Category: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday | Redeemed Characters

Posted September 16, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 20 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Ten Characters Authors Surprisingly Redeemed (which characters did you not like at first, but grew to love by the end of the book?) 

Topics like this one are difficult because while I’ve definitely got a whole bunch of characters I didn’t like that I ended up liking, I can never think of them when I need them! But I did some digging and went through my books read and managed to come up with ten, whew!

Top Ten Redeemed Characters

  1. Glokta from The Blade Itself (and the whole The First Law Trilogy) – He’s a royally sanctioned torturer and inquisitor and does a lot of bad things. But he’s also a very interesting character and may be my favorite character in the series.
  2. Mary from The Secret Garden – She starts out really spoiled and contrary, which to be fair, isn’t really her fault, but becomes such a lovely person in the end.
  3. Colin from The Secret Garden – Another spoiled and annoying child who becomes a much nicer person.
  4. Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol – He starts out so horrible and stingy that his name has become synonymous with stinginess.
  5. Jaime Lannister from A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire series) – There are several other characters who have redemption stories in this series, but I think Jaime’s arc is one of my favorites.
  6. Naomi from You Deserve Each Other – Naomi and Nicholas, listed below, are the MCs of this book and they are both insufferable at the beginning of the book to the point that you don’t know how you could enjoy the story at all. I was happily surprised to be wrong.
  7. Nicholas from You Deserve Each Other – See above.
  8. Linus from The House in the Cerulean Sea – Linus wasn’t evil or anything, just naive and maybe too much of a rule-follower, but sometimes the people who are “just doing their jobs” can cause a lot of harm. Glad to see things change.
  9. Cardan from The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air series) – He was such an insufferable bully. I hated him. Then I loved him.
  10. Boromir from The Lord of the Rings – Maybe one of the most well-known examples of redeemed characters? Or maybe it’s just because LOTR is one of the most well-known books! Either way.

Have you read any of these books? Did you like any of these characters? Who are your favorite redeemed characters?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books That Provide a Much-Needed Escape

Posted September 9, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 20 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books That Provide a Much-Needed Escape

I’ve chosen my favorite escapism books that I reread often; there are so many to choose from, of course, but I landed on these books because they also have themes of escape in the stories themselves; escape from imprisonment, from a life of servitude, from death, and so on.

Top Ten Books That Provide a Much-Needed Escape

  1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – Every time I read this book, I am immersed in another world for hours and hours because it’s such a thick book and so intense for all of it. Sometimes I start the audiobook, thinking I can listen to it as background noise since I’ve read it so often before, but nope. Once I start it, I am in it, and nothing else exists. Bonus: The actual escape scene in this book is so thrilling!
  2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – The whole trilogy is an escape for me. Despite the difficult themes, it’s a comfort read for me and going with Katniss on her journey makes me feel better about mine. There are plenty of escape scenes in the trilogy, and they’re all good.
  3. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin – Again, it’s the whole series for me. I love some characters’ POVs more than others, but the whole story, the world, the political intrigue, the people, is all so engrossing. Too many escape scenes in the series to list, but also to be fair, many of them don’t escape.
  4. Red Rising by Pierce Brown – Another series that I love and get engrossed in. I just read the most recently released book this year, so I technically haven’t reread all the books, but it’s still such a great story to escape into. Some of the escape scenes in these books are so harrowing and incredibly satisfying!
  5. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway – Some people say this book is boring, but it’s one of the most thrilling books I’ve read because I used to go fishing and I loved the thrill of having a fish on a hook and not knowing if you’ll be able to land it. I don’t want to spoil the ending, so all I’ll say is that there is definitely escapism for the MC here.
  6. The Light Bearer by Donna Gillespie – This is one of my favorite childhood books, and I escape into it almost every other year or so. It’s set in the ancient Roman empire in the time of Nero and Domitian, and I love how smart it is. There are so many different kinds of escape in this book; escape from actual imprisonment, escape from wrongful prosecution, escape from tricky situations, biding-your-time escapes, lucky escapes, etc.
  7. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo – I’ve talked about this book before as one that most closely reminds me of my own culture and family history. It’s funny that that would be an escape for me, but the way the story goes, it’s cathartic because the MC goes against her family’s wishes and makes her own way, ie. she escapes what her family plans for her. There are also fantasy and folklore elements which makes the story really wonderful for me.
  8. Life of Pi by Yann Martel – It’s a fantastical story, but I love it. I love how it’s written, I love the philosophical examinations, I love the parts that are calm as well as the parts that are exciting. There is escape from death here, and escape from the harsh elements of nature, but there is also metaphorical escape, I think, if you read deeper into it.
  9. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende – This story provides escape like no other. Bastian literally escapes from some bullies with the help of this book. That happens in the beginning so it’s not a spoiler, but there are certainly more escapes happening throughout the book! This is one of my favorite books as a child and it did so much for my imagination.
  10. The Princess Bride by William Goldman – I mean, who doesn’t love this book? And the movie? They are both so great for escapism. So funny, and heartwarming, and just so perfectly perfect in every way. Plenty of escapes to read about too!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books Involving Food

