Books From Before Blogging

I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday in a really long time. This week's topic grabbed me though. This week, the bloggers from The Broke and the Bookish wanted to know the top Ten Books That Have Been On Your Shelf (Or TBR) From Before You Started Blogging That You STILL Haven't Read Yet. Since I recently started looking back at my blogging past, having passed my 10th blogging anniversary, I started to wonder, what books have been sitting on my shelf, unread, for over 10 years? My posts on Suicide Squad and The Humans are going to have to wait, because I need to know this now.

1. Appointment with Death, by Agatha Christie - I own 4 of Christie's books, why did I stop reading at 3?

2. It, by Stephen King - What is wrong with me? King is one of my favourite authors and I've read loads of his other books, but not It?

3. The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton - I picked it up on the cheap after having reading Ethan Frome and it's just sat on my shelf.

4. Fury, by Salman Rushdie - Again, I got it on sale, after having read Haroun and the Sea of Stories, and it has just sat there.

5. Jacob's Room, by Virginia Woolf - I took a class on Woolf, but Jacob's Room was not one of the books we read. I bought it anyway.

6. Almost all of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles - My Hubby and I were both reading these books. I was also reading Rice's Mayfair Witches books. Somehow I have never made it past Tale of the Body Thief. I will soon though (maybe).

7. A Perfect Pledge, by Rabindranath Maharaj - I read Maharaj's short story collection The Book of Ifs and Buts and loved it, so I picked up this novel... and it's followed me for years.

8. War and Peace, by Leo Tolsoy (can we include Crime and Punishment & Ulysses here?) - They're long and scary. Based on length alone, I'm more likely to read Crime and Punishment than the other two.

9. The Tiger Claw, by Shauna Singh Baldwin - I don't know why. It just hasn't been read yet.

10. From Ink Lake, edited by Michael Ondaatje - It's a collection of Canadian short stories. Seems like my kind of thing, but nope. It's sat on my shelf as long as the rest of them.

I thought there would be more, but last year I started making an effort to read the books that I've had for a long time. That's part of the reason I got around to reading Tale of the Body Theif. Seeing this list has reminded me how much I wanted to read each of these books when I bought them. Hopefully, I get to at least one of them soon.

The Tale of the Body Thief

The ending!  The ending makes the book for me.  It was unexpected. Just when you think the story aught to be done, bam!  Lestat hits you with something more. I feel kind of bad admitting this, but seeing the press for Anne Rice's new vampire book (it's been over a decade since her last), Prince Lestat, reminded me that I never got past Queen of the Damned, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Before I started The Vampire Chronicles, I had read Lives of the Mayfair Witches, as well as one of Rice's stand-alone novels.  That's a lot of books by one author for me.  I don't know why it took me so long to read The Tale of the Body Thief.  It is not as though I didn't want too.  Maybe because the book is a long one.  Not "Stephen King long", but still a bit of a chunker.

I really enjoyed reconnecting with Lestat.  The Tale of the Body Thief takes place many years after The Queen of the Damned. The vampires have separated, gone on with their lives. Lestat has returned to New Orleans.  Louis lives there too, but they do not live together.  While flying about the world, Lestat is presented with an irresistible offer.  Lestat goes on an adventure he wanted, that other vampires can only dream of, but then doesn't want.  There are ups and downs and madness.  I think in The Tale of the Body Thief we are seeing Lestat learn and grow in a way we haven't before.

I do wish that this novel was 50 pages shorter.  I had a bit of a difficult time getting through the beginning of the book.  Lestat had a lot of exposition; he explains why things aren't as they were left in Queen of the Damned.  He talks about his life, Louis, Claudia, Marius, Miami, everything.  What the beginning does well, is set up the novel as another one of Lestat's chronicles.  He speaks/writes directly to his readers.  He refers back to his previous books and to Louis's memoir.  I've read a lot of action-packed books lately, and there wasn't much action in the beginning, so maybe I'm just not used to that level of description anymore.  Once I got past the first part of the book, the pace really picked up and I just had to know what Lestat will do next.

