Hi all, it's been a while since I've done a Top Ten Tuesday post, but I couldn't resist the pull of the topic for this week. As per usual, this meme is brought to you by the Broke and the Bookish.  Be sure to visit over there for the prompts and other people's respective lists.

So, top ten bookworm delights:  It's hard for me to rank these in any type of order, so I'm just going to name them as they come to mind.  I'm sure I'm not the only bookworm who habitually indulges in the following. ;)

1. Squeeing over the fact that you have to return books to the library...just to have the opportunity get more books.  This actually happened to me yesterday when I took a big stack of books back to the library.  Sure, in one part of my bookish heart, I'm sad to part with the books I'm returning, but then I think of the fact that I'm A.) making a trip to the library, and B.) After I finish dropping all my books in the return slot, I can ease right over to the new arrivals shelves or other displays and can peruse more to my heart's content.  Hey, silver lining, what can you do?
2. Collecting bookmarks.  As much as I read between digital galleys and e-books, I still have a lot of physical books that I still buy, so of course I'll collect my choice of bookmarks along the way.  My oldest bookmark (I may have mentioned this story before, but I'm not sure - it's worth repeating) is a Native American handsewn bookmark that I've had since I was five years old and got it at a bookish convention. It remains one of my prized possessions.  I collect bookmarks (some of them free, some of them I've paid for) and put them in my Harry Potter zip bookcase slot for safe keeping. (That's also a prized possession for me too, even though I'll carry a range of books in that zipped case other than HP.)  I have bookmarks ranging from Doctor Who to Irish Proverbs to promotional materials for bookish giveways (I remember the one I got from Courtney Milan back when she was promoting one of her earlier series published under Harlequin).
3. Walking the aisles of a bookstore or library.  Something about being in a place where there are tons of books has always - for some reason - calmed me.  I don't know what it is.  Maybe it's the environment itself, maybe it's the note that all of the books are potential brainfood and provide the kind of experiences that I use to relax to.  I've been in a number of different bookstores and library types - some are small little nooks while others are huge with high paneled windows, large shelves, super soft cushioned seats that you can sink your back into.  Either way, being in the environment itself is a delight for me, and walking the aisles looking for my next read fills me with a level of anticipation that I never get tired of.
4. Being able to share the reading experience with friends.  I think this is a given.  I'm always happy to share ideas and experiences from my reading experiences with the people around me - in person or in a medium like my blog or on my social media sites. Whether it may be squeeing or venting or laughing or finding the right emoji over my various experiences (and the large reactions beyond those) and learning the reactions of others, I really appreciate and am thankful to be able to do that every single point I possibly can.
5. Finding the book edition with the cover of my choice/preference. Some of you might think - "This is a bookish pleasure?"  I would say wholeheartedly YES.  Because you know how some book editions or releases may have a certain cover and you can't get enough of it because you have the "OMG, this is epic, I want this on my shelf" kind of reaction?  Well, yeah - it's that kind of deal.  I remember having that kind of reaction for the covers for Dan Wells "Partials" series or for Julie Kagawa's "Call of the Forgotten" series.   Even for certain books like Sarah Beth Durst's "Vessel" (which I still think is really underrated).  But I can also admit there are certain books I've purposefully searched for cover versions and even bought their international counterparts just to have that edition for the cover/make.  That might be an idea for sharing a future post, actually. *makes note*
6. Settling in that hour span of time while commuting/before sleeping when you have nothing else to do but just read.  I savor this particular time every day/moment that I can.  I do commute to work because my workplace is about a 20 minute drive from where I live (but with traffic, it can be longer, especially in the evenings).  But it's the time of day where I know I have nothing else to do but read and just lose myself in the experience.  Either I'm holding my phone or tablet in my hands or a physical book and I know my focus can be on taking that in for what it offers.
7. Discovering book histories. This is an experience that's unique to older/used books.  Sometimes you'll hear stories of people making notes in books/textbooks about whom a book used to belong to or specific reactions to content that people doodle in the margins.  I don't know why that's such a bookish pleasure for me, it just is, and it probably stems from the fact that I have a lot of books that I've bought from used bookstores and sales - even from when I was growing up.  I guess that tells you who used to read that particular book - whether they were required to read it or perused it for their own vast variety of reasons.
8. New book-ish joy.  I think every bookworm has this.  Self-explanatory really, you realize you have a new book in front of you (doesn't have to be one that was just released, but it's one that you recently picked up for the first time) and you want to dive right in without another moment's notice.  My mom used to have this problem with me when I was younger.  We'd come from the library/bookstore/used booksale and the first thing I would do is set my stack in the middle of the living room floor and start flipping through them.  She would be like "We have dinner/You have homework!  Don't go through the books yet!"  And I would be like "But, but but...I'm reading!" *pouty face*   Fond memories. :)  (Honestly, my habits haven't really changed that much. My twin - "Woman, put the book down! We've got to run errands/go shopping/get groceries!"  Me: "But, but, but...I'm reading!")
9. Feeling the weight of a book in my hands.  Yeah, this is something I feel because I still read a lot of physical books.  Whether I end up getting paperback or hardcover books, just being able to have the tactile experience of running my hands over the cover, feeling the weight of it in my hands, there's a joy or anticipation for it that I can't put into words. Some books I can't just hold it because otherwise I'd get tired from it being heavy (Some epic fantasy writers with books that are thick as bricks, I'm looking at you), so sometimes the book gets shifted to my lap, or to my side, but it's the same sense of anticipation.
10. Last but not least: Scouring Tumblr/Pinterest/Social Media Networks for ideas for potential reading spaces.  Because #goals. #somedaybutmaybenot. #itlookspretty.

