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Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Reads Week

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that other bloggers are welcome to join in, to create Top Ten lists on varying topics. This week it’s Beach Reads Week — top ten great beach reads, ten books I plan to read on the beach, ten beach reads for those who don’t like typical ~beach reads~, ten authors who are my go-to for beach reads, etc.

Paein

Going for ‘summer reads’ instead of beach reads because beaches = no thank you. This summer is all about series!

the hobbit artemis fowl cast in shadow dark witch city of bones

1 The Middle Earth Universe (The Hobbit etc)

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ok, not the whole thing, I’ll start with the most famous 4 and then I’ll see. I’ve been planning to read these this summer since last year! I hope I actually do.

Bilbo Baggins is a reasonably typical hobbit: fond of sleeping, eating, drinking, parties and presents. However, it is his destiny to travel to the dwarflands in the east, to help slay the dragon Smaug. His quest takes him through enchanted forests, spiders’ lairs, and under the Misty Mountains, where he comes across the vile Gollum, and tricks him out of his ‘Precious’ – a ring that makes its bearer invisible, and wields a terrible power of its own.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s own description for the original edition:
“If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of this humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did) – if you do not already know all about these things – much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period.”
“For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because they as a rule preferred comfort to excitement. But this account, based on his personal memoirs, of the one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Baggins will give you a fair idea of the estimable people now (it is said) becoming rather rare. They do not like noise.”

2 Artemis Fowl Series

by Eoin Colfer

Beyond time I reached the end of this series. Only 2 short, but I need a recap. Fantastic writing and a fantastic world. Why have I waited so long?

Artemis Fowl. You’ve probably heard the name.
If Internet rumours are to be believed, he’s responsible for every major crime of the new century. If you haven’t heard of young Artemis, the you’re lucky. You’ll sleep better not knowing that someone like him is out there. But if you must know, if curiosity is eating away at you, as it did at me, then let’s start at the beginning…
In this, the story of Artemis’ first encounter with the fairy People, you’ll find out how he hatched a plot to restore his family’s fortune. You’ll read how he discovered a world below ground of armed and dangerous fairies, farting dwarfs and mind-blowing technology. And you’ll learn how, by kidnapping Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police, Artemis almost triggered a cross-species war.
Still with me? Well, strap in, adventurers – you’ve never read anything quite like this..
Yours in deep cover,
Eoin Colfer.

3 The Chronicles of Elantra

by Michelle Sagara

I’ve lost track how many I’ve read and how many I own! But I want to get back into this world, I remember it being complex and fantastic. I hope it still is!

Seven years ago Kaylin fled the crime-riddled streets of Nightshade, knowing that something was after her. Children were being murdered — and all had the same odd markings that mysteriously appeared on her own skin…
Since then, she’s learned to read, she’s learned to fight and she’s become one of the vaunted Hawks who patrol and police the City of Elantra. Alongside the winged Aerians and immortal Barrani, she’s made a place for herself, far from the mean streets of her birth.
But children are once again dying, and a dark and familiar pattern is emerging, Kaylin is ordered back into Nightshade with a partner she knows she can’t trust, a Dragon lord for a companion and a device to contain her powers — powers that no other human has. Her task is simple — find the killer, stop the murders… and survive the attentions of those who claim to be her allies!

4 The Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy

by Nora Roberts

I missed this! How Did I miss this? A Whole trilogy has cropped up! I need to read it.

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.
Ireland.
County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.
Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.
When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horseman, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.
Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…

5 Mortal Instruments Universe

by Cassandra Clare

I’ve read the first 3, but now there’s so much more out there! the prequels the sequels the spin offs. I need to know what’s going on!

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Ms4Tune

I love planning what I’m going to read over the summer. I always make so many lists and then I read none of them. But here’s a list of books I want to read and have reasons to read, hopefully that will encourage me to actually read them before the year is out!

ghostly echoes I am Malala the nightingale the grisha A Kiss of Fire

6 Ghostly Echoes

by William Ritter

On my list because I was granted a wish on Netgalley and got an ARC of this to read. Loved books one and two and can’t wait to get stuck into this one.

