THE TEN BOOK CHALLENGE TAG

I was tagged by Gloria @ Gloria the Violinist and Noelia @ A Day in Book Land.  Two awesome ladies that you should definitely check out if you haven't already. :)

The purpose of this tag is to simply list ten books that have somehow stayed with you through your life.   They don't have to be great works of literature, or even literary - just any book that has impacted your life in one way or another.


1. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.  I was gifted this book by one of my cousins when I was maybe sixteen or seventeen.  I didn't understand why he'd given it to me.  I never liked Winnie the Pooh and I had no idea what Tao was.  After reading it, however, I realized there was another way of looking at things than the one I was taught - a much simpler, and peaceful viewpoint.  I really think everyone should read this. 






2. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. I had to read this in uni for a course, and this is a book that should not be rushed.  It's in a similar vein as The Tao of Pooh, but more personal and intimate.  You're watching a man figure out his own philosophy of life, and you're invited along the ride.








3. The Bible by Various Authors.  I was a Christian for the majority of my life.  I can't say how many times I've read and studied the Bible.  Even though I don't believe in it, I think there are certain parts that still offer a lot of wisdom.








4.  Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.  I was a weird kid and now I'm a weird adult.  This book let me know that it's perfectly acceptable, and sometimes better, to be a little bit weirder than the masses.  Keep asking questions that other people don't.







5. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.  Twilight and I have an interesting history. Although I've been a reader my whole life, this book was what got me back into that "I-must-read-everything-in-sight" mode that hasn't left me since.  It also ended up making the rounds at my school until nearly every girl in my grade, and some of the guys, had read it, too.  Then we'd all talk about it, find a new book and share it.  It started a strange book club of sorts.  So maybe it's not the actual book that had an affect on me, but the reading experience of it.


6.  Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by William and Ellen Craft.  This is a book I've only recently finished that is maybe 100 pages and packs a powerful punch.  The interesting thing is that I don't think the Crafts had that persuasive flair that the Douglass narrative (another narrative everyone should read) does, but I ended up crying in this one more than any other slave narrative I've ever met.  This was also the first to show me how the concept of "race" is a social structure and mythology and likely to implode on itself.  I'm working on a review for this. 



7. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.  Harry Potter came out when I was seven years old, but I didn't start reading it until I was ten.  Either way, I'm a Potter-kid.  I grew up reading those books, anxiously awaiting for the next to come out, excited-yet-nervous about each movie, losing my bearings over Pottermore, etc.  I think when you have a series that affected you so much throughout your life, it stays with you, no matter how old you get.






8.  Areopagitica by John Milton. Yeah, Milton is a selfish jerk, and yeah, I still have some trouble with him even though he produced some of the best work I've ever read (which much make him oh-so-happy), but Areopagitica and what it says about books and censorship is something still so relevant and powerful today that I think it would be a mistake not to read it.  This was the work that finally had me respecting Milton.  I wrote more about Areopagitica here.






9.  The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. Much like Twilight got me back into reading, this book cemented my love of audiobooks. Once again, this is a reading experience addition.  I can still remember riding my bike and listening to this while all of the Christmas lights were up and the weather was actually slightly chilly.  My own atmosphere made the atmosphere in the novel even stronger.  I wrote a review of this book here.





10. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. I hold such nostalgia for this book and it's one that I've read and re-read over and over again.  It never gets old.  It was one of the first high fantasy books I ever read and I remember staying up late, waking up early, reading at lunch, etc. just so I could finish.  And when I finished, I went back and did it again.  My future hypothetical child is definitely reading this.

Seeing as this tag has done its circuits quite a few times, I'm not sure who has or hasn't been tagged. With that being said, if you haven't done this tag and want to: I tag you!  

If you do end up doing it, leave a link to your answers below so I can check them out. :)

BOOK REVIEW | The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

 5 creepy and magical stars.

The Graveyard Book is a deliciously creepy tale of a young boy who is raised in a graveyard by the dead. Nobody Owens ran to the graveyard when he was a baby after his parents and older sibling had been murdered. When the ghosts of the Owens family - a nice family who had always wanted children - saw him, they decided to keep him immediately. And thus, the graveyard became the baby's home, and Nobody became his name.