That's all for this entry. Until next time, happy reading and have fun with your bookish quirks and joys.

Best,

Rose

Hi all, Rose here with another Top Ten Tuesday entry.  This theme is brought to you by the Broke and the Bookish, and this week was a freebie entry, so I thought I'd do my top ten reads of 2015.  I'm still going to do a year end post, but it's still not compiled yet and I have a bit of catching up to do on my bookish profiles (I honestly didn't realize how far behind I was in keeping track of what I was reading last year.  Thankfully, I'm already doing a better job of that this year.)

So these aren't in any particular order and they aren't limited by publication year (as I'll do in my Best of 2015 entry).  These are all books I read in 2015 and ended up loving for what they offered.  All I ended up rating 4 stars or higher when I read them, with some books pending full reviews.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

In no particular order:

1. "The Start of Me and You" by Emery Lord - this was the first read I've ever had from Emery Lord, and I adored every moment of it, from the writing to the character relationships built and explored in the narrative.  Paige and Ryan's characters really leap off the page with their respective situations of grief and coming to terms, and I absolutely loved the realistic feel of Paige's circle of friends.

2. "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen. Many people had begged me to pick up this book by Dessen since I was doing a binge reading of her books in 2015, and I wasn't disappointed in the least.  Loved the relationships of the characters, really identified with Macy's grief as she copes not only with the loss of her father, but also a broken relationship and trying to find her own identity.  Pretty updated cover as well.

3. "Dare Me" by Megan Abbott - "Dare Me" completely blew me away as one of my earlier reads in the year.  I loved how it managed to immerse me in the overarching mystery surrounding the novel as well as how dark and layered its characters were showcased.  It's definitely one of my new favorite books, and the writing is absolutely fantastic.

4. "Black Iris" by Leah Raeder - I keep thinking back to some of my favorite reads of 2015 in the New Adult category, and my mind keeps coming back to this.  Dark, lyrical writing, complex (and complicated) characters, deep sensuality that pops off the page, and just an overarching engaging read.  I did have some issues with how it marched toward the end, but the journey was so good that I would gladly pick up this novel again (and I ended up ordering a copy from Amazon even though I had gotten it from NetGalley as a galley.  Goes to show you that I do buy books based on how well they engage me even if I have a digital galley copy.

5. "Invisibility" by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan: Dude, I stayed away from this book for far too long because of the mixed reviews surrounding, and ended up loving it for the journey it offered.  I picked it up as an audio read from the library and loved the premise of a boy who's lived his whole life invisibie and the horrific curse that surrounds and threatens him.  I loved how wonderfully tense and palpable the scenes came across in this book, plus - magical realism?  Totally here for that.  I would still love to see a sequel of this if the authors could collaborate again. *crosses fingers*

6. "Glass" by Ellen Hopkins.  This book broke my heart. As problematic and flawed as the protagonist in this novel is, it's a potent example of the cycle of addiction.  I also liked how it was formatted in a poetic style - which is one of my first loves in writing, but for anyone who may be deterred from it because of that - the audiobook does a wonderful job of pacing and enunciating the emotion behind it.

7. "Faking Normal" by Courtney C. Stevens - a wonderfully potent book about a young woman living in the aftermath of her rape.  I actually rated "Blue-Haired Boy" (a companion novella to this story) a full five stars, but in considering it, I'd likely rate both of them among my favorite reads of 2015.  I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Courtney C. Stevens in the future.

8. "All the Rage" by Courtney Summers - I think I'll end up loving mostly anything Courtney Summers writes because of how intimate she is with her characterizations and the topics she expounds upon.  This was an emotional read in more ways than one on the topic of rape as well.  And it features a character of color (Leon) who was absolutely wonderful in his portrayal.

