Top Ten Tuesday (45): Books You'd Like to See Made into a Movie

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten Books You'd Like to See Made into a Movie

(In no particular order)

1. The List by Siobhan Vivian

This was such a great book, and I think it could definitely pull off the story on the silver screen. 

2. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Action, mystery, time-travel, and romance, what more do you need for a great movie?

3. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I would be so very curious to see how the capall uisce would be created for the film.

4. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

It would be so amazing to see the world of Ixia and Sitia brought to life, and to see Yelena, Valek, Ari, and Janco in film.

5. The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Not a single movie, but four movies that would need special attention to the detail Pierce used to create this amazingly epic story.

6. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

1) There can never be too many werewolf movies and 2) This would hopefully be one of the most amazing werewolf movies.

7. Flawless by Lara Chapman

I know there's a different rendition of Cyrano in Roxanne, but it would be nice to see the feminized version. 

8. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Just for the setting alone would I want this book to be made into a movie.

9. The Talking Eggs by Robert San Souci

As one of my favorite children's books, this is one that would be a treat to see as a film.

10. Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

With all of the dramatic, action movies involving the Greek gods, it would be a nice change of pace to see a more light-hearted story instead.

TGIF (21): Reading Blues

TGIF is a weekly meme created and hosted by Ginger of GReads! that recaps the week's posts and has a different question each week.

This week on Denim-Jacket Librarian Dishes:

In My Mailbox (30): TXLA 2012 Edition

Beaux Livres

Top Ten Tuesday (44): All-Time Favorite Characters in Books

Small Blogs, Big Dreams Giveaway Winner!

Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

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What helps you overcome those reading slumps when nothing seems to grab your attention?

My Answer: If it seems something isn't grabbing my attention, it might be due to reading too much within a particular genre (which I've been known to do). When that happens, I try to switch genres usually turning to a YA contemporary novel to help get me back in reading mode. I don't read a lot of contemporaries, but those that I do really help inspire me. When nothing at all seems to grab me, 1) I usually take a break from reading books and either watch some television shows or play a video game and 2) visit other blogs to see what they've been reading. You'd be amazed at how it can light a fire under you when another blogger is dishing on a fabulous new release. :)

Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

Title:  The List
Author:  Siobhan Vivian
Pages:  332
Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher:  Push
Obtained:  Purchased
Summary:  An intense look at the rules of high school attraction--and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year.  A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest.  Nobody knows who makes the list.  It almost doesn't matter.  The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly."  And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection between the two.

The Dish:  Siobhan Vivian has crafted a remarkable and haunting story that will stay with readers long after they've closed the book.  I know that's what happened to me after I finished it and woke up the next morning still thinking about it.  With Vivian's easily flowing prose, I was carried through The List and then left to ponder on all eight girls.

The characters are phenomenal as readers see them transition over the course of a single week starting with the Monday when the list is posted.  A week seems so short a time to explore an entire book, but Vivian makes use of these 6 days in exploring the lives of all eight girls on the list.  It's amazing at how much one label can change the way people think about a person and what that person thinks about themselves.  For some of the girls, the change is almost instantaneous while for others more gradual, but by the end of the book, each of them is not the same girl at the beginning whether better or worse.

What I really noticed was the behavior of the people surrounding the eight girls whether family, friends, or boyfriends and how that shifted as well.  Those closest to the girls suffered an impact as well, not always from knowing about the list but in seeing how the girls change.  I was moved by several side characters and their actions towards their friends on the list.  It was fascinating to learn how they viewed being on the list and how those views changed throughout the week.

The List is definitely a contemporary story to have in a collection, and I'm eager to see what new stories Siobhan Vivian will share with her readers.

Small Blogs, Big Dreams Giveaway Hop!

Hosted by Forbidden Passions Reviews & Walking on Bookshelves

April 16th-21st

We all start out as small blogs, and it's only over time that we are able to expand through meeting other bloggers, readers, and anyone who just loves books.  One of the books I was thrilled to receive after ALA last year was an ARC of The Scorpio Races signed by Maggie Stiefvater.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, but now that I own my own copy (also signed by Maggie, thanks to the wonderful sponsors of Teen Book Con), I would like to pass it along as bloggers should do with ARCs.  Good luck, everyone!

And the winner is....

Froggarita!

Congratulations!  And thank you everyone for entering.  

Be on the lookout for another giveaway soon!

Top Ten Tuesday (44): All Time Favorite Characters in Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted by one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join, just make sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so everyone can check out other blogger lists. Have fun!

