Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Things We Are Thankful For

The bookish version!

Ricki

1. Little scraps of paper that make convenient bookmarks.

2. Authors who tweet back to my students.

3. The ALAN Workshop for the wonderful connections with amazing educators and publishers.

4. Historical Fiction because I hate learning about history through facts, but this genre makes the learning fun!

5. Libraries. This is new to me. I used to buy all of my books. With a baby on the way, I have discovered how wonderful libraries are (and how wonderful inter-library loan can be)!

6. Audiobooks…for making my drives to school much more bearable.

7. Books that make me sob. I always love a good cry.

8. GoodReads, for tracking my books automatically.

9. GoodReads (again), for showing me which of my friends have read a book so I can call them to chat about it when I finish.

10. Bookshelves, because without you, my house would make me look even more like a book hoarder.

Kellee

1. Twitter for helping fuel my love of books, introducing me to amazing people, and helping me keep up with the best books out there.

2. Jim for putting up with my addiction.

3. Goodreads for the same reasons why Ricki stated above.

4. Young adult books for helping me find the love of reading after my literature degree.

5. My friends’ blogs for sharing with me the best books that I should read.

6. My students for making why I read even more meaningful.

7. NCTE convention and ALAN workshop helps me hang out with fellow book lovers, amazing educators, and authors.

8. Authors, in general, for making these things I love.

9. IMWAYR (It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?) meme–I love being part of the community and learning about everything everyone is reading.

10. Bookshelves for having dual purposes: making my house look smart and for storing my books.

What are you thankful for?

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Covers We Wish We Could Redesign

If only the covers war more alluring, kids would be more likely to read them!

Ricki

1. Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie

This is an incredible book. I just wish the cover reflected how awesome it is. I bet Kellee will agree with me on this one, as we both adore this book.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I understand the symbolism of this cover, but I find it to be quite boring.

3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

This is one of my favorite books. Luckily, a quick read-aloud gets kids interested in reading it. That said, I wish the cover was different!

4. Tree Girl by Ben Mikaelsen

I know I talk about this book frequently. It is such a great text, and I loved using it for my struggling readers. They fell in love with it. It took some convincing for them to get beyond the cover, though!

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I love the color! That said, I wish there was more on this cover. Kids seem to either love or hate the simplicity of this cover.

Kellee

Making up for my huge list last week, I could only think of 3 covers that I would really love to redesign.

1. The Summer of May by Ceclia Galante

I will say, like Miss Movado preaches in the book, don’t judge a book by its cover. The cover (and description) of this book do not do the book justice. First, May is a 13 year old girl, not 12 as the description says and not 9 like the cover portrays. Also, she doesn’t go on a fire escape to dream and she doesn’t have a cat. I think the cover is going to drive away readers who need this book.

2. A Girl named Digit by Annabel Monaghan

This book makes Digit seem like any other girly book, but really it is an adventure-filled book and Digit is not like other girls. I just wish that it had seemed a little bit more kick butt.

3. Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

This cover just doesn’t portray at all what the book is about and I think readers who need the book won’t pick it up because it seems boring.

Which covers would you redesign?

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Sequels We Can’t Wait to Get Our Hands On

Sometimes you are too scared to read the sequel because it might not live up to the excellence of the first installment…and sometimes, you just haven’t had the time.

Ricki

1. Crossed (Matched series) by Ally Condie

I loved Matched, and I have owned Crossed and Reached since they both came out. I think I haven’t read them out of fear that they will tarnish my image of the first book! Someone, send me courage!

2. Prized (Birthmarked series) by Caragh M. O’Brien

I could read dystopians forever and never get tired of them. I loved the concept behind the Birthmarked series, and it took me a long time to get the second book. Then, I became worried that I had gone too long between books and needed to reread the first one. I need to read this sequel because the first book was excellent.

3. Ashen Winter (Ashfall series) by Mike Mullin

Why haven’t I read this one? Because both of my copies never came back to me. Luckily, I saw it in the library and am going to get to this book. I found the first book to be epic.

4. Unsouled (Unwind series) by Neal Shusterman

This one is coming out in two days! Eee! I am crossing my fingers that we get it in our ALAN Workshop box. Otherwise, I am off to the bookstore!

5. Game (Jasper Dent series) by Barry Lyga

I loved the first book in the series. It was very similar to Criminal Minds, the TV show. I have it on reserve at the library, but it seems the person who borrowed it has not returned it yet. My students loved this series.