Posted September 2, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 21 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books Involving Food 

I love food! I love books! And I love books about food too! Today’s topic was really fun to curate, and I’m excited about reading, and rereading, many of these books below. What interesting books involving food did you come across for today’s topic? I’d love to know!

Top Ten Books Involving Food

  1. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain – This was the first book that came to mind for today’s topic. I read the book a long time ago and remember loving it, but I didn’t make any notes and I don’t remember much about it anymore. Time for a reread maybe?
  2. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver – I love stories about self-sustainability and growing your own food even if I doubt I’d ever be able to do it myself. It’s inspiring to see other people do it!
  3. The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan – I took a few nutrition courses many years ago and these was one of the books we studied. I rated it 5 stars but I don’t remember much about it individually because I was reading so many other similar books for the course.
  4. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser – This book was written more than 20 years ago, and I wonder if much has changed since then with our eating habits. There are a lot more healthy options out there now, which is very encouraging and convenient, but I believe to some extent, we are still a fast food nation.
  5. Julie & Julia by Julie Powell – I loved the movie with Amy Adams and Meryl Streep when it came out but I haven’t read the book. I love the idea of cooking through all the recipes in a cookbook as a challenge though.
  6. On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee – This was another book I bought for my nutrition course. I only read parts of it because they were assigned, but I found it fascinating and still mean to read through the rest of it.
  7. Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop – I love Sichuan food and I’ve heard good things about Fuchsia Dunlop’s memoir. I want to read this sooner than later.
  8. Stir by Jessica Fechtor – This one sounds so compelling. The author had a brain aneurysm and nearly died and her journey to recovery involved relearning to cook. I’m curious to read it.
  9. Gulp by Mary Roach – Mary Roach has got lots of great popular science books I want to read. This one happens to be about food and our alimentary canal.
  10. Taste by Stanley Tucci – I love Stanley Tucci as an actor, and I know he’s also a foodie and a chef. He has his own cookbook and he also acted in Julie & Julia, by the way. I want to read about his life through food.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books That Give You the Best Glimpse of Me

Posted August 26, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 16 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Posts I’ve Written That Give You the Best Glimpse of Me 

My blog is less than a year old and I don’t feel like I’ve got a lot of posts that give you a good glimpse of me. Maybe in a couple of years’ time I’ll have more to choose from, but for now, I’m going to share ten books that have somehow shaped me or meant something to me.

This is so difficult because obviously there are a lot more than ten books that have shaped me and/or meant something to me, but I’ll try to choose the best representations.

