranormal lovers will want to read this...isn't a strong enough motivator.

Stephenie has created a fabulous world. Not Harry Potter fabulous, but she has interesting histories behind the existence of vampires and wares. She doesn't simply play by the traditional rules...long fangs, dark eyes, garlic and tombs... This is fresh...and that is--well, refreshing.

It's also kind of nostalgic to remember what it was like being a kid again. The characters may have big supernatural problems, that the world around them can't understand, but they don't have to deal with the things adults do. And they are not necessarily as complex as adults. They act on their instincts, and their emotions. They aren't stressed with work and careers and sex and babies, and bills and all the things adults (both real and fictional) seem to be stressed with. They don't get all grown up and simply suck it up and do the right thing. Adults will sacrifice their heart to be mature and grown up. Do the responsible thing. Or if they don't, they at least worry about it. Teens, not as much. I don't know. That's just my general observation.

Minus the lack of plot...it is definitely a better read than some of the adult paranormal fiction out there.