Top 5 (or 10) Wednesday

[Athena]

This week's topic is Biggest Badasses.

 

Is it strange I mainly think of female characters . Just on top off my head:

 

- Vin from the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

- Yelena from the Study series by Maria V. Snyder

- Katniss from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

- Tris from the Divergent series by Veronica Roth

- June from the Legend series by Marie Lu

 

I'm sure I can think of plenty more, and perhaps ones that are 'more badass' than these ones. But this is what I came up with thinking about it for a minute.

[Kylie]

The first one that comes to mind for me is Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind. Another is Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair.

[Anna Begins]

Well, of course for me, it has to be Jack Reacher as #1 for sure.

 

Then, I agree with Gaia about

June from Legend trilogy

Tris from Divergent series

Katniss from Hunger Games trilogy

 

also:

Ren from Year of the Flood (Margaret Attwood's MaddAddam trilogy)

Charlie ad Eli Sisters (The Sisters Brothers)

Mark Watney (The Martian)

 

and is it ok to add:  Anne Boleyn and Mary Boleyn from The Other Boleyn Girl (Tudor Court series)

 

That's 10!  Fun!

[Athena]

I totally agree on Mark Watney!! For some reason I only thought about female characters yesterday. Nice you listed 10 .

[Shyora]

This is a fun topic, my top 5 for this week:

 

1. Jehanne (Jeanne D'arc) - Jehanne 

2. Inej & Nina - Six of Crows

3. Celaena Sarodthien - Throne of Glass series

4. Jill - Drägan Duma

5. Yukiko - The Lotus War series 

Edited February 4, 2016 by Shyora

[Athena]

I know it's only Monday but before I forget (which happens), here's this week's topic:

 

Books you were spoiled for

 

I'm sure some of you will have some answers for this (unfortunately!). I don't remember being spoiled for many books really.. films moreso than books I believe. No book titles come to mind for me, yet at least.

[Kylie]

One comes to mind...I was reading my first Agatha Christie novel a few years ago (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd). I had chosen it because I'd heard it was excellent and had a brilliant twist at the end. Shortly after I started reading it, I happened to be browsing in a secondhand bookstore while on holiday, and I came across a book with Roger Ackroyd in the title. Figuring that it was about the book I was reading, I picked it up to read the blurb, which revealed the twist and ruined the story for me. I was so annoyed. In hindsight, I shouldn't have picked it up, but then again, why put a massive spoiler on the back cover? 

 

I've also stumbled across information regarding the title character of Anna Karenina multiple times. I guess it's supposed to be a popular culture thing that 'everyone' knows, but I didn't know it and I didn't want to know it until I had read the book!! 

[Athena]

How terrible to put a massive spoiler on the back cover!! That would so annoy me too .

 

I agree with you Kylie, I don't want to know such things about older books, until I've actually read them. I guess I have been spoiled then, I have been spoiled for some classics. I didn't think of that ! I really don't like it when a spoiler is seen as common knowledge. I didn't think of it, because I haven't read most of those books, I think. Since.. if it's been spoiled I kind of feel less like reading it to be honest. But it's like.. are you really expecting me to have had the time to read all the books, watch all the films and TV shows and play all the video games that are common knowledge (that I'm interested in), before the age of ~15? when people start talking about it?! There is no way. So annoying .

[Anna Begins]

   Two immediately come to mind- someone spoiled the ending of The Martian before I even started the book.  And someone else gave my a clue to Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes. 

 

And it just wouldn't be me, if I didn't complain once again about the Gone series covers that consistently give away major spoilers in the series.

[Anna Begins]

 

I've also stumbled across information regarding the title character of Anna Karenina multiple times. I guess it's supposed to be a popular culture thing that 'everyone' knows, but I didn't know it and I didn't want to know it until I had read the book!! 

 

But it's like.. are you really expecting me to have had the time to read all the books, watch all the films and TV shows and play all the video games that are common knowledge (that I'm interested in), before the age of ~15? when people start talking about it?! There is no way. So annoying .

Sometimes it can be really interesting to see how a book has integrated itself into culture.  I was stunned to find so many everyday references from 1984.

[Athena]

This week's topic is:

 

Best suggested books you loved (books recommended to you)

 

I'm going to think about this one, as I'll have to think on which books were recommended to me and which weren't (I tend to forget that over time).

 

EDIT: I've compiled a list of 5 books that were recommended to me by people on BCF, that I loved (obviously it doesn't have to be just BCF for this topic, but I liked to do that). There is one honourable mention of a series I love that was recommended to me personally, outside of BCF.

 

BCF recommendations (in no particular order):

 

Matt Haig - The Humans (various people on BCF)

Andy Weir - The Martian (various people on BCF)

Kristin Hannah - Home Front (Chaliepud and Inver)

Catherine Ryan Hyde - Don't Let Me Go (Anna, Muggle Not, and others from BCF)

Garth Stein - The Art of Racing in the Rain (Frankie)

 

Books recommended by my boyfriend's brother: Peter F. Hamilton - The Night's Dawn trilogy (Neil)

Edited February 16, 2016 by Athena

[Anna Begins]

My dad recommended the Jack Reacher series to me by Lee Child

I've gotten numerous recommendations from Alexi (too many to count)

and Brian (Man in the High Castle, and others)

Legend by Marie Lu (from Gaia)

Philippa Gregory from my dad's wife

 

That's 5

 

OH!  I forgot Weave, for Margaret Atwood.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Anna Begins

[Janet]

Books you were spoiled for

 I'm sorry I'm late with this (I haven't looked at this topic before today.    Sorry!).

