Tag Archives: Top Ten Tuesday

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I deeply enjoyed going back through my records of 2021 to find the best books I read all year. My first six answers are of science fiction and fantasy books I reviewed for my site, so click on their titles to read my full reviews. The rest of them are library books from a variety of genres, and I’m including links to their Goodreads pages so you can read more about them, too.

I’ll also briefly gush about my reasons for loving all of these books!

1) Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

Why I Loved It: This was the perfect blend of science fiction and fantasy themes. It makes me so happy to see authors mix those genres together so effortlessly, especially when they’re about a protagonist as young and powerful as Sankofa.

2) Boo and the Boy – A Ghost Story by Wayne Barrett

Why I Loved It: Most paranormal stories will hint at this sort of ending before veering off into other directions, but Barrett was creative and brave enough to bring all of his foreshadowing to fruition!

3) The Teddy Bear’s War by Alex Cross

Why I Loved It: I had several beloved stuffed animals as a child. It warms my heart to think of a world in which they love their children as much, and maybe even more, than their children love them.

4) Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Why I Loved It: Weir excels at making hard science fiction accessible to readers who have little to no science background as well. I also love the way he pushes current scientific principals to their limits while still creating believable stories.

5) The Storm by Alex Cross

Why I Loved It: The author has a vivid imagination that makes his stories a delight to read. I first discovered his work this year, and I can’t wait to read more.

6) Safer at Home – A Ghost Story by Zoe Cannon

Why I Loved It: I’ve just barely begun dipping my toes into fiction that references Covid-19. This short story did an excellent job of capturing the fear and uncertainty we all felt during the first wave of the pandemic without incorporating the disease itself into the plot. I may never be able to read about the medical side of  pandemics again, but I did resonate with the main character’s restlessness as he was trapped in his house.

7) “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers (Goodreads)

Why I Loved It: This novella felt like a full-length novel due to the excellent character development and world building in it. The hopeful vision of the future it held brought a tear to my eye, too. My only reason for not officially reviewing it is that I don’t want to spoil any plot twists for anyone, and it’s hard to discuss the plot without doing just that because of it’s short length and how quickly exciting things begin to happen in it.

8) “You Bet Your Life: From Blood Transfusions to Mass Vaccination, the Long and Risky History of Medical Innovation” by Paul A Offit (Goodreads)

Why I Loved It: I’m fascinated by the history of medicine in general. We’ve learned so much about how the human body works, and I appreciated the author’s balanced look at how new medical innovations both positively and negatively affected the lives of the people who were first exposed to them. The epilogue is well worth checking out as well.

9) “Waves” by Ingrid Chabbert (Goodreads)

Why I Loved It: The author had a hauntingly beautiful writing style that made it effortless for me to see the world through her and her wife’s eyes for a brief moment.  I should note that this graphic novel tells the story of their journey through infertility and a late term miscarriage, so be warned if those topics are sensitive ones for you.

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The original prompt for this week was ‘Books I Hope Santa Brings.”

My to-read list is already so long that I decided to tweak it a little to be “Bookish Things I Hope Santa Brings.” The funny thing is, my parents never did Santa stuff when I was a kid and I don’t actually celebrate Christmas.

To be perfectly clear, I’m not at all offended by the assumption that we all eagerly await presents from Santa, but I think it would be really cool to see what other holiday-themed prompts Jana could come up with next year.

I wonder how many other Top Ten Tuesday participants celebrate winter festivals, holy days, or other events that are not at all related to Santa or Christmas? There must be at least a few of us out there!

Anyway, here is my list of bookish things that I wish Santa would bring to me.

1. Gift Cards to Local Bookstores 

When this pandemic started, I began ordering my bookish things through Amazon and big chain bookstores because everything else was either shut down entirely or hard to place an order through. 2022 should be the year I start supporting small, local businesses again.

2. Caffeine-Free Tea 

There can never be enough of it, especially when you’re reading a book about characters who are outdoors in the cold and have little access to luxuries like this.

