Top Ten Tuesday: Top Favorite Stand-Alones

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!

Sometimes, you just want a story found within a single volume. That's the beauty of stand-alones.

Top Ten Favorite Stand-Alones

(In no particular order)

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Perhaps one of the greatest and most well-known stand-alones, you will not be disappointed by the end of the last page. 

2. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I was already impressed with Maggie's writing with The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. She managed to impress even more with her horse-race stand-alone. Also, guess who won a Printz Honor Award!

3. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
If there's one book I'm excited to read again for Book Club this year, it's this one. 

4. Dust City by Robert Paul Weston
Gritty, tough, and dark, the setting of this book reminds me of Gotham, though the main character, Henry, is more awesome than Batman in some ways.

5. Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

This was one stand-alone that I kind of wish wasn't a stand-alone, but I was still very happy at the end of the story.

6. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
I really just cannot get over this cute, holiday story. It's one of my favorite stand-alones.

7. Watership Down by Richard Adams

Not taking into account the anthology, Tales from Watership Down, this story really holds it out in a complete package.

8. Flawless by Lara Chapman
Cute, funny, and based on one of my favorite plays, it will keep you turning the pages.

9. Escape from Exile by Robert Levy

I loved this book as a kid, and I still love it now as an adult.

10. Wolf at the Door by Barbara Corcoran

I was so thrilled when one of my roommates got this for me for Christmas.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Read Because of Another Blogger

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, a state that you don't have to worry about being deprived of more books as long as you're near a library.  This week's Top Ten is:

Top Ten Books I Read Because of Another Blogger

(In No Particular Order)

1. Abandon by Meg Cabot - Definitely have Karen over at Books Beside My Bed to thank for this recommendation.  And it's my first book by Meg Cabot, too!

2. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier - Although I can't remember which blog it was that I first saw this one on, I have to thank so many other bloggers for making my inner Pandora curious.

3. Flawless by Lara Chapman - It was on an IMM at YA Litwit that first introduced me to this novel, and I'm so glad of it especially since the author's from my state. :)

4. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter - I can't remember where I first saw this title, so I'll thank all the bloggers out there that have read and enjoyed this title from another Texan author. 

5. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White - So many bloggers were going on about this one, and I think Karen nudged me into reading it mostly because of Evie's sense of humor. 

6. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer - Definitely credit this to Number One Novels, and I'm happy about reading it.  I should really loan it to my best friend from high school. 

7. Intertwined by Gena Showalter - This one was already on my radar simply because I adore Gena Showalter, but having read several great reviews helped push me into buying and reading it. 

8. Dust City by Robert Paul Weston - Actually, I found out about this one at Borders, and I just loved the cover.  I had to share it with some of my werewolf-loving bloggers, and the review at Lupines and Lunatics spurred me into reading it.

9. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder - As before, I always credit this one to Karen shoving it in my hands and saying "Read it."  And I never get tired of telling that story because I wound up reading it in one night. 

10. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter - Another title that I saw circling the blogsophere, and I'll be posting my review sometime this week. 

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Underrated Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, a state that you don't have to worry about being deprived of more books as long as you're near a library.  This week's Top Ten is:

Top Ten Underrated Books

1. Dust City by Robert Paul Weston - Updated or revamped fairy tales are definitely making a nice comeback in today's literature, but I haven't seen this one discussed too much.  Henry is a different kind of hero and the setting is definitely unique when you think about fairy tales.  I would love to see this one grow in popularity. 

2. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer - As this is a debut novel, I can understand it not being discussed a lot on other blogs.  However, it definitely discusses issues regarding relationships that would appeal to teens and adults.

3. Flawless by Lara Chapman - This is such a great light read, and I believe it would appeal to many different readers.  With no heavy issues to weigh down the story, anyone could just sit back and enjoy the ride.  

4. The Princess's Dragon by Susan Trombley - Books featuring dragons are still far and few between, and I think Trombley takes it to the next level by turning it into a transformation story.  

5. The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison - This one has qualities similar to the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale only with a twist.  

6. Ada Legend of a Healer by R.A. McDonald - From the independent circuit, this is one of my favorites that I was asked to review.  As a girl-empowering story, it would be great to see its readership grow, and I hope to see the next part of Ada's story soon.  

7. Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson - A graphic novel for paranormal readers who happen to like dogs, though it can be a rough read at times.  

8. Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause - Paranormal readers will hopefully find this an appealing early read for werewolf literature.  

9. Instructions by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess - This is actually a children's book for both kids and adults.  It discusses attributes of many different fairy tales, and even if readers aren't familiar with those stories, it's still an enjoyable read.  I highly recommend this for parents. 

10. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - For all the popularity of the Miyazaki film of the same name, I don't see this one mentioned much.  The novel is actually somewhat different from how Miyazaki depicted and definitely worth a read.