Tag Archives: Top Ten Tuesday

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This week’s topic was a little tricky for me, so I wasn’t able to come up with a full list of ten responses.

Interestingly enough, all of the answers I did think of were from the Young Adult genre!

I don’t know if that genre tends to have fabulous secondary characters in general or if we tend to remember them better if we first meet them as kids or teenagers. Then again, maybe there is another explanation for that entirely.

What do you all think? Have you noticed a similar pattern in your reading habits?

There are some mild spoilers in this post, so reader beware if you haven’t read any of these titles yet. I’m hoping they’re all old and well-known enough that you’ve all either read them or already know they’re not your preferred reading material.

Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Character: Haymitch Abernathy

Why I Loved Them: Physically, he survived a previous Hunger Games. I’d argue that his emotional survival of that event was an entirely different story due to how his alcoholism and harsh, self-imposed social isolation afterwards were described in this series. If only we could have a prequel that dug into his life in greater depth. Wouldn’t it have been fascinating to see how he survived and why his life turned out the way it did?

 

Book: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Character: Jonas’ father

Why I Loved Them: Jonas’ father worked as a Nurturer. That is to say, he took care of infants and young toddlers before they were assigned to permanent homes. Occasionally, he was expected to end the lives of infants who were disabled or otherwise didn’t meet the Community’s criteria for citizenship. I can’t imagine being expected to do that. What did he really think about his assigned occupation? Was he horrified by that portion of the position when he first began training for it?

 

Book: The Harry Potter series from J.K. Rowling. (I will always love this series, but have chosen not to include a link to it due to the author’s behaviour).

Character: Luna Lovegood

Why I Loved Them: She was an incredibly perceptive and hopeful character. I thought her quirkiness made her more memorable in many ways than the actual protagonist of this series.

 

Book: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Character: Uncle Carlos

Why I Loved Them: His perspective as a detective who was so emotionally connected to the key witness gave him a unique view into this case. While I totally understand why the story was told through Starr’s eyes instead due to her being the only witness of Khalil’s murder, it would have been cool to spend more time exploring how Uncle Carlos felt about all of it.

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I don’t generally have a strong opinion about book covers. There are many different cover styles that can catch my attention, and I still pick up covers that don’t necessarily appeal to me all that much to see what their blurbs have to say.

Titles, however, are another story. A witty or unusual title will dramatically increase the probability of me picking up a particular book. I have been known to take books home that I might not have otherwise glanced at twice because of how much I adored their titles.

Therefore, this list is dedicated to fantastic titles from many different genres. I’ve read some of them and haven’t had the chance to pick up other ones.

1. When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? by George Carlin

2. Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

3. Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Holly Black

4.The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1) by Catherynne M. Valente

5. Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan

6. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett

7. The Celery Stalks at Midnight (Bunnicula, #3) by James Howe

8. Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite by June Casagrande

9. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

10. Dance Lessons for Zombies by Peter Hiett

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I’m taking a fairly practical approach to this week’s topic because we don’t know what kind of deserted island this is!

Are all of the necessities of life somehow provided there?

Will our cellphones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices work if we remember to pack solar recharging units for them? Let’s assume WiFi won’t be a problem either.

Is the temperature moderate enough to keep you fairly comfortable throughout the day and night?

Are there many dangerous animals, plants, or other features of the island?

If we were travelling together, I’d be the sort of person who had some spare sunscreen, shelf-stable food, medication, and first aid supplies to share if anyone needed them.

What can I say?

I enjoy life and vacations more if I’m prepared for the unexpected. Some of these answers are honestly pretty self-explanatory, but I will go into detail about the rest.

1. Outdoor Medical Emergency Handbook: First Aid for Travelers, Backpackers and Adventurers by Spike Briggs, Campbell Mackenzie

 

2. Complete Guide to Fresh and Saltwater Fishing: Conventional Tackle. Fly Fishing. Spinning. Ice Fishing. Lures. Flies. Natural Baits. Knots. Filleting. Cooking. Game Fish Species. Boating by Vin T. Sparano

 

 

3. Edible Plants of the Hawaiian Islands and Tropical Regions by Tyler Harris

This wouldn’t cover every island or biome out there, of course, but at least it would give an idea of what to look for when seeking out edible wild plants in tropical climates which I’m quite unfamiliar with.

 

 

4. How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North

I suspect this would be mostly good for entertainment, but it might have some good advice for building things I needed on the island, too.

