Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

This weeks Top Ten topic is:

Top Ten Books To Read In A Day

The books in the list are in no particular order, and all blurbs are taken from Goodreads.com

Bitten (Women of the Otherworld #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She’s also a werewolf.

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

When I first read this book I devoured it in a day, and I have done the same ever since. I just cannot put this down until I’ve finished – I have to know what happens next.

Howl’s Moving Castle (Castle #1) by Diana Wynne-Jones

In the land of Ingary, where seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility do exist, Sophie Hatter attracts the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a curse. Determined to make the best of things, Sophie travels to one place where she might get help — the moving castle which hovers on the hills above Market Chipping.

But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the hearts of young girls…

I adore this book. I saw the film first and loved it, but the book is just awesome. There’s just so much going on and with just over three hundred pages I just cannot stop myself reading this.

Trickster’s Choice (Daughter of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce

Alianne has an oppressive heritage. She is the daughter of Alanna, Lady Knight and King’s Champion – the foremost warrior of Tortall. After a stormy argument with her mother, Aly runs away, but she gets more than she bargains for when she is kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave in the Copper Isles.

I’m a HUGE fan of Pierce’s work, and I find it difficult to make any of her books last more than a day. But this particular book – the whole duology in fact – is just so interesting, and I love the characters that I cannot put it down.

Ironside: A Modern Faery’s Tale (The Modern Faerie Tales #3) by Holly Black

In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben’s coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing — her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can’t see or speak to Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows doesn’t exist: a faerie who can tell a lie.

Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth — that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother’s shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But once back in the faerie courts, Kaye finds herself a pawn in the games of Silarial, queen of the Seelie Court. Silarial wants Roiben’s throne, and she will use Kaye, and any means necessary, to get it. In this game of wits and weapons, can a pixie outplay a queen?

Holly Black spins a seductive tale at once achingly real and chillingly enchanted, set in a dangerous world where pleasure mingles with pain and nothing is exactly as it appears.

This is an amazing world. The characters are brilliant. This is my favourite book in the series (though I’ve not read the first one – oops!)

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1) by Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn’t date much because of her “disability” to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s the type of guy she’s waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too–he’s a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie’s coworkers is killed, she fears she’s next.

These books are a lot of fun. They’re easy to read. The plot leaves you wanting to know what happens next. And, I think Sookie has a unique and interesting way of looking at the world.

What Katy Did (Carr Family #1) by Susan M. Coolidge

Gangly, quick-tempered Katy always means to be beautiful, beloved, and as good as an angel one day, but somehow her resolutions get forgotten or go horribly wrong. When an accidental fall from a swing seems to threaten her hopes for the future, Katy struggles to overcome her difficulties with the vitality and good humor she admires in her cousin Helen.

One of my favourite books from my childhood. I never did get to complete the series, but I really enjoyed (and still do) reading the first three books in the series. I ALWAYS want to know what happens to Katy, so I can never walk away from the book and have to finish it in a day as I can’t stand waiting.

Everything and the Moon (The Lyndon Sisters #1) by Julia Quinn

It was indisputably love at first sight. But Victoria Lyndon was merely the teenaged daughter of a vicar. . .while Robert Kemble was the dashing young earl of Macclesfield. Surely what their meddlesome fathers insisted must have been true, that he was a reckless seducer determined to destroy her innocence. . . and she was a shameless fortune hunter. So it most certainly was for the best when their plans to elope went hopelessly awry.

Even after a seven-year separation, Victoria–now a governess–still leaves Robert breathless. But how could he ever again trust the raven-haired deceiver who had shattered his soul? And Victoria could never give her heart a second time to the cad who so callously trampled on it the first. But a passion fated will not be denied, and vows of love yearn to be kept. . . even when one promises the moon.

This is definitely a book to sit and read in a day. I don’t think there’s any other way to read it (at least for me). It is VERY entertaining, although not very accurate (in my opinion). It is a very fun read.

Sabriel (Abhorsen #1) by Garth Nix

Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Mogget, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death — and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own hidden destiny.

With “Sabriel,” the first installment in the Abhorsen trilogy, Garth Nix exploded onto the fantasy scene as a rising star, in a novel that takes readers to a world where the line between the living and the dead isn’t always clear — and sometimes disappears altogether.

