Top Ten Tuesday - My Shelf-Filling Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog event sponsored by The Broke and the Bookish.

Let me tell you something, folks:  this was a harder entry to write than it should be.  I have books in my house the way that many people have dust bunnies - they're everywhere, in every room (even under the beds from time to time) and periodically float through the air when company's over and land in your coffee.  Well, something like that, anyway.

Anyway, with books scattered through every room in the house, and even more in boxes in storage - there is no way I was going to hunt-and-count every book by every author.  Here's my gut instinct on the authors who take up more shelf space than others, but in no particular order.

1. Tamora Pierce.  Her books aren't long, but she almost always writes her YA books in quartets.  I have all of her Tortall series and several of the other ones.  This means a lot of volume on my shelves.

2. Mercedes Lackey.  Her earlier works are better - and if you missed it, her earlier works have touched a soft spot inside of me, but I still have many of her Valdemar series in mass market and more than a few of the other books (including the Joust series) in hardcover.

3. Lois McMaster Bujold.  She writes both fantasy and sci-fi, and her Vorkosigan series has been running for years now.

4. L. Frank Baum.  Yes, the author of the Oz books.  I have the entire original series in the Dover editions.  In the event I ever have a kid, these will be required bedtime stories.

5. David Weber.  His Honor Harrington series is even longer than Bujold's Vorkosigan saga, so...yeah.  There are a lot of his books on my shelves.

6. Jean Plaidy/Victoria Holt.  Same author, different pen names.  I have a couple of Holt's historical mysteries for some reason, but mostly I have the prolific author's historical novels written under the name Plaidy.  And a LOT of them, too.

7. Elizabeth Chadwick.  This woman writes a lot of medieval historical fiction.  I own many of them. 

8. Piers Anthony.  For the same reason as Lackey, I was turned onto his Xanth series as a teenager and have never been able to shed my collection of his books.  I have a few of his other series, too, but I never got into them the same way I loved the Xanth books.

9. Rachel Caine.  She writes adult urban fantasy and YA vampire fiction, all of which are easily found and quickly read.

10.  L. A. Meyer.  Meyer's "Bloody Jack" series currently has eleven books in it and there's another one expected.  With no end in sight, I expect more black-spine-with-red-letters books on my shelf soon.

Top 10 Beach Reads for this Summer

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog event sponsored by The Broke and the Bookish.

Hey!  Summer!  Reading for fun and edification!  Getting tan and mosquito-bitten while doing it!  YAY.

Science Fiction
In the event you missed it, I've been having my own personal Science Fiction fiesta for the last few months, and I don't really expect that to change any time soon.  I have a lot of both "classics" to catch up on, and newer books to discover including:
Cordelia's Honor.  Bujold's Vorkosigan saga is supposed to be terrific.

On Basilisk Station.  Yay for books written by men with strong female protagonists! 

Stranger in a Strange Land.  Frequently makes appearances on "Best Science Fiction" lists.

Beggars in Spain.  Recommended to me by a friend as an excellent example of the genre
"Lost Fleet" series.  I only read the first one, but it was enjoyable enough that I would like to continue/finish it.  None of the volumes are terrible long, all about 300 pages or less. 

Young Adult and Friends

In between starship battles and clones dueling each other, it might be good to take a break and sip from the  the good ol' YA fountain.


The Secret of the Unicorn Queen series.  Anyone else remember these books?  10-year-old me is squealing inside with the excitement.  I won't even be embarrassed reading these in public, such is my love.

Gamer Girl.  This looks super cute - and like a quick read. 
 
Cinder/Scarlet.  I appear to have missed the boat on reading these.  I must...join...the...party...

"Chronicles of Lumatere" series.  Elizabeth's reviews have convinced me that this needs to be on my "readthisreadthisomgrightnow" list.  So once I'm off my Sci-Fi binge, here I go!
 
Ruin and Rising.  I know that not everyone loves these books the same way I do, but for reasons currently defying my understanding, I love them.

Any suggestions that I missed?

Top Ten Books I Read in 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog event sponsored by The Broke and the Bookish.

By and large, 2013 was a lukewarm year for books by my count.  That's not to say that there weren't a few home runs throughout the year.  Here are most of the ones I could think of, in no particular order.

1&2. Throne of Glass/Crown of Midnight
These books made a splash with the blogosphere and it's easy to see why.  Adventure, romance, well-developed lead characters and driving political issues.  Can't wait for the sequels.