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

7 I Am Malala

by Malala Yousafzai

I need a political memoir for my popsugar challenge and this one was the only one that peeked my interests.

I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.

On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.

Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world.

8 The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

Heard amazing things about this one. I love a historical fiction every now and then and this one sounds perfect.

Bravery, courage, fear and love in a time of war.
Despite their differences, sisters Viann and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Viann is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Viann finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her.
As the war progresses, the sisters’ relationship and strength is tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Viann and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.

9 The Grisha Series

by Leigh Bardugo

I’ve been meaning to read this series forever! I loved Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows and want to read all her other books asap.

Shadow and Bone, Book 1:

 

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

10 A Kiss of Fire

by Deborah Cooke

For my Popsugar Challenge I need a book where the protagonist is… an Accountant! And after a huge struggle the lovely populous of Goodreads helped me track down a number of books that fit this criteria and this one really caught my eye.

One kiss can change the course of destiny…

When ace accountant Sara Keegan decides to settle down and run her quirky aunt’s New Age bookstore, she’s not looking for adventure. She doesn’t believe in fate or the magic of tarot cards, but when she’s saved from a vicious attack by a man who has the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon, she questions whether she’s losing her mind – or about to lose her heart.

Self-reliant loner Quinn Tyrrell has long been distrustful of his fellow Pyr. When he feels the firestorm that signals his destined mate, he’s determined to protect and possess Sara, regardless of the cost. Then Sara’s true destiny is revealed and Quinn realizes he must risk everything – even Sara’s love – to fulfill their entwined fates.

 

pam id pics paein pam id pics and pam id pics ms4tune

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15 comments on “Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Reads Week

  1. lry93

    I loved the Hobbit!! I hope you enjoy it too :-) . I really need to read Cassandra Claire because I still haven’t! Great list :-)

    1. Paein

      Thank you! And I hope you enjoy it! if you’ve watched the film or the tv show, ignore everything they’ve told you. Especially the TV show……

    1. Ms4Tune

      hehe Me too! I missed out on the ARC when it was available on Netgalley but then I was granted a wish to read it! Hopefully I’ll be reading it first week in July. Happy Reading x

  2. Martha (@writergirl_m)

    I’ve been meaning to pick up the Grisha books for a while, but I’m trying to finish off some of my other partially finished series before I start a new one!

    1. Ms4Tune

      Ugh the bane of partially finished series. I have so many that I have only read book 1 of. It seems exciting when you first pick up and read book one of a new series but then you have wait like a year! till book 2 and by that point you’ve forgotten what happened or lost interest. :( Hope you catch up soon. I’m hoping to read all three of the Grisha books back to back and fingers-crossed by the time I finish them Crooked Kingdom’s will be out! Happy Reading x

    1. Paein

      Thank you! And I hope you enjoy Graceling. I think it’s the only book on your list I’ve read! Though, some of your list is also on my hopefully read before the end of the year list ( Darker shade of magic, Magnus Chase and Apollo’s story too) I look forward to hearing what you think

  3. Lindsay

    I’d like to re-read “The Hobbit.” I read it for school when I was in maybe 8th grade and I think I’d get a lot more out of it now. I also want to read “I Am Malala” and “The Nightingale.” Love that different cover!

    1. Ms4Tune

      I agree, I appreciate the classics more now that I’m older (and reading for fun…). Really? I prefer the other cover but I couldn’t find it here in the UK :( You never know though, this cover could suit the story more than the blue and gold one I’ve seen everywhere (online…) Thanks for stopping by. Happy Reading! x

  4. Annemieke

    I’m with you on the beach = no, Paein. Ghostly Echoes has such a lovely cover. Great list~!

    1. Ms4Tune

      Hi! I know, I love the covers for the Jackaby Series! I love that they all match with the similar designs and bold colours x

    2. Paein

      Phew, glad I’m not the only one. Happy reading!

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