There is just so much going on in this book, that every time I read it I find myself unwilling to put it down.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust is an utterly charming fairy tale in the tradition of The Princess Bride and The Neverending Story. Neil Gaiman, creator of the darkly elegant Sandman comics and author of The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, tells the story of young Tristran Thorn and his adventures in the land of Faerie. One fateful night, Tristran promises his beloved that he will retrieve a fallen star for her from beyond the Wall that stands between their rural English town (called, appropriately, Wall) and the Faerie realm. No one ever ventures beyond the Wall except to attend an enchanted flea market that is held every nine years (and during which, unbeknownst to him, Tristran was conceived). But Tristran bravely sets out to fetch the fallen star and thus win the hand of his love.

Another fun and easy read. It’s a little darker than the film, but shows Gaiman at his best.

Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods #1) by Melissa de la Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen is confused about what is happening to her. Her veins are starting to turn blue, and she’s starting to crave raw meat. Soon, her world is thrust into an intricate maze of secret societies and bitter intrigue. Schuyler has never been a part of the trendy crowd at her prestigious New York private school. Now, all of a sudden, Jack Force, the most popular guy in school, is showing an interest in her. And when one of the popular girls is found dead, Schuyler and Jack are determined to get to the bottom of it.

Schuyler wants to find out the secrets of the mysterious Blue Bloods. But is she putting herself in danger? Melissa de la Cruz’s vampire mythology, set against the glitzy backdrop of New York City, is a juicy and intoxicating read.

I think Schuyler is a brilliant character. The world shown is very different from mine, and I love taking a peek into it. There’s just so much going on that I can’t stop reading until I’ve reached the end of the book.

So that’s my top ten, what are your Top Ten Books To Read In A Day?

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

This weeks Top Ten topic is:

Spring Fever: Top Ten Books I’d Play Hooky With

These books are in no particular order and all the blurbs are from Goodreads.com

1. Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce

From now on I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.”

And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Disguised as a girl, Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page.

But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna’s first adventure begins — one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.

I’d play hooky with this book (the whole series in fact) because Alanna is such an awesome character. I first read this back in the late nineties, and just fell in love with the world. This is the first fantasy book I remember reading that had a kick-ass female lead who could do what her male friends did – she didn’t need to wait to be rescued.

2. A Kiss of Shadows (Meredith Gentry #1) by Laurell K. Hamilton

My name is Meredith Gentry, but of course it’s not my real name. I dare not even whisper my true name after dark for fear that one hushed word will travel over the night winds to the soft ear of my aunt, the Queen of the Air and Darkness. She wants me dead. I don’t even know why.”

Meredith Gentry, Princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, living as a P.I. specializing in supernatural crime. But now the Queen’s assassin has been dispatched to fetch her back–whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Meredith finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt’s plans. The job that awaits her: enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward: the crown–and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty for failure: death.

I had a hard time  try to decide between Merry and Anita, cause I think they’re both awesome. But in the end, I think I’d prefer to play hooky with Merry because she’s not as serious as Anita. I think Merry is a pretty brilliant character. I also find her world incredibly fascinating, so I really enjoy re-reading the books.

3. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him the Rings of Power – the means by which he will be able to rule the world. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the Ruling Ring, which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as the ring is entrusted to his care. He must leave his home and make a perilous journey across the realms of Middle-earth to the Crack of Doom, deep inside the territories of the Dark Lord. There he must destroy the Ring forever and foil the Dark Lord in this evil purpose.

(from the blurb of the 1995 Harper Collins edition)

This is actually a cheat on my part, because I can’t just choose one book of this epic.

I’d play hooky with this book because it is an awesome (if long) read. And okay, so it’s not perfect, but that’s to be expected considering when it was written.  But there are some brilliant ideas in it.

4. Bitten (Women of the Otherworld #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She’s also a werewolf.

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

I came to this book (and series) when I was heavily into the vampire side of the horror/paranormal genre (before Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy came along) and instantly feel in love with Elena and Clay.  I periodically try to come back and re-read this, and Elena and Clay are still my favourite characters to read about in the series.

I’d play hooky with this book because Elena is awesome, and I love the way her relationship with Clay is written. I find it very entertaining. Plus Elena seems to have nack for finding trouble, so something interesting would definitely happen . . .

5. Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows #1) by Kim Harrison

Forty years ago a genetically engineered virus killed half of the world’s human population and exposed creatures of dreams and nightmares that had, until then, lived in secret alongside humanity.

Rachel Morgan is a runner with the Inderland Runner Services, apprehending criminals through out modern-day Cincinnati. She is also a witch.