I've only ever read Stardust by Neil Gaiman before, but I think I'm starting to understand his style: a little bit of creepy, a little bit of action and a whole lot of magic. There are ghosts and ghouls abound in this book, as well as secret orders, and ancient tomb, a spirit animal - or what I think is a spirit animal, anyway - and a man who is both dead and alive. Nobody can "fade" himself and haunt a person and uses these tricks to his advantage to get out of some sticky situations, as well as for dealing justice at his school when needed.

I listened to the audiobook version of this, which was narrated by Neil Gaiman himself, and wow... I really recommend it. I'm in the car for three hours a day because of my job and my transit to school and this really added a nice little kick to my day. Even the kids I watch liked it and kept asking questions about it! Gaiman has a very versatile voice and can do heaps of different character voices, which always made me laugh. He also has a very soothing voice, so be careful lest he lull you to sleep like he did to me once.

This book is magic. Gaiman himself is probably magic. Highly recommended in whatever format you choose

John Milton, Censorship, and the Murder of Reason. #BannedBooksWeek

In honor of #BannedBooksWeek, I figured I definitely needed to make a post on the horrors of censorship and how it limits intellectual growth.  Over the years, various governments, usually those based in religion, have banned books that they think have an agenda against their own.  Normally, these books do have a different point of view, but that is what makes them great.

I recently read John Milton's Areopagitica.  This essay is an appeal to the Papacy to drop the legislative censorship act that they had just put into motion.  It's a selfish piece.  Milton was viewed as heretic by many church members and he was afraid of his work being censored or unpublished.  However, regardless of his intention in writing it, the meaning inside of it is relevant: you need to read all kinds of books to decide what you think is right or wrong and you should never be limited in your intellectual - and ultimately moral - journey.

For Milton, books are not just things we passively observe.  They are active, alive beings that we must consume.  The more we consume, the more we can figure out our personal ethos and the more we will be able to see right from wrong.  If books that are deemed wrong by "tyranny and susperstition"* then members of society who can read will all begin to think the same, and in thinking the same there can never be any change.

I've pulled a few quotes for you that resonating strongly with me, as a reader:

"...for books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them."

"... as good almost kill a man as kill a good book: who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book kills reason itself..."

Killing a book is worse than killing a human being in the eyes of Milton because you are killing the living essence of reason.  Censorship is the act of killing reason.

I thought it would be good to look three banned books and explain why they were banned:

 Madam Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Why was it banned?: It was banned because it went against "public morals" due to the wife taking on a lover while she was married.**  Although books with men taking female lovers haven't seemed to have ever been banned.

1984 by George Orwell

Why was it banned?: It was banned by the USSR because Stalin recognized it as a satire on his leadership.  He didn't want a revolution to take place.  The US almost banned this book as well during the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Why was it banned?: It was banned due to the racial slurs, profanity, rape and other unpleasant images in the novel.  It is still one of the most challenged novels in schools today.

I chose these three books to focus on because I wanted to point out why different books are banned.  A woman taking control of her sexuality is scary and must be banned.  The people realizing how terrible their government is and being incited to revolution is scary and must be banned.  Racial slurs, rape, etc. is offensive and must be banned.  And these things must be banned even if the larger message, like Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, is actually anti-racism.  The books must be banned even if their message is one of the most revolutionary ones of history, because it contains "dirty words."  

Establishments will come up with any reason to ban a book, whether it be for sexual, religious or political reasons.  They will mask these reasons by trying to tell you that banning these books is "good for you" and "protecting your innocence."  But it's not.  It's good for them, not for you, and the act of censorship will never be beneficial to the individual.  Of course, you can run the risk of being "contaminated," and beginning to think in a more violent way, for example, but that is where Milton's personal ethos comes into play: that we must read as much as possible, see the reactions and the failures in history and literature, to grow and expand as a people.  As readers, and as people, I hope we will continue to fight for our literary freedom.

* All quotes by Milton come from the Oxford World's Classics John Milton: The Major Works.

** Information comes from Wikipedia and Bannedbooks.world.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: My Fall TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme started over at The Broke and Bookish.  This week we are focusing on our top ten reads we plan on devouring during Fall.

