Top Ten Tuesday (28)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by the lovely ladies from the book blog, The Broke and the Bookish. They created this particular feature because they love making and sharing bookish lists with their readers.

Every week, there is a new topic, and bloggers are encouraged to share their own lists with everyone in the book community. All bloggers are encouraged to create a list based on the week's theme, share it with their followers, and then link up on The Broke and Bookish.

It's really easy to join:

• Go to The Broke and the Bookish to check this week's topic
• Come up with a top ten list of your own and post it
• Share your link on The Broke and Bookish

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed Recently That Weren't Typical Reads for Me

I'm sure we've all been here. You're kind of bored with the books or genres you've been reading, and you're craving something new to read. The only problem? What happens if you totally hate that something new? It's a huge risk to read outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes things don't work out and you end up disliking a book. But other times you might discover a new favorite and a new appreciation for a different genre.

Science Fiction

Science fiction and I weren't great friends until a few years ago. I would try to read a few books, and I would become bored while reading. All of that changed after I read a few really good YA science fiction books, and I've been enjoying the genre since.

When I first read Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave, I was amazed! I couldn't put it down, and I literally walked around my campground while reading it. I almost got hit by a few cars, but it was totally worth it. While I didn't enjoy The Infinite Sea as much, I was still very interested in seeing a familiar world torn apart by aliens.

Many of you know that Romina Russell's Zodiac and Wandering Star are among my favorite novels, and they really helped make science fiction a new "go to" genre for me. Romina's world building skills are stellar, and the story that she's telling is fantastic. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Black Moon this fall to see where things go.

Fluffy Romance

Up until a few summers ago, I wasn't too, too big on fluffy romance. I just wasn't a fan of all romance and no real problems. I usually like my romance on the side, while there are other important things going on in a book. An adorable trilogy (Anna and the French Kiss) changed all that for me, and now I love reading a fluffy romance from time to time.

After seeing many reviews, posts, and tweets about Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, I decided to give them a try even though I wasn't a fan of strictly fluffy romance novels. I binge read both Anna and Lola before Isla came out, and I'm so glad I read them. I've learned that fluffy romances are fun ways to cheer up when you're having a bad day.

Retellings

I also used to think that retellings weren't my cup of tea. I mean, why read a new version if you've already read and know the original, right? WRONG! I was so wrong about this genre, and I can't believe I didn't read it for the longest time. Here are just a few of my favorites from the past few years.

When I first read Marissa Meyer's Cinder, Cress had just recently been published. Before I even finished the book, I ordered both Scarlet and Cress. I've been a fan ever since. While I haven't read Stars Above yet, I can't wait to get to it and see just what happens in that epilogue! (And I swear to you that if one of you spoils me, I will go all Levana on you!)

A few of my other favorite retellings are Jessica Khoury's The Forbidden Wish. It's a beautiful retelling of Aladdin that's full of irresistable imagery and gorgeous writing that everyone should read. I seriously could gush on for hours and hours, but instead, I'll just tell you to go grab a copy because it's out today! 

I also enjoyed Dorothy Must Die and it's prequel novella No Place Like Oz. In both books, readers will find themselves in a very different Oz where Dorothy is now the villain. I can't wait to binge read The Wicked Will Rise, Yellow Brick War, and the novellas this spring. 

Another retelling that I enjoyed is a contemporary retelling of Cinderella called Damsel Distressed. In this novel, Kelsey Macke introduces readers to Imogen. Imogen is the stepsister to the Cinderella character, but she's also so much more than that. I loved seeing her find herself, and I think she's a wonderful role model for teen readers.

I'm not sure if these surprised any of you, but I was a very different reader before I started blogging. Back then, and even way before I started blogging, I was reading a lot of contemporary novels (both YA and adult), and I was reading a lot of dystopia. I'm glad that the community has had a major influence on me because now my shelves are full of so many different types of books! I can't wait to see how my tastes change over the next few years, and maybe do an update post!