This week’s topic is things that make our lives as book bloggers easier and/or better. Sadly, I don’t think I’m creative enough to come up with ten unique, specific things. But it’s a fact that blogging can be hard sometimes…we’re busy, or in a reading slump, or just overwhelmed by the other stuff in our lives. So here are some things that always make me a little more excited about reading and blogging:

1. LibraryThing — I think I’m actually addicted to this website. You can catalog all your books and arrange them in collections, and there are wonderful “groups” where people chat about what they’re reading and invent fun challenges and suchlike. Apparently Goodreads is quite similar, but I wouldn’t know; I’m an LT-er through and through!

2. Interlibrary loan — This is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I now stalk upcoming releases at my library’s website so that I can put a hold on them as soon as humanly possible. I’m 3rd in line for Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl and Maggie Stiefvater’s The Dream Thieves!

3. Girlebooks — If you like old classics written by women, you definitely need to check out this site. There are tons of cheap and free e-books by female authors, from Austen and Brontë to Elizabeth von Arnim and Anna Katharine Green.

4. Read-a-thons — I love a good read-a-thon, not only because I can challenge myself but because I can connect with other book bloggers who are united by a common goal. Seeing someone else’s challenge entry or sign-up post can help me discover new blogs I might never have read otherwise.

5. Amazon’s Super Saver Shipping — I looooove the free shipping. Sure, I have to spend $25, but when is that ever a problem at Amazon?

6. Paperback Swap — Gotta love a site where you can trade old books you don’t want anymore for shiny, new-to-you books you’re dying to read! The books may be used, but they’re generally in good condition (at least in my experience), and the site is a great way to acquire titles that are hard to find or out of print!

7. Fantastic Fiction — Ever bought a book that looked interesting, only to find out that it was #5 in a series? The wonderful thing about Fantastic Fiction is that you can view an author’s entire output, and it’s all organized by series. I use this all the time to figure out which book by an author I should read next!

8. The book blogging community — Honestly, the thing that truly makes my bookish life great is you, my fellow bloggers. (I know, I know, super cheesy, but it’s true!) I’ve learned about so many amazing books through you guys! And it’s nice to know that I’m not alone in my book geekery…there are tons of other equally big nerds out there! 🙂

Despite the wonderful diversity of the bookish blogosphere, at times it seems as though everyone is raving about the same popular author or hot new trilogy. So this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a great one, I think: name ten authors who deserve more recognition. I’m attempting to limit my list to authors who are currently alive and writing, so I’m not sure if I’ll get to ten, but here goes:

1. Anna Dean — She writes mysteries set in Jane Austen’s England, and her style is spot-on! Try Bellfield Hall, the first book in her series featuring spinster/sleuth Dido Kent.

2. Rachel Aaron — I picked up the first Eli Monpress book, The Spirit Thief, a couple years ago, and it absolutely knocked my socks off. I love fantasy novels of the sword-and-sorcery variety, but they often seem derivative and formulaic. Aaron breathes new life into the old tropes, and I highly recommend the first three Eli Monpress books especially.

3. Jasper Fforde — Okay, so Fforde is probably too well-known for this list. He definitely has a large following, but I think it might be a little isolated from the mainstream, so I figured I’d mention him. 🙂 Do you love literature? Do you enjoy wildly wacky plots set in an alternate universe? Do ridiculous puns cause you to cackle hysterically? If so, you should definitely give the Thursday Next series a try! Start with The Eyre Affair.

4. Rainbow Rowell — Again, perhaps too popular for this list? It seems as though Eleanor & Park has already gotten significant Internet buzz, but let’s keep it coming! And don’t forget about her first novel, Attachments, which is equally swoony and romantic!

5. Jude Morgan — Yes, I’ve mentioned him before, but I’m going to keep mentioning him because he’s great! If you love Austen and Heyer but don’t know where to go next, look no further. Try A Little Folly, An Accomplished Woman, or Indiscretion.

6. Carol Berg — Another fantasy writer of the sword-and-sorcery persuasion. I first read her Lighthouse duet, Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone, and was very impressed with it. The pacing is slow, but the world-building and characters are very solid. Definitely recommended for fans of this genre.

