TTT: Top 10 Books I Wish Would Be Made into TV Shows

In celebration of all the new fall shows about to debut, this week's TTT is all about TV. I don't really watch a lot of TV..or at least, I try not to. I am guilty of binge-watching the occasional show on Netflix. (Did you guys see Stranger Things? It's incredible!) So my list is all about the books I want to see on the small screen. In no particular order (except for #1 because it is my actual #1 pick): 

10) Fables comic book series

This amazing comic book series is about fairy-tale characters living in exile in modern-day New York City and trying to get back to their homeland. I think it was greenlit at one point to be made into a TV series but it never got off the ground. 

9) Saga comic book series

Another amazing comic book series, Saga is an epic space opera that also incorporates elements of fantasy. Two people on opposing sides of an intergalactic war fall in love, have a child together, and go on the run. If ever adapted for television, I feel it would be right at home on the Syfy channel.

8) The Drakon series by Shana Abe

An historical fantasy romance series about a race of shape-shifting dragon people called the Drakon. While Shana Abe did a brilliant job with the books, I feel like a television series could really expand the world and give it a kind of Game of Thrones feel to it - while still focusing on the romantic aspect. 

7) The 5th Wave series by Rick Yancey

Yes, it was already adapted to the big screen and, while it wasn't a bad film, I feel The 5th Wave might gain a bigger audience with a TV series. 

6) Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Salem's Lot has actually been adapted a couple of different times into miniseries and made-for-TV movies - but none of them have gotten this terrifying vampire novel quite right. Now, in this golden age of television, I feel like it could be perfected. 

5) The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

The Shining Girls is about a serial killer who can travel through time and one of his would-be victims who seeks revenge. It is one of my favorite books of all time and I think it would make an incredible mini-series. Netflix would probably do it justice.(It looks like it's being adapted for film, but I think it would work better as a TV series.) 

4) Vampire Academy/Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead

The Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series would make for incredibly fun, soapy, dramatic television. It's too bad the film bombed because it's unlikely they'll try to adapt it again on the small screen. Then again, it worked for The Mortal Instruments...

3) Beauty and the Beast 

Okay, this one is going to take a bit of explaining: A few years ago, around the time when The CW was set to release their Beauty and the Beast show, another network announced plans for a different Beauty and the Beast show, one that would have more of an 'epic fantasy' feel to it. I was SO STOKED for this show...but it never saw the light of day and I have no idea what happened to it. I can't even remember what network it was supposed to be on. A Beauty and the Beast show with an epic fantasy flair? I would watch  the shit out of that! Sadly it wasn't to be and I have to content myself with the upcoming release of the live-action Disney remake coming out next year. (Which I am so excited for!!) Who knows? Maybe the movie will spark an appetite for Beauty and the Beast stories and someone will develop a new show...

2) A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas

Well, speaking of epic fantasy with a Beauty and the Beast feel to it...I definitely want to see an adaptation of ACOTAR at some point but I'm torn. I don't know if it would make a better movie or TV series. Can I have both? 

1) Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Is anyone surprised that this is my #1 pick? The Harry Potter series needs to be adapted for television, like, yesterday. Of course, no adaptation will ever live up to the original book series and the movies will always have a special place in my heart, but the HP books would be perfect as a television series. And it wouldn't have to end with adapting the seven books - they could have spin-offs about the Marauders and the four Hogwarts founders, and Dumbledore's early years...there's just so much potential!

What books do you want to see adapted to the small screen?

Top Ten Tuesday is an original bookish meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

New Releases: September 2016

Sept. 6

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

The Throne of Glass Coloring Book by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy Coloring Book

Leave Me by Gayle Forman

Genre: Contemporary Adult Fiction

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

As Old As Time (Twisted Tales #3) by Liz Braswell

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

Genre: Horror

Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World  by Ann Shen

Genre: Non Fiction-History

Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939

Genre: Non Fiction-Biography

How This Book was Made by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

Genre: Children's Picture Books/Humor

Sept. 13

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Genre: Historical Fiction

The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold #1) by Traci Chee

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea by Sungju Lee, Susan Elizabeth McClelland

Genre: Memoir

Sept. 20

Three Dark Crowns (Untitled #1) by Kendare Blake

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) by Sara Raasch

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1) by Jessica Cluess

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Stealing Snow (Stealing Snow #1) by Danielle Paige

