Top Ten Most Vivid Worlds in Books

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is the most vivid worlds and settings in books. Most of the ones that come to mind are entries from the dystopian genre with a few exceptions. Remember to follow my blog if you are a new visitor for a chance to win an Amazon gift card and two free ebooks. Entry form is here.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi-As part of this amazing YA novel, virtual reality is used to replace the horrors of being trapped inside protective domes.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy-I remember vividly the weekend I read this book. This horrifying dystopian world full of ash, hunger and cannibalism gave me nightmares each night.

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard-I recently read this novel about zombies in 19th century Philadelphia and I really loved how the author transported you back in time by touching upon the customs and expectations of women during this period.

 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearce-This novel about a not so distant future where biological engineering allows people to basically bring back the dead is not hard to imagine.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-It's scary how easy it is to picture a world where children must fight to their death to appease a totalitarian regime. 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare-The author expertly creates a world where demons and demon hunters live among us in this urban fantasy.

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien-I really could picture myself in this world where mothers are forced to hand over their babies to the rich and privileged. 

Across the Universe by Beth Revis-From the first page, you're drawn into a future where space travel to a new habitable planet is possible.

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin-You can feel the despair and horror in this dystopian novel as a virus claims most of the population.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver-I think Oliver is a beautiful writer and I felt drawn into a world where love is a disease and there's a cure to get rid of it.

Quick Reviews and What I'm Reading Next

Ugh, so nothing like a stomach bug to knock you on your butt for a few days. The only positive thing about being bedridden was I able to catch up on my DVR shows and some reading. Here's what I thought about the books I finished:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis-I REALLY thought I was going to love this book. The premise sounded interesting and the opening scenes had me on the edge of my seat. The book lost some of its mojo for me by the middle and I found myself losing interest. I think it came from not being overly fond of Elder. The chapters from Amy's POV were much more enjoyable. I would have to give it three out of five stars and I'll probably check out the sequel down the road.

Awake: A Fairytale by Jessica Grey: Do you ever need an escapist novel? This was the perfect antidote to my sick blues. It's fun, silly and I'm definitely a fan of books that portray teenage girls realistically. I also enjoyed how much growth the main character experienced over the course of the novel. Great read overall and I'll be sure to check out the sequels.  Four and a half stars out of five.

Next on my reading list:

Existence by Abbi Glines: Read the Kindle sample and it's really sucked me in. It definitely has a creepy feel and I'm definitely curious to see where things will go.

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine-The last two books in the Morganville Vampires series have been AMAZING. I was shocked to see this is Book 12! It doesn't feel tired to me and I'm excited to check out the latest entry.


City of Bones by Cassandra Clare-I've heard way too much about this YA series to not finally check it out. Plus, I've got to find out what this whole Team Jace and Team Simon thing is about.

Defining Indie Books

As a newbie to book publishing, a few terms can be pretty confusing. One of those terms I hear tossed around a lot is “indie” books. Now depending on who you speak to you may find a completely different definition of what constitutes an indie novel.

Indie books can be defined as novels that have been published outside of the major publishing houses. It may be small to mid-sized presses or publishers that work exclusively with ebooks. Smaller houses mean smaller budgets which mean it can be challenging building readership.

I also hear the term indie applied to independent authors who decided to self-publish their novels. With the rise of ebooks and print on demand services, more and more independent authors are dusting off their manuscripts and getting their books out there.

Whether the novel is published by the author or a small press, it looks as though more and more readers are giving indie books a shot. Reasons indie novels seem to be succeeding:

• They are topping bestseller lists. Look at the most popular book out now. Fifty Shades of Grey went from fan fiction to publication though a small Australian indie press to a reported seven figure deal through Vintage Books.


• Indie books do not have to be edited to appeal to a mainstream audience. Do you get sick of reading about the same typical heroines and heroes? Indie books can explore more taboo areas and feature characters from all walks of life.


• The price tag! Call me a broke ass if you may, but it sort of kills me to hand over more than ten bucks for a digital copy of a book. For instance, I’ve been dying to read the Mortal Instruments series and was all set to download City of Bones onto my Kindle. Current price for the ebook on Amazon: $10.99! For a book published three years ago? It’s kind of hard to swallow the price when I can probably download five indie books for the same price.


• Blog love. More and more blogs are accepting review requests for indie novels. There are also high traffic blogs that specifically only review indie books.

How would you define an indie book? Do you buy indie novels? Or do you prefer to stick with the majors when deciding on your reading list?