Top Ten Tuesday - Book Turn Offs

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Book Turn Offs

1. Animal Deaths: First, my number one, the reason I will throw the book across the room and swear to never finish it (most of the time) is gratuitous killing of animals. Bleh. There is no need to always kill the dog, cat, pet, etc. Animal abuse bothers me too. Just leave them alone please. Surprise readers for a change and let them live!

2.  Terrible Cover Art Work: I guess I judge books by their covers, but if it is awful, I am reluctant to believe the book is any good.

3.  Billionaires and Business Men: If I pick up a book and read the blurb on the back, if it mentions So and So is a billionaire - I usually put it back down. Not sure why really, just doesn't appeal to me.

4.  Whiny Needy Helpless Female Characters:  This drives me nuts. I prefer my female characters to be tough or at least independent.

5. Cheating Characters: I don't hate a book because of this, but I will hate that character.

6.  Politics/Spy/Espionage: Same as number 3, just not my cup of tea.

7.  Science Fiction: Again, just doesn't interest me.

8.  Weird/Misspelled Names: I hate this! My friend gave me a book once where all the characters had crazy spellings of normal words and names. So irritating.

9.  War time books: I just feel inundated by them. I will read them occasionally though.

10.  Neat and Tidy or Rushed Endings: There is nothing worse than reading a really well written book that ends crappy, as if the writer rushed into it or did something crazy just to tie things up neatly.

What about you? Anything turn you off from a book?

Top Ten Tuesday - Best Sequels

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

My Top Ten Sequels - I decided to go my own way and pick multiples from a series, if I really loved them.

   

Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - Pretty safe to say I loved this whole series!

Lasher by Anne Rice - I read The Witching Hour so many times, I never thought I would love the sequel. But I did.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Ahh Hunger Games. You are incomparable.

     

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor - I loved these books, I can't wait for the third one to come out. No, really, I can't wait. It needs to come out now. Lol. 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - I kept my Harry Potter love to a maximum of two. I think it is time to reread this series!

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon - Jamie Fraser! Claire! 

  

The Good, The Bad and The Undead and A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison - I also kept these to only two choices. Also, I met Kim Harrison this year and it was awesome!

Top Ten Books ~ Books Santa Can Bring Me

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books Santa Can Bring Me

Brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish

You all are about to see how nerdy I am. ;) I prefer to own books like this, that I can keep and read and use. I only buy books that I plan on using or are by my favorite authors these days. 

             

Expressive Photography - The Shutter Sisters Guide to Shooting from the Heart: I am a quasi-professional photographer. Completely untrained. I would love to learn more.

Night Photography: Finding Your Way in the Dark: Ditto what I said above. 

The Write-Brain Workbook - Bonnie Neubauer: I used to write all the time, and I seem to have lost my way and ability. 

Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff: I am all into this kind of thing.

Homegrown and Handmade by Deborah Niemann: Yep, more of this kind of thing.

How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandma Knew by Erin Bried: I don't know how to do this sort of thing. 

Birds of Michigan by Ted Black and Gregory Kennedy: I love birds.

The Homemade Pantry: I love this idea and want to get started!

Twelve by Twelve by William Powers: So fascinating. And a little bit like Little House?

Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Phillip Pullman: Because I love fairy tales. 

Top Ten Tuesday - FIctional Crushes

Top Ten Rewind :

Top Ten Book Characters I Have a Crush On

I know I am not the only one who develops weird crushes on fictional characters in books. Look at all the Twilight Moms and Christian Grey fans. Right? Or am I weird?  Those are not my particular top picks, but I completely understand the phenomena.  I know a few of my friend's favorites, and I was even talking about one of them with my friend Amy yesterday.  I asked her to read a book and she did, and fell in love with the very character I wanted her to.  It is all in fun.  My husband just laughs, especially when I tell him he is just like the character in the book. ;)

So, without further ado, here are my top faves, in no particular order:

1.  Mr. Rochester ~ Jane Eyre :  Intense, mysterious Rochester. Had I been Jane Eyre I probably would not have cared about his crazy wife in the attic, and just lived in sin.  Something about his big gothic castle and brooding ways is so attractive. 

Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester- a perfect casting!

2.  Tom Dabney~ Kings Oak: This character is so crazy, passionate, vital, and wildly romantic.  I could picture living with him at Goat Creek, dancing in the moonlight to Moon River and listening to records of Dylan Thomas reading his poems.  His failing and his greatness would be his devotion to protecting the wilderness, and the wildness.  But it would be fun while it lasted.

3. Jamie Fraser~The Outlander Series: I don't know anyone who has read this series and not crushed on Jamie. A strapping highlander with lots of honor, intelligence, and fierceness, yet vulnerable. And he would do anything to save you if you were in danger.

4.  Jericho Barrons~Fever Series: Another mysterious, tough, bad boy with a good heart deep down.  I apparently have a type. Mary, I am sure you know what I am talking about here! 

5.  Luke Wingo~The Prince of Tides:  A lost soul, similar to Tom Dabney in some ways, brave and passionate. This character broke my heart when I was 15. Read the book, never watch this movie.

6. Nick Blue~Remembering Blue: What a beautiful character, you can't help having a crush on him.  I had my book club read this, and they all loved him too.  He is haunted, romantic, dreamy. 

7.  Mr. Darcy~Pride and Prejudice: How can any list of crushworthy book characters not include Mr. Darcy.  He is perfect! 

8.  Ranger~Stephanie Plum Series: Ok, I have to admit this was really in the first books, and not these later ones,  where everyone is terrible and a caricature of themselves.  But I really was Team Ranger. 

These last ones are a stretch! Why did I say I was going to name ten? 

9. Frost~Meredith Gentry Series: Sadness sometimes is attractive to me.  I think it is that nurturing thing.  I am kind of reaching here.

10. Ambrose Weller~ Blue Asylum: Poor tormented beautiful Ambrose!! I was really mad at Iris about him, but then I thought about it and understood.  I guess I don't blame her for what she did, I would have as well.