Top Ten YA Trends- More or Less?

More:
1. LGBT characters- I'm not sure if this is really a TREND... but I'm reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson right now, and of course, I'm a big TMI fan, and I love reading about queer characters worked into the story, sometimes main characters, sometimes supporting, but present and not victims.

2. Steampunk- I really want to see MORE steampunk, because it's not something I'm super familiar with.  I really like what Julia said about it on The Broke and the Bookish for today.

3. Magic! I love reading about magic.  So does most of the rest of the YA audience, apparently.  I love reading to escape, and reading about magical people with power and large scale problems is a good way to get out of my own life and into someone else's.

4. Cool covers- Beauty Queens by Libba Bray might be my fav cover ever.  It's cool and striking- it definitely grabs your attention with the bikini clad girl wearing a bandolier of lipsticks!  There are also a lot of beautiful covers on the paranormal books- pretty angels, glitter, shining lights.

5. YA pride!  YA hasn't been around for that long- I love that the YA section of my local library is growing and the books are getting bigger and prettier!

Less:
6. Series.  I imagine that lots of people will include this under the "Less" category.  Series are great, if it's a world so amazing that you would want to live there and immerse yourself, but for books that are a) really sad or b) iffy in plot intrigue, I'd rather get it over in one book.  Example: personally I found Matched by Ally Condie to be SO DEPRESSING... and I know a lot of people loved it, but it just made me so sad and so angry... and when it ended with a "to be continued" I almost went crazy.  I might have thrown the book.  I know that I like binged on happy food or something because I just was so sad!  I don't know if I want to read Crossed, because Matched made me so upset!  It's like The Giver by Lois Lowry... clearly another book could have been written all about Jonas, but she LEFT IT ALONE.  Instead, she wrote about two other characters in the same world- the three books have different tones and different main characters and you can even enjoy them as stand alones!  I wish more books were written that way, without these epic "Friends" length romances and love triangles.

7. Mega angst- I'm just sick of teens whining for the sake of whining.  If something is really wrong, that's one thing, but if you are just feeling moody (like HP circa book 5... well, things were bad for him, but not as bad as they would be later!) then I don't want to read about it.  I had a Xanga... In fact, it's still up, I think, and I can't stand to read about how lame I was in high school.  Get over it.

8. Creepy faeries- Personally, I am not the biggest fairy fan.  I like my good and evil distinct, not mixed together in a cold but beautiful way.  I enjoyed Tithe by Holly Black, but it's not something I'd like to immerse myself in (like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson).

That's all I can think of!  Thanks for visiting- leave a comment so I can check out your list as well!

Top Ten Books All Teens Should Read

Sorry that I've been MIA!! I was in Mississippi at my grandmother's house, and I got tired of fighting with 3G to be able to use the internet.  Now I'm chaperoning a week of church camp, so I don't have time for pictures today!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

TOP TEN BOOKS THAT ALL TEENS SHOULD READ!  My big theme here is getting teens to recognize that not everyone is just like them.  Everyone is different, but everyone has problems, and it's important for us to realize that the person sitting next to you on the bus may have a totally different life than you, but they still feel the same emotions: love, anger, fear, resentent, hope, etc.

10.  Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: Stargirl is a total wacko free spirit, and we could all use a little bit of her in our lives.

9.  In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez: Reading this book really exposed me to just one tiny slice of Latin American history, but it was a good start.  It features love, action, and AWESOME heroines.

8.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: First of all, this is a really GOOD book.  Second, it illustrates the effects of racism in the US on both whites and blacks. Third, it shows kids that while some adults do things that are wrong, other adults can be trusted.

7.  Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson:  This book really opens your eyes up to the issue of sexual assault and rape.  It makes people (both male and female) consider a tough topic and recognize their role in preventing rape and helping victims recover.

6.  The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros:  This book is short and easy to read, and it has both beautiful and heartbreaking silhouettes of people who could be your neighbors.

5.  Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce:  Alanna really struggles with gender roles and how others perceive her.  Plus the action and fantasy aspect is super cool.

4. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling:  Most of us know what it was like to read this series- remember the excitement, the fear, the heartache, and the desire to read, read, read?  Harry Potter is an excellent way to engage kids in a true story just for the fun of it (Plus, you can tie in the good vs. evil aspect and references to mythology and Latin and the Bible...)

