Top Ten Tuesday (7)

Top Ten Tuesday is a Tuesday book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to make lists of our favourite books or book-related topics. For this week's theme I picked my favourite underrated books from my old spring feature Wannabee Book Hipster. I only chose books published before 2011  though since they're usually the most neglected. Great theme idea!

Top Ten Underrated Books

1. The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz. Probably the most popular book from my list, The Vinyl Princess is a hilarious summer read. The spunky, fiesty protagonist will win over your heart in the first few chapters. If you're a music junkie you'll love the band and lyric references and chances are you'll make your own playlist with the mixed tape songs, just like I did!

2. Waves by Sharon Dogar. A poetic summer novel, Waves is the perfect beach read for anyone bored with shallow gossip novels. Also if you're looking for something with more of a family feel to it rather than romance, yet another great choice.

3. My Life: The Musical by Maryrose Wood. As many of you know I'm a fan of theatre and will be pursuing a degree in it this fall. My Life the Musical is the perfect book for a theatre geek. It's filled with show references, lyrics, and a plot that makes me heart swell. 

4. After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr. It's really hard to describe After the Moment because it leaves you with such intense emotions and thoughts. A deeply poetic novel about a boy and a girl who meet one year and the aftermath. Garret Freymann-Weyr is a wonderful author who definitely deserves more recognition for her work. 

5. Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby. One of my favourite LGBTQ books by an awesome Canadian author. I loved how it both enforced and broke down the stereotypes of "gay people". If you're not particularly open to LGBTQ literature this might be a good starter.

6. Grace by Elizabeth Scott. Elizabeth Scott is the opposite of an underrated author but for some reason her 2010 novel Grace has received next to no reviews. Maybe it's because it's not her typical contemporary or comedic romance, but it's an amazing novel nontheless. I applaud Elizabeth Scott for taking the plunge into a different genre and rocking it!

7. Flavor of the Week by Tucker Shaw. I love this book! This was the first non-cookbook food-related book I read and I fell in love. The recipes are awesome and the plot is cute. More people should read Tucker Shaw novels. 

8. After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy.  One of my favourite prose novels of all time! A thought-provoking tale about cheating from both sides of the act, from the perspectives of the two girls it affects. 

9. How I Spent My Last Night on Earth by Todd Strasser. This was one of the first books I ever read that truly tugged on my heart strings. Some people have read it and totally missed all the references, poetic messages, and quotes that make the book so amazing. If I ever found out the world was going to end, this is exactly how I'd want to spend my day.

10. Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony. Another great book by a Canadian author. A very mild dystopian about a futuristic yet rural USA. If you want to take a dip into dystopian without going hardcore, this would be a great choice.

Did you do a Top Ten Tuesday? Post your link in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday (6)

Top Ten Tuesday is a Tuesday book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to make lists of our favourite books or book-related topics. For this week's theme I picked five trends I'd like to see more of and five trends I'd like to see less of in YA lit. Great theme!

Top Ten Books Trends You'd Like to See More/Less Of

More Of

1. International settings. While fictional locations in fantasy books are the most enchanting and desirable, I still find real-life settings to be great. I'd love more variety though. I haven't read many books set in international countries without them being about cultural differences or history (i.e. Germany in World War II). Anything not set in the States would be awesome!

2. Mythology. There's been a recent uprising in mythology-based novels but barely enough to make a dent with all the contemporary and paranormal romances. Maybe something based in Rome rather than Greece? Or something Chinese? There are so many myths and stories to use as inspiration!

3. Platonic/non-romantic relationships. In almost every YA book the main character is in a romantic relationship. That's why books like How to Say Goodbye in Robot or Witchlanders are so shocking and different. Purely platonic relationships? No hints of romance at all? So refreshing! I'd love to see more authors explore friendships as relations rather than romance as the default.