I also loved David.  David Talbot through the whole story was amazing.  Am I totally happy with the end? No. Not in the sense that I didn't like it, because I very much did.  I am left wondering, however, if we are given David's real, human feelings in those last pages.

The Tale of the Body Thief has left me eager to read more dark, vampire tales.  Mature, evil bad guys, anti-heroes, and ethics that get thrown out.  Is that what Memnoch the Devil will bring?  We will see.

You Scare Me! Top Ten Most Intimidating Books

It's the end of the day and I'm finally getting a chance to make my Top Ten from The Broke and The Bookish.  I had a long Canada Day weekend.  It was fun, filled with family and fireworks.  I'm back home and I just couldn't resist this week's topic: Top Ten Most Intimidating Books.  Here they are in no particular order.

1. Ulysses, by James Joyce - It's HUGE!

2. War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy - It's HUGER!

3. Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - It seems a little mental, and deep, and possibly violent (and LONG). Also, it's so CANON.

4. Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood - I LOVE Margaret Atwood and I've read so many of her wonderful books, but something about this one... I don't know if it's the LENGTH, that SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE IT or what, but I'm scared of it.

5. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hoseinni - I LOVED A Thousand Splendid Suns and And The Mountains Echoed. The Kite Runner was his first book that for some reason I didn't read.  It was made into a movie (which I haven't seen) and also a graphic novel (which I also haven't read).  I feel like I've internally HYPED this one up so much, I'm scared to be disappointed.

6. The Stand, by Stephen King - I watched the mini-series oh so long ago and I remember loving it.  The Stand is also supposed to be King at his BEST.  I've read loads of his work, so I don't know what this one intimidates me more than the other stories I haven't read yet.

7. The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum- What if I HATE it?

8. The Walking Dead (Compendium #1), by Robert Kirkman - What if I HATE it? (I LOVE the show.)

9. Wizard's First Rule, by Terry Goodkind - I've heard such good things about this book and series.  But ALL the books are so HUGE.

10. A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson - Again, I've heard great things about Bryson and his writing.  People LOVE his books.  What if I don't?

Honourable mentions:

Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll - Same feelings as The Wizard of Oz

Tale of the Body Thief, by Anne Rice - I started this series, but never read past Queen of the Damned.  They were great books and I've always intended to finish.  They're just so long and there are so many other books vying for my time.

So, apparently I'm intimidated by big books, in general.  I also fear being disappointed by books other people love.  Sounds pretty normal to me :)

Sorry my CAPS LOCK button kept getting stuck.

What books are you intimidated by?

Don't Forget About Me! Ten "Older" Books I Think It's Important To Remember

I like the Broke and The Bookish's topic for this week's Top Ten.  What "older" books do you love, that you want to make sure no one forgets.  There are tons of books I could put on the list, but these were the first ten I thought of (yup, my mind went from Rice and Harris to Montgomery and Lewis without pause).  In no particular order, my top ten don't forget about me books:

1. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood - My very first dystopian and very scary.
2. 1984, by George Orwell - Another classic, very scary dystopian.
3. Interview With A Vampire, by Anne Rice - Great vampire fiction.
4. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris - The book that inspired True Blood.
5. Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery - A classic book, the thought of which always makes me smile.
6. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis - I'm on the last book and it's a series I don't want to end.
7. Carrie, by Stephen King - This one is a bit of a cheat   I haven't actually read it yet.  But it's King's first book and the one that started his career.
8. Kindred, by Octavia Butler - Just brilliant.
9. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - An amazing story.
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini - It still makes me emotional.

I was tempted to add Harry Potter to this list, but I figured it would be on tons of other lists this week.

What older books do you love?

