Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books With An Ocean Setting

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is Top Ten Books With an X Setting, where X is each blog's own choice. Ellen immediately was drawn to a certain setting... the ocean. What especially is interesting to her, is how the ocean can play a meaningful part in the book, whether it's an important backdrop, a symbolic force, or even a source of conflict! With these choices below, the stories would not exist or be as powerful without the ocean being involved.

Sierra's Picks

A Ring of Endless Delight · Madeline L'Engle
Austin Family #5

This is a childhood favorite of mine that still holds up for me after all these years. I remember re-reading this book over and over again during those times that I longed to be a part of the Austin family. This book focuses on Vicky Austin and her siblings while they visit their ailing grandfather who lives on an island. During this time, Vicky gets involved with a friend's research on dolphins. Her time in the ocean and her connections with her dolphin friends play a big role as she tries to accept her grandfather's fate. As a fun fact, this is also a Disney Channel original movie! I believe Jared Padelecki made his debut here.

Ship of Magic · Robin Hobb
Liveship Traders #1

This has been a popular entry on my Top Ten Tuesdays! I can't help it guys, it just fits SO WELL. This is about a merchant family who makes their living from sailing their liveship from port to port. Liveships are made from a special type of wood which allows the ships to have a semblance of sentience. After three generations of family members pass away on the liveship, the liveship awakens as a fully sentient being. THAT PREMISE IS SO COOL. And you know, the ocean is important cause... ships. Duh.

The Scorpio Races · Maggie Stiefvater

One of my ALL-TIME favorites! It happens to be Ellen's as well and she also picked this one for her list! Her description is far superior than anything I could write up.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane · Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is a gorgeous writer. This whole book is so damn quotable. It's also a wonderful introduction to Neil's adult works since this is the shortest of his published novels. This book is whimsical and child-like but not in a way that's patronizing or superficial. I will not say anymore. It is best to go into this book with a hot cup of tea or cocoa and lose yourself for a few hours with no interruptions.

Troubled Waters · Sharon Shinn
Elemental Blessings #1

This was my first Sharon Shinn book and it definitely wasn't the last! My memory of this book is a little dull (time for a re-read I daresay). I don't believe there is mention of the ocean per-say. However, the elements and elemental magic play a huge role within this society. Water, of course, is one of them.

Ellen's Picks

The Rapture of the Deep · L.A. Meyer 

Of course, I knew I'd be picking an L.A. Meyer book! The question was... which freaking one? It came down to In the Belly of the Bloodhound versus The Rapture of the Deep. I went so far as to put the cover up for In the Belly of the Bloodhound, but changed my mind when writing this feature. In The Rapture of the Deep, Jackie Faber is coerced by the British government into recovering huge amounts of treasure from a Spanish shipwreck off the Bahamas. They give her new technology, a diving bell, and tell Jackie to get them their money... or else. The descriptions of Jackie's underwater explorations are breathtaking. Also... feminism! As a British "lady" in the 1800's, it was extremely untoward for Jackie to be so athletic. Seeing her drop jaws and swim like a fish makes for fist-lifting triumph!

Daughter of Deep Silence · Carrie Ryan

The ocean is a striking backdrop for a vicious revenge tale in Daughter of Deep Silence. The book wasn't the best read on the planet, but I loved the role that water played in the story. It vacillates amongst being a harsh adversary, a chilling reminder, and a sensual surrounding. Although it isn't explicitly communicated, I also thought that the unforgiving and boundless ocean echoed the main character's rage and her need for revenge.

Read my full review of Daughter of Deep Silence HERE.

The Scorpio Races · Maggie Steifvater

The Scorpio Races is one of my favorite books of all time. In it, the mythology of the Capaill Uisce, or flesh-eating water horses, is brought to life. What if the Capaille Uisce were real? What if their only home on land was a small, cold island? What if people, from around the world, came to that island to witness an annual, deadly race along a rocky stretch of beach? All of these what-ifs and more are answered and explored in The Scorpio Races. 

Read my full review of The Scorpio Races HERE.

The Odyssey · Homer

In The Odyssey, an ocean separates Odysseus from his home and his family following the Trojan War. He must travel across the watery landscape for years, encountering and outsmarting the worst monsters that the sea and the gods can spew at him. This epic poem originated in Greece, and having the great fortune to have visited that country, I can attest that the ocean is a powerful and unescapable facet of the landscape. How apt that one of Greece's greatest epics would feature the ocean so prominently.

