Top Ten Tuesday : Book Titles That Would Make Great Newspaper Headlines
7 November 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday, Top Ten Tuesdays
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here. This week’s topic:
Book Titles that Would Make Great Newspaper Headlines:
They’re all pretty self explanatory but I’ve added a little more to the titles below. (with links where available).
‘Good Girls Don’t Die’ – they also remain on Santa’s ‘nice’ list.
The Vanishing of Margaret Small – remains a mystery, after 6 months of extensive investigation no new leads have been uncovered.
How to Sell a Haunted House. The definitive guide book by Grady Hendrix – don’t miss it.
The Winter Killer – everybody can breathe a sigh of relief as the Winter months give way to Spring and this monster will surely go into hibernation.
The Night They Vanished. Still no news regarding the strange disappearance of a family last winter (wait a minute – could this be linked to the Winter Killer).
Triflers Need Not Apply – only people who can make pies, pastries and other desserts should put forward their resume (not trifle makers on this occasion)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – the definitive travel guide for the more discerning tourist who’s looking for something a bit more special
The Strawberry Thief – Once again the ‘Strawberry Thief’ strikes leaving an entire allotment bereft of these delightful fruits and leaving jam makers in despair.
Missing Person – this is an advert obviously – probably from relatives of the family above who all mysteriously disappeared on a chilly winter’s night
The Pissed Off Parent’s Club – is now open to new members, take advantage of this new opening as membership places are quickly filled (as you might imagine)
Never say Never
Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here. This week’s topic is :
Books I Loved but Will Never Re-Read
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the books below which makes it a surprise that I’m saying I wouldn’t reread them at some point – although In fairness I never really say never (see what I did there). But, the books below all have something in common, either a twisted ending or a reveal of some kind – now that I know about the ending the tension would be less during the read. I still might enjoy these, especially if I give myself enough time to forget the conclusion. As it is though, these are all still fairly fresh. That being said, I highly recommend these books:
- Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory
- The Martian by Andy Weir
- Kill Creek by Scott Thomas
- 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough
- The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne
- The Hike by Drew Magary
- The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
- The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue
- The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis
- The Sleep Walker by Chris Bohjalian
“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”
16 May 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Mums, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesdays
Every Tuesday over at The Broke and Bookish we all get to look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) examples to demonstrate that particular topic. This week’s topic is:
Moms in literature
I’ve gone for a range of different mums starting with creepy (is this an odd place to start or what?):
- Creepy: The Other Mother from Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. Yes, the Other Mother may make a perfect breakfast and delicious roast chicken, the house may be lovely, she may spend time with you – but, no, really – I’ll pass thanks. All I’m going to say to try and avoid spoilers is buttons – and eyes.
- Scheming: Cersei Lannister. OMG this woman! I don’t know whether to love her or hate her as a character, you certainly can’t ignore her. Scheming is probably a nice way of describing her. Ambitious and without any qualms about what she needs to do to achieve power – no spoilers but I must just chuck in here – incest.
- Protective: Molly Weasley – do I even need to say more. Harry Potter by J K Rowling. Molly is just great, protective – remember that final showdown with Bellatrix Lestrange – ‘Not my daughter, you bitch’.
- Royal: The Queen from Sarah Pinborough’s Poison. The evil step mom herself – jealous and twisted with dark powers. A retelling that will surprise.
- Changer: Ayla Nightshade from AFE Smith’s Nightshade series. A great series combining fantasy and mystery. I won’t tell you more about Ayla as it will spoil the surprise.
- Adventurer: Lady Trent from Marie Brennan’s a Natural History of Dragons. A woman not afraid to break with convention even though it brings with it malicious gossip. An excellent and entertaining series of adventures and polite manners.
- Fae: Luna Torquill from the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire. Key words: foxes, roses, Sylvester, Raysel, aloof.
- Interfering: Mrs Bennet from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The kind of mum who means well and doesn’t mind who knows! After all, everyone knows that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Surely, everyone knows this?
- Vampire: Madeline from Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice. Created by Louis to become a companion/mother figure to Claudia – unfortunately her immortality is short lived.
- Who did I miss – who is your favourite fictional mum?
