Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best Bookish Memories

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Best Bookish Memories

So what are my favorite memories of book-related experiences? Other than just reading lots of them, you mean?

I can break them down into a few different categories. First, encounters with authors:

1) Meeting Mary Doria Russell. Mary Doria Russell is the author of one of my very favorite books, The Sparrow, as well as four other excellent novels. I’ve been a fan for years, and when I saw on her website that she’d be speaking at a local high school, I emailed to ask whether the event was open to the public. The answer? No, but she’d arranged for me to attend as her guest. The event itself was terrific — the entire student body of the all-girls Catholic school had read The Sparrow as their summer reading, and I was both amazed and touched by the maturity of the students and their thoughtful approach to a book with difficult subject matter. Mary Doria Russell was charming, funny, and extremely intelligent, and I was delighted to have some time before the event to chat with her one-on-one. As a follow-up, my book group chose her most recent novel, Doc, for our December book, and we were able to spend an hour on the phone with Mary. Simply delightful.

2) Christopher Moore’s Fool – On Stage! (2010) Author Christopher Moore narrated this stage reading of excerpts from his novel Fool (a retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear). Actors from San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater took on various roles from the novels, and each scene was played out first as Shakespeare wrote it, then as reimagined in the crazy, uproarious world of Christopher Moore’s mind. Simply one of the best events I’ve ever attended.

3) Gail Carriger at Borderlands Books in San Francisco. Gail Carriger has to be one of the most gracious authors I’ve encountered. I’ve been to several of her author appearances, but last year’s event at Borderlands celebrating the release of Timeless was really memorable. The crowd wasn’t huge, but it was certainly enthusiastic, and Gail answered questions for as long as people kept asking them, then signed lots of books, answered individual questions, posed for pictures, and was just an all-around lovely (and stylish!) person. Sadly, I’ll be missing Gail Carriger’s appearance in SF tomorrow for her launch of Etiquette & Espionage, although I do plan to read the book as soon as it lands in my hot little hands.

3) Getting an email from Diana Gabaldon. I love, love, love Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. But after reading the first book, I was a bit confused by certain logistics: Wait, was so-and-so in the room when this happened? And where was X? How did Y finally escape? That sort of thing. Well, after getting as far as I could on my own, I used the “contact” function on the author’s website to submit my questions, and got a really friendly and informative email in reply, which not only answered my questions but did so without making me feel like a total dummy.

4) Amber Benson’s book signing. Tara from Buffy, you guys! Did you know she’s an author?? She did a reading a few years ago at a local bookstore. I arrived a little early to browse… and met Amber browsing as well! She was friendly and funny, perfectly willing to pose for pictures, and then did a really cute talk and reading. I didn’t end up loving the book itself, but it was definitely one of the most fun book events I’ve attended.

Next, big book releases:

5) Attending a midnight release party for Breaking Dawn. Okay, I’m not a huge Twilight fan, but I did read and enjoy the books at the time. In fact, I first came across the books while on vacation, having never heard of them previously, and it wasn’t until I got home that I realized that I’d stumbled into a huge phenomenon. Luckily for me, Breaking Dawn was released about a month later, and I went to a crazy, big release party at the now defunct Borders. It was chaos, but pure, happy chaos, with manic fans milling about and squawking with excitement until the actual book sale at midnight. There was a fun, welcoming vibe, a sense of “we’re all in this together”… and it was a good excuse to spend a couple of hours wandering around a bookstore.

6) Reading the final Harry Potter book. The intensity of reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was just indescribable. Waiting for the book delivery, shutting myself away from the world (and my family), shunning all newspapers, TV, and internet until I’d finished the book. I scrupulously avoided anything that could be a source of spoilers and was, I’m sure, terribly nasty to anyone who tried to interrupt my reading. Reading along as the books were published was a true joy, and the anticipation while waiting for book 7 was excruciating… but I loved it all.

Book-related goings-on:

7) Attending the annual Big Book Sale sponsored by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. A four-day book sale, with something like 500,000 used books to choose from, all $5 or less! I look forward to this event every year, and always come home with armloads and bagfuls of books. Interesting and weird finds, lovely editions, a chance to mingle with fellow book-lovers — fun, fun, fun!

And in the personal life/nostalgia category:

8) Stealing from my older sister. My sister is four years older than I am, and at any given stage of our lives, I always wanted to read her books instead of mine. Sometimes she’d lend them to me willingly, sometimes I’d have to sneak a bit. So perhaps I can credit sibling rivalry with my childhood-long habit of reading “up” instead of sticking with my own grade-level reading materials. Strongest memory? Borrowing (with permission!) my sister’s copy of Little Women — and then having her snatch it back after a nasty argument about something or other. Being one to hold a grudge, she never did let me have the book again, and it was a couple of years before I finally picked up my own copy from the library and finished the damn book.

9) Learning about sex and puberty from Judy Blume. I attended a sleepaway camp for many summers of my youth, and Judy Blume’s books got passed around from hand to hand until the covers were falling off, especially Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Forever. In the more rambunctious teen years, we moved on to racier material (Fear of Flying by Erica Jong was one such title), but there was a certain lovely cameraderie that grew out of our shared reading experiences each summer. (I wrote a little tribute to Judy Blume a few months ago; you can read it here.)

10) My bookish romance. I’ve written about this before (here, if you’re interested), but one of the things that made me fall in love with my husband was the day that he told me about a book he’d loved years earlier and I realized that perhaps I’d found a kindred spirit. Finding the book itself was one of the most exciting discoveries for me at a Big Book Sale.

And that’s my list! I’m sure there are so many more I could come up with — but this is a top 10 list, not a top 100 list! What are your most memorable book-related experiences? Do tell!

29Jan2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters

For me, frustrating characters tend to fall into a few broad categories. Those who make bad choices, especially when they should know better. Those who chase after things or people they can never have. Those who bring on catastrophe through a failure to communicate. Those who refuse to recognize happiness when it’s staring them right in the face.

So which fictional characters deserve a good shake? Who do I want to slap some sense into? Or at least treat to a very stern lecture?

1) Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie, have you not noticed how many times you’ve almost died? Did you ever think that maybe you’re hanging out with the wrong crowd? People — like Sookie — who consistently put themselves into dangerous situations, fully aware that they’re doing it but doing it anyway, are incredibly frustrating to read about. Plus, Sookie spends way too much time on her beauty routines, and I just don’t have time (or interest) enough to keep reading about her showers, her leg-shaving, and her hair style choices.

2) Scarlett O’Hara. Okay, how could you possibly pick boring old Ashley Wilkes over roguish Rhett Butler? It’s frustrating when a character is so completely deluded about what she really wants and needs. As Rhett tells her:

… you’re such a child, Scarlett. A child crying for the moon. What would a child do with the moon if it got it? And what would you do with Ashley? Yes, I’m sorry for you — sorry to see you throwing away happiness with both hands and reaching out for something that would never make you happy.

But no. Scarlett just will not see what’s right in front of her eyes, and must continually chase after a man so absolutely wrong for her. Wake up!

3) Marianne Dashwood. The embodiment of “sensibility” in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Marianne is ruled by her emotions, which might not be altogether terrible if she also had a shred of judgment. Of course Willoughby turns out to be a cad! For goodness sake, pull yourself together, Marianne. No man is worth that kind of fuss… and oh, by the way, that Colonel Brandon seems like a nice fellow.

4 & 5) Roger Mackenzie and Brianna Randall. Pretty much everything that happens to these two characters in The Drums of Autumn (book #4 in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series) could have been avoided if they had just communicated with one another. Each one withholds key pieces of information, so that the other acts rashly and without knowledge of important facts. And each ends up in awful, devastating danger as a result. Granted, if they’d been straight with each other in the first place, we’d end up missing about half of the plot of this book — but still, talk about frustrating! Secrets and deceptions may make dramatic plot devices, but it drives me crazy when good, strong, otherwise honorable and admirable characters fail to communicate on such a basic level.

6) Robb Stark. So you wanna be a king? You could start by growing up a bit! I’m sorry if you don’t like your arranged marriage, but entire alliances rest upon the deals made in your name. Falling in love is not a good enough excuse for alienating an important ally — not in a world where several different armies want nothing more than your head on a pike. Oh, Robb.

7 & 8) Bella Swan and Anastasia Steele. Men who want to be in charge of your every move are not being romantic. They’re being controlling. Showing up in your bedroom uninvited to watch you sleep is not sweet. It’s creepy. Enough said. [Note: I am not a Twilight-hater. I enjoyed the books. I liked the Fifty Shades books too. But that doesn’t change the fact that these two characters make really poor choices.]

9) Lord Conall Maccon. I love Conall (alpha male of the Woolsey Pack in Gail Carriger’s wonderful Parasol Protectorate series). But his behavior in book 2, Changeless, is beyond frustrating. I won’t spoil what happens (go out and read the books!), but suffice it to way that when faced with a surprising development, hot-headed Conall jumps to the worst possible conclusion, with not a shred of reasonable evidence to back it up, and behaves abominably. Stupid, stupid man.

