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This week's TTT prompts us to name our favourite sequels. I'm going to limit myself to only sequels that I loved even more than the first book (sort of almost maybe) or I'd never end this list, particularly because EVERYTHING is a sequel these days.
This is by far one of the best books I read all year. I didn't think it was possible to improve on Throne of Glass, but this book was AMAZING. (I just looked at the goodreads rating - 4.58. The only thing with a higher rating that I've read is Calvin and Hobbes. I'm sure this will change as it's only been out what...a week? But still. This book is amazing.)
Don't get me wrong, I loved Sabriel, but this is actually my favourite book in the series. I mentioned this in another TTT, but The Dog and Mogget are two of my favourite characters. And my angsty teenager self totally ate up Lirael's character (I still love her now of course)
I mentioned on one of Amanda's Harry Potter discussions at I solemnly swear (which you should totally go check out because she has some really interesting things to say about the books) that I felt that this book really sets the tone for the rest of the series. It also introduces one of my favourite characters, Sirius Black
I'm not sure why this is probably my favourite in the series, although I have a few guesses. For one, it is the last time we have one of the original four children as main characters. For two, it has Reepicheep (who is listed as one of my favourite characters on a TTT from last month). I think a big part of it too is that this is the most adventurey of all the books.
Many of you probably don't know that I was a HUGE Martin the Warrior fan. Actually I was straight up a huge Brian Jacques fan, I've read all of his books. I was devastated when I'd found out he'd died :(. Of all the Redwall books though, this one hit me the most. Those of you who read it know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Martin the Warrior is also particularly important in the series because he had been constantly mentioned in the previous books as an important hero in Redwall's history and plays a big part as a role model for many of our main characters throughout the series, so it was great to get his story!
This is sort of an odd choice as a sequel, as technically it is chronologically set before its predecessor, The Blue Sword. I also must have read this a billion times before I even realized it wasn't a sequel. (Maybe not a billion. Because I've read The Blue Sword about a billion times as well and that math doesn't work). And I don't love this more than the first book, it would be impossible to choose between the two. I think my heart would break before I could do it. But readers of this blog know that I love, love, LOVE Robin McKinley, and so she is on this list!
Ok so this is kind of cheating as well, as technically this isn't a sequel, it's the first book in a series. BUT, it is a sequel to Tamora's first series, The Song of the Lioness Quartet, so I say it stands. Also I am author of this blog and make the rules and I am challenging madbutmagic to a duel as to who can have the most TTT's with Tamora Pierce (they're already having a challenge on who out of their bloggers mentions Tamora Pierce the most, but I say I can beat them all!)
Like The Hero and the Crown, I didn't realize (although in this case I didn't realize for years) that Ring of Endless Light was not a stand alone book. It is by far my favourite of the Austen series though!
Tom Sawyer was more than a bit of a prat, don't you think? Huckleberry Finn has all the humour that Tom Sawyer does, but a bit more humanity and a lot of forward thinking for the time.
It's been a long, long time since I read these books, but I clearly remember loving Through the Looking Glass more than Alice in Wonderland. You have the iconic Jabberwocky, as well as all the chess players in this one, and Humpty Dumpty as well. You get more of the famous scenes in the first one (The tea party, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat, The Walrus and the Carpenter), so I'm not sure why I loved the second one more, I just know I did.
And that's it for this week's TTT. What's on your list?
*Just a reminder to leave a link to your TTT!! If you don't I won't be able to find your blog as Disqus doesn't link me to it! (Unless you know of a way it does and wish to share that info with me as I am totally inept at new technology thingies)
*Just a reminder to leave a link to your TTT!! If you don't I won't be able to find your blog as Disqus doesn't link me to it! (Unless you know of a way it does and wish to share that info with me as I am totally inept at new technology thingies)
I'll have to check out the Harry Potter discussion. Have you listened to the podcast Alohomora? It's a mugglenet podcast. They're re-reading the whole series and discussing it chapter by chapter. I love it. I still need to read Crown of Midnight.
ReplyDeleteWhhaaaat I do not know about this! I will have to go check it out, it would probably be good for reed making as well!
ReplyDeleteAnd you should read CoM as soon as you have time because it is fantastic!!
ahh I still need to get to crown of midnight blast silly busy season with work
ReplyDeleteMy Top Ten
Hmm your Top Ten link didn't work, but I googled you so hopefully you got my comment (or else someone else is going to be very confused as I urged them to read CoM RIGHT NOW)
ReplyDeleteoh shoot well I'm glad you found me. I so wish i didn't have so much work to do. It's killing me that I haven't read it yet!
