Top Ten Tuesday Fifty Nine

Top Ten Books set outside of the US

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/ meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This weeks topic is one I was looking forward to as it really made me think how many of the books I read are set in the US, as straight away I only had a very narrow list of books.  I'm also really excited then to find some new recommendations for books that have different settings as now I know so little of what I read does have a uniquer setting, I really do want to try and find some new books with set in a few more interesting places.  And so, enjoy! 

1) The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - Calcutta, India - 

If you want an amazing story in a different country with a little bit of history thrown in, this one is perfect.  Not only is it beautifully written, as all of his books are, but it also includes an really unique ghost story, mystery storyline that is a little different.

2) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Germany -

If you want an amazing historical fiction that takes place outside of the US, then this one is definitely one to pick up.  It is the most amazing story that is so beautifully written and narrated and I can't honestly can't recommend this book enough to pretty much anyone who is a big reader of historical fiction, or even to anyone who's not.

3) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - England - 

This is one of my most recent reads that I loved, and is definitely a great book that is set outside of the US, even if its not your usual travel-esque book or isn't set in an exotic location.  It's such a beautiful story and is also quite a quick read, and I honestly believe this one deserves all of hype, awards and great reviews it gets.

4) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon - England - 

This one is perfect if you want a bit of a different story set outside of the US but with almost no emphasis on that fact.  It's such a moving story that follows an incredibile main character and is definitely a good one to try if you're looking for a book that's not your everyday story.

5) The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Hawaii - 

This book is perfect for anyone who loves books including travel and exotic places, as not only is the majority of it set in Hawaii, but it as it follows a crew of time travels aboard a pirate ship, the story can also transport you to other destinations as well.

6) Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Paris - 

By now, I feel as though almost everyone has read, and loved this book, but if somehow you have yet to pick this one up then its a perfect one for anyone looking for a little escapism as this one transports you to Paris.  Not only does it have an absolutely stunning setting, but it is also a really cute little romance with some great friendships as well.

7) The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith - 

This one is a little different to some of the others, as it doesn't take place in one main setting outside of the US, but instead sees one of the main characters travelling around the world to different gorgeous settings throughout the book.  Okay, so some of this does take place in the US, but I still think this is a great one for anyone who loves books that transport you to another place as it does take you to some great places even if some parts are still set in the US.

8) Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher - England - 

Another one here set in England, and another great story for anyone looking for a book that isn't focused on the setting or set too exotic but is still outside of the US.  The story follows 'Zoe' as she writes letters to a man on death row in her need to confess to a dark secret, and so has a unique format and a great storyline that will draw you in and captivate you throughout.

9) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne - Germany - 

Finally, here is another amazing historical fiction novel set during the Second World War, and is one so many people have read and loved because of its amazingly sad and touching storyline.  It is such an beautifully told story and if you have yet to read it then definitely pick it up and discover this spectacular tale.

What are some of your favourite books set outside of the US?  Have you read any of these - what did you think?

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A Reader Discusses: Why I love side characters

Anyone who has probably ever heard me talk about a book, or a TV series, knows about my undying love for side characters.  For me, they are often the characters that bring so much more to the book for me, that draw me in and that I ultimately find quickly becoming my favourites.  If you asked me to list some of my favourite characters, I can almost assure you that most, possibly even all of them will be side characters.  It's just a fact.  And so, I decided that instead of just gushing about them in another type of post or review, I would dedicate this post to explaining exactly why I love them so much.  This is also my first post of this kind, so please feel free to tell me what you think.  And so, enjoy! 

1) They often provide a little bit of humour or comic relief to a book - 

I believe that over time this one has become almost a trope now, with the witty best friend cropping up quite a lot now - not that I'm complaining!  Despite this, I personally love this, and think that it is often actually quite good diffusing the tension or for just lightening the mood a little particularly in a book that could otherwise be quite serious.

Examples - Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, Simon Lewis from The Mortal Instruments

2) They can show the main character to be more relatable and more human or show them in a more positive light - 

Not only can they make us laugh, they can also sometimes show the main character to be a little more relatable than we first thought.  The relationship they have with them can show a softer side or a more human side or a more emotional side to a character that we would otherwise just see as this consistently strong and tough character.  

Examples - Prim from The Hunger Games, 

3) They can be amazing characters in their own right - 

Just like the protagonist, or the villain, or any other character in the book, side characters can be some of best, most unique characters.  They can be just as well-developed, they can grow just as much and they can have just as fantastic personalities as anyone else, and they often do.

Examples - Max from the Book Thief, Kasper from Ice Kissed (although to be honest there could be ton of characters to fit this- I just picked some of my favourites!)

4) They can show that there was a time, and things did happen before the story - 

Often, alot of the side characters we meet in the course of the story were there and had a relationship with or had some connection to the main character or some past events before the point in time when we start reading from.  This can then help to show us a little bit of background to the character without inputting a flashback from the main character, but also to help us remember that in the books world, stuff did happen before the events of the books.  