Top Ten All Time Favorite Characters in Books

1. Sam Roth from Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

 It's sweet, adorable, and romantic Sam, how can readers who loved Shiver not love him?

2. Sean Kendrick from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

He's great with horses and knows what he wants to do, working hard for it.

3. Yelena and Valek from the Study Trilogy by Maria V. Snyder

Okay, so I'm cheating here a bit, but you can't really have one without the other. Just not possible with this dynamic duo.

4. Bigwig from Watership Down by Richard Adams

Yeah, I'm such a sucker for a tough guy who eventually shows his softer side (even if he's a rabbit, he's still Captain of the Watership owsla).

5. Aahz from The Myth series by Robert Asprin

He kind of goes hand in hand with Bigwig, tough exterior but you know he really worries about Skeeve and wants him to succeed.  (He's the green guy in the middle.)

6. Alanna from Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce

She wants to be a knight in a world that wouldn't accept that all while saving the kingdom one book at a time. How cool a character is that???

7. Ramona from The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary

While she could definitely get into trouble, she usually made it out of her scrapes and troubles just fine in the end. Also, does anyone else remember the TV series they had for the books? 

8. Evie from Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

She's funny, tough, and she has a pink taser, making her one of the most memorable and adorable characters on my list.

9. Alexia Terabotti from Soulless (The Manga) by Gail Carriger & Rem

Okay, since I haven't read the book yet, I can only judge by the manga, but holy schnikies is Alexia not one of the coolest heroines ever! She knows how to kick some serious butt all while in traditional Victorian England attire, and that makes her even more awesome.

10. Carol, Stevie, and Lisa from The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant

I grew up with these three girls, and with their love of horses rivaling my own, I think it's only fair to have them on this list (especially with as many books in the series I had). 

In My Mailbox (30): TXLA 2012 Edition

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where bloggers post about the books they have received in the past week whether for review, purchased, or checked out from the library. ^_^

The annual Texas Library Association conference was this week, and it was my first time attending (even if it was just Wednesday).  The ARC haul... was intense and my shoulders are still feeling it, but it was so worth it especially since I was able to meet so many awesome Texas bloggers both local and out-of-town and phenomenal authors in-state and out-of-state! ^_^

YA Authors & Librarians Texas Tea:

Author round-up!  So many awesome YA authors in one place!

Here's some local lovelies, Mary Lindsey and Jessica Lee Anderson!

Mary's so sweet! I love being one of her book pimps!

Guess who was the first author at our table!!!  Maggie Stiefvater was talking about The Raven Boys, which all of our table was eager to hear more.

Maggie's also too cute!

Siobhan Vivian was next, and darn do I want to read her book, The List!

OMG, it's Neal Shusterman! Along with Unwholly, sequel to Unwind.

Here's another local lovely, Joy Preble, with Anastasia Forever.

Here's Jennifer A. Nielsen with her new novel, The False Prince. 

Houston bloggers (and writers) are such fun, so here's to Kate (from Ex Libris), Maria (from Cari's Book Blog), Kristin (from Kristin Creative), and Stephanie (from Stephanie, A History). I was also happy to meet the undeniably awesome Jen Bigheart from I Read Banned Books (next time I'll snag a picture of her). 

All righty on to the...

Joy! I've gotta talk about the books, silly!

From TXLA 2012:

Considering I only went on Wednesday, I think I made out quite nicely. 

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Underworld by Meg Cabot
Anastasia Forever by Joy Preble (signed!)
Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs (signed!)
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Velveteen by Daniel Marks

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl

Dark Lord the Teenage Years by Jamie Thomson

Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy

The Pack: Dogs of the Drowned City by Dayna Lorentz

Invisible World by Suzanne Weyn

The Prince Who Fell from the Sky by John Claude Bemis

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Skinny by Donna Cooner

Sleuth or Dare: Partners in Crime by Kim Harrington

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner

Calli by Jessica Lee Anderson (signed!)

Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

Violins of Autumn by Amy McAuley

Anything by Ordinary by Lara Avery

The Cup and the Crown by Diane Stanley

Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane (signed, and thanks to Kristin!)

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins (personalized thanks to Karen!)

Spellwright by Blake Charlton (personalized!)

Whew! That's all for my mailbox this week. What did you get in your mailbox? ^_^

TGIF (20): Book Blogger Influences

TGIF is a weekly meme created and hosted by Ginger of GReads! that recaps the week's posts and has a different question each week.

This week on Denim-Jacket Librarian Dishes:

In My Mailbox (29) and Teen Book Con Haul

Small Blogs, Big Dreams Giveaway Hop!