ReplyDeleteI am with you on the Harry Potter front- The Prisoner of Azkaban was also my favourite and it tells us so much about the series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the list.
~Sara @ Just Another Story
So cool that you play the oboe! I hadn't even noticed the oboechia url. I played the alto sax, but I always wished I played the oboe. There's nothing prettier than a well-played oboe (a badly played one sounds like a dying duck).
ReplyDeleteBahaha yes...yes it does. My family used to lock me in the house and leave when I first started playing hahaha.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Prokofiev had a terrible oboe friend as the duck is the only animal that dies. Not even the wolf dies! How fair is that?? The hunters need to pull a huntsman from Little Red Riding Hood and split the wolf in two to rescue the duck. I'd much prefer that ending haha
Ugh I know what you mean! I feel like I spend more time thinking about all the books I want to read than actually reading books lol!
ReplyDeleteWoohoo for the Prisoner of Azkaban. it's so lovely to see it on many lists this week. It's definitely the one that drew me into the series.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy how much we find out later that we were introduced to in the earlier books! Ah J.K. Rowling I bow down to your skills
ReplyDeleteI know! I feel like this was on every list I saw (with good reason, clearly). That and either Anne of Avonlea of Anne of the Island - which really surprised me actually. I guess I'd expected things written in the past decade, so it was really nice seeing Anne on so many lists!
ReplyDeleteHehe. Like you, the only one I have read on your list was Crown of Midnight, which I obviously loved since it ended up on my list! Can't wait for the next one! Thanks for visiting my TTT. :)
ReplyDeleteWaaaaiiiiit you haven't read Harry Potter?! That is madness! Although since you like the Throne of Glass series I'd say the Abhorsen trilogy (Lirael is the second book in the trilogy) is likely to be up your alley. Or for that matter, any Tamora Pierce book - lots of action in those and badass female leads FTW!
ReplyDeleteI really need to read the Throne of Glass series. One of these days I'll get around to it.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT.
Great list! I'm so sad I only did #2 books on my list because I really should have Prisoner of Azkaban on mine. I need to look into a Ring of Endless Light. I loved A Wrinkle in Time.
ReplyDeleteThere really is something so special about Harry Potter 3. It's on my TTT today, too, and it's my favorite of the series (although I adore the whole series, of course).
ReplyDeleteI just bought The Hero and the Crown at a booksale today, and I'm so glad to hear that it's AMAZING!
Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite too! It was my favorite movie out of the bunch too. I just really liked how everything went down.
ReplyDeleteI have got to get my hands on Crown of Midnight! I loved the first one! Thanks for stopping by my TTT.
ReplyDeleteI know I keep repeating myself to everyone about CoM, but it's such a great book that the sooner you get to it the sooner you will be MIND BLOWN BY ITS AWESOMENESS!
ReplyDeleteIt is TOTALLY worth it I swear!
ReplyDeleteRing of Endless light is definitely a really different feel than A Wrinkle in Time. It's a bit more YA and less sci-fi..ey than A Wrinkle in Time is (although it's Madeleine L'Engle, so of course it's still there haha)
ReplyDeleteHow could you possibly doubt Robin McKinley anything would be less than amazing! I know, I'm biased haha. Have you read The Blue Sword? If you haven't, I'd say it's a little more straight forward than The Hero and the Crown, so take that as you will.
ReplyDeleteBlegh...I have to say (and I am SO in the minority on this one)...but I HATED the Harry Potter movies!! I thought the first two were..ehh..ok, and I LOVED the book 7 adaptions, but the rest I really, really did not like! I feel like the 3rd movie is pretty divisive - people either loved or hated it. And most people I know loved the movie, I think I just don't handle seeing the movie after reading a book (like a billion times) because I hate most movie adaptions where I read the book first haha
ReplyDeleteDo it do it do it NOW!!
