Thursday, November 20, 2014

Ten Book Challenge!

Thanks to
for tagging me for this fun tag!
Oh my god. Izzy tagged me in this almost two months ago. I didn't forget about it but I blame work and the fact that I got this crazy cold for no reason. Seriously, this cold was insane. I've never slept so much in one day ever. It just knocked me out. Then work, then Blood of Olympus.  The world basically stopped for me in anticipation for and during my reading of BoO and then, of course, I proceeded to get into a post-Percy Jackson-era reading slump which bummed me out. AND THEN Blogger randomly decided it wouldn't let me post properly anymore. I figured it out though.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I wholeheartedly apologize to Izzy for taking so ridiculously long to complete this lovely tag.  The rules of this tag are simple just list ten books that have stayed with you in some way without thinking too much about your choices then copy the rules and tag some friends. Don't forget to comment below so I can read your list!



1. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton - I read this book for the first time when I was nine after my mom insisted that I read it. I,  of course, having been a normal nine year old, did not want to just because my mom said I should. Because why would a book that my mom read when she was younger be cool, right? Needless to say, I am so glad that I mom made me read it. The Outsiders has been one of my favorite books ever since and I've read it far too many times to count. I've actually gone through two different copies of it because I gave my first copy away to someone who needed to remember to "stay gold."

2. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - This is the first book I ever read to have taken the feels stick and whacked me so hard with it that I just couldn't anymore. Oh my god. All the things that happened in it and WILL HERONDALE!!!! The epilogue killed me. Like it took my silly little heart and just said, "Hahaha I will crush you." It was perfect though. A few too many happy endings but so, so perfect.


3. The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce - The Realms of the Gods was the final book in my all-time favorite Tamora Pierce Tortall Quartet. I just love Daine and Numair. They were my original OTP enough so that my eleven year old self wrote a really, really, really bad fanfiction based on them. But, yes, The Immortals Quartet was just my favorite growing up. Aside from Harry Potter, it was Tamora Pierce that really got me into reading and it was because of her that I tossed my parents' hopes and dreams of me becoming a doctor away and decided I wanted to be a YA fantasy writer. 

4. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan - This particular Percy Jackson book was the one that truly got me hooked into the series. I read this series for the first time last January. As a twenty-something year old reading PJO, I thought the first too books were too kid-ish for me but then this book happened. I'm not really sure what it was about The Titan's Curse that really hooked me but after reading this one, I officially jumped aboard the Percy Jackson bandwagon.
5. Old Magic by Marianne Curley - This book was a first for me in a lot of ways. One, it was the first book I ever read that dealt with time travel. Two, it was the first book I ever read written in first-person, present tense with two alternating POVs. And three, it was the first book I ever read that was not set in the US - rather, it's set in Australia (as are all of Marianne Curely's books, I think. I haven't read her most recent ones.) I think that's the part that intrigued me most about Old Magic. To my silly American self, Australia is an exotic place of wonder and awesomeness that New Jersey just isn't. This is another one of those books that I read over and over almost to the point of my copy falling apart.

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - This is the first book I ever read that made me go, "wow, that was really beautiful" as soon as I finished it. At first I actually didn't like The Night Circus. It took me a while to get into it, but suddenly the gorgeous imagery and writing took over and I couldn't help but keep reading. I definitely need to reread this one at some point.
7. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien - It's no secret that I love anything related to Lord of the Rings. Of all the books in the LOTR world, The Hobbit is most definitely my favorite. I read it for the first time when I took a LOTR class in college - yes, you heard me right. I took a Lord of the Rings class in college and it was marvelous. I've reread The Hobbit a few times since then and I'm already itching for another reread. Have to prepare for the last movie ever of course. 

8. The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman - This book is the only book to ever make me cry. TFIOS didn't even bring me close but this book got me. That ending! It was for the greater good though. I love Lyra and Will so much. Aside from that though there are just so many great ideas in this book. If I could choose, Pullman's idea of being returned to the earth after death, with your daemon of course, is what I'd want to happen.

As it's Thursday, let us pause in this post topic for an appropriate Throwback Thursday musing because when you happen to be in Oxford, England you must make this appropriately bookish side trip:

That's right! Lyra and Will's bench is real! I've sat in it!

Aaand we're back...

9. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson - Okay, new game. Take a shot any time I mention this book on this blog then call out of work/skip school tomorrow but you will not be in suitable condition to function in public. Seriously though, I love every aspect about this book. It was without a doubt my favorite book I read this year. Everything the imagery, the gorgeous writing, the characters - just everything about this book was absolutely wonderful.  
10. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling - Really, what kind of list would this be if Harry Potter wasn't on it? Harry Potter was my childhood. It was one of the reasons why I love reading. It was such an epic experience to grow up with these books and almost literally being the same age as Harry every time a new book came out. And J.K. Rowling is such an amazing human being. She's one of my favorite people ever. 


    Thank you again to Izzy for tagging me in this great post! And I'm sorry again that it took me forever to do it. As it's been a long time since I was tagged, I won't tag anyone back but if you're interested in doing this tag, do let me know so I can read your list or if you've already done this tag, link your post to me. I love lists! I want to read them all!

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