Leaving Myself Hanging: The Top Ten Series I Haven’t Finished Yet

I didn’t think I left series unfinished, but then I started making this week’s top ten list from The Broke and The Bookish.  Oops!  I swear, I plan on finishing them all!  In no particular order, the top ten series I haven’t finished yet:

1. The Undead Series, by MaryJanice Davidson – I’ve read up to book #7.  I love these books.  I read Davidson’s often hilarious blog.  I think I mostly haven’t finished/caught up because I don’t own all the books yet.  I like buying books on sale and I’ve bought almost all of the Undead books I own on sale, so I think that’s what I’m waiting for.  There are eleven books currently published in the series and one more forthcoming.

2. The Legend Of Drizzt, by R. A. Salvatore – I’ve read up to book #13.  I love Drizzt.  I love the characters he battles with and against.  I don’t know why I’m not caught up in this series.  These are my hubby’s books.  He owns all the Drizzt paperbacks (and one signed hardcover).  They’re sitting downstairs, so unavailability is not an excuse.  There are twenty-three books currently published in the series and probably another twenty forthcoming :) .

3. The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare – I’ve read up to book #3.  I own books 4 and 5.  I think I mostly haven’t finished it because I’m taking a break from YA fantasy/paranormal.  There are five books currently published in the series and one more forthcoming.

4. Canongate Myth Series, by Various Authors – I’ve read six of the books in this unique series.  For the most part, I’ve read them in publishing order.  For some reason, I never got my hands on a copy of the fifth installment, so it has been temporarily skipped.  Each book is a retelling/reinterpreting of a myth from a different culture.  Some are the familiar Greeks, but I’ve also read a Celtic reinterpretation and the next one I plan on reading will be Chinese.  I haven’t finished the series because I don’t own all the books (yet) and there are also a couple books not in English or not available in Canada.  There are seventeen books currently published in the series.

5. The Dark Tower, by Stephen King – I was finished this series until King decided to publish The Wind Through The Keyhole this year!  There are eight books in the series.

6. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis – I’ve read up to book #6.  I’ve been drawing this series out on purpose.  I don’t want to say goodbye to Narnia.  I know I can re-read the books whenever I want, but it’s not the same as reading the books for the first time.  There are seven books in the series.

7. The Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice – I’ve read up to book #3.  At first, book 4 just looked so long, I kept picking shorter books.  I don’t know why.  It’s not like the first three were short.  Then… stuff… Anne Rice… No more vampires… she takes it back… I don’t know.  Sometimes an author’s behaviour can put me off their books.  But my hubby really enjoyed the books (again, they’re downstairs on the shelf), so I should really finished them.  There are ten books in the series.

8. The Wicked Years, by Gregory Maguire – I’ve read the first book.  I read it when there was only the one book.  I loved Wicked.  I’ve seen the musical.  I was so excited that there was a sequel, then a third book.  I’ve got them both.  Why have I never get around to reading them?  I don’t know.  Now there is a fourth (and final) book.  Should I read the two I have or wait until I get the last one and read them all together?  We’ll see.  There are four books in the series.

9. The Millenium Trilogy, by Steig Larsson – I’ve read the first book.  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was great.  Beyond great.  I don’t know why I haven’t read the second and third books.  I know people who have read and loved them.  I own them.  I just don’t think I want Lisbeth’s story to end and (sadly) Larsson isn't around to write more.  There are three books in the series.

10. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and others - I've read the first book.  I loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  When I read it, it wasn't a series, it was just a hilarious mash-up.  Then the prequel came out (which my hubby won, so it's on the shelf) and then the sequel, which is yet to be purchased.  I think, maybe, I don't want the first book "ruined" for me, especially since the other two books were written by Steve Hockensmith, not Seth Grahame-Smith, author of the first.  (Not that there's anything wrong with Steve Hockensmith, I've just never read any of his work.  It's more that it's a different author.)  There are three books in the series.

Really?  I haven’t finished all these series?  I thought I was better than this.  Maybe 2013 should be the year of finishing series?  I think some of it comes down to the same reason why I haven’t finished the Narnia series.  I don’t want to say goodbye to characters I’ve grown to love.  Which series should I tackle first?

