Top Ten Picks: Fictional Places

Random Ramblings Top Ten Picks topic this week is fictional places. The list can be a mix of places we'd love to visit and places we wouldn't ever really want to visit.

Prince Edward Island. The Anne series by L.M. Montgomery.

Barchester. Chronicles of Barsetshire by Anthony Trollope.

The Shire. Tolkien's novels.

Regency England. Various romance novels of Georgette Heyer, Julia Quinn, etc.

Narnia. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Gracehope. First Light. Rebecca Stead.

Archipelago of Dreams. The Chronicles of The Imaginarium Geographica. James. A. Owen.

Ingary. Howl's Moving Castle. Diana Wynne Jones.

Hundred Acre Woods. The World of Pooh by A.A. Milne.

Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Top Ten Picks: Favorite Books of All Time

The topic this week at Random Ramblings is Favorite Books of All Time. It is extremely difficult for me to even think about creating a top ten. But. I shall try.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer.

Lisa is pregnant.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one. Or at least as close as we're going to get."

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.

Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck

When war came to Monterey and to Cannery Row everybody fought it more or less, in one way or another.

Book Thief by Markus Zusak

First the colors. Then the humans. That's usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try.

Venetia by Georgette Heyer

"A fox got in amongst the hens last night, and ravished our best layer," remarked Miss Lanyon.

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

"Your noise reveals you, Todd Hewitt."

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies' eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde's Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Top Ten Picks: Favorite Male Literary Characters

Random Ramblings Top Ten Picks topic this week is Favorite Male Literary characters. I am going to try my best not to duplicate my Literary Crushes list. (Which is why there will be no Captain Wentworth, Gilbert Blythe, Henry Tilney, John Thornton, etc.)


Don Quixote from Don Quixote. Miguel de Cervantes. My review. I enjoyed both Don Quixote and Sancho Panzo. I loved these two so much that this chunkster was a delight to read. I won't lie, it took me almost two months to read, but, it was a great two months. It was a journey that I loved taking.


The creature from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. My review. This novel is one of my favorites. Yes, favorites. For me, it is a comfort read. For me, it is all about the meaning of life, what it means to be human, what it means to feel. Yes, the 'creature' mainly feels miserable. But. The fact that he feels at all. Well, it speaks to me. My favorite part of this novel are the sections narrated by the creature, the sections where the creature speaks to his creator, Victor Frankenstein.


Death. From The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. My review. I loved everything about Death in this amazing book by Markus Zusak. The book was truly wonderful and completely unforgettable.


Ender/Andrew Wiggin from Ender's Game and Speaker of the Dead by Orson Scott Card. I love this character. I love this series. I love how Ender has matured into Andrew. I loved seeing how much he's grown...changed. He is wise. But his wisdom doesn't make him less human, it makes him more human. I love how this novel is about taking broken things, messy things, ugly things--and making them whole, making sense of the chaos, making them beautiful.

Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. My review. Rhett is such a strong character in Gone With The Wind. He steals so many scenes in Margaret Mitchell's classic. He does. Most of the scenes that I love and adore (and read over and over and over again) star Rhett.


Matthew from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I love, love, love Matthew. I do. I love his shyness. I love his stubbornness. I love his devotion. I love his tenderness. Which is why his death makes me cry no matter how many times I read the novel.


Almanzo Wilder from Long Winter, These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I love the Little House books. I do. I love The Long Winter especially. It makes me cold. It makes me hungry. It makes me desperately hungry. It makes me feel. I love Almanzo because he is a hero.


Spencer Martin from Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson. I love Scarlett's older brother, Spencer.


Marcelo from Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. I loved Marcelo's voice. I loved his observations. I loved his interactions, his conversations. I loved that his special interest was God, religion. I loved his intelligence; his way of digesting the world and discerning for himself right from wrong. I loved his strength, his character. Here is a man with heart and soul, with substance.


Gramps from Rash by Pete Hautman. He's cranky, but he's fun. He adds a bit of humor and common sense to this futuristic novel.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Top Ten Picks: Favorite Books to Movies

Random Ramblings's Top Ten topic this week is favorite books to movies...

1. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. My thoughts on the movie.


2. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith. My thoughts on the movie.


4. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. My thoughts on the movie.


5. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. I've seen three different versions of this one. And I've liked them all. My thoughts on the 1999 version. My thoughts on the 1934 version. I don't think I blogged about the 1982 version starring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. But I enjoyed it too.


6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

7. Persuasion by Jane Austen

8. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery


9. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis


10. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. My thoughts on the movie.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

More Top Ten Picks: Best Books I've Read So Far

Random Rambling's topic this week is favorite books that we've read this year. So yesterday I shared a list of my favorite books published in 2010. Today I thought I'd share my top ten of 'everything else.'

