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.

January Chick Lit Challenge Read: The Single Girl's To-Do List

If you can believe it, The Single Girl's To-Do List is the first book by Lindsey Kelk that I've read. I know, I know...apparently her "I Heart" series is spectacular but I have yet to read them. I decided that I would start the 2012 Chick Lit Challenge (you can still sign up here!) off with this book and I am very glad that I did!

This is what the book is all about, courtesy of Goodreads:

Rachel Summers loves a to-do list:
• Boyfriend
• Flat
• Great job
NOT on the list:
• Getting dumped
Best friends Emelie and Matthew ride to her rescue with an entirely new kind of list – The Single Girl’s To-Do List. Rachel doesn’t know it, but it will take her on all kinds of wild adventures – and get her in some romantic pickles too. And then it won't be a case of what but who she decides to tick off...
• Mr. bendy yoga instructor
• Mr. teenage sweetheart
• Mr. persistent ex
• Mr. deeply unsuitable
The Single Girl’s To-Do List gives Rachel the perfect heartbreak cure – and proves love is out there if you’re willing to take a chance.

I loved reading about Rachel's transformation in this book. She starts off as such a quiet and simple person (she was even told that she was boring) and by the end of the novel she has found the spunkiness that's always been inside her. On the surface it looks like Rachel's personality really changes throughout the novel  but if you really look at what makes her tick you realize that she just wasn't living to her full potential before. The Rachel at the end of the book isn't "new", she is "improved". This made reading the story so much more enjoyable than if she ended up being a totally different person.

Emelie and Matthew are perfect side kicks. We get to learn about their lives but it doesn't take away from the fact that we're reading this book for Rachel and her story. I also liked that we knew right away this wasn't going to be a girl-falls-for-best-guy-friend type story as Rachel is not Matthew's type...being that she's a she and he is gay. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the stories where the friends fall for each other but I like that this novel took a different approach. Rachel has some great friends and I think she really realizes that throughout the course of the novel. They're always there for her and at the same time provide us with some hilarious comedy along the way.

Back to the romance aspect of this book - I didn't really figure out who Rachel was going to end up with until well into the book. Kelk has some surprises and speed bumps along the way so it wasn't predictable. And who wants predictable? I was even worried at a few points because I didn't think I was going to get a nice ending (you know happy endings are the best) but I ended up loving the conclusion. It was sweet and allowed for Rachel to really find herself instead of immediately fall into yet another relationship.

Finally, I leave you with the awesomeness that is the destination for Rachel's big trip - Canada. Being Canadian, I notice these things. :) Too often characters will travel to the US and I appreciate that Kelk decided to send Rachel, Emelie, and Matthew to Canada AND that Emelie was actually Canadian herself. It was particularly interesting to read about their day trip to Niagara Falls. I've spent around twenty weekends down there since April so I can clearly picture what they see when they describe the tackiness of Clifton Hill (it really is quite tacky. And loud. And busy). I was happy that she realized that there was more to Niagara Falls than just the touristy stuff. Namely, the falls. It's a beautiful place and I really liked reading about Racehel's reaction to them in this novel.

Left: My first time seeing the Falls. Just a wee bit foggy.
Right: A (Google) photo of the Falls from the Canadian side.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading The Single Girl's To-Do List. It's fun, it's sweet, it's funny, it's awesome. I absolutely loved reading about how she learned to be single and fabulous. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will now be ordering Lindsey Kelk's I Heart series in its entirety.

Happy reading :)