The Child of the Prophecy · Juliet Marillier 

This book is so romantic! The daughter of a reclusive sorcerer, Fianne is destined to play a crucial role in a prophecy. Fianne grows up knowing that she will have to make great sacrifices in her life, but her friendship with a traveling gypsy boy, Darragh, is an idyllic part of her childhood. One season every year, Darragh and his family travel to Fianne's village, and the children play by the rocky coastline adjacent to Fianne's home in the cliffside caves. When they grow up, however, Fianne must leave home to begin her heart-wrenching task. Darragh, however, will not give up on the girl he loves. This story is epic and beautiful, and the ocean becomes, many times, a way for Darragh to prove his incredible devotion. How, you ask? You'll just have to read to find out!

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We are so incredibly excited to see what you guys picked as your setting. Make sure you link your own Top Ten Tuesday so we can stop by and say hello!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books with the Wrong Main Character

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week is Top Ten Tuesday REWIND. Ellen thought it would be a good idea to pick our Top 10 books that we feel had the wrong main character. As in a peripheral character deserved the main role. Sierra was quite thrilled with this choice of topic.

Here we go!

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Sierra's Picks

Twilight Saga · Stephanie Meyer
Alternative Main Character: Alice

This is the FIRST book that popped into my head. I despised Bella and her relationships. We all know the various problems this series has. But I adore Alice and really enjoyed her relationship with Jasper. It's way less... gross.

Vampire Academy · Richelle Mead
Alternative Main Character: Lissa/Christian

I read the Vampire Academy series sometime last year. As the series progressed, Rose got increasingly on my nerves. I was never a fan of the Dmitri/Rose relationship because I couldn't wrap my head around a teacher/student relationship. But what pissed me off the MOST was how Rose treated Lissa. They were supposed to be best friends but Rose constantly kept secrets from Lissa. THAT IS NOT BEST FRIENDSHIP. I would have picked Adrian to be the alternative main character but since he has the Bloodlines series, I went with Lissa and/or Christian.

Broken Prince · Erin Watt
Alternative Main Character: Sebastian/Sawyer

Ellen picked this one too. But she decided on a different main character! She got to him first. I, on the other hand, would have loved to see the book from Sebastian's or Sawyer's point of view. Because we know next to nothing about them! And as I have already mentioned a few times, I HATE that they are not treated like two separate characters just because they are identical twins. I feel like we already have some idea of who Easton is. Sebastian and Sawyer could definitely use the limelight.

The Lumatere Chronicles · Melina Marchetta
Alternative Main Character: Finnikin

This might be a bit of a cheat and I will explain why in just a moment. The first book in the trilogy is Finnikin of the Rock which features Finnikin as the main character. The second book is Frio of the Exiles (pictured above) featuring Froi. The last book is Quintana of Charyn featuring (take a wild guess!) Quintana. Even though I thought this was a wonderful series, I JUST MISSED FINNIKIN SO MUCH. I would have been slightly more happy if all the books were just written in his perspective. I don't adapt to change very well when I'm in love with a character...

The Liveship Traders · Robin Hobb
Alternative Main Character: Althea & Paragon

*Ahem* This might also be kind of another cheat. Althea is indeed a main character. But one of several! As I've mentioned in a previous Top Ten Tuesday post, I didn't bother reading any of the other perspectives but the ones I was interested in. And as I recall, as the trilogy progressed, she was one of the peripheral main characters. However, I think the whole book should have just been about her, Brashen and Paragon.

Ellen's Picks

Persuasion · Jane Austen · Alternative Main Character: Wentworth

 Jane Austen is well known for never having written from the male perspective. Scholars have theorized that Austen didn't feel comfortable taking on the voice of the opposite gender. Whatever the reason, I think Austen would have done an amazing job if she'd taken on the challenge. Persuasion, from Anne's perspective is amazing, but getting the story from the cryptic Wentworth's point of view would also have been fantastic.

Broken Prince · Erin Watt · Alternative Main Character: Easton

Broken Prince was a dual narration between Reed and Ella. I actually didn't like Reed's voice so much. I thought we got answers much too quickly after the cliffhanger shock of Paper Princess. Instead of getting insight into Reed's head straight away, it would have been cool to get an alternative perspective from one of the younger brothers. I think Easton has a lot of potential on that front.

Diplomats and Fugitives · Lindsay Buroker · Alternative Main Character: Amaranthe

If you've been following this blog for any duration, you might know that one of my favorite series of all time is Emperor's Edge by the self-published author, Lindsay Buroker. Back when Sierra and I first became friends, in fact, the first books I foisted upon her were Buroker's! My heart was utterly broken when the Emperor's Edge series came to a close with its eighth book. You'd think that would be enough books from Amaranthe's perspective... not even close. When Buroker announced a continuation novel, Diplomats and Fugitives, from Basilard's perspective, I was happy, but also crushed. Amaranthe is my HEROINE.