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter is really popular in this week's topic and it's makes me a little sad that I haven't read it. Though I'm really looking forward to Sarah J Maas' series and I'm so glad to see that you loved it! Great list! Thanks for stopping by :)
ReplyDeleteNooo... 2 people who haven't read Harry Potter?! I know you've probably been harassed about it over and over, but it's so good! But on the upside, get ready to be blown away by Sarah J Maas' series!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list! I still need to read Sabriel and Lirael as well as any Tamora Pierce, but I love Harry Potter, CS Lewis and L'Engle's books. You've made me want to bump some of these up on my reading.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth! I'm glad you like our (The Book Wars) list! Yours is pretty cool too! I reeallllyy need to check out Garth Nix. My roommate has the trilogy and I'm itching to get started on it!! Also, My brain somehow equated sequel as "the second book", but I'm glad to be wrong! Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely the deciding HP book for me. I just knew I'd stick it out to the bitter(sweet) end after that one! (It's funny that you should say it introduced your favourite character Sirius- mine is Remus!)
ReplyDeleteI loved your list! Harry Potter is a staple so I don't even mention him anymore. Hehe. And Lirael is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteOoh, I like how you went kinda old school on your list! The only one I've read is Harry Potter, and even then that was years ago and I've yet to finish the series. Also, re: your comment on my blog: finish the Gone series! It just gets freakier. (;
ReplyDeleteRachel @ Beauty and the Bookshelf
I still haven't read a Harry Potter book yet! I did purchase the set last month, so I'm at least part of the way there. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting.
Stephanie @ Inspiring Insomnia
A lot of people seem to say Prisoner of Azkaban is their favourite otter, but I prefer Chamber of Secrets, and Half-Blood Prince.
ReplyDeleteI expected to see a Hotchiker's Guide sequel on your list when I saw your title.
My TT
Lovely list! There's a few on here I am mad I didn't think of (Hero and the Crown is amazing and Huck Finn!). I included A Horse and His Boy on my list but Voyage of the Dawn Treader is probably my second favorite for all the reasons you mention. My list at: http://nodorkfear.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteYeah I love my classics :) Huck Finn was always a favourite of mine! A Horse and His Boy always stuck out to me - it doesn't really seem to fit with the rest of The Chronicles of Narnia, probably because the main character is actually from the same world as Narnia. But it's really cool because it expands on the world and you see the kids as rulers...so cool!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read a lot of these but I'm sure, if it would just hurry and and get here, that I would LOVE 'Crown of Midnight' too haha.
ReplyDeleteI think you will too, but clearly I'm biased. In response to your...response...there's definitely a better way to say that haha. I've not read Grave Mercy, but it's ringing some bells so I must have come across it at some point. Maybe it's already on my TBR...
ReplyDeleteSirius is one of my fav fav fav characters ever!! I loved meeting him in HP3! Also I would love to read the Alice in Wonderland books again... it's been years and years since I read them :) Cool list!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by My TTT
I could use an Alice in Wonderland reread as well (clearly since I couldn't remember exactly why I loved Through the Looking Glass more haha)
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Martin the Warrior and The Prisoner of Azkaban. Need to read some of the others. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteYou have picked some really awesome books for this weeks TTT. Like seriously awesome. Crown of Midnight is a brilliant sequel to Throne of Glass, and I totally should have included it on my list. I love the Abhorsen trilogy, and Mogget is one of my favourite characters and Lirael is a brilliant sequel. The Harry Potter series was amazing, and I couldn't pick one but your reasons for picking POA were interesting. And then we come to Narnia... one of the books in that series should definitely have made it onto my list. Although I have to admit my favourite is The Last Battle, and I don't think I could talk about it without risking spoilers. And finally we come to Tamora Pierce. She has written some really awesome books. I try and include her in as many TTT posts as I can too. The Trickster duology is a brilliant sequel, and it has some of my favourite characters in it. Kyprioth is just fun. Thanks for sharing your list and stopping by my blog.
ReplyDelete...so your my 50th commenter. If I had a prize, I would give it to you! I've never had this many comments before haha it's kind of taken me aback!
ReplyDeleteWe are clearly of one mind on books haha. You know..The Last Battle always ...freaked me out? Or made me too sad but not crying sad? I don't really know how to explain it. Ah - uncomfortable. And I have no idea why! So when I was a kid I would always approach the rest of the series with gusto...but that book I approached verrrry carefully haha
ReplyDeletelol long replies are good!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Hitchhiker's, the first is the best, but I love the others too. I like the film too, but completely independently from the books. Have you read the Dirk Gently series too? I've only read the first and was a little underwhelmed, so haven't bothered with the rest, too many books!