 3&4. Shadow and Bone/Siege and Storm
This series has pretty much split the reviewers, it seems.  A lot of people love them (like me), but it seems like an equal number of people scorn them with a vitriol I reserve for Twilight and the Inheritance Saga.  I have to love them because they made me feel with my cold, reptilian heart, and that doesn't happen often.


5. Fortune's Pawn
Haven't written a review for this yet, but the main character, with her kick-ass abilities and zero bullsh*t tolerance, won me from the first five pages.  There is even a romance in the middle of this space opera that I actually *gasp* cared about.  Sequels comes out in February and April 2014 and I will be pre-ordering both.

6. Hyperbole and a Half
Allie Brosh's blog is a wonderland of absurd childhood memories and hilarious social interactions. The book is a mix of new stuff and old classics which never fail to make me laugh.  The two chapters on depression might be the best and most brutally honest - and hilarious - depiction of mental health issues I've ever read.

7. Redshirts
Did not see this one coming.  A delightfully funny spoof of Star Trek that should make almost any reader laugh.  Also, sci-fi hijinks and chapters reminiscent of Star Trek IV: The One With the Whales. 

8. Shades of Earth
This whole series surprised me with how good it was.  I was honestly expecting to feel "meh" about it, but just opening the covers made me spend my entire evening tearing through the book.  The series ending felt true to the spirit of the narrative.  Worth a read - and possibly a re-read.

9. Bioshock: Rapture
Yes.  A book based on a video game.  Fascinating story of how a utopia (an Ayn Rand-esque utopia) can quickly devolved into political turmoil.  You don't need to have played the games to appreciate this story.

10. Bossypants
Ah, Tina Fey.  A fresh look at feminism among myriad other topics.  You will laugh, I promise.



Happy New Year!

My favorite books of 2013

Every year I try and compile a "favorites" list of books that I have read throughout the year. Some of these books were not published this year it just happened that 2013 was the year I got around to reading them. I have included my review of the book instead of the book blurb in most cases. Enjoy!

#1 Ready Player One (2011) by Ernest Cline

Adult/Young Adult crossover, Science Fiction
Thanks Ernest Cline for making me act like your main character, Wade. I did not want to leave my room or intereact with real people until I had finished your book. I don't even know where to start. I felt connected right away because of the references to 80s pop culture and the author's obvious love for all things GEEK. I found this futuristic world so interesting and so plausible it was a little frightening. I loved this book! All of you should read it. Now!

#2 The Composer is Dead (2009) by Lemony Snicket

Picture book, humor, music
** spoiler alert ** This picture book/audiobook/musical recording was amazing! I don't read a lot of picture books and I have not read anything by Lemony Snicket but after hearing  an interview with Lemony Snicket on Fresh Air I knew that reading something by him was inevitable. I laughed out loud with the humorous undertones as an investigator goes through an entire orchestra, questioning whether they have killed the nameless composer. Clever, witty and dramatic you must read and listen to this book no matter whether you like picture books or not, whether you know about orchestras or not. A few of my favorite lines are "This is called decomposing" and "Violins are the stars of any orchestra". Actually, just reading about the violin section brought back fond memories of playing 2nd violin throughout my school years. Don't miss the informative quote about second violins, apparently we are a lot of fun at parties. Other memorable quotes include "Everyone forgets about us, said the Violas bitterly" and of course "...the Conductor! You've been murdering composers for years!" Ok, I won't quote any more. The music is great and all of the profiles of each orchestra section ring true. I'm being a bit evangelical about this book so please, read it for you and if you happen to have kids read it for them too!

#3 The Fault in our Stars (2012) by John Green

Young Adult, Abe nominee 2014, Realistic Fiction

Hazel is 16 and has terminal cancer. She knows she will die one day and it will be sooner rather than later but for now she is alive.  She is part of a teen cancer support group where she meets Augustus. His cancer is in remission and he is gorgeous. They become fast friends and grow closer as the book goes on but love and life is not easy when you are ill. There are funny moments and incredibly sad moments.  A very quotable and memorable book. And yes, it will be a movie next year. I dare you not to cry when reading this book.