I Want To Be In Your Club!

What are your Top Ten Book Club Picks?  This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know.  I’m not sure if my books are going to work.  I’ve never been part of a book club, so I don’t know what kinds of books are normally chosen.  So, I’ve decided to theme my book club picks.

1.     If the book club read Zombie books:  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Graeme-Smith.

2.     If the book club read Vampire books:  Dracula, by Bram Stoker or Interview with a Vampire, by Anne Rice.

3.     If the book club read Dystopian books:  The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

4.     If the book club read Young Adult fantasy books:  Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling or The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.

5.     If the book club read Fantasy books:  The Crystal Shard, by R.A. Salvatore.

6.     If the book club read Classics:  Flush, by Virginia Woolf.

7.     If the book club read Mysteries:  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson or Murder On The Orient Express, by Agatha Christie.

8.     If the book club read Horror:  The Stand, by Stephen King (even though I haven’t read it yet…)

9.     If the book club read Historical Fiction:  The Wars, by Timothy Findley.

10. If the book club read Paranormal Romance:  Undead and Unwed, by MaryJanice Davidson.

What is your book club going to read?

Halloween Reads

I know it's late in the day, but I still want to get my list out there.  Today The Broke and The Bookish want to know, what are your top ten books to read around Halloween.  In no particular order:

1. Dracula, by Bram Stoker (*note:  currently reading)
2. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson
4. Anything by Stephen King
5. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen
6. Interview with a Vampire, by Anne Rice
7. The Sookie Stackhouse books, by Charlaine Harris
8. World War Z, by Max Brooks (*note:  planning on reading this soon)
9. Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood
10. How To Survive a Horror Movie, by Seth Grahame-Smith

I don't know how Seth got two books up there....

The Best and Worst Book to Movie Adaptations For The Crazy Blog Hop

This week Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books gets her prompt from Britta from I Like These Books:  "What book-to-movie adaption have you most liked? Which have you disliked?"

Not too long ago (well, in February), this was a Top Ten Tuesday list. There are quite a few on that list that want to take the top spot. So I’m going to give you three. I really liked the adaptations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Interview with the Vampire and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. You can look back at the list for the reasons why.

The worst one is easy. The Time Machine. It had nothing to do with the book! Nothing! It was so terrible; it made me want to cry. Well’s book is brilliant. It’s a fantastic examination of class structure and what it could possibly lead to. I spent the entire movie waiting for it to be like the book and except for the names of a few things, it never was. It was such an utter disappointment. I’d recommend the book without question, as for the movie, I wish I could strike it from memory.

Now, I’m having Blogger problems again. It was working when I was at home last night, but doesn’t want to work for me at the office (not that I should be blogging at the office). I hope Blogger fixes its problems soon.

You Deserve A Kick In The B@##$! - Top Ten Jerks In Literature

This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know about our Top Ten Jerks In Literarture. Were they jerks all the way through, did they pretend to be jerks or did they learn and overcome their jerkiness? There would be more descriptions of these guys, but I’m trying to keep the spoilers to a minimum.

1. Prince Ronald from The Paper Bag Princess – I know I had him on my bitch list, but sometimes being a bitch is more about attitude than gender. In any case, he makes both lists.

2. Finnick Odair from Catching Fire & Mockingjay – He comes off at first like a pretentious hot guy, who uses his looks to get whatever he wants and expects women to fawn after him. How wrong that assumption is...

3. Jimmy from The Year of The Flood – Jimmy might be the main character of the previous book, Oryx and Crake, but in The Year Of The Flood he’s a major a$$hole. He knows how to mess with a girl’s mind.

4. Eric Sinclair from the Undead series – Eric basically tricks Betsy into making him the King of the vampires. He uses destiny and prophecy as an excuse, but I’m still not sure he has Betsy’s best interests at heart.

5. Edmund from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Edmund suffers from serious sibling rivalry. Even though he can sense that something is wrong, Edmund still goes down the darker path, putting his brother and sisters in danger.

