Lovely Books - Villains

Happy Leap Day, everyone! There’s something exciting knowing we have a whole extra day to be productive, have fun, or do whatever we like! Or is that just me? Time is a mischievous thing and likes to speed up or hide or just skip around like a lunatic, so adding a day to the year makes me feel as though, for just a moment, time has slowed and given us a moment to breathe.

If you’re at a loss on how to spend your time this extra day (or the rest of it since it’s almost over now, whoops), Katie Grace @ A Writer's Faith has 100 (very serious) ways to celebrate. There may or may not be much leaping involved.

Now then, on to the actual point of this post!

I’m once more joining in on Tracey's Lovely Books, a linkup going throughout the month of February that involves all that bookishness glory. The first edition we drooled over our favorite book covers and titles. The second there was much squealing over favorite literary couples. This third is wickedly fun. Why? Because it’s about VILLAINS. I love villains! Or, erm, love to hate them. . .? I don’t know. They’re just so INTERESTING. Sometimes I’m more interested in the villain than the hero. I know, I’m evil. (Yes, I did use that choice of wording on purpose. *grins*) What would stories be without that antagonist causing our dear heroes pain?

Don’t forget to visit Tracey's blog and linkup to your own post should you like. (Pst, you should.) The linkup is open until March 5th, so there’s still time.

With every edition, I tell myself I’m always going to choose ten favorites. And with every one, I ignored myself and did like fifteen. But this time I’m doing it! Just ten.

So, onward to the dastardly people themselves!

My Top Ten Favorite Villains

(Click on the covers to go to the book’s GoodReads page.)

Hook
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Perhaps my favorite villain of all time! Firstly, he’s a pirate. That’s reason enough. But who isn’t intrigued by this man who spends his life battling a “mere boy?” Who isn’t delighted at all the swashbuckling swordfights? Or amused at poor Hook’s incurable fear of ticking clocks? He’s also so intriguing. How did he end up in Neverland and come to lead such a life? Plus, he’s not always that bad of a guy.

“The man was not wholly evil; he loved flowers (I have been told) and sweet music
(he was himself no mean performer to the harpsichord); and, let it be frankly admitted,
the idyllic nature of the scene stirred him profoundly.

A bloodthirsty pirate who loves flowers. What’s not to like? Besides, how can you not admire a pirate who can play the harpsichord with a hook?

Skillz

Queen of Hearts
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This woman’s favorite pastime is playing croquet with hedgehogs and flamingoes, demands roses be painted another color, and goes around screaming “Off with their head!” at whim. She’s also rather spacey—often missing what’s going on around her due to her own haughtiness. And she’s got an army of playing cards. Her sense of justice is also not always. . .logical—claiming the sentence must be made before the verdict. (But hey, it is Wonderland.) Gotta love her.

Devin
Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire series by Bryan Davis

(You knew it was coming. Obviously I can’t do a villain post without mentioning a Bryan Davis villain!)

I basically am totally enthralled by all of Bryan Davis’s antagonists in this series, but for some reason Devin always stayed a favorite. He’s got a very long, in depth background that I won’t get into because spoilers, sweetie. But let’s just say he’s an epic dragon-slayer, perfectly nasty, and entirely diligent in his work. Very, very diligent. You have to admire his dedication, even if you hate him for it.

Mictar
Echoes from the Edge trilogy by Bryan Davis

Yeeeah, another Bryan Davis one. *grins* This is the last! Even though I could seriously make this whole post about his villains. He comes up with the most complex antagonists! Their backstories just blow me away.

Anyways! I don’t actually remember as much as I’d like about Mictar (this trilogy is so confuzzling and timey-wimey my brain never can recollect all that happens). But I DO remember being utterly fascinated by him. And creeped out. This guy has some serious issues. Like sucking out people’s eyeballs. Yeah. He even looks creepy. All skeletal and pale. He’s the type of antagonist that’ll give you goosebumps. But, let’s be honest, isn’t that the villain’s we’re most intrigued by?