9. "The Summer of Chasing Mermaids" by Sarah Ockler.  I squee with joy over this book, and continuously think it's underrated because not only does it feature an POC leading character, but it's just a wonderful coming of age summer story in general.  I feel like any review I write won't do it nearly enough justice, but I'm hoping to pen a review for it soon.  Indubitably one of my favorite reads of 2015, and I love Sarah Ockler's writing.

and last but not least *drumroll*....

10. "Golden Son" by Pierce Brown: Yet another book I have yet to review in full, but I loved it just as much as its predecessor, if not a bit more.  And I'm eagerly anticipating the final book in the trilogy which releases this year.

That's all for now.  Until next entry,

Rose

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is brought to you by, as usual, The Broke and the Bookish.  I'm still sporadically posting what I can for the topics as noted, and this week caught my attention for the theme.

I'm a little belated for posting my picks on this topic, but I had to think on this one a little since there are so many books I've added to my TBR in the last several days (might as well say the first half of the month), that even I had a time narrowing it down to ten among that group (so many good books coming out this year!).

So I'll jump into this post with no particular order on this list, but they're all books I'm looking forward to reading this year that I've recently added to the TBR.

1. "You Know Me Well" by David Levithan and Nina LaCour:  I've enjoyed both Levithan's and LaCour's individual works, so it surprised me to hear that they did a collab project.  ("Every Day" by Levithan was one of my favorite YA novels, as was "Hold Still" from LaCour")  I'm expecting it to be an emotional journey in the lives of its characters, if their previous work is any indication.

2. "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas - I haven't finished reading "A Court of Thorns and Roses" yet (got recalled from my library before I could finish it) but I enjoyed very much what I was able to read, and I plan to finish it soon.  That said, I'm already looking forward to the follow-up book that will be released later this year.  And the cover's pretty epic as well!

3.  "When We Collided" by Emery Lord - I first fell in love with Emery Lord's writing and characters with "The Start of Me and You" which ranked as one of my favorite reads of 2015 (and was my first read from her work).  I'm really looking forward to seeing what this story offers when it's released.

4. Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky - That title.  I think that's what hooked me when I first saw this under a list of suggested reads for one of the books I had on my TBR.  I could only imagine what type of mischief might play out in this book.  Guess I'll find out. :)

5. Tumbling by Caela Carter - Because I have a thing for sports/Olympic themed books, and considering I've read (and really liked) the author's previous work, I'm excited to have the chance to read from her again.

6. "Bluescreen" by Dan Wells.  Because that cover.  Because Dan Wells.  Need I say more?  One of my most anticipated titles for the year in its respective genre as well, so I'm definitely excited to add it among my TBR choices.

7. "A Torch Against the Night" by Sabaa Tahir - I'm curious to see where this series goes in 2016, so I'm waiting on my hands for its respective release.  I think I mentioned it before in one of my other TTT posts, but it's among my recently added TBR books).

8. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard.  I'll admit the predessor of this book left me feeling quite underwhelmed, but I'm curious to see where this series goes, so this is a "curiosity" read if nothing else.  I'm definitely hoping it'll step up establishing itself apart from the other YA dystopians out there (the first book had far too many similarities to count).

9. Take the Fall by Emily Hainsworth - it's been so long since I've read anything from Emily Hainsworth, so this comes as a great surprise this year.  I'm looking forward to reading it.

and lastly:

10. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh - I'm reading the first book in this series now and really enjoying it, so no surprise I'm going to pick up the sequel (and look at that cover!  Love!)

That's all for this entry.  I'm enjoying posting these and hope to pick back up with it in the duration of 2016.

Best,

Rose

This topic is brought to you, every Tuesday, by The Broke and the Bookish - I'm just answering these things because they're fun and it's awesome to hear what other people have to say on the topics each week.

This week has me answering the prompt: Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward To Their Next/Sophomore Novel.  Dude, this is hard, because so many authors I've read have had multiple books out, but that doesn't mean I can't include debut authors whose books I haven't read, but I'm looking forward to the sequel.

No particular order here, just going off the top of my head.

1. Sabaa Tahir:  I had some issues with "An Ember in the Ashes", but I also liked the story and found myself invested in the characters well enough to see where the series would go. I'm hoping that as the series goes on, it builds in strength (and leans less on some of the problematic turns of the story - or at least treats them a little better than the first book did).

2. Renee Adieh: I'm already too excited over the release of the follow-up book to "The Wrath and the Dawn", but I've still yet to write a review for the first book.  Argh.  Both of the covers for this book are beautiful, and I love stories set with this theme so, so much.

3. Jennifer Latham: I really liked 'Scarlett Undercover," and I'd like to see where her next project takes her.  I think the biggest appeal of Scarlett was her character voice, which is something Latham did very well in shaping the character.

