Top Ten Tuesday: Books on our Fall 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 on Our Fall TBR List! This was a toughie. I actually have a "fall TBR" that's 80+ books long. And that doesn't even count the majority of the fall releases I'm clamoring for!

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

Randi's Top 10 Fall TBR Books - not in order because I'm too lazy for that

1. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. This middle grade novel featuring an "extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl" as the protagonist sounds delightful. I can't wait to do a joint review of this book with Becky! - Release date: August 29th 2. Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis. I've heard nothing but awesomeness about this post-apocalyptic YA novel. (And I already pre-ordered it.) - Release date: September 24th 3. Just One Year by Gayle Forman. This book has been on my TBR since January...right after I finished Just One Day. I need this book in my life. (Also already pre-ordered!) Release date: October 10th 4. Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield. Honestly, it doesn't really matter what this book is about (adult gothic fiction) because I adored Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale, which earned her a spot on my list of auto-buy authors. Release date: November 5th 5. Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller. Another auto-buy author and another book I've already pre-ordered. I'll read anything Trish Doller writes! Can't wait for this one. Release date: September 24th

6. Magic Marks the Spot (Book 1 in The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series) by Caroline Carlson. Pirates + middle grade + female protagonist = sounds like a promising debut! Release date: September 10th
7. Crash into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry. And yet another auto-buy author (are you seeing a trend here?). Isaiah is awesome (hello, tattoos!) and I can't wait to get his story. Release date: November 26th
8. A Feast for Crows (A Song of Fire and Ice #4) by George R.R. Martin. I binge-read the first three books in August and could not put them down. However, after that, my brain needed a break because these books give me ALL THE FEELS and they are immense. I have a lot going on with student teaching, so I took a little break. But I'm looking forward to buying the to-be-released paperback version of book 5 this fall & I will probably read 4 & 5 back to back once that happens. Also, it's pretty awesome that my cooperating teacher for student teaching is an avid Song of Fire and Ice fan as well! :) Release date: a long time ago!
9. Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford. What an amazing writer! I fell head over heels for Ford's writing style with Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet earlier this year. Count me a huge fan! Another auto-buy author & a pre-order. Release date: September 10th
10.  Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. My #1 looking-forward-to-read of fall 2013. It's pre-ordered and I will probably be jumping around my living room with happiness when this book arrives. Code Name Verity was just...I don't even have words. Release date: September 10th

What's on YOUR fall TBR list?  Leave us a link & we'll be sure to visit!

Super 6 Book to Movie Adaptations

It, by Stephen King.  Ok, so the ending is lame, but this movie terrified me my entire childhood and for that I shall always treasure it.

Never Let Me Go, by Kazu Ishiguro.  I saw this movie before I read the book, and despite knowing there are some iffy plot assumptions, It is one of my top ten favorite books and movies.  The melancholy beauty is just striking.

The Road by Cormac Mcarthy.  Finally a realistic take on what would happen in an apocalyptic situation.  There is no sugar coating in this story for the book or the movie, yet it still manages to be incredibly touching.  Vigo was definitely the right choice.

Lord of The Rings, by J.R.R Tolkien.  I like The Fellowship of the Rings the best.  I think Jackson really captured the story in a breathtaking way while still remaining true to the text.  I can't say the same about his adaptation of the Hobbit.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky.  The book was incredible, with clear parallels to Catcher in the Rye.  I think the movie adaptation was exceptionally well cast.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte.  I really only like the adaptation pictured above.  I should probably own it.  I have not yet read the book (gasp!) I'm saving it because I loved this movie version so much I can't bear to have one replace the other.  I also think I will love the book and so I want to read it at the perfect time.

Cinderella goes a little cray cray

If I had to describe this book in a sentence I would call it, "Cinderella meets memoirs of a Geisha with homicide, transgender characters and a beautiful cross-cultural romance".  