The Keeper
Entwined by Heather Dixon

Speaking of deliciously creepy villains. This guy! He’s the keeper of a silver forest where twelve dancing princesses steal away to dance the night. (Why yes, this is a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling.) He’s handsome, charming, and perfectly polite. Just enough to give you the shivers. I detested him. I loved him. Just GAH. He’s honestly one of the best antagonists I’ve read in a long time. (Also this book is amazing. Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, peoples! GO READ IT.)

Jadis/The White Witch
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Back to the classics it seems, but how can you have a list of favorite villains without the White Witch? Someway she both makes me admire and completely loathe her at the same time. She’s so clever. Her manipulation skills cannot be matched, but she’s certainly not humble about it. Somehow she manages to say things that sound great and profound, but they’re really just demeaning to others. I’ve also always loved her history and how she came to Narnia. Let’s face it, she’s utterly frustrating, far too smart, and just the kind of perfect villain you’d expect from C.S. Lewis. Also she totally got her comeuppence. *grins*

Ahem

Count Olaf
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

I’m going to admit something tragic. I’ve only read the first two books of this series! I know, I know. Horrid! But I read them each in one sitting because I enjoyed them that much. I’ve been slooowly collecting the entire series as I find them at secondhand bookstores and such. Once I’ve got them all, I’ll do an epic read of ALL of them. (I just need four more books!)

So I may not know about that nasty ‘ol Count Olaf as well as some, but the little I’ve seen of him instantly put him on my favorite villains list. He’s disgusting, yes. But he’s also quite clever. (I seem to have a thing for the clever ones. . .?) Always finding ways around the law to get what he wants. Or. . .try to get what he wants. He will literally stop at nothing to gain the Baudelaire children’s inheritance, and causes them, well, a lot of unfortunate events (haha, you’re sooo clever, Christine. *cough*). He amuses me greatly with his “acting skills” and “charms” and attempts at disguising himself. Not to mention his all around insanity. But this is Lemony Snicket, of course he’s amusing. I’ve always loved the humorous villains that end up getting into a lot of scrapes because of their own wickedness. Count Olaf really should give up. . .

Life-in-Death
Tales of Goldstone Wood series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

I really, really wish there was more of the “Lady of Dreams” in this series. But perhaps it’s her mysterious aura that draws me to her. She works in the background of many characters’ lives, promising them their dreams realized. Except this is where the “be careful what you wish for” phrase comes in. These great dreams always end up in misery. And Life-in-Death merely sits back, watching in merriment the cruelty she caused. She basically makes people’s lives a game. Perfectly wicked, am I right?

Smaug
The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien

Like I wasn’t going to put Smaug here! HA. He’s a DRAGON. I mean, duh. But not only is he a dragon, he’s a very clever dragon. (See? The clever ones. They seem to make the best villains.) He managed to claim an entire kingdom by himself and stay there for years. Quite admirable. And, ya know, he’s rich. He sleeps in a pile of gold. Like, what’s more appealing than that? He’s also extremely humble.

“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords,
my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt,
my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!”

Adorable. Just like a big ol’ teddy bear.

Sméagol/Gollum
The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

There is no way on this green earth I wouldn’t include Gollum here. He battles Hook for my favorite villain. First of all, his backstory is tragic and heartbreaking and horrible and just all around fascinating. I really like in depth backstories, okay! And Gollum has got quite the one! Second, he’s not really always that bad. Sometimes he’s good. Really, he’s just weak. The Ring’s power consumed him too much, controls his every move. Sméagol, the real Sméagol, the one without the ring, was a pretty sweet guy I like think. The Ring was just too much for him. I understand Bilbo and Frodo pitying him. It’s really just hard to hate that little creature. Plus, he’s the only thing I know that manages to be both horrific and adorable all at once.

He’s so precious. (See what I did there?)

~ ~ ~

And with that we come to the end. I appear to enjoy the creepy and clever villains the most. I’m not sure if to be disturbed by that or not. I also have a lot of classics on my list. I guess what they say is true, you can’t beat the classics.

I know there are many, many others out there that I’m not thinking of. I tend to find myself extremely interested in the villains. What makes them tick, what caused them to wreak such havoc. What can I say? They’re interesting people! There aren’t many villains I just in general don’t like or don’t enjoy hating on. After all, there’d be no story without the antagonist causing all that trouble in the first place.