3. Push by Sapphire: This is the book the movie Precious is based on.  Although its fiction, as a teacher it made me realize that I need to look behind the student I see in class and try to imagine their life outside of school.

2.  Divergent by Veronica Roth:  Another book that is SO FUN to read... I love that it features a strong heroine and a choose your own path message.

1.  The Giver by Lois Lowry:  This book allows kids to see what would happen if our government had too much power or if we "elimated" all of the bad things about life.  It also shows that adults can be wrong, and that it's okay for kids to question the way things are.

Top Ten Rebels in Literature

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

What a great topic!  The Top Ten Rebels in Literature...

10. Bradley Chalkers from There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar:  This is one of my favorite books from my childhood.  Basically, Bradley is an outsider in his 5th grade classroom.  He does everything that he's not supposed to, but when he meets the new school counselor, he is encouraged to try to be his best self, rather than settle for failure because that's what people expect from him.

9. Harriet from Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh: Harriet breaks all of the rules in her attempt to become a writer.  She does things her way.  Ultimately this gets her in trouble, but then she solves her problems and moves on.

8. Logan from The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin:  Logan is a boy baby-sitter, and that gets him a lot of crap from other guys.  However, he loves kids and Mary Anne, and at least until the screwed up Friends Forever spin off series, nothing can change that.

7. Mary Boleyn from The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory:  Mary chooses a very different pathway than Anne, and she ultimately refuses to be a pawn in the king's court.

6. Peeta from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I chose Peeta over any other character because he seems the least likely to be a rebel.  Peeta has a quiet, soft nature, but from the time he lies and gives Katniss some burnt bread until all of the Hunger Games business goes down, he fights for what he thinks is important.

5. Hermione from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling: Hermione, again, does not seem to have a rebellious nature at first, but I feel quite confident in her necessity in saving the world from evil.  When she chooses to stay in the wizarding world rather than with her parents, she really turns her back on her Muggle past and marches forward without any family.

4. Jace from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare: Jace is a naughty, naughty boy who does exactly what he is told not to, without fail.  He jumps out of that weird electric prison thing, jumps out of a window, and basically never fails to upset people.  I can't wait to see what he does in CoLS...

3.  Rose from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead:  Rose is the most kick-butt heroine I've ever read.  She's powerful and has a nasty temper.  Even when she gets in trouble because of her own screw ups, she never gives up and never backs down.  Plus what she goes to Russia to do later in the series... I could never do that.  I'm too selfish.

2. Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth:  Tris directly rebels against her family and ultimately against society.  Tris' character development is amazing.

1.  Alanna from Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce: Alanna pretends to be a boy to become a knight, and she basically insists on finding her own way, never settling for the role society expects her to fill.

Top Ten Bookish Websites, Organizations, Apps, Etc.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!

Top Ten Bookish Websites, Organizations, Apps, Etc.

10. Bookperk- this site offers cool deals on books with swag of some sort.  I haven't actually ordered anything yet, but I'm keeping my eyes open for something fun.

9. OverDrive- I attempted to listen to an audiobook that my library offered through OverDrive, but I kept falling asleep in bed and I kept getting distracted while driving, so no audiobooks right now.  This website also distributes eBooks.

8.  AdLit.org- As a high school teacher, I love this website.  It has lots of useful resources for literacy education.

7.  Amazon- I know that there is controversy surrounding Amazon because it sells books so cheap, but for a perpetually broke college/grad school student, I couldn't have done it without Amazon.  I also have a student Prime membership, so I get free two day shipping.  We'll see if I continue to use Amazon once I can actually afford to pay "real prices" for books...

6.  Net Galley- I love eBooks because they take up so much LESS SPACE.

5. and 4. The iBooks App and the Kindle App on my phone- Again, eBooks rock!  These apps make it possible for me to download books with no shipping costs and no paper waste and read them on the go!

3. Pottermore- I'm so excited for this!!

2. My Local Library's Website- my librarians are so patient with me, always requesting books. 

1. Goodreads- I almost never write a post without double checking some detail on Goodreads.  I'm also really enjoying the challenge I'm slowly working on!

