Top Tue Tuesday (#35): Favorite audiobooks

Top Ten Tuesday this week is about 

  ❄ Top Ten Audio Books ❄

I absolutely love audiobooks. My love for them goes a long way back, all the way to my childhood. I used to get those children's CD audiobooks (alongside the actual story books!) as presents. When I got a bit older I used to go to the library to loan them (I was lucky enough to grow up on the same street as our local library was). 

I rediscovered audiobooks in the summer of 2012. I got a summer job which was a very tedious and manual job where we were allowed to listen to our own music with headphones. I started to get bored with my playlists so I decided to give audio books a try. I still remember the first book I listened - The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Not that long ago I had been a huge Twilight fan and I found out the author had released a new book some time ago. It didn't take that many days to finish The Host as an audiobook! I was so sold on the whole concept. Since then I've listened to dozens of audiobooks while travelling on the bus or plane, before sleeping, while jogging, pretty much everywhere and whenever I have had the chance. I haven't kept a record of them, but I'm guessing I listen around 12 to 16 audiobooks a year. 

Here's a list of some my favorites! They are no in particular order but I have selected them for the storytelling extraordinaire.

❄❄❄

                           

 

        

❄❄❄

A special mention to these podcasts:

Serial

Welcome to Night Vale

Top Ten Tuesday #34 - Characters I'd like to switch places with

Top Ten Tuesday this week is about 

  ❄Top Ten Characters I'd like to switch places with ❄

(In no particular order)

❄❄❄

 

Jude from the Folk of the Fair series by Holly Black

Okay so maybe Jude isn't exactly well treated among the fairies. She is mentally and physically bullied, but oh damn does she live in an interesting world among the generals and the princes... 

Nina Zenik from Six of Crows duology/Grishaverse

Nina Zenik is a smart, strong, beautiful, determined, funny and warm person, so who wouldn't want to be her? And besides, she has a pretty good looking fellow too (or does she?)

Lucy Hutton from The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

I'm not usually the one for steamy contemporary books, but The Hating Game blew me away! Especially when the whole experience was from an audiobook. The love interest Joshua Templeton is one beautiful man and Lucy one lucky girl.

Lazlo Strange from Strange the Dreamer Duology by Laini Taylor

Lazlo finds out there is a whole new world out there that he could have never fathomed in his deepest, the most secret dreams. And on top of that, he meets the love of his life and of course, then there's no turning back.

Agnieszka from Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Another story about discovering a whole new world (but in a smaller different scale than in Strange the Dreamer), overcoming your fears and predispositions. A great character development arc!

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

Enough said!

Sabetha Belacoros from Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch

Sabetha isn't fully introduced into the storyline until the third book so I don't want to spoil anything else, so all that I'm going to say is that she is badass!

Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones

Another story about another girl discovering something unexpected and great. Never gets old!!

Hermione Granger from Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I'm guessing Hermione will be on so many lists this week, but honestly, Hermione got the best of two worlds: she gets to grow up in the muggle world, but gets to grow old in the magic one. She gets to go to Hogwarts when she is about to reach the age when children stop believing in magic, so the magic never loses its glory. Besides Hermione is smart, resourceful, and unselfish!

❄❄❄

Top Ten Tuesday #33: Must-Read Fantasy

Top Ten Tuesday this week is about 

  ❄Top Ten Fantasy Books/Series to Read for YA Lovers ❄

(In no particular order)

❄❄❄

 

   

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson // Uprooted by Naomi Novik // Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas // The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski // A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab // The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey // Cinder by Marissa Meyer // Graceling by Kristin Cashore // The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima // Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

+ The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch as a special mentioning. 

Not exactly targeted for YA audience, but a brilliant, mesmerising story that can very well entertain younger audiences as well.

Though the start is a bit slow, the world build-up is simply one of its kind, the characters are multidimensional and will stay with you for a long time to come, and the plot is incredibly smart and entertaining as well as heart-breaking. 

I simply couldn't write a post about fantasy books and not mention this beauty.

❄❄❄

I gave all these books either 4 or 5 stars out of 5, so I think it goes without saying that these are some of my favourite fantasy books that I've ever read. And look at all those pretty covers. Don't they just want to make you grab them and devour them this instance? 

Top Ten Tuesday (#32): Social Media

Top Ten Tuesday this week is about 

❄ Top Ten Social Media Accounts ❄

(In no particular order)

 Grace with a book in her face  

Peruse Project

 Tashapolis

❄❄❄

Enchantology

Wondrous Reads

Books with Cookies

Epic Reads

Lotte Likes Books

The Book Cube

And of course, my instagram account!

❄❄❄

I have been really lazy on social media lately, but these are some of the accounts that I've been following for such a long time and they never disappoint me! I hope you get as much out of them as I do.

As a special mention, Enchantology has the best taste in books and Peruse Project is so entertaining!

Top Ten Tuesday (#31): From a Book to a Movie

Top Ten Tuesday this week is about 

❄ Top Ten Books to Movies I Can't Wait ❄

(In no particular order)

 

 

❄❄❄

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them  IMDB || Goodreads 

Ready Player One IMDB || Goodreads 

Beauty and the Beast IMDB || Goodreads 

 The 5th Wave IMDB || Goodreads 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II IMDB || Goodreads 

The Martian  IMDB || Goodreads 

A Monster Calls IMDB || Goodreads 

Looking For Alaska IMDB || Goodreads 

The Jungle Book IMDB || Goodreads

❄❄❄

So the Martian was released on October, but I still haven't seen it OR read the book which is a total bummer considering how much people have seemed to like it. I once contemplated buying it from a grocery store as I read through the first page of it there, but I don't know why the book didn't end up in my basket!  

Needless to say, the rest of the books/movies make my fangirl go crazy - especially Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The 5th Wave, Ready Player One, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II!!!

I wasn't super excited for the Jungle Book because it has never been my favourite story, but then I saw the cast... And then the trailer... And I was sold.

Bring on 2016 and 2017!!

Top Ten Tuesday (#30): Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Us Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel

Top Ten Tuesday this week is about 

❄ Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Us Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel ❄

(In no particular order)

❄❄❄

Debut Authors whose books I've read

 

Lesley Walton (The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender) // Leah Thomas (Because You'll Never Meet Me) // Nicola Yoon (Everything, Everything) // Melissa Grey (The Girl At Midnight) // Lisa Heathfield (Seed)

Needless to say, all these books had an impact on me, one way or another. It might have been the lyrical language (Lesley Walton), the heart-breaking storyline (Leah Thomas), the intriguing fantasy concept (Melissa Grey), the twisted world the characters lived in (Lisa Heathfield), or just the overall ambience of the novel which made me devour the novel (Nicola Yoon). Definitely want to read more from these authors in the future!

❄❄❄

Debut Authors whose books I want to read

Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes) // Stephanie Oakes (The Sacred Lives of Minnow Bly) // Renee Ahdieh (The Dawn and the Wrath) // Nicole Castroman (Blackhearts) // Emily Henry (The Love That Split the World)

YES, PLEASE. All of these sound so, so amazing and massive amounts of readers have absolutely adored these authors and their debut novels. There's no doubt in my mind whether I'm going to read these or not - it's guaranteed that I will!

❄❄❄