Do head over to Tracey’s villain post to see all her creeptastic picks and join in on the fun!

So, my dear heroes and heroines, what villains do you love to hate and hate to love? Do we share any? And are you weird like me and enjoy reading about villains just as much or *gasp* more than the heroes? (Admit it, we all love ‘em.) Let us share in the villainy! *maniacal laughter*

Lovely Books - Couples

I have returned for the second edition of Lovely Books, a linkup created by one of my favoritest people in the world, Tracey @ Adventure Awaits. If you missed it, each Saturday in February she’s posting a new edition centered all around those glorious things we call books. She’s leaving the linkup open until March 5th, and you can join in all the editions or just a few, or even combine them. So get on over to her blog and check it out! I mean, PEOPLES. It’s about books. What more do you need?

Obviously I’m fashionably late, that’s how I role. *sips coffee* Tracey has 3 editions up and I’m only now getting to the 2nd. Last week I got to squeal about some of my favorite covers and titles. This week it’s all about. . .COUPLES!!! Oh yes! I get to fangirl about all my favorite adorable peoples that NEED to get married. And there will be much flailing and fangirling, so continue with caution.

I tried to limit this to only 10 couples. Hahahaha! That didn’t happen. What can I say? I ship ‘em hard.

So let the adorable, shippableness begin!

(Click on the book covers to go to their GoodReads page.)

Howl & Sophie
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

These two go first because, oh my poor heart, I have NEVER shipped two individuals so hard in my life. NEVER. The first time I read this book I honest to goodness hurt physically I was shipping so hard. Howl is a full-of-himself wizard with a heart buried deep, deep somewhere (*snickers* if you’ve read the book you know why I’m laughing), while Sophie is all no nonsense and can handle Howl’s tantrums and ridiculousness like a pro. Not only are they my favorite couple EVER. They’re my favorite fictional characters. That’s right. My favorite. That’s how much I love them. I need to move on otherwise I’ll turn this into a whole Howl and Sophie love-fest. BUT HOWL AND SOPHIE. <333333

This picture sums them up perfectly! True love, am I right?

Walter & Ashley
Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire series by Bryan Davis

That’s Walter, and Ashley is the dark haired girl.

What? You thought I’d go a post without mentioning something about Howl’s Moving Castle and a Bryan Davis book? Ha!

But GUYS. Walter and Ashley! Walter is a fun-loving, carefree, jester of a boy, and possibly one of the most endearing characters in literature. The world is ending? No problem! Walter will lighten the mood with a cheesy joke and then turn around and help save the world. He’s amazing. Then we have Ashley, who is basically the smartest person on the planet. Very levelheaded and serious. Put that with Walter’s personality and the world explodes. . .with awesomeness. The old saying “opposites attract” soars with these two. I just. . .I can’t. They’re too much.

Sapphira & Elam
Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire series by Bryan Davis

Sapphira is on the left.
Sadly, Elam does not make it onto any of the book covers.

Yes, another from the same series. I can’t help it! Sapphira is actually my favorite character from the whole series and Elam is just precious. I don’t know if I’ve ever read about a couple who has suffered and endured and waited so long. Rory and Amy from Doctor Who have nothing on these two. Their story hurts me. I’m trying to not give anything away but. . .ugh. I just want to hug them!

Shasta/Cor & Aravis
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

On a lighter note, this romance. XD I’m just going to quote the last paragraph of the book to explain it all:

“Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarreling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently.

Best. Romance. Ever.

Faramir & Éowyn
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I could rant to the end of my life and beyond about how they messed up Faramir’s character in the movies, or The Two Towers at least, but we’re focusing on BOOK characters, not movies. The BOOK Faramir is one of the most amazing characters in the entire trilogy. While Éowyn is my absolute favorite female Tolkien character. Éowyn’s heart was broken in so many ways, and Faramir came and healed her, offered her a new life, free of sorrow. Again, I’m just going to quote the book so you can see for yourself:

“And Eowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: “Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Eowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Eowyn, do you not love me?”
Then the heart of Eowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.
”I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun,” she said; “and behold! the Shadow has departed! I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.” And again she looked at Faramir. “No longer do I desire to be a queen,” she said.
Then Faramir laughed merrily. “That is well,” he said; “for I am not a king. Yet I will wed with the White Lady of Rohan, if it be her will. And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden. All things will grow with joy there, if the White Lady comes.”

