Top Ten Tuesday : Wishes for the Book Genie

What are my wishes for the Book Genie? Oh, oh - do I have ever the many!

1) I am always in need of a more storage/shelves. My first wish for the Book Genie would be creative, swoon worthy storage for my beloved friendlies.

I adore book to movies adaptations (if done correctly). An obvious but very dear wish for the Book Genie would be that these would be these books turned into movies :

2) Carry On. (The world needs this. It really does.)

3) The Ordinary Princess (I've made this wish before and I will continue to do so until it's fulfilled!)

4) The Heather Wells Mysteries (Miniseries, TV Show, a movie, franchise. I don't care...it'd be so much fun to watch!)

5) Daughters of the Moon Series  (A super popular series when I was in High School that I always thought would be a really great premise/foundation for a TV Show. Much better than Pretty Little Liars or Vampire-anything - these girls are GODDESSES.)

What about movies or a TV show into a book? Not just books but a novel. A really, lovely in-depth novel that does the original format justice. (Such as is the wish for every book to movie). 

6) Moonrise Kingdom. I could read this.

7) Sons of Anarchy, TV Show. (A manuscript was a heavy part of the plot within the series. As was the writing of the main character. I would love to read the journals of Jax Teller or the manuscript his father wrote).

8) The Village (One of my favorite horror/scary movies. I think it would be a wonderfully disturbing novel to read).

Literary worlds I would love to visit....

9) Redwall. (I would be a squirrel or a mouse)

10)  Winterfell - Game of Thrones-Verse (Before the King's visit, of course. Lol.)

And those are my top wishes for the Book Genie!

Sorry for the lateness, I sort of forgot that I hadn't finished it! What were your wishes? Anything to add to mine?

Jess

Vengeance Road

I've been waiting to read this since forever! Okay, since I saw the cover a while ago. (I have a serious cover crush on this book). It's been a long time since I've cracked open a good old fashioned western. And it's been even longer since I've cracked open one in the Young Adult area. It is because of this that I feel it necessary to begin this post with - CAN WESTERNS BE THE NEW THING? YEA LET'S DO IT. Really. Please. WESTERNS. YES?!???!!!!
Ok. So that's out of my system. I shall commence with the post...

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Published: September 1st, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 336 Pages (Hardback, E-book)
Genre: Western, Young Adult
Find the Author: Website (social media links under 'contact'!)

"Revenge is worth its weight in gold. When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow."- Snatched from the Goodreads blurb! :)

Erin Bowman has mastered the voice of a western hero in the form of a teenage girl with a gun and a thirst for vengeance. Literally. Some use first person as a vehicle to write in their own voice. She uses it as a vehicle to express Kate. It reminded me of the clear voice Suzanne Collin's give Katniss in the Hunger Games. She has the dialect and persona down.  Yet, Bowman doesn't use it as a distraction to hide behind - she uses it as a tool. I get authenticity, I get delivery. I don't get lazy. 

The idea of a western hero on a quest for vengeance has the potential for being a little trite. But not in this western. There are PLENTY of classic westerns parts to it - the saloon set-up scene, shoot outs, the Native American guide, the pesky but necessary companions. Between Kate's authentic voice and the twist at the end - it deviates from any possible triteness.

The twist at the end (not giving it away) and the way that Kate handles herself is one of my favorite things. This is a naturally feminist, girl-empowering piece of work in a space that has often suppressed female characters into stereotypes or damsels (or both). I admire how the romantic story line doesn't dominate but enhance the plot. I love how she closes the book. It has a happy ending but it wasn't immediately clear and so it came as a good surprise. After a novel-worth of worrying that she was being consumed with grief and rage it was nice to see her at peace with herself and her life. It was nice to see her go back to the life her father built standing on the two feet that she always stood. Kate a heroine with vulnerabilities that can (and does) hold her own. It's a great anthem for the resilience and versatility of women.

Four out of five rating. Tie everything up in this post together and you get a strong recommendation from me. Reading Vengeance Road was like breathing fresh air - air that you forgot could exist. It was different and out of my box yet COMPLETELY in my box. Strong female character, historical context, solid writing. I loved it. I hope you love it too.

