Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry.

1) Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
2) If I Stay (If I Stay, # 1) by Gayle Forman
3) Point of Retreat (Slammed, # 2) by Colleen Hoover
4) Reason to Breathe (Breathing, # 1) by Rebecca Donovan
5) Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky, # 2) by Veronica Rossi
6) Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, # 3) by Richelle Mead
7) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
8) Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes
9) The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William Paul Young
10) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
11) Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
12) Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
13) Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

I cannot seem to stick to ten books. Of course, there are TONS of other books that have made me cry, but these are some of my favorites. Which books are guaranteed to make you cry? Let me know!

Top Ten Best Sequels

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Best Sequels.

I'm not 100% sure what counts as a sequel. Is that only book 2? Or any book after book 1 in a series? In order to narrow down my list, I'm only going with book 2 out of a series.

The second book in a series usually takes a hit, especially in trilogies. Book 1 is the build up and either ends in conflict such as a cliffhanger, or the conflict begins in book 2. Book 2 is usually the down period where we struggle through to get to the resolution in book 3. That's just how it is. Keeping that in mind, it was actually harder than I expected to create my list.

While there are tons of series that I love the series as a whole, when I looked at book 2 only, I had to pause. What's funny is that in my list below, a lot of these books are actually companion novels or novels that switch to a different MC and thus don't carry on the story immediately following book 1. I'm counting them anyway. I also excluded books retelling the first book (i.e. Walking Disaster, Losing Hope, etc).

1) Rose Under Fire (Code Name Verity, # 2) by Elizabeth Wein (companion)

2) Fragments (Partials, # 2) by Dan Wells (lenghty but worth it in the end) (review coming soon)

3) The Dead-Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, # 2) by Carrie Ryan (swaps MC and years after the events of book 1)

4) Jet (Marked Men, # 2) by Jay Crownover (companion) (review coming soon)

5) Point of Retreat (Slammed, # 2) by Colleen Hoover (so emotional)

6) Fire (Graceling Realm, # 2) by Kristin Cashore (companion)

7) Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, # 2) by Cassandra Clare (major events take place)

8) Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, # 2) by Marissa Meyer (half companion, half continuation, enjoyed better than book 1)

9) Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, # 2) by Maggie Stiefvater (love Maggie S.)

10) New Moon (Twilight, # 2) by Stephenie Meyer (while I can't say I hated this book ever, I've changed my feelings on it and think it was a great sequel to Twilight)

11) Frostbite (Vampire Academy, # 2) by Richelle Mead (such a pivotal book in the series)

What are your top favorite sequels? Let me know!

Top Ten Books I'd Like to see Turn into a Movie/TV Show

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books I'd Like to See Turned Into a Movie/TV Show.

Ok so I'm totally excluding any book or series that I know a movie IS in the works or ones that the rights have been optioned (Slammed, Hopeless, etc).

1) Partials by Dan Wells

2) The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (review coming soon)

3) Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

4) This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (review coming soon)

5) Delirium by Lauren Oliver

6) Code Name Verity & Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

7) The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

8) Grave Mercy by RL LaFevers

9) Cinder by Marissa Meyer

10) Firelight by Sophie Jordan

11) The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

These are all ones that I think would translate wonderfully to visual media. I'd pay the ridiculous $10 per movie to see each of these...AND their sequels.

Top Ten Books I Wish Were Taught in Schools

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books I Wish Were Taught in Schools.

I honestly have no idea what books are being taught in school these days. And the ones that are going to make my list aren't all ones that were published when I was in school. Here goes...

1. Code Name Verity & Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein - The subject is appropriate and moving.
2. Delirium by Lauren Oliver - What awesome discussions the class could have over a world void of love!
3. Partials/Fragments by Dan Wells - Also another one with great discussion topics that include impossible situations.
4. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (review coming soon) - Because if kids got to read about zombies in school, I think they'd be a lot more apt to read more, plus I think Courtney Summers writing was pretty lyrical in this one.
5. The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein - Because there's so much symbolism. Teacher were always asking about symbolism--which I knew nothing about at that age. Plus it's like epic fantasy and would give them an excuse to watch the movies in class. BONUS!
6. Anything Jane Austen - We read classics like Julius Caesar and Beowulf. I mean really? We couldn't read classics like Pride and Prejudice? I would have enjoyed that more--although I'm sure the guys would hate it.
7. Harry Potter - I realize that this one is banned and I'm not going into the ridiculousness of that, but I think this would be a great tool for getting kids into reading as well. It would also be a great one for teaching foreshadowing and how to weave all of the aspects of the story into one cohesive masterpiece. Plus I totally think I could write a paper/essay on Professor Snape if I needed to--most awesome school assignment ever!
8. Anything by Dave Ramsey - I think we send our kids out into society with no idea how to manage money.
9. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - My 8th grade class was broken into two different classes, one class did Wuthering Heights the other did The Crucible. I was in "the other" category so I missed out on Wuthering Heights in school, but I totally wish that was one I had been forced to read. I still plan to, but it would be nice if it were behind me already.
10. Speechless by Hannah Harrington - With as much as our kids deal with bullying, this is the best book I've read that deals with the subject. OR Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I don't condone Hannah's suicide, but I do think it has a great message about considering how our actions have an affect on someone else and how you never know the battle someone else is fighting.

What books do you wish were taught in schools? Let me know!