4. Adult authors writing a YA novel. There's been a few adult authors writing their first teen novels lately and producing some top quality lit. They're bringing over their adult audience, being recognized by a larger audience, and usually arriving with a bigger reputation than most debut YA authors. I hope more adult authors take the plunge and try it out!

5. Based on true stories. Freaks and Revelations was the first YA book I read based on a true story and I was immediately drawn to the reality of the scenario. I did a bit of research afterwards into the lives of the protagonists and it was great to find out more about their lives. YA novels are a great way to introduce teens and YA readers to real events like the Ecuadorian slavery (Queen of Water) or the Holocaust (Anne Frank).

Less Of

1. Unplanned series. When writing a book I would assume that the author intends to end it at the end or leave it open for more books. I understand that not all books are sold as series or sequels but it's frustrating when so many books are becoming 5-10 book series when it's obvious there were only supposed to be 2 or 3. I wish authors stayed true to their original thought about "I want a quartet!" straight from the start.

2. Best friends falling in love. While it's the age old romance that makes your heart soar, it's really annoying and predictable when the best friends end up together. Why can't people meet at school and go on dates, or be introduced by friends? There doesn't always have to be some magical revelation that we all saw from the first chapter.

3. Hypersexuality. Teenagers have sex. Yes. But it's not necessary to portray all your main characters as sex-crazed maniacs. I've read one too many books where the characters can't wait to finally have sex for the first time, or all they do with your partner is sexually related. There's more to teenage relationships and while many of them do involve sex, not all of them are to this extent. 

4. Forgiveness. This might seem like an odd one to add but I'm a little bored of protagonists making huge life-altering choices/mistakes and everyone else just forgiving them right away. Killing someone? Oh, it's okay, you were possessed, no harm done. No! Even in paranormal fantasies we shouldn't just expect supporting characters to rally around the protagonist after they do terrible things just because they're the main character. There should be more consequences for actions. 

5. Love triangles. Everyone else was gonna include it so I had to too. Girl emotionally torn between her nerdy best friend and handsome "new-kid-at-school"? Yawn. I'd love to see it reversed to one guy torn between two girls. That'd be awesome! Or maybe something like in Love Inc. where the main character dates several people and has many love interests sequentially. It does happen in real life!

Did you do a Top Ten Tuesday? Post your link in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday (5)

Top Ten Tuesday is a Tuesday book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to make lists of our favourite books or book-related topics. For this week's theme I picked one book per "tough" issue that really stands out to me. For the purposes of my list a "tough" issue is something highly controversial or something that would be hard to experience as a teenager.

Top Ten Books Tackling "Tough" Issues

1. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. Laurie Halse Anderson is renowned her her novel Speak but I'd like to remember her for her 7th book. A novel that redefined what it means to have an eating disorder to me, Wintergirls opened my eyes to a terrifying world of sadness and angst. A beautiful novel about one of the most heartbreaking forms of self-harm.

2. Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal. A 2011 debut author, Lorraine Zago Rosenthal has captured the attention of YA readers this year with her stunning novel about growing up in New York in the 1980s. We meet Ari who is unaware of the AIDS and STI risks around her as she begins her emotional awakening in high school and are drawn to her discovery of love and sex.

3. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins. Ellen Hopkins is the queen of controversial issues. It was hard to narrow it down to one novel to choose, but in the end Impulse won out. This is one of my favourite books about teen suicide because for once it looks at it from the perspective of attempted cases rather than the lives of friends and family post-suicide.

4. Exposure by Therese Fowler. A YA/adult crossover, Exposure delves into the modern day world of sexting and its serious implications in today's legal cases. After two teenagers in love are caught sending each other nude photos they fight to prove their innocence and right to privacy versus new and up-and-coming laws about the internet.

5. No and Me by Delphine de Vigan. A French novel about homelessness, some YA readers might shy away from such a "pointless" or "boring" but No and Me is nothing but heartbreaking and passionate. The tale of a homeless teenager in modern day Paris will open your eyes to the world of those forgotten by society with no one to comfort them.

6. Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka. As polygamy becomes a national issue in both Canada and the USA many YA authors have taken to giving their perspective on the FLDS' lifestyle choices. Sister Wife offers three perspectives: a daughter who wants to get out, a "lost boy" who is kicked out, and a sister who years to be married. I appreciated the originality compared to other novels who only paint one side of this very complex issue and fail to comment on the lives of those left behind.

7. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. We've all heard the news stories of young girls kidnapped and raped but rarely do we hear what actually happens during those terrifying hours, days, months, or in this case, years. In Living Dead Girl readers are subject to the harsh realities of sexual abuse and the startling affects on the personality and behaviour of young Alice.

8. Stay by Deb Caletti. Deb Caletti's most recent novel Stay is about a young girl escaping her present by running away to the sea. While there are many other facets to this complicated novel the most prominent is teenage relationship violence, a topic that needs to be addressed more in the media and literature. 

9. Becoming Anna by Anna J. Michener. Becoming Anna was one of the first books I ever read about mental illness, especially when the narrator was the one being diagnosed. A terrifying story of  misdiagnosis and foster care, Anna's memoir erased most of my stereotypes about mental patients and their circumstances and replaced it with a heart wrenching honesty of fear and isolation.

10. I Know It's Over by C.K. Kelly Martin. Teen pregnancy is a very common topic in YA literature but rarely are readers able to hear the male perspective. In I Know It's Over, Nick learns that his ex-girlfriend Sasha is pregnant. I bawled through most of this book due to it's beautiful prose and metaphor, and the shocking emotional anguish a teenage boy must feel when faced with such a situation. 

Did you do a Top Ten Tuesday? Post your link in the comments! 

Top Ten Tuesday (4)

I'm loving Top Ten Tuesday lately and will probably make it a regular meme for the rest of the summer. If you don't know, Top Ten Tuesday is a Tuesday book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to make lists of our favourite books or book-related topics.

Top Ten Books That Should Be Required Reading for Teens

1. Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. In many Canadian school districts teachers are not allowed to teach Merchant of Venice because of it's antisemitic views. I think it's an amazing play that happens to touch on many "taboo" topics including homosexuality, antisemitism, and racism that students should study and learn about rather than be ignorant of.  

2. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Being completely biased on this one because I love it more than air sometimes, but I think everyone should read Harry Potter. There's amazing character and plot development, plus great themes to study like good vs evil, nature vs nurture, the journey of the hero, sacrifice, responsibility, racism, prejudice, bullying, destiny, etc. I would've killed to do a paper on Harry Potter in high school.

3. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. One of Jodi Picoult's finest works, Nineteen Minutes focuses on many issues teenagers face including bullying, peer pressure, and relationship abuse in a strong literary style. A great novel about the consequences of actions it's main topic is a school shooting, something teens should read about and be aware of especially in a decade where so many have occurred.

4. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. I read this when I was about 13 or 14 and bawled my way through the final chapters. An amazing ethical novel told through the eyes of a mentally challenged man given an operation to "be smart". I don't want to ruin the plot for anyone who hasn't read it yet but the transformation is tear-jerking and a must-read for any young person.

5. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. A novel about a young boy but definitely not for young readers. I would recommend this to a mature English class studying Holocaust literature because it gives a fresh perspective on concentration camps through the eyes of a child. Whittling World War II down to the simplest it can be taught me how truly horrifying the entire war was.

6. Crank by Ellen Hopkins. Poetry and dug abuse are two things rarely covered in high school curriculum, so why not combine them both in one book! Crank is an excellent way to convey metaphor, simile, and any other fancy literary terms English teachers argue can't be found in YA books without the "boringness" of most required reading today. 

7. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This one doesn't really have an explanation. It's just an amazing novel that I think all teens should read, especially boys just to gain a female perspective on rape. While some might argue it's a book with "heavy" content, I think it's important for teens to read at least some "dark" books at some point before they turn 18.

