Top Ten Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With For 24 Hours

It's a tough one this week on the Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday meme. The question is which characters you would want to switch places with for a day. Most of the books I read there would be no way in hell I'd want to be in any of the characters' shoes. Fall in love with a vampire? No thank you. Fight to the death in a nationally televised tournament? Think I will pass if that's all the same to you. And if I see the name Anastasia Steele on anyone's list, I'm going to ask that you get a referral to a psychiatrist. Anyway, here's what I came up with:

Jesse from The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
I'm sort of a reality show junkie and think it would be fun to see what it's like to star on one.

Heaven from Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane
I always love books where the character works in PR, it always sounds like a fun job to me. Plus, Heaven seems to have no sense of personal boundaries which would certainly make it an interesting 24 hours.

Lizzie from the Queen of Babble Series by Meg Cabot
Lizzie's life always seems pretty spectacular to me. She had a rich French boyfriend and then later fell in love with the boy next door. She has plenty of gumption and always lands on her feet no matter what obstacles are thrown her way.  

Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
I would love to be Becky for a day, just to have her credit card limit and spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes without guilt.

Mia from the Princess Diaries Series by Meg Cabot
Since I grew up dirt poor, it always seemed sort of awesome to find out one day that you're a princess of some random country in Europe.

America from the Selection by Keira Cass
For this 24 hours, it would definitely have to be during the time when the palace isn't under attack. But I wouldn't mind experiencing the opulence of the palace, gorgeous clothing and a romantic prince for a day.

Cassie from the Secret Circle series by LJ Smith
Being a witch seems kind of wild and I wouldn't mind trying out some cool spells for a day.

Lucy from Good Luck by Whitney Gaskell
Yes, Lucy has her share of problems. But she wins the lottery and becomes an instant millionaire, how amazing is that?

Lola from Easily Amused by Karen McQuestion
Her neighbors sound awesome! Most of my neighbors I wouldn't want to meet alone in a dark alley, so she'd be someone I would trade places with for a day.

Kaitlyn from the Dark Visions Series by LJ Smith
I have a strong interest in psychics (pretty obvious since my book is about a psychic) and I always thought it would be fantastic to possess the ability to predict the future.

Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

For Top Ten Tueday over at the Broke and the Bookish, it's a freebie week. I looked back over the past topics and decided to choose books that I'm surprised I never got around to reading. Here are the top books that I usually just end up smiling and nodding when friends are discussing:

Harry Potter series by JK Rowling-I feel like a bad reader every time I hear someone mention these books. This is one of the rare occasions where I've seen the movies, but haven't read the novels. For some reason I can't get into epic novels, but enjoy the movies/TV shows.

One Day by David Nicholls-I remember all of the hub-bub when this acclaimed novel came out. I actually have a very good reason for not reading it. I stumbled upon a spoiler that revealed the ending and couldn't bring myself to read it after that.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett-I actually do have plans to eventually read this book and will not watch the movie until I do so.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro-This book's description sounds super cool, I'm shocked at how long I have let it languish on my TBR list.

Marley and Me by John Grogan-The thought of even reading this book makes me tear up, so I doubt I'll be able to even start it.

The Shack by W. Paul Young-I had really wanted to check out this novel, but mixed reviews kind of put me off.

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner-I usually like her books, but I'm not typically a fan of stories told from multiple POVs without any initial relevance to one another.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult-I went through an obsessive period where I read a huge number of Jodi Picoult books. Not sure why I haven't gotten to her latest releases.

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine-I'm resistant to Kindle ebooks over the price of $10, so I think I'm just going to wait until a price drop for the latest Morganville Vampires release.  

Crossed by Ally Condie-I really enjoyed the first Matched book, but I kind of forget what happened. I might re-read it before picking up the sequel.

Top Books Written In The Past 10 Years That I Hope People Are StillReading In 30 Years

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic at the Broke and the Bookish is the top books written in the past decade that you feel people should still be reading thirty years from now. I only came up with seven books I feel are modern-day classics. Here are my thoughts:


Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Although I’m a book nerd, you’d probably be shocked to learn that I actually never read the series. I did watch all of the movies though =) The series has made such a strong impact that I wouldn’t be surprised that people are reading them a hundred years from now no less thirty.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

An insightful novel about a boy living in war-torn Afghanistan. This seems destined to be added to curriculums around the world.


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This book is so much more than simply a teenage boy investigating the death of a neighborhood dog. It’s a rare and insightful character study on how someone with autism views the world.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

This equally tragic and hopeful novel is sure to be read decades from now as individuals try to gain insight into post-9/11 America.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

With beautiful and captivating prose, Gruen completely transports you to another time and place.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Never before has a book sent me into a darker place. This modern-day classic explores how even the end of the world can not destroy all of the good in humanity.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Okay, I don’t know if this will still be read thirty years from now, but it SHOULD. Grahame-Smith’s genius has already spawned a legion of copycats.