1.  Dracula by Bram Stoker.  The perfect Halloween book, right?  And yet I've not read it!  I hear there's a pretty amazing audiobook of it featuring Allan Cumming and Tim Curry and ... I don't know, I might pick the audio over the written in this case, even though listening to classics hasn't worked out well for me in the past.  Either way, it needs to be read.  This fall.  Must happen.








2. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas.  I think I probably just need to give up on this series, but I've been persevering.  This might be my last Maas book unless it really starts to pick up.  I'll have to write a post in the future about why these books just aren't working for me.




 


3. Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas.  I read Dangerous Girls by this author and, other than the ending, I really liked it.  I think she has a lot of talent (but why that ending... I mean just why?) so if the ending for this one isn't a big "twist" I think I'll really like it.

4. Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama.  Beautiful writing + cursed love + mermaids = YES.  I've heard amazing, amazing, amazing things about this and am very eager to try it for myself.








5.  The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan.  I'm a little behind on the Percy Jackson series... but I'll get caught up!   To be honest, I'd love to get the original five read before 2015 but between other books + school, we'll have to see how that goes.

6.  Graceling by Kristin Cashore.  This is one of those books that has been on my shelf for far, far too long and I just need to get read already.  (To be honest, I have a lot of those...)






7. The Monk by Matthew Lewis.  Okay, "technically" this is a re-read, although not quite because I never finished it the first go.  Basically, this is a Victorian novel that is all flavors of messed up, mind bending insanity and I loved it.  I want to re-read it + finish it and it's very... Halloweeny?  It's dark is what I mean.  Perfect to read around the same time as Dracula.








8. Looking for Alaska by John Green.  It's no secret that The Fault in Our Stars didn't work for me, but I do want to try out more works by him before I decide whether or not I like him.








9.  Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake.  I read Anna Dressed in Blood back when it first came out and man, oh man.  That book was amazing.  It's sequel time.








10.  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.  Yet another creepy classic I've yet to read.  This is very short and very good.  Some of my friends have told me that it's really a pity she didn't write more. 

Share your lists below!

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What Kind of Reader are You?

I've been noticing a lot of reader shame in the book world lately, and I predict there will be many posts to come about book/reader pretentiousness and what not.  But for now, I want to help you establish what kind of a reader you are.

In the broadest sense, I believe there are two types of readers: The Thinker and The Feeler.

You may be a Thinker reader if you:

• Are constantly analyzing books.
• Need a logical occurrence of events to satisfy you.
• Cannot suspend your disbelief.
• Are a fan of deconstruction.
• Prefer to read for the enlightenment of it rather than the enjoyment of it.
• Do no relate to fiction characters/don't need to relate to the characters.
• Base a book on its writing style and organization.

(Image credit here.)

You may be a Feeler reader if you:

• Read books solely for the enjoyment of it.
• Prefer to be entertained than educated.
• Find yourself getting way too involved in a character's life.
• Need to actually like the protagonist to enjoy the novel.
• Prefer plot and character over good writing.

In general, Thinker readers read more: classical literature, literary fiction, and sci-fi.

In general, Feeler readers read more: YA, fantasy, romance and children's/middle school lit.

Here's a point I want to make: both types of readers are equally valid and equally important.  They both add something new and different to the reading community and how boring would it be if we were all Thinkers/Feelers?

I am getting quite sick of Thinker readers looking down on Feelers for being too "vapid" or for "not reading proper books."  I'm also quite sick of Feeler readers looking down on Thinker readers and finding them to be too "pretentious" or that they "think too much."  Just because you only read classics does not make you better than the person who only reads YA.

In my opinion, only reading any one type of book is dangerous.  I don't care if you've read every single YA or classic novel ever written, but have you ever read a book by a hispanic woman, or a gay man, or a book by an African about his experiences? Have you read any romance?  Have you branched out to epic fantasy?  Have you read any Slave Narratives? (Because I've been reading a lot lately, and they are well worth the read.) What about literary fiction?  Magical realism?  Why are you limiting yourself to one thing?   If you only read the same type of novel, you will only think the same type of thoughts and there will be no room to grow.

That being said, I do think it's important that we start respecting each other's reading decisions.  While I don't think all books are created equal, I do believe that each type of reader should have the freedom to choose what they want to read without fear of being judged for it.

Personally, I think I'm a Thinker reader with very high Feeler tendencies.  But what about you?

