Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books I'm Not Sure I Want to Read

'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. I love making lists, so this feature fits me perfectly! If you also take part in this feature or have any additions to my lists, please get in touch; I'd love to hear from you!  

  Top Ten Books I'm Not Sure I Want to Read
Today's Top Ten Tuesday list consists of books I'm not sure I want to read. There are always books everyone is talking about, or books you receive as a gift from someone, or books you pick up because they were on sale, and later on you start to doubt whether you actually really want to read the book or not. I think this week's top 10 is a great way to have a look at those specific books, and perhaps some of you will be able to convince me of definitely giving them a try; so do leave a comment if you have the time! :)

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1. J.K. Rowling - 'The Casual Vacancy'

I'm a big fan of the Harry Potter books, but somehow I never picked up J.K. Rowling's next novel, 'The Casual Vacancy.' On the one hand I just know her writing is amazing, so I should enjoy this novel, but I've read many negative reviews and now I'm kind of afraid I won't love the novel as much as I love her other work.

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2. John Green - 'The Fault in Our Stars'

'The Fault in our Stars' is one of those books simply everyone seems to be talking about this year. I haven't read any of John Green's works and I'm also kind of afraid of picking up this one. I think it won't be able to live up to the hype, and I'm afraid it will be a really depressing read and I definitely prefer more happy/upbeat books.

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3. Leo Tolstoy - 'War and Peace'

I used to be a Literature student and thankfully I have managed to avoid reading 'War and Peace' so far. However, it is a classic and I do think it's important to give the classics at least a try... Is it weird that I'm perhaps even a little bit afraid of this book?! 

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4. J.R.R. Tolkien - 'The Lord of the Rings'

I really enjoyed the film adaptation of 'The Lord of the Rings' and I think it's a wonderful story. However, I never managed to read the novels. I tried the first 10 pages once, but I got stuck and just really didn't enjoy it, and never tried again. However, occassionally, I think I have to give the books a second chance, but so far I haven't picked them up yet...

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5. Kiera Cass - 'The Selection'

The first time I saw the cover and read the blurb of 'The Selection', I immediately added the book to my wishlist. However, I've read some incredibly bad reviews of the book and now I have my doubts about whether I should buy it and give it a chance or not.

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6. Helen Fielding - 'Mad About the Boy (Bridget Jones #3)'

I'm sure the ones of you who are familiar with the Bridgit Jones series and have read the spoilers of the third book will know why I am not sure I want to read this. I can't believe Helen Fielding decided to do what she did, and I'm just not sure whether I will be able to enjoy the story!

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7. Cassandra Clare - 'City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)'

I've heard that the Mortal Instruments series is a must-read for fans of 'Twilight' and 'The Hunger Games', book series which I loved. However, I am not quite certain about this one. I don't know why, but somehow it doesn't really appeal to me. Anyone who can convince me?

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8. Jonas Jonasson - 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared'

Another book I see everywhere and lots of people are so incredibly enthusiastic about. Am I the only one who just isn't really excited about it...?

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9. Alice Sebold - 'The Lovely Bones'

Another book on this list which lots of people loved and a book that has received so many positive reviews. I have a copy of it, but I haven't picked it up yet, even though I bought it several years ago.

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10. Lauren Conrad - 'The Fame Game'

I know many people don't really see Lauren Conrad as a real author, but whatever people say, I really enjoyed her 'L.A. Candy' book series. This is also the reason why I bought the books in her other series, starting with 'The Fame Game.' However, somehow I haven't picked up the book yet and I'm not quite sure whether I will.

Which books are you not sure you want to read? I'd love to hear from you! 

Weekly Feature: Once Upon a Story...

 'Once Upon a Story' is a weekly feature in which we go back in time and focus  on a specific novel that was released in the same month we're in right now (in this case May), but a few years back! It can be a women's fiction classic from the 1990's or perhaps a great chick lit read from 2011. I thought it would be nice to not just focus on recent releases, but also take the chance to jump back in time once a week and look back at wonderful reads that have been released over the years!

This week, we're travelling back to August 2003 to look back at...  