10) Working on a list of frustrating characters ended up frustrating me! I know there have been countless times when I’ve wanted to throw a book across the room due to some character’s stupid decisions or actions. But now that I have to actually come up with a list? I keep getting stuck. I polled some of my friends, added in a few more of my own, and so instead of just one #10, I’ll skip straight to:

Most Frustrating Characters: Honorable Mention

Romeo and Juliet: Wait a few minutes before doing anything rash, okay? Stop assuming your beloved is dead. Check for a pulse, perhaps.
Hamlet: Just make a decision already.
Ophelia: Oh honey, no man is worth it.
Nathan Price (The Poisonwood Bible) and Pa Ingalls (Little House books): Religious fervor and manifest destiny are no excuse for dragging your family off to dangerous places. Feeling a higher calling is no justification for poor parenting.
The Cat In The Hat: Talk about overstaying your welcome. And geez, would it kill you to clean up a bit?

21Jan2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Settings I’d Like To See More Of

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Settings I’d Like To See More Of

Grammar aside, I love this week’s topic! It really got my wheels spinning. What book settings have I particularly enjoyed? If I could read more books about any place on earth (or beyond??), where would I choose?

These aren’t in any particular order, but here are ten places going on my give-me-a-novel-set-in-these-locations wishlist:

1) Alaska. Not just because my darling daughter is spending a year there, but because I love reading about the beauty and wildness of the place in books as diverse as The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, Alaska by James Michener, and If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name by Heather Lende.

2) San Francisco. My adopted hometown! Is there anything more fun that reading a novel and recognizing the coffee shops, the street names, the neighborhood parks, the bus lines? I love books that make the city feel lived in, such as Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, versus ones that just use it as a familiar backdrop — the literary equivalent of sending a postcard from the Golden Gate Bridge and then bragging that you’ve been to “Frisco”.

3) Scotland. I admit that I have a wee bit of a hang-up about Scotland, ever since discovering — and then becoming obsessed by — the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Other than the Outlander books, however, I haven’t read much set in Scotland, and what I have read has been historical fiction. I’d love to try more contemporary fiction set in Scotland. Any recommendations?

4) Hawaii. James Michener for the win! I read Michener’s Hawaii before traveling to the Hawaiian Islands for the first time, which gave me a snapshot of history without having to veer off the fiction path into reading, you know, actual history. I have Moloka’i by Alan Brennert on my shelf and a few others as well. Now I just have to find time to read them.

5) Australia and New Zealand. I realize these are two separate places, but since my ideal vacation would include both, my ideal reading list will as well. I’ve read A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute and several books, most notably The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCollough, but I’m always eager for more books set in Australia. As for New Zealand, although I’ve actually been there, I’ve never read a book that had NZ as its setting. I’ve been told that I should read The Bone People by Keri Hulme, and I just picked up a copy of In the Land of the Long White Cloud by Sarah Lark. Other suggestions?

6) England. Perhaps I should have lumped this one together with Scotland, but they fit into separate compartments of my brain, I find. And really, I think there’s an endless supply of novels set in the UK, both historical and contemporary. I’ve certainly read my share, but I do so enjoy all those period dramas with their kings and queens, the modern-day tales of charming village life, and the comedies of manners à la Jane Austen. This is one setting that is absolutely not hard to find in fiction!

7) Paris. An obvious choice, right? City of love, city of light. I’ve read bunches of books set in Paris — everything from A Tale of Two Cities to The Da Vinci Code, Anna and the French Kiss to Sacré Bleu — and I never get tired of it! Give me crepes to snack on and a walk by the Seine and I’m happy.

8) New York. Who doesn’t love a good New York book? As in my #2 selection above, I really appreciate a book that gets into the nooks and crannies of New York, exploring its neighborhoods, flavors, sights and sounds, rather than just parading a character by the Empire State Building to prove that “hey, we’re in New York now!” Two of the best New York books that I’ve read lately are The Diviners by Libba Bray and Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. More, please!

9) Italy. No brainer. Not just a pretty face — it’s got history too! I love books set in any of the beautiful towns and cities of Italy, and whether historical or contemporary, a book that makes me feel like I’m there is a win for me.

10) My final choice, and I had to debate whether to stay local or go more exotic — but in the end, I’ll pick my own California as a preferred setting for fiction. In addition to books set in my #2 choice, San Francisco, I love reading novels that capture the physical beauty, the frontier ambitions, and the cultural see-saws of the great State of California. Excellent California fiction abounds, from older works by John Steinbeck and Wallace Stegner to more recent novels such as The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and Golden Days by Carolyn See or historical fiction such as Snow Mountain Passage by James D. Houston or the quirky Wit’s End by Karen Joy Fowler.