What kind of reader are you?

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BOOK REVIEW | Bound by Night by Larissa Ione

2 blood sucking stars.

I am so disappointed to be giving this book two stars. I should preface this by saying everything else by this author has been a great hit for me. I love her Demonica series and can't wait to start her Lords of Deliverance series, which I have heard is equally fantastic. One of the things I love about Demonica is how crazy sexualized the demons were.  I mean, that series is one where you will find yourself blushing throughout the entirety of it.  And it's awesome.  

I didn't have that same giddy, excited feeling with this book.  This series deals with vampires, not crazed sex demons, so clearly there are going to be vast differences. I had acknowledged that in my head, but I'm not sure I had accepted it yet until I realized that all of the craziness that I loved in the Demonica series just wasn't going to happen. I mean, there's still plenty of sex. I think there were four decent scenes, and the chemistry between the two characters is... okay?  I guess I just wanted something more, if that makes sense. It's probably unfair because I'm comparing apples and oranges demons and vampires, but I think anytime you've ever read an author's work previously, you always have expectations.

On to the flaws and merits of the book: I have to question the basic premise. Why are vampires slaves if they're better than humans in every way? They're stronger, faster, have better eyesight... they're a natural predator to humanity. This being the case, wouldn't history have taken a different turn than the one presented in the novel? The logical course would be vampires rising into dominance and enslaving the humans, but, instead, the reader is meant to believe that it is vampires that have been "domesticated." I couldn't help wondering how this happens and, unfortunately, a concise answer was never given. It is possible that it is a slow reveal throughout the series, but my review is intended for this book. 

I also didn't like how Riker and Nicole, the two main characters, had sexy-times with each other even though there was so much hatred between them. I know hate-sex is a thing, but this wouldn't fall into that category. Nicole was literally afraid of him. She is terrified of vampires and their culture and everything they stand for because of what happened to her as a child, but she suddenly forgot about all that fear in the heat of the moment? She forgot about something she's been in therapy for years for because she wanted to bang a vampire? I have to question how she'd even want to have sex with a vampire she didn't love after all she'd been through. I didn't think that this was a believable build up of the characters or the tension between them.  And, unfortunately, this feeling of "unbelievable" permeates throughout the entire novel.

All in all, if this had been my first Larissa Ione book, I might have enjoyed it more. But because I've already read other books by her - books that I really, really love - it felt flat and ill-planned. I'm not too sure if I'll end up reading the second, but I do want to know what happens after the Epilogue, which was my favorite part of the book (and is quite telling as to how unenjoyable the rest of it was).

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BOOK REVIEW | Lilus Kikus by Elena Poniatowksa

5 deconstructing stars.

Lilus Kikus by Elena Poniatowksa, on the surface level, is about a young girl and her adventures as she grows up.  This book was first published in 1954 erroneously as a child’s novel due to the age of the protagonist (although her age is never clearly defined) and the simplistic writing style.  However, Lilus Kikus is bursting at the seams with a feminist and anti-patriarchal agenda.  

 As a modern reader, the evidence of this book’s agenda is so apparently and blunt that the only explanation as to how it could ever be passed as a children’s novel is because the publishing industry in the 50s, especially in Mexico, was dominated by men and they just didn’t expect this sort of commentary from a woman.

The reader is first introduced to Lilus when she is outside playing.  Lilus does not like to play with dolls (which are traditionally feminine), instead she prefers to play doctor and perform experiments (traditionally masculine roles).  As she grows up, she joins an all-girls school where one of her closest friend, the “Lamb,” is being sent away due to pre-martial sex that resulted in pregnancy.  

When Lilus is talking to her next door neighbor, the Philosopher, he says this of the Lamb:

“The lamb, the lamb… let me think.  Ah yes, the feminist.  The free thinker.  … Well, life started too early for her.” Lilus herself is neither fully feminine nor fully masculine, but she knows better than to try and stand up for her female rights.  She knows she will end up exiled like the Lamb and decides that "she would rather keep quiet.  It is better to feel than to know."

Indeed, the Lamb was born into the wrong time period, where women are not allowed to commit the same “sins” as men or hold the same positions.  They are meant to be beautiful, vivacious and submissive: “Also, Lilus had heard it said that dummies were the most enchanting women in the world.”  

