Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I wish would get their own book

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic that the participants come up with a top ten list for.


This is such a cool idea for a post! There are so many interesting side characters I'd like to know more about!

As always, my top ten are in no particular order.


Abby from Katie McGarry's Crash Into You
She's tough, I like her, and she definitely has a story to tell. I actually thought the fourth book in the series would be hers but so far it doesn't seem to be happening.


Gavriel from Holly Black's The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
I'd love to know more about his past before he met Tana! We do get some of his backstory but I'd like to hear it from his own point of view.


Sturmhond from the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
One of my favorite characters there! I'd love to hear more about his days as a pirate or when he served in the army. Or really just a glimpse into his mind.


Durzo Blint from the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
He is such a prominent character but a big enigma for a large part of the series. I'd like him to get his own novel. Or a prequel trilogy. I know there's a novella that looks into his life, but it's short and I haven't read it yet.


Noah from the Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin
He's such a great character! I think I could listen to what goes on in his head for hours. And well, it's implied that his life before he met Mara was already eventful. So there'd be no shortness of story to tell.

 
Walter C. Dornez from the Hellsing manga series by Hirano Kouta
That guy is so badass. I always loved his fighting scenes! I really wish the author would continue the Hellsing: The Dawn series about Walter and Alucard's adventures when he was younger, during WWII. So much sass.


Fear from Kelsey Sutton's Some Quiet Place
He was great. I know he features prominently in the novel but I'd like to know what it all looks like from where he's standing.


Morpheus from A.G. Howard's Splintered series
He's one of my favorite characters. You never know what he's playing at. His head would be a... madly interesting place.


Ivy from the Hollows series by Rachel Harrison
I'm sort of cheating here because I think the graphic novel adaption of the series (which I haven't read) is from Ivy's perspective. She's awesome. And I've read a short story from her POV but I'd like to see more. Maybe also of her past with Kisten and growing up under the eyes of Piscary.


Zero from the Vampire Knight manga series by Matsuri Hino
I admit it. I was a Kaname person for quite a while, but at some point I did a 180. And when I re-watched the anime and re-read part of the manga... oh Zero, my heart aches for you. Such a great character, so much undeserved pain. Seems to be a thing with side characters.


Despite thinking the topic is awesome, this was actually harder than I thought it would be. So many great characters have already gotten their own book / spin off series / novella! (Adrian from Vampire Academy, Space and Mencheres from the Night Huntress series, Mae from The Demon's Lexicon, Tod from the Soul Screamers series, Warner from Shatter Me...) Or else it's the mystery that makes them so interesting and so I am hesitant about wanting to read about it all.
What do you think of my picks, and how did you fare with your own?

Top Ten of 2013: best book boyfriends

Hi there, welcome back to day 3 of the Top Ten of 2013 event organized by Rachel from Fiktshun, Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads.


This year's top ten book boyfriends

Well... the rules are that the book boyfriends need to be from books not only read in 2013, but also released in 2013. The released in 2013 part really sucks, because there are so many awesome guys I read this year but are from older books. I'm going to cheat and add one of them as my top book boyfriend but not as part of the list. And the honor goes to...

Noah Shaw, from the Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin
Why? He's not only incredibly smart but also, from the description, more my type than most of the guys you see in YA. He's not all bulky, he's lean. He's also effortlessly graceful and dead sexy. Did I mention that his room is basically one giant library? As in all the walls are bookshelves? He reads philosophic/literary theory for fun. He's got a wicked sense of humor. And I just love him paired up with Mara, I think they mesh very well.


Okay, now on with the official list!


Tod Hudson, from the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent
I'm so glad I read With All My Soul this year, otherwise I couldn't have picked Tod and that would've sucked. He's a reaper, he has a room/apartment that is basically an impenetrable fortress, he's caring, he's willing to do anything for those he loves, and he's a sarcastic smartass. He can also make me swoon with the things he says to Kaylee, when worded by anyone else it would have made me roll my eyes.

Four/Tobias, from the Divergent series by Veronica Roth
I must admit that my favorite Tobias is the one from Divergent. He's had to go through so much, but there is an inner strength about him that is steely but kind. I think he's also very well-balanced and not prone to extremes. He thinks all factions have merit. I just like that he's such a complex character with both great strengths and flaws.

Adrian Ivashkov, from the Bloodlines / Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
Oh Adrian. When I first met you years ago in the VA books, I couldn't stand you at first. Then your vulnerability and sarcasm wormed their way into my heart. By the end, I ached for you having to pay the price for Dimitri and Rose's happiness. But now I think you're better paired with Sidney anyway. And how could I not crush on the guy who is both artistically gifted and touched by madness?