 

5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

There’s nothing about islands or survival in this story. I chose it because I enjoy rereading it every few years and it’s long enough not to get through too quickly.

 

 

6. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (My review)

I adored this daring adventure and rescue tale. It seems perfect to revisit it while on a deserted island.

 

7. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I DNF this book a few months ago. Maybe this would be the perfect time to try it again? So many people have loved it.

 

8. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson

9. The Collected Poems by Langston Hughes

10. Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver

My final three selections are all poets I really loved back when I was more into this genre. Sometimes I’d read their poetry when I didn’t have the attention span to read a full-length novel.

It seemed like a good idea to include short, easy options in this list. This is especially true since all three of these poets excel at writing things that can feel more meaningful when read out loud.

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My grandparents have a homemade air conditioning unit called a swamp cooler that cools things down a bit but still leaves their house feeling warmer and more humid than many other places in the Midwestern United States. There were a few years there when I was growing up that my grandmother was dealing with some chronic, serious health issues, so mom would often bring us kids along on the visit. We might help out with the chores that were hard for grandma to do on her own or just sit around and shoot the breeze if she’d already gotten the help she needed that week. (Grandma recovered from that illness and is still doing well to this day).

In part due to this, I spent some blissful summer days reading entire novels or novellas in a single afternoon during these visits. It was the coolest and most enjoyable thing to do, especially when it grew very hot and humid in July and August.

Many of them were classics because I was a bookish kid who generally enjoyed those styles of writing quite a bit and because those were often the types of books my grandparents still have lying around on their many bookshelves.

I read many other genres and sorts of stories as well, of course, but these are the books that have stuck in my mind the best that fit this week’s prompt. Maybe it’s because I miss my grandparents?

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell

2. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

3. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

4. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

5. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

6. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

7. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott

8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

9. The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry

10. Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe

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I asked the Internet to give me stock photos related to the word question, and it delivered someone wearing a cardboard box over their head. They’re tapping the side of the box with one hand while making a quizzical gesture with their other arm.

I can’t stop giggling at this image and hope you all find it amusing as well. The internet really is full of surprises, isn’t it?

Let’s move on to the list.

1. What’s the Use of Walking If There’s a Freight Train Going Your Way?: Black Hoboes & Their Songs
by Paul Garon

2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

3. How Do Witches Fly?: A Practical Approach to Nocturnal Flights by Alexander Kuklin

4. What Killed Jane Austen?: And Other Medical Mysteries by George Biro

5. Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey by Martin Handford

6. Who Is Santa Claus?: The True Story Behind a Living Legend by Robin Crichton

7. Who Do You Think You Are? by Alice Munro

8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner, #1) by Philip K. Dick

9. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee

10. Did She Kill Him?: A Victorian Tale of Deception, Adultery and Arsenic by Kate Colquhoun

 

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I could have written a list two or three times this length! What a fantastic topic.

1. It’s a healthy form of escapism.

2. It has introduced me to historical eras and events I may not know much about. I have no doubt this will continue to happen in the future!

3. It has let me meet people, both real and imagined, that I would have otherwise never met.

4. It gives me a chance to visit places I haven’t seen in real life yet.

5. It lifts my spirits when I’m sad and gives me hope when I’m going through a rough time.

6. It shows me the beauty in our world.

7. It can be a wonderful way to learn about how others live. For example, you can read books about characters from cultures you didn’t grow up in or who are dealing with sensitive issues that generally aren’t considered polite to ask about in many societies unless you know someone quite well. (Even then, there are plenty of things I’d never bring up unless the person experiencing it mentions it first and says it’s okay to ask questions!)

8. It can help you come up with new strategies to handle your own medical issues, experiences with prejudice, conflicts, etc. For example, I love reading books about other folks who have migraines or chronic headaches because of everything we’d have in common related to that.

9. It’s hopeful. I love reading about how past generations solved their biggest problems or how characters tackle issues that seem insurmountable at first.

10. It’s a wonderful way to make new friends though the blogging community and by discussing books with fellow readers.

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There are so many amazing books being published throughout the rest of 2021!

Toronto’s public library system is pretty good at getting new releases, so my fingers are crossed that I’ll be able to request, and probably even read, all of these books by the end of the year.

If nothing else, I hope to be in a comfortable position in the waitlist for the really popular ones on this list before Christmas rolls around.