Saint Anyting · Sarah Dessen · Alternative Main Character: Mac

Like Jane Austen, Sarah Dessen writes exclusively from the female voice. However, with so many books under her belt now, Dessen's main characters are beginning to seem very one-note. I'm getting tired of the quiet, introspective girl main character. Especially with Dessen's latest works, I haven't been into her protagonists at all. However, I did really like Mac, the love interest from Saint Anything. I liked his backstory. I liked his vibe. Maybe it wouldn't make too big of a difference, since Mac was also kind of... quiet and introspective... but perhaps the swap would have livened up a floppy story.

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line · Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham · Alternative Main Character: Mac

This breaks my heart a little, because I LOVE Veronica Mars's character. She is an icon! And yet and yet and yet, and I've spoken to Sierra about this, I felt that book-Veronica was so much more somber than TV-Veronica. She hardly felt like the same character we know and love! I believe that Kristen Bell's performance has so much to do with Veronica's spirit. So with the book continuations, it would have been cool to see another character shine. My pick is Mac! I would love to get to know that tech-genius better!

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 We're looking forward to YOUR Top Ten Tuesday posts! Leave us a comment below so we can visit :). Happy Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I'd Buy Right Now

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's post is about the top 10 books we would purchase if someone handed us a fully loaded gift card. I'm going to restrict this list to books that have already been published.

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Sierra's Top Ten Picks

National Geographic: The Photographs · Leah Bendavid-Val

I have had my eye on this beauty for a number of years. To me, it's the perfect coffee table book. I've held off because I'm not enough of an adult to actually warrant coffee table books. But I would love to have this in my home someday.

Humans of New York · Brandon Stanton

I am a passionate follower of his blog and am amazed by how Brandon has managed to bring us all together as human beings whether in New York, Pakistan, or Iran. I would have loved to support him by purchasing his books, but alas, am quite poor.

Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 & 2 · Neil Gaiman

I worship at the altar that is Neil Gaiman. It's kind of surprising because I actually haven't read the majority of his books. However, I follow him everywhere (except IRL) He's damn cool and I have loved everything he has had to say. I know I will love Sandman as well because I regularly quote from these graphic novels. These hefty volumes range from about $80-$100 each. So it's quite a large purchase.

The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories & The Novels

Are we seeing double? Umm, yes. I have another Sherlock Holmes set on my list. I JUST WANT IT OKAY. DON'T JUDGE ME. Come to me, my precious...

Fables (The Deluxe Editions) · Bill Willingham


OHMYGOD WHAT IS THIS GENIUS EVEN. I am batshit crazy when it comes to the Fables series. Now that it has finally reached its conclusion, I'd love to collect all the deluxe editions and read them all. There are many of them and it will be very expensive. But my loaded gift card will take care of it all!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: The Illustrated Edition · J.K. Rowling

I'm the crazy person that REFUSES to purchase the Sorcerer's Stone edition. IT IS JUST WRONG DAMMIT. I will have to order it specially from The Book Despository one day. Stupid American publisher.

The Discworld series · Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett is a legend. For good reason. I adore his humor and writing style but the Discworld series can be very intimidating. I would love to own them all and slowly make my way through them.

The Romanovs: 1613-1918 · Simon Sebag Montefiore

I've been obsessed with the Romanovs since I first saw the animated movie, Anastasia. Obviously, I understand that it is far from historically accurate. But I love that these movies/adaptations exist to convince children to search for the true story. I got to read a chapter at my local indie bookstore and I love the author's style. It reads like a story instead of a dry historical account. I'd love to acquire this title soon.

Lord of the Rings (Millenium Edition) · J.R.R. Tolkien
This is a gorgeous edition of the Lord of the Rings published in 1999. It is insanely hard to find and quite expensive. I'm not interested in purchasing this for myself. My friend's greatest regret is not picking this up when she had the chance, and I'd love to be able to buy it for her one day. Also the life lesson I learnt from her story is to ALWAYS BUY THE BOOKS YOU WANT.

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Ellen's Top Picks

A Game of Thrones · George R. R. Martin · 2013 Voyager Edition

This .jpg doesn't do this edition of A Game of Thrones any justice. I saw this hardcover book in a YouTube video and was blown away by how beautiful it was. I would love to own a copy of this.