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd (Flavia de Luce #8) by Alan Bradley

Genre: Mystery

The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia #1) by Sarah Beth Durst

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Death's End (Remembrance of Earth's Past #3) by Liu Cixin

Genre: Science Fiction

Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction

Sept. 27

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

The Fever Code (The Maze Runner #0.6) by James Dashner

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Bright Smoke, Cold Fire (Untitled #1) by Rosamund Hodge

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy #2) by Rae Carson

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Time Travel: A History by James Gleick


Genre: Science

Suicide Reviews: How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

  

Synopsis: Though they have the vote and the Pill and haven't been burned as witches since 1727, life isn't exactly a stroll down the catwalk for modern women. They are beset by uncertainties and questions: Why are they supposed to get Brazilians? Why do bras hurt? Why the incessant talk about babies? And do men secretly hate them?

Caitlin Moran interweaves provocative observations on women's lives with laugh-out-loud funny scenes from her own, from the riot of adolescence to her development as a writer, wife, and mother. With rapier wit, Moran slices right to the truth - whether it's about the workplace, strip clubs, love, fat, abortion, popular entertainment, or children - to jump-start a new conversation about feminism. With humor, insight, and verve, How to Be a Woman lays bare the reasons why female rights and empowerment are essential issues not only for women today but also for society itself. 

Date Published: June 16, 2011

Published By: Ebury Press

Number of Pages: 312

Rating: 5/5

I have discovered a new feminist heroine in Caitlin Moran. In How to Be a Woman she examines and completely eviscerates all of the societal expectations that women are beholden to. She burns the patriarchy to the ground with a knowing smirk. And she invites everyone (women and men) to join her.

This book didn't just make me laugh - it made me shriek with laughter so often that I'm sure the neighbours thought I was keeping a hyena in my basement. Moran is so adept at painting absurd scenes that you can't help but get the giggles. And everything she writes is just so true. Whether she's pointing out the torturous lengths women go to in order to look 'stylish' or waxing lyrical about the wonders of having pubic hair, I find myself nodding along because I too have had these thoughts - but not been able to give voice to them. So I am eternally grateful for Moran's voice - one that is hilarious, insightful, and irreverent

 This book makes me want to kick down doors, smash the patriarchy, and just get out and do shit. I want to run wild and free and not be held back just because I have a vagina. Hopefully, if enough people read Moran's book, we can create a world where those born with vaginas aren't held back anymore. Maybe, just maybe, we can stop being treated like women - and start being treated like the human beings we actually are. 

Top 5 Wednesday: Books I'm Intimidated By

 

As a lifelong reader, I love to read books that challenge me in different ways. Whether it's reading a 10-part book series or decoding a Shakespeare play, I'll gladly tackle any literary challenge that's thrown at me. However. There are some books that I have yet to read, not because I don't want to, but because they make me a wee bit apprehensive - usually due to their sheer size  (and tiny, tiny font.) Here are the Top 5 books that intimidate me the most.

5) The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu


The Tale of Genji is widely considered to be the first novel ever produced which is why I'm so curious to read it. But it's been sitting on my bookshelf, unread, for the past few years because it is 1,200 pages long and weighs a ton. And did I mention the font is minuscule?

4) The Arabian Nights by Anonymous


The Arabian Nights is usually collected in a single volume of selected stories. But being the overachieving reader that I am, of course I had to get the complete Arabian Nights set, consisting of three volumes. And each volume is nearly 1,000 pages long. Someday, I tell myself. Someday. (Maybe sooner than I thought. It's currently in my TBR pile!)

3) The Rise and the Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer


When I saw this book on Bookoutlet.ca, I knew I had to get it. It was a great price and I do love me some World War II history. Little did I know that the book is a whopping 1,600 PAGES! Who knew there was so much to cover about Nazi Germany!

2) Ulysses by James Joyce


To be honest, I'm not even sure what Ulysses is about. All I know is that it takes place in Ireland and is said to be one of the most difficult books to get through.

1) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy


I'm willing to bet that this book shows up on a lot of Top 5 Wednesday lists this week. This book hits the intimidating trifecta - it's over 1,000 pages, it was published over 150 years ago, and it's written by a Russian author. (I find Russian literature intimidating, for some reason.) One day, I'll sit down and power through it - but for now, it's just collecting dust on my shelf.


BONUS ROUND!

3 Books I WAS Intimidated By (Until I Read Them)

3) American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis



Before I read American Psycho, I had heard some...things. But how bad could it really be, I thought to myself. So, so, bad. This book is grotesque, nausea-inducing, insanity. Some of the descriptions actually made me gag. I can't say I enjoyed this book but I can say now that I've read it. I survived.

2) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky


Remember what I was saying before about Russian authors? Well, Dostoyevsky is really the first Russian author I've ever read and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Admittedly, Crime and Punishment is supposed to be his most accessible novel and this particular translation is incredibly easy to read. The hardest thing was figuring out how to pronounce the Russian names.

1) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo



Time to put on my bragging pants - I read Les Miserables in high school. Not for a class, but on my own. For fun. (I was a bit like Hermione.) It's definitely the longest book I've ever read, and probably the most difficult. (So much French!) But I found it fascinating and once I was finished, I was so proud of myself. It took me about three weeks, in case you're wondering.

Have you read any of the books on this list? What books are you intimidated by? Let me know in the comments below!

Top 5 Wednesday is an original bookish meme created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey. The Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads group can be found here.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough

  

For this list, I'm reaching back to previous years and trying not to include books that I've read/reviewed recently (excluding the first two entries.) This list features some of my favourite books of all time but, for one reason or another, haven't gushed about lately. 

10) Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

An incredible YA contemporary novel that I read last year, this book follows Simon Spier as he navigates high school drama and the ups and downs of coming out and finding love. Full of great, diverse characters and plenty of LOL moments, I feel like Simon vs THSA should inspire TFIOS levels of obsession. 

9) The Vagrant by Peter Newman

With touches of sci-fi and horror, this unique fantasy follows a badass, sword-wielding protagonist, who at the same time is a nurturing protector to an infant child. This is a novel where it takes a while to get used to the writing style - Newman takes the 'show, don't tell' school of thought to an extreme - but once I was about 50 pages in, I was hooked. The sequel, The Malice, is due to be published in May.

8) The Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch

A super-fun series that mixes urban fantasy with police procedurals, the Peter Grant novels have yet to disappoint me. I'm currently re-reading them, and whenever I do, I have the mad urge to recommend this series to everyone I come in contact with. 

7) The Drakon series by Shana Abe

A fantasy/romance series that features people who can turn into dragons - this is definitely a favourite of mine. Not only are the books full of action and steamy romance, they are bursting with gorgeous prose. There's also a YA spin-off series called The Sweetest Dark that I also love. I feel this is one of the most underrated series out there and I encourage everyone to check it out.

6) In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

A true-crime masterpiece that left me absolutely stunned when I first read it. Capote formed such intimate relationships with the two murderers and that detail and research really shine in the book. Required reading for true-crime fans.

5) Graceling series by Kristin Cashore

I consider the Graceling series to be one of the best in the YA fantasy genre - when I first read the books, I was blown away by the complexity of the world and the brilliant writing. I don't think it's as widely-read as it deserves to be.

4) Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

A book I haven't read in years but it's one of my all-time favourites. I am so disappointed that Arthur Golden hasn't written anything else because the man writes beautifully. I definitely need to reread this one soon.

3) The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

This is another book that I think is criminally under-read, even though it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2013. Set in North Korea, it follows Pak Jun Do as he rises in the ranks of the country's elite - and makes a deadly enemy of the notorious dictator, Kim Jong Il.

2) The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

I suppose literary snobs think it's cool to drop Murakami's name in casual conversation just so they can seem intelligent and worldly - but I genuinely do love his novels. Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is my all-time favourite of his - a bizarre, dreamy, surreal, beautiful book that demands to be reread over and over again. 

1) The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon

I think this post could alternately be titled 'Books I Haven't Read in Ages and Only Vaguely Remember but Know That I Love.' This is one of those books. I don't think I even fully understood it when I read it during my formative teenage years but I do remember the remarkable prose and how I didn't even realize books could be written like that until I read Yiddish Policeman's Union.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original bookish meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.