Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish People I Would Like to Meet

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is "Bookish People I Would Like to Meet."

1. J.K. Rowling
Author of the Harry Potter books, as well as an adult book coming out at the end of the month, The Casual Vacancy. It would be so interesting to have the chance to sit down with her and find out more about both her work and her life. She seems like an incredibly interesting person and one I would really enjoy getting to know.

2. John Green
Author of one of my favorite books, Paper Towns, along with a number of others, John Green also started vlogbrothers along with his brother, Hank Green, a vlogging channel on YouTube where the two of them discuss a plethora of different topics.
Technically, I have already met him, but it was at a book signing and therefore lasted all of six seconds. I would really love to sit down and get the chance to talk with him about the things that inspire him as well as his passion for being proud of his own nerdiness.

3. Ray Bradbury
Though I have, so far, only read one of his books (I do intend to read more of his work in the near future), I definitely look up to this man and wish I could have had the opportunity to meet him. As many of you are probably well aware, Ray Bradbury passed on a few months ago. 
I especially appreciate the fact that most of Bradbury's "training" in becoming an author was self-taught. He taught himself to be a great writer by reading and studying in his own right. I can definitely respect that in a person.

4. C.S. Lewis
This is another author I will never get the chance to meet (in this life) because he is deceased. However, that hasn't stopped him from making a huge impact on my life. I was raised on the Chronicles of Narnia and have since read many of his other works in apologetics. I can hardly begin to explain the genius of this one man, but he has profoundly impacted my life and my faith, for that I am eternally indebted. If I could have coffee with one person in history, nine out of ten times, I would choose Lewis.

5. J.R.R. Tolkien
Though I have to once again admit to not having read all of this author's works, that doesn't stop me from being a huge fan of Tolkien. I have seen the movies at least ten times and haven't yet grown tired of them, I adored The Hobbit, and he was also the man who brought C.S. Lewis to Christ. The two of them were close friends, which I think is amazing, though I do hold a grudge against Tolkien for nearly talking Lewis out of writing the Chronicles of Narnia (Tolkien hated them).  All in all, though, Tolkien managed to create a fantastical world and iconic characters that still profoundly impact the work of many authors today. (Also, I promise I will read the Lord of the Rings trilogy soon! Don't shun me. They're sitting in my TBR pile, I swear.)

6. Orson Scott Card
After reading both Ender's Game and How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, I couldn't refrain from adding Card to the list. His brilliance in the field of science fiction is well-known and I'm simply dying to read more of his works. He is a fascinating person and I would love to have the opportunity to pick his brain on more than one matter. 

7. Maureen Johnson
I met Maureen Johnson seconds after John Green, but this was, once again, a six second meeting. It lasted long enough for her to sign my cell phone and that was all. Not only are her books both lovely and exceedingly witty (I've read most, though not all of them), but she is a hilarious person and has quite a personality. If you don't follow her on Twitter, I suggest you amend that immediately. You won't be sorry. She is hysterical and incredibly interesting. Getting to sit down and talk with her would be a dream come true, and would probably involve some sort of crazy adventure.

8. Robin Wasserman
A close friend of Maureen Johnson (and probably of John Green, seeing as Maureen Johnson is a close friend of his), Robin Wasserman is a fabulous author in her own right. Her Cold Awakening trilogy is stunning and really makes you sit back and take another look at all the things you think you know. I really appreciate that in a story. I would love to have a chat with her about what inspired her to write what she did and how she managed to create such a complex, yet entirely engaging plot line. There are still more of her books that I would love to read, but haven't managed to yet. \

9. Ted Dekker

This man is pure genius. Honestly, the man cranks out novels at a pace I could never imagine emulating, yet each has a richness and texture to it that blows me away every time. Each new story is original and filled with twists and turns I could never have imagined. I think I would be a little scared to take a peek into this man's brilliant mind, but I wouldn't pass up the opportunity if my life depended on it. His works are amazing and I look forward to reading more from him. 


10. Megan Whalen Turner
I am in the middle of her "Queen's Thief" series and already I'm dying to pick her brain. I am a huge fan of Greek mythology and the like (from which she draws a great deal, in this series). Her characters are both relatable and believable, her stories exciting and filled with adventure. Sitting down and talking to her about what went into creating such a rich world and story would be simply wonderful. I can think of few things I would enjoy more.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Then, to Dink's surprise, Ender began to cry. Lying on his back, still soaking wet with sweat and water, he gasped his sobs, tears seeping out of his closed eyelids and disappearing in the water on his face.
"Are you alright?"
"I didn't want to hurt him!" Ender cried. "Why didn't he just leave me alone?"

I have heard the title, Ender's Game, tossed around for a couple of years now, but it didn't really show up on my radar until I read How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, which was also written by Orson Scott Card. I immediately put it on my list of books to be read. It wasn't long before I was hearing even more accolades thrown in its direction and I purchased it as soon as I got the chance.

I am so glad I did. And let me just go ahead and inform you: it deserved every award and every note of praise it received.

Ender's Game is the story of Ender Wiggin, third child in a futuristic society in which two children are the usual and third children are only permitted by the state when necessity begs it. And necessity did beg for Ender Wiggin, because he just might be the only hope Earth has against the buggers--an alien enemy that were only just beaten in the two skirmishes humanity in which humanity has encountered them.

At six years old, Ender is a born and bred genius. Much like his older siblings Peter, his arch nemesis, and Valentine, the person whom he adores more than anyone else in the world, he is carefully monitored by the International Fleet and is taken to Battle School on a ship in space in order to train for his future fighting buggers. As he quickly rises in the ranks much faster than most of the other kids, Ender's limits are tested along with his ability to toe the line between being a good person and becoming a monster.

