Top Ten Tuesday: Books/Authors I'm Thankful For

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/Authors I'm Thankful For

1) Maggie Stiefvater - This is one awesome lady that I'm so happy to have had the chance to meet in person this year.  Her books never cease to make me smile, and I look forward to reading more from her. ^_^

2) Maria V. Snyder - I was SO thrilled to hear that there will be 3 more books featuring Yelena, Valek, Ari, and Janco from the Study books!  If you want to see a unique fantasy world, look no further than this lady's work. 

3) Natsuki Takaya - Creator of one of the best manga series, Fruits Basket, I'm thankful she's a talented artist and mangaka. 

4) Harper Lee - While she might have been a "one-hit wonder", that one hit was more than just a hit.  To Kill a Mockingbird was one of the novels I read and truly appreciated in high school, so I'm thankful Lee brought Atticus and Scout into our lives. 

5) Charles M. Schultz - Who wouldn't be thankful for the man who brought the world the Peanuts gang?  With the holiday season, it makes me nostalgic for the old Charlie Brown comics. 

6) The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - With one of the most realistic and phenomenal heroines featured in the story, I'm thankful that Elisa is a true heroine that readers can look up to and admire.

7) Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr - I'm thankful this book brought me out of a serious reading slump with it's fast pace and endearing characters.  I cannot wait until its sequel is released.

8) Black Unicorn by Tanith Lee - While this is the only series I've read by Tanith Lee, I'm thankful that I found a book that made me see unicorns in an entirely different light.

9) Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble - In a world filled with various renditions of Greek myths (usually the same myth *cough*Hades&Persephone*cough*), I'm thankful for Joy Preble breaking out of that mold and bring readers blended Russian folklore and history.

10) Watership Down by Richard Adams - I know, I can't seem to get away from this novel, but it's been one of my favorites ever since I read it back in 7th grade... 4 times.  But I'm still thankful that I found this classic novel after watching the animated film in 3rd grade (terrifying for 9-year-olds but a very memorable story).  It left that much of an impression on me, and it's a novel I will always recommend to anyone.

Banned Books Week Giveaway

Hosted by the ever-amazing I Read Banned Books & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

September 28th through October 6th

Banned Books Week is a yearly event celebrating the freedom to read.  This event is usually held during the last week of September and highlights the value of free and open access to information.  Banned Books Week brings together librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, and readers to show their support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, though they might be considered unorthodox or unpopular.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted with removal or restrictions in libraries and schools.  It's amazing at how these books have been criticized and scorned yet they still remain available to the public thanks to the work of librarians, teachers, students, and members of the community who support the freedom to read. 

Below are three of my favorite banned/challenged books:

To find out more frequently challenged titles, please go here.

While I own these three (and others that have been challenged or banned), I'd like to give my readers the chance to select their own banned or challenged book with a $15 Barnes & Noble gift card!

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday (42): Books That Were Totally Deceiving

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 That were Totally Deceiving

(In no particular order, but I chose books I've read and want to read)

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This one was deceiving in the title at first because until I had read the book, I had no idea how killing a mockingbird related to the overall story.

 2. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

I really didn't know what to make of the book judging solely by the cover (though it did match the title).

 3. The Color of Earth, The Color of Water, The Color of Heaven by Kim Dong Hwa

Even after reading the books, I still was unsure how the titles related, but they were still great graphic novels.

 4. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger

First off, did anyone else think this was a children's book at first? After reading it, I was sure it belonged with the Adult graphic novels.

5. Chasing the Moon by A. Lee Martinez

"Tentacles, what?" was the first thought I had when I saw this title's cover. Once I read the summary, I kind of understood how it related but still though it funny.

 6. The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson

Okay, the cover made me think of a librarian (for reasons unknown), but it is in fact NOT about a librarian, I'm sad to say. Still I'm looking forward to reading it. :)

 7. Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

Not quite sure how the cover relates to the story, really, though it is a nice cover.

 That's all I could think of, but 7's a pretty good number, too. :) 

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Special Side Dish: Be sure to check out my Texas Loves YA Authors Giveaway!

TGIF (14): Required Reading

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 (23)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Quickly Save if My House Was Going to be Abducted by Aliens

Blogger Book Tag

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Which book from your school days do you remember reading & enjoying? Is there a book published now that you'd like to see in today's curriculum for kids?


My Answer: I think Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird was by far one of my most favorite required reading titles, though Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is a very very close second. The only reason it is second is because I started out pushing myself to read it and didn't really start enjoying the book until after halfway through the novel. Plus... Sydney and Atticus are pretty neck and neck for favorite characters. 

Actually, various contemporary titles have been added to school curriculum, so it's good to see kids reading books for school that they could really enjoy such as The Hunger Games. However, if I had to select just one book for curriculum, it would have to be Dear Bully. There's too much hurt caused by students who aren't aware of the weight of their words and actions. The only condition is that the teachers would use it over a four year period and discuss different letters from each section. I think with enough positive reinforcement of anti-bully teaching, a difference can definitely be made. That is my hope as a librarian and a person.