Laurel County Public Library discussion

Hi, book friends! Top Ten Tuesday (TTT) is a weekly challenge where you share your top 10 (or less) list according to the topic each week.

The Tuesday topic for May 29, 2018 is:
Bookish Worlds I’d Want to/Never Want to Live In

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling-I would definitely want to live in the wizarding world. Who wouldn't want to be able to go to Hogwarts?
2. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien-this is one of my favorite books and I would love to live in this world. As scary as certain aspects may be, such as goblins, trolls, and dragons. I love Bilbo. It is such a fun fantasy/adventure story.
3. Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin-although I love reading these books and watching the TV show, I would not want to have to endure Westeros; it is full of poverty and war.
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-I used to read pretty much all dystopian books. This is one dystopian world I wouldn't want to live in. The capitol may not be as bad, but definitely not within the districts.
5. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab-I loved this duology but I don't think I would be able to survive in a world like Verity, even with August. There are so many different monsters that are born of various sins. I wouldn't last very long.
6. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab- I loved this book. It is a great book if you enjoy fantasy or if you are wanting to start reading fantasy. However, I think if I had to live in White London I wouldn't live very long.
7. Divergent by Veronica Roth-it has been a while since I have read this trilogy but I wouldn't want to live in this world and have to select one faction to belong to. I am a pretty indecisive person and to have to select one personality attribute to belong to would be difficult. The people that don't belong to a faction are homeless. No, thanks.
8. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara-I am almost finished with this book and it has been an amazing read. This is our world but it mainly took place in the 70's in California. I wouldn't have wanted to reside in California in the 70's. I would have been a nervous wreck and extremely paranoid given the circumstances.
9. Delirium by Lauren Oliver-I read this book such a long time ago. While it was interesting when I was in my dystopian phase, I wouldn't want to live there. In this world, love is considered a disease that needs to be eliminated. It would be a depressing world to live in.
10. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett-again this is an epic fantasy that I loved. But, I wouldn't survive very long in this world. It takes place in 12th century feudal England. It has vast forests, walled towns, castles, and monasteries. It is about a monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral in the world but it is so much more than that. It deals with a lot of war, betrayal, revenge, humiliation, and love. It is a brutal world that I most likely wouldn't survive.

Bookish Worlds I’d Want to/Never Want to Live In
My top 10 (or less)

1. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - I would not want to live in the future with the Morlocks.
2. Fahrenheit 451Ray Bradbury - I would not want to live in a future were books are burned and banned.
3. Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton - As awful as it sounds, I would like to live when the world ends. It is fascinating to see how priorities shift and how you evaluate the life you have lived.
4. The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart - I would love to live in Greece. This author gives beautiful descriptions of Greece. I want to go there right now.
5. If I Never Get Back by Darryl Brock - I would love to go back to the past to visit. But, I would not want to live there.
6. Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo - I would love to live on the island (can't remember the name).
7. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - This is another place I would love to visit but not live there.
8. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - This is a hard one. The author does a wonderful job of describing the beauty of Alaska but also the dangers. So, I would like to live there if I had an experienced guide.
9. The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey - I would not like to live during the zombie apocalypse!
10. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin - No! I would not want to live in the town of Stepford.

Debra wrote: "Bookish Worlds I’d Want to/Never Want to Live In
My top 10 (or less)

1. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - I would not want to live in the future with the Morlocks.
2. [..."

I still need to read Good Morning, Midnight. Did you enjoy that one?

I loved Good Morning, Midnight. It was a 5 star read for me. However, if you want books that end with definite answers, this is not for you.

Hey Krystyna. I looked over your list and added I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer to my TBR list. It looks really good.

Debra wrote: "Hey Krystyna. I looked over your list and added I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer to my TBR list. It looks really good."

Oh my gosh, you need to read it! If you are remotely interested in true crime whatsoever. It is so far the best true crime book that I have read. I don't know that any true crime book will ever outrank it. It is extremely well-researched and the writing is amazing for a true crime book. Most true crimes are too info-dumpy and throw too many facts at you but she writes it in a way that it flows like a novel. It's a great read.

Good to know. Next time I am at the library, I will see if it is in : )

Debra wrote: "Good to know. Next time I am at the library, I will see if it is in : )"

It is a new release so it may have a hold list. So, if it's not in be sure to place it on hold :)

Oh my. Four people already have it on hold. So I am number 5. Thanks for the info.