Top Ten Tuesday (43): Tips for New Bloggers

Review: Dating the Undead by Gena Showalter & Jill Monroe

DJL Dishes Dessert: Baked Indian Pudding

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Has there been a particular book blogger who's influenced what you read?  Share with us a review/book blog that convinced you to pick up a certain book.

My Answer: That's like asking for the number of stars in a clear night sky. lol  There are so many bloggers that I look to for recommendations, guidance on deciding whether to read a book I'm on the fence about, and just to see what they have to say on books I'm looking forward to reading. In perspective of who influenced my decisions on what ARCs to get this week at the Texas Library Association conference here is a short listing of bloggers who "forced my hand" so to speak. ^_^

Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar (Thank you, Jess!)
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs (though I picked up Sweet Shadows) (Thank you, Christy!)
Abandon by Meg Cabot (though I picked up Underworld) (Thank you, Karen!)

These bloggers' reviews made me pick up published books:

The List by Siobhan Vivian (<--This author is too sweet.) (Thank you, Amy!)
Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey (Thank you, Christin!)
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Thank you, Marla!)

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you awesome book bloggers. ^_^
(Btw my TBR shelf groans at you all.)

Texas YA Author Love Giveaway Winner Announced!

Since the annual Texas Library Association conference is just around the corner, I'm hosting a giveaway to show all of our Texas YA authors just how much their readers love them.  You can win TWO paranormal books of your choice from the list of titles below. 

Congratulations to Natasha! 

She has chosen Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter and Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey as her prizes.

DJL Dishes Dessert: Baked Indian Pudding

Recipe:  Baked Indian Pudding

Creator:  Mary at One Perfect Bite
The Dish:  Wow, it's been an even longer time since I've done a dish on dessert, and since my library had their International Potluck this past Monday, I just went for broke.  I'd heard about this dish on an episode of The Best I Ever Had on Food Network, and it looked... FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC.  So while I'm not Native American in any way, I wanted to try my hand at this dish.  It looks like a combination of a custard and a polenta and has a taste similar to pumpkin pie... and something else I can't quite place.  It's best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top, so far be it for me to deprive my coworkers by not bringing along some Blue Bell.

Ingredients:
- 4 cups of milk
- 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon each of ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cream (<--I actually substituted milk for this.)

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 300 degrees. In a sauce pan, bring 3 cups of milk to a boil. Mix 1 cup of cold milk with the cornmeal and stir slowly into the hot milk. Cook on low for 20 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add butter, sugar, and molasses. Remove from heat. Add salt and spices. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of hot liquid to eggs, stirring constantly. Stir tempered eggs into cornmeal mixture.

3. Pour into a 1-1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes during the first hour. After 1 hour, pour cream (or milk in my case) over top of pudding but do not stir. Continue cooking until top is set, 1 to 1-1/2 hours longer.

4. Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Yields: 6-8 servings

It was delicious and my coworkers loved it, though some of them had it cold with the ice cream.  With the taste being similar to pumpkin pie, which is best served warm or cold, I think it's just a matter of preference.  Personally, I nuked mine and while runny, it was delicious.  I will have to make it again. 

Review: Dating the Undead by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

Title:  Dating the Undead
Authors:  Gena Showalter & Jill Monroe
Pages:  160
Genre:  Paranormal, Supernatural Romance
Publisher:  Harlequin
Summary:  They're drop-dead handsome-and we're not kidding! Welcome to the first and only guide devoted to loving the immortal man in all of his furry, feathery, fiery glory. Here is a forbidden-fruit salad of features, fiction, fashion, and more, including: "Lipstick on His Collar: Is your immortal just a little bit immoral?"; "Angel in the Kitchen: Heavenly dishes that don't take an eternity to prepare"; "A Kiss is Not Just a Kiss: Immortals we crave divulge their lip-smacking turn-ons"; "Undead & Well-Read: What's hot between the covers this month"; "A View from a Guy: Zombie Jack's turn"; "Immorstrology: Our indispensible guide to heavenly bodies."

The Microwave Dish:  I adore Gena Showalter, and I could see her doing something off-the-wall like Dating the Undead.  It would be really fun to see unique "books" like it a bit more often especially from other authors in order to get their take.  Readers get hilarious advertisements, fantastical dating advice, even cocktail recipes in this gem of a magazine (that I sometimes wish was available in subscription just for the ads).  I thought the concept was unique, whimsical, and quite enjoyable.  Those who adore paranormal creatures or are avid Gena Showalter or Jill Monroe fans should get a real kick out of this title.