Will Herondale, from the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare
Dear Will. You tumble from one extreme to the next, and I hurt for you so much when you found out that all those years of trying to make others despise you and believing to never be loved in return... were in vain. And to be torn between the love for a boy who is like a brother and the girl you'd like to spend your life with... it's cruel. As you can be cruel. But you've got the best one-liners. And you got the right ending for yourself in the end.

Gavriel, from Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
Centuries old and mad as a hatter a lot of the time. Gentile. Tortured. Kind. Mysterious. A very strange romance, but one I rooted for nevertheless. Also, that novel contained my favorite kiss of the year. I'll give you an extract from the scene, after Tana bit herself on purpose to give him the taste of something forbidden. I guess it's a spoiler for one of the best bits of the book though, so read at your own discretion...

He groaned at the taste of it, eyes going wide with surprise and something like fear. [...] He'd been careful before, but he wasn't careful now as he licked her mouth; and it amazed her as much as it terrified her. He kissed her ferociously, savagely, their lips sliding together with bruising fervor. [...] Her fingers dug into the muscles of his back, their bodies pressed so close that he must have felt every hitch in her breath, every shuddering beat of her heart. And as scared of him as she had been, right then she was more frightened of herself. 
Gavriel reeled back from her, lips ruddy. He wiped his mouth against the back of his hand, her blood smearing over his skin. Gazing at her for a long moment with something like horror, as though he was seeing her for the first time, he spoke. "You are more dangerous than daybreak."
-page 160

Morpheus, from Splintered by A.G. Howard
I know, I featured him on my villain list yesterday. But he's also my book boyfriend. I think I have a problem: I can't fall for a guy if he's not also a bit dangerous, if I can't also resent him a bit at the same time. And well... Morpheus is perfect for that. He's also physically my type. Let's not even talk about his magical powers and killer fashion sense. He's also a bit mad, like most Netherlanders. He could be chaos walking. And I guess we've already established that I go for the mad ones... in books, at least.



Lucas, from Easy by Tammara Webber
Okay, this may be a little cheating. Easy was self-pubbed in 2012, but the Penguin re-release was in January 2013. So that counts. I really like how Lucas is so much more than the 'bad boy' Jacqueline first thought he was. He's caring, loyal strong, scarred. I also really like how respectfully he treats women. And he's very smart, too. What's not to like?

Chaol, from Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
I was really torn between Chaol and Dorian in Throne of Glass, but Chaol won my heart in Crown of Midnight. I really like the relationship dynamics between him and Caelena. He's strong, loyal to a fault, and caring. He's also determined and protective.

Fear, from Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton
I have a thing for figures who are the embodiment of an abstract concept. Death, Fear... keep them coming! Fear is provocative and maybe a little cruel... but he's got his reasons for what he does. And he loves fiercely, too. Also, that power he wields. I can't help a morbid fascination with it. I hope there'll be more of him in the next book.



Will, from Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
I was suspicious of him, but only in the very beginning of the book. Then I forgave him, because I think I would have acted the same at the end of book 1. Again, someone who cares selflessly for those important to him. He's a great support for Araby and he helps those less fortunate than him when he can. He's very protective of his younger siblings, and as someone who'd do anything for her sister, I empathize with that.


So... that's it. Do we have any book guy crushes in common? Is there someone you despised? I know I tend to go for the mad, broken, screwed up ones... ^^'' What were some of your own favorites this year?

Top Ten of 2013: best villains

Hi there, welcome back to day 3 of the Top Ten of 2013 event organized by Rachel from Fiktshun, Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads.

Today we have a couple of topics to choose from, and I've decided to highlight my favorite bad guys. Because we all know they can be intriguing in their own right ;)
I must admit though that it wasn't that easy to actually identify books that had a villain! In quite many I've read this year, the adversary is either abstract (poverty, a fear, the character's situation), or a whole society system or some other intangible ideological thing. A real, charismatic villain? Not that easy to find... especially when it comes to lady villains!

There is no particular order. And sorry, but not links/covers today. I'm at my netbook, which is reaaaaally sloooooow and gets hung up all the time. Yesterday I was putting in covers and links (only that) for more than an hour!


Best villains I've read in 2013

The Darkling - Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo
He is very alluring, mysterious and sexy. And for a long time, I wasn't sure if he's a villain. I didn't want him to be. I'm still not sure he truly is one - I haven't read Siege and Storm yet - but he is cast that way in Shadow and Bone. Can't wait to read more of him.

Warner - Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi
What a sick, possessive guy! Very intelligent, but also completely ruthless and due to his upbringing, kind of a psycho. The way he treats Juliette like he owns her made me so mad. he certainly follows the Machiavellian idea that it's better to be feared than loved. Destroy Me let me understand him a bit better, but I still don't understand how some people ship him with Juliette.