8. The Giver by Lois Lowry. This was required reading in my elementary school but I found out that no other school other than mine chose it so most teenagers at my high school had never read it. Everyone should read this! One of the first great dystopia novels written for teens, The Giver changed my perspective of government, responsibility, and communism. 

9. So Shelly by Ty Roth. A bunch of people would probably disagree with this, but I'd choose this for recommended reading to introduce young people to some of the most famous authors and poets who ever existed. Why not read a modern day intellectually written book about them rather than subject students to reading poetry and books that they'll probably grumble about because they don't understand the language? This is a great introduction and would probably spark a lot of interest in people that otherwise would've ignored poetry and the classics all together. 

10. Anything. As Anna said, teenagers should have the opportunity to read anything they want. Every year in my high school English classes we had one required reading novel (The Hobbit, To Kill a Mockingbird, Frankenstein, and Fifth Business) but in 3 of those classes we were allowed to choose our own ISU novel. It was a great opportunity to showcase and analyse YA fiction and I hope more English teachers do the same in the future.

Did you do a Top Ten Tuesday? Post your link in the comments! 

Top Ten Tuesday (3)

Wahoo! It's that time of the week again! Laura's attempt at trying random memes at random times! Yay! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Authors I Would Die to Meet

I absolutely love meeting authors! I have a post schedule in...September I think talking about all the different author events and people I've met, from Kelley Armstrong to Lesley Livingston. I'll also be attending a few author events this fall. Yay!

1. J.K. Rowling - I'd probably just start bawling as soon as I see her and then try to gargle out some sort of "thank you for making my childhood amazing" speech. After seeing her speech at the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiere all I want to do is give her a hug.

2. Sarah Dessen - The queen of contemporary. I'm meeting her this fall! Eek! I'm super excited! She is one of the few authors whom I'm read every one of their works. Except for Whatever Happened to Goodbye because I suck. I really should get on that. 

3. Tamora Pierce - While Harry Potter is considered fantasy, not quite in the same way as Tamora Pierce's Tortall. She redefined the genre for me and introduced me to my first real heroines: Alanna, Daine, Kel, Ali, and Beka. I think I'd just scream if I ever met her.

4. Jodi Picoult - As a YA reader I shy away from the adult section like it's full of malaria. Jodi Picoult introduced me to the world of YA/adult crossover and I'll be forever grateful. To sit and have a chat with the woman behind Nineteen Minutes? Stop my beating heart! (Plus I have like 6 of her books that defs need to be signed.)

5. John Green - Nerdfighters unite! I'm a huge fan of not only John Green's books but his vlog channel and ability to constantly communicate with his fanbase. He goes above and beyond with Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube to interact with his fans and hear their input on his works. If I ever met him (or his adorable son) I would just die.

6. William Shakespeare - While not technically an author I would kill to have dinner with Shakespeare. To find out what inspired his plays, how he developed the characters, whether any of it was based on real life events or happenings. Also to get his opinion on Shakespeare in Love would be stellar. Love him to death.

7. Gregory Maguire - Some people can't wait to meet Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth but I 'm dying to meet the man behind the curtain. (pun!) Gregory Maguire taught me that there's always more than one side to a story and long before Snape's reveal in Deathly Hallows taught me to love the anti-hero as much as the hero.

8. Dr. Seuss - I saw Jen at The Broke and the Bookish add this one, so Nick Hornby was bumped out. Dr. Seuss would be epic! Gah! I'd make him write me on a poem on the spot and show him Horton Hears a Who and it would be amazing. Absolutely love the Seuss.

9. Laurie Halse Anderson - I love Laurie Halse Anderson. She's seriously such an amazing author. I bawled my eyes out during her 10th anniversary of Speak video. I'd desperately like to thank her for what she's done for YA literature, especially books dealing with "dark" issues and content. 

