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.

TTT: Books I'd Buy Right This Second if Someone Handed Me a Fully Loaded Gift Card

 

Seeing as I have over a 1000 books on my wishlist (I'm not even kidding) it was kind of hard to narrow it down to ten. Somehow I managed by whittling it down to the ten books that are currently at the top of my (very long) wishlist:

In no particular order:

1) The Fireman by Joe Hill

I've yet to read anything by Joe Hill but, considering that he is Stephen King's son, I have a feeling that I'll love his work. I've collected all the books that he's published so far except his latest one, just released this year. It's supposed to be an epic post-apocalyptic novel and I cannot wait to add it to my bookshelf.

2) The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

I've seen this book several times during my frequent forays into bookstores and I've been tempted to walk out with it every time. Ken Liu has gotten some serious buzz lately and I'm intrigued to read his collection of short stories. Plus, I love the look of the minimalist cover with the adorable origami tiger.

3) Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer

I'm an aspiring writer of imaginative fiction. I need this book. Why haven't I bought it yet? Get your sh*t together, self!

4) The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT DRAGONS!

5) Fool's Gold (The Dragon Lords #1) by Jon Hollins

SO IS THIS ONE!

6) In the Labyrinth of Drakes (The Memoirs of Lady Trent #4) by Marie Brennan

ARE YOU NOTICING A CERTAIN THEME YET?

7) The Waking Fire (The Draconis Memoira #1) by Anthony Ryan

I'M SORRY, I JUST REALLY LOVE DRAGONS!

8) The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley

This book is not about dragons but it is about geek culture and feminism, two things that I rate almost as high as dragons. Almost.

9) Classic Penguin: Cover to Cover by Paul Buckley

Any avid book collector knows that no one beats Penguin when it comes to beautifully designed covers. I'm dying to get my hands on this book so I can revel in the glory of beautiful book covers.

10) Harry Potter Scholastic Box Set by J.K. Rowling

I've collected several Harry Potter sets over the years but I still haven't gotten my hands on a set of the classic Scholastic hardcovers. (I'm Canadian, so we got the British covers.)

What books are you dying to buy? Tell me in the comments below!

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

TTT: Top 10 Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2016

 

I can't believe that we are already halfway through 2016! The year is just flying by. There are so many great books coming out in the next six months that it's hard to narrow it down to ten...Hello new books, goodbye paycheck!

By order of release date:

1)The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone

Release Date: July 5

An apocalyptic horror novel that features a mutant race of spiders. This book sounds like it is right up my alley and early reviews have been glowing. Can't wait to devour this one!

2) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany

Release Date: July 31

I am of two minds with this one: yes, I am eagerly anticipating a new Harry Potter story but I am also somewhat disappointed that Rowling decided to write it as a play instead of a novel. Reading the script won't give readers the full impact of the story because it is meant to be seen on stage. Rowling has stated that Cursed Child will go on tour...eventually. Until then, I'll have to settle for reading the script.

3) Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Release Date: August 2

Spiders seem to be having a moment in speculative fiction. This fantasy novel features giant spiders as...heroes? Anti-heroes? I can't really remember but I know that they have starring roles. 

4) Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) by Jay Kristoff

Release Date: August 9

I'm anticipating this book for the cover alone. The only book I've ever read by Jay Kristoff was Illuminae which he co-authored with Amie Kaufman. It was one of my favorite books of 2015 and his other fantasy novels always intrigued me. He's definitely an author I'd like to get to know better.

5) The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

Release Date: August 16

Amy Schumer is one of my favorite comedians and I have been wanting to see a book from her for years. Looks like my dream will finally come true in a couple of months!

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

Release Date: September 16

I still haven't started on the Throne of Glass series yet but Maas' other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses is one of my all-time favorites so I've been collecting the ToG books as they come out. Hopefully I'll get around to reading them soon...

7) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay

Release Date: October 4

The illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is beautiful so I'm excited to see Jim Kay work his magic on Chamber of Secrets. 

8) Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Release Date: October 18

Illuminae blew me away last year with its unique format and compelling plot so of course I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel.