Top Ten Books That Give You The Best Glimpse of Me

  1. The Light Bearer by Donna Gillespie – I got this book as a gift when I was 11 years old and I’ve been rereading it regularly since. It was one of my favorite books as a child and it’s still a favorite now. It’s not very well-known, but I recommend it as often as I can to anyone I can! I loved it because it showed me how strong girls and women can be, that they can make waves in a man’s world even when everything is stacked against them.
  2. A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin – I read the first book right before I got diagnosed with cancer at 19 years old, and I bought the next two books right after. It got me through a tough time. Obviously, it’s really good and I think I would’ve loved it even if I wasn’t going through cancer. This series was my go-to answer for “If you could only bring one book with you to a deserted island…” for years. I cheated because it’s a series, but still!
  3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – I remember the first time I read this book; it was a long weekend and spent it all reading this book. I read it while having meals, if I remembered to eat. I fell asleep with the lights on because I kept reading until I couldn’t stay awake anymore. I woke up and immediately went back to reading. I’m not sure if I took a shower until I finished the book. It was so intense, I could not stop reading and I just needed to know what happened next. I’ve reread it many times since and I still love it.
  4. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo – This book is the closest representation to my history and culture I’ve ever come across and I love it. It’s set in Malaysia in the 1900’s and it reminds me so much of my family and the superstitions I was brought up with. It’s also just a really good story and I love it!
  5. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown – Maybe better to say, everything by Brené Brown. I love her work and everything she puts out really helps me become a better person. I learn a lot from her books, and I’m still learning to apply the lessons.
  6. Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. MontgomeryYou’ve heard me talk about these books recently because I’ve been rereading them. I just love them because Anne is such a happy, magical-thinking, kindred spirit, and it’s so wholesome and always gives me such a happy outlook to life. Rereading them has brought back a lot of childlike wonderment for me.
  7. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins – These books are darker, but somehow they mean so much to me because of stuff I went through. Although I love being happy and optimistic, sometimes bad things happen, sometimes people hurt you, and sometimes life is unfair. This book helped me understand that although some things are out of my control, I can still choose what I do with what I have. I love them more now than when I first read them because every time I reread, I discover something more meaningful.
  8. Thirst series by Christopher Pike – Christopher Pike was one of my favorite authors as a child and I read everything he wrote. I preferred his books over R.L. Stine even though Stine is apparently more popular. Previously known as The Last Vampire series, Thirst is still one of my favorite vampire stories.
  9. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster – Also a recent reread, and one that gives me so much nostalgia. I mentioned in my recent review that this book helped shape a lot of my own journaling style and irreverent nature in my journals. It also makes me wish I had more penpals! Bonus: The Conversations with God books by Neale Donald Walsch were also great because that’s when I learned to talk irreverently to God too. 😂
  10. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – I love the whole idea of morning pages, because journaling. But more than that, a lot of what’s in this book feels really healing and cathartic to the artist within me. I’ve gone through this book a few times and sometimes I’ll listen to the audiobook, and even when I don’t do the exercises, it just makes me feel encouraged and supported.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books Featuring Mothers

Posted August 19, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 25 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Relationship Freebie (Pick a relationship type and choose characters who fit that relationship as it relates to you. So, characters you’d like to date, be friends with, be enemies with, etc. Bookish families you’d like to be a part of, characters you’d want as your siblings, pets you’d like to take for yourself, etc.)

To be clear right off the bat, I don’t actually want a relationship with many of the mothers featured in these books (some are great but most are not!). I was having a hard time thinking of books with characters I’d like to be in some kind of relationship with, especially mother/daughter relationships, so I thought I’d just do books featuring mothers regardless of whether they’re good or bad.

Surprise! There are a lot of bad mothers in fiction… and nonfiction. Also surprise! There seems to be a lot of Asians with complicated relationships with their mothers.

Top Ten Books Featuring Mothers

  1. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – A couple of different but equally complicated mother/daughter relationships represented here. I watched the show but haven’t read the book. The show was really good, but so intense and heavy too, and it makes me a little scared to read the book, but I will eventually!
  2. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn – Someone said about this quote from the book:
    “Even I, in public, was a beloved child. Once her period of mourning for Marian was over, she’d parade me into town, smiling and teasing me, tickling me as she spoke with people on the sidewalks. When we got home, she’d trail off to her room like an unfinished sentence, and I would sit outside with my face pressed against her door and replay the day in my head, searching for clues to what I’d done to displease her.”
    about how it made them realize that you can be a well-cared-for child, but still be unloved, and that alone made me read the book.
  3. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong – This book is presented as a letter from a son to his mother who cannot read. It’s also presented as fiction but the feelings are so raw and real, it wouldn’t be hard for me to believe it was all true. I read this recently and I love how beautiful and lyrical it is.
  4. Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin – I haven’t read this one but I am fascinated because it’s written in second person POV and I’ve heard a lot of praise for it. I’m a little averse to reading books about complicated relationships with Asian moms in general because it’s a little close to home for me, but maybe my curiosity will win out.
  5. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan – Same deal as the above for why I haven’t read it, but sort of worse. I couldn’t even finish the movie because of all the feelings it dragged up.
  6. Room by Emma Donoghue – A mom and her child locked in a room for the first five years of his life. It was so powerful and painful to read. And I loved the movie too.
  7. From Cradle to Stage by Virginia Hanlon Grohl – I just found out about this book last week and have requested a hold from my library! It’s from the POV of mothers to famous rock stars and I’m excited to read it!
  8. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy – Well, this one was painful, and I guess the other side of the coin of how mothers to famous people can be horrible too.
  9. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – Ooh, just realized that Brie Larson acts as the mother in this film adaptation as well as Room. This one is a little more lighthearted than Room, but still covers some sensitive topics.
  10. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher – I just found out about this new book from T. Kingfisher and I’m excited to read it! All I know is that there’s a lot of reference to the protagonist’s mother in the description, so I’m just assuming that it fits the topic!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books Featuring Travel or Transportation

Posted August 12, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 33 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books Featuring Travel or Modes of Transportation

I was initially worried about today’s topic because I couldn’t think of any books off the top of my head that would fit the topic, but then I scoured through my books and apparently I’ve got a few! I ended up having lots of fun with it, and I hope you enjoy these!