If only I could visit as many of these places in real life as I do in fiction! But that’s one of the joys of reading, right? Take me away… in the pages of a book.

7Jan2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Goals For 2013

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2013

I recently did a blog post about my bookish resolutions for 2013, and at first thought this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic would be a bit redundant. But thinking about it further, goals and resolutions are not necessarily synonymous. After all, a resolution is something that I’m committing to seeing through, generally something that’s a stretch or that takes real effort. (I know, I know, resolutions are make to be broken. How well I remember those pounds I was going to lose last year…) But goals? Goals, to me, represent attainable results, maybe more of a work plan than a grand ambition.

So, in no particular order, my bookish goals for the new year:

1) Concentrate on reading books that I already own. Do less buying and borrowing. I love my public library and the wonderful used books stores in town, but really, I have plenty on my shelves to keep me busy. Time to tone down my obsessive need to get my hands on every new book that comes out.

2) Purge! See # 1 — I have plenty of books on my shelves (and spilling off my shelves…), but let’s face facts: There are books in my house that I picked up years ago, and every time I think about reading one of them, my first reaction is “nah, not in the mood”. When this continues happening with the same books for a really long period of time, it’s time for those books to go! One of my big goals for 2013 is to pull out all of those books that I’ll never get around to reading and find them a new home. If I donate my unwanted books to our local library sale, I’ll be doing a good deed as well as improving my overly-cluttered habitat. Two birds, one stone!

3) Organize! I bought beautiful new bookshelves earlier this year, assembled them, shoved lots and lots of books on them in an initial frenzy of moving books off the floor and out of boxes and bags… and I’ve done nothing since. My shelves lack any semblance of rhyme or reason. I look forward to a few leisurely afternoons of taking books off the shelves, figuring out a system, and reassembling my little personal library. Preferably while holding a nice, hot cup of coffee. Or maybe something a wee bit stronger.

4) Find new ways to engage my child in reading. My adorable, smart, funny son practically runs in the opposite direction whenever I ask him to take time to read. He loves stories, loves being read to — just doesn’t want to sit and read himself. I think we may have achieved a bit of a breakthrough recently: I downloaded a book for him on my IPad, and suddenly reading became fun! I hate the idea that technology has to be involved, but I suppose I should count my blessings and be glad that he’s reading at all. Still, I know the newness of the IPad will soon fade and I’ll have to find new and creative ways to get this kid to read.

5) Read a classic that I’ve never read before. I’ve read all of Jane Austen, but only one book by Charles Dickens. I’ve read Jane Eyre and Vanity Fair, but I’ve never read The Grapes of Wrath or The Sun Also Rises. I don’t know what it will be, but I do know that I want to read at least one classic book this year. Which fits in with #6…

6) Read outside the box. I’m a fiction-lover, through and through, deep down to my bones. But I do enjoy other genres when I read them, even if I really have to force myself to depart from the fiction world. I’d like to branch out a bit, maybe read a little history, a science book, maybe some social commentary, a biography or two. Again, I haven’t picked anything in particular yet, but this is a good “note to self” to remember to make time to branch out a bit.

7) Attack the fairies! OK, that’s my cutesy way of trying to force myself to commit to reading the book I was so excited to get a couple of months ago: Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman. I have a well-documented problem with short story collections, and despite the fact that I love fairy tales and I love Philip Pullman, I still haven’t been able to sit down and open this book. Perhaps I need some serious psychotherapy to figure out why I have such a problem with stories… or perhaps I just need a good list like this one to force me into action. Time will tell.

These next two are really more blog-related than specifically bookish, but since I blog about books, it works for me.

8) Explore the blogosphere. My blog was born in 2012 and I’ve spent the first several months of its life just feeling my way forward. Now it’s time to reach out a bit more, try to connect with other readers and bloggers, and expand my reach and my online community. My goal is to participate in more blogging events, challenges, bloghops, etc. I hope to meet some cool and interesting people along the way, get some great new ideas, and really get a better sense of what’s out there and what I can do with a blog.

9) Get techie with it. Again, in the world of blogging, I’m sure there are a lot more resources and tools than what I’m currently using. My other bloggy goal is to explore the technical resources that can help make me a better blogger. (Ideas? Suggestions? Referrals? I’m all ears!)

Finally, the one that really matters, probably more than all of the above:

10) Slow down. Stop focusing on the numbers. Stop worrying about stats. Read for pleasure. Pick books because they’re what I want to read. Take as long as it takes to read, savor, enjoy, contemplate, consider, ponder, and reflect. Remember that I read because I love it, not because I have a challenge to meet or a blog post to write. When I stop enjoying my reading and start finding it more of a chore, I know I’m doing something wrong. READ FOR LOVE. That is all.