6. Edward Cullen from Twilight – First, he makes Bella think she smells, then over the course of the series, he is completely insensitive to her emotions. He shouldn’t be the teenage romantic ideal, when he makes decisions for the relationship unilaterally and the girl he can’t live without has to deal with the repercussions. Is he too old for communication? How about they talk things through?

7. Lestat from Interview with the Vampire – If he was also just more honest with Louis, they could have avoided centuries of heartache.

8. Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series – Maybe the real jerk is Lucious Malfoy for raising, essentially, a racist son.

9. Willoughby from Sense and Sensibility – I think Willoughby really cared about Marianne, but his love of money was greater.

10. Wickham from Pride and Prejudice – He’s a user and a loser. Austen created some great cads. Wickham makes Lizzy think Darcy is horrible, not that Darcy helps much with that. Then he goes after the most naïve of the Bennet sisters. He’s an opportunistic pig.

Darcy from Pride and Prejudice almost made my list, but that would be three Austen men and I thought that would be too much. This list was almost too easy. Who do you love to hate? Do you ever wonder how an author can come up with such and Asshat?

Top Ten Tuesday: Dynamic Duos!

Who makes a great team? Whether Best Friends, Lovers or Siblings, these pairs make the story move. Thanks to The Broke and The Bookish for another great theme. In no particular order, my top ten:

1. Cadderly & Danica from R. A. Salvatore’s The Cleric Quintet. They love each other, they fight the bad guys, they sacrifice. Exactly what you’d want from a fantasy couple.

2. Elinor & Marianne Dashwood from Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. They are a fantastic pair. Better than the Bennetts, in my opinion. Austen really captures the closeness of sisters.

3. Darcy & Lizzy Bennett from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

4. Roland & Jake from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. A dark duo, surrogate father and son; an interesting pairing from King.

5. Lisbeth Salander & Mikhail Blomkvist from Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It’s an interesting relationship. They solve a mystery and catch a bad guy, but that’s not what makes this couple so interesting.

6. Elphaba & Galinda from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. Otherwise known as the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North. Elphaba and Galinda have a love/hate relationship. Elphaba encourages Galinda to see beyond her own selfishness and vanity, each brings out something new in the other.

7. Louis & Lestat from Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire. This is another love/hate relationship. Another dark duo. They’re a pair I couldn’t resist.

8. Harry & Ron & Hermione from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. I couldn’t pick two out of the three. They’re all just too great and great together.

9. Sam & Frodo from J.R.R. Tokien’s Lord of the Rings series. This is the love of two people who endure war and hardship together. Together, they saved Middle-Earth.

10. Mariam & Layla from Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. They don’t save the world, but in a way, they fight darkness. They comfort each other while being forced to live under an oppressive regime. They make life easier by being there for each other. There may be tragedy in their story, but there is also love.

Honourable mention to Eddie & Susannah of the Dark Tower series. I think they’re a great couple, but as the duo from those books, Roland and Jake win out. Another honourable mention goes to Toby & Ren from The Year Of The Flood. Though they spend much of the story apart, their coming together is vital.

Who are your favourite pairs?

Top Ten Books I Had to Have and are STILL Sitting on My Shelf

This week’s Top Ten at The Broke and The Bookish is making me take a real look at the books that have been sitting on my shelf for too long.

1. Binu and the Great Wall, by: Su Tong – I’m not sure when I bought this. It was too long ago. Binu is part of the Myth Series of which I’ve already read six books. I bought this one last June, I think.

2. Son of a Witch / A Lion Among Men, by: Gregory Maguire – I read and loved Wicked. I saw these two books on sale at a used book store and had to have them. I meant to read them right away. I think this was May.

3. The Stand, by: Stephen King – I love Stephen King books. The Stand is supposed to be one of his masterpieces, so I had to buy it. Plus, it was only 50 cents! I think that was fall 2005.

