Top Ten Books I Wish Would Be Adapted as Movies or Television

Top Ten Tuesday is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week a new prompt is posted and you can participate by visiting her blog and linking up.

This week was a freebie so I thought I'd do something I've been thinking about a lot: which books I've read that I think will do well as televisions or movies. I'm not counting three of my favorite series-- ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, and The Kingkiller Chronicles-- because they're all on their own little paths to being adapted at the moment. Suffice it to say I'm pretty excited for all those adaptations. Here are some books that I have no idea where they stand in Hollywood at the moment but dearly hope my wishes will come true and someday they'll be on screen.

Now, in no particular order, here they are:

Discussion: My Thoughts on Iron Gold

It's been a while since I've done a discussion post, but I plan to bring these back!  I don't think it will be weekly, but whenever I have something I want to talk about, I will.  If you have an idea for a topic, please email me at tsundokublog(at)gmail(dot)com.

So, a few weeks ago, Pierce Brown, one of my favorite authors, announced what he would be writing now that the Red Rising trilogy is finished: he's working on another trilogy set in the same universe some time after the events of Morning Star.  And, yes, characters that survived the end of Morning Star will be around for Iron Gold.

I'm a little conflicted over this.  I'll be the first to admit that I love spin-off's- I always have.  Most of the time, too, I enjoy them.  And I'm not worried that Brown will harm his world or series with a spin-off.  If Morning Star was any indication, it'll enhance the world he has constructed ten-fold.  And, with the way the series ended, while everything was wrapped up, there are just enough loose threads that you can either continue reading with Iron Gold or stop after Morning Star.

My conflicting thoughts come here: I was really looking forward to seeing Pierce Brown write something new.  I didn't care what it was, but I was eager to see what he could pull out of his sleeve next.  And I'm not... disappointed, per say, but not as excited as I think I would have been for a completely new world.

Either way, I'll have this preordered as soon as I can, I'm that excited.

How do you feel about spinoffs in general?  How do you feel about this spinoff?  Let me know in the comments!

5 Star Book Review: Morning Star (Red Rising, #3)

Author: Pierce Brown

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Edition: kindle eBook

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

Goodreads

Related Reviews: Red Rising, Red Rising (audiobook), Golden Son

Rating: 5 Stars

SPOILER FREE

In case it wasn't clear, this is one of my absolute favorite series.  And now, it's over.  It was surprisingly satisfying and rather overwhelming.  Which makes it hard to review.

The characters continued to grow and each reached the peak of their characterization- oftentimes in unexpected ways.  There's a particular scene between Sevro and Darrow within the first act of the book that is a prime example of this.  Characters continue to keep their morally ambiguous status for the most part, as well.  However, we get less of an insight into the villains in this one as we have in past books.

The plot was rather straightforward, though there were enough twists to keep me on the edge of my seat.  The deaths in this book, too, had me losing my mind.  There was a point where I actually had to put the book down for a day because every time I picked it up I would cry over the passing of a certain character.  But it was all in good taste and no one died just to die, which is what I worried might happen.

I wish I could talk in depth about the actual events of the book, but then you would just have me going on about how awesome this scene or that scene was and not a proper review.  If you're interested in such a thing, let me know in the comments.  I plan to reread this series at some point this year and afterwards I probably will post an in-depth spoilery discussion of it.  All you need to know about this book, though, was that it was the perfect ending to a fantastic trilogy.

5 Star Audiobook/Reread Review: Red Rising (Red Rising, #1)

Author| Pierce Brown (Facebook/Twitter)  Narrator| Tim Gerard Reynolds  Rating| 5 Stars

Edition| Audible Audiobook

Related Reviews| Red Rising (Original) | Golden Son

You may remember that I read this book much earlier this year and that I absolutely fell in love.  Well, I wanted to give audiobooks a whir, and this seemed like a natural choice.  I love it as much as I did the first time, which is no surprise, plus it's narrated by one of my favorite narrators.

5 Star Book Review: Golden Son (Red Rising, #2)

Author| Pierce Brown
Edition| Kindle eBook
Genre| Science Fiction/Dystopian
Publisher| Del Ray
Rating| 5 Stars
Other Posts| FIF, Red Rising

This post has SPOILERS FOR BOOK ONE so read at your own risk.

This book messed me up.  It's so good, I don't even know where to start.  In fact, it has set me down a Sci-fi crave, which I've never had before.  I'm calling it now- this is going to be a big year for Science Fiction for me unlike anything in the past.

Golden Son picks up right where Red Rising left off- sort of.  It does start over a year later, but very little has happened in that time and everything is quickly explained in the first chapter.  There is also very little reminder of what happened in book one, so if it's been a while since reading Red Rising, maybe look up a refresher.  If you just finished the first, quickly pick this one up, because it's best enjoyed that way.  When we reenter the world of Red Rising Darrow is a Lancer for Nero au Augustus alongside Roque, Tactus, and Victra (who's Antonia's sister).  Within two chapters he loses Augustus' favor and is on the loosing track.  So he thinks on his feet, makes a deal with the devil, and ends up starting something with far reaching consequences.

All the characters are given new sides to view in this book.  Any who may have had one-dimensional-ness in the first are far from it in this one, and every new character is treated with the same respect.  The character growth, too, is astounding.  At this point I think it's safe to say that everyone is on the path they will be headed down for the final installment.