4. Andy Weir - I think I've determined that I'll read anything that Andy Weir writes from here on out, because "The Martian" is one of my all-time favorite books. Really looking forward to what his next major book project will be.

5. Allie Brosh:  Because I loved "Hyperbole and a Half" - no shame.  I'd love to read another humor book in the style of the aforementioned.

6. Susan Cain: Because she's so articulate about the experiences of introverts/introversion.  I really enjoyed "Quiet" and I've heard she's releasing another book next year along the same lines.  I can't wait to read it.

7. Robin Talley: Because I thought "LIes We Tell Ourselves" was absolutely fantastic. Can't wait to see what she writes next (and I have a galley of her next novel, so even better!)

8. Nicola Yoon: I haven't read "Everything, Everything" in its entirety, but what I've read so far makes me want to read more from her in the future.

9. Helene Wecker: Because while I haven't read "The Golem and the Jinni" in its entirety, I'd just really like to read more from her based on her style and the theme of this book.

and lastly:

10. Colleen Oakes: Yeah, technically her sophomore novel is already out, but I haven't had the chance to read it, so it's new to me.  But I love her style of writing and I'd like to read more books from her in the near future.

The Top Ten Tuesday meme is brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.  As per usual, if you guys want to participate and see more bloggers participating in this meme, feel free to follow the link - it's a fun weekly challenge.  I'm enjoying it immensely.

So this week has me answering what I would like the Book Genie (book genie?) to grant me.  This sounds like a fun topic.  I'm probably going to go off the top of my head with this one.

1. Give me a YA dystopian that doesn't primarily focus on romance.  Because it seems like so many of them do,  I really enjoy dystopians because I like the otherworld and watching characters struggle in the circumstances behind these environments. While there's nothing wrong with a story that chooses to focus on romance in this vein (and let's face it, not having those kind of stories at all would be unfortunate), sometimes it gets a little tiring when it seems to be the only thing a story focuses on, or the story seems to suffer because it's trying so hard to shape a particular "ship".  So what other things can a dystopian story do besides have romance?

• have a pulse pounding tale of survival in variant elements or various depravities
• immerse the reader in learning a different culture/society
• have the characters fight for a cause they believe in

Heck, I'd be game for all three in one story if it had it, and it'd be awesome if I could learn the plights of the characters and their personalities that much more.   I mean, there are so many things you can do with these kinds of stories, but I think if my searches still come up empty, I think I'll just hope the Book Genie comes through and I can get something that knocks my socks off in this vein.

2. I just want more time to read.  I do try to fit reading in whenever I can - between commutes to work, bedtime reading, audiobook reads at the gym and doing chores, but even then, it's still not enough.  Maybe extend the weekend another day?  That would help.

3. I'd like to collect at least 2-3 different editions of a favorite book from other countries.  Because sometimes the cover of a book in another country is so much prettier than the one you end up getting in your home country.  Plus, I personally find it interesting to see how a book may translate linguistically in another language compared to my own.

I'm still trying to decide on that favorite book though.  I might try Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca" first.

4. Don't necessarily ask for a private library as big as Belle's from Beauty and the Beast (though that would be nice), but I would like my own nice little reading nook.   Because I already spend hours on Tumblr browsing through spaces I wish I could have as my own. Like this:

5.  More motivation to finish writing the book reviews I started a long time ago, but never finished.  It's because I get sidetracked by so many other books I want to read and a day turns into a week...a week turns into a month...you get the idea.

6. Send my blessing of coffee cake to all of my favorite writers. (Or perhaps their choice of something sweet.  It'd be my token of appreciation.  But I'm guessing for authors who aren't from my respective time, someone's going to have to take the cake via the TARDIS.  Now I wonder who I can recruit for that...? ;) )

7. Just get rid of all the comparison marketing that I see publishers use surrounding new books. Let the book's accolades and distinctions stand on their own and proudly.  (If I have to hear a thriller referred to as the next "Gone Girl" or "Girl on the Train" one more time...Oy vey.  Unfortunately, I've seen an example of this far too recently in my reading pursuits.)

8. Longer stamina in staying awake.  Because if I'm reading books into the wee hours of the morning (like I will be doing tonight after penning this post), I'll need all the energy that I can get.  Non-caffeine fueled preferably.

9. To throw a book-themed party for myself and my bookish friends.  Because that would be fun. It'd be like a birthday party and a slumber party all in one.  Bookish treats, prizes, games, and a read-along.  I've never had the chance to do something like that, but I think I know one person who did it and loved it.

10.  Just to be able to share the bookish love I have with others.  Self explanatory.

Cheers, and until next entry,

Rose