1Jan2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Resolve To Read In 2013

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Books I Resolve To Read in 2013

I’ve done a few blog posts already about my reading intentions for 2013, including my reading resolutions and my participation in a reading challenge focused on reading books languishing on the ubiquitous “TBR” (to-be-read) shelf. Bearing those in mind, but thinking also about what I just really, really want to read in 2012, here goes:

The ten books I absolutely, positively want to read in 2013 are:

1. The Round House by Louise Erdrich

2. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

3. Written In My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon (This is the only one either not yet published or without a definite release date, but the author’s website says “fall 2013” — good enough for me!)

4. Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler

5. Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell

6. The Child’s Child by Barbara Vine

7. The Crane’s Dance by Meg Howrey

8. Other Kingdoms by Richard Matheson

9. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

10. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Granted, some of these aren’t much of a stretch for me. Three are new entries in series that I already read, and one is the beginning of a new series by an author I adore. Others are by authors who have written at least one other book that I’ve read and enjoyed. Still, given that I intend to read LOTS and LOTS of books in 2013, I think I can safely commit to including these ten.

What are you excited to read in 2013?

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May your reading year be filled with joy!

25Dec2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Movie Versions of Classic Books

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 10 Tuesday new

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is — well, it’s a freebie. Everyone participating can make up their own theme, so mine is:

Top Ten Movie Versions of Classic Books

I’m planning to see the Les Misérables movie tomorrow, and that got me thinking: What other movies, inspired by classic books, have I loved over the years? (Unlike most top 10 lists coming out at this time of year, my list is not specific to 2012). This is a totally subjective list, based on nothing more than my own enjoyment of the films. The only consistent criterion I’m applying here is that I’ve actually read all of the books mentioned.

So here goes:

1) ??Les Misérables??

Reserving judgement, of course, until I’ve actually seen the movie, but just seeing the trailers has blown me away. I first saw the stage version of the musical in London many years ago, which was memorable for many reasons, not least because I had last minute tickets for cheap seats about a thousand balcony levels up and found the experience positively dizzying. Following that, I decided to read the book — not an abridged version, thank you very much — and walked away from that experience in love with the characters and with a deep and abiding knowledge of Parisian sewers and convents. I’ve since seen the musical several times, have listened to the soundtrack enough to have it memorized, and may even have splurged on a French version of the soundtrack. (But don’t tell; it makes me sound obsessive).

2) Pride and Prejudice: The BBC version, of course. There are countless other versions, remakes, modernizations, and reimaginings, and I even liked the Keira Knightley version (mostly because of Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet), but the BBC (Colin Firth) production wins hands-down for me. Although… Bride and Prejudice — c’mon, that one rocked.

3) Vanity Fair: Did anyone else read the book after seeing the movie? I loved Reese Witherspoon, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and James Purefoy in director Mira Nair’s adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel… but I ended up loving the book even more. Becky Sharp is not a nice woman, but boy, does she know how to make waves!

4) Romeo and Juliet: As with the Jane Austen books, there are countless movie versions of Romeo and Juliet, but the one that is unparalleled, for me, is the 1968 movie directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Perhaps because I first saw it at a young, impressionable age, I remember it as being incredibly sensual and beautiful and utterly romantic. I suppose I should watch it again one of these days and see how it’s held up, and then perhaps check out the Claire Danes/Leonardo DiCaprio version for comparison’s sake. And if we’re talking “inspired by”, mustn’t forget West Side Story either. Oh, Tony. Oh, Maria.

5) 10 Things I Hate About You: Sure, if we’re talking adaptations of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, I suppose I could have picked the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton movie (which is wonderful, by the way) or perhaps the 1953 musical Kiss Me Kate, but in my mind, 10 Things I Hate About You is tops. This charming adaptation captures the comedy of the original, and Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles are just superb.

6) Emma and Clueless: Two great movies from one great book. I really love the Gwyneth Paltrow version of Emma (Jeremy Northam makes a dreamy Mr. Knightly), and Alicia Silverstone’s Clueless is a pitch-perfect ’90s update. Both movies are terrific. Don’t make me choose.

7) Dangerous Liaisons: Based on the 1782 epistolary French novel by Choderlos de Laclos, the movie was a perfect forum for a dazzling cast. Glenn Close and John Malkovich are absolutely deadly in this movie. Even Keanu Reeves was not too bad. Must. Watch. Again.

