Book Blogger Love-A-Thon: My Top Five...

Ready for the day's second challenge?

It's time for "High Five," where I talk about my Top Five

o   Book

o   Genre

o   Author

o   Blogger

o   Bookish Merchandise / Book-related site

Let me know the ones I missed below!

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TOP 5 BOOKS:

 By anyone ever?
(You'll be surprised at how few fantasy books are on this fantasy lover's all-time top 5 list!
...Or YA. Everyone is stunned when they hear I don't exclusively read YA, but honestly, I've only BEEN reading it for a few years now!)
FOR SHAME!!!)

*MY SISTER'S KEEPER by Jodi Picoult. I was still new to reading Jodi Picoult when I read this. I really enjoyed the surprising ways she would twist things up, especially since I myself love a good twisted ending. This book made me want to read more by her!
*KEEPING FAITH by Jodi Picoult. I love the way this book digs in and looks at SO MANY different perspectives and POVs and makes readers question what's going on as much as the characters are doing! It's probably one of Picoult's most layered (and most underrated) novels.
*THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield. This book was so well-written and beautiful to read. The prose is gorgeous. It's also a book about authors and books, which I love, and it's a throwback to so many of the classics. It has a bit of a gothic feel to it!
*TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom. This one made an emotional impact on me at an important time in my life and holds a special place. I love that it's about a true story and that it makes you think in new ways.
*ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine. Another book that holds a nostalgic place in my heart. I'm afraid to ever read this again and not like it as much, honestly. This book (And the movie Ever After at about the same time) made me love fairy tales again after I had "outgrown" them. I realized that a heroine can save herself, and that fairy tales can be retold in new ways. PLUS, it's pretty awesome that in both tales, Cinderella knows the prince before the ball, which is so much better than the traditional way they meet.

TOP 5 GENRES:

I'm going to do sub-genres of fantasy because, really, with the exception of a few rare contemporary or mystery novels, this is most of what I read!

  *HIGH FANTASY. Hands down, #1. There are so many amazing books in this genre and all of my favorite fantasy novels are high fantasy. They're sweeping, lush, epic, gripping, unputdownable. LOVE!
*FAIRY TALES. I love fairy tales so much that I co-host the annual Fairy Tale Fortnight event with Misty from The Book Rat! We're looking for guest posters now for this year's event (April 1-14), so come sign up!
*MYTHOLOGY. Greek mythology, mythology from other countries and cultures, mythology featuring fantastic creatures such as unicorns and mermaids, I like it all! 
*DYSTOPIAN. This genre doesn't fill me with joy as much as it used to (Admit it, you groan too when you hear about another new dystopian series!), but there are some really great books out there that I love, and I'm still willing to take a chance on new worlds that sound amazing!
*ASSASSINS. Kat and I are actually talking about this topic tomorrow during our blog tour stop featuring DEATH MARKED by Leah Cypess, so come back to see more!

TOP 5 AUTHORS:

Narrowing it down will be HARD. I don't really have favorite authors in a numbered order, but a group I like. So instead, I'll tell you about my favorite YA fantasy authors. I will buy any book they write AND probably buy books they blurb or that are recommended for their fans! High fantasy FTW!

*TAMORA PIERCE. No YA High Fantasy List is complete without this staple. She paved the way for authors such as Kristin Cashore and Rae Carson, and whenever she blurbs a book or it's for her fans, I listen. She's also the reason I love books about girls disguised as boys so much! And books about knights! ^.~
*KRISTIN CASHORE. I love her books, and don't mind how much time it takes her to write them, because it's always well worth it! Another high fantasy author in YA who has paved the way for the authors of the last few years.
*RAE CARSON. I began reading her because Tamora Pierce blurbed her, and then I met her at a signing...with Tamora Pierce. Now, I'll read anything of hers. She's one of the few authors where you're willing to shell out $2.99 for a short novella because the stories are so vast and involved and interesting, rather than rehashing a familiar story. I am SO excited for her new series to debut this fall!
*SARAH J. MAAS. A new author on the block. Each of her books gets better and better and better. The second Throne of Glass book made me curse her cliffhangers and the latest book exploded my brain. Her upcoming new series that begins with A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES is fantastic, too, even better than ToG. It's also one of my favorite Beauty and the Beast retellings already! Her writing grows in leaps and bounds, and I hope to be her fan for years to come.
*JULIET MARILLIER. Sort of a cheat? SOME of her books are YA! I love how diverse her books are. Some are fairy tales, some are historical fantasy, etc. They're always nice, fat books, too. HEART'S BLOOD has been my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling for a few years now, usurping my beloved Robin McKinley and her classic novel BEAUTY. Sarah J. Maas is giving this book a run for its money, though!

TOP 5 BLOGGERS:

*ALEXA FROM ALEXA LOVES BOOKS. Our host of Love-A-Thon! I always love seeing Alexa at book events and chatting with her online. We've also co-hosted some great events together such as read-a-thons for Jodi Meadows and Kat Zhang!
*MISTY FROM THE BOOK RAT. I love squealing about fairy tales and nail polish with Misty and co-hosting Fairy Tale Fortnight every year!
*JAIME FROM TWO CHICKS ON BOOKS. Jaime has put together so many amazing book tours, and her and I often have the same exact taste in books! I love her! 
*EMILY FROM OH MAGIC HOUR. Emily co-hosted Splash into Summer with me last year even though she didn't know a lot about mermaid books. She's always so much fun to talk to online, too! I love chatting with her!
*STEPH FROM CHASM OF BOOKS. Another blogger I love chatting with online who has great taste in books! ^.~ So glad for Twitter because it really helps unite people!
*KRISTEN FROM MY FRIENDS ARE FICTION. A blogger with so much talent! She takes book covers and re-does them in Lego form on her blog. They always look so cool! She's also awesome to chat with on Twitter!

TOP 5 BOOKISH MERCHANDISE/BOOK-RELATED SITES:

*BOOK DEPOSITORY. Thanks to this site, I can import books from the UK (And sometimes Australia!) such as Zoë Marriott, Kate Forsyth, Amy McCulloch, and Sarah Alderson when they don't come to the US--or come sloooooooowly. Plus, free international shipping, no minimum required!
*EPIC READS. I wish more publishers took a page from HarperCollins. You can see e-book bargains at a glance, beautiful spreadsheets on various YA Topics from Margot Wood, awesome YouTube videos, weekly live chats, and so much more! If only all YA publishers could be so interactive! AND THEIR COVERS. Nomnomnom!
*ETSY. I have definitely found really cool jewelry on here, or pieces to make my own, and have some really creative things to wear or give as gifts thanks to this site!
*SPINELESS CLASSICS. They have the COOLEST wall art. You can get an entire novel on a poster with a beautiful cut-out design and frame it! Here's a post I did on a review copy of Neil Gaiman's STARDUST! Such a great item to give or to receive!
*LITERARY LACQUER. I just discovered this website last week and honestly haven't placed an order yet, but the owner is SO NICE. And if you like nail polish, this is a must. All of the polish is themed around books! I want to buy them all, nomnomnom! How will I choose??? (Maybe I'll wait for a sale...?)

I'm excited to see who else is participating and what answers you've chosen!

Leave me a link so I can visit you this weekend!

If you're not participating, still feel free to join in on the discussion below!

  ~*~