One of my favorite parts of this book is when Lilus is describing her good friend, Chiruelita, who is very naiive and innocent.   Chiruelita is the picture perfect idea of a "feminine" lady, of a "delicate" woman.  She ends up marrying an artist and obeying him easily, until the one day she decides to think for herself and “with a languid gesture, the eccentric artist wrung her neck!”

If that's not a blatant statement comparing the patriarchy to the silencing of women, then I don't know what is.  It is baffling to see how original readers missed all of this subtext.

Eventually, Lilus cannot be contained and is sent to a nunnery where she is completely oppressed, both by the patriarchy and the Catholic religion.  The ending is open – it can be read as Lilus searching for signs of rebellion or as Lilus searching for signs of God.  Either way, the message is clear: the woman’s place is in the silence of the men’s voices. 

All this in a “children’s” book.

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DOCTOR WHO BOOK TAG

I was tagged by the lovely Ivy over at IvAnReads.  Be sure to check out her video and fabulous BookTube channel!  Thank you so much for the tag, Ivy. :) 

This tag was originally created by Novels and Nonsense.  The gist of this tag is that you must relate one book to one Doctor. 


First Doctor: What is your favorite first book in a series?
I'm going to go with the first of Melissa Marr's beautiful faery series, Wicked Lovely.  I hold such a happy place in my heart for this book.  It's what finally rekindled my love of faeries.  There is a lot of betrayal, faery politics and underhanded doings going on, so I do understand that it's not for everyone - but I loved it.







 
Second Doctor:  What is your favorite sequel?

The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley.  Even though technically this book was written first, the events that take place happen after The Hero and the Crown (one of my favorite novels of all time) and it can also be read as a stand-alone.  I recommend this to any fantasy lover.







Third Doctor: What is your favorite trilogy?

This is actually really hard to answer as I tend to steer clear of trilogies, or to just never finish them.  That being said, I was deeply effected by Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices trilogy.  I liked the first book, hated the second, but fell in love with the third.  So, quite an interesting reading experience!

Fourth Doctor: What is your most colorful book?

Well... the majority of the books I own in physical copy are either literary fiction or classics, which don't exactly scream "colorful," but I do think that Like Water for Chocolate has a really vibrant and fun cover.  It's also an amazing book that I'll be doing a review on soon.







Fifth Doctor: What is a book about sports that you've read?

Unfortunately, I haven't.  I just scanned my read books and came up totally blank.  I know it's grasping at straws, but... Harry Potter has Quidditch. It takes up a good amount of his time.  Does it count?  Can anyone recommend me a good book about sports?







Sixth Doctor: What is a book with a really powerful evil villain that you've read?

A Game of Thrones.  Joffrey.  Need I saw more?
(Yes, I do, because nasty Ramsay Snow, too.  Ugh.)







Seventh Doctor: What is your favorite adult or dark book?

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is probably one of the most heart-wrenching, heart-breaking, tear-jerking books I've ever read in my entire life.  But it's such an important story to tell.







Eight Doctor: What is your favorite romance (or romantic) novel?

The Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy.  Really.  I know I've mentioned this before, but I just can't help myself.  This book is just perfect and sweet and sassy and all good things.

War Doctor: What is a book you wish you could forget you ever read?

Unpopular opinion time, but I absolutely hated Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas.  I tolerated Throne of Glass and am currently trekking through Heir of Fire, but I think it's time for me to admit that I seriously just don't like these books.







Ninth Doctor: What is a book that made you pick up a series or genre again?

Another book I've mentioned before... Gone Girl!  I used to love reading mystery novels when I was in high school and just sort of fell out of it.  Gone Girl reignited that desire and added a new desire to read more psychological thrillers.







Tenth Doctor: What is your favorite super-hyped book?

City of Bones!  I know that this book is not a perfect book and even I became disenchanted with the series after the fourth book, but those first three books - back when it was going to be a trilogy - were so much fun.









Eleventh Doctor: What is your favorite children's (or middle grade) novel?

A Little Princess.  This book was my favorite book growing up and also turned into one of my favorite movies.  I have such fond memories of read this and I believe this is where my love of India stemmed from.







Twelfth Doctor: What new release are you anticipating?

The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin.  I don't even think this bad boy has a release date yet, but I desperately need it in my life!