As a teenager, Maddy Harvey was a bit of an ugly duckling, but thankfully she’s blossomed since then. But when she meets Kerr McKinnon one summer’s night and discovers, days later, who he really is, that’s when the real problems start. Because everyone in Ashcombe knows what happened 11 years ago, and as far as her mother Marcella is concerned, she would rather tear that family to pieces with her bare hands than see Maddy associate with a McKinnon. And, okay, maybe Marcella isn’t her real mother, but Maddy owes her so much. It’s Romeo and Juliet all over again. Quick, hide those sharp knives and that little bottle of poison.

Jill Mansell is without a doubt one of the queens of chick lit. Up until this day she has released more than 20 books and each year we are still treated to another wonderful read. Today I'd like to focus on one of her earlier works, 'Falling for You', which was released in August 2003. The book tells the story of leading lady Maddie who finds herself in a situation that reminds a lot of 'Romeo and Juliet'... A thoroughly enjoyable read, just like all other Jill Mansell books, and definitely one I recommend to chick lit fans looking for their next read!

Be sure to visit the blog next week for another blast from chick lit past with 'Once Upon a Story...'!

Review & Giveaway: 'Love is All You Need' by Sophie King & Others (2014)

Meet 10 women, from different places, backgrounds and times, and each with a different experience of men and romance. 
Their stories in turn hold the promise of romance, reflect on finding love, or show the lengths we'll go to for the special person in our lives. 
An anthology of stories which are funny, thought-provoking, and thrilling, with characters you'll empathise with as they discover that ... Love is All You Need.
I’m a big fan of author Sophie King (who also writes under the name ‘Janey Fraser’) and I’ve been lucky enough to have had the chance to review some of her works over the past year. At the end of 2013 I read ‘Love is a Secret’ (click here for my review) and ‘Second Time Lucky’ (click here to read my review), and earlier this year I read and reviewed the fabulous ‘After the Honeymoon’ (click here to read my review). Today, I’m excited to tell all of you a bit more about ‘Love Is All You Need’, an anthology consisting of the top 10 stories that were part of the Sophie King Prize 2014. Thanks to the lovely people at Corazon Books I even have a copy of the collection to give away, so be sure to scroll down to be in with a chance!
Each year, the Sophie King Prize is awarded to a great new romance short story. Author Sophie King started this short story competition to pay more attention to short stories within the romance genre and to give both published and unpublished authors from all over the world a chance to share their short stories. ‘Love Is All You Need’ is the anthology of the top 10 stories of 2014, which was released as an e-book on the 11th of June and as a paperback on the 4th of August, and includes stories written by  Alyson Hilbourne, Yvonne Eve Walus, Johanna Grassick, Pauline Watson, Melanie Whipman, Linda Triegel, Laurel Osterkamp, Helen Yendall, Mary Lally, and Sherri Turner.
I personally think the Sophie King Prize is a wonderful initiative from author Sophie King to give both published and unpublished authors a chance to share their romantic short stories with the world. This year’s anthology includes 10 stories in total from both published and unpublished authors from the UK, the USA and New Zealand, which were chosen by author Sophie King herself. The theme of the anthology is love, and I really enjoyed reading these different stories about various women with different backgrounds and each of them their own romantic tale to tell. Short story compilations are perfect if you are looking for a quick read, because it is easy to squeeze in a story during your lunch break or while you’re waiting for the bus.     
I personally enjoyed all of the stories in this anthology, but if I had to pick three favourites it’d have to be ‘Hot Chocolate Hero’ by Alyson Hilbourne (the story that won the competition), ‘The White Handbag’ by Pauline Watson, and ‘Game Plan’ by Mary Lally. ‘Love Is All You Need’ is a quick and diverse read filled with tons of romance and promising authors. Be sure to check www.thesophiekingprize.com in November 2014 to enter your own short story for this year!

Rating:

7,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Giveaway of 'Love is All You Need'
I'm incredibly excited to be able to give away one paperback copy of 'Love is All You Need' today! The giveaway is open internationally, so be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below, good luck to everyone! :) 
a Rafflecopter giveaway