The rest are unnumbered:

Winter of the World (2012) The Century Trilogy #2 by Ken Follett 

Adult, historical fiction

The second book in a planned trilogy, spanning a century, is just as good as the first. I love the historical context(WWII), I love the characters, I love that this author can create so many authentic characters. Even though I haven't read the first book in a couple years I was able to remember most of what happened before and how all the characters are related. One of my favorites! I also highly recommend Pillars of the Earth by Follett. Amazing read!

The Shining (1977) by Stephen King

Adult, Horror
My review is really long and can be found here:
http://www.wanderingmeander.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-shining-review-in-preparation-or.html

The River of no Return (2013) by Bee Ridgeway

Adult, historical fiction, fantasy…multiple genres
Goodreads plot synopsis: “You are now a member of the Guild. There is no return.” Two hundred years after he was about to die on a Napoleonic battlefield, Nick Falcott, soldier and aristocrat, wakes up in a hospital bed in modern London. The Guild, an entity that controls time travel, showers him with life's advantages. But Nick yearns for home and for one brown-eyed girl, lost now down the centuries. Then the Guild asks him to break its own rule. It needs Nick to go back to 1815 to fight the Guild’s enemies and to find something called the Talisman.
My comment: This has everything I like in a book; history, time-travel, mystery, romance.I love it!

The Golem and the Jinni (2013) by Helene Wecker

Adult, historical fiction, magical realism
The review is from an earlier post. It can be found here:
http://wanderingmeander.blogspot.com/search?q=golem

Seraphina (2012) by Rachel Hartman

Young Adult, fantasy
I LOVED this book! I really liked the main character. She was interesting, layered and not perfect but also not annoying! I liked the idea of dragons in this book. It was original and different. The ending did not leave you hanging but it was not completely resolved either. I just thought it was a great book and got angry every time I had to put it down or was interrupted. 

Honorable mentions: 

I do not have a personal review that I have written about these books but I did read them this year and they have stuck with me, in a good way!

Young Adult, Realistic fiction, 4 stars

Young Adult, Magical historical realism  ( I do not think that is a genre but it describes the book well). 
4 stars 

Adult, Nonfiction, 3.5 stars

Young Adult, Narrative Nonfiction, awesome! 4 stars

Young Adult, a story told in pictures, letters and other graphics. Very original and interesting. Read while listening to Chopsticks (unknown composer) and Bright White Jackets by April Smith. 4 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was "Forced" to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Here's the thing about me:  you can recommend me books until you're blue in the face, but unless it's required reading or there will be an exam you can't force me to finish.  If you have a favorite book I "should" read, you'll have to tell me several times.
But most of the time I friggin' love books that other people consistently recommend.  You just have to out-stubborn me.

Ten Stellar Successes (and One Miserable DNF Failure)

The Great Gatsby - A required high school read.  I'm glad I read this with a youthful, exuberant teacher.  The style is not the easiest thing to read as a 16 year-old, but with the discussion I found myself loving it the more we read.  I appreciate it more now than I did then, but it's still a good book for anyone to read.

Montana 1948.  Thanks again, high school!  I would never in a million years have picked this up off the shelf had it not been part of a course.  Rural Montana 1948:  a young man learns what his father, the sheriff, must do when his charming and affable uncle is accused of some heinous crimes.  Some skeevy, sad moments, but all in all a very memorable book.  A nice companion to To Kill a Mockingbird.

Cold Sassy Tree - Another high school read.  The story of an older man finding new life and new love with a younger woman in a Southern town, over the disapproval of his family and the town.  The hero, a young man, finds new love and heartbreak and learns about growing up while staying young.  This book is oddly touching in a lot of ways. There is also a sequel that was left unfinished by the author's death.  I didn't have the heart to start it. 


The Inferno - For reasons defying understanding, I read this book three times in my first two years of college.  Once in the original Italian.  I think it was interesting (as opposed to "good") because it was taught to me.  If I were to have read it randomly, I don't think I would have appreciated it as much.

The Three-Inch Golden Lotus.  This is both and terrific and a terrible book.  It makes you think hard about a difficult (and gross) issue: foot binding.   It makes you care - horrendously - about the characters.  It doesn't leave you with any good fuzzy feelings at the end.  And as you turn the final page, you still care.  Deeply.  Some scenes are outright gross, and some characters are reprehensible, but the fact that I can describe scenes from a book I read once twelve years ago should tell you a lot.

Ender's Game - Sci-Fi is not really my bag.  I don't gravitate towards it, though I have nothing against it.  This book is mind-blowingly great and I did not see it coming.  If you haven't read it, you totally should.