The first I'd like to share is Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck. I loved this one. I absolutely loved it. I read it and it became my new favorite Steinbeck. I loved it more than Cannery Row, more than Tortilla Flat, more than Travels With Charley. I marked so many passages that I just loved, that just stood out to me. And I shared some of those in my review. Like "Some days are born ugly. From the very first light they are no damn good whatever the weather, and everybody knows it" and "It's always hard to start to concentrate. The mind darts like a chicken, trying to escape thinking even though thinking is the most rewarding function of man."

Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney. I loved this one. I just loved, loved, loved it. It was emotional. It was intense. It was compelling. It was impossible to put down. There were so many things done right in Blue Plate Special. It's a coming-of-age novel that authentically represents some of the harder issues of living life in an unfair world. A world where parents make mistakes too. It's a heartbreaking novel. One that could be a bit too much for some readers perhaps. But while tragic definitely comes to mind when describing this one, so does the word unforgettable.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I loved Margaret Hale and John Thornton. I loved the substance and depth of this one. I loved the romance. I really loved the romance. But I loved how it was more than just a romance. I loved the strength and integrity of the characters. If you haven't seen the movie, you should!

Doctor Thorne. Anthony Trollope. This is the third in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series by Anthony Trollope. The first two are The Warden and Barchester Towers. Though it is part of a series, it can truly stand on its own. What did I love about this one? So, so much! I love Trollope for starters! I love his characters. I love the community he creates. I love his descriptions. I love his dialogue. This one had me smiling in places--Trollope can definitely be witty--yet there was something so sweet, so right about the romance in this one.

Armadale by Wilkie Collins. This one is a long book--over 800 pages--yet it was so compelling. The second half especially. Once you're introduced to Lydia Gwilt, it's hard to put this one down. It becomes even more thrilling. There was something so wonderful about this one--be it the mystery or the drama--that kept me hooked. This is only my second Collins, yet I know I want to read more.

The Phoenix and the Carpet by E. Nesbit. Loved this one. It's a sequel to Five Children and It. It was such a delightful read. It is very funny in places. I love the adventures, the troubles. It's just a feel-good read. I don't know that I love it any more than I do Five Children and It. I just know that I love E. Nesbit. I love her narrative style. I love her descriptions. And I am so very thankful I've discovered her! And I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

Airhead by Meg Cabot. The first in a series. The sequels are Being Nikki and Runaway. This series surprised me. Especially the first one. I was expecting something so very different. What makes this one special, well, you should really discover that for yourself. Don't judge this book by its cover because it's so much more than what it looks like.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared To Dream by Tanya Lee Stone. This one should be a must-read. It is one of those books where I learned how much I just don't know. The story of these women--of Jerrie Cobb especially--was an amazing one. A book that left me a little shocked, disappointed, and more than a little sad. Not all nonfiction has the same quality as fiction. That can't-put-it-down factor that makes a book really good.

Sixteen Brides. Stephanie Grace Whitson. I loved this historical romance. Loved the characters. Loved their spirit and gumption and strength. Loved how they worked together. Loved the story. Loved the cover too!


Sylvester by Georgette Heyer. I have read many great Heyer novels in the past six months. So why Sylvester? I'm not sure what makes this one stand out as my favorite. But I think the great chemistry between Sylvester and Phoebe certainly helps. I love Heyer. I love her style. I love her wit. I love her characters. And there are so many characters to love in Sylvester. If you haven't read her before, you might consider starting with Sylvester.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Top Ten Picks: Favorite Books Read So Far This Year

Random Rambling's topic this week is favorite books that we've read this year. For my own purposes, I'm going to focus on MG/YA books published in 2010.

Smells Like Dog by Suzanne Selfors. I think it would make a WONDERFUL read aloud for the entire family. It's got action, adventure, and humor! It stars a boy named Homer Pudding, and the adventure starts when he receives a gift from his late uncle's estate--this gift is a dog, but he's not really an ordinary dog. Lest you are a worrier, have no fear. There's a note to the reader:

Dear Reader: The following story is a dog story, but it is not, I repeat, NOT a sad dog story. I hate sad dog stories. I bet you do too.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles. Countdown is the kind of book that I had to pass around to all my friends. I knew from the start that I'd love it. It's historical fiction, set in 1962. Franny Chapman, our eleven-year-old heroine, is my kind of girl. A true kindred spirit. I loved how her older sister phrased her sister's problems: "Franny, you're eleven. That's the problem in a nutshell." She pulls an envelope out of her purse. "Everybody feels persecuted when they're eleven. It will pass."

Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper. Melody wowed me. This novel is so emotional, so intense. But it's one I'd definitely recommend. It's about a girl with cerebral palsy, though she cannot talk--or walk, or feed herself--she has a brilliant mind, she's trapped in a body that doesn't do what she wants it to.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood. I loved this one. It was so fun, so clever. I loved Miss Penelope Lumley. And I loved the three children in her care too: Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia. Who is Miss Penelope? She's a graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. With steady perseverance, ever-present hope, and a lot of love, she's determined that these kids will succeed. And to her credit, they do seem eager to learn, eager to love. But not everyone at Ashton Place wants the children to succeed.

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick. This one is a companion novel to Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie. Jeffrey, Steven's younger brother, is starting eighth grade, and the year has many struggles with it. But what Jeffrey learns about life, about friendship, about girls, about perseverance will make it all worth it in the end. This book has heart.

For Keeps by Natasha Friend. I loved this one because of the characterization. I thought it was surprisingly, wonderfully complex. So much more than what I was expecting! I loved how human the characters felt, how natural the relationships felt. This book was satisfying.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I'm choosing Before I Fall not because of the blog buzz--this one has been reviewed in so many places--but because of the simple truth that the author made me care. When I started Before I Fall, I hated the characters. I didn't think the main character was a nice person. But the book was so compelling, and by the end I cared so much.

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson. I enjoyed both Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever. There is something so fun, so right about the Martin family. I love Scarlett. I love her brother, Spencer. (I really, really love Spencer!!!) I love her other siblings. I love her crazy family, her crazy life, her crazy job. The books are just too much fun!

Grace by Elizabeth Scott. I love Elizabeth Scott. I do. I just love her. She continues to amaze me with each book. She's the author that makes me giddy with her teen romances and leaves me haunted by such books as Grace and Living Dead Girl. (It's not that her romances lack substance or full characterization. All her characters feel human. And all her characters seem to be struggling with something.) Grace is on the list because I don't think I'll be forgetting it any time soon.

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness. I was actually considering leaving this one off the list. After all, it is the third book in a series. (The first two are Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and The Answer.) But. The series as a whole is so strong, and this final book is so amazing. Ness is such a great writer. The characters. The storytelling. The pacing. He doesn't have a weakness. He just doesn't.



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Top Ten Picks: Favorite Authors

Random Rambling's topic this week--favorite authors.

Anthony Trollope. He's a relatively new favorite of mine. But love is love. And right now, Trollope is the best of the best. I love his characters. I love the complexity of his communities. How he peoples his novels so richly, so diversely. I love his narration. How he at times speaks directly to the readers, addresses the fact that this is a novel and that he is the writer. I love his sense of humor. I love how me makes me smile with his descriptions. His writing is amusing, charming, and oh-so-engaging. What I've read so far: The Warden, Barchester Towers, Doctor Thorne, The Way We Live Now.

Georgette Heyer. I love Heyer's historical romances. I just love them. They are giddy-making. I love her characters. I love her witty dialogue. I love her descriptions. I love how her relationships develop. I love the fact that they're clean romances. I'm reading Bath Tangle now. And I've got The Foundling and Venetia to look forward to next. My goal is to read and review all of her historical romances. What I've read so far: Black Sheep, Sylvester, Cotillion, Lady of Quality, Cousin Kate, Regency Buck, The Reluctant Widow, Charity Girl, Convenient Marriage, Frederica, The Talisman Ring, The Grand Sophy, The Corinthian, Arabella, These Old Shades, Devil's Cub, The Black Moth, The Toll Gate, and Sprig Muslin.

John Steinbeck. I never expected to love Steinbeck. But. I decided to give him a chance and I fell in love. I started with his lesser known works. I still haven't read East of Eden or The Grapes of Wrath. I hope to get to both at some point. What I've read so far: Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday, Tortilla Flat, Travels with Charley, The Moon is Down, The Wayward Bus, Burning Bright, Winter of Our Discontent, To A God Unknown, Of Mice and Men.

L.M. Montgomery: One of the first on this list that I discovered in childhood. A few years ago I started rereading her books so I could blog about them. What I've read so far: The Blue Castle, A Tangled Web, Chronicles of Avonlea, Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily's Quest, Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside, Kilmeny of the Orchard.


Margaret Peterson Haddix. Haddix writes in a variety of styles, for a variety of audiences--children, middle grade, young adult. She's written science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and realistic fiction. There is something thoughtful about all her books. What I've read so far: Just Ella, Turnabout, Shadow Children series--seven books in all, Running Out of Time, Because of Anya, Double Identity, Escape From Memory, Takeoffs and Landings, Found. Sent. Palace of Mirrors. Uprising.