I CAN’T.

I so wish they had been given more screen-time together in the movies. Their romance is beautiful.

Angel & Easton
Dark is the Night by Mirriam Neal

I’m kind of cheating and adding characters from books that aren’t published yet. But they NEED to be. *looks pointedly at Mirriam* (You can click the book cover to go to her amazing blog.) This is a pair that make me squeal and flail and howl in laughter and collapse in tears all at once. They’re just. . .UGH. I can’t. Angel is all snark. ALL of it. He’s actually one of my top favorite fictional characters on the planet. (I love the snarky ones, okay?) Then we have Easton who is my precious baby girl. So nice and adorable, but will also put Angel in his place when she has to. Or throw her shoe at bad guys. (Mirriam writes the BEST characters.) Easton’s goodness softens Angel’s hard heart, and turns this seemingly selfish guy into someone who would sacrifice himself for his friends. My heart is swelling just THINKING about them. *melts into a puddle of feels*

I definitely don’t watch this show, these are just the actors Mirri basis Angel and Easton off of.

Azrael & Rooney
Paper Hearts by Mirriam Neal

Another unpublished Mirriam book, but I couldn’t make a list of favorite couples without adding these two. Azrael and Rooney are very Howl and Sophie-like. Azrael is this ridiculous (rather selfish) guy and often completely infuriating. Also he can do magic. Throw in little, fiery Rooney who insists he take her on to be his apprentice in exchange for cooking and doing his dishes and you’ve got a world of hilarity. I seem to have a thing for bickering couples. *points back to The Horse and His Boy quote* My heart almost exploded I shipped these two so hard.

Teague & Meridian
The Other Half of Everything by Deborah O’Carroll

This is the LAST unpublished novel, I promise! But TEAGUE AND MERIDIAN. This book isn’t even completely past the plotting stage yet, and I already hurt I ship them so hard. Teague is an absentminded writer who tends to forget what he’s talking about or what’s going on. He’s too busy thinking about his stories after all. Meridian is his practical, feisty housekeeper who doesn’t understand writers at all and doesn’t even like to *le gasp* read. Put them together and hilarity ensues. They also may or may not travel to different worlds together. See? They’re amazing. Just go read this interview between them. It. Is. Perfect.

Mendenbar & Cimorene
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede

If you’ve never read this series then get off of my blog this second and do it!! This series is HILARIOUS, taking so many fairytale clichés and completely flipping them over, while still feeling like fairytales. The best part of the books is Mendenbar and Cimorene. Cimorene is a princess who decides being a princess is too mainstream and goes off to do her own thing, like purposely be captured by a dragon and refusing rescue by any silly knights. Then there’s Mendenbar, a young king who’s not very kingly at all. Formalities and business is not his thing. Despite this, he really does want what’s best for his kingdom, he just doesn’t always know how to help it. His awkwardness and Cimorene’s strong personality (as well as both of them not liking the idea of marriage) makes for all sorts of fun. *grins*

Eanrin & Imraldera
Tales of Goldstone Wood series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Sadly, I’ve only read the first four books of this series, up to Starflower, so I think I’m missing a TON of their story. BUT what I’ve seen of them makes me giggle in delight while simultaneously my heart is melting all over the place. Not only is Eanrin a fae and a bard, he also can turn into a CAT. Talk about awesome. But it doesn’t stop there. He’s a charmer. You know how cats are. He’s a mess and I love him. Imraldera is very mysterious and kind but also can have a bit of a temper with that ever charming cat. You never get much of them (or as far as I am in the series), Mrs. Stengl likes to tease you with their relationship and it’s maddening and wonderful and just GAH. I love them!