I loved this book completely. It had a little bit of everything: adventure, fantasy, tragedy, romance, and revenge. I also loved how it reworked the Cinderella fairy-tale in such an original and subtle way. The asian culture and geisha-like characters made the story unexpectedly beautiful in spite of the truly horrible things that happen and the revenge-centered plot. Otieno was one of my favorite love-interests in teen literature. Ok, so maybe he's a bit overly perfect but I'm willing to let it slide haha. Suzume was relatable and felt real, though she was far from perfect with her occasionally homicidal actions and her struggle with self-harm. I also liked that this book had a transgender woman with a story at least as interesting as Suzume's, if not more interesting. Prequel?!

I'd recommend this book for fans of dark, melancholy re-workings of fairy-tales. It's a great read-alike for Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier.  Five stars, I'd propose marriage to this book if I hadn't already eloped with the male love interest.

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Twice Baked Thursday: The Humans by Matt Haig (Guest Baker:Susanna)

Title: The Humans

Author: Matt Haig

Pages: 304
Publisher: Simon & Shuster 
Publishing Date: July 2nd, 2013
Genre: Science Fiction

Audience:  Adults

Source: Library (Susanan & Becky) 

Rating: 5 stars-I'd marry this book (Susanna)
6 stars I'd fight anyone who thought they loved this more than me (Becky)

Summary: The narrator of this story is an alien, and this is clear from the very beginning.  His people are mathematical geniuses and have advanced far beyond what humans could ever hope to achieve, that is, before one of them figures it all out. Andrew Martin cracks the Reimann Hypothesis and  someone has to clean up his mess so that humanity can't bring its chaos any further into the universe.  To do this, however, the alien must remain undercover and pretend to be from the culture his people fear so much.


Our Thoughts:

Susanna in black 
Becky in red

The Humans was definitely one of my favorite recent reads. I really liked Matt Haig’s previous work, The Radleys (oh my gosh me too), so I had high expectations for this one. I was not disappointed. There was enough of a plot to keep the pace moving, but it wasn’t really the central focus of the book . For me, this was a positive. (Bah, plot, who needs it.  If the characters and conflict are strong enough I can swim in the world of a book for hundreds of pages) I enjoyed reading the narrator’s interpretations of human behavior and social structure (Maybe I'm an alien, but I totally agree with so many of his outside assessments.  Or maybe we all do because we all feel alienated to some extent.  Ahhh the refreshing depth of concepts in this book, I needed them after so many shallow reads) His interactions with Andrew Martin’s best friend were particularly enjoyable to me. I loved his relationship with his dog, too (Dogs are really what's holding humanity together). I would have liked perhaps slightly more information about the world from which he came, but then it would have been a different book (I agree on both counts.  I do think part of what made his choices easy to empathize with was that we really didn't know much about his culture/planet/people). My favorite thing about The Humans was how well Haig can build a cozy, homey feeling. He paints everyday life so well, and Andrew Martin’s wife and son display realistic human feelings and reactions (even if the narrator doesn’t quite understand them). I got invested in the characters and what would happen to them, and the last section of the book got me rather emotional.( I know!  I was freaking out as I read this about how much I loved it.  I zoomed through it in roughly 2 days.)  Overall, this was a strong five star read for me.  (This was probably a six star read for me, out of five. Thats' right Susanna, I just one upped you. Please write more soon, I have an author-crush on you Matt Haig).

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I would like to see as movies with casting suggestions!

September 10: Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show (set in a perfect world...in which movies don't butcher the books we love.) -- originally done April 2011

Ummm, can I do a full ideal cast list for each of these movies?  Just kidding, but seriously, that should be a top ten tuesday option.  

1 The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. I'd really like Carey Mulligan to play Celia and Jospeh Gordon Levitt to play Marco.

2.The Magicians, by Lev Grossman.  Jesse Eisenberg would be a superb Quentin, nerdy yet a little bit mean. and Rooney mara as Alice.

3. The Snow Child, by Eowen Ivy with Mia Wasikowska as the Snow Child.  Best Russian folktale ever.


4.The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. Can Carey Mulligan just play all the female leads over 25?