 

1. So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix  by Bethany C. Morrow

Release Date: September 7

Why I Want to Read It: This will be my first retelling of Little Women. I can’t wait.

 

2. The Lost Girls  by Sonia Hartl 

Release Date: September 14

Why I Want to Read It: It’s a queer vampire romance that playfully acknowledges the creepiness of a 100+ year old vampire dating a teenage girl. I do enjoy this sort of thing on occasion and am not making fun of it or anything. It’s just nice to see some nuance in the trope.

 

3. The Hill We Climb and Other Poems by Amanda Gorman

Release Date: September 21

Why I Want to Read It: I loved the poem she wrote for President Biden’s inauguration and can’t wait to read more.

 

4. The $16 Taco: Contested Geographies of Food, Ethnicity, and Gentrification  by Pascale Joassart-Marcelli  

Release Date: October 5

Why I Want to Read It: There are many restaurants here in Toronto that will take an inexpensive dish from one ethnic group, add a few unusual ingredients, and jack up the price so much that only wealthy (and generally white) folks can buy it. I’m curious to see what this author has discovered about this practice in general.

 

5. Cackle  by Rachel Harrison

Release Date: October 5

Why I Want to Read It: Most books about witches are not at all scary these days. The blurb hints that this won’t be a traditional “witches are terrifying” tale either, though, so I look forward to seeing what angle it does take.

 

6. Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide  by Cecily Wong

Release Date: October 12

Why I Want to Read It: I have some health conditions that limit my diet. I’m as adventurous as my body will allow, but I love reading about foods I can’t actually have just as much as I do the ones I can eat.

 

7. Bright Lights, Prarie Dust: A Memoir  by Karen Grassle

Release Date: October 19

Why I Want to Read It: I grew up watching reruns of Little House on the Prairie and enjoy going back to that world.

 

8. Yummy: A History of Desserts  by Victoria Grace Elliott 

Release Date: October 19

Why I Want to Read It: As you’ve probably noticed, I love reading about food.

 

9. Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

Release Date: November 9

Why I Want to Read It:  Ms. Okorafor is on my shortlist of must-read authors.

 

10. Within These Wicked Walls  by Lauren Blackwood   Jane Eyre retelling. Ethiopian 

Release Date: November 9

Why I Want to Read It: Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favourite classic novels. I can’t wait to read this retelling of it.

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The instructions for this week’s prompt said to list the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to a wishlist so that people can grant your wish.

I’m tweaking it just a little because a) my TBR pile is already huge, and b) I don’t have actual titles or authors for any of my wishes…yet?

Instead of asking any of you to buy books for me, I’m asking for recommendations instead if you know of any titles that might match up to my bookish wishes below.

Wish #1: Fiction about neanderthals. 

For example, I liked:

The Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean M. Auel

The Neanderthal Parallax trilogy by Robert J. Sawyer

The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron

These all happen to be loosely based in the speculative fiction genre, but I’m quite open to other genres. Neanderthals are cool no matter which genre they appear in or whether they’re a main or side character!

 

Wish #2: Cozy mysteries about main characters who are part of minority groups

I occasionally enjoy a good cozy mystery, but I haven’t read many about characters who are people of colour, LGBT+, disabled, etc.

It’s time to change that if any of you can help.

 

Wish #3: Non-romance stories about animals who do NOT die in the end.

A romantic subplot here or there is totally fine, but I’d prefer the main storyline to be about something else. Mysteries,  fantasy, science fiction, nonfiction, mainstream fiction, or any other genre works perfectly well for me. A sprinkling of horror is cool, too, so long as it’s not gory.

The important thing is that Fido or Fluffy lives happily ever after.

 

Wish #4: Alternate history 

For example, I liked:

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

I enjoy alternate history books based on specific historical events just as much as I do the ones that get creative with their world-changing events. See also: the aftermath of a zombie uprising.

 

Wish #5: Humorous short stories or novellas

They can be from any genre or era.

I don’t know about all of you, but I’ve spent the last eighteen months actively seeking out cheerful and uplifting things to read.

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As always, this TBR list is not set in stone.

So much depends on which books are available at my local library, how long their waitlists are, and whether I find other titles that demand to be read first.

I admire those of you who can make a TBR list and stick to it no matter what. That is impressive!

If no release date is noted in the list below, that means the book was published earlier this month.

So they can be purchased today or maybe even requested from your local library (if libraries exist where you live and it’s available there).