Outlander - While studying abroad, we students had to pool our resources, so to speak.  This was recommended over and over by one person until I caved.  Word to the wise: Once she goes back in time, the book gets really good.  Feel free to skim away until you get to that part.  Oh, man.  Now I want to read it again. I've never finished the series, but I could read this first one over and over again (minus the first part before the time travel happens.  Like I said, just skip it.). 

Memoirs of a Geisha - Same deal as above.  Either read book in Italian, do actual homework or read this from another student's private library.  This was far better than the other two options.  I've read it a couple times since then.

Pillars of the Earth/World Without End - Are these the best books ever?  Of course not.  Starz adapted it for TV.  Starz, people, Starz.  Are the characters purely good or purely evil?  Yeah, pretty much.  Does that make it less engaging and fun?  No.  As a bonus, there are two mini-series you can watch (and mock or enjoy, your decision) after you've read them.

The Hunger Games- At the time this came out, my coblogger Panther told me about it.  It didn't really trip my trigger.  She told me it was good and lent me her copy.  I had to go out and buy my own almost the second I finished.  Well played, friend.  Well played, indeed.

Left Behind - Nope nope nope.  No.  Nuh-uh.  Never again.  "Oh, you'll love it.  It's about the Book of Revelation and the Rapture."  No only did I not like it, I couldn't even get past the first few chapters.  Even as a teenager the writing style chafed my brain.  Don't do.  It's really bad.

Anyone else?  Feel free to post links to your own list in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Best/Worst Series Enders and more

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Confession time:
I HAVE TERRIBLE SELF-DISCIPLINE.  I get terrible "series fatigue."  Even good books can be a chore to finish. I have a mistrust, if not outright disdain for series that are longer than a trilogy (unless the books themselves are rather short, like the Chronicles of Narnia).  I am terrific at reading the first book in any given series, but less terrific about finding and finishing the last one, especially as the series gets longer and longer.  So I'm going to tweak this one a bit and break it down a bit farther.


Worst Series Finales

Breaking Dawn of Twilight.  Do you know what's compelling about a story in which the protagonist(s) get everything they want and no one has to sacrifice a dang thing?  Nothing.  Also, Bella's baby and the whole imprinting thing are just WRONG and icky on so many levels.  Of course, the whole series was sort of...you know...so it might be beating a dead horse to put it on this list at all. 

The Last Battle from the Chronicles of Narnia.  The series as a whole is incredibly solid, which makes it all the more bewildering when you read this one.  Ham-handed allegory, a kamikaze-Sherlock Holmes-esque "I'm never writing more books in this series" ending and a tediously grim plot.  No thanks.

Inheritance of the Inheritance series.  Not that this series is a stunning literary achievement, but this book pretty much topped off this turd sundae of a series.  The protagonist becomes a massive, massive Gary Stu (he discovers, apropos of nothing, that the world is round).  Pretentiousness and purple prose become the order of the day.  There are chapters in this book called "Lacuna Part the First" and "Lacuna Part the Second."  Thesaurus abuse and a predictable plot.  Nope nope nope.  

Best Series Finales

Iron Knight from "The Iron Fey."  I have made no secret of how much I love these books.  I'll admit, the fake-out finale chapters from Ash's book thawed my ice-cold heart enough to make me misty-eyed.

The Realm of the Gods from "The Immortals."  The final scene with Daine and Numair, while rather innocent, is so full of passion that it's hard not to squee just a little.  My ship came in!

Slightly Dangerous from the Bedwyn saga.  I don't read many romance novels, but this series was terrific.  Napoleonic wars, Waterloo, lost siblings, broken hearts.  And finally, the last book delivers a heroine that makes you laugh and whose spirit softens the icy demeanor of the last unmarried Bedwyn.  This one might have made me cry, too.  If you want to read a decent Historical Romance series, you could do far worse than to start with this one. 
 
Series I Never Finished and Never Intend To

Book Eleventy-four or whatever of "Wheel of Time."  Did this series ever end?  Is it still going?  I honestly lost my ability to continue reading around book three, when the characters never finished an arc and never reunited to sum up the story.  It was just one long string of introducing new, horrible people and the ways they abuse one another.  YAY.  See these reviews for why I'm glad I quit.

"The Iron Elves" series.  I appreciate what the author was trying to do with this series, and I feel bad for hating the first book as much as I did, but it tanked so hard that I took both the first book and its sequel (unread) to Goodwill.
 