Examples - The Darkling from Shadow and Bone, Barrington Whelk  from The Raven Boys  

5) They give the story a wider diversity/ variety of characters - 

Okay, so this does not mean I am not saying that authors should put in side characters simply to give their story a wider diversity.  But, that doesn't mean that a secondary character with their own marvellous little role in the story can't also provide more diversity in any sense of the term.  Not only could they be amazing people with a important impact on the plot, but having a lot, or even a few side characters can make your book more diverse.

Example - Ethan from The Game of Love and Death, 

So in brief, these are some of the reasons why I believe side characters are awesome!  

What do you think?  Do you like side characters - why?  Who are some of your favourites?   Tell me your thoughts!

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Top Ten Tuesday Fifty Eight

Top Ten Books I enjoyed that have under 10,000 ratings on Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This weeks topic was actually books that have under 2,000 ratings on goodreads, but as I could find very few when I searched my Goodreads read list, I decided instead to change it to 10,000 ratings.  I know this is a little higher, and some of these are probably not as underrated as others, but I knew that any smaller and I wouldn't be able to recommend some amazing books that, for me anyway, are still pretty underrated.  And so, enjoy!  

1) Night Owls by Jenn Bennett - 

This is the most recent of my underrated reads, and is one I'm really glad I read.  It's a great little contemporary romance that has a storyline I really enjoyed and so I would definitely recommend reading this.  

2) Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher - 

I picked this one up sometime last year and really enjoyed it, especially how unique a format it had as it is all told in letters.  It's such a good story that takes so many different courses and is a great contemporary that's a little different to your usual romance.

3) Numbers 2: The Chaos by Rachel Ward - 

Despite the first book in this series having over 10,000 ratings and so not being as underrated, I honestly think that this trilogy as a whole is one that I haven't heard much about and so definitely needs more people to read it.  This second one in particular, which I enjoyed just as much as the first, if not more, is sure to be underrated for whatever reason as it has no where near as many ratings and so definitely deserves more people to check out this fantastic series.  

4) The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - 

When I was searching through my read list on goodreads for this TTT, I was actually incredibly surprised this one had so few ratings, as personally I know I had heard things about this one online before I picked it up.  But nonetheless, this is such an amazing time travel novel that has some gorgeous settings, characters and is just so addicting and a great read 

5) The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - 

This one is by far one of my favourite books and so I can't understand why this one doesn't have more ratings!  It's such a beautifully written story with such a good plot and it's definitely needs more people to read and love it! 

6) Frostfire by Amanda Hocking - 

I've always been an Amanda Hocking fan, so in all honesty I'm not sure if I would have ever picked this up had this not been the case.  It also then seems to weird how few ratings this book has compared to one of her other series, despite the fact that I enjoyed this series just as much as that one, so this one definitely needs more reads, especially if you need a fast paced fantasy. 

7) The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough - 

If I could only recommend you to go and read one of these underrated books, this would hands down be the one I would urge you to give a go as soon as humanly possible.  It was easily my favourite book of last year, and can't believe more people haven't checked out the beauty that is this book yet!  

8) We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach - 

If you are looking for a good contemporary, then this one definitely hits all the marks.  Not only does it focus on our characters as they have to face the possibility of the impending end of the world, but it also has some great subplots and character development, and is just overall an amazing read!

9) The Originals by Cat Patrick - 

I still can't believe more people have yet to read Cat Patrick's books, especially this one which is the least well-known of the three I have read of hers.  Not only does this book have a really interesting plot premise, but it is also super fast paced and addicting, and I can guarantee that anyone will fly through this one in no time at all.

What are some of your underrated book recommendations?  Have you read any of these - what did you think? 

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July TBR

Once again, here is another completely over-ambitious TBR for the month of July!  As I have mentioned quite a lot recently, over the past few months I really haven't been reading much at all, and so subsequently have constantly tried to get back into, partly by giving myself pretty long TBR's compared to how much I am currently reading, in the hope that it may encourage me to get to some of these books I really do want to get to sometime soon.  However, unlike past months, I may actually have a shot at tackling this one as I now have a lot more free time thanks to exams being over, so hopefully my wrap up for this month will be a little longer than normal.  And so, enjoy!  

1) The Infinite Sea/ The Last Star by Rick Yancey - 

Since the end of last year, I have been highly anticipating the release of the last book in the 5th Wave trilogy, so when it finally came out earlier this month I was so excited to finally read it.  However, after looking up a brief summary of the Infinite Sea, the second book in the series, in an attempt to remind myself of some of the plot points I may have forgotten, I found I had actually somehow completely misread major points and so its safe to say I was pretty confused as to what had actually happened and how I had missed some of the key things that had.  And so, based off that I knew this one would have to get a reread, but at least this time once I do finally figure out what actually happened in The Infinite Sea, then I can instantly jump into The Last Star and see at least how this fantastic series ends.  

2) Crystal Kingdom by Amanda Hocking - 

I first started this series about a year ago and so its safe to say I am pretty determined to finally finish it soon.  I have really enjoyed both the first and the second books, and am a huge Amanda Hocking fan anyway, so it's safe to say that I'm really excited about reading the final installment in this trilogy.  I'm also really excited to see how everything wraps up, and just to return to the world and see where the story will go, especially as the second book has actually been my favourite so far, and so hopefully this one will follow suit and end the series with a spectacular last book.  

3) Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton - 

I recently picked this one up after attempting to read more fantasy, but after struggling with reading anything in general, I still unfortunately have yet to get to it.  Not only does the story itself already sound insanely interesting to me, but the setting and characters are what really made me pick this one up as they all sound very unique and unlike what I've read before, so I'm really excited to try this one out and see if it meets my expectations!  

4) Mosquitoland by David Arnold - 

This one actually also made my May/ June TBR, but as I got to almost none of those books, I thought it should make this TBR as well.  Not only that, but as it's also now summer (at least as soon as it stops raining), this one seems perfect as it follows the main character on what sounds like a kind of road trip, something which definitely convinced me to pick this one up.  

5) The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson - 

I'll be honest here and say I know very little about this one, and so it's safe to say I will be going into this with little expectation.  I have seen Jandy Nelsons books floating around before, and so have seen them mentioned by others in blog posts and videos before, but still I have to say I am basing most of what I think the story will be on the synopsis.  I'm also not someone who has read many contemporaries dealing with loss and grief as a central focus, so I'm intrigued to see how it is dealt with in this book.  

What books are you planning to read in July?  Have you read any of the books on this list - what did you think? 

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Top Ten Tuesday Fifty Seven

Top Ten character theme songs - freebie 

Top ten tuesday is a weekly feature/ meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This week's topic was actually a freebie, and so I decided to once again combine my love of books and music and so list some of my favourite characters along with a theme song that they fit perfectly with.  I did do a very similar topic to this about a year ago now, but since have read so many more books and loved so many more characters that I thought there was no harm in doing it for a second time.  And so, enjoy!

1) The Darkling from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - Warriors by Imagine Dragons 

'Farewell, I've gone, to take my throne above, don't weep for me...'

The darkness and the lyrics of this song just remind me so much of the darklings character and his actions throughout the book.  I also feel it shows how he believes he is doing the right thing and how he doesn't regret his actions in the slightest.  

2) Flora and Henry from The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough - One by Ed Sheeran 

'And I know you're gonna be away a while.  But I've got no plans to leave at all to leave...' 

I had to pick a beautiful song to fit with this beautiful book, so this one to me just worked so well with the relationship between Henry and Flora, particularly from his point of view. 

3) Peter from We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach - All Downhill From Here by The Summer Set 

'My friends think that I'm a little unwell.  Cause I smile even though we're going to hell...'  

Personally, I think this song might well fit with all of the main characters from this, but Peter was definitely the first one that came to mind.  For me it just sums up the attitude of trying to still live whilst knowing its likely all going to end soon, something which is clearly a huge thing the characters need to adapt to doing as they face what could be the end of the world. 

4) Ringer from The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey - Hold Me Down by Halsey 

'They fight me, vigorous and angry, watch them ponce.  Ignite me, licking at the flames they bring about...'

For me, this song just fits so well with Ringer's character, as it just sounds like such a kick butt song that works well with her will to fit and her fiery nature.  I also like the idea of the demons taking over her, and how this whole concept in the song could work so well with some points of Ringers story. 

5) Kady from Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy 

'So we can take the world back from the heart-attacked.  One maniac at a time we will take it back...'

I feel like this one really describes Kady as she grows and starts to fight back, particularly as the novel nears its climax, and just think the song as a whole work well with the situation, and with her role in it.  

6) Amy from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - No Drama Queen by Grouplove 

'And I'm leaving for tomorrow.  I don't wanna come back home and feel the same...'

I feel as though this one sums up Amy's feelings as she tries to move on from things and learns to as the road trip continues and with Roger's help.  It also to me just sounds like a perfect road-trip-esque song, and so fits perfectly with the majority of this novel. 

7) Nix from The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Cliffs by FARRO

'So jump in the water.  Before you change your mind...'

For me, this song just sums up Nix's desire to be free and to discover, particularly as she changes and grows throughout the book.  I think it also just works so well with her relationship with Kashmir and his free-spirited nature.  

8) Gansey from The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - Colours by Halsey

'I know I've only felt religion when I've lied with you.  You said you'll never be forgiven till your boys are too...'

This song for some reason just instantly reminds of Gansey and his life and personality, and how unique a character he is.  I also feel like this song shows us Gansey from Blue's point of view, particularly by the end of the book.  

9) Helene and Elias from An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - Running up that Hill by Placebo

'So much hate for the ones we love?  Tell me, we both matter, don't we?'

This one for me just perfectly encaptures Helene's feelings towards Elias and how determined she is for him to succeed.  Not only do I think the mood of the song fits that of the book really well, but some of the lyrics work so well with the story and some of the situations these two characters are thrown into and have to deal with throughout it.  

10) Jack and Beatrix from Night Owls by Jenn Bennett - Don't Stop Now by The Maine 

'So where I come from, you learn to make the best of things...'

I don't know why, but as soon as I heard this song I knew it fitted perfectly with these two and their relationship, particularly once the book has progressed a little bit.  It seems to sum up how steady they start out but then also how much they depend on each other by the end. 

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