Top Ten Books Featuring Travel or Transportation

  1. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb – Featuring a ship. This is the first book in a series that I read a long time ago and remember loving. I’ve been meaning to reread them soon!
  2. The Light Bearer by Donna Gillespie – Featuring a horse. This is one of my most favorite, underrated books. It’s the book I recommend to everyone whenever I can because it’s just such a shame it’s not more popular.
  3. The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary – Featuring a car. I love Beth O’Leary’s books and this was another great one.
  4. The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan – Featuring a bicycle. I’ve talked about Stephen P. Kiernan before. He’s one of my favorite underrated authors and I have loved every single book I’ve read by him. I cannot recommend him enough. Please read him!
  5. The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers – Featuring a spaceship. This book has got my heart. I love the found family element, and the way the author approaches differences in species and culture. We could all learn something from it.
  6. Life of Pi by Yann Martel – Featuring a boat. Another favorite! I love the story and the philosophy. I love how fantastical it is, and yet, so very believable (because I want to believe it!).
  7. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones – Featuring a moving castle (what? It transports people, doesn’t it?). I love the movie, I love the book. What’s not to love?
  8. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne – Featuring a submarine. It’s been so long since I read it, I don’t remember a thing, but I remember loving Jules Verne’s books as a child.
  9. Wild by Cheryl Strayed – Featuring a shoe (I guess we’re missing the other side, but it still transports the person wearing it…). I haven’t actually read this book, but I couldn’t not recognize shoes as modes of transportation. They don’t get enough love!
  10. Falling Upwards by Richard Holmes – Featuring a hot air balloon. I haven’t read this one either, but it’s supposedly the book the movie, The Aeronauts, was based on. I loved the movie and when I found out it was based on a book, it was like, I gotta read that!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

Posted May 27, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 37 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

There have been so many books I was super excited about but ended up not reading. These are some of the ones I’m still excited about and still want to read as soon as possible, but haven’t yet for some reason or other.

Top Ten Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

  1. The Glass Chateau by Stephen P. Kiernan – I love Stephen P. Kiernan’s books and I’m really excited to read this one too, but his books are the kind that require savoring and that means I have to find the right time and mental head space to read them.
  2. Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane – Mhairi’s books are categorized under romance, but they’re not quick, fun and silly romances. They tend to highlight serious real life issues as well and I love that about them, so I want to be fully present when I read this.
  3. The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin – I loved the two previous books I’ve read by MM, and I know I’ll love this too. They’re just pretty heavy because of the subject matter, but they’re also hopeful and heartwarming, and I’m looking forward to reading this soon.
  4. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder – I think the thing holding me back with this one is that there are at least six books in the series and I’m just scared of starting a new series when there are so many I haven’t finished yet.
  5. Shark Heart by Emily Habeck – Nothing holding me back with this one, I just haven’t gotten to it yet.
  6. The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan – Another one in the queue I intend to get to really soon!
  7. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson – And this one too! I meant to read this and the above book this month, but I had other time obligations!
  8. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman – I’ve got a planned buddy read for this series in June, and I’m anxiously awaiting it! It’s a reread for me, but it’s been a while and I’m excited to revisit the nostalgia!
  9. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie – I very recently finished the first two books in this series and I would’ve immediately started the next one, except my book buddies want me to wait for them. They’re supposed to have the book in a couple of weeks, but if they take longer than that, all bets are off!
  10. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent – I was so excited about this and I still am, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Soon!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Authors I’d Love a New Book From

Posted May 20, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 19 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Authors I’d Love a New Book From

I’m not sure that I have ten authors for this list. There are definitely a few I’d love more books from, but in general, there are so many authors I love whose works I haven’t finished reading yet, so I feel like it’s unfair to want more books when I haven’t finished the ones they’ve already written!