Series I Have Started and WILL Finish.  Eventually.

Lord of the Rings.  Just like getting a head of steam built up before jogging up a steep incline, I have to gird myself to barrel through LOTR.  The endless asides, the campfire songs in Elvish, characters who appear to have their entire lineage recounted only to disappear two pages later - it's too much.  But I do intend to finish the series someday - after all, I didn't like Austen the first time I read her, either.

Stephen Brust's Vlad Taltos books.   Every book in this series is self-contained and even if you read them in publishing order, you're not reading them in the universe's chronological order.  There's something liberating about that.  Each of them is pretty great, but the series is long.  I just haven't gotten around to plowing through all of my omnibus editions. 

 Any currently-incomplete series that I have loved so far:  Grisha, Song of Ice and Fire, Throne of Glasss.  It's hard to finish when the books aren't published yet.  I will be religiously ordering these as they are released...unless the quality starts to decline.

 

Top Ten Sequels? How about series!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

In trying to think of ten sequels that were amazing, I kept coming back to series that I enjoy. Sometimes the third or fourth book is better than the sequel. I suppose something about the sequel made me want to continue reading, in most cases though, it is the series in its entirety that I love.

1.  Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein - I love his world of Middle-Earth and I think the third book was the best. It is the book where I fell in love with my all-time favorite character ever; Eowyn.  I love it so much I even created another book to make it a series for my NaNoWriMo project. Now that is devotion.

2. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin - I read the first five books in one summer and that was no small feat. I love this world and all the crazy characters within. Please, George hurry and write the rest! Please!!

3. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling -  Numbers three and six were my favorites but I loved them all. The wolrd of Harry Potter was well described, written and imagined. One of the resasons I love six is because we see Harry and Dumbledore together piecing together the mystery of Voldemort and the villain's whole backstory is amazing. I love this series.

4. Graceling Realm Series by Kristin Cashore - Graceling is an amazing book and definately one of my favorites. Fire was more of a companion book to Graceling and again, I love it. Bitterblue tied both books together and I can only hope that the author keeps writing about this world. It is so interesting and I believe there are many more stories out there to be told about it.

5. Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French - This is a mystery series done differently. Each book centers on a different person from the Dublin murder squad. They make cameos and appearance in each others novels briefly. Each mystery tackles a different issue and affects the detective personally in some way. Each book is original and amazing. I love this concept and I enjoy reading this series.

6. The Bess Crawford Series by Charles Todd - Another mystery series that I really enjoy. This mystery series is set during World War I which is an era that has been popularized most recently by Downton Abbey. Bess has decided to help the war effort even though she is a woman of means. She becomes a nurse and becomes embroiled in different mysteries surrounding soldiers she meets and other strange circumstances. This is written by a mother-son team which is interesting and I swear I am under 40 but for some reason I love this series!

7. Last Apprentice Series by Joseph Delancey - This series will have ten tomes by the time it is finished, which should be in Spring of 2014. I can't say that the series should have been that long but I have been compelled to read every, single one. This series is about the dark and all creatures that reside in it. It hearkens to old tales and fables about ghosts and boggarts and has even delved into some greek mythology as well. A scary tale with historic echoes.

8. Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix - Again, with most of these series, I love the first book and enjoy the ones that follow. Sabriel was such a good book and set in a very interesting world. It is not a book htat has found a large audience but those of us who have read it, love it!

9. Across the Universe Trilogy by Beth Revis - I have not read a lot of Science Fiction but I want more books like this. It reminds me of Battlestar Gallactica in that there is a ship fullof people looking for another Earth. I daresay, this is a common theme among Science Fiction books. The alternating narratives give a fuller picture of what is going on. I want more books like this.

10. The Century Trilogy by Ken Follet - Follet caught my attention with Pillars of the Earth and I have to say I am enjoying this trilogy so far (number three won't be out for a while). The first book covered World War I and book two covers World War II. I like historical fiction and Follets books are good because you get some historical background throughout different parts of the conflict with a large cast of characters.

Top Ten Tuesday - TBR Books for Fall 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Ah, autumn.  The season of jeans and sweatshirts and reading a giant pile of books.

There are a few new books coming out that I want to read, but mostly I have a tremendous backlog to dig through.  Seriously.  It's getting worrisome.