There’s something nice about having a mixture of books that can be read immediately and ones that will require a few months of patience.

 

1. Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress  by Alicia D. Williams  

Why I Want to Read It: This is a slice of U.S. history I know nothing about. In my experience, picture books can be a fun way to learn about historical figures you’re unfamiliar with.

 

2. Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts  by Rebecca Hall

Why I Want to Read It: Same as #1.

 

3. Sisters of the Neversea  by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Why I Want to Read It: It’s a retelling of Peter Pan. How cool is that?

 

4. Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer 

Why I Want to Read It: This memoir looks like it will be a heartwarming, hilarious read.

 

5. Far Out: Recent Queer Science Fiction and Fantasy  by Paula Guran

Why I Want to Read It: I’m always interested in new queer science fiction and fantasy.

 

6. We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen

Release Date: July 6

Why I Want to Read It: This book encompasses some of my favourite science fiction tropes like enduring radiation storms, exploring dangerous new planets, and seeing how humans react to androids who are nearly indistinguishable from them.

 

7. Cursed Bunny  by Bora Chung

Release Date: July 15

Why I Want to Read It: Honestly, the title and cover were what made this a must-read for me. I love rabbits and am so perplexed by the idea of them being cursed.

 

8. The Book of Accidents  by Chuck Wendig 

Release Date: July 20

Why I Want to Read It: The Covid-19 pandemic has squelched most of my interest in horror, but Wendig is such a creative storyteller that I just might see if I can handle the scary stuff he comes up with. Plus, it’s Halloween-themed, and I love Halloween.

 

9. Cat Problems  by Jory John

Release Date: August 3

Why I Want to Read It: Cats are enigmas to me in part due to my terrible allergy to them. I can’t be around them at all, so everything I know about them comes from the funny stories and occasional complaints people share about them online. The thought of a cat having a list of complaints about the humans in his or her life makes me grin.

 

10. Living Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita Longoria

Release Date: August 21

Why I Want to Read It: To listen to the contributors’ perspectives. I’m also an immigrant and love reading about the wide variety of experiences that can be found in immigrants around the world.

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I feel like I talk about the same books every time a topic like this one comes up.

Did any of you have the same reaction to this prompt?

I’m going to do my best to only mention books I haven’t gushed about a dozen times before, so this will be a pretty eclectic list that doesn’t mention science fiction and fantasy (my favourite genres) at all.

Let’s dig into it.

 

1. Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding by Dan Lieberman

Why: There is so much conflicting information out there about diet, exercise, and living a healthy lifestyle. I relish the opportunity to read the latest scientific theories on this topics, especially as it pertains to how humans lived back when all of our ancestors were hunter-gatherers.

 

2. The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine by Janice P. Nimura

Why: There’s something to be said for reading about trailblazers and the obstacles they faced. I was saddened by the crushing sexism they faced and amazed by how much their persistence permanently changed not only the face of medicine but what people expected from their doctors.

 

3. The Toronto Book of Love by Adam Bunch

Why: It’s fascinating to see how so many things related to love, marriage, infidelity, and courtship are influenced by one’s culture and historical era. These are also topics that generally aren’t discussed in history books.

 

4. American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption by Gabrielle Glaser

Why: The subject of this book was teenager who was forced to  place her baby for adoption in the 1960s because she was young and unmarried. It was a traumatic event for both her and her baby. Many non-fiction books about this topic are unflappably cheerful and positive. I think it’s important to also read about how unethical adoptions have happened so that adoption agencies and society will hopefully never make the same mistakes again in the future.

 

5. A Funny Kind of Paradise by Jo Owens

Why: There are so few books out there written from the perspective of a character who is living in a nursing home or other institutional setting. We need more of them if you ask me!

 

6. The Book of the Earthworm by Sally Coulthard

Why: I love reading about the latest scientific discoveries about mundane things like earthworms. It’s neat to think that we still have a lot to learn about what’s happening right below our own feet.

 

7. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

Why: Intergenerational friendships are beautiful things. While most of my friends are roughly the same age that I am, it’s delightful to occasionally meet someone much older or younger than you are and immediately click with them. I believe we can all learn a lot from being open to befriending folks in completely different stages of life when the opportunity arises. Some friendships were simply meant to be in my opinion. Reading about them is almost as wonderful as experiencing them in real life.

 

That’s as many books as I was able to come up with! I look forward to reading your responses to this week’s prompt.