My top ten favourite books in the fantasy genre!
Top Ten Tuesday’s topic this week should be right up my street. Top Ten favourite fantasy books. Easy peasy. Wrong!! How on earth can I choose ten!! I’ve gone with a little bit of a cheat here and have bent the rules so that I’m going with top ten fantasy authors (although I suppose some of these might not be ‘fantasy’ authors only but may write in other genres. Oh well, I can’t muster too much anxiety about the rights and wrongs of that. I’m going with author because otherwise I would have to start choosing which book was the best of a trilogy or series, etc. Author seems to narrow it down a little. I’ve also tried to put these roughly in the order that these books first appeared on my radar. So, Tolkien, for example, I read as a teenager (I’ve also reread since but that was my initial voyage of discovery). So, without further ado:
- JRR Tolkien – (I could have simply chosen Lord of the Rings but – strictly speaking – that is actually three books!)
- Scott Lynch – I don’t know if I could choose a favourite, maybe Red Seas Under Red Skies
- Charlaine Harris – because I read all of her Sookie Stackhouse series and it kept me pretty hooked throughout.
- Patrick Rothfuss – both such excellent books – and if anyone has any news about No.3 just jump on in here!
- Patricia Briggs – another series which has got stronger over the years.
- George R R Martin – no explanation necessary
- Jim Butcher – Harry Dresden – such a brilliant series that similarly goes from strength to strength
- Mark Lawrence – one of the most original and dark fantasies that I’ve ever read.
- Neil Gaiman – cover your eyes if you don’t like profanity – absolutely fucking brilliant.
- This last one is a massive cheat because, Robert Bennett, Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb, Sarah Pinborough, Kage Baker, Terry Pratchett, Charles deLint, Gillian Philip, Chuck Wendig, Catherynne Valente and Lauren Beukes (plus a few others) won’t really all fit into one entry will they!!!! Such a massive cheat but I just had to squeeze in a few more names!! If you’re really going to make me choose it’s going to come down to ‘dip, dip, dip’ – in which case Robin Hobb just got picked!
Stop on over at the Broke and the Bookish to see everyone’s favourites.
Could you choose 10 from fantasy???
Don’t go there..
28 January 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesdays
Top Ten Tuesdays (hosted by the Broke and the Bookish this week is all about where or who you don’t want to be!
‘Top Ten Worlds I’d Never Want To Live In OR Top Ten Characters I’d NEVER Want To Trade Places With’. I’ve done five of each:
Worlds in which I don’t want to live:
- The silos created by Hugh Howey in Wool/Shift/Dust – Claustrophobia, lies and deceit – plus all those bloody stairs and you definitely don’t want to be put on window cleaning duty!
- Ashes by Ilsa J Bick – this is a scary world where you have to keep your wits in order to stay alive. (Unfortunately my wits sometimes go on walk about)
- Sunshine – vampires live, they’re brutal, they definitely don’t eat tofu and you really do have to stay indoors after the dark
- The Forest of Hands and Teeth – zombies!!!! And some of them can run – really fast. Be afraid (especially if YOU don’t run really fast!)
- All the Truth in Me by Julie Berry is set in New England during puritanical times. Definitely don’t want to live there. Apart from the fact that you’re put in the stocks for not attending church meetings, you’re a wanton hussy if you don’t wear your hair covered and it’s damned hard work – there are very few books!!
Characters I don’t want to be:
- Gollum from Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien – we all know how that ends after all and it looks a bit too toasty for my liking plus he eats raw fish and I’m not talking sushi!
- Arthur Kips – the young guy from The Woman in Black by Susan Hill – no way am I spending a night in that house like he did!
- Miriam from Blackbird/Mockingbird/Cormorant by Chuck Wendig – I love her character but I certainly wouldn’t want to be in her shoes – it probably seems like a great gift that she has but I wouldn’t be thankful to have it.
- The Falconer from Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastard series – what a horrible character brrrr!
- Conor – from A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – a brilliant story but so sad and I definitely wouldn’t trade places with him and what he has to go through
So, who who’s shoes would you rather not be in and what world do you not want to wake up in tomorrow!
Books and travelling with Lynn 