So, in no particular order, Wandering Meander's list o' books for Fall 2013!
  
Books not currently on my shelves but about which I am excited:

Yes, I am THIS excited.

1.Finnikin of the Rock (and sequels?) by Melina Marchetta - This series has earned rather positive reviews from the bloggers/reviewers I follow.  I'm game.

2. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
I was rather surprised by the mountains of feelings the first book dredged up and now want to read this one very badly.  I keep hearing "Sturmhund" everywhere I go...looking forward to this.

3. Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
Read a review from another blog and it intrigued me.

4.  Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
Considering how much I LOVED the first book, I'm super-psyched to read this "sequel."  Sci-Fi YA Scarlet Pimpernel?  Yes, please!

5. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Everything Sanderson writes is terrific.  I can't wait for this one.

Books that have been ignored on my shelves for far too long

6. The Lost Prince (and The Iron Traitor) by Julie Kagawa.
Yes, I know there are two books here.  Nevertheless, somehow The Lost Prince ended up getting bypassed when it was released.  An oversight I need to remedy...

7. The Mermaid's Madness by Jim C. Hines
I really liked the first one - kickass fairy tale princesses! - and the sequel(s) ended up getting shelved "to be read later."  Time to get back on the wagon.

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I have a feeling that I'm missing out by not having read this.  I must read it before seeing the movie...because it will affect whether or not I want to see the movie at all.

9. The Diviners by Libba Bray
Yet another book that got bypassed instead of read, and for no good reason!  Shame on me.  (And it's the nice hardcover with the GOOD cover art.  Ha!)

10. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
I know it's sort of steampunk, and I just wrote a review about how lackluster steampunk can be, but I want to read this anyway.  Let's see if something awesome can happen.

Panther's Top Ten Books to Movies Wishlist

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This is my last minute post, becuase this Top Ten is too awesome to leave alone. I love movies and I love books but rarely do I love both the book and the movie. What I love about a list like this is no one has to agree with me. These are from my limited reportoire of books that I already visualize in my head (starring me, of course!). Here's hoping you agree with a few of them:

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I LOVED this book and all I could do is think about how this would make a great movie (Daft Punk, just play your music from Tron, ok?). I think this movie would also have broad appeal, although I am not making that one of my criteria for this list at all.


2. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

This book has a strong female character and everything that I like in books and movies alike: action, adventure, romance and list keeps going...

3. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A wonderful Sience Fiction trilogy. I think this would be done best in a movie format instead of the usual TV series.

4. Monster by Walter Dean Myers

This book is already in screenplay format and would make a good and powerful movie.

5. The Last Apprentice Series by Joseph Delaney

This is being made into ta movie coming out this fall which I think it a mistake. There are so many episodic storylines and with thirteen books in the series this would make a much better TV series. The apprentice could actually start his age (13) and grow up as the series goes on. If it was released though a cable channel like AMC then it would not need to be 24 episodes per season. There is a lot of potential for this series.

6. Runaways by Marvel (Brian K. Vaughn, Joss Whdon and others)

Marvel has struck gold with The Avengers and most of their spin-offs and prequels. This fun series should be no exception. A bunch of teens find out their parents are superheroes, or actually supervillians but is running away their only option? Great for a TV show.

7. Jamaica Inn by Daphne DuMaurier

I have no idea why, but this is one of my favorite books. I watched the TV miniseries with my mom and was haunted by it. There was also a film version by one of my favorite directors, Alfred Hitchcock which was horrible. So, please, Masterpiece Theater will you take this on? Thank you!

8. Little Century by Anna Keesey

I'll admit it I like westerns. I like westerns more when there is a female protagonist who makes it on her own. This was a good book and I want more books like it and the same goes for movies. Do all westerns have to be about the boys?

9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This book was so descriptive it was hard not to visualize what this book would look like as a movie. And it would be beautiful.

10. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

This book was not one of my favorites but I think I would absolutely LOVE a movie version. Beasties versus Machines, steampunk, World War I, what more can you ask for?

Honorable mentions:

Little House on the Prairie Mini series. Make this like the books and not that annoying TV series and please for god' sake don't put it on the Hallmark channel. These books could be done without too much nostalgia.

The Thirteenth Tale
I just love this book and want to star in the movie as the girl who lives in the bookshop and interview the old woman.

Sabriel
I love you.

The Hangman's Daughter
There is potential with this one. Historical mystery. Yes!