Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

 I’ll admit I was a little unsure of this week’s topic at first… Then I got to talking about it with Charlotte over at Apathy and Rhetoric and she convinced me it could be a fun one. Although it took me ages to compose, I actually think this may be my favorite TTT within the last couple of months. It’s essentially a wishlist of topics I’d like to see authors writing more about (and a celebration of those who have already done them well). Please enjoy:

 Top Ten Topics on my Reading Wishlist

#1 Dragons:

Joust by Mercedes Lackey

The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight

Dragons represent everything I love about fantasy. I read anything I can get my hands on and in fact have never read a dragon story I didn’t like at least a little. Many are among my all-time favorites.

 #2 Schools:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

The Name the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I will go out of my way to read anything involving a school of some sort – especially if they are studying something exotic like dragon riding or potions.

#3 Competitions:

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Selection by Kiera Cass

March 4, 2014

From football to dog shows, I’m a sucker for any sort of competition… What can I say, I just want to see who wins, and I will give almost any novel a try that has this element. I have to say many of the ones I’ve been reading recently have come up short (excluding the books above, of course).

#4 Cool Magic Systems:

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron

First Truth by Dawn Cook

People doing extraordinary things through an intrinsic or learned (preferable) ability? Sign me up!

#5 Epic World Building:

A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke

I love books that transport me to new and exotic places – especially if they also have complex storylines and amazing characters like the books above.

#6 Space Operas:

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

Survival by Julie E. Czerneda

This is a genre I haven’t fully appreciated until the last year or so. To me, they read like urban fantasies set in space – the characters are fun and cheeky and the possibilities are endless. I also think there a lot more fun to read than traditional, serious science fiction because the extra focus on characterization makes them more accessible.

#7 Elves: 

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Tinker by Wen Spencer

Homeland by R.A. Salvatore

Elves are seriously underutilized in my opinion. I love their cultures and would gladly welcome a few new novels surrounding them.

#8 Profound Love Stories:

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind

I crave the kind of epic love story that you’d cross oceans to find… provided it’s not the only aspect of the story. I’d also like plenty of world building and a complex storyline to go along with it. Not too difficult, right?

#9 Ocean Life:

The Dargonesti by Paul Thompson and Tonya Cook

Pendragon: the Lost City of Faar by D.J. MacHale

The Aware by Glenda Larke

Okay so this is the only truly bizarre one on my list. I just want to read a few books exploring an ocean world without involving mermaids. I feel like there’s so many opportunities for creativity here – heck, I’d even take a retelling of Atlantis. Even the titles above are a bit of a stretch – a good deal of them take place on the surface of the ocean rather than below it. I think it would make a cool concept for a high fantasy… Maybe I’ll write one.

#10 Series with Good Endings:

Fool’s Fate by Robin Hobb

Crusader by Sara Douglass

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

I want loads more good endings… Preferably of the happy sort, but I would just settle for greatness at this point. Several books that I’ve read lately could’ve easily ended up in my favorites category had they not had such sucky endings. A good ending will make me cherish a series far longer than an ending that is “non-cliché” or “non-realistic”.

So there you have it – my top ten book cravings! A real winner usually contains two or more of the items on my list and many of my all-time favorite novels have at least five of the items… I definitely know what I like to read about!

 What are your wish lists topics? Do any of these appeal to you?

By Niki Hawkes