Kellee

Like Ricki, a lot of the books on my list are sequels that have been out, but I just haven’t gotten to (and I want to read Crossed, Reached, Ashen Winter, Unwholly, and Unsouled just like Ricki does!). Sequels are by far my biggest book gap, because there are so many books to read and I often don’t get to the sequels. Because of this, I couldn’t keep mine to a list of 5.  Here is my list of 15 sequels that I need to read! I want to read them all for the same reason: Because the beginning of the series was awesome!

1. Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

2. The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, and House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #2, #3, and #4) by Rick Riordan

3. Middle Ground (Awaken #2) by Katie Kacvinsky

4. Scarlet (Cinder #2) by Marissa Meyer

5. Darkbeast Rebellion (Darkbeast #2) by Morgan Keyes

6. The Crown of Embers and The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #2 and #3) by Rae Carson

7. Such Wicked Intent (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein #2) by Kenneth Oppel

8. Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young

9. The Lives We Lost (Fallen World #2) by Megan Crewe

10. Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green (Precious Stone Trilogy #2 and #3) by Kerstin Gier

11. Outpost and Horde (Razorland #2 and #3) by Ann Aguirre

12. Fever and Sever (The Chemical Garden #2 and #3) by Lauren DeStefano

13. Pandemonium and Requiem (Delirium #2 and #3) by Lauren Oliver

14. Death Cure and Kill Order (Maze Runner #3 and #0.5) by James Dashner

15. A Million Suns and Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #2 and #3) by Beth Revis

Honorable. Trail of the Spellmans and The Last Word (The Spellmans #5 and #6) by Lisa Lutz

Which sequels are you looking forward to reading?

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Scariest Book Covers

Before we cracked the cover, we were scared.

Ricki

1. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

This book cover draws so many students because it is so scary!

2. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

This cover is even scarier after you read the book!

3. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

There are monsters cooking in that glass!

4. Annabelle by Ruby Jean Jenson

I haven’t read this book, but the cover always frightened me.

5. It by Stephen King (Spanish Edition)

This is the scariest movie of my childhood, and the Spanish edition fits my memories of it.

Kellee

Ricki shared some of my favorite scary covers already: Anna Dressed in Blood and The Monstrumologist are definitely on my list as well.

1. Unwind by Neal Shusterman

This cover is more creepy than scary, but it definitely deserves to be on the list.

2. The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike

These books terrified me when I read them in high school and this new cover really captures the fear.

3. Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

Another creepy more than scary, but it is majorly creepy and the ending makes it even worse!

4. Doll Bones by Holly Black

Creepy doll is creepy!

5. Carrie by Stephen King

I knew I had to find a King book with a scary cover because he is the ultimate horror author.

Can you think of any other really scary book covers?

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Character Names

Ricki

1. Alaska from Looking for Alaska by John Green

When you picked up this book, I bet you didn’t think Alaska would be a girl—let alone a really cool girl.

2. Calpurnia Tate from The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Calpurnia Virginia Tate explores the wonders of the world, and her name fits perfectly with her character.

3. Doodle from “The Scarlet Ibis” (short story) by James Hurst

Doodle is the sickly, younger brother in this story. I find him to be fascinating, particularly in the way he treats the Scarlet Ibis. If he wasn’t so helpless, I would use his name as a nickname for a future child.

4. Dill from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Dill is such a fun character, and his name fits well with his adventurous, carefree spirit.

5. Sarah Dessen’s characters (Yes, all of them.)

I often forget characters’ names, but I find Sarah Dessen’s characters have very memorable names that always stick with me. I will always have a warm place in my heart for Remy and Dexter…Macy…Emaline and Theo…and all of the wonderful characters of these books.

Kellee

1 and 2. Quentin from Paper Towns and Augustus from The Fault in our Stars by John Green

I don’t know if it as much as they are my favorite names, but I just love the characters and the names fit the characters so perfectly. The names will never be associated with anyone else in my mind.

3. Wesley from The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Ah, Wesley! I don’t know how to explain why this name is perfect, but if you read the book and see the movie, I promise you’ll agree with me.

4. Jonas from The Giver and Son by Lois Lowry

Jonas is a biblical name which has debatable meanings—anywhere from dove (peace), to gift from God, to one who oppresses. All of these put together are Lois Lowry’s Jonas. He overcame oppression and was a gift from God for Gabriel (which is also a perfect name.)

5. Lady Brett Ashley from The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

I love the masculinity of Lady Brett’s name and felt it perfectly fit her character. Throughout my lit degree, I wrote a couple different papers about how Hemingway perfectly crafted her to be a dominant (not push-over woman) character and her name adds to that perfectly.

What are your favorite character names?

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