The world in this one was so massive- I loved it!  We get to follow Darrow around, and while a lot of it takes place aboard space craft, just as much is on other planets and moons.  Getting to reach into the universe was so much fun, and probably the reason I like this one better than the first.  Besides Gold's and Red's taking center stage, other colors are introduced in larger parts, especially Obsidian's in the form of Ragnar, and Blue's in the form of Orion.

So many moments are perfect for feels, and I won't give any away, but they touch at your heart.  I wish I could say more about the book, but giving anything else might just spoil everything.  I will warn you: when you finish you'll wish the third book were out.  The story is just that good!  Hopefully you guys will heed my advice and pick up these must reads- they're definitely going on my favorite shelf for life!

Book Review: Red Rising (Red Rising, #1)

Author| Pierce Brown

Edition| Kindle eBook

Genre| Science Fiction/Dystopian

Publisher| Del Ray

Rating| 4.5 Stars

Other Posts| FIF

My friend, K, says this is her favorite book series of all time so I promised to read it.  And this book... this book!  People, I have heard good things about it, it has been compared to Hunger Games and Ender's Game all the time.  Normally, that's a little too much hype and not enough accuracy.  In this case, it is absolutely spot on.

I can't say much because it is best to go into this book a little unprepared, but it follows Darrow, a red.  Red's are the lowest members of a society based on a caste system where each level is designated by a color.  Gold's are at the top.  As a Red, Darrow mines in the depths of Mars for a material that allows people to terraform the planet's surface and make it habitable.  Things aren't great for Red's- they live in horrible cramped conditions.  Darrow's wife, Eo, is a bit of a revolutionary thinker, and her thinking gets them into a mess that eventually leads Darrow to discover the truth- he's been lied to the whole time.


This is one of the most fully realized world's I have ever read.  I can't find any discrepancies in the world-building and I have tried.  It's so grand and so unique!  It takes place in space and is wonderfully entertaining.  This book does ride rather close to Hunger Games, but it also has several differences that might make it better.  How dare I say that?  Well, I am a fan of Hunger Games, but it's also definitely a YA book and while that series is dark and serious, this one gets a little more so.  Whereas it takes until Mockingjay to really see the actual evils of war, Red Rising hits it square on the nose right away.

The characters are easily the best part though.  There are so many!  And the greatest thing is that none of them are really one-dimensional.  Each major character has their own motivations, their own plans, and their own thoughts.  They move towards their own goals and it creates this feeling of uncertainty for Darrow and the reader.  Each character is smart, too.  My favorite part of any book is when the characters can pull one over on me or when they make decisions that actually make sense!  I never once found myself thinking someone should have done something different.  The language- which is absolutely gorgeous and rather Shakespearean- is a perfect compliment to the brains behind each member.  For those wondering, in this book, Sevro, Antonia, and Pax are my favorite.

I did find some aspects of this book frustrating- namely the learning Darrow has to go through.  It's not so much what he learns- it was really great character growth, actually- but the repetition of how he learns his lessons.  He would rise, and then fall drastically, and have to pick up the pieces.  Yes, that's a great way to teach a lesson, but by the end it became a little redundant and the cycle almost predictable.  I kind begin to pinpoint when he would fall again.

This book runs forward at breakneck speed and gives no time to breath.  Which is wonderful.  There are so many twists and turns that my head was spinning.  And they're unpredictable because there's nothing that leads you to expect something.  If you do suspect something, it's because the author wants you to so that when the carpet is pulled out from under you even faster.

Basically, I've already recommended this book to so many people.  I am going through withdrawals, actually.  That's how good it is.  It's so immersive!  And I recommend reading this book alongside its sequel.  Especially if you want to torture yourself.  Please, please, please go pick this one up immediately!  You won't regret it!

Waiting on Wednesday: Morning Star

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted over at Breaking the Spine and offers bloggers a chance to showcase the books they're drooling over.

This week I'm sharing a book that doesn't come out until January of next year... and I don't think I can wait that long.  This book is Morning Star the final book in the Red Rising trilogy.

I just finished the first two books and they are fantastic!  Get on those if you haven't.  Because this is the last book in a series I can't really say much about it, except that it promises to be an epic conclusion to a series full of twists and turns that are not for the faint of heart.

For those wondering, the thing on the cover is a Sling Blade (oh the feels!).

Basically read this series so that you can wait with me (in misery (just kidding (not really))).  Can you tell these books have ruined me?  I can tell!

Leave a link in the comments and I'll check out your WoW.

First Impression Friday: Red Rising

This is a weekly meme were I spotlight a book I'm excited for and what I think it may be about or what I expect from it.  Then, after I read it, I'll be able to see how close I was to the mark.  If you want me to check out your FIF, leave a link below.

My friend, let's call her K, has been telling me to read this series for several months now.  She assures me it's the greatest thing in the world and I already feel acquainted with the characters.

Here's the description taken from Goodreads:

The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity's last hope.
Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.
Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

From K's description I understand this to be the best dystopian series on the planet.  Darrow is supposed to be amazing, his friends colorful, the caste system immersive, and then some, and the plot heartbreaking.  It has quite a lot to live up to.  This series is to her what American Gods is to me.  While I don't think it will quite be that caliber, I am looking forward to reading this.  And I already picked up the sequel, Golden Son, as well.