3. Dairy-Free Chocolate 

My reasons for this answer are quite similar to my reasons for choosing my second answer. If I must read a story about characters who can’t eat sweets for any number of reasons, I’ll feel a little better if I can nibble on something sweet while I discover why their diets are restricted.

4. New Novels From My Favourite Authors

I’m especially hoping that these authors will release new books this year: Sarah Waters, Rivers Solomon, Nnedi Okorafor, Becky Chambers, Alex Cross, and Andy Weir.

What do you think the chances are that at least one of them will release something in 2022?

5. A Discovery of a Forgotten Novel from a Long-Dead Author

I won’t narrow it down to any particular author. I simply think it would be incredible for fans to learn there’s a “new” book for them to read from an author who died decades or even a few centuries ago. It would almost be like that author briefly coming back to life again.

6. To Recommend a Book That Someone Else Loves 

7. To Receive a Book Recommendation for Something I Love 

My last two answers are somewhat related to each other.

There’s nothing like the feeling of giving or receiving a book recommendation that is perfect for the person who ends up reading it! Honestly, it’s the closest thing we have to true magic in this world other than falling in love.

This happens so infrequently that I’ll have to rely on Santa to help it come true at least once next year.

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Winter is snowy and cold here in Ontario, so I generally get a great deal of reading done during it.

I mean, why not snuggle up with a great book when the snow is falling furiously and our local weather people are warning everyone about hazardous wind chills that can quickly cause frostbite or or even more serious health conditions if you spend too much time outdoors?

As I’ve said on other seasonal TBR posts before, this list is purposefully short and open-ended.

That is to say, I do want to read these books at some point, but I’ll need to wait and see when the Toronto Public Library has them in stock and how long the wait lists are.

I also like to leave plenty of space in my reading plans for books I discover at the last moment and for sudden literary cravings I have for specific authors, genres, or tropes. Yes, that means I’m a mood reader at least some of the time. So much depends on if my favourite authors have recently released new books and whether I’m happy to continue reading through a pre-determined list or feel the need to venture off into new directions again.

1. Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades

Publication Date: January 3

I Want to Read It Because: I love reading about the experiences of other immigrants. All of our stories are so unique!

2. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

Publication Date: January 4

Want to Read It Because: I might be ready to read a dystopian novel again? This pandemic almost completely squelched my interest in dystopian, pandemic, horror, and other dark genres. It was happy endings only in my reading world for a long time there.  I’m so interested (and horrified) by the idea of a government controlling reproductive and parenting decisions that I might be able to get over that aversion for this particular tale.

3. An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World by Patrisse Cullors 

Publication Date: January 25

Want to Read It Because: I’m eager for realistic advice on how to do your small part to change the world when you can only devote so much time and energy to the cause. (Whatever that cause may be). Some of the activist spaces I hang out in have sometimes struggled with the idea that not everyone has endless emotional, financial, physical, etc. resources to draw upon. I’m drawn to people and movements that take a more pragmatic approach that encourages taking care of yourself, too.

That’s the entirety of my list! I started this post back in November and have been gradually adding to it since then. Slow and steady wins the race, I think.

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The original topic for this week was “characters I’d love an update on.” It’s a good topic, but I’ve had some disappointing experiences with sequels that either ignore the previous world building and character development or veer off into storylines that don’t fit the original trajectories of those worlds well at all.

I’m sure there are plenty of authors out there who know how to reintroduce characters to their audiences while staying true to the character and story development they had previously established. Since I’ve had trouble finding them, I’m going to quietly read all of your answers this week and talk about something slightly different instead.

Tropes I’d Love an Update On

That is to say, here are some common tropes I wish could be updated.

The Chosen One 

Most of the stories I’ve read about the Chosen One involve people who were given that title due to factors like who their parents were, which magical item they found or were gifted,  or what abilities they happened to be born with.

I think it would be interesting to read about characters who became the Chosen One after many years of preparation and hard work  or who stepped up to the plate after realizing there was no Chosen One coming to rescue everyone after all.

Love at First Sight 

The concept of meeting someone is fuzzier than it used to be.