Debra wrote: "Oh my. Four people already have it on hold. So I am number 5. Thanks for the info."

You're very welcome.

For this Top Ten Tuesday (6/5/18), the topic is:

Books I decided to DNF (did not finish) too quickly (are you questioning your DNF choices on any books? If you have a policy to not DNF, put a spin on the topic to make it fit you.)

The only book I have ever DNF'd is Drown by Esther Dalseno. The reason I didn't finish it is because I couldn't really get into the story, even though I love that type of book. Also, none of the characters had actual names so it was a little hard to follow. I typically don't like DNF'ing books so I may pick it up a later time if I get around to giving it another try. I don't like not finishing a book I start because I feel like I have already put in time with the book and if I don't finish it then it will be time wasted. However, there are so many books I want to read and I am never going to be able to read them all within my lifetime. So, why waste time on a book that I'm not enjoying. It is a constant reader "problem" for me.

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Top Ten Tuesday - DNF

1. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
2. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
3. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
4. ....

These are the 3 books that come to mind, but I know there are more. People loved these these books. I could not get into them.

DNF works for me. I refuse to force myself to read a book.

Frank Zappa: “So many books, so little time.”

The Tuesday topic for June 12, 2018 is:
Books That Awaken the Travel Bug In Me

These are in no particular order and there are many more that I could list. But, here are 10 books that awaken the travel bug in me:

1. On the Rocks by Erin Duffy
2. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
3. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
4. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
6. The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski
7. Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines
8. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
9. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
10. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Books That Awaken the Travel Bug In Me

1. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - Alaska
2. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes - It has been many years since I have read this book, and I still want to go to Tuscany.
3. The Moonspinners by The Moonspinners - Crete, Greece
4. Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins - Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary

The Tuesday topic for July 3, 2018 is:
Books with Red, White, & Blue Covers (In honor of the 4th of July)

Books with Red, White, & Blue Covers (In honor of the 4th of July):

1. The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3. All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire
4. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
5. The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
6. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
7. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
9. Lisey's Story by Stephen King
10. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

*These books are in no particular order. I tried to choose books that had all 3 colors incorporated on the cover.

Tuesday topic for July 3, 2018
Books with Red, White, & Blue Covers

1. Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
2. The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman
3. Room by Emma Donoghue
4. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
5. Born on the Fourth of July by Ron Kovic
6. Appalachian Murders & Mysteries by James M. Gifford
7. The Body by Stephen King
8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
9. To the Stars by George Takei
10. Driving Miss Norma: One Family's Journey Saying "Yes" to Living by Tim Bauerschmidt

Just an interesting note. The Lunar Chronicles books have red, white and blue covers.

The topic for this Top Ten Tuesday (7/10/18) is:
Books to Read By the Pool/At the Beach

Books to Read By the Pool/At the Beach:
1. On the Rocks by Erin Duffy
2. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
3. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
4. Meg by Steve Alten
5. The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
6. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
7. Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave
8. The Lake House by Kate Morton
9. Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
10. To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

*Disclaimer: These are in no particular order.

What are some of your book recommendations to read while lounging by the pool or at the beach with your toes in the sand?

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Books to Read By the Pool/At the Beach

1. Jaws by Peter Benchley : )
2. The Little Mermaid by Michael Teitelbaum - for children
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in His Adventure on Earth by William Kotzwinkle - a light, fun read

Debra wrote: ".
Books to Read By the Pool/At the Beach

1. Jaws by Peter Benchley : )
2. The Little Mermaid by Michael Teitelbaum - for children
3. [boo..."

I have Jaws; I still need to read it. I also, have never read The Little Mermaid. I need to read that ASAP because I love anything ocean related.

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (7/17/18) is:
Favorite Novellas/Short Stories

Favorite Novellas/Short Stories:

1. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
2. Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
3. Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
4. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
5. Never Never by Colleen Hoover (parts 1-3)
6. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
8. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
10. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Favorite Novellas/Short Stories:

1. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
2. The Semplica-Girl Diaries by George Saunders
3. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
4. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
5. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
6. Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs
7. X: A Short Story by Jack Croxall
8. How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman
9. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (7/24/18) is:
Books with Sensory Reading Memories

(Books with Sensory Reading Memories are the books that are linked to very specific memories for you: where you were, what time of year it was, who you were with, what you were eating, etc. Ideas include books you read while on vacation, books that made you hungry for certain foods, books you’ve buddy read with loved ones, etc.)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Sensory Reading Memories

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
2. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
3. The Clue of the Broken Locket by Carolyn Keene
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
6. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
7. Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
8. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
9. Matilda by Roald Dahl
10. "There Are Rocks in My Socks!" Said the Ox to the Fox by Patricia Thomas
* Note: These are in no particular order.