5.The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw.  I could see this as a bbc mini series complete in a season.  I trust the BBC to make the casting calls.

6. The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater. This is such an awesome story I don't see how it could avoid being destroyed.  I'd really like Josh Hutcherson to play Sean and Lily Collins as the female lead.

7. Shadows on the Moon, by Zoe Marrio.  I just finished this one and OH MY GOSH.  I'd really like Curtis from Misfits to play the male romantic lead.  The scarification/tatoos would look really sweet. 

8. Sharp objects, by Gillian Flynn.  This would make a creeptastic and gothic movie.  Make it happen Hollywood.  I'd like Chloe Mortez to be the creepy younger sister and Jennifer Lawrence to be our main character

9.Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card.  
My dream came TRUE!  Well, maybe, I guess we'll see soon enough.  I have a feeling the movie adaptation will be warped into a children's story.

10. The Brides of Rollrock Island, by Margo Lanagan.  It may be the only Lanagan book I've liked, but I love it with the passion of a thousand suns.  I think the atmosphere would make for an awesome drama/horror combo.

What do you think of my casting choices?  Share your own list with us below!

Back-street's Back, Alright!

Ok, so actually it's our blog that's back and not the Backstreet Boys, tragically.  They did release a new album last month but that's besides the point. I saw them perform on America's Got Talent a couple weeks back...It took me back to 1998... ;)  I have no doubt that you missed us, who on earth else can you get snarky, dissatisfied book reviews from on the internet?  So here are our excuses for our wicked long an unannounced absences.

I got a job.  Is it the best job ever? Yes, it probably is so feel free to be jealous.  I get to work in the teen room of a fabulous library with hilarious and innovative coworkers doing crafts, creating displays, finding people books and answering reference questions. I actually just attended an 80s murder mystery dinner at which I was supposed to play a diva vampire, but ended up switching to a male alligator dundee.  My outfit was very gender confused but I had so much fun.  I especially liked that my character was a complete jerk, it was a good fit haha!  But anyway, it has taken me a while to adjust to moving to a new city and working so many hours a day while still walking my dog, microwaving my dinners and fitting in reading.  I really do not know how adults have managed this my whole life.

-Becky

Well, I'll have to disagree with Becky on having the best job ever (pretty sure *I* do!), though technically my "job" isn't really a job. Why? Because I'm student teaching! Mediocre list of reasons why I've been so absent on the blogosphere - things happened back in the spring & I had to deal with some personal stuff. But that's all good now! Then summer came and I went back to work as a seasonal employee at the factory where I met my husband six years ago. Which meant waking up at 3 AM every day and being exhausted by 7 PM every evening; I do NOT miss those hours! That's really my list of reasons. But I've missed Becky & blogging & talking books! This is going to be a busy semester, but I may as well get used to juggling multiple things while teaching, so let's call this a practice run to prepare me for real life as a teacher. Anyway, I spend my weekdays with 8th graders and a wonderful cooperating teacher; I couldn't be happier. I am right where I need to be! So here's to reading and sharing a love of books. (I've already begun collecting book recommendations from my students & hope to start reading them and likely reviewing them here soon!) I guess that's all for now, folks. Glad to be back and we hope you stop by to chat books with us soon!

-Randi

Boarding school for criminal minds

A summary in one sentence: Teenage criminals go to school to rule the world and one boy tries to overthrow his mastermind father but gets more than he bargained for. 

This book was a great read alike for high-tension supspense books like Lockdown or The Maze Runner with a hint of Pirate Cinema. It has the same limited setting, sense of being trapped, and fight-to-the-death scenario. 

I had mixed feelings about the actual quality of the writing, but it was a very engrossing story and I had a hard time putting it down. The characters could have been more complex, especially Joi, and the believability struggled in part because of the overly-simplified thought process and strange censoring of the grittiness that the setting and characters demanded. I would probably read a sequel, however, because of the likable main character and the psychological twist of Peter Pan.


I'd friend this book on Facebook because it is just so outrageous I can't say no.  3 stars