Should you say you first “met” someone the first time you watched one of their Tik Tok videos or read a tweet from them?

What about the first time you sent them a private message or exchanged phone numbers and started texting?

Should in-person meetings be the dividing line instead?

Romance isn’t a genre I read very often, but I do think there’s something to be said for playing around with the idea of what does and doesn’t count as a first meeting between two people.

You could theoretically have two characters who have been online friends for years or even decades finally meet up in person and realize their feelings for each other are anything but platonic.

Uploaded Consciousness 

This is a common science fiction trope that 50% of me thinks is awesome and 50% of me thinks is terrifying.

Many of the tales that include it assume that the human body or mind would struggle to adjust. Those possible outcomes make sense, but what concerns me more than that, though, is just how unstable online communities and places can be.

There are sites I loved and visited for years that have since been completely erased from the Internet.

Despite what parents and teachers may have warned us, not everything you put online lasts forever.

Sometimes it stick around just long enough to lull you into a sense of complacency before vanishing for good.

Clones 

Maybe it’s because I grew up around so many people who were twins, but I was never frightened by the idea of a clone.

Some people had womb-mates.

Some people have someone else walking out out there who shares all of their DNA.

None of this is remarkable to me. It’s simply something that occasionally happens among the people in my life who were or are my friends, classmates, and relatives.

If you know of any books that (lovingly) poke fun at these tropes or have reinvented them, I’d sure like to hear about them!

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My first response to this post was to say, “absolutely nothing at all!” I wholeheartedly believe in respecting people’s boundaries if they say they’re not interested in doing or trying something.

For the sake of argument, let’s pretend that this person has not enjoyed reading in the past but is open to hearing a few suggestions of new ways to approach this hobby from someone who knows a lot about it.

My first five ideas will include various types of reading and literacy material that can be easily tailored to someone’s interests. There are so many options out there other than traditional novels. I’ll then mention five specific titles that might work for adults who are reluctant readers. (I’m guessing that most lists this week will focus on books for kids or teens who dislike reading. We’ll see if I’m right about that).

Generalized Bookish Ideas for Non-Readers

1. Audiobooks 

Audiobooks are great for so many different scenarios, from people who struggle to read to folks who don’t have a great deal of time to sit down and read every day while doing nothing else.

2. Comic Books, Graphic Novels, and/or Comic Strips

I’ve known several people who dislike traditional books for any number of reasons but who really connected with specific storylines or characters in these genres because they had so many visual cues about what was going on.

3. Books that Inspired Films or TV Shows 

Non-bookish people might be surprised to know how many shows started out as novels, novellas, or short stories! Honestly, I’m still occasionally surprised by how often this happens.

4. Oral Storytelling 

Some people come from cultures that traditionally passed stories down verbally from one generation to the next instead of writing them down. Others might simply respond better to hearing or sharing a story out loud instead of quietly reading it. I believe in encouraging everyone to engage with stories in whatever ways work best for them.

5. Plays and Musicals 

I struggled to enjoy most of Shakespeare’s plays when I read them in high school and college literature courses, but seeing them play out on the stage (or by streaming a recording of a previous performance) was a much more rewarding and memorable experience. More recently, I utterly adored seeing Hamilton when it showed up on one of the streaming services I use! There are so many different types of plays and musicals out there to appeal to all sorts of personalities and interests.

Five Specific Books for Non-Readers

6. Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton 

People are fascinating. You never know what secrets a stranger passing you buy on the street might be carrying with them.

7. Atlas Obscura – an Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Treasures by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton.

This is a delightful anthology of true stories about history, science, geography, architecture, nature, and so much more. It’s easy to dip in and out of it or to skip ahead to sections that interest you.

8. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen 

It’s interesting to compare what was taught in elementary and secondary history courses versus what books written for adult readers have to say on the same topics. I think I would have enjoyed history class more growing up if things hadn’t been so over-simplified and sometimes downright misconstrued to us.

9. Animal Farm by George Orwell 

Political satires aren’t for everyone, but they really hit the spot for some readers.

10. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Adams had such an amazing sense of humour and comedic timing!