Peter & Wendy
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

(Hey, I never said all these ships sail. These are just people I want to be together after all. You actually have to read these books to see what happens. *wink, wink*)

Some of you may be horrified. I mean, Peter and Wendy. You can’t just ship Peter and Wendy! Wendy grows up and gets married! Yes, she does. She’s a way more sensible person than I, because I don’t think I would have ever taken the responsibility to leave Neverland. (Sorry, guys, but if I ever find a fantasy world I’m not coming back!) Yes, I do ship them, and I hate myself for it. It hurts me. Because obviously I wouldn’t want Peter to leave Neverland and grow up. Of course not! He’s Peter Pan, he never grows up. That’s why we love him. While Wendy is very motherly and responsible and I wouldn’t want her any other way. She needed to leave Neverland eventually. She needed to get married and have children. That’s Wendy. The story ends how it should, but still in the depth of my heart, there’s an ache there for Peter and Wendy. Because you can’t have one without the other. So yes, I ship them. But I wouldn’t want their story any different than it is. (And wow, I got serious there. Sorry. I think my love for Peter Pan goes a bit beyond the healthy level. . . I’m, um, very passionate about that story. Ahem.)

Don’t tell me they’re not adorable.

Achan & Vrell
Blood of Kings trilogy by Jill Williamson

This is one of my top, top favorite couples! Jill Williamson writes the most real, endearing characters. Achan is an amazing hero. He’s so very human, stumbling about and making mistakes around every corner, but really, truly wanting the best for his world. Then you have Vrell, whose stubborn streak gets her in quite a few scraps. Sometimes you’re just thinking, “Stop being so stubborn, Vrell!” then turn around and want to give her a hug because she tries to do the right thing. For a huge chunk of the story, Vrell disguises herself as a boy for reasons (don’t want to spoil things), and while she knows exactly who Achan is, Achan thinks she’s just some scrawny boy he enjoys being friends with. I can’t even describe how much I wanted him to realize who she was. Oh, it was painful! But also too much fun. This trilogy is actually some of my favorite books, going right up there with the Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire series and Howl’s Moving Castle. Yes, it’s that good!

Jake and Brielle
Angel Eyes trilogy by Shannon Dittemore

The amount of adorableness between this pair is sickeningly cute. Jake comes into Brielle’s life when she returns home after a traumatic experience that leaves her depressed and broken. This carefree, jokester of a boy is exactly what she needs to pull her out of the darkness. Oh, and he also may live with his guardian angel which certainly helps. Jake is always so patient and understanding with Brielle as she tries to sort out her feelings on God and piece back together her mess of a life. Ugh. So much preciousness!

Bardon & Kale
The DragonKeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul

Last but absolutely in no way least, we have Bardon and Kale! These two have dragons, so that automatically makes me love them. But beyond that, Bardon is one of my favorite types of male characters, and possible the first that made me realize I like these kinds of characters. He is grumpy and sometimes sarcastic (you knew that was coming) and just in general aloof. It takes quite a bit of an adventure to find that heart of gold underneath. This free spirited, unruly girl Kale is thrown under his protection and his stiff, rule-abiding brain doesn’t even know what to do. You gotta love ‘em! Oh, they can also speak to each other telepathically. So, you know, good bonding moments there. Basically they’re hilarious and adorable and make me squeal just thinking about them.

~ ~ ~

Whew! I know that was a lot, and I actually limited myself. I was looking through the books I’ve read, figuring out which couples to do, and with every other book I was like, “I ship them. And them. And oh yeah, them! Oooh, those two were adorable. And them.” I obviously have a shipping problem. And I regret nothing!

Flailing over adorable fictional couples is one of my favorite pastimes, so flail with me, dear readers! Tell me some of your favorite couples! Do you like any of mine? Or even hate any? (I won’t attack, I promise. Just throw a cupcake at your face or something.) Better yet, make a post of your favorites yourself and linkup to Tracey's blog!

Lovely Books - Covers and Titles

Hello, dear readers! Did everyone have a nice Valentine’s yesterday? (Admittedly, I kept forgetting yesterday was Valentine’s Day. . . *cough, cough, cough* But still.)

Fabulous things are going down in my blog circle at the moment! One of my dearest internet buddies Tracey is hosting a perfectly drool-worthy linkup for the whole month of February. Why is it drool-worthy, you may ask? Because it’s about BOOKS!