10. Maureen Johnson - When I think Maureen Johnson the first word that comes to mind is "cool". She's such a cool author! While I haven't read all her works I've read enough to be a huge fan and desperately want to meet her. Oh! And give her a high-5 for her super awesome radio conversation about #yasaves.

Did you do a Top Ten Tuesday? Post your link in the comments! 

Top Ten Tuesday (2)

I've been tinkering around with different orders of my reviews and memes over the past few weeks. I last did a Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in May and figured "Why not try it again!"

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Book Blogging

1. Books! I love books. I eat books, I work books, I dream books. Books are some of my best friends. Any opportunity to talk about, listen to, or read about books is an opportunity I love. The idea of a blog where all I do is read, review, and talk about books is so amazing I didn't believe it at first. I absolutely love book blogging!


2. Goodreads! I am a Goodreads addict. It's an open tab on my laptop 24/7. Before I started blogging I had a massive "to-reads" shelf with no end in site. And it's grown! I've since added at least 200 books but also managed to read 41 titles I've never gotten around to reading. I've also started to utilize some of the website features like giveaways and quotes more often too.


3. Sharing My Love of Books! For the past 5 years I've been a member of my local youth book club and every week we discuss new books we've heard about. For ages this was restricted to new releases at the library but ever since I started this blog our horizons have expanded. Now everyone knows about 2012 releases and can't wait to read and review them. Sharing my love of books and my new knowledge with friends has made the whole project seem worthwhile. 


4. Sense of Achievement! Creating and running a book blog was my project for 2011. I thought it would be tiresome and I'd give up after a few weeks as I do with most projects. Instead I'm loving every minute of it and having a blast. I haven't felt this proud of myself in a long time and I love to "brag" to my friends and family about The Zealous Reader 24/7.


5. Armchair BEA! Even though this is technically an author event, I absolutely loved participating a few weeks ago. Being a part of such a large global community coming together to celebrate literature is a dream come true. While I would love to attend the in-person event next year I would just as happily participate in Armchair again.


6. Followers! My goal in January was to have 100 followers by December 31st. I figured at least 50 of these would be friends and family. Never in a million years would I be at 91 by the end of June and not know at least 70 of them. Every time a new person follows me my heart soars and I'm so appreciative of each and every one of you for following me.


7. Author events! Since my blogging adventure began I haven't had an opportunity to attend any events but I'll be at Word on the Street and introducing an author for Eden Mills in September. It's also been great to be informed about YA authors coming to Canada more often.


8.  Meeting awesome people! There are too many awesome book bloggers to count. I never thought I'd find some that lived in Canada too! I love hearing what sort of books they're interested in, their favourite authors, and what releases they're looking forward to. In the past week I've started following three new awesome bloggers: Nic at Irresistible Reads, Carina at Fictional Distraction, and Melissa at I Swim for Oceans; check them out!


9. Supporting debut authors! Through researching various authors' struggles to be published and receive recognition for their works in the early years of YA I aim to use my blog as an effective marketing tool for as many debut authors as possible. 


10. Free books! Who doesn't love free books! I've received over a dozen copies from authors and publishers for review in the past 3 months and can't wait to read them all. 




Did you do a Top Ten Tuesday this week? Post your link in the comments and I'll be sure to check it out!

Top Ten Tuesday (1)

I decided to spice things up this Tuesday and forget about Teaser Tuesday. Instead I'm doing a Top Ten Tuesdsay, a weekly meme by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is 

Top 10 Books That Should Be In Your Beach Bag

I've been compiling my summer reading list and "beach reads" are my favourite to include. I love the mix of summer, romance, adventure, and humour!

10. Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain

9. Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman

8. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

7. Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

6. Waves by Sharon Dogar 

5. The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz

4. Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

3. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

2. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

1. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Did you do a Top 10 Tuesday this week? Leave your link in the comments and I'll be sure to check it out!