As you have likely already deduced, I absolutely adored this book. Already a fan of science fiction and and any story that has at least one good fight (trust me, this book has plenty of those), I fell in love with little Ender and his story immediately. Everything about it was beautifully crafted and well-written. I wasn't let down or disappointed in any way when I reached the end. This was an all-around spectacular book.

Once again, I've accidentally started reading a series because I assumed this was a stand alone story, but I have no regrets. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to recommending it to anyone who is looking for a wholly wonderful read.

Rating: ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

There was no doubt now in Ender's mind. There was no help for him. Whatever he faced, now and forever, no one would save him from it. Peter might be scum, but Peter had been right, always right; the power to cause pain is the only power that matters, the power to kill and destroy, because if you can't kill then you are always subject to those who can, and nothing and no one will ever save you.

Top Ten Tuesday: Thought Provoking Books

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is thought provoking books! I only chose seven this time around, though I'm sure there are plenty more I could add. Here are the ones I decided to highlight:

1) Paper Towns by John Green
Paper Towns is a personal favorite of mine for many good reasons, but one of the most important of those reasons is the fact that this book really makes you look at the way you perceive others. Throughout this book, the main character (Quentin) realizes that we tend to romanticize our friends and most especially the people we admire and look at them through those rose colored glasses instead of seeing them for who they really are. This is a discredit both to them and to ourselves. I loved that this book challenged me in the way I view others and encouraged me to accept them for who they are instead of who I want them to be.

2)The Cold Awakening Trilogy by Robin Wasserman
I think the Cold Awakening Trilogy easily qualifies for this list. The trilogy's main question permeates each of the books and begs the question: "What constitutes humanity?" Each of the books explores this question and really makes you stop and consider what it means while bringing up multiple other deep questions of morality along the way. 

3) My Secret: A PostSecret Book by Frank Warren
The PostSecret books are essentially collections of secrets that were sent in to Frank Warren anonymously, first as an art project and now as a worldwide community. Each of the books hold a plethora of secrets that allow you to see into the lives and hearts of people all around the world. It reminds you that everyone has a secret and that everyone's hurting.

4) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In hearing the story of a girl who underwent a major traumatic experience in the middle her most impressionable formative years, this book lets the reader see into her head and her heart. It allows them to see how earth-shattering that traumatization can be for its victims and causes the reader to reevaluate how they treat others, because it reminds us that you can't always see what's hurting someone but that doesn't mean they aren't in need of rescuing.

5) The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
One of the things that makes the Harry Potter series so memorable and life-changing to its readers is the plethora of questions it asks its readers. As we read these books, we walk alongside Harry and his friends as they discover that the world isn't as lovely or fair a place as we perceive it at first. We see what drives them as they choose how far they are willing to go to reach an end and what means justify those ends. We are given the chance to see them fight for what they believe and lobby for the rights of those who are beaten down by others who are stronger and more outspoken. Rowling invites the reader to make these decisions along with Harry and therefore analyze the way we think and the decisions we make.

6) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I think that nowadays it is easy to downplay the offensiveness and overall nastiness of racism, especially for those who haven't personally experienced racism or that type of stigmatism. It's also easy to believe that the issue of racism is outdated and no longer applicable to our time. Both of these assumptions are very, very wrong. This book reminds us that racism was beyond rampant less than fifty years ago. In fact, it was a household prejudice and widely considered acceptable. The Help reminds those of us who might have forgotten that this is still an evil to be fought against and one we ought to stomp out entirely.


5) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I am almost to the end of this book (the actual review ought to be up by the end of the week) and I am definitely loving it. One of the reasons I love it so much is the fact that it reevaluates the meaning of childhood and adulthood, as well as deciphering where the line is between being a good person and a monster. 

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card

The second thing you should learn from my example is that ideas come from everywhere, provided that you're thinking about everything that happens to you as a potential story.

I picked up How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy because I thought it would be a good book for writing advice and give me a little more insight into what it takes to write that genre. I'm mostly interested in fantasy, though I do like a good sci-fi novel, and I know my writing often sways in that direction as much as YA fiction.

This book covered all of it's bases. Card is very thorough in his teaching, going over everything from the difference between science fiction and fantasy to the technicalities of creating an entire world and the boundaries that must be decided and set for each one. There is an overwhelming amount of information concerning the audience an author in either of these genres would be catering to and how to navigate through the publishing of a book that isn't in one of the most common categories of writing.

Not only does this cover a great deal of information concerning science fiction and fantasy, but there was also a great deal of advice that could easily translate over to any other type of writing. Card coaches the reader concerning what drives your plot and how to make sure you're staying consistent with the story throughout the writing of it. He teaches how to be a better writer in general and even gives advice from one author to another on how to make sure you're keeping your life balanced in the meantime.

I really enjoyed this book and eagerly devoured its contents. It will definitely be one I'll want to leaf through quite often for tips and suggestions. Card really knows what he's talking about and is able to share it in a way that is relatable and in no way overbearing.

Any author/aspiring author who even has the slightest inclination toward science fiction and fantasy should consider reading this book. It was very informative and incredibly useful. I learned so much more than I could have expected.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The novelty and freshness you'll bring to the field won't come from the new ideas you think up. Truly new ideas are rare, and usually turn out to be variations on old themes anyway. No, your freshness will come from the way you think, from the person you are, it will inevitably show up in your writing, provided you don't mask it with heavy-handed formulas or clichés.