Lovely Books features, you guessed it, lovely books! Every Saturday of February Tracey is putting up a new edition. The linkup for each one is opened until March 5th so there’s plenty of time to join in. The first one features Covers and Titles, the second is all about your favorite Book Couples! You can linkup with one or both and in any order you choose.

As per usual, I’m a little late to the party, but there is no way I’m passing this up. BOOKS PEOPLE. BOOOOOKS. Who needs a Valentine’s date when I could spend the evening with a book? Seriously.

Anyways, onward to my favorite covers and titles! Since there’s about 9238402 covers I could drool over for days, I’ve decided to only choose books I’ve actually read and own in order to narrow it down a bit. Otherwise we’d be here all day (or for a few days).

Covers
(Click on the covers to go to their GoodReads page.)

One Realm Beyond
by Donita K. Paul

Okay, there is just so much going on here. The gorgeous portal, the castle in the background, the DRAGON. I adore the blue, starry color surrounding everything. It promises a fun, adventurous story inside. And it doesn’t lie. Mrs. Paul’s stories never cease to be filled with unique plots, ridiculous and loveable characters, and grand adventures galore.

Moonblood
by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Does this not just scream hauntingly beautiful fairytale? The girl, the roses, the ominous dragon above, all awash in moonlight. Every cover from the Tales of Goldstone Wood series is brimming with gorgeous fairytale goodness, but this is one of my favorites.

Angel Eyes
by Shannon Dittemore

Another somewhat haunting feel. That misty forest just pulls you right in. Really, what first drew me to this book was that cover. I wanted to know this girl’s story. It’s a YA spiritual warfare story with a bit of a twist. Turns out, it ended up being one of my new favorite books. Goes to show you sometimes judging a book by its cover can actually work. So there.

The Bones of Makaidos
by Bryan Davis

This cover, guys! One of my top favorites of ever. And not just because it’s part of one of my favorite series, I promise. There’s so much going on! I remember when Bryan Davis first released the cover and uploaded a large, high quality version. I downloaded the image right away and stared and stared and staaared at it, soaking up every single detail. Not only does it feature my two favorite characters, there’s also an entire war going on in the background, that beautiful horse, and a dragon (I’m seeing a pattern here). Just so much! I still find myself staring at this thing, mesmerized. The artist outdid themselves for this one!

Reapers
by Bryan Davis

Another Bryan Davis one. What can I say? He finds great artists. I have this thing about cities on cover art, I don’t know why. But this one is a perfect example of that. The lit city in the background, the intriguing silhouette staring down into it. It sparks the imagination.

Swords of the Six
by Scott Appleton

Oh look, a dragon! Basically if there’s a dragon on the cover it’s automatically put on my favorite cover list. Okay? Okay. But I mean, really. Look at this thing! I love the grassy landscape around it. Then add that perfect font and it makes for one drool-worthy cover. I actually bought this one because of the cover alone (*cough, cough*). Well, that and because it’s Christian fantasy and it’s sort of my goal to read ALL Christian fantasy. Unfortunately, this is a case where I shouldn’t have judged it by its cover. As gorgeous as the cover is, I wasn’t impressed by the story at all. Ah well, it still looks amazing on my bookshelf. (Yes, I’m that vain. Don’t judge.)

Illusionarium
by Heather Dixon

This is another one of my top, top favorites! Do I even need to explain why? I mean, wow. The clothes, the scenery, the steampunk-goodness surrounding it. Just just just. . .! *wipes drool off screen* Ahem.

The Goose Girl
by Shannon Hale

There’s something about this cover that makes me happy. I don’t even know what it is. I tend to have a thing for hilly green fields. They always look so happy and calming. Is that just me? I’m in love with the art style for this one. It’s also a fantastic retelling of The Goose Girl. I really enjoyed it.

Howl’s Moving Castle
by Diana Wynne Jones

“Come on, Christine,” you may be saying, “you’re just being biased because this is your favorite book.” Now, now. Hold on a minute. Yes, this is my favorite book (I probably mention it in every other blog post. . .), BUT did I not just say I like hilly green fields, hmm? And come on, people. This cover! It was actually this cover that confirmed my decision to buy the book in the first place. I knew I wanted it (my book fairy Deborah told me I needed it, and I trust her opinion wholly), but when I caught sight of this copy in a bookstore and beheld that cover I instantly took it to the checkout. It’s just so adorable! The happy green field and the epic moving castle itself and Sophie down there shaking her stick at it. Ah, it’s perfect! Best money spent EVER.