4. It, by: Stephen King – Purchased at the same time as The Stand. Also, supposed to be great. Plus I’ve never seen the movie, so I don’t even know what happens.

5. Brick Lane, by Monica Ali – I don’t even remember what this is about. I just remember that I had to have it and I was so excited when I saw it in my local used bookstore. Hardcover, no wear to speak of and it’s stayed that way for at least the last 5 years. Maybe longer since it was published in 2003.

6. Superheroes and Philosophy, edited by: William Irwin – I’ve been [very] slowly reading the Pop Culture and Philosophy series. I saw this one come out and it was about superheroes! I was so excited I bought it right away and it’s sat on my shelf for 6 years I think.

7. Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips – I’m pretty sure I bought this at the same time as Binu. The story seemed really interesting and it’s about stuff I like, so when I saw it on sale, I had to get it.

8. L’Affaire, by: Diane Johnson – I bought this around the time the movie Le Divorce came out. I had also purchase Le Mariage at the same time. The reason it’s sat on my shelf since 2003, maybe 2004.

9. JPod, by: Douglas Coupland – I love the books I’ve read by Coupland so far. I heard so many great things about Jpod and the story sounded so interesting that when I saw it on sale, I had to have it. I’m going to say that was about 2 years ago.

10. Blackwood Farm, by: Anne Rice – I was so excited when I bought this book. I had all The Mayfair Witches and was going to start The Vampire Chronicles. Blackwood Farm was bringing both worlds together. My husband had many of the vampire books, so I wouldn’t have to buy those. Like other books on my list, it was on sale when I got it, in 2003.

There is definitely a pattern. I buy a lot of books on sale. There’s something about seeing a $30 hardcover on sale for $9.99 that I can’t resist. This has given me a definite book buying problem. I could have continued with the list, but I stopped myself. I have enough books that I could not buy anything for at least 3 years and not have to worry about running out of stuff to read. Have you got a book buying problem? Which book should I stop putting off?

Did They Do It Right?

 The Broke and The Bookish want to know, what are the Top Ten Book To Move Adaptations?


1. Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone - All of the Harry Potter movies really, but I think this one was most like the book.

2. The Lord of The Rings Trilogy – What can I say? I loved these movies.

3. The Hours – I know some people didn’t like it, but I thought it was well done.

4. Twilight – I’m not saying it was the best movie or anything, but it was a lot like the book.

5. Interview With The Vampire – This was one of the few times I read the book after seeing the movie. There were definite differences, but I think they really captured the feeling of the book.

6. Memoirs of a Geisha – They left out a lot of the beginning, which I had really liked from the book and part of the end, but I thought the movie was really well done.

7. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe – The movie encouraged me to start reading the books.

8. The Princess Bride – This is based on my husband’s opinion, as I haven’t read the book yet, but he says it’s exactly like the movie.

9. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Based on my brother and his girlfriend’s opinions as I haven’t seen the movie yet.

10. Pride and Prejudice – I also haven’t seen this yet, but based on what people have told me, plus what a ton of bloggers have said, it’s great.

I found this one a little difficult. I kind of cheated with 8, 9 & 10. It seems I’ve either read the book or watched the movie, but I haven’t done a lot of both. Sometimes I feel that if I’ve seen the movie, what’s the point of reading the book since I already know what’s going to happen. That’s why I haven’t seen 9 & 10. I had to finish the books first because I didn’t want the movies to ruin the reading experience.

What order do you read/watch in, book first or movie first?

Top Ten Best Debut Books

This is an interesting topic choice from The Broke and The Bookish this week. What are the best first books? 

1. Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling – Will this one be on many lists? Rowling created what I think will be a classic in children’s/young adult literature. That might be presumptuous, but I also believe that it’s true.

2. The Crystal Shard, R.A. Salvatore – I’ve read a lot of Salvatore books, but not as many of my husband. The Crystal Shard was Salvatore’s first novel and his first book about the good drow Drizzt. Drizzt has become one of the most popular characters in Forgotten Realms and appears in over twenty novels. Plus, there are graphic novels and games. The Crystal Shard set Salvatore as one of the best and most popular fantasy writers of his time.

3. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson – It really is too bad that Stieg Larsson isn’t around to see what a phenomenon The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and his sequels have become. If the first book of the Millennium Trilogy wasn’t as amazing as it is, no one would bother with the other books, whether the author was alive or not.

4. Coming Through Slaughter, Michael Ondaatje – This isn’t Ondaatje’s first published work, but it is his first novel and it made me want to read all of his novels.

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger – Though I haven’t read her second book, I definitely want to after reading her first. It is an original and romantic spin on time travel.

6. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen – Austen published her first novel, Sense and Sensibility under a pseudonym, “A Lady”. It was so popular that a second edition was ordered just a few months later.

7. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold – This is not Sebold’s first book, but it is her first novel. The Lovely Bones is one of the saddest books I’ve ever read.

8. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice – Though it was some time after its publication that it became popular, Interview with the Vampire gave Anne Rice her popularity and the ability to write whatever she wanted.

9. Carrie, Stephen King – The only book on the list I haven’t read. I really ought too. I really enjoy King and Carrie was his first and from what other fans say, one of his best.

10. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer – I’m not a super Twilight fan, but I have read all the books. They’re addictive. Though it’s not great literature and I’m not sure it will stand the test of time, Twilight did start a phenomena for this generation of tweens and teens. It also might be attributed with starting the current paranormal craze in YA books. That’s why it comes in at number 10 for me.

An honourable mention to Generation X: Tales For An Accelerated Culture by Douglas Coupland. This is the only other book I haven’t read, but this book did two things. It put Douglas Coupland on the writing map. It also made “Generation X” or “Gen X” and other similar terms part of pop culture. I don’t know if a writer could have asked for a better first book. I really ought to read it.

I’m eager to see what’s on everyone else’s lists.

Top Ten Tuesday: My BFFs!

In no particular order:

1. Hermione Granger from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. I love her; she’s so smart and grows into such a wonderful person.

2. Cuthbert Allgood from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. He’s Roland’s best friend. He has a dark sense of humour. He’s attractive, but next to Roland, often falls into the “friend” category. Sorry Cuthbert, I’d want you to be my friend too.


3. Susan Cleath-Stuart (Suze) from Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. While I love Becky Bloomwood, she’d drive me crazy. Suze is a loyal and true friend through all of Becky’s craziness.


4. Eowyn from J.R.R. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. She kicks ass! In a male dominated world, she doesn’t listen to her uncle; she goes onto the battlefield and does herself and us proud.


5. Laila & Mariam from Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. I think they deserve a mention. They are maybe not my best friends, but each is the best friend the other could have.


6. Pam from Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampires / Sookie Stackhouse series. She is such an interesting individual. I’m sure she’d had great stories to tell.


7. Lestat from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. He’s so wicked. I need a wicked friend.


8. Danica from R.A. Salvatore’s The Cleric Quintet. Another strong female character, who kicks ass. I like a person who is as powerful at love as they are at fighting.


9. Willow Rosenberg from Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight. I know she’s a television character, but she’s a graphic novel character now too! With the freedom of a graphic novel, her powers are growing and becoming more complex, just as she is as a person. She’s not just Buffy’s sidekick anymore.


10. Princess Elizabeth from Robert Munsch’s The Paperbag Princess. Another strong, ass-kicking lady. I see a trend.


I’m feeling a bit better, so I thought I’d throw this list together. I know it’s late in the day, but I hope there are a few people who enjoy it.

Added Later:  I'm still so out of it, I forgot to say, Thanks to the Broke and The Bookish for another great Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Fictional Crushes

Thanks to The Broke and The Bookish for hosting such a fun meme.

Except for number one and two, they are in no particular order.

1. Roland Deschain from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I’ve loved him since The Gunslinger and will hopefully continue to love him, even though they’re doing some crazy movie/television thing with the books.