7. Julie James — Her novel Practice Makes Perfect was my introduction to the contemporary romance genre, and it convinced me that not all romance novels are ill-written drivel. I’ve really enjoyed all her books so far, though I have yet to read her latest, Love Irresistibly. The great thing about James is that she actually succeeds when she tries to be funny!

And, uh, that’s all I can think of right now. So you tell me: what other authors should I be reading?

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is books that scare or intimidate you. Specifically, intimidation could be about “size, content, that everyone loves it but you are sure you won’t, etc.” I’m not sure how many books I’ll come up with, but here is my stab at ten books I find intimidating:

1. Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace — It’s huge, it’s Russian, and Anna Karenina pretty much took everything I had to give in that department. I do plan to read it someday, but so far it’s been very easy to put it off!

2. James Joyce, Ulysses — This one is notoriously difficult, and based on what I know of Joyce’s character and style, I’m 99% sure I would hate it. It’s a “classic,” so part of me feels obligated to try it…but eh, maybe not.

3. William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! — I’ve had this book on my TBR list for ages because of the title and because it’s Faulkner, one of Those Who Should Be Read. But the thing is, I really hate Faulkner! I’ve tried several of his other novels, and we just do not get along.

4. Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews — I bought a used copy of this years ago after reading Tom Jones in high school and thinking it was funny. It’s been about 10 years, and I still haven’t read the thing yet. Now it just sits on my bookshelf glaring balefully at me.

5. George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones — OK, I’ve wanted to read this series for years, and now that the TV series is out, I’m more eager than ever. Except that these books are freakin’ long, OK? And so many people love them, but what if I don’t? The internet can be a cruel and unforgiving place!

6. Diana Gabaldon, Voyager — I read Outlander several years ago and really enjoyed it. A couple years after that, I read Dragonfly in Amber and thought it was still pretty good. But when I look at the rest of the series and see how long all those books are, my heart fails me.

7. Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth — Somehow I missed out on reading this as a kid, and everyone is telling me it was their favorite childhood book. So I bought a copy, and I’m planning to read it next year, but I’m nervous! What if I don’t love this book as much as everyone else? What if there’s no magic in reading it for the first time as an adult? In other words, what if I’ve missed the window?

8. Anything by Stephen King — I have always, always avoided horror novels. But Stephen King is kind of a big deal, so maybe I should read something of his. But what if it’s too scary? And also, what if it’s too long? A lot of his books look pretty bloated…but I’m guessing it’s hard to edit a best-selling juggernaut like this guy.

9. Tim Tharp, The Spectacular Now — I just heard about this book recently and looked at the preview on Amazon.com, and it looks really good. But of course, now I’m afraid that the rest of the book won’t measure up! Nothing like having your high expectations crushed.

10. Robin McKinley, Shadows — As you may know, I am a diehard fan of Robin McKinley. I loved her fantasy novels in my tween and teen years, and they still have a very special place in my heart. This is her latest book, coming out in the fall, and my concern is that it won’t be as good as her other books. Or maybe I only love her other books so much because I read them at an important time in my own development as a reader. What if I retroactively discover that one of my favorite authors isn’t all that great? That would be pretty tough to take!

Since 2013 is about halfway gone, it’s the perfect time for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic. Unfortunately, I haven’t read any books this year that really blew me away; while I’ve had several good reads in 2013, I didn’t fall in love with any of them. Still, here are ten books I enjoyed reading this year, in the order in which I read them:

1. Anna Gavalda, Hunting and Gathering — A beautifully written novel set in contemporary Paris. I really liked the romance in this one, but I also loved the contemplative, philosophical tone of the novel. I also enjoyed the movie, “Ensemble, C’est Tout,” which stars Audrey Tautou and Guillaume Canet.

2. Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage — The first book in Carriger’s new series about a finishing school that trains young ladies to be extremely well-mannered spies. It’s a lot of fun, and I love the steampunk elements of the setting. Plus, Carriger has a light, breezy, tongue-in-cheek style that’s very easy to read.

3. Jonathan Eig, Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig — I don’t often read biographies, but this was a very well-written and well-researched look at one of baseball’s greatest legends. I really got a sense of Gehrig’s personality and felt the impact of his tragic death. The book also gives a lot of interesting background on the evolution of baseball in the early 20th century.

4. Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor & Park — A poignant coming-of-age novel about two outsiders who fall in love. I tend to gush when talking about Rainbow Rowell, so I’ll just say that this book is totally swoonworthy and romantic! Loved the ’80s setting as well.

5. Jude Morgan, A Little Folly — A comedy of manners set in Regency England, reminiscent of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. While many authors attempt to imitate a 19th-century style, Morgan is one of the few who succeed.

6. Diana Wynne Jones, Fire and Hemlock — A retelling of the folk ballads “Thomas the Rhymer” and “Tam Lin,” with a really interesting twist: the heroine is a seemingly ordinary girl with two sets of memories. A couple aspects of the plot didn’t sit well with me, but overall I loved the writing style and was entranced by the magic of the story.

7. Robin LaFevers, Grave Mercy — First in a YA series featuring convent-trained assassins in medieval Brittany. I loved the world of this series, especially the historcial elements of political intrigue, and there’s a good romance too. Not great literature, but certainly a fun read!

8. Patricia Wynn, The Birth of Blue Satan — A mystery that basically combined everything I love in a novel: an interesting historical setting (Jacobite rebellions in the 1800s!), a dashing hero, a slow-building romance, and a murder mystery all rolled into one!

9. Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo — A classic story of revenge, but also a brilliant satire of Parisian society in the mid-19th century. This is a huge book that took me forever to read, but it was definitely worth it!

10. Ben Macintyre, Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory — An incredibly fascinating (and true!) account of a British intelligence operation that helped turn the tide of World War II. I can’t believe I have two nonfiction titles on this list, but this book is so interesting and easy to read! Definitely recommended for anyone at all interested in espionage or WWII.

As I said, none of these books will make my list of all-time favorites, but there are still some really good reads here! If you’re curious, reviews of all these books can be found on the “Review Index” page.

Once again, it’s been a while since I’ve participated in Top Ten Tuesday, but I’m trying to get back in the game! This week’s topic is ten books that are at the top of your summer TBR list. Because I participate in a lot of reading challenges, I tend to plan my reading in advance, so I’ll have no trouble coming up with a list for this topic! Unfortunately, they won’t all be stereotypically “summery” reads, but oh well, here goes…

1. Sophie Kinsella, Wedding Night — I enjoy Kinsella’s fluffy chick-lit novels, and this one is on hold for me at the library. Hopefully it will come in before summer’s over!

2. Poul Anderson, A Midsummer Tempest — The title alone makes this a perfect summer pick! After really loving The High Crusade, I’m excited to read something else by Poul Anderson. This one is obviously heavily influenced by Shakespeare, so count me in!

3. Sarah Addison Allen, The Girl Who Chased the Moon — This is the only SAA book I haven’t read yet, and I’ve been saving it. My birthday is in July, so I think I will treat myself!

4. Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers — I plan to read this next month because of Bastille Day…which, I realize, is kind of weird. 🙂

5. Charles Portis, True Grit — Summer seems like the perfect time to read a Western! I’ve never seen the movie (by which I mean the REAL movie with John Wayne, although I haven’t seen the remake either), but maybe I can do that this summer also.

6. Naomi Novik, Blood of Tyrants — This is book #8 in the Temeraire series, and it comes out in August. I can’t wait!

7. Lauren Willig, The Passion of the Purple Plumeria — The next Pink Carnation book comes out in August too. I’ve become so loyal to this series that I know I’ll have to read it right away!

8. Sharon Kay Penman, Devil’s Brood — A group of people over at LibraryThing are going to read this in August, and I’m planning to join since I read Time and Chance earlier this year. Time to see what kind of mischief those fiery Plantagenets are getting up to!

9. Amy Patricia Meade, Million Dollar Baby — No, this is not related to the Hilary Swank movie about the boxer. Rather, it’s a historical mystery set in the 1930s, which is basically my book kryptonite — I can’t resist! I’ve already ordered it from Amazon, and it should get here next week.

10. Jennifer Echols, Dirty Little Secret — I think this one’s coming out in July, and I’m really looking forward to it! Echols’ YA dramas always deliver.