Penguin Clothbound Classics

I believe there are 87 of these books in existence and I own four. That means I have 83 to go... Oh boy. I will say, though, that with a modicum of love and use, the gorgeous designs on the covers of these books will flake off. The geese on my edition of Pride and Prejudice are almost all gone.

The Hunger Games · Suzanne Collins · 2014 Edition by Scholastic Press

I actually remember these covers being a little controversial when they were unveiled almost three years ago. The argument was that they were overly frivolous. Maybe they are, but I also really like them! They have a great energy to them and I'd like them to join my collection, please.

Uprooted · Naomi Novik · 2015 Edition by MacMillan

This cover is gorgeous and it communicates so much. I absolutely love it and I'd like it for my own.

The Complete Bloody Jack Series · L.A. Meyer · Hardcovers

I've loved this epic saga since I was a little girl and I want to collect the entire series IN HARDCOVER! (Very important, because the paperbacks are wretched.)

Paradox Series · Rachel Bach

I really loved these books and want to make them part of my physical collection. Right now, they're just living on my Kindle and I want to own the real deal.

Harry Potter Series · J.K. Rowling · Juniper Books in Slytherin Colors

Technically, I own every Harry Potter book in hardcover, but my editions are mostly all family-used and are busted. Chamber of Secrets even has a huge chunk of pages missing. They're disgusting. Half the dustjackets are missing. I need new ones, and I need them all to match. 

On my radar to purchase are these editions of Harry Potter by Juniper Books, which are available in the colors of the four Hogwarts houses. I think the Hufflepuff books look incredible (I love yellow) and Gryffindor is classic, but hey, I'm a Slytherin. I'll have to go green. Oh yeah, and they run for $275. So, maybe not anytime soon.

Pride and Prejudice · Jane Austen · Folio Society Illustrated Books

Look at that illustration of Elizabeth reading Darcy's letter. LOOK AT IT AND DON'T BLINK. This edition is over $65, but I happen to collect Pride and Prejudice books. So, it makes sense to covet it, right?

The Complete Shorter Fiction · Herman Melville · Folio Society Illustrated Books

I've always wanted to read more Herman Melville. Why not start with this delectable edition of his shorter works? There are gorgeous illustrations within.

The Virgin Suicides · Jeffrey Eugenides · Picador Modern Classics

It's a true shame that this edition is so itty bitty, but I love the cover, and there is something cute about tiny things, isn't there? As a bonus, I was pretty obsessed with this book in high school. I though it was really, super deep.

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Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Things Books Have Encouraged Me To Do or Learn About

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's post is all about the things that books have encouraged us to do or learn about after reading them. Without further ado, let's get on to our list!

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Sierra's Picks

Death at Seaworld · David Kirby
Goodreads

Death at Seaworld is a non-fiction book written about the disasters of captivity for orcas. I read this before Blackfish was released. So I like to say that I joined the bandwagon early on, before the Blackfish effect took place. This helped form my beliefs about animal captivity and started me down a long and dark orca binge that all my roommates at the time could attest to.

The Dolphin Diaries · Ben M. Baglio
Goodreads

SCUBA DIVING. This is a book I re-read over and over again and as a child and was so jealous of the main character. She got to travel the world with her family on a ship while her parents got to study dolphins. Since she was 12 years old, she had her scuba diving license. That sparked my lifelong goal which I achieved a couple of years ago!

Alex Rider · Anthony Horowitz
Goodreads

As a child, I thought Alex Rider was a god. He could get out of any scrape, could basically do anything. I wanted to BE him. He did martial arts (so do I), could scuba dive (I did that too), flew a plane (I have a pilot's license), etc. There are still a few more things on my Alex Rider bucket list, like skiing and such. Obviously I realize how impractical the teenage spy story is. But it was filled with so much life and adventure! It was all I ever wanted as a child.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar And Six More · Roald Dahl
Goodreads

After reading the Henry Sugar story, I spent HOURS trying to learn how to read cards. Not just hours. DAYS. WEEKS. You had to give me an A for effort.

Birthright · Nora Roberts
Goodreads

I was already fond of history and artifacts. But this book (yes, I know it is a Nora Roberts novel...) made me think about being an archaeologist. I did countless research to figure out the best schools, the best course of study. Ultimately I didn't end up choosing that route, but I still appreciate this book for introducing me to that life. And one of my favorite romances of all time.

