Top Ten Tuesday (#110) (10/13/15) Top Ten Author Duos You'd LOVE To See Write A Book Together

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Author Duos You'd LOVE To See Write A Book Together

Wow this is actually kind of hard for me.  My first instinct is to pair like authors. But then I start think about how challenging it would be for two different authors to come together to create something awesome.  Sadly I stuck to the pretty obvious, and a lot of contemporary since that is my true love.  Here is my best attempt at this.

Sarah Dessen & Gayle Forman

Two of my favorite authors writing a book together would blow me away.  It would be beautifully written with a tragic, yet hopeful, story line.

Rachel Hawkins & Ally Carter

A collaboration between them would just result in an awesome lighthearted book that would just be adorable.  And funny.

Jandy Nelson & E. Lockhart

My brain can't even begin to process the awesomeness that would come out of a collaboration with these writers.  They both write contemporary books, but their style is so different, yet so awesome that anything they write together would be a masterpiece. 

Maggie Stiefvater & John Corey Whaley

This is another book that I can't really imagine. Whatever the story it would be twisty, deep, with a sophisticated humor.  It would be beautifully written and completely memorable.

Laurie Halse Anderson & John Green

Another contemporary duo that I would love to see collaborate.  The both take on some really serious topics.  I don't read middle grade books, but I think they could kill something that is MG.

Emery Lord &  Jennifer E. Smith

Another two contemporary authors that I absolutely love.  Their books are somewhat similar, so I don't know if there would be a distinct voice that would come out of a collaboration between them.

Libba Bray & Maureen Johnson

Another contemporary pairing that I would love to see.  Libba Bray's books are so funny but in a really smart way, and Maureen Johnson's books can really play to that.

Rainbow Rowell & Stephanie Perkins

I imagine a collaboration between them to result in an awesomely quirky contemporary romance with characters that you just don't want to leave behind.

Morgan Matson & Leila Sales

This is another duo that has a very similar writing style.  Matson's books tend to be pretty serious, and Sale's more recent books have been the same.  However, Sale's early works have a lighthearted tone that I think would really work in a collaboration.

Kimberly Derting & Richelle Mead

I had to toss in a non-contemporary collaboration that I think would result in a really crazy yet awesomely interesting book. I imagine there would be some kind of paranormal element that would make this really memorable.

Top Ten Tuesday (#105) (08/25/15) Top Ten Books That Would Be On My Syllabus If I Taught YA Dystopia 101

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Books That Would Be On My Syllabus If I Taught YA Dystopia 101

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Part Dystopian, a lot Sci-Fi, this series is just great.  Cinder remains my favorite of the series, but they are all wonderful and Meyer does a great job of world building.  It's just an interesting take about what would happen to a society that is facing a horrible disease and what would the leaders do to fix it.

Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

I loved the concept of this series, a society where the ability to love is surgically removed from the citizens is just a fascinating concept.  Unfortunately, I think this is the best book in the series, and it just goes downhill from the first.

Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Another book that does a great job of world building.  It also kept me absolutely riveted and breathless.  It's easy to dismiss it as Hunger Games light, but I think it stands up really well on its own.  It would be interesting to see a comparison paper evaluating Divergent and the Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

One of the champions of dystopia.  It's probably the most well known and the gold standard.  All other dystopian YA can only wish to have the success as it has had.  I once read an interview with a publisher who said they wouldn't even buy dystopia because it just won't be able to compare to this series.  I think the entire series was expertly crafted and the story so unique to YA at the time it was published.

The Pledge (The Pledge #1) by Kimberly Derting

Here is the first of the books that has a society that has an instituted caste system.  It also has some very interesting paranormal elements.  I also kind of love that in this world Women hold the power.  It would be interesting to see a comparison of the caste systems between this series and the Selection series.

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

A very interesting take on a society that's ruled by the military.  The paranormal element takes most of the billing and not so much the dystopian society and how the citizens are dealing with the government.  Even so, it's a great dystopian book.

Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano

I love the idea of this series.  Nobody lives past a certain age.  I must confess I haven't read the others in the series to see how it ends, but the first book is so strong and it builds such a fantastic world that it would be worth including.

The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass

A series I love to hate. I think the most fascinating aspect of this series is the caste system that's in place. The selection process while entertaining is actually less interesting and fascinating than the world that the characters live in.  The ramifications of going outside your cast was the best part of this series.

Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie

This series gets a lot of grief for being as slow as it is.  It's not a fast paced series by any stretch of the imagination.  I also was rooting for the other guy at the end.  However, why I would pick this book/series is the interesting take on how a society has so severely limited creation of art and beauty.  The public only has access to 100 books, songs, etc. This series probably has the most regulated population and it makes it fascinating.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1) by Carrie Ryan

I was actually surprised to see this as being dystopian, but by the definition of dystopia it totally fits.  The story is post zombie apocalypse why a small group of survivors that is lead by the church.  The entire village has to live by the rules that the church set up.  It's a fascinating take on how a group reverts back to the morals and rules of a society that in our current day society have been left in the long distant past. 

