Top Ten Tuesday (74)

Top Ten TuesdayTop Ten Words/Topics That Make Me Pick Up a Book

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday’s on their site!

Friends, I had no trouble AT ALL coming up with this list. Sometimes, I have to confess, this is not the case. Sometimes I really struggle to think of 10 things, and even though I know ten is just a guideline, I always feel like something isn’t right with my list if I can’t think of the MINIMUM number of items for it. So when we have a topic like this one–my 10 auto-read topics or phrases–where I can BARELY contain myself, I get REALLY excited. If you’re ever thinking of getting me a bookish gift and don’t know where to start, consult this list and you’ll be golden.

Top Ten TuesdayScotland

BOOM. First thing I put on this list. If it’s set in Scotland, had Scottish people in it, has anything VAGUELY Scottish about it, I’m instantly interested. Bonus points for Scottish gingers. SO MANY BONUS POINTS.

Maine_TTTMaine

I’ve never even been to Maine, friends, but it very much seems like a place that is my speed. When I think of beaches that attract me, I rarely think of tropical places. I think of the rockier beaches and the pine trees that make up my mental picture of Maine. Also, the preppy people–I don’t know, guys. I guess I have a thing for boat shoes (but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, NO MADRAS OR CRITTER PANTS).

Top Ten TuesdayWitches

LOVE me some spell-workers! Pretty much any kind, although if we’re talking historical witches–like, historical paranormals–DUUUUDE. THAT is my cup of tea. Something about the long-past setting makes the magic seem creepier and more organic to me.

Top Ten TuesdayMilitary

Goodness gracious, I love me some men in uniform! Although, to be honest, I’d LOVE to read a book about WOMEN in uniform. Where’s that at? But I am endlessly drawn to books with any kind of military angle: veterans, active duty, siblings in the military, someone who died while serving, stories at the front, ANYTHING. It all really appeals to me.

Beaches_TTTBeaches

Ahhh, give me a good summer read that takes place in a quiet beach town with salty locals, boys with tans, bonfires in the sand, and some swooning and I am a very happy girl. I CRAVE these books, especially once the weather gets warmer.

New Jersey_TTTNew Jersey

If I see or hear of a book that takes place in New Jersey, or an author who’s FROM New Jersey, I instantly feel a thread tying me to it (or them). I love being able to have some hometown pride when I read, or even better, recognize places in books as locations I’ve visited or know (this happens ALL OVER THE PLACE in Kieran Scott’s He’s So/She’s So series). It makes me feel connected to the story in a way that other books do not.

Baking_TTTBaking

Or, to be honest, any kind of food at all. But I’ll always drift towards a book that has anything to do with dessert. I love baking, and I love reading a book that gets my baking juices flowing.

Weather_TTTWeather

This is almost totally thanks to Twister, a movie that I still watch constantly while recalling when my friends and I saw it for the first time and HONESTLY, seriously planned to become stormchasers. The power of nature is a drug to me, guys. A DRUG. I’ll never turn it down.

Rebellion_TTTRebellion

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the secret, sneaky, dangerous vibe when there’s a revolution going on. Give me an underground, some disgruntled group of people, some GRIEVANCES that cannot be borne, and it’s basically ON.

Road Trip_TTTRoad Trip

YAY! Road trips are the best, amirite? Never been on one myself that would be anything like what I imagine when I hear the words “road trip,” but I’m going on one this summer with my sister and I’m STOKED. The instant I hear the words “road trip,” my ears prick up. I will always read road trip books. The potential for adventure on the open road is just the best feeling.

Pioneer_TTTPioneers

Also cowboys, but HOLLA, PIONEERS! Two things are responsible for my insta-read feelings towards pioneers: the Little House on the Prairie series and THIS COMPUTER GAME. I love it, even when I die of dysentery and my kids are bitten by snakes and we run out of food. I think of pioneers are pretty idealistic, ballsy folks. Gamblers. I’m only one of those three things, friends, so I’m always amazed by people who would leave everything they knew and travel to the unknown just to start new and hopefully better.

Colonial America_TTTColonial America

My favorite historical time period, no contest. None. You tell me about a historical fiction book that takes place any time leading up to the American Revolution, during it, or after it into the early 19th century and I am going to start drooling. More YAs in this time period, por favor!