Jess

P.S. #TEAMYAWESTERNS lol :)

Top Ten Tuesday (Author Duos You'd Love Together)

Well, I'm back! And obsessively reading my recently delivered copy of Carry On. Soo..suffice to say I'm a bit distracted this round. However! I do have some pairing to throw out. It might not add up to ten but I'll put down as much as my brain will allow!

1) John Green and Rainbow Rowell

I can't imagine what epic-ness could be created if Green and Rowell joined forces. The heartache, the coming-of-ageness! They pretty much completely own this generation's Contemporary Young Adult voice. (Even if Rowell's Eleanor and Park is set in the eighties, lol). They could do great, great things. And then there would be a movie. And it would be great as well. lol.

2) J.K. Rowling and C.S. Lewis

I know, I know. One of these authors is dead. But, I love Narnia and as it was on the approved list (like the Christian 'Harry Potter) growing up so I instinctively link these two together in my messy, somewhat scattered line of thinking. (And Redwall by Brian Jacques, lol). All the magic, all the meaningful tales!

3) Cornelia Funke and Neil Gailman

Speaking of magic! I kind of like the idea of Coraline meeting The Inkheart Trilogy. I think both authors are incredibly talented and both possess a unique, creative mind.. There are 'similar' works, of course. Can't throw a pebble in literature without getting a similar or 'if you like this...' but I don't think these two have equivalents. They create very unique stories and characters.

4) Sue Monk Kidd and Anita Diamant

Female empowerment? Historical context? Both have worked in separate ends of historical fiction but both write characters and stories closely tied to their own heritage or personal, emotional history. I think they have a great deal in common, it'd be really cool to see what they would come up with.

5) Meg Cabot and Ann Brashares

I remember reading both of these authors when I was a teenager. I haven't read Brashares in a long while but I still remember The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Put these two ladies together and I strongly believe that they could work some magic.

And I'm leaving it off as five this week. Only because I'm reading Carry On and finishing up a post for later this week. I did a little bit of reading while I was sick and I have some organizing and writing to do! :)

If you participated this week, link me below! I'm curious to see what others have thought up for this topic.

Jess

National Poetry Day!

Happy National Poetry Day! Thank you, thank you Twitter for notifying me of this auspicious day! (I've been sick. It's not my fault I didn't remember. lol.) My poetic taste has expanded over the years. About a year ago I had the delight of being turned onto a new (okay, not so new but new to me at the time) poet of the name....

Lang Leav

Works: Love, A Misadventure (2013), Lullabies (2014), and Memories (2015)

One of the most rewarding parts of being a reader is to know that you're reading and enjoying literature and art that will be someday become classics. I would have love to have been one of Tennyson's first readers or gone to a C.S. Lewis signing. I can't say that Leav will someday be in the same literary league of fame as Tennyson but there is a definite possibility of her being around for a very long time. I read her not because of this. But, because her poetry is exactly what poetry should be. It resonates with me.

She covers love, and loss, and memories, and the little things in between. Her prose are eloquent, simple, and clear. Her books have long meanderings, short little thoughts, and the occasional journal entry or flash fiction. It's reading a living, breathing book of art.

          

As today comes to a close I'll be pulling up Memories and drifting over to my favorite parts on my Kindle. Poetry is personal for every individual. It's like music - what works for me doesn't necessarily work for everyone, and some don't even like music at all (although I can't imagine that at all). You might have another favorite poem. Maybe it's Tennyson? Or maybe it's someone else. The magical thing about poetry is that when you find someone you love it's like you're at a C.S. Lewis signing or one of Tennyson's first readers. You're part of something, maybe even more strongly than another part of the literary community, because it's poetry. It's supposed to speak to people and if it works for you then it speaks to you. Making it as personal, profound, and meaningful.

Jess

No TTT this week!

Well, I've been sick and out for the count the past week or so since last week's Top Ten Tuesday. I didn't have the energy to participate this week but I am getting tons of reading done! So as soon as I'm feeling up to it I'll work on some posts. Until then - lots of reading, a nice dose of BBC, and extra naps for me.

Jess