 

 

 

 

I tag:

 

Martika @ Fangirl Confessions

Lola @ Hit or Miss Books

Gloria @ GloriatheViolinist

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Authors I've Only Read Once

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's full theme is "Authors I've Only Read One Book From But NEED to Read More."  (I'm tweaking it a bit to include short stories.)

In no particular order, here are my Top Ten Authors I've Only Read Once:

1.  Joyce Carol Oates.  I read Oates's short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" in university and fell in love.  She has this magnificent way of creating a subtext that can be interpreted in a multitude of ways.  I ended up writing an entire paper on this short story and found that the interpretations are endless.  I actually own her novel, Mudwoman, and will hopefully get to it early next year.

2.  Cat Winters.  I buddy read Cat Winters' debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, with Brandi from The Book Geek a year or so ago and fell in love.  Both of us ended up tossing our read-a-long schedule to the wind because the book was just that good.  I've heard her new book, The Cure for Dreaming, is equally phenomenal. 





3. Elena Poniatowska.  Ms. Poniatowska was one of the only female voices being published in Mexico before the 60s and her work, Lilus Kikus, was originally mistaken for a child's novel.  If you were to read it today, however, the feminist subtext is so blatant that I'm still amazed anyone could have thought it a children's story to begin with.  She has been a fervent voice for Mexican women and was originally a journalist.  Since Lilus Kikus, which I read, she has published a number of different books, short stories and journalist pieces detailing the position of women in the Mexican patriarchy.  I've technically read more than just one book by her, because I've read a few of her stories too, but she is an author I desperately want to read more of, and I encourage you to do so, too. 





4.  Kathryne Kennedy. Diving into a few romantic reads, Ms. Kennedy has a beautiful writing style that I found easy to engage in.  I was interested in the characters, I thought her world building to be fascinating and all around just really enjoyed my experience while reading her.   I've only read The Fire Lord's Lover, which I recommend to anyone who's a fan of romance, but I cannot wait to get my hands on more from her.  It honestly was one of the most beautifully written romance novels I've ever read.

5.  Rainbow Rowell.  I posted a review of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, which I absolutely adored.  I have honestly only heard good things about this author.  I know she has three other books out, one YA and adult, and I have been anxious to read them.  And honestly, who couldn't love an author with an amazing name like "Rainbow."  She's already inherently fabulous by default.







6. Laura Whitcomb.  Laura Whitcomb is the author of the beautifully written YA novel, A Certain Slant of Light.  This novel was my favorite read of 2012 and made it onto my personal-favorites list as well.  The prose in this is just to die for and she tackles tricky subjects with elegance and grace.  I'm very much looking forward to reading more by this author.'








7. J.R.R. Tolkein.  He's a legend.  He's a master.  He's a genius.  And yet I've only read The Hobbit by him.  At this point, being a 24-year-old fantasy lover, there's really no excuse.  As you can imagine, The Hobbit is filled with fantastical world building, interesting characters and lack of women.  (I'll do a post on the underrepresentation of women in fantasy novels soon.)  Reading The Lord of the Rings is one of my goals for 2015.  Because the time is now, my friends.

8. Margaret Atwood.  Ms. Atwood is one of the greatest writers of our time.  The voices she gives to women in literature, the light she shines on the dangers of patriarchy and the heart-wrenching tales that she writes have all earned her a spot on the "Best Authors of the Era" list.  I've only read The Handmaid's Tale, but found her prose filled with fascinating subtext.  She's an author I've been meaning to read more of for years.

9. Gillian Flynn.  I had very mixed feelings about Gone Girl, some of which stemmed from the book itself and others from the expectations I had before going in.  I'm still torn as to whether or not I think she's a good writer, but I do think she's an interesting storyteller.  I won't say too much, because I do have a review of Gone Girl coming soon, but she is an author that I think it worth more than one read. 

10. Don DeLillo.  DeLillo has a lot to say and he manages to get his message across using a relatively short page count.  He just screams satire.  He's honestly one of those authors that I'd recommend everyone give a try.  Even though he might not be your cuppa, you'll probably still appreciate what he's trying to achieve.  I've only read his novel White Noise, but very much need and want to read more by him.

Who are YOUR authors you've only read once and need to read more from?