Top Ten Tuesday

Characters or Authors Who Share My Name

I know, I know. This is pretty self-important. But I feel this really weird pride when I see a book written by someone who shares my name, or when I read about a character who shares my name. I don’t know about you guys, but I truly only knew one other Amy when I was growing up, so it’s not this super-common name that I would be sick of hearing, so if I’m wandering a bookstore and an “Amy” pops out at me, I’m definitely picking it up to see what’s what.

Comments

  1. I love books about Maine as well. In fact, on the title alone, I recently bought ‘Maine’ by J. Courtney Sullivan!

  2. Scotland and Beaches were on my list too! And, I love your pictures – awesome list!

    Check out my TTT!

  3. I love Colonial as well! I am a huge history fan and will practically read an American History textbook for fun.

  4. I love your blog colors and how you have that font on the pictures for this post!! Very cute!! I love so many things on your list… road trips, baking, rebellion, witches!!! I need to read the He’s So/She’s So series! It’s been on my TBR for WAY too long!

    My TTT

  5. So I actually agree with all the choices on your list, especially Scotland and Maine. I adore Maine and books with baking. Yep, pretty much everything on your list. Nicely Done

  6. ROAD TRIP. SCOTLAND. BEACHES. Yes, yes, and YES! Those are some of the words that get me MOST anticipating a book, too!

    Molli | Once Upon a Prologue

  7. For some reason I was totally blanking on this one! But with your list, sheesh. I feel like I should have thought harder haha. LOVE weather! That’s a good one. I love when books or authors or characters have my name (I pretended like I was a part of Grave Mercy thankyouverymuch — Robin LaFevers even said “nice name” when she signed my book!!!! Hahah. Dumb fangirl moment there).
    Duh, road trips. I need to read more of those too! 🙂

  8. Hello fellow pioneer girl/LIW fan!!

    You should definitely read Hattie Big Sky! She is living in Montana in one of my buzz words, a claim (bonus if followed by shanty) and making it on her own. I loved it and it’s a quick read. Good audio too!

  9. Road trips are on my list too, and I’d love to read more books set in Scotland or Maine, or that have the weather play a big role (I LOVE TWISTER TOO!) 🙂 My TTT list: http://aliceinreaderland.com/2013/04/29/topicsword/

    Alice @ Alice in Readerland

  10. I must admit, I do adore books who have main characters with ANY variation of my first name (and there are a ton). It’s always fun to read about a character that shares my name and seeing how we’re alike/different.

    Also – YES PLEASE to the beach! I love books set at the beach. Or at a lake house, for that matter.

  11. You know, I almost listed Maine as well, but decided it kind of fit under the small town setting topic I listed. I’ve been to Maine twice, and it’s beautiful. I want to go every year, but I haven’t been able to pull that off. I hope you get there sometime.

    I think I’ve always been kind of obsessed with Maine because I used to love to watch Murder, She Wrote. Have you ever seen that show? It began in the mid 80s, so the clothes and makeup are TERRIBLE, but it’s still a lot of fun.

    And Scotland! Heck yeah!!! I’m a huge sucker for Julie Garwood’s highland romances. Dreamy.

  12. I liked how you would chose books that have an Amy in them. My name is Ashley and it seems like the mean girls names are Ashley. I would love to find a book where the MC`s name is Ashley and she isn“t a total jerk.

    here is my Top Ten Tuesday. http://books-4-review.blogspot.com/2013/04/top-ten-wordstopics-that-instantly-make.html

  13. JERSEY. Totally. You and me both.

    I can remember only liking one: Rosie and Skate. Or and I guess the Jessica Darling series totally counts too.

    Also the book “Rules of Summer” has a character who is from Sussex County and, so far, it’s a nice detail!

  14. Oooh, historical witches! I don’t think I’ve read any historical fiction with witches in it since Witch Child, by Celia Rees. I should look into it 🙂

  15. Pioneers + Colonials = BOOKS THAT WIN AT LIFE.

    Seriously, I love both of those topics, too. Yay for historical fiction set during those two time periods 🙂

  16. Battle Dress by Amy Efaw is about a girl who enlists! You should check it out; I mean, the author even has your name!

Trackbacks

  1. […] and her dad in any way at all, I’m basically IN FOREVER. In fact, dads should have been on my Top Ten Tuesday list from this past week. So when I heard that Sarah Ockler’s new book was about a girl and […]

  2. […] and their heart. Also FARMS. DAMN IT! I keep thinking of things that should’ve been on my Top Ten Tuesday last week that I […]