My Top Ten Fictional Crushes

This is a freebie week on the Broke and the Bookish’s Top Ten Tuesday meme. Since I’ve only been doing the posts for a few weeks, I decided to go back and choose one of the older topics. My selection is Fictional Crushes. Although I’m happily married, I can’t help, but swoon a little over these characters from my favorite books:

Ian O'Shea from the Host by Stephenie Meyer-I have such a huge literary crush on Ian. Black hair, sapphire eyes and such a sensitive side (his profession that he would love Wanderer no matter what body she was in had me in tears).


Eric Northman from the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris-Ok, I'll admit this crush may be tied to Alexander Skarsgard from True Blood, but I do tend to be drawn to characters who aren’t the cookie cutter boy next door types. A bad boy vampire who would kill for you and who’s over six feet and blond, definitely swoonworthy.

Henry from the Goddess Test by Aimee Carter-Not only is he a gorgeous and powerful god, but he’s guarded and mysterious. I think his aloofness seems to be a big draw for me. Who wouldn't want to be the girl who he fell in love with after knowing how heartbroken he was for hundreds and hundreds of years after Persephone left him for Adonis?


Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne from the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins-I can honestly empathize with Katniss. How do you choose from these two heartbreakers? Gale is strong and knows her better than anyone. Peeta is the boy who’s loved her from afar (sigh).

Gage Oliver from the Celestra Series by Addison Moore-This wonderful series focuses a lot on Skyla’s choice between cousins (sort-of) Logan and Gage. Gage is tall, dark and sexy and tough with a sensitive side (he writes Skyla poetry). Logan’s never done it for me and I would have to pick Marshall as her second choice if she doesn’t end up with Gage.

Joe Morelli from the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich-Not only are these books awesome because they are set in my neighboring city of Trenton, but they feature one of my favorite cop characters of all time: Joe Morelli. He’s funny, loyal and sexy­-could he be any more perfect?

Damon Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith-I guess I have a thing for damaged and dangerous vampires. It also doesn’t hurt that Ian Somerhalder plays the TV version of the character.

Leon Grey from Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien-Leon was so perfect in this awesome series from O’Brien. He comes off as arrogant at times, but his many sacrifices for Gaia as well as his strength make him one of my top crushes.

Chaz Pendergast from the Queen of Babble Series by Meg Cabot-I had a tough time selecting my last pick (couldn’t decide if I wanted to include those Twilight boys or not), but my brain kept returning to Chaz. Cabot makes Chaz seem so “real,” it makes you understand Lizzie’s attraction to him. He’s funny, down-to-earth and romantic without the sappiness.

Top Ten Books to Be Made Into Movies

The Top Ten Tuesday Topic for this week on the Broke and the Bookish is the top ten books we would love to see made into movies. When I though up my picks, I realized I had quite an eclectic mix. These are my picks in no particular order:



Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Plenty of action and a tragic love story-what could make for a better movie?

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

I would think this book would work so well as a romantic comedy. A funny actress paired with a handsome actor who could play a CEO type would work great.

Dark Visions by LJ Smith

Since Secret Circle and Vampire Diaries now both have TV series, I think this would work as well for movies or TV. Although some of the plot points may have to be updated, a modern telling about the school for psychics would surely be a hit.

The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter

I’m sort of obsessed with this book and always picture it as a movie. I like the idea of gods and goddesses posing as humans to help find a bride for the ruler of the Underworld.

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

I know there are a ton of fans of these books (myself included) and this could be made into a really funny and touching coming of age movie.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

Although I love the Fallen series, I never really like how angel stories translate to screen. Ambition, blackmail and murder at a ritzy high school make for a fun popcorn movie.

Frenemies by Megan Crane

This could be a Mean Girls for the twenty-something set. Also, would love to be in charge of casting the rich bad boy Henry.

My Sweet Audrina by VC Andrews

Another one of my teen obsessions, me and my childhood BFF felt completely scandalized after reading each one of her books. This standalone novel was one of the few that weren’t too out there (i.e. no incest) to actually be made into a movie.

Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson

An exciting thriller with a main character suffering from short term memory loss (Memento Part 2?).

Any Judy Blume Book

Are you like me and have such a soft spot for the coming of age author? Not sure how well some of her books would translate into film, but it would be interesting to see my childhood faves appear on screen.

Top Ten All Time Favorite Characters

On the Broke and the Bookish, the Roundtable for this week is your top ten favorite characters. These are my faves in no particular order. My boys have slept in, so I’m hoping that I didn’t forget anyone as I try to rush this post out before the little monsters wake up.