Jane-Eyre-movie-image-Michael Fassbender-Mia-Wasikowska

8) Jane Eyre: Again, another classic with many different movie adaptations. But for purposes of this list, I’m going with the most recent. The 2011 movie starring Mia Wasikowski was lovely to look at and wonderfully acted. Sure, the plot was a bit compressed at times and parts were skimmed over entirely. Still, the gothic mood of the moors was perfectly captured. My only complaint might be that Michael Fassbender is, in fact, too handsome to play Rochester. Not that that’s much of a complaint, really.

Room with a view

9) Hard to choose — pretty much anything featuring Helena Bonham Carter (without insane wigs and bad teeth) could go here. Wings of the Dove, based on the Henry James novel, was the first HBC movie that came to mind, but in the end, I’ll go with A Room With A View. So beautiful, so romantic…

much ado

10) For my 10th and final choice, I’m going with a movie that has not been released yet, but which I’m oh-so-eager to see: Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Joss Whedon, and featuring a Whedon-verse array of favorites, including Nathan Fillion, Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, and Fran Kranz. The movie is scheduled for release in June 2013. Who’s with me?

So what are your favorite movies from classic books? Which Pride and Prejudice do you love best? Can you sing along with Tony and Maria on “Tonight”? And do prefer Helena Bonham Carter as a young ingenue or as a crazy minion of the Dark Lord? Sound off in the comments!

(And wishing, for one and all, health, happiness, and love during the holidays and in the coming year. May your days be merry and bright!)

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17Dec2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read in 2012

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 10 Tuesday new Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Books I Read In 2012

I almost passed on this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, as I’m putting together one or two “best of ” lists for year-end and didn’t want to end up repeating myself. Then I thought I’d take a purely quantitative approach for this week’s topic, so I scooted on over to Goodreads, downloaded my books into an Excel spreadsheet (call me a nerd, but I really love spreadsheets), and sorted all of my 2012 books by the ratings I gave them.

I try to be consistent with my stars on Goodreads, and only give 5 stars to books that I consider to have excellent writing and/or an unforgettable or unique plot, or books that have had an indelible impact on me as a person and as a reader. The books included on this week’s Top Ten list are all books that I rated 5 stars. Some of these have reviews elsewhere on this blog, so if you want to know more, click on the links provided below.

Let’s get on with it! Here are my top-rated books of 2012, according to my oh-so-scientific Goodreads ratings:

1) Doc by Mary Doria Russell: Mary Doria Russell never fails to impress me, and all of the books I’ve read by her have simply blown me away. The Sparrow is and will always be my favorite, but Doc — historical fiction centering on Doc Holliday — surprised me by how much it got under my skin.

2) The Fault In Our Stars by John Green: I cried buckets. A powerful, amazing, wonderful book.

3) Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: Funny, fresh, utterly delightful. (review)

4) The Dog Stars by Peter Heller: I loved this book about survival and love. Gorgeous writing plus a breathtaking plot. (review)

5) The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan: Margo Lanagan uses words and language in a way unmatched in anything else I’ve read. Beautiful. (review)

6) Locke and Key (graphic novel series) by Joe Hill: Creepy, scary, and wonderful.

7) Fables (graphic novel series) by Bill Willingham: I am head over heels in love with this series, and can’t wait for the next installment.

8) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: Another young adult novel that left me in tears and kept me guessing until the end. Outstanding. (review)

9) Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin: An early work by George R. R. Martin, Fevre Dream is both historical fiction and a new and haunting twist on the vampire genre, with the terrific writing and world-building you’d expect from this author.

10) All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen: Steampunk, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, cross-dressing, rampaging automata… this book has it all! All Men of Genius was impossible to put down and just an incredible amount of fun.

There’s so many more that I read and enjoyed this past year! Overall, I’d say that 2012 was a reading year that rocked.

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10Dec2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2012

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 10 Tuesday new Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2012

Well, that’s a mouthful, isn’t it? While much of what I read in 2012 was by tried-and-true favorite authors, and still more were books in ongoing series, I did have the pleasure of trying many authors for the first time. Without further ado, and not necessarily in any discernible order, here are my top ten for 2012:

1) Elizabeth Wein, author of Code Name Verity, one of my very favorite books of 2012. This is yet another example of a YA novel that should be read by everyone. With an amazingly intricate plot and unforgettable characters, Code Name Verity left me breathless and teary-eyed.

2) Patricia Briggs — I was so happy to stumble across her phenomenal urban fantasy series centering on Mercy Thompson, full of werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires, and fae. The series is well-written and exciting, and I can’t wait for more!

