Top Ten Tuesday (7): Top Ten Books I Want For My Birthday!

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 our lists with other bookish folks and LOVE to see other top ten lists!

It's a freebie week and since it is my birthday on Thursday, I went with the TOP TEN BOOKS I WANT FOR MY BIRTHDAY. Which is actually pretty selfish of me. Remember, TOMORROW my birthday giveaways end so make sure you enter all four of them (or three if you don't live in Canada). And now, onward to the books I want.

1. Ice Kissed and Crystal Kingdom by Amanda Hocking.

Summary: In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom…

Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…and the glittering palace of the Skojare.

The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that’s been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it’s also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss, Ridley Dresden, is overseeing her mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level—one neither of them is prepared for.

As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it will change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves. 

--

2. Tokyo Ghoul Volume 1 & Volume 2 by Sui Ishida.

Summary: Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.

--

3. The Eye of the World Graphic Novel Volume 6 by Robert Jordan.

Summary: Well-known comic book writer Chuck Dixon, working closely with the Jordan estate, continues his New York Times bestselling graphic novel adaptation of Robert Jordan's international bestseller, The Eye of the World.  Volume Six, which collects issues 31–35 of the Eye of the World comic book, is illustrated by Francis Nuguit.

Rand al'Thor and his companions—his old friends from Emond's Field; the brave warrior Lan Mandragoran; and Moiraine, the mysterious and powerful Aes Sedai—have at last been reunited. Their journey in search of the Eye of the World nears its climax as they dare the otherworldly Ways, guided by an Ogier, Loial, and narrowly escape the menace of the soul-stealing Machin Shin. When the group reaches the realm of the Green Man, they believe themselves safe. But two of the Forsaken are waiting for them, ready to attack and to guide their dark lord, Ba'alzamon, to the ones he has been seeking!

When the three young men left Emond's Field, they were untried blades. Their long journey has stolen much of their innocence and made them seasoned warriors, given them powers and gifts they did not seek and are still learning how to use. But not until the final moments are they sure which of them the Dark One intends to claim…and whether that one is strong enough to fight back and survive. 

--

4. The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace.

Summary: Drama and danger abound in this fantasy realm where dukes play a game for the

throne, magical warriors race to find the missing heir, and romance blossoms where it is least expected.

In a world where dukes plot their way to the throne, a Performer’s life can get tricky. And in Johanna Von Arlo’s case, it can be fatal. Expelled from her troupe after her father’s death, Johanna is forced to work for the handsome Lord Rafael DeSilva. Too bad they don’t get along. But while Johanna’s father’s death was deemed an accident, the Keepers aren’t so sure.

The Keepers, a race of people with magical abilities, are on a quest to find the princess—the same princess who is supposed to be dead and whose throne the dukes are fighting over. But they aren’t the only ones looking for her. And in the wake of their search, murdered girls keep turning up—girls who look exactly like the princess, and exactly like Johanna.

With dukes, Keepers, and a killer all after the princess, Johanna finds herself caught up in political machinations for the throne, threats on her life, and an unexpected romance that could change everything.

--

5.  Uprooted by Naomi Novik.

Summary: “Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell

outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

--

6.  Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales.

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley is recklessly loyal. Taking care of her loved

ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But she's tired of being loyal to people who don't appreciate her—including her needy best friend and her absent mom. 

Arden finds comfort in a blog she stumbles upon called "Tonight the Streets Are Ours," the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter. When Peter is dumped by the girlfriend he blogs about, Arden decides to take a road trip to see him.

During one crazy night out in NYC filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn't exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn't exactly who she thought she was, either.

--

7. Saga Volume 3, Volume 4, & Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples.

Summary: When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. 

--

8. All New X-Men Volume 5 by Brian Michael Bendis.

Summary: The future Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, last seen in "Battle of the Atom," is back — and they're still gunning for yesterday's X-Men! But even as the Brotherhood takes its next devastating step against the time-tossed teens, the mysteries surrounding Jean Grey begin to unfold! Jean came back from her Shi'ar trial...different. What does this mean for her future, for the past of the woman she's supposed to become and for the rest of the X-Men? Past, present and future collide when the Future Brotherhood exacts its final judgment on the All-New X-Men! And it's mutant magic as only Mighty Marvel could do it as artist Stuart Immonen is joined by a practical hall of fame lineup of comic-book artists! 

--

9. A Game of Thrones Graphic Novel Volume 3 & Volume 4 by George R R Martin, Tommy Patterson, and Daniel Abraham.

Summary: You've read the books. You've watched the hit series on HBO. Now acclaimed novelist Daniel Abraham and illustrator Tommy Patterson bring George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy masterwork "A Game of Thrones" to majestic new life in the pages of this full-color graphic novel.

--

10. In Real Life Graphic Novel by Cory Doctorow.

Summary: Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It's a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It's a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends. 

But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer--a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person's real livelihood is at stake. 

--

Here's to wishing (especially when I blow out my birthday candles!). Also, I do know that some of these have more than one book included. But it is what I need to complete series so it counts as one to me. What are everyone's book birthday wishes this year?