The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien

Speaking of favorite books. . . This copy of The Hobbit, oh man. Not only is it a beautiful cover and just whimsical and delicious, the cover itself is actually fuzzy! Like, soft and wonderful. This copy also has wonderful illustrations and just yes. I love it so much!

And while we’re on the subject of favorite books and copies. . .

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll

By all rights I shouldn’t even be alive. Because when I found this book I died. My obsession with Alice in Wonderland has no bounds, and you can probably all guess by my current blog design that pink is my absolute favorite color. So put those together and you have a Christine who up and nearly died in the bookstore when she found this thing. It’s perfect. PERFECT. In fact, here, I’m breaking my cycle of pictures so you can see the actual copy better.

*droooooools*

Ahem.

Five Magic Spindles
by Unknown

So I broke my own rule for this one because, well, this doesn’t exactly even exist yet. Obviously I haven’t read it, no one has. No one even knows which stories will be in it. But I refused to make a list of favorite covers without adding this one. Because, as much as I’ve fangirled and squealed about all these covers, this one may, honest to goodness, by my favorite cover that has ever been made. When it was first released I literally gasped out loud. It actually took my breath away. The fall-like glow and trees, the stone steps, that DRESS. And the unique fact that Sleeping Beauty is a redhead. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more fairytale-like image. You can feel the magic. Gracious! I love it so much!

Okay, I’m going to try to stop there, but it’s hard. There are just too many amazing covers out there! And, again, I forced myself to only do ones I’ve read and own (with the exception of Five Magic Spindles). I might break the internet if I tried to fit all the covers I love on here.

I seem to like ones with a lot of things going on—those covers that you have to study to catch every detail. I also seem to really love blue and green ones (and pink, obviously). And, of course, if there’s a dragon on the cover I love it. Because, ya know, DRAGONS!

Titles

I know this is getting so long buuuut I also get to share with you some of my favorite titles! What’s a book without its title, after all? Once again I’m narrowing this down to only ones I’ve read, because the prospect of trying to think of titles of ALL the books I’ve ever seen turns my brain into mush.

• Orphan’s Song by Gillian Bronte Adams
• The Looking Glass Wars By Frank Beddor
• The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Eye of the Oracle by Bryan Davis
• Starlighter by Bryan Davis
• Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis (don’t laugh, he comes up with really good titles, okay?)
• Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
• House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
• Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
• Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Ugh, this was so hard! There are so many others but I tried to not go too overboard. I love titles. I love playing with titles and reading titles and imagining what titles mean. Titles are amazing! They basically explain the entire book in just one or a few words. Fascinating!

I’m laughing at how many I have starting with “the”. I apparently have a thing for titles that have an item or something particular that catches my interest. Such as The Secret Garden, The Maze Runner, The Looking Glass Wars, 100 Cupboards, etc. I want to know what that thing, whatever it may be, is about. I think one word titles are also great. Heartless and Starlighter—short and to the point, but so very intriguing. Then there’s the whimsical ones that flow off the tongue. Orphan’s Song, Beyond the Reflections Edge. They awaken something artistic and beautiful inside me. On the flip side, I also adore the fun and witty ones. How could you not be interested in something called The Mysterious Benedict Society, Dragon Slippers, or House of Many ways, and Dealing with Dragons? And, again, if it’s got “dragon” somewhere in there I’m instantly interested. Duh. I also seem to be partial to Bryan Davis’s titles. I’m not biased, I’m not! He really does come up with the most unique, interesting ones.

Obviously I have a title addiction. I can’t help it! I’m a writer, words are life.

This was way, way, way too much fun. Thank you so much, Tracey, for hosting this! Hopefully next week I’ll join in on the second one and pester you all with allll my favorite bookish couples. *grins* Don’t forget to hop over to Tracey's blog to get in on this fun stuff!

Join me in the book love! What are some of your favorite covers/titles? Share any of mine? Did I make you drool on your computer with all these cover pics? *evil grin* Not even sorry!