9) The Making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens by J.W. Rinzler, Mark Cotta Vaz, J.J. Abrams, and Kathleen Kennedy

(Cover not final)

Release Date: October 25

Considering The Force Awakens took me from a casual Star Wars viewer to a dedicated Star Wars nerd, I could not be more excited for this behind-the-scenes book.

10) Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: November 8

I am a huge Lunar Chronicles fan so Marissa Meyer has become one of my auto-buy authors. This is a standalone retelling starring the Queen of Hearts, the infamous villain from Alice in Wonderland. 

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

TTT: Top 10 Reasons I Love Harry Potter

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie where we get to blog about something near and dear to our hearts. Seeing as I have currently immersed myself in the Wizarding World once again, I thought I'd write down the Top Ten Reasons I Love Harry Potter. 

1) The Story Itself

An epic tale that takes place over seven books, Harry Potter is one of the most complex, creative, and ambitious stories about the triumph of good over evil in all of literature. Harry Potter is popular for a reason - it's an absolute masterpiece of storytelling. 

2) Every time I reread it, I discover something new

Anyone who dismisses the Harry Potter series as 'children's books' has probably never read the series - or at least never revisited it. There are so many layers to each one of the books and each one is connected to another in some way. Every time I reread Harry Potter, I stumble across something new - and it almost feels like reading it for the very first time.

3) It takes me back to my childhood

I discovered Harry Potter when I was about 8 years old and the books became a huge part of my childhood. I read and reread them ferociously - and I'm still rereading them into my adulthood. I still get that special sense of wonder and enchantment whenever I read a Harry Potter book and I credit the series for preventing me from turning into a cynical and jaded adult.

4) The HP fandom is incredible

I've met some wonderful people, both online and in real life, who share my love for Harry Potter. I'm just so amazed that the fandom has continued to grow and is always producing new artwork, fanfiction, theories, and discoveries. Is the fandom perfect? No, of course not. There are some toxic elements to it that are unfortunately found in most fandoms. (The recent furor over the casting of a black Hermione I find particularly troublesome.) But for the most part, people in the fandom are warm, accepting people and I am proud to belong to it.

5) Harry Potter inspired me to be a writer

When I wasn't reading Harry Potter, I was imagining myself living in the world of it, creating stories in my mind that took place at Hogwarts. Basically, I was writing fanfiction in my head. Doing this inspired me to imagine my own fictional world, with my own characters and storylines. J.K. Rowling has been such an inspiration to me over the years, and it's thanks to her that I continue to pursue my dream of one day becoming a published author. 

6) Harry Potter lets me escape from reality

This I could say about reading in general, but whenever I read Harry Potter, I actually feel like I'm inhabiting a parallel universe. If there was a way I could climb inside the pages and live at Hogwarts, I would.

7) The various creatures are...fantastic

I've always loved books that feature mythical creatures and Harry Potter is chock-full of some of my favorites. I love how Rowling put her own spin on existing mythical beasts as well as creating her own. Dragons, phoenixes, thestrals, hippogriffs...I love them all and could not be more excited for the Fantastic Beasts film!

8) The humor in the books

Each and every book has some fantastic jokes that still make me laugh to this day. I've found, strangely enough, that as the books get darker, they also get funnier. 

9) Severus Snape

My favorite character in the Harry Potter series is, and will always be, Severus Snape. There is something about him that I really empathize with and connect to. I know there's the whole controversy about Harry naming his kid after him, and OMG he was such a bully and blah, blah, blah...But no. In my opinion, he is an absolute gift of a character, and I would love to see the Harry Potter series from Snape's POV. (Hint, hint, J.K. Rowling!)

10) Harry Potter taught me what it means to be a good person

Reading Harry Potter taught me to not judge people based on appearance and to accept people for who they are. It taught me the meaning of true friendship and empathy. It taught me what unconditional love is. Most importantly, Harry Potter taught me that those who fear death are also afraid of life. I learned what really matters in life, thanks to Harry Potter.

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