2. Drizzt Do’Urden from R.A. Salvatore’s Legend of Drizzt.

3. Lestat from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. It started with Interview with a Vampire and grew with The Vampire Lestat.

4. Mikael Blomkvist from Stieg Larrson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. He’s my new crush.

5. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudices.

6. Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen (but really Seth Graeme-Smith’s) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Everything I liked about Lizzy in the original, plus she can kill zombies and kick ninja @$$.

7. Eric Northman from Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Series. I think I always liked him, but Dead to the World really made me fall for Eric.

8. Wolverine/Logan from the X-Men.

9. Danica from R.A. Salvatore’s series The Cleric Quintet.

10. Aragorn from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

I thought this was going to be difficult and it was a bit. I’m not a swooner (except for Roland, I’ll always swoon for you), so I had to think about some of these guys (and girls) for a while. Each person on the list has qualities that make me happy.

When I told my husband what this week’s top ten was, he wanted to share a few crushes with me too. He didn’t reach ten, but here are my husbands top six.

1. Storm/Ororo Munro from the X-Men.

2. Hermione from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

3. Catti-Brie from R.A. Salvatore’s series, The Legend of Drizzt.

4. Danica from R.A. Salvatore’s series, The Cleric Quintet.

5. Arwen from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

6. Buttercup from William Goldman’s The Princess Bridge.

My husband reads a lot of fantasy. These are six great females and I like them a lot too. One even appears on my list!

Anne Rice Quits Christianity

She keeps going back and forth, doesn't she? Maybe this means we'll get more vampire books!
Anne Rice Quits Christianity

The Queen Of The Damned

If you’ve ever wondered how vampires came into existence, The Queen Of The Damned has the answers. The Queen is the source. She is the first blood drinker. There must always be the Queen for the other blood drinkers to live. She is the Mother of them all.

I loved the collection of characters we are given. Of course we have the return of Lestat & Louis, Armand & Marius. The new characters are just as interesting. I can see whole novels based on their lives. I think Blood & Gold is about Marius. I’ll just have to read more to find out.

The Vampire Lestat

The Vampire Lestat is Lestat’s opportunity to vindicate himself. He gets to tell his side of the story. You realize that he wasn’t as bad as Interview With A Vampire made him seem. There is even a different side to Louis and Armand. I love the depth and change in these characters. So much emotion, love and hate. Lestat and his story is not like what you think it is going to be. It is filled with the unexpected, but still has Lestat’s impulsiveness. His unpredictability makes Lestat unique and a fascinating character.

Interview With The Vampire

The book, NOT the movie. Not that I don’t like the movie, but for the second time, I’ve discovered how much more I love the book.

I read this novel the first time, way back when. I think I was around 19. I thought it was time to revisit Interview With The Vampire. It was great reading it a second time, the anticipation for exciting events. There was also so much I had forgotten that had happened. I didn’t know Armand was with Louis for so long. I didn’t realize that the boy became so interested in vampires that he sought out Lestat’s location. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Taltos

I think Michael is my favourite character through the whole Mayfair saga. He’s resilient & clever. He loves his wife and has given over everything to be with her. He contains an innocence that the rest of the Mayfairs lack. Michael doesn’t submit to destiny, he tries to make his own fate. He believes in everyone’s innate goodness, until they prove him wrong.

Did Ash realize his beautiful redhead was Michael’s daughter? I think he did when Michael waved to him at the porch. Ash only wanted the best for his people. Maybe he finally found it. No more lonely towers.

Taltos is likely the best of the three Mayfair books. In my opinion, at least. I enjoyed it far more than The Witching Hour and Lasher. I was eager to read every word. I found myself thinking about the story throughout the day. I would have to tear myself away constantly. If time permitted, I could have read the book in a day or two.

I wonder what will happen to Rowan… To Michael… To young Mona… Mary Jane, Pierce, even Morrigan. So many of them are young. So many of the Mayfair witches could have a story to tell.