Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

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My reading goals for this fall are a lot more sedate than my plans were for the summer.  I'm hoping to finish up the majority of the books that I've started this year and have yet to finish as well as check off a few more books on my 2013 TBR list.  Of those, these are the books I'm most looking forward to reading (plus a few extra).









* Top Ten Tuesdays is run by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show

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I've tried to step a bit outside the box on this one, so I've left off a lot of my usual favorites, in order to focus more on the visual aspect of film making (instead of focusing solely on great stories).


O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
I didn't even blink when I saw the title for this week's list.  I absolutely adore this book and think it would make an amazing film, particularly if the cinematography held true to Cather's stark descriptions of the landscape.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
I would love to see the bookstore come to life, but even more than that I would love to see the tech, and watch the interplay between the two.

Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking Trilogy
Yes, I have a not so secret need to see Amanda Tapping play Mistress Coyle, but I would also love to see this as a series of films or as a miniseries because there's such a sensory feel to the books with the typography and the presence of noise, that I would love to see how that translated onto the screen.

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks
I really should write a review for this book because it's definitely one of my favorites from this year.  It's by turns sarcastic and poignant and while there is an element of love to the story, it lacks the usual YA drama, holding more carefully to the overall story arc which I adore.

Houses of Stone by Barbara Michaels
I think this book would make a great film.  It may be more of a cliche than the films I normally watch but I think there's enough mystery, intrigue, and romance in there for almost anyone, plus I'm not going to lie I wouldn't mind seeing Cameron on my screen.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The geek cred in this book is really enough of an excuse to turn it into a flim, but I would also love to see the interplay between the real and digital worlds.  I think there's an opportunity there to do some really interesting or innovative things.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I blame the cover and Morgenstern's beautiful descriptions of the circus for this one, but I think it would make an incredibly breathtaking film both visually and in terms of the story development.  This book has such beautiful character development, the locations have a real visceral feel to them, and the plot would definitely leave the audience hanging on until the very end.

The Felicity Books by Valerie Tripp
I know that some of the American Girl books have been made into films, but I would love to see more, particularly ones focusing on Felicity since she was always my favorite as a kid and she's since been discontinued.

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
I know a lot of what I love about Benjamin's writing wouldn't transfer to the screen, but even so, this book is so intriguing and refreshing.  I think the progression across time would make for a really interesting film narrative, and I would never say no to another film with period costumes.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
I don't know how you would ever condense such a long book into a film and honestly I wouldn't want anyone to, so this one would have to be a done in a single season or miniseries much the way the BBC produces many of its projects.  There's so much here to work with in terms of characters and settings but also a lot that can be done with the themes and various narrative points of view.


* Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by the always lovely The Broke and the Bookish.

Top 10 Contemporary Books That Would Be Great Paired With A Required Reading Book

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This week's Top Ten Tuesday (run by The Broke and the Bookish) is all about books in school and required reading.  A lot of these are going to be historical fiction.  I can tell you that right now before I even start my list because history is where my book!nerd and academic love collide.  I am stretching the idea of "contemporary"a bit on a few of these, but I have tried to stick with pairs of books where the books themselves are separated quite distinctly in time.


The Heretic's Daughter by Katheleen Kent and The Crucible by Arthur Miller
I love both of these to pieces, plus I like that they present the same series of events from two distinct points of view, the former focusing on a POV we don't often see, while the latter focuses on the more typical story line, but in a lesser used format (i.e. a stage play).

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Both of these novels present a wealth of discussion opportunities on their own, but paired together there's an opportunity to introduce students to comparative criticism.   Literary tradition can also be discussed as well as some of the flaws and pitfalls of Jane Eyre and other classics, which I think is something that's missing in a lot of English classes.

The Boy and the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne and The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank
I think these two books balance each other out quite well.  Once again, they present similar stories from differing points of view.  They also have varying degrees of emotional impact and different narrative style and come from two separate genres, the latter being nonfiction and a firsthand account.  Another option would be to include The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Both of these books address the prevalence of science in society, particularly cloning and its implications, as well as ideas of love and remorse.  Their writing styles as well as the narratives vary greatly, however, which I think adds to the enjoyment of reading these two together.

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather and Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz
I think a lot of schools do a good job of introducing students to the Classics, at least to some extent, but I think more could be done to introduce students to other forms and genres of literature.  Teaching students to think critically and exposing them to good literature is important, but I also think exposing them to new genres and formats is also important as is trying to foster a love of reading.  This pair, covers all of those things for me: it opens up a discussion about humanity's relationship to the land (cue discussion about environmental issues if so desired) as well as introduces students to nonfiction and autobiographical text.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Both of these books cover the same period in history, both feature children stumbling into new worlds through doorways, but the worlds they enter and the things they learn are vastly different.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and the Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffenegger
Because time travel.  In all seriousness though I love Neffenegger's writing and narrative style and it never hurts to introduce students to good contemporary writing.  Also, I think I would have enjoyed The Time Machine more if I had had something a bit more accessible with which to break it up.  The mode and scope of travel varies vastly between the two books, opening up discussions about both science and history.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling
There's something that's always interested me about people in survival situations and both these books have that in spades.  There's chaos, order, and some hard earned truths all of which can be compared and contrasted to your heart's content.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
These two are clear opposites or companions, but the things the latter has in common with the former opens up a discussion of Romeo and Juliet to a wider range of students.  I know the first time I read Romeo and Juliet I had a hard time relating to it despite having seen the play a couple of times.  Discussing the two texts brings up conversations about loyalty, fate and destiny, and feuds or long standing ideological disagreements as well as love and sacrifice.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
Both books raise questions about some serious social issues and address ideas such as justice, loyalty and the meaning of family.  Plus these are potentially my two favorite books from school which means I couldn't resist recommending them again.