Top Ten: Books I Recommend Most!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  

This week our list (brought to you by Becky) is Top Ten books I recommend most!  This is a hard list for me, because I don't usually "recommend" books.  I don't like it when said person doesn't love the book as much as me, lol. Sorry Randi.  I usually just "suggest" books based on what I know about the person in question or what I've recently read and liked.  If I magically found someone I thought would appreciate similar books as me, I'd recommend these, though...

Click photos for a link to the book's Goodreads page.

The Scorpio Races~ For fans of gothic romance.  I love the magical realism of the carnivorous horses that ride out of the water every year.  If you don't like this book, you may not have a soul :). The Curiosities~ For fans of short story collections like zombies vs. Unicorns.  The author commentary and bizarre sketches are the best part! The Age of Miracles~ I'd recommend for fans of the City of Ember.  This is a really fast, bleak dystopia but it felt very real.  It is suitable for younger ages and would be a great book club read.   The Poison Eaters~Another good book for fans of Zombies vs. Unicorns.  I love the dark, magical worlds of Holly Black! The Diviners~ Oh, my gosh.  This book is a wild, dense ride of magic, mystery and horror.  I liked how the magical elements were subtle/dormant for most of the story with just whispers of it rising up like fog.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake~ For fans of Chocolat!  The magical realism and food really hooked me.  I warn you, though, this is a very bizarre tale.

The Snow Child~ For fans of literary fairy tale adaptations.  This book has a very measured pace and is not for everyone.  If you like a lot of atmosphere, the you may enjoy it. The Night Circus~ For fans of Harry Potter who have grown up.  If you're looking for a new magical reality to captivate you with its detail and atmosphere, look no further. The Magicians~  Also for grown up harry Potter fans who want something snarky, hard-edged and utterly depressing haha.  It's like the Harry that would have been, if a school for wizardry did exist.  I actually liked this way more than HP, please don't stone me to death. The Thirteenth Tale~ For fans of Jane Eyre and/or the Turn of the Screw.  If you want a windy mystery with heavy gothic elements and books galore, this is for you!

Have you read any of these? What did you think?  What is on YOUR Most Recommended List? Link us up!

Top Ten: Books At The TOP Of My Spring 2013 TBR list!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  

This week our list (brought to you by Randi) is Top Ten books at the TOP of my Spring 2013 TBR list! It just so happens that I made a reading list just a few days ago full of books that I can't stop thinking about reading, need to reread, or simply need to read for various reasons. I'm trying to make good use of my reading time so I've started planning things out. Here are 10 from that list. Surprisingly this includes only ONE new release.

Click photos for a link to the book's Goodreads page.

1984 by George Orwell, I feel slack in my reading of the classics, despite the English degree. This seems like one that everyone should read at some point. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen,I feel I need to read a Sarah Dessen book since I have come to adore YA contemporary - I happen to own a copy of this one. Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood, I love books about food/cooking/baking and this middle grade read has been on my radar since last summer. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, I occasionally find my mind wandering to Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall Fraser at odd moments...ever since I read Outlander a year ago. I've avoided picking this up because the length is daunting, but I've got to know what happens (happened?)! Lord of the Flies by William Golding, I hated this book when I read it in high school; however, I've come to realize that my feelings toward a book can really be altered by the context, so I'm willing to give this a reread and hope that I feel more kindly toward it!


Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, I've heard awesome things about this trilogy and after winning a copy of the final book from Epic Reads (thank you!), I splurged for copies of the first two books and, despite my resistance to angel-related books, I'm going to give it a go. Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson, I won this from a Goodreads giveaway months and months ago and have not gotten around to reading it yet. But I love foodie books (see previous mention in this post!) and have read some very enjoyable memoirs recently, so it's time to crack it open! The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, I've never read any of Hemingway's work, a fact which needs to be remedied, especially considering the sentimental attachment to his name ~ my honeymoon suite was called the Hemingway suite! Emma by Jane Austen, I still haven't managed to read an Austen novel and my friend Rachel (who is a huge Austen fan) suggested I start with Emma first. I've got to start somewhere. Clockwork Princess by Cassie Clare, Ohmygosh, ohmygosh. The final book in The Infernal Devices trilogy is being released in a week! I'm scared to read this book (once it arrives, I've already put in my pre-order), but am also anxious to find out what happens with Tessa, Jem (GO JEM!), and Will.

Have you read any of these? What did you think?  What is on YOUR Spring 2013 To Be Read List? Link us up!