1. Wanderer from the Host by Stephenie Meyer-Meyer’s depiction of an alien snatching soul who learns how to be human made this book one of my favorites.
2. Becky Bloomwood from Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella-Her inner musings always leaves me hysterical.
3. Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith-I was a teen when I started reading these books, so it was strange for me when it became a TV series a couple of years ago. Damon was always my fave over Stefan.
4. Lula from One for the Money by Janet Evanovich-The Stephanie Plum series has been my go-to summer books since I’m also a Trenton girl. Lula is one of those crazy characters you can never forget.
5. Jessica Darling from Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty-I love sarcastic and funny main characters and Jessica definitely fits the bill.
6. Thomas from Helper12 by Jack Blaine-Although the protag was almost my choice as a fave, I had to go with Thomas. I felt he brought out what was best in her.
7. Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-Who doesn’t love Katniss? She’s badass and sacrifices herself to save her sister.
8.  Fitwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen-Who doesn’t fall in love with Darcy during the course of this classic?
9. Henry from the Goddess Test by Aimee Carter-Damaged, heartbroken and gorgeous, what makes a better love interest? Oh and his selected mate will rule the Underworld with him.
10. Elisa from the Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson-It’s rare in fantasy YA to find such a relatable character that experiences so much growth in the course of a single novel.

Top Ten Books That Were Totally Deceiving

The new top ten topic this week over at the Broke and the Bookish is the top novels you find deceiving. It could be the cover or the summary that threw you off. Here's my list of books that I find best fit with this distinction:

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto-I hope the cover artist got a huge paycheck because I know a ton of readers who purchased this novel based on the gorgeous cover. The book was a major letdown.

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr-After Wicked Lovely, I tried again and again to give this series a shot. The description of the conclusion and the gorgeous cover suckered me in again. Just never came together for me.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher-The book summary sounded so good with praise like a “modern classic” and thrilling and addictive.” I found it implausible with no connect to the characters.

Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty-I never liked the covers for the Jessica Darling series. Although some of the novels went off-course for me, this one had me cracking up.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin-Nice cover, but never saw how it tied into the book.

Pulse by Kailin Gow-The description sounded interesting enough and the reviews on Amazon were very positive. By the middle, it completely fell apart and then abruptly ended.

Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine-The covers always seem cheesy and immature to me. The series is anything but.

Branded by Keary Taylor-Both the cover and the description drew me in. Although the premise was great and the afterlife descriptions were captivating by the end of the book I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes.

Helper12 by Jack Blaine-The book cover was completely bland, but it was an amazing and exciting dystopian YA entry.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson-The cover and summary didn’t really appeal to me, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. Wow is all I have to say. Not your typical damsel in distress story at all.

My Top Ten Books to Read in One Day

On the Broke and the Bookish, they host a weekly Top Ten Tuesday where book-themed blogs all post on the same topic. This week’s theme is the top ten books that you were so excited about that you couldn’t put it down. Who needs to eat and bathe when you have a good book in your hand? I’m sure I’ll remember later other faves, but here are the ten off the top of my head.

1. The Host by Stephenie Meyer-I looove this book! I actually prefer it to the Twilight series. It’s amazing how she was able to create a sympathetic character out of a body snatching alien.


2. Delirum by Lauren Oliver-I read this right after Crossed by Ally Condie and I could not put it down. And Oh God the ENDING!!!


3. Ethereal and rest of the Celestra Series by Addison Moore-If you have not read this YA series about angel bloodlines on earth, do so right now! Plot is fast-paced and the MC is hysterical!


4. Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien-This book may be another YA dystopian novel, but it’s a cut above many of the others I read. Features a teen mid-wife who delivers babies that she must hand over to a tyrannical society.


5. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman-If you’ve never read anything by Hoffman, this is a good one to start with. It’s a series of short stories interconnected through a New England cottage. Her language is hypnotic and she’s such an amazing storyteller.


6. Lothaire by Kresley Cole-After reading a lot of YA paranormal romance novels, I was kind of hesitant to try out a few adult versions. This book was one of the first I read in the genre and I don't think I slept until the book was finished. Plenty of action and some very STEAMY love scenes.


7. Fever by Lauren DeStefano-This is a YA dystopian novel with an interesting twist. Genetic engineering has produced a virus that kills you before you reach the age of 25.


8. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-I’m afraid to see the movie because I love this book so much. Once Katniss heads into the games, you won’t be able to stop reading.


9. The Night Villa by Carol Goodman-Goodman is another one of my faves with standouts also including the Drowning Tree and the Lake of Dead Languages. A murder mystery and Italian setting drives the story.


10. Confessions of a Shopaholic and sequels by Sophie Kinsella-This book I couldn’t put down because it was so freaking funny. I love books that make you laugh so loud that your husband looks at you as if you’ve lost your mind.