Black Beauty · Anna Sewell
Goodreads

This is another one of my favorite childhood books that I re-read. I also watched the movie adaptation religiously. I love horses, but didn't have access to them as a child. I remember being put on a horse at the age of 10 and having the firm belief that I KNEW how to ride because I had read so many books on the subject! I really believed that reading how to do something meant that you automatically knew how to do it. I learned the hard way that it wasn't always the case :P. I finally got to take horseback riding lessons at 14. Best moment of my life!

Earth's Children · Jean M. Auel
Goodreads

In a previous Top Ten Tuesday, I talk about how this series taught me about sex. But I also learned a lot of about being a survivor and a time period that is rarely written about. This introduced me to biological anthropology. I also went through a period of trying to identify plants and medicinal herbs. That didn't last too long. The outside world doesn't always agree with me.

Lies We Tell Ourselves · Robin Talley
Goodreads

Having grown up outside of the United States, I learned the basics of American history and never felt any strong connection to it (except colonial history, but that's a different story). Reading this story about a brave young black girl going into a school filled with antagonistic white high school students to draw an end to the era of segregation was powerful, and painful. It really connected me to the plight of African-Americans, and encouraged me to learn about and support their rights aka #blacklivesmatter.

Tales of Ancient Egypt · Roger Lancelyn Green
Goodreads

Due to movies like The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, Egypt has always held a mystical appeal to me. My copy of this book is so worn down that the paperback is practically crumbling to pieces. I love the stories of all their gods. That led me into doing a lot of historical research about the history of Egypt while focusing during the time of the pharaohs. I've learned some fascinating and mildly creepy things.

Stephanie Plum · Janet Evanovich
Goodreads

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE IS DELICIOUS. Stephanie Plum obsesses about food constantly, but her favorite by far is the pineapple upside down cake. This usually leads to intense cravings for me. I had never had Pineapple Upside Down cake before. So I gave it a go and baked it. And now it is one of our regular family cakes.

Ellen's Picks (Only 5 This Week)

Anna and the French Kiss · Stephanie Perkins

When I first read this book, I got bitten really hard with this desire to travel. Stephanie Perkins does an amazing job of describing foreign locales and it made me want to go exploring far-off places.  I traveled abroad a lot as a kid and young adult with my family, but I was always quite anxious about it. I'm a nervous person, and resistant to change, so traveling could be really overwhelming. But in Anna and the French Kiss, we see a character, Anna, be really nervous about being a foreigner and exploring places, but then she grows to love it. I was inspired to break out of my box and go travel as well. So when I was 24, I decided that I'd use my money I earned from nannying and fly to England to visit my Aunt who was living in East Sussex at the time in a mouldering old house by the sea. So I booked a flight to Heathrow and just... went!

Bloody Jack · L.A. Meyer

This little-known series is incredible. I love it so much, and it got me obsessed with nautical history, especially during the Napoleonic wars.  I've watched Master and Commander: Far Side of the World more times than I care to admit, and all because of this series. I also really want to go on a boat trip across the Atlantic one day! Safely, but I want to see the incredible storms.

Mr. Revere and I • Robert Lawson

This, my favorite childhood book, made me beg my parents for horse riding lessons. I was utter crap at it, though. I'm scared of horses to this day. It's ironic, because my dad was a show rider and is totally nonchalant about horses. He says they're just like dogs. BUT I THINK THEY'RE TERRIFYING!

The Search for Delicious · Natalie Babbitt

Like many readers, I'm a huge word nerd. I think my love of reading was partially inspired by this book, The Search for Delicious, which features a pageboy going on a royal mission to poll people about a contentious dictionary entry. It also has a mermaid in it, and I love mermaids. Seriously, the amount of mermaid memorabilia and general mermaid crap I own is ridiculous.

Unidentified Children's Book 

My last entry for this week's TTT is about a book that I don't remember the title of. It was a children's picture book that I got from the library when I was pretty little.  It was about a little Inuit girl who went on an adventure, away from her parents for a day, with her little brother in tow.  Very important detail: their mother packed them whale skin to eat as a snack.  That REALLY resonated with me. So much so that my overactive imagination took over and I asked my Grandmother Harriet, when she gave me a piece of deli turkey one day, "Is this whale skin?" She thought it was hilarious and told everybody. It became a family joke and carried on for years, with me and my mom and grandma calling deli turkey, "whale skin." So yeah, a little weird, but it's a fond memory.

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Ellen: That's it for this week! I'm only doing five entries this week because I got to this TTT a little late and I want to spend my remaining awake hours tonight reading Broken Prince whilst messaging Sierra. But this week was a great topic! Let us know how reading affects your life in the comments below! I'd love to hear any stories you have about being inspired through books!