Authors I’d Love a New Book From

  1. Madeline Miller – She’s at the top of the list because I desperately need more myth retellings, and from her because she writes them so well!
  2. Yangsze Choo – This might be unfair because she just published a new book this year, The Fox Wife, but I’ve already finished it, and I need more!
  3. George R.R. Martin – I know some people have given up on him, but I haven’t. I’m still holding out hope that we’ll see A Song of Ice and Fire finished. Also, I think he might still be publishing other books, but I really need new books for the ASOIAF series specifically.
  4. Stephen P. Kiernan – He’s an underrated author, and I’ve loved all his books I’ve read! He’s got one new book published last year that I haven’t read yet, but I would still love more books from him so that I can have a whole bunch of them to look forward to.
  5. Taylor Jenkins Reid – I haven’t read all her books yet, but she’s just an author I love who needs to also provide me with a whole bunch of new books to look forward to!
  6. Christopher Pike – One of my favorite authors from my childhood years, but he also writes adult novels and I loved them. He hasn’t published anything new in years, and I really wish he would!
  7. Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games is one of my favorite books and I think she needs to write more. So much more!

Have you read any of these authors? What did you think of their books? Would you read more from them?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Favorite Book Quotes from The First Law Trilogy

Posted May 13, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 2 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Favorite Book Quotes

What a perfect time to have this topic! I’ve been making my way through The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie and there’s just a whole treasure trove of quotes and catchphrases I love! I’m not sure that I can limit it to only ten, to be honest, but I’ll try!

I’ve only just finished the first two books, but a lot of the catchphrases from the first book make it into the second one, and I hear they continue on to the third, so I’m just including all three books for the sake of the topic.

Top Ten Book Quotes from The First Law Trilogy

  1. “You have to be realistic about these things.”
  2. “Once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.”
  3. “If you say one thing for Logen Ninefingers, and one thing only, say he’s a killer.”
  4. “Broken hearts heal with time, but broken teeth never do.”
  5. “Every man has his excuses, and the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be.”
  6. “You have to have fear to have courage.”
  7. “Treat a man like a dog and sooner or later he’ll bite you,”
  8. “You carry on. That’s what he’d always done. That’s the task that comes with surviving, whether you deserve to live or not. You remember the dead as best you can. You say some words for them. Then you carry on, and you hope for better.”
  9. “No one cares about the past any more. They don’t see that you can’t have a future without a past.”
  10. “It was a fact, he was only now beginning to realise, that the conversation of the drunk is only interesting to the drunk. A few glasses of wine can be the difference between finding a man a hilarious companion or an insufferable moron.”
  11. “If a man seeks to change the world, he should first understand it.”
  12. “Everything frightens me, and it’s well that it does. Fear is a good friend to the hunted, it’s kept me alive this long. The dead are fearless, and I don’t care to join them.”

Have you read The First Law Trilogy? What did you think of it? Or would you read it?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Flowery Books

Posted May 6, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 36 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is May Flowers

I went broad with the topic this week and got as many different varieties of flowers as I could. Not a lot of variety with the genres though, there’s a lot of historical fiction here. I don’t appreciate this topic adding so many new books to my TBR, by the way. 😭

Top Ten Flowery Books

  1. White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht – I’d never heard of this book but it sounds so good and right up my alley. It’s historical fiction about Korea under the Japanese occupation, and there are two timelines. I need this!
  2. One Hundred Daffodils by Rebecca Winn – This is a memoir that I was initially not interested in, but it actually sounds interesting and I can’t help but be curious.
  3. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – I’ve read only one other book by this author and loved it and have been meaning to read more.
  4. Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick – Vincent Van Gogh as a character? I am very, very intrigued. This is fiction but I’m curious to read this fictional account of Van Gogh’s life.
  5. Peony in Love by Lisa See – I have several of the author’s books on my TBR, including this one, and I have yet to read them. I really want to, eventually!
  6. Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee – I always love the story of an underdog taking on the world and coming up on top. I’m not sure if it will end well, but I am taken in by the description.
  7. Under the Magnolias by TI Lowe – This one is set in the 1980s in South Carolina. I don’t necessarily seek out historical fiction, but I find that I do love a lot of them and can’t help wanting to read more!
  8. Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach – The tulip mania has always been a curiosity for me and I’d love to read more about it. This one is also historical fiction.
  9. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley – Another author with multiple books on my TBR list. I really need to read them some time!
  10. Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – This one sounds interesting to me as well. It’s set in India and apparently in the 2000s, but not far enough back to be considered historical fiction I’m sure.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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