Used to confronting criminal vampires, dark witches and homicidal werewolves, Rachel’s latest assignments – apprehending cable-stealing magic students and tax-evading leprechauns – have prompted her to break her thirty-year contract with the I.S. and start her own runner agency.

But no one quits the I.S.

Marked for death, Rachel is a dead witch walking unless she can appease her former employers and pay off her contract by exposing the city’s most prominent citizen as a drug lord. But making an enemy of the ambiguous Trent Kalamack proves even more deadly than leaving the I.S.

I’d play hooky with this book because I think Rachel is a brilliant character. Also, Jenks and Ivy wouldn’t be too far away and they are just awesome. Plus I like the way Harrison writes Rachel’s interaction with Trent and Al. It is awesome. Plus Rachel also has a knack for finding trouble, so hanging out with her would definitely be interesting.

6. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Now a major film. Sara Fitzgerald’s daughter Kate is just two years old when she is diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia. Reeling with the helpless shock of it, Sara knows she will do anything — whatever it takes – to save her child.

Then the tests results come back time and again to show that no one in their family is a match for Kate. If they are to find a donor for the crucial bone marrow transplant she needs, there is only one option: creating another baby, specifically designed to save her sister. For Sara, it seems the ideal solution. Not only does Kate live, but she gets a beautiful new daughter, Anna, too.

Until the moment Anna hands Sara the papers that will rock her whole world. Because, aged thirteen, Anna has decided that she doesn’t want to help Kate live any more. She is suing her parents for the rights to her own body.

This book really stuck with me.

I think Anna is a brilliant character, though she seems super mature for a thirteen year old (but this is probably a reflection of the situation). I think she’d be really cool to hang out and play hooky with. Her brother would be too. I’m not so sure about Kate though . . .  I also liked Anna’s lawyer (sorry I can’t remember his name and I don’t have the book to hand), I thought he was funny 🙂

I read the book before I saw the film, and just fell in love. I enjoy re-reading this.

7. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them.

I saw the film first before I read this. I enjoyed it, so I thought I’d give the book a go. I was not disappointed. It added another level to the film.

I would play hooky with this book because I really enjoyed reading it and I think Ronnie is an interesting character. I kind of wish there was more about her. I think she’s very brave and it would be cool to hand out with her and play hooky.

8. The Demon’s Lexicon (The Demon’s Lexicon Trilogy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Sixteen-year-old Nick knows that Demons are real.

Magicians call up demons in exchange for their power. The demons can appear in any shape, show you marvels, promise you anything – until you invite them in and receive their mark.  What happens next? First you get possessed. Then you die.

Nick’s been on the run his whole life, ever since his mother stole a charm from the most feared magician of them all, and the only person he trust is his brother Alan. Alan’s just been marked by a demon. Only Nick can save him, but to do so he must face the magicians – and kill them. The hunt is on, and Nick is going to discover things he never dreamed were out there . . .

This is an awesome book, and an awesome trilogy. Sarah Rees Brennan rocks. So, of course, I would want to play hooky with this book. It’s only natural.

I’m not so sure Nick would want to play hooky with me (or almost anyone really), but I enjoy him as a character and think he would be interesting  – and I mean that in many different ways – to hang out with.

9. White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they’re all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He’s noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

This is one of my absolute favourite books – and series – so of course I would play hooky with it. How could I not?!

The world Holly Black has created for this series is absolutely amazing. There are so many possibilities. I’m kinda sad that it’s only a trilogy.

I adore Cassel. There’s just something about him. He has a really interesting way of looking at the world – completely different from my own mindset. I think it would be quite fun to play hooky with him and his friends.

10. Fleabag and the Ring Fire by Beth Webb

The Queen is dead and no one knows who is to succeed her. Many have tried to prove their worth, but none is destined to be the true monarch. The country is given a year and a day to find the ring that confirms leadership. After that, the Ringfire will fade and the kingdom will fall.

Fleabag the cat is one of my all-time favourite characters, so of course this book would make the list, because how else would I play hooky with him if I didn’t play hooky with this book?

This is one of the few books from my pre-teen days that I’ve kept hold of. The story has stood the test of time, and I really enjoy reading it 🙂 Gemma is a cool character too, but Fleabag really does steal the show.

There are of course other books I’d play hooky with that never made it to the list, like the Harry Potter series, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Shifters series, The Belgariad, The Blue Bloods and Chicagoland Vampires novels just to name a few . . . 😉

What books would you play hooky with?