What are your top ten books that have sensory reading memories for you? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (7/31/18) is:
Popular Books that Lived Up to the Hype

Top Ten Tuesday: Popular Books that Lived Up to the Hype

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
2. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
3. Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
4. Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
5. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
6. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
7. Final Girls by Riley Sager
8. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
9. Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
10. More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer

Have you read any of these books? What are some of your favorite books that lived up to the hype? 

Most definitely Harry Potter. Off the top of my head The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I will have to think on this some before I come up with a list.

Top Ten Tuesday: Popular Books that Lived Up to the Hype

1. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
2. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4. The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
5. The Martian by Andy Weir
6. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
7. The Giver by Lois Lowry
8. The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (8/21/18) is:
Books to Pull You Out of a Reading Slump

Books to Pull You Out of a Reading Slump

1. The Martian by Andy Weir
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
5. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
6. Pines by Blake Crouch
7. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (8/28/18) is:
Most Anticipated Fall Releases

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Fall Releases

1. Elevation by Stephen King
2. Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini
3. The Witch Elm by Tana French
4. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
5. In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey
6. The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox
7. Melmoth by Sarah Perry
8. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
9. Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
10. The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow by Alyssa Palombo

What are some of your most anticipated releases for this fall season?

Most Anticipated Fall Releases

1. Elevation by Stephen King
2. Dracul by Dacre Stoker
3. Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story by Roger Daltrey
4. In Pieces by Sally Field
5. An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
6. Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
7. Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz
8. The Witch Elm by Tana French

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (9/18/18) is:
Books on Your Fall 2018 TBR (to-be-read)

Oh my. I have an unrealistic 502 books on my TBR list for the fall! I will pick some that that I plan to read for Halloween/October, something for the Popsugar Challenge and something for my Clear the Shelf Challenge. Will post list later today.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

1. It by Stephen King
2. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
3. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5. The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
6. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
8. Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
9. The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan
10. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

What do you plan on reading for this fall season?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

1. Elevation by Stephen King
2. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni
3. My Best Friends Exorcism: A Novel by Grady Hendrix
4. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
6. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
7. Momo by Michael Ende
8. The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
9. Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
10. A Division of the Spoils by Paul Scott

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (10/2/2018) is:
Authors I’d Love to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I'd Love to Meet

1. J. K. Rowling
2. Stephen King
3. Charlotte Bronte
4. Jane Austen
5. Neil Gaiman
6. Seanan McGuire
7. J. R. R. Tolkien
8. Taylor Jenkins Reid
9. Celeste Ng
10. Colleen Hoover

There are so many more authors that I would love to meet. These are just the first 10 that came to mind immediately.

What authors would you love to meet?

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I'd Love to Meet

Well, I am drawing a complete blank on this topic. I looked over Krystyna's list and used one author from it. I am going to think on this. And may or may not add more authors later.

1. Neil Gaiman

-- here are a few more
2. Sylvia Plath
3. Ian Fleming
4. Jeff VanderMeer
5. Donna Tartt
6. Agatha Christie

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (10/9/2018) is:
Longest Books I've Ever Read

Top Ten Tuesday: Longest Books I've Ever Read

1. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (973 pages)
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (756 pages)
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (734 pages)
4. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (629 pages)
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (592 pages)
6. Pet Sematary by Stephen King (576 pages)
7. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia (563 pages)
8. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (563 pages)
9. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (546 pages)
10. Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab (533 pages)

*Note: I didn't include graphic novels. If I include those then The Walking Dead, Compendium 1 by Robert Kirkman comes in 1st place at 1, 088 pages. Also, Blankets by Craig Thompson comes in 7th place at 592 pages.

What are the longest books that you have read?

Top Ten Tuesday: Longest Books I've Ever Read

1. The Stand by Stephen King (1153 pages)
2. Winter by Marissa Meyer (827)
3. The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston (629)
4. The Day of the Scorpion by Paul Scott (504)
5. Everfound by Neal Shusterman (512)
6. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (531)
7. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (557)
8. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (559)
9. Still Life With Crows by Douglas Preston (564)
10. Duma Key by Stephen King (611)

Top Ten Tuesday topic for today (12/4/2018) is:
Cozy/Wintry Reads