Top Ten Tuesday (#103) (08/11/15) Top Ten Authors I've Read The Most Books From

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Eleven Authors I've Read The Most Books From

I have a tie, so I have to make it a top 11.  I am having to limit this list to full books by authors.  If you add in all the novellas and shorts by authors, the list changes.  Of course this list ends up favoring those authors that have long series that I read all of the books.  I am also limiting this list to YA, and YA I've read in the last 10 years.  The number of books I've read is below their name.  Here's what I came up with.

Kieran Scott/Kate Brian

 23

She would have made the list twice with the number of books I've read by her under each of her names.  However, I'm combining it into one.  The Private/Privilege series added a number of books to the 23 I've read, however I actually only read 6 of those books, so it's not what elevated these numbers.  It's all the other stuff she's written.

Meg Cabot

23

A large number of these are between the Mediator series and the Princess Diaries.  However, I've read plenty more that she's written.  I've been reading her books for years, so the number has kind of crept up on me.

Melissa de la Cruz

14

The Blue Blood series was the main reason why this count is so high even though I haven't read the last book.  I've also read a bunch of her other stuff.  I haven't loved the new stuff as much, but she's still an author I can count on.

Zoey Dean

14

I don't know if Zoey Dean is even a real person.  I think she is, since she gets writing credits on IMDB.  However, I've never seen a picture.  Most of books I've read are from the A-List series, which was a total guilty pleasure of mine.

Sarah Dessen

12

Needless to say, she would be number one on my list if she'd written more books.  She is a book every other year author, so she hasn't written as many as some other authors.  Each of her books is well worth the wait.  She's written 12 books, and I've read 12 books.  It's the only author on this list that I can say that I've read every thing they've written.

Richelle Mead

 12

I managed to completely read both the Vampire Academy and the Bloodlines series in it's entirety.  I do plan on reading her new book in the fall, which I am really excited about. I haven't read any of her adult stuff yet.

P.C. & Kristin Cast

10

I read the first 10 House of Night books, and several of the novellas and then I broke up with the series.  I actually have the final two books, I just can't bring myself to read them.

Ally Carter

10

I've read almost everything she's written.  I adored the Gallager Girls series, and the Heist Society books are just as good.  I am pretty willing to read whatever she writes.

Jennifer Echols

8

She would be higher on the list if I read everything I own by her.  She's one of my favorites, and it's just a matter of time until I read all her books. 

Kimberly Derting

 7

I loved the Body Finder series, and I think about it ALL the time when I hear about murders, and there being a question of guilt.  I also enjoyed The Pledge series.  I haven't read her most recent books, but I am still a big fan.

J.K. Rowling

7

She makes it on the list on the seven Harry Potter books she's written.  I haven't read any of her adult books, and I really don't plan on it.  The Harry Potter books were good enough for me.

Top Ten Tuesday (#91) (5/12/15) Ten Authors I REALLY Want To Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Ten Authors I REALLY Want To Meet

I am so blessed, in that I have been fortunate enough to meet a ton of authors.  Being a librarian, I get to attend ALA for work, and I am able to sneak down to the exhibit hall floor to meet tons of authors that are signing.  I've also been to BEA, which is an author extravaganza, and I live in a major metropolitan area, so lots of authors come here on tour, so I get to meet them at book signings.  If meeting authors is your thing, I really suggest BEA.  It's kind of rushed, so you don't get to talk to them very long, but it really gives you a chance to tell them how much you love their work, plus you get to meet a bunch of debut authors.  Even with the number of authors I've met, there are a few that I still can't wait to meet.

Jennifer Echols

She doesn't really tour for her books, so I don't know when I would ever get a chance to meet her.  It makes me sad because I really adore her books.

 

Morgan Matson

I really love her books.  She's an author where I'm not sure why I haven't met her, I will at some point I'm sure. I just need her to come to an ALA conference and I'm set.

Jennifer E. Smith

I don't know why I haven't met her yet.  She's one of those authors where I've read almost everything they've written, but somehow have missed meeting her.  I will try to rectify that at some point.

E. Lockhart

I had a chance to meet her in November, and I MISSED IT.  I was so upset. She was at NCTE last year, and I was late getting to the conference, and by time I got there they had cut the line off.  I really hope I do get to meet her at some point.

Kimberly Derting

I've read a couple of her series now and I've really enjoyed them.  I would love to meet her and get my books signed.

 Jandy Nelson

I may get my chance to meet her this year.  She'll be at ALA since she won the Printz and they will have a ceremony for her.  I hope she will be doing a signing in the exhibit hall as well.  I will take a break from being in session to get a chance to meet her.

 

Gayle Forman

I have no excuse for not meeting her.  I had a chance last year, but I missed it. When she comes back to DC, I won't miss my chance again.  I have a stack of book by her just waiting to be signed.

J.K. Rowling

This is an obvious one. I would love to hear her speak in person, and then get all my books signed.  She made readers of so many kids, it would be amazing to meet her.

 John Green

He's a YA rock star. He was actually at the first ALA conference I ever went to, I was just clueless about what was going on, and I missed seeing him.

 

Judy Blume

I want to meet her because she's JUDY FRICKIN' BLUME.  I mean, come on.  She's such a huge part of my childhood and teen years.  I don't know what my life would have been like without her books to help get me through some really weird times.