Top Ten Books That Take Place Outside The U.S.

When I first read the topic for this week, I thought it was going to be a challenge. I didn't think I'd read that many books that take place in other countries, but I was delightfully surprised to find out that's not entirely true. I was also surprised to find out how many books I've read that take place in England! That said, I limited the amount of England-setting books I could include on this list, but believe me, there are several other lovely novels I could have chosen. I also did not include fantasy settings that aren't real places, because that's cheating.

What's crazy to me is that I have actually been to a couple of these countries, and that in a few days, I'll be headed to even more of them!!!

1) Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm | Scotland | This novel is so fluffy and adorable and completely underrated. We get to meet (fictional) Scottish royalty and explore hidden passages in Scottish castles and learn about traditional Scottish celebrations. If you're looking for a quick, delightful little romance to read, this is the book for you.

2) Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch | Ireland | Maybe this is cheating because at the time of writing this post, I'm about halfway through this novel, but I don't care. Ireland is the very first country outside of the U.S. that I had the pleasure of visiting. The first scene in this novel takes place at the Cliffs of Moher, which was my favorite place in Ireland. Already this novel makes me want to go back to the Emerald Isle.

3) Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley | Australia | This book isn't about tourists visiting Australia, so the setting doesn't play a HUGE role, but this is one of my all-time favorite contemporary novels and, again, completely underrated.

4) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows | England | I don't even know that I need to explain this novel, because we all know that this book was an absolute blast to read. It rewrites a little bit of English history, and has fun doing it.

5) Daytripper by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon | Brazil | This graphic novel actually visits and beautifully illustrates several countries, but it takes place primarily in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This graphic novel is stunning and thought-provoking and completely worth reading whether you enjoy graphic novels or not.

6) Blood Promise by Richelle Mead | Russia | I couldn't not include a book from my favorite series of all-time. It was so refreshing to get away from St. Vlad's in this installment and roam Russia.

7) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes | England | First and foremost, I understand that this novel is considered problematic by some, but I adore it. The setting kind of plays a big role in this novel and at the same time doesn't, but we also get to visit Mauritius for a little while, which is a beautiful country in East Africa.

8) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins | France | I think this one was a given. This novel is so cute and allows us to explore the romantic city of Paris (which I will be going to next week!!!!!!!!!!!).

9) And I Darken by Kiersten White | Turkey | This novel takes place in the time of the Ottoman Empire, and it is so dark and lush and a truly fascinating read.

10) Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch | Italy | Italy had always been my #1 desired traveling destination, and this novel completely charmed me when I read it, and made me desperately want to try gelato in Italy. Now I have tried gelato in Italy, and I can confidently say it lived up to the hype. I''ll actually be on my way to Florence when you all are reading this, which is crazy! My friends and I are planning to do a gelato crawl, which is like a pub crawl but better.

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings Me

CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Okay, sorry, I just really love Christmas. I'm calm now.

That said, I present to you the books I wish Santa would bring me (but like prolly not because I never get books for Christmas, as sad as that is).

1) Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - Crowley's Graffiti Moon is one of my all-time favorite books and so I was pumped as heck when I saw she was releasing this one. It was one of my most anticipated releases for the year. It sounds so cute and yeah I just really wanna read it.

2) There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins - Another one of my most anticipated releases.

3) The Magicians by Lev Grossman - I'm obsessed with the TV series and it doesn't feel right to love it so much without having read the series.

4) Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staple - This is the only book I actually asked for for Christmas because I am obsessed with this graphic novel series and graphic novels are v expensive.

5) Now I Rise by Kiersten White - Annnnd another of my most anticipated releases of the year (see a trend here?). I've made no secret of my love for And I Darken, the first book in the series and I cannot believe I haven't picked this one up yet.

6) Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - I just finished Becky's most recent book and really enjoyed it, and with the movie coming out soon, I need to read this one!! (Plus, NICK ROBINSON my love)

7) Into the Black by Ava Jae - I adored the first book in the series and the sequel's release snuck up on me without me even realizing it.

8) The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee - I have heard nothing but fabulous things about this one! It seems like the kind of fun I've been craving since My Lady Jane.

9) Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - Another book I've heard a ton of buzz about and it sounds incredibly interesting.

10) Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco - I'm going to be reading the first book in the series very soon so it would be nice to have the sequel on hand the moment I finish.

Spoopy Reads #1: Creepy TBR

Hello, ghouls and goblins. I'm Spoopy Reads, Lefty's evil poltergeist and I am taking over Lefty's blog for the month of October MWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA.

Okay, but on the real: October is my favorite month because it means pumpkin patches and haunted houses and scary movies and HALLOWEEN. In my opinion, all of October is a holiday. I adore all things spooky (and spoopy) so everything I post this month is dedicated to the eerie, the ominous, the spine-chilling.

If I'm being honest, as a person who loves scary stuff, I have a surprising deficiency in my creepy reading. I've read approximately zero horror novels, and that is something that must be remedied as soon as ghostly possible. Here are some creepy books I desperately NEED TO READ (clicking on pictures will take you to the Goodreads page).

 HAVE YOU READ ANY OF THESE OR DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE ON YOUR CREEPY TBR? LET ME KNOW. ALSO, FEEL FREE TO REC SOME CREEPY BOOKS BECAUSE I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THAT. 

Top Ten Anticipated Reads In The Second Half Of 2017

WoWzA I can't believe it's already basically June!!!!!! It's kind of scary to realize that the older I get, the quicker time seems to go. And, of course, the more delicious books I want to read that come out. Here are 10 of the many I'm looking forward to during the latter half of the year (and a few from June because they're my most anticipated releases of the year).

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - I am in love with Crowley's Graffiti Moon. It is stunning and wonderful--even the second time I read it. And even if this weren't Cath Crowley, this novel sounds perfect for book lovers!

Warcross by Marie Lu - I've never actually read anything by Marie Lu yet, but I've heard she's great, and this one sounds heckin interesting. I just know it's going to be epic and intense and all sorts of good.

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins - AHHHHHHH. STEPHANIE PERKINS. HORROR NOVEL. NOR WORDS!!!!

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows - I've only read one of Jodi Meadows's books, but I really enjoyed it. Well, two, if you include My Lady Jane which I loooooooooved. She always has some really interesting ideas and OH YEAH DRAGONS!!!!

Renegades by Marissa Meyer - Okay, I am VERY in love with Heartless. I'm a lil but behind on my Marissa Meyer reading, but eventually I will read EVERYTHING she has ever written. I will blindly trust the woman who brought Jest into my life.

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen - I'm so excited for this I could throw up. I might throw up. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell - I absolutely adored Maxwell's Unhooked so I'm 100% hyped for her next release. Also, look at dat cover. Also, New York. Also, magic and thievery.

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano - Again, I've had good experiences with DeStefano in the past, so I'm really looking forward to whatever she's gonna give the world next. I also know she really wanted to incorporate her OCD and anxiety into this book, and I think it's wonderful.

Into the Black by Ava Jae - THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO BEYOND THE RED AND I AM V V V EXCITED. Aliens and steamy romance and princesses oh my!!

Now I Rise by Kiersten White - Well fuck a duck and call it Chuck because I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK. If you read my blog/social media this time last year, you'd know I AM ACTUALLY OBSESSED WITH AND I DARKEN and I feel like I've been waiting for this sequel my entire life.

Covers According to Different Genres (Guest Post)

Hello everyone! You may (or may not) have noticed that my blog posts have been a bit sparse these days. That's because I'm back at school, where my life is moving approximately 4 gazillion miles an hour. Luckily, a handful of delightful people have volunteered their help to keep my blog at least a little active.

Today's guest post is coming at you from the lovely Anna at Adventures with a Book Nerd, and she's going to talk to y'all about some patterns she has noticed in book covers!

Covers According to Different Genres

Hi everybody, and thanks to Lefty for having me on her blog! It can be hard to fit blogging in around school, so I’m happy that I could help out. :)

I noticed something this month. I noticed that different genres have their own style of covers. Let me try to explain this better. YA romances often have covers with soft colors, couples, and landscape backgrounds. Fantasy covers will have weapons, symbols, and sometimes fighting. Horror covers will have dark colors, abandoned places, dolls, and other things like that. You see what I mean? I feel like the different genres have similar covers. Why?