I would have liked to only list sequels better to the original, but I haven't read enough sequels for that, I think there would have only been two on the list (Harry Potter, and 1Q84).
You know I always feel like people don't like The Protector of the Small quartet as much (maybe the lack of a settled love interest?) and I've never really understood that. I can't believe you don't love the Alanna quartet though! I think if I had to choose a main character I'd most like to resemble, it would be Aly (and I think Nawat is by far my favourite significant other, although George is a close second).
ReplyDeleteAnd I am SO EXCITED FOR SHADOWS!!! It came out this week. I feel like I have to read Pegasus before I can really justify buying Shadows though :(. Also having money in the bank account would help haha
I haven't seen the TV , but I know a lot of people love it, I think it was a radio play first?
ReplyDelete1Q84 is a little hard going in parts, but ultimately really good.
Yep it was a radio play, then a series, then a show, then a movie. So it's been pretty much every medium you can do a story in (except graphic novel I guess), which is pretty awesome!
ReplyDeleteYeah...I've discovered that with all the YA reading I do it's harder for me to get through non-YA books. Which is a shame since that's primarily what I read in school (I'm clearly a backwards reader haha)
I have yet to read Crown of Midnight but I heard lots of good things about it! I should probably get to it soon. Also, I'm killing myself here for forgetting HP! PoA is my favorite book of all the 7 and I'm mentally kicking myself for not including it. Anyway, you've got a great list! x
ReplyDelete- Tara @ The Crazy Bookworm
I know, I'm one of those crazy peeps who have not read Harry Potter. Haha. Thanks for the recommendations! I'm looking everything up!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good list. I can't believe I forgot Madeleine L'Engle and Lewis Caroll. Thanks for commenting on my list. - Alison from HardcoversAndHeroines.com !
ReplyDeleteYeah I feel there are very few lists that Harry Potter doesn't make for me (and that's usually because he simply doesn't qualify haha)
ReplyDeleteYeah I kinda went old school for this list haha
ReplyDeleteIf I had to list my favourite series, pretty much any of Tamora Pierce's series would be in it as well as the Abhorsen trilogy for sure!
ReplyDeleteThe Abhorsen trilogy is DEFINITELY worth checking out as soon as you have time! You know, I think sequel usually is the second book, but so many of the things I read were more than two or three books so I just sort of...made it whatever book wasn't the first or last book haha! You know, I'm not sure what made Sirius is my favourite, because in general I sympathize with Lupin a lot more and he's the most important Marauder (James and Sirius are all flash, and Peter was well...Peter). I think I must have been going through a bad boy phase haha
ReplyDeleteI have no excuse - I already have the rest of the series haha! It's going to happen. But only during day time because I don't think I slept the night after I read Hunger!
ReplyDeleteHaving the books is the first step! Now you only have to read them (and I promise you it's not as overwhelming as you might think it is)
ReplyDeleteI feel like either people have the third as their favourite and the sixth their least, or vice versa. It must be a certain type of people thing!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I LOVED The Hitchhiker's Guide (obviously) and I really liked the sequel as well, but I didn't like the last three books much which was a shame considering how much I crazy loved the first two (which I know sounds crazy since technically my blog is the title of the the 4th book...but I prefer to think of it as a quote from the first haha). The only reason Restaurant at the End of the Universe didn't make my list is because I limited myself to sequels I loved even more than the first book, and I'd say the first book is still my favourite out of the series.
Wow that was a really long comment on my part haha sorry!
I have not read a single other thing by Douglas Adams (which is horrible I know, considering how much I love Hitchhiker's). I thought the film was really fun (also Martin Freeman and Alan Rickman, 'nuff said), and as long as you don't expect it to stick exactly to the book you'll enjoy it just fine. Have you seen the tv show? It's a bit older and it goes through more than just the first book if I recall correctly, and I really liked that as well.
ReplyDeleteI really, really, really want to read 1Q84. Like so much. It probably won't happen til I get through all my Netgalley stuff (so like...January. I was an idiot and didn't think I'd get approved for most of my requests...and well. Yay for me wrong, and boo for being wrong at the same time haha)
Yay for Robin McKinley! :) Also, Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen are tied for my favorite T. Pierce books with the Kel series. Love Aly (and Nawat too) much more than Alanna, that's for sure. Great list! :)
ReplyDeleteMy TTT:
http://diamondinroughcoal.blogspot.com/2013/09/top-ten-tuesday-10_24.html