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You are here: Home / Archives for Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books I’d Quickly Save If My House Was Going To Be Abducted By Aliens (or any other natural disaster)

15th September 2015 By Julianne 10 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is actually a freebie, which means that you get to make up your own topic or choose one of the past topics that you missed or want to redo.

When I scrolled through the list of past topics my eyes quickly lighted upon this one, which I felt I had to do for the title alone. I mean, abduction by aliens? I’m pretty sure that’s an unnatural disaster if ever there was one…

View on Instagram.

Top Ten Books I’d Quickly Save If My House Was Going To Be Abducted By Aliens
(or any other unnatural disaster)

1. My signed hardback copy of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart. Because getting to meet E Lockhart after having loved her books for years, in a room full of people who also loved her books (and this after years of feeling like one of about three people in the UK who’d even read her books) was so cool and I’d want to have this book to remember it by.

2. My signed copy of Kiss and Make-Up, by Sarra Manning, which contains my favourite bits of the Diary of a Crush trilogy. I met Sarra and had it signed back in 2010, at a Chicklish event at Dulwich Library. I was unbelievably excited because a) it was the first YA book event I’d been to b) I got to meet some bloggers for the first time c) as well as Sarra Manning, who had been my hero when I was 14, I got to meet Keris Stainton, Luisa Plaja, and Simmone Howell. It still remains the only multi-author event I’ve ever been to where I’d read at least one book by every author!

3. My copy of Burning Your Boats, by Angela Carter

4. My copy of The Curious Room, by Angela Carter

5. My copy of The Magic Toyshop, by Angela Carter

6. My copy of Angela Carter’s Book of Fairy Tales…because they’re all fancy hardbacks and the first two are definitely out of print and the bottom two might be.

7. My hardback copy of The Diviners, by Libba Bray, because it’s a way nicer cover than on the paperbacks and I want to get it signed one day.

View on Instagram.

8. My childhood copy of The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, because I read it so many times it’s all battered and worn-in and a new copy would never be the same.

9. My childhood copy of Matilda, by Roald Dahl, for the same reason.

10. My first edition, second printing, of The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, by Emilie Autumn, because even if I don’t decide to keep it I could sell it on eBay for monies. Ditto for all of my digipak CDs.

What books would you save? Have you met any authors and had any books signed? If you did Top Ten Tuesday this week, which topic did you choose?

Top Ten Tuesday was created and is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Filed Under: Recommendation Lists Tagged With: book chat, books, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Fairytale Retellings I’ve Read

4th August 2015 By Julianne 1 Comment

Fairytale retellings are my jam. Actually, I’m not a big fan of jam. So maybe not. Anyway. Fairytale retellings! I am absolutely obsessed with fairytale retellings and have been since my first year of university. I adore them. I haven’t read any for a while, despite having several on my TBR, but there are far more than ten with a place in my heart, so writing this was tricky…

 

1. ‘The Bloody Chamber’, by Angela Carter, from The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories – Beautiful, beautiful story from the queen of fairytale retellings. It’s Bluebeard, deliciously told and with a feminist twist.

2. ‘Puss in Boots’, by Angela Carter, from The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories – ‘The Bloody Chamber’ is gorgeous but it’s actually ‘Puss in Boots’ that is my favourite. It’s narrated BY THE CAT! There’s lust, there’s love, it’s masses of fun! I LOVE IT.

3. Valiant, by Holly Black – Val goes through hell and kicks butt and it’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ without the nasty stink of Stockholm Syndrome.

4. ‘Snow’, by Francesca Lia Block, from The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold – it hits on a lot of standard FLB tropes but it’s a perfect retelling of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’.

5. Spindle’s End, by Robin McKinley – a retelling of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ that managed to be both epic and down to earth, being from the point of view of both the cursed princess and the fairy that’s trying to save her life and the kingdom.

6. Jack, the Giant Killer, by Charles de Lint – Jack is actually Jacky, and Jack is also a job description. I keep meaning to read more Charles de Lint but his books are not well stocked by libraries.

7. Ash, by Malinda Lo – a quietly beautiful retelling of Cinderella.

8. ‘The Kith of the Elf-Folk’ by Lord Dunsany (out of copyright, so click to read) – ‘The Little Mermaid’ except the Little Mermaid realises that being human is actually kind of rubbish compared to being a mermaid…

9. ‘Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf’, by Roald Dahl, from Revolting Rhymes – “The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers…” perfect.

10. Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones – possibly the only retelling ever to make me cry!

If you enjoyed this you’ll probably also like to read my previous post, Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Characters in Modern Fairy Tales and Fairy Tale Retellings.

Let me know in a comment if you did this week’s topic, and please leave recommendations for fairytale retellings you think I should read! Top Ten Tuesday was created and is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Filed Under: Recommendation Lists Tagged With: book chat, books, fairy tales, Top Ten Tuesday

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