My guess is that publishers know what will get books to sell. They found the right formula, and they stick to it. And while yes, no cover is exactly the same. There are definitely similarities.

Romance:

Horror:

Fantasy:

Science Fiction:

While it’s easier to see with more than three examples (thanks a lot, Anna), there is definitely a pattern. So what do you think? Do you see a pattern among the covers? Or am I just crazier than I thought that I was? Let me know in the comments!

Top Ten Books That Need To Be Turned Into TV Shows Pronto

Listen, I love TV shows (pretty much as much as I love books), so I was pumped to see that this week's TTT topic was a TV-themed freebie! As great as movies are and all, I am always hoping for some more book-to-TV adaptations, so this week provided the perfect chance for me to talk about the books I want to see in my handy dandy picture box!

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - Okay, first of all, I don't get why this hasn't been adapted to anything yet??? It would be a fantastic TV show! The world could really lend itself to an episodic story, and there's so much you can do with it that it could go on for several seasons. I'm still holding out hope that ONE DAY this will see some sort of screen, be it big or small.

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman - This would be an interesting & emotional historical fiction TV show. Obviously writers would have to throw in a bit more plot/action than the book has, but the overall story would be so great to watch.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - I think it's harder to imagine contemporary fiction as a TV show, especially when it falls on the fluffier side of the spectrum, but I imagine this could have a sort of Carrie Diaries vibe. The characters and the setting would translate so well to TV.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano - The premise would make for great television!! The books aren't the most action-packed, so I feel the writers would have to add quite a bit, but the world/different settings/storylines could make a unique & addicting TV show.

The Program by Suzanne Young - I've only read the first book in this duology, but this world is dark and could be explored in so many ways!

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows - Again, I've only read the first book in this series, and I don't even remember much of what happens, but I think the premise and the magical world has so many possibilities for TV.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - I HAVE BEEN RALLYING FOR THIS TO BECOME A TV SHOW FOR YEARS. The world is intricate, the characters have depth, there's action, there's romance, there's so much plot to work with. And yet. All this amazing series has been given is a shitty movie.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver - I am still SO SALTY that this was supposed to be a TV show and then they were all like, "LOL NEVER MIND" so then it wasn't a TV show. Granted, I watched the pilot and I don't think that particular TV show would have done this series justice, but I still think this book deserves a chance to be a beautiful. heartbreaking television show.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - This is the first book in a companion series, and I think if you take all the books in the series and put them on the same timeline (as in, all the books taking place at the same time rather than each book taking place after the previous book in the series) it could make a really fantastic TV show. All the characters are complex and interesting and dealing with some really heavy shit.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - This is another series with so many complexities and intricacies that trying to fit it into a movie is going to turn out awful. But of course, they tried to turn it into a movie, and it was awful. Now imagine if it had been a TV show, and writers had sufficient time to explore the world and characters. It would be great. 

Would You Rather #2: Contemporary

Hiya! Would You Rather is a pretty self-explanatory new feature here at The Left-Handed Book Lover, and I think it will be a lot of fun. Each WYR post will have a different theme.

In honor of summer vacation being upon me, I figured contemporary books were the way to go. I picked 20 of my favorite contemporary novels, paired them up at random, and then picked one. This was extremely difficult! I love all these books so much, and there were some pairings where I spent way too long deliberating which one to choose. 

What do you think? Any choices you'd make differently? Any books you'd add/take away from this list? 

Would You Rather #1: Book Boyfriends

Hiya! Would You Rather is a pretty self-explanatory new feature here at The Left-Handed Book Lover, and I think it will be a lot of fun. Each WYR post will have a different theme.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner and yours truly date-less for the evening, I figured I'd turn to the guy--well, more like guys--who truly has my heart: my book boyfriends! This round of WYR is going to be especially tough because I rounded up a list of some of my favorite YA hotties and paired them at random, and now I'm stuck to choose between all my loves!

This was super tough, but I eventually made my decision for all 11 of the pairs. My choice is circled.

What do you think? Are there any choices you'd make differently? Any guys you would add/take away from this list? Tell me your thoughts!