3) John Green — Including John Green in this list may be a bit of a cheat, as I’ve read something co-authored by John Green before 2012 (Will Grayson, Will Grayson, cowritten with David Levithan), but The Fault In Our Stars was the first book I’d read by John Green alone. It left me a completely tear-stained mess, but I loved it immensely and am now on a mission to read more of his novels.

4) Bill Willingham – Author of the amazing Fables graphic novel series, which I fell madly in love with this year.

5) Maria Semple — I loved Where’d You Go, Bernadette, and am on the wait list at my local library for the author’s earlier novel, This One Is Mine.

6) Gillian Flynn – Wow, was Gone Girl an amazing ride! I definitely want to read the author’s two earlier novel, Dark Places and Sharp Objects.

7) Eowyn Ivey — Her descriptions of frontier life in Alaska were so real, I needed an extra sweater. The Snow Child was a magical read, and I’d love to read whatever the author writes next.

8) Carl Hiassen — Believe it or not, I’d never read anything by this bestselling author until my son and I decided to read his newest book for children, Chomp. What fun! I’m not sure whether his adult fiction is for me, but I’ll certainly look forward to reading more of his children’s books.

9) Ransom Riggs — Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was weird and wonderful, full of deliciously odd photos. Altogether enjoyable, and I can’t wait for the sequel.

10) Charles de Lint — I know he’s written a lot of books and has a loyal following, but somehow this author had never made it across my radar until I picked up a copy of The Mysteries of Grace, which I really enjoyed. More, please!

I’m looking forward to all the new discoveries that await me in 2013!

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3Dec2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing Me

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different topic for a top 10 list each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Book I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing Me

Before jumping in, let me preface this post by saying that I’m using “Santa” in the metaphorical sense. I have never received nor do I anticipate ever receiving a visit from Santa. It’s not that I’m naughty (at least not on a daily basis) — I just don’t swing that way, religion-wise.

So onward to the top 10 books I wouldn’t mind receiving this holiday season. Bear in mind that my loved ones usually shy away from buying me books, since chances are either a) it’s something I want to read and I already own it; b) I’ve already read it but thanks anyway; or c) it’s sooooo not my taste — don’t you know me at all? As a result, just about all of the books currently on my shelves are books that I’ve bought myself, and everything else that I’ve read has come from the library. I’m difficult, I admit it.

Therefore, my top 10 list consists of books that I’d LOVE to receive as gifts but either haven’t bought for myself (because I haven’t gotten around to it yet or they’re just not available), OR they’re books that seem wonderful but would feel like too much of an indulgence to buy for myself.

1 & 2) Two pop-culture celebrations top my most-wanted list: Firefly: A Celebration is what appears to be a lovingly produced tribute to Joss Whedon’s Firefly series, filled with photos, scripts, behind-the scenes looks, and more. Buffy: The Making of a Slayer is a hardcover, slipcased edition that is, according to Amazon, “the first authorized, fully illustrated retrospective” of the hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Both are priced at about $30, which puts them into my luxury book items category. Unless there’s a huge price drop at some point, I probably wouldn’t get these for myself — but if any family members happen to be reading this, consider this a huge hint droppage.

3) I find myself rather intrigued by Building Stories by Chris Ware, which is a graphic novel that comes in a box and consists of 14 separate pieces that can, if I understand correctly, be read in whatever order you’d like. I’m not sure that I need to own this, but boy, would I like to open it up and play with it.

4) The Rolling Stones 50 by The Rolling Stones. 352 pages, over 1,000 illustrations! It sounds like a real treat for Stones fans, but I’m certainly not die-hard enough to spend $60 on it. I’d be perfectly happy to just look through it once or twice at a friend’s house, to be honest. Still, if it turned up as a gift, I certainly wouldn’t say no.

5) My Ideal Bookshelf by Thessaly La Force and Jane Mount. Can I just tell you that I’m in love with this book? I mean, I really love everything about it. The concept is just lovely:

The books that we choose to keep –let alone read– can say a lot about who we are and how we see ourselves. In MY IDEAL BOOKSHELF, dozens of leading cultural figures share the books that matter to them most; books that define their dreams and ambitions and in many cases helped them find their way in the world. Contributors include Malcolm Gladwell, Thomas Keller, Michael Chabon, Alice Waters, James Patterson, Maira Kalman, Judd Apatow, Chuck Klosterman, Miranda July, Alex Ross, Nancy Pearl, David Chang, Patti Smith, Jennifer Egan, and Dave Eggers, among many others. With colorful and endearingly hand-rendered images of book spines by Jane Mount, and first-person commentary from all the contributors, this is a perfect gift for avid readers, writers, and all who have known the influence of a great book.