If you stop by from the Linky, be sure to leave a comment so I can return the visit!

Top Ten Settings

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

My Top Ten Settings:

10.  Tortall from Tamora Pierce's books-  Tortall is basically a deciduous forest in a temperate climate, but it is roamed by knights and not-so-mythical creatures.  I would kind of like a reason to learn how to sword fight.

9.  Maycomb, Alabama from To Kill a Mockingbird- Obvs I'm not so keen on the racism, but I have always been curious about small town life.  I'd love to have neighbors and be allowed to play outside without my parents fearing for my abduction.  In PG County, we try to avoid our neighbors as much as possible despite the cramped neighborhoods.

8.  Stoneybrook, Connecticut from The Baby-Sitters Club series- Again, close knit town, this time in the North.  I particularly like how this small town has its own university.

7.  Dauntless Headquarters from Divergent- Wow.  A cliff society with no railings?  Lots of hardcore peeps?  Living in basically a giant cave?

6.  North Carolina as described by Nicholas Sparks- I love the cool breezes from the coast, the pretty water, and the relaxed atmosphere.

5.  The moors in Wuthering Heights- The loneliness, the desolation, the endless sea of green and cloudy skies.  Oh, and the mud.  What better scene for melancholy and desperate love?

4.  Kyrria from Ella Enchanted- In case you have forgotten, as I had, this is just where she lives.  The name Kyrria started my adolescent obsession with strange fantasy names.  Anyways, this is a fun land with nutty fairies and lots and lots of pretty things to look at.

3.  Rivendell from LOTR-  BTW, if you listen to the Fellowship soundtrack while napping, I can guarantee super trippy dreams about elves.

2.  Isle Esme from Breaking Dawn- Oh. My. Goodness.  Can I just say how much I can't wait for the movie? 

1. OF COURSE, HOGWARTS, because WHY WOULDN'T I want to live in a magical castle with adorable Brits and delicious food and sneaky elves?  My life back up plan is to work at the theme park.  I could easily be Ginny, which is who I am dressing up as for the party this summer!

Top Ten Beach Reads

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

In my opinion, a beach read needs to be:

• emotionally on the lighter side (not Cut or The Bluest Eye)
• physically easy to carry (not a hardcover of Harry Potter 5)
• relaxing and calming for the reader (not City of Fallen Angels)

So here are my Top Ten Beach Reads:

10.  That Summer by Sarah Dessen-  Her new book What Happened to Goodbye could probably fit here too, but I stopped reading her books after the first few pages of Just Listen reminded me of a horrible middle school experience and I had a panic attack.  This was at least four years ago, so I should probs suck it up... I was a huge fan of her books, and I'm sure I would love them if I could get back into them!

9.  The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks-  This is an excellent story about Noah and Allie's children/grandchildren- but be forewarned, like all Nicholas Sparks books, there is a definite danger of some tears!

8.  The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander Smith McCall- if you are not into "Chick Lit," this is a good option for you.  This is a whole mystery series about a woman who sets up a detective agency IN AFRICA (also a good way to pretend you are summering somewhere exotic, rather than the man-made "beach" an hour from your house.

7.  The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger- This author has a unique voice in her writing.  She is somewhat detached from her characters, and there is always lots of glamour and fabulous people.  Anything by her is excellent for traveling.

6.  The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares- Oh, man.  I used to be obsessed with these books.  Lots of summer, lots of travel, and lots of cute boys.

5.  The Last Summer by Ann Brashares- I'm not sure if a lot of people have read this one.  I read it on a plane- I don't remember very much, but I remember thinking about what a good book it was to read in the summer.

4.  The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer- In The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, a young woman's famous boyfriend proposes on television, but not to her! Since everyone assumes he has proposed to her (and why would she say no?), gifts start arriving and a wedding is planned.  

3.  The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer-  This is the story of an overweight, frumpy sort of woman who is secretly a posh celebrity writer.  When she makes a pact with her best friends to lose weight and get her life where she wants it to be, she realizes that looks aren't everything.

2.  The Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot-  By-gone pop star Heather takes a job as a dorm director at an NYC college, and she loves her new job until she learns why the dorm is nicknamed "Death Dorm."  These three mysteries will entertain you and scare you a little. 

1. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding- Supposedly Helen Fielding is working on a 3rd book- how awesome would that be?

Top Ten Minor Characters

From The Broke and the Bookish!

Beware of spoilers!  (All books have been out for at least 6 months.)

This topic was challenging for me because I can't really decide who counts as a minor character!  It's hard to call anyone who influences the plot "minor."  I finally decided on the following list:

10. Kissin' Kate Barlow from Holes- She's so feisty and cool... also scary!

9. Jonas's Father from The Giver-  Although he ultimately "fails" Jonas when Jonas realizes what some of his Father's job duties are, I think that he represents how someone so kind and well-meaning can still be blind to reality and do harmful things.  The best of intentions often fall short.

8. Milligan from The Mysterious Benedict Society- Milligan always seems to be there to save the day.  He's endlessly brave and skilled with defense.

7. The ogres in Ella Enchanted- These are the nastiest, most fascinating ogres of all time.  Plus they lead to the dashing Prince Char scene.

6. Phineas Nigellus Black from Harry Potter- I rather wish that I had portraits of old scientists in my classroom that could talk.  If Darwin would just tell them to shut up and do their work, we might get a lot more done!

5. The Chairman from Memoirs of a Geisha- I'm not sure if he counts as a minor character, but he doesn't get a lot of page time.  I love how he is such a romantic ideal, very mysterious.

4. Minnie from Mini Shopaholic- Minnie is the cutest, naughtiest shopaholic in the world.  She reminds me of my boyfriend's niece, and I love the name Minnie (on her, anyways)!

3. Kristy's mom from The Babysitters Club- Kristy's mom is such a strong, resilient woman who sets a terrific example for young women everywhere!

2. Uncle Bob from The Christy Miller Series- Uncle Bob is so kind, firm, and shows great character development throughout the series.  I love how even-tempered he is!

1.  Cinna from The Hunger Games- He is so surprisingly strong and brave.  I love his flair for design as well!

Top Ten Major Jerks in Literature

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Please note that this post contains spoilers, but all books have been out for at least 6 months- the only one you are probably concerned with might be Clockwork Angel.

10.  Eric from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- as a high school teacher, I have to seriously question any young man who would take advantage of a girl like Bridget.  I know that a lot of guys do, but that makes them jerks, not romantic characters.  Even if he "redeems" himself later in the series... it's still gross and pathetic.

9.  The Onceler from The Lorax- how could anyone not care about the truffula trees and the barbaloots in their barbaloot suits?

8.  Johnny Nolan (father) from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- Johnny is a character whom you feel bad for, and you can understand why he is the way he is, but poor Katie!

7.  Josh Richter from The Princess Diaries- ewwwww.  Yes, I know he's hot, but what a tool!  He gets this distinction for kissing Mia for publicity, although this was more dramatic in the movie than in the book.  Plus, he dumps Lana for Mia, then goes right back to Lana.

6. Edward Cullen from Twilight- he may be one of my literary loves, but I never quite got over him abandoning Bella in the forest in New Moon.  I can deal with the bossiness (see my review of Abandon) but the leaving, no.  PLUS- the forest?  He should have found a way to alert her father and have Bella committed or something.

5.  Macon from Someone Like You- SCUMBAG!  I hated him in the book, and I hated him in the movie.

4.  Will Herondale from Clockwork Angel- I totally freaked out at the end of the book where he hurt Tessa so much...  I know Will has been deeply hurt during his life, and I'm sure I will forgive him just as TESSA WILL (DSBS?), but yikes!  I was actually shocked by his bad behavior.  

3.  Brian from Dangerously Alice- he's a skeez to begin with, but the drunk driving sent me over the edge.  My niece's father is in jail for drunk driving right now, and I hope he stays there for a good length of time.  JUST DON'T DO IT for crying out loud.

2.  Joren of Stone Mountain from The Protector of the Small- I love how Tamora Pierce describes him so beautifully, a cruel angel.  I also love how he gets what's coming to him.  It's nice to see bad guys pay.

1.  Daniel Cleaver from Bridget Jones' Diary- CREEPER.  Hugh Grant portrays him perfectly.  Hate the skeezy boss behavior, LOVE the fountain fight between Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.

There you have it!