Morpheus - Splintered, by A.G. Howard
Is he friend or foe? That's what kept me at the tip of my toes in Splintered. He clearly cares for Alyssa, but he's also a schemer and follows his own agenda. I found him compelling, creepy, and I love his sense of style. There's this jouissance about him that I love to read about.

The Godking - Night Angel Trilogy, by Brent Weeks
Very powerful figure, that guy. Whenever Kylar or Durzo thought they had him pinned... they didn't. His magic is basically all-powerful, he has no respect for women or life in general, and his greed (for land, for power, for cruelty) is basically unparalleled. Definitely a chilling guy.

Sarren - The Eternity Cure, by Julie Kagawa
Sick old psycho vampire with a grudge, who's got his hands on a character I care about. Need I say more? With the ending, whenever I thought it couldn't get worse... it did.

The King  - Throne of Glass / Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas
I don't remember if we know his name? I don't particularly care. It's his position that makes him dangerous. He's cruel, thirsting for power, and shrewd. He's strong both physically and with his skill in black magic. He's not just a danger to Caelena but to all of Adarlan.

Prince Prospero - Dance of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin
I seem to have a thing for evil royal villains this year... Prospero is another one that makes torture into entertainment. It's also about his more subtle threats though, and what he's done/doing to his own people. Let's not even talk about the way he treats his own family and how he broke Elliott in his childhood.

Avari - With All My Soul, by Rachel Vincent
Avari is a great villain throughout the series. He's both strong and smart, and hella determined to get what he wants. And yet he is not completely repulsive but strangely... fascinating.

Death - Poison Princess, by Kresley Cole
He's domineering and omni-present in Evie's head, even though they don't meet in real life. I've always had a fascination with representations of Death in literature, and he's feeding my addiction. He's centuries old, lethal, cunning... and endlessly patient.

Tatiana - Flesh and Blood, by Kristen Painter
Evil, ambitious vampire bitch. She's the kind of character that is almost overdone in her vileness, so you can just love to hate her. As you've maybe noticed, I tend to develop a kind of sympathy for the devil villain or siding with the underdog thing... but not with her. And sometimes it's great to be able to just despise a character. Besides, the ladies are seriously underrepresented on this list...

Runners-up:
Demian - The Stone Demon, by Karen Mahoney
Because he's a demon king and even though he's clearly bad news, he's also compelling and a great addition to the trilogy.

The Queen - The Pledge, by Kimberly Derting
Her power is creepy! And she's definitely playing the long game. I was afraid of her when I read her.

The aliens - The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancey
Because they know just where our weaknesses are and they're not afraid to use them. Also, they are so hard to detect! Makes you paranoid.


Have you read any of those books and if so, do you agree with my assessment of villainy? I'm also curious what topics other people chose, so link me up!

Waiting on Wednesday: Unhinged, by A.G. Howard

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine to spotlight upcoming book releases that we're excited about.


This week's pick:

Release date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: Amulet Books
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages

Goodreads description:
Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

I really really cannot wait for this one!!! Ever since finishing Splintered, I somehow had the impression that there was  unfinished business in the story. I liked the ending, but I felt there was too much potential left over... so I kept my eyes open. And BAM then there was the announcement, and later this cover!!! o.O Gorgeous. It comes really close to how I imagined Morpheus! I admit I'm still kind of rooting for him and Alyssa ;)
What do you think of my pick? Are you as impatient as I am? And what did you choose this week?

Teaser Tuesday: Splintered, by A.G. Howard

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: • Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


After doing quite a few Top Ten Tuesdays, I've decided to mix things up a little and tease you guys again ;) I've just finished Splintered by A.G. Howard and it was amazing! One of my most anticipated releases of the year, and a great way to start reading them :) Since I haven't decided on my next read yet, I'll pick this book to tease you with...

Please meet Jeb:
" 'You know, you really should go to prom. Show up just like this and knock everyone on their asses. I guarantee you'll still have your dignity.' He studies my face with an expression I've only seen when he paints. Intense. Absorbed. As if he's considering the painting from every angle. Me from every angle. He's so close, I smell the raspberry on his hot breath. His gaze shifts to the dimple in my chin and my cheeks flame." - Paperback, page 27

And here's a snippet about Morpheus:
"Morpheus is not his true name. He is glory and deprecation - sunlight and shadows - the scuttle of scorpion and the melody of a nightingale. The breath of the sea and the cannonade of a storm. Can you relay birdsong, or the sound of wind, or the scurry of a creature across the sand? For the proper names of netherlings are made up of the life forces defining them. Can you speak these things with your tongue?" - Paperback, page 288


About the book:
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.


What do you guys think of my teasers? Do they make you want to read the book? And what did you pick to tease the rest of us with this week?