Elizabeth Scott. Scott continues to amaze me. I have followed her from the very, very beginning. And I've yet to be disappointed by one of her books. Bloom had me at hello, and I've been a fan ever since. Grace, Unwritten Rule, Love You Hate You Miss You, Something Maybe, Living Dead Girl, Stealing Heaven, Perfect You, Bloom.

Orson Scott Card. I've loved so many Card novels. (I haven't reviewed all of them yet. But I'd love to as time permits me to reread.) Card is great at characters and great at relationships and communities. (I also love Card's columns.) One of my favorite books that doesn't get as much attention as the rest is The Worthing Saga. What I've read so far: Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus, The Worthing Saga. Empire. Lost Boys; Ender's Game, (Ender's Game), War of Gifts, Ender in Exile, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide...

Rick Riordan. I love his Percy Jackson series. I do. I read The Lightning Thief two or three times the year it was first released. And I recommended it to everybody. (Made my mom a big fan!) What I've read so far: The Red Pyramid, The Maze of Bones, The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth. The Last Olympian.

Beverly Cleary. I love Ramona Quimby. I do. I loved her as a kid. I loved her as an adult. What I've read so far: Beezus and Ramona, Ramona the Pest, Ramona the Brave, Ramona and Her Father, Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona Quimby Age 8, Ramona Forever, Ramona's World. Fifteen.

Laura Ingalls Wilder. Are there better books out there than the Little House books? Maybe. But these are books from my childhood that I read and reread every year or so. And I have reread them as an adult. And I still love them. Maybe not equally. But still. My favorite, favorite from this series is The Long Winter. What I've read so far: Little House in the Big Woods; Little House on the Prairie; On the Banks of Plum Creek; By the Shores of Silver Lake; The Long Winter; Little Town on the Prairie; These Happy Golden Years; The First Four Years.


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Top Ten Picks: Literary Crushes

Random Ramblings' Top Ten Topic this week is Literary Crushes.

ETA: I can't believe I forgot one. Spencer Martin from Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson. I love Scarlett's older brother, Spencer.

Sir Patrick Lundie from Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins. Sir Patrick was one of my favorite characters that I discovered last year. Man and Wife isn't the most wonderful book in the world. And without Sir Patrick, well, I wouldn't have all that much use for it. It is over six hundred pages. But Sir Patrick kept me happy reading. He was such a stand-out character. He was so kind, so wise, so witty, so funny, so intelligent. He was a good man. I found myself smiling every time Sir Patrick collided (in dialogue) with Lady Lundie, his sister-in-law.

Mr. John Thornton from North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Does this one need an explanation? If you've read the book or seen the movie, probably not. If you haven't watched the movie, then you don't know what you're missing. It is such a GREAT movie.

Captain Wentworth from Persuasion by Jane Austen. That letter. Who could resist the writer of that letter?! That is why it is so important that if you're going to seek out a film adaptation of this one that you skip the 2008 one. They ruined everything. (Not that I'm bitter.)

Marcus Flutie from Megan McCafferty's Jessica Darling series, particularly Sloppy Firsts, Perfect Fifths. I don't always fall for the 'bad boy' types. Marcus Flutie, oh how I love you. I've always loved you. You had me at hello back in Sloppy Firsts. What does it say about me that I always take your side over Jessica's? Well, some of the time, at least. It's not that Marcus is perfect. It's just that there is something so unconditional about my love for Marcus that makes me care even when he's being difficult. And that something unconditional is how Marcus feels about Jessica. He loves her for who she is, for what she is, loves her unconditionally and without strings attached.

Doc MacNeill. From Catherine Marshall's Christy. I don't know if I can explain just why I *love* him. I just do.

Gilbert Blythe from L.M. Montgomery's Anne series. Particularly Anne of the Island and Anne of Green Gables.

Lord Alverstoke from Frederica by Georgette Heyer. It was *very* difficult to pick a Heyer hero to list. I tend to enjoy her romances so much, I love the way she has her couples falling in love. And so many of her couples have great chemistry.

Wes from The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. Is he my favorite Dessen hero? I'm not sure. It's been so long since I read The Truth About Forever. But I do know that this is my favorite Dessen novel. It was the first, true, but none of the others have taken that special place as far as I'm concerned. Wes is just one reason why I love the book, but he is an important one.

Dave the Laugh from the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison. Dave the Laugh was one of the only reasons I kept up with this series. The best of the series were the ones with plenty of Dave scenes. (The lack of character development, lack of growth, is one of the reasons I grew frustrated with this series. Though many of the books do have laugh-out-loud moments.)

Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I would really LOVE it if Amanda Grange came out with a Mr. Tilney's Diary. Why aren't there more spin-offs for this Austen novel? Why does everyone have to write P&P inspired fiction?!

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews