Top 10 Books: 2019 Edition

This year was a year of fairytale retellings for me. Not only did I publish one of my own (shameless advertising: link to Spindle Dreams on Amazon), but I read about 30 retellings in twelve months. Many of those were related to being a reviewer for Fairy Tale Central, but most were purely for pleasure's sake.

Now let's see if I can make a Top-Ten list for the books I read this year. New books, new-to-me books, re-reads, all the books; we're just grouping everything together. If you ask me tomorrow what my top 10 books were for last year, the list may not look exactly like the list below.

Interested in reading more about some of these books? I'll be including links to my full reviews on KiriBeth and FTC when available.

#10: The Curse of Gold

I don't typically read short stories, but I picked up quite a few of A.G. Marshall's shorter works as they became free throughout the year and I finally made the plunge before Christmas to read all the ones I'd picked up. Wow. They're all tiny, golden nuggets of the most unique fairytale retellings you'll ever read. I LOVED how twisted this Rumpelstiltskin story was -- easily my favorite out of the ones I read. Definitely recommend for a snowy afternoon when you're looking for something different to read alongside of your hot chocolate.

#9: The Princess and the Pea

Full review on Fairy Tale Central.

This was my very first K.M. Shea book. And it did not disappoint. I loved the twist on the original fairytale, and that the pea was such a big part of the book! If you want to retell the Princess and the Pea, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE PEA.

#8: The Warrior Maiden

Full review on KiriBeth.

It's been a while since I've read a Melanie Dickerson book that I actually really loved. Not since Huntress, anyway. A lot of her books got into the same rut -- hero and heroine fall in love, heroine gets kidnapped, happily ever after. BUT. Mulan was so different! And she acted like Mulan. SHE FOUGHT. And she didn't get the cliched kidnapped. I think this book right here has restored my hopes in Dickerson's retellings.

#7: Only a Novel

A re-read for this year! Ahhh, still sooooo good! For anyone who wants their lives to look like a Jane Austen novel, THIS is the book to read. Sweet, well-paced, humorous, chock-full of Austen references. The best. Really.

#6: The Dragon's Flower

Full review on KiriBeth. 

I said in my original review that this was probably the closest to the original fairytale retelling I've ever read. I'm not always big on Oriental-style stuff in general, but I think this book changed my mind about that. Long, but a well-worth-the-read Rapunzel story.

#5: Mechanical Heart

Full review on KiriBeth.

How shall I describe the ways I loved this book? I'm still a little speechless thinking about it. It was amazing. Rapunzel in steampunk like you've never seen her before. EPIC.

#4: King's Blood

Full review on KiriBeth.

This was a long-awaited read. There's just something Dickens-esque about this trilogy (like if you mixed it with Arabian Nights and Tolkien), and I love it to pieces. Definitely would recommend for a more mature reader, though.

#3: Bitter Winter

Full review on KiriBeth.

These last three books really are competing for top place. It's so hard to put them in a permanent line-up. Urgh. The latest book in the Ilyon Chronicles was everything I wanted it to be. And now I'm DYING for book six, Daican's Heir.

#2: The City Beyond the Glass

Full review on Fairy Tale Central.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH! One of my reads for FTC, and it just blew me away. Not quite twelve princesses in this 12DP retelling, but SO WORTH IT. It was super unique and ahhh!! All the lovely things. *heart eyes*

#1: Elantris

Full review on KiriBeth.

When I step back and force myself to think, I really think this was my top book for 2019. My first ever Brandon Sanderson. AND I LOVED IT. It was an epic fantasy that broke every cliche fantasy ever succumbed to. MARVELOUS. I can't wait to get my hands on more Sanderson. BECAUSE WE NEEDS MORE SANDERSON, PRECIOUS.

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And that's it, folks! What were your top reads last year? Have you read any of the ten I've listed above? Let me know in the comments!

Ready to get onto finding my top ten books for 2020!

God bless!

10 Reasons Why Star Wars is Epic

This last year I have gone into a galaxy far, far away and found treasures beyond the dark void where I never dreamed to find something of worth.

In a few words, I used to hate all things related to space. And now I'm rather a huge fan of Star Wars. To say how it happened exactly might be a long story. Or it might not be. I have persuasive cousins. Several of them, in fact. The persuasive ones are some of the biggest Star Wars buffs in the country while the others (the ones I don't speak of often) don't even know that Star Wars exists (hence the reason for not speaking of them often). 

At any rate, I'm feeling the need to write blog posts again. So, I'm taking this opportunity to pal up with my brother and cousin to put together a list of reasons why Star Wars is epic. Ready? Here we go!

*spoiler alert*

*for all episodes*

*proceed at your own risk*

1. Yoda

Usually the first thing people think of when they think of Star Wars is Yoda, the iconic green Jedi creature and his iconic speech. Spoken like Yoda, we all have. Admire him, we do. Small he is, and powerful. Lots of reasons to love him, there are. Ushers in the Jedi, he does, and with them, all the epic lightsabers. 

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2. The music

Come on, folks! Who *hasn't* heard the traditional theme from this series?? Once those golden notes come on, all of our hearts turn toward the galaxy.

Mainly, I'm pointing out the first minute and twenty seconds. But the whole thing is amazing.

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3. Han Solo

Sass master, captain of the Millennium Falcon (only the coolest space ship ever!), the man who will go up never knowing the odds. It's Harrison Ford fighting space creatures with a blaster gun and having the most amazing and quotable lines in the whole series! He also has a seriously epic sidekick: Chewbacca. If you don't know how epic Han really is... just wow. And yes, I say he shot first.

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4. The music

Have you heard this one? Classic scene in which Luke and Han first meet. I heard this as a piano duet first before I heard the original soundtrack version. Both are fantastic.

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5. Obi-Wan Kenobi

I show you this GIF from a (disappointedly deleted) scene.

He's basically Sass Master #2. The reason why the first three episodes turned out well without Han.

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6. The music

You may be cool, but you'll never be "epic song starts playing every time you enter the room" cool. Darth Vader, folks. Don't you wish you had a theme song this epic?

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7. Droids

R2-D2, C-3PO, BB-8... pick your favorite. C-3PO is the only one who actually "talks" but the bleeps and blips of the other two are pretty epic, in my humble opinion. I'm prone to saying R2 is the best and my favorite, but I'll accept arguments for the others in the comments.

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8. The Music

Seriously, guys. The music really makes Star Wars. If you don't believe me, listen to the following track from The Phantom Menace. Basically Darth Maul's theme song, and it's all about awesome (Empire Strikes Out, anyone?).

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9. Poe Dameron

Sass Master #3. And will thus be the reason to continue to watch Star Wars now that they've killed Han off. *tears* He's the best pilot in the Resistance ("I can fly anything."), generous to boot ("That's my jacket. No, no, keep it."), and knows how to stand under enemy fire ("Do I talk first or you talk first?"). 

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10. The music

Last, but definitely not least, we have to take a moment to appreciate the epic John Williams and give a huge shout-out to his accomplishments in composing every single Star Wars soundtrack. All 7 glorious soundtracks. With hopefully more epic awesomeness to continue on. 

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Seriously, if I thought longer, I could probably come up with a lot of other reasons why Star Wars is epic (examples: the Falcon, lightsabers, Leia, Darth Vader, the music etc. etc.), but we'll leave it here for now.

How about you? Star Wars fans, what are some things you think make this series epic? People who know not Star Wars... make some time for a little sci-fi in your life. It's worth it.

God bless!

My Top 10 Fantasy Books

BIG NEWS! I will be participating in Jack Lewis Baillot's cover reveal for A Test of Loyalty tomorrow, so be sure to mark your calendars for the occasion! 

Well, in honor of the excitement, Jack has asked us to post about our favorite fantasy book. Because I like reading so much, I don't have just one. Just as you'd expect. So, to keep this short, I've decided to compile a list of my top ten favorite fantasy books. And by "fantasy" I mean a made-up land in which there exists a conglomeration of interesting characters. I have to be specific about books otherwise, I'd never get just 10 books onto this list. Also, if you ask me in a week or two, this list will probably change. Probably... no, most likely. And I'm *cough* adapting the list to fit mostly series. What? Don't judge me. I'm sure plenty of you would do the same.

Ready?

10. Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain. 

Very epic tales. There are five books in all, but I think the last one, The High King, is my favorite. Lloyd Alexander is considered a genius in the fantasy field, and I find his books quite enjoyable. His Westmark trilogy is also very fun (with the exception of a few unprintable words).

9. Wayne Thomas Batson's The Door Within trilogy

Truth be told, my favorite books from Wayne Thomas Batson are his Pirate Adventures, and I highly recommend them. However, The Door Within trilogy is also very good. I love the allegory Mr. Batson weaves into the story.

8. Jeri Massi's Bracken Trilogy 

Yet another trilogy: The Bridge, Crown and Jewel, and Two Collars. I can't really say how long these have been some of my favorite books. I must have read The Bridge fifteen times since I was nine. 

7. Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga

Who's familiar with these books? I simply can't wait for the fourth book, The Warden and the Wolf King. Seriously, this guy has a way with words. "Adventure. Peril. Lost Jewels. And the Fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree." *grins*

6. Jack Lewis Baillot's Loyalty Trilogy

Well, well, well... how in the world did *this* trilogy get onto my list? Hmm... *winks* The more I read of Jack's work, the more I love it. Yes, I'm super excited to be able to show you the cover for the second book tomorrow, and you really need to read these. NOW.

5. Rick Barry's Kiriath's Quest

Hey look! I'm capable of having a favorite fantasy book that isn't a series! Too bad, though, because I'd love to see where Rick Barry would take Kiriath after the finish of this novel. You could say that I'm a little biased toward this book because Kiriath and I almost share the same name. Well, the first four letters are the same. But if you want an epic quest chock full of friendship and adventure (and no magic) then this is the book for you.

4. Chuck Black's Knights of Arrethtrae

Technically, this should include the prequel/sequel/whatever series The Kingdom Series. Short, but powerful, you can't help but love all twelve books. Personally, Sir Dalton and Lady Carliss are my favorite of the twelve, but they're all really good.

3. Donita K. Paul's DragonKeeper Chronicles

My sisters and I found this series in a Christian book catalog, and as we were just getting into fantasy stories, we thought we'd give this a go. The result? We LOVED it! Dragons, quests, humor... what's not to like?

2. C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia

What fantasy list could be complete without the awesome tales from C.S. Lewis? I absobloominglutley love this series in every way. I have great chunks of passages memorized, even though technically I've only read through the series twice. Yeah, twice. I know; it's kinda embarrassing. But I've listened to the audio drama by Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre a dozen gazillion times. And seen the movies. And... yada, yada, yada. Narnia fan all the way.

1. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

And what comes in at Numero Uno? Tolkien's epic world of elves, hobbits, dragons, kings, and dwarves. And with The Lord of the Rings comes The Hobbit and The Silmarillion, for no trek through Middle-Earth would be complete without visiting those tales. I'm not an expert on all things Tolkien, but I do consider myself an avid fan nonetheless. 

Be sure to drop by tomorrow to see the cover reveal!

God bless!