Top Ten Tuesday: A List for Santa

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

Is it too late to add to my Christmas wish list? Probably just a tad. But Santa’s magical and can bring me anything – including these books! I know there are probably a bazillion titles I could have picked and I just know that I'm missing some but here are ten books I wouldn't mind seeing under my Christmas tree tomorrow. What books are on your holiday wish list?

Harry Potter Film Wizardry - Brian Sibley 

I got this for my sister a few years ago and I kind of want one for myself, too. Especially since they’ve updated it with new info from the final movie. (Shhh…don’t tell my sister. She’ll be annoyed.)

Any John Green

I still haven’t read any of his books. The shame! I need to get on that – especially The Fault in Our Stars since the movie will be out before we know it.

The Orenda – Joseph Boyden

I didn’t have enough time to read it when it was my turn to have it from the library. I got about 70 pages in and knew it was something I needed to read. I actually haven’t red Boyden before but I think I’ll make a point to look up his others next year.

The Best Man – Kristan Higgins

I’ve wanted to read this book for awhile because it sounded cute. I was thrilled when I saw it was at my library. I reserved it and then waited. And waited. And waited. Then I realized the copy had been lost. Sigh.

Takedown Twenty – Janet Evanovich

I stupidly didn’t put a reserve on this book and by the time I thought to do it I was number fifty something. Boo! The Stephanie Plum series makes me laugh but I do hope this is the last one. I just feel like it’s gone on for much too long.

Jessica Darling's It List: The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness & Perfection – Megan McCafferty

I adore Jessica Darling and have for about a decade (woah…crazy). I’m interested to see what middle grade Jessica is like!

The I Heart... series – Lindsey Kelk

I know, I know. I haven’t read this series either. I have the first two, finally, but they’re really hard to find in store and I really wanted to have the same covers. I’ve given up on that and now just want the rest of the books.

Finding Colin Firth – Mia March

I just finally read March’s debut novel (The Meryl Streep Movie Club) and loved it. I need her second book now!

Hunger Games series - Suzanne Collins

I've already read and loved these books but I don't actually own them and I love this paperback box set.

Stats Canada: Satire On A National Scale - Anonymous
Their Twitter account is freaking hilarious and I've flipped through the book in store and found it amusing. I'd like to sit down and actually look at all of the graphs and charts they included in this book.

Top Ten Tuesday: The End of a Series

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

It's a sad time, finishing a series. You've invested so much time in the books, characters, and author. You hope and wish that the author will end it the way you want it to. They don't always listen (the nerve, eh?) but, for the most part, I've found that I've been satisfied with the way series I've read have ended but there have been a couple where I've been WTF? This week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about that...the best and worst series enders. What do you think? What series wrapped up perfectly and what ones left you wanting more or feeling frustrated? I realized a couple of things while doing this list. I haven't read a ton of series (especially not recently) and there are also quite a few that I'm waiting on the final book. That would be why it's not a full Top Ten! Links lead to my reviews or Goodreads.

Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating this week!

The "What the hell was the author thinking?" Series

Delirium - Lauren Oliver
When I finished Requiem I literally had to flip backwards to make sure I didn't miss something. I couldn't believe that's how it ended. I'm all for leaving things a little open ended but this one frustrated me.

Fifty Shades - E.L. James
I don't even want to say why I didn't like the ending because I know it makes me seem like a bad person. So...next!

This one might be controversial...but...Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
I added this one PURELY because I didn't think the epilogue was necessary. Prior to that I thought the ending completely fit.

The "Yay, this ended perfectly!" Series

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
I'm not talking about Forever in Blue, I'm talking about Sisterhood Everlasting. Yes, it ripped my heart out but I am so glad Brashares gave us a glimpse into the girls' adult lives. I thought it was the perfect wrap up to one of my favourite series.

Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
I hated when it ended but I was happy with the way things ended. Just wish a few more characters could have stayed alive...

Jessica Darling -  Megan McCafferty
Admittedly, I can't totally recall how this series ended. (It desperately requires a reread!) But I don't remember being upset with how McCafferty finished the series.

Top Ten Tuesday: Pumpkin Spiced...Reading?

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

Ah, fall. It's not quite fall yet but the weather's turning colder, the trees are starting to think about changing colour, the stores have lovely sweaterish outfits for sale, and everyone is losing their mind about pumpkin spiced everything (hence the post's title). For a booklover, fall means tons of new releases, comfortably snuggling under blankets, and drinking copious amounts of tea. In this week's Top Ten Tuesday (Top Twelve for me...couldn't narrow it down!) we're tackling that first point: new releases. What follows is my fall to be read list - and they're all new books! To keep things simple, I've ordered them by release date. What new releases are you looking forward to reading?

Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating this week!

Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction's Most Beloved Heroines - Samantha Hahn (August 27)
This isn't really a fall release but it's going on my Christmas list. I figure if I bookend the season, it can be considered fall! The pictures are gorgeous and it's such a fun idea.

Jessica Darling's It List: The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness & Perfection - Megan McCafferty (September 3)
I adore Jessica Darling so I can't wait to see what middle grade Jessica and friends are like!

The Orenda - Joseph Boyden (September 10)
Confession: I haven't read any of Boyden's work. I'm a bad Canadian reader. But, for some reason, The Orenda has intrigued me. I'm also planning on looking into his past books too, since they're so popular. And, hey, maybe this one will be a Giller Prize winner!

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell (September 10)
I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK! I'm third on the list at my library and I'm just hoping they order more than one copy and it comes in soon!

The Bride Wore Size 12 - Meg Cabot (September 24)
I actually haven't read the rest of this series but I want to and that's why I included this one! I adore Meg Cabot.

Zoey and the Moment of Zen - Cat Lavoie (October)
Cat's debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was my favourite book of 2012 so I can't wait to see what her next book is like!

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants - Malcolm Gladwell (October 1)
Between the boyfriend and I, we own all of Gladwell's books. I haven't read them but I want to and this new one sounds really interesting.

Longbourn- Jo Baker (October 8)
This is probably my most anticipated novel of the year. I've been hearing about this one since I was doing my internship at Random House of Canada earlier this year. It's a big title (clearly, since they've been talking about it since Januaryish) and I NEED IT IN MY LIFE. Immediately.

SECRET Shared - L. Marie Adeline (October 15)
I really liked S.E.C.R.E.T. and since it ended on one hell of a cliffhanger, I'm excited to read the next book in the series.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy - Helen Fielding (October 15)
Bridget Jones. Enough said.

Allegiant- Veronica Roth (October 22)
I only just recently read Divergent (and I'm picking up Insurgent from the library today!) but I'm so so excited about the final book in the series.

Takedown Twenty - Janet Evanovich (November 19)
While the Stephanie Plum books aren't quite as exciting as they once were (nothing is happening and I feel like they're really repetitive) but I still read each new one. One of these days she'll have to choose between Ranger and Morelli! Also, I just read the synopsis and apparently there is a giraffe named Kevin that is running wild in the streets. Amazing.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten All Time Favourite Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. They created this feature because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature. This week's list is Top Ten All Time Favourite Characters. Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating.

1. Ron Weasley - Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
I could probably fill up this list with all Harry Potter characters but Ron is definitely my favourite. It's great to see him come into his own over the course of the series.

2. Anne Shirley - Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
There's just something to love about this free spirited red head from PEI and I loved reading the series back to back to see how she grew and what happened in her life.

3. Elizabeth Bennet - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Ah, Pride and Prejudice. Great book with a fantastic protagonist. I know I'm not alone when I say she's my favourite Austen heroine. She's got spirit and doesn't try to hide it - this is huge in an era when women were not supposed to have much of a personality.

4. Jessica Darling - Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty
This series was so amazing because it featured a smart, witty, and different kind of teen girl. Perfection.

5. Katniss Everdeen - The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
In a time where female YA protagonists are not always very strong (ahem, Bella), Katniss provides an amazing character to young girls. She has to deal with issues that many teens can relate to (other than the whole having to kill other teenagers thing) and she handles them in a strong way.

6. Laura Ingalls Wilder - Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
It's kind of strange to pick a real person as a favourite character but in all fairness, she did write her life as fictional books. I love Laura because she shows how resilient you had to be in the late 1800s. We may think life was oh so hard back then and yes, her novels show that, but they also show how much fun could be had and I really like that.

7. Remy - This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Remy is the main character in my favourite Dessen novel. She's got a bit more spunk and energy than some of her other characters and I think I was drawn to that. She's tough and vulnerable all at once and just plain awesome.

8. Bridget Vreeland - Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
This was another one where I could have picked any of the main characters but I think Bridget tops my list of the girls of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I think it's because she seemed to be much more complex than the other girls, in that she had issues that required a lot more work to sort out. When I was reading Sisterhood Everlasting she was the character that I really wanted to see settled and figured out.

9. Georgia Nicolson - Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison
These books were freaking hilarious - great for a teen girl. I think they were so funny because Georgia herself is funny. Besides, you can't help rooting for a girl who has an evil, massive cat named Angus and a pain in the butt little sister. She's just trying to live a normal teenage life which, of course, includes some quality snogging :)

10. Jane Madison - Jane Madison series by Mindy Klasky
Jane is a librarian and a witch. How neat would that be? I think that says it all!

After I completed this list I noticed a trend. A lot of these characters are from a series and I think I can figure out why I gravitated towards those characters - it's because I've had more time (ie books) to learn to love them. Does that make sense to everyone else?

Who would YOU choose as your top fictional characters? Let me know!

Happy reading :)