So, I am totally copying my blogger buddy LHughes and joining in on this Top Ten Tuesday feature that is being hosted by The Broke and The Bookish (click here for more info). And check out their post for today's Top Ten here.
Pretty much they've got topics planed out and each tuesday you can post on that topic. Genius idea for those of us who are super busy and want to stock pile some posts (shakes fist at thesis)...
Anyway, this week is the top ten books I resolve to read in 2013. Fantastic topic. This will be the first summer in like 13 years when I haven't had a reading list all planned out for me thanks so school. Bawhahaha!
I'm not really going to include books that will be released - mostly books I want to read but haven't yet.
So, in no real order...
Drum roll please!
1) The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Plot: "Holmes and Watson are faced with their most terrifying case yet. The legend of the devil-beast that haunts the moors around the Baskerville families home warns the descendants of that ancient clan never to venture out in those dark hours when the power of evil is exalted. Now, the most recent Baskerville, Sir Charles, is dead and the footprints of a giant hound have been found near his body. Will the new heir meet the same fate?" - goodreads
Reason: Well, lots of reasons. I bought a copy of it for practically nothing a few years ago and it's just been hanging out on my bookshelf - all sad and lonely. I really feel like I should make a dent in all those books I've bought but haven't had a chance to read yet. I could do a top ten list from just those alone... but I'm not. OKAY! Back on topic... Another reason is that I adore the TV shows ("Sherlock" and "Elementary") and really feel like I need to check out the source material. PLUS, I used to listen to Sherlock Holmes stories on tap when I was a kid and feel like I owe it to Sir Doyle to read it for real.
2) The Scorpio Races (along with Lament and Ballad) by Maggie Stiefvater
Plot: "Some race to win. Others race to survive.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience." - amazon.com
This is not that world.
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?" - goodreads
For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.
With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again" - goodreads
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?" - goodreads
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future." - goodreads
There’s a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London. Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose…
But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions. A thrilling teen mystery." - goodreads
Reason: I heard her speak not long ago and totally fell in love with her. She's great. She combines so many aspects of different writers that I admire and has them all rolled up into one package. I pretty much want to read anything she's ever written. Also, her blog is fantastic - check it out here. But a better reason, I love the way she takes real folktales and whatnot and retells them in her own way/ is influenced. This one involves a death race on fantastical horses and love. How could you not want to read it?
3) Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Plot: "Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.
This is not that world.
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?" - goodreads
Reason: I adored the first book in this series(?). Taylor has amazing descriptions and just really did a fantastic job of world building. I loved the characters and the plot. She really left me hanging at the end of her first one, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and just craving more!
4) Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff (Jan 8, 2013)
Polt: "The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.
For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.
With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again" - goodreads
Reason: While I might not have picked this book up on my own, I loved her breakout novel, The Replacement. This book isn't due to come out until 2013, so it's not one that's just waiting for me on my bookshelf. This sounds crazy, I know, but I'm very intrigued by novels that deal with serial killers. This one does, someone is killing girls during the hottest summer a town has ever seen. And ghosts? Awesome. To me, it seems very promising. Dark with a hint of romance.
5) Taken by Erin Bowman (April 16, 2013)
Plot: "There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?" - goodreads
Reason: Another book that won't come out until 2013 and another one I might not have picked up on my own. This one seems to fall into the whole dystopian thing. A forbidden wall? Cryptic notes that turn the world upside down? Things not being what they seem? This book promises to have a lot of tension and action.
6) Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Plot: "Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future." - goodreads
Reason: My friend LHughes loves it so much, and her blog is going to be mentioned in the paperback's acknowledgements section. All the reason I need...
7) The Last Dragon Slayer by Jasper Fforde
Plot: "In the good old days, magic was indispensable—it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading: drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets are used for pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians—but it’s hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If the visions are true, everything will change for Kazam—and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as . . . Big Magic." - amazon.com
Reason: I've read some of Fforde's adult books before and loved them. He does a great job creating a believable alternate reality than what we have. So yes, very good at world building and whatnot. Also, how can you turn down something that puts dragon slaying in a modern context? Well, I suppose you could hate dragons... but I'm very excited to see how he constructs this new world and how he translates to YA.
8) Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
Plot: "What do you do when your new best buddy has been designated a scourge by the community and marked for imminent extermination? Just ask Kenny Rabbit. When the simple folks in the sleepy little village of Roundbrook catch wind that there's a dragon running loose in the countryside, they get the wrong idea and the stage is set for a fight to the death. So it's up to Kenny to give his neighbors front-row seats to one of the best-known battles in history -- the legendary showdown between St. George and the dragon -- without losing a friend in the fray." - goodreads
Reason: It has a bunny and a dragon that are best friends. If you know anything about me you know I love bunnies. If you don't know me, then well, how can you turn down a retelling of Sir George and the dragon that involves a bunny that rides a bicycle? You just can't.
9) The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson (release date: Feb 26, 2013)
Plot: "When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe…
There’s a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London. Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose…
But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions. A thrilling teen mystery." - goodreads
Reason: I loved the first book in this series and can't wait to revisit these characters and the streets of London. Her characters are so real and the last book dealt with the whole crazy serial killer thing... Freaky and awesome. What more could you want?
10) Anything by Maggie Stiefvater (or more specifically the next book in The Raven Boys cycle), the third Divergent book by Veronica Roth, or anything else by a favorite author and I don't know when the release date is...
Reason: Because!
Better reason: I've been so hooked by the first books that I want more! I just don't know when they come out...
So there we have it! My top(ish) 10 books to read next year! I'm excited. Game plan, made. Boom!
Stay tuned for next week's Top Ten!
Yay! We have a lot of to-read books in common (Scorpio Races, Days of Blood and Starlight, Taken).
ReplyDeleteI read "Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde, so I should check out his YA book. And the cover of the Tony DiTerlizzi one is so cute!
Glad you're reading Cinder too! You'll be able to pick up Scarlet right after as it comes out this January!
Lauren @ Hughes Reviews
Get to Cinder asap! So excited for Taken! Great list!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! Now that's 2 good reviews from people for Cinder! I can't wait to read it!
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