 

My former dentist spoiled the end of a book for me once.  I shan't say what it is, but I was reading in the waiting room when he called me in, and he asked me what the book was.  I told him and he said "oh yes, I've read that.  He dies at the end, doesn't he?".  I was so cross - I said "I'm only on page 50" but he didn't seem to even realise that he'd spoiled it for me!   Grrr! 

[Kylie]

How awful, Janet! And he didn't even realise he'd spoiled it for you?! Grr. 

 

I tend to forget who recommended various books to me. Sari and Kay are responsible for many. And I'll always be thankful to Paula for introducing me to Captain Bluebear (and Walter Moers).

[Athena]

My former dentist spoiled the end of a book for me once.  I shan't say what it is, but I was reading in the waiting room when he called me in, and he asked me what the book was.  I told him and he said "oh yes, I've read that.  He dies at the end, doesn't he?".  I was so cross - I said "I'm only on page 50" but he didn't seem to even realise that he'd spoiled it for me!   Grrr! 

That's terrible! And he didn't even realise it . How annoying .

[pontalba]

 I'm sorry I'm late with this (I haven't looked at this topic before today.    Sorry!).

 

My former dentist spoiled the end of a book for me once.  I shan't say what it is, but I was reading in the waiting room when he called me in, and he asked me what the book was.  I told him and he said "oh yes, I've read that.  He dies at the end, doesn't he?".  I was so cross - I said "I'm only on page 50" but he didn't seem to even realise that he'd spoiled it for me!   Grrr! 

 

Glad he is a "former" dentist.....lol.

[pontalba]

Didn't see this thread before, great idea, Gaia!

 

Hmmm, let me backtrack a mo. 

 

~Dislike retellings, and "prequels" and "sequels" by another author to a classic.  Yeech. 

 

~I've never been able to think of books seasonally.  "Beach reads", "Christmas reads", etc.  Makes no difference to me.

 

~ I've nicked onto a newish author, Claire North.....she's the one that wrote The Fifteen Lives of Harry August.  I read it last year and really like her style.  She has a series of novellas out about....well it's hard to describe.  Magical.  Realism.  sorta, kinda. 

 

~Favorite "fandoms".......Star Trek, Star Trek, STAR TREK!

 

~Hmmmm, buzzwords to get me to read, or at least pick up a book. Psychological, twisty, thriller,

 

~Biggest Badasses.....LOL  Um, James Bond, anyone?!  James T. Kirk, Matthew Scudder, Jane Whitefield.

 

~Best Recommendation (ever) was Lolita, (or anything by Vladimir Nabokov) by the man that would become my husband.

[Athena]

~Best Recommendation (ever) was Lolita, (or anything by Vladimir Nabokov) by the man that would become my husband.

Awwwww .

 

Very interesting answers, Kate .

 

This week's topic is: Worst Love Interests (male or female). And just as a note: please don't spoil any books for anyone else, ie. by saying if the characters end up together or not. I'm not quite sure what to answer myself, to be honest.

[Anna Begins]

Will Peeta Mellark work? 

[Athena]

Yes!

[Anna Begins]

Good! 

 

[Madeleine]

Heathcliff!  Although Edgar is also pretty wet.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Madeleine

[Athena]

The topic for this week is: Biggest Book Hangovers

 

I am not totally sure what to answer to this. I suppose it is when you finish a book but then can't start another one yet, because you're still thinking about the one you just finished. I'll have to think about it.

[frankie]

This week's topic is:

 

Best suggested books you loved (books recommended to you)

Garth Stein - The Art of Racing in the Rain (Frankie)

 

Awww, yay! It's an awesome book <3 

 

I'm trying to think of books that were recommended to me and that I loved but I'm not coming up with anything. It's a very slow Saturday morning, and my brain is numb. Because I know I'd come up with loads of books if my brain was working perfectly!!

 

 IMy former dentist spoiled the end of a book for me once.  I shan't say what it is, but I was reading in the waiting room when he called me in, and he asked me what the book was.  I told him and he said "oh yes, I've read that.  He dies at the end, doesn't he?".  I was so cross - I said "I'm only on page 50" but he didn't seem to even realise that he'd spoiled it for me!   Grrr! 

 

What a horrible thing to do!!!!    Oh, if only you'd asked what he was reading, and spoiled it for him. If you hadn't read it yourself, you could've googled it on your smartphone after the appointment and gotten back to him and spoil the book for him and ask him how he liked being spoiled!!

 

I tend to forget who recommended various books to me. Sari and Kay are responsible for many. And I'll always be thankful to Paula for introducing me to Captain Bluebear (and Walter Moers).

 

It's a two-way street!   

 

The topic for this week is: Biggest Book Hangovers

 

I am not totally sure what to answer to this. I suppose it is when you finish a book but then can't start another one yet, because you're still thinking about the one you just finished. I'll have to think about it.

 

The biggest book hangover for me is most definitely The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I was in a right state over the book and finishing it  

[Athena]

The topic for this week is Books that Feature Time-Travel.

 

I've read a few of those, I'm going to think about it.

 

(Yes, I know, it's only Monday.. but ).