Not only that — check out the artwork! I could spend hours staring at these paintings of book spines. And what’s more, you can buy prints of many of the shelves from the artists’ website (www.idealbookshelf.com)… and, if you’re willing to shell out some $$, you can order a custom original painting of your own ideal bookshelf. Love, love, love.

6 & 7 & 8) It’s graphic novel time! I’ve been reading a lot more graphic novels this past year, and the more I read, the more I want to read. My choices here are some graphic novels that have been out for a while. The idea of trying to catch up and read the whole series for any of these is rather daunting. Still, if my metaphorical Santa decided to gift me with one or two of these, I’d be thrilled. My top picks for extravagant graphic novel gifts are:

The Walking Dead Compendium 1 & The Walking Dead Compendium 2: These massive paperbacks each encompass eight of the Walking Dead graphic novels and are over 1,000 pages in length, with a retail price of $60 each. I’ve missed the Walking Dead phenomenon completely so far, on the page and on TV, but I’m soooo tempted to dive in.
The five hardcovers that make up the Absolute Sandman collection each run about $100. But, hey, it’s Neil Gaiman! Considering the price, I’ll probably rely on my public library when I’m ready to tackle what I’ve heard is a masterpiece. Still, if a gift were to come my way…
Bone! It’s the Bone: 20th Anniversary Full Color One Volume Edition! The Bone series by Jeff Smith is marketed as a children’s series, but I found it engaging, funny, dramatic, and wonderfully drawn. What a world! And the stupid rat creatures are, hands-down, my very favorite stupid evil carnivores. My son has the Bone collection in paperback, but this hardcover special edition looks absolutely stunning.

And to wrap it all up, how about a couple more books about books?

9 & 10) My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop (published by Black Dog & Leventhal) and One For The Books by Joe Queenan. I spend a good portion of each day either thinking about, writing about, or talking about books. These books about other people’s favorite books sound like perfect reading for a bookworm like me.

And there you have it, my top 10 pie-in-the-sky wishes for holiday gifts. Maybe most aren’t too realistic, but it’s awfully fun to fantasize a bit!

Here’s hoping that you find some reading goodies wrapped up in shiny paper with your name on them this year! Happy reading!

26Nov2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books For 2013

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I just happened to stumble across this weekly event for book lovers, featuring a different topic for a top 10 list each week. So… here I go, jumping in!

Top 10 Tuesday new This week’s theme:

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books For 2013

More or less in order of how badly I want to read them, here are my top 10 can’t-wait-for books of 2013:

MOBY discovery

1) Written In My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon: It may be a bit of a cheat to include this book, but this is the one I’m most looking forward to. Book #8 in the Outlander series will have fans in a swoon, I’m sure. The author has mentioned fall of 2013 as the likely publication date, and while I haven’t seen anything more specific than that, I’m putting it on my list and keeping my fingers crossed.

2) All Souls’ Trilogy, #3 by Deborah Harkness: Another one that’s not a sure bet, but boy, would I like it to be. According to the author’s website, this book has neither a title nor a release date, but count me in as one of the devoted fans of the series with fingers crossed hoping for a summer 2013 release.

3) Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger: Book 1 in Gail Carriger’s new Finishing School series, due out in February. I adored Ms. Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series, and will absolutely read anything and everything she writes.

4) Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler: The sixth and final book in the Jane True series, due out in May.

5) Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs. The next installment in Briggs’s fantastic Mercy Thompson series, starring a shape-shifting auto mechanic and the werewolves and vampires of her acquaintance. Due March.

Tale for the Time Being

6) Fables, Volume 18: Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham: I got hooked, big-time, on this amazing series of graphic novels. Literary, smart, funny, and engrossing, Fables has it all. I’m counting the days until I can get my hands on the newest volume, due in January.

7) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: Neil Gaiman falls into the category of “must read whatever he writes”, and I’ll be sure to read this new book when it’s released in June.

8) A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki: The new novel by the author of My Year of Meats, one of my all-time favorites. I don’t know what it’s about, but I have no doubt it’ll be weird and wonderful. Due March.

9) Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris: I’m kind of over the whole Sookie Stackhouse series, but I’ll still read this final book to see how the author wraps it all up. Due May.

10) NOS4A2 by Joe Hill: Joe Hill writes creepy, scary, excellent fiction. I’m looking forward to sleepless nights when this one is released in April.

Of course, that’s not counting the paperback releases I’ve been waiting for, or all the books already on my shelves that I hope to read in 2013.

Looks like we’re in for a very happy new year! Happy reading, all!