Top Ten Tuesday | Books Set in a Dystopian World

The actual prompt for this week was Top Ten Books from X Setting, so I chose a dystopian setting! I’m sure most of us went on a rampage with the releases of so many good dystopian books. Granted, I did not read a lot of dystopian, so some of these are more sci-fi, but they’re great books nonetheless.

1. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

A list of books would be incomplete if I did not include a Victoria Schwab book. I just finished this book and loved it! It’s set in a dystopian U.S. where monsters fill the streets. I highly recommend this book if you haven’t read it!

2. The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner

I was totally obsessed with this series a few years ago when it came out. I found it so exciting, so riveting! If I read the series again, I’m not sure if I would enjoy it as much, but these books definitely have a special place in my heart(not to sound cheesy or anything). This series is set in a place where a disease infects the majority of the population, and a secret organization is trying to save the human race. Excited yet?

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry

I read this book in the 7th grade for school, and it was sooooooo good! I did continue on with the series, but I haven’t picked up the last book because my friend spoiled the ending. I also saw the movie, which was completely different but actually wasn’t terrible in my opinion. Still, neither of those can even compare to the greatness of this book!

4. The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

This is definitely a guilty pleasure read. I am not including the spin-off books The Heir and The Crown because I have not yet read the latter and The Heir was not as good as the original trilogy. Okay, so this series is not the best, but I still really enjoyed it.

5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I read this book last year for school. Okay. Yes. This book was beyond amazing. It was exciting and held my attention from page one. Ray Bradbury is probably the king of sci-fi, and this book will forever be one of my favorites.

6. The Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer

This series is more sci-fi than dystopian, but there are definitely a lot of dystopian aspects to this series. I initially was not going to continue on with this series because I did not really like Cinder or Scarlet. Believe me, this series gets insanely good in the last two books. I also recommend listening to the audiobooks, since that really got me through the series and made me love it even more! And can we just talk about these covers?! Gorgeous!!

7. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

If you didn’t already know, this book is going to be adapted into a movie. And I’m beyond excited. This book is more of an adventurous book that has a bunch of references to old video games and movies. I do wish Ernest Cline had touched on the society the people were living in. The government was definitely corrupt, and I felt like there wasn’t much hope for change at the end. Still, I am very excited for the movie.

8. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This is generally a hit or miss. I personally really liked it. The romance was great, the action was great, the plot was great, everything was great about this book. I think this is also going to be adapted into a movie. Yes, please! The society in this series is separated into two types of people: those with silver blood and those with red. There is a lot of social injustice present throughout this book, and the reader gets to see the corruption up close.

9. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Set in a world where superheroes are evil and have taken over the world, Brandon Sanderson’s novel is a work of pure genius. This was my first Brandon Sanderson book, so now I’m looking forward to picking up his Mistborn series.

10. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Of course, this wouldn’t be a list of dystopians without the inclusion of The Hunger Games. If you haven’t read this series, where have you been? Maybe I shouldn’t be saying that, given I finished it only a year ago. The books and movies are still very well done. Now, where’s the next series, Suzanne Collins?!

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Have you read any of these series? What are some of your favorite dystopians? I’ll see you in my next post!

Reading Slumps Suck (part 2)

If you haven’t checked out part one, you can here

In part one, I described the different types of reading slumps. Now I’m going to share way to rid yourself of this pest.

1. Take a break

Even though it may seem logical to read until you get back into the mood, it is actually better to take a break and go back to reading on your own time. Nothing is fun if you force yourself to do it.

2. Read a favorite book

Sometimes you need to be reminded of the joy of reading. Pick up that favorite book you’ve missed. Revisiting one of your beloved worlds will surely do the trick!

3. Read a short book

Heavy, lengthy books can really put you in a slumpy mood. Pull out a graphic novel or novella to refresh your brain.

4. Read one of the following

Here is a short list of books I highly recommend to anyone in a reading slump:

• Any Rainbow Rowell book
• Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
• Any Rick Riordan book

That’s just a brief list! There are countless more books you can pick up to get out of a reading slump!

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I hope this helped you at least a little! I had a lot of fun making this. Happy reading!

Reading Slumps Suck (part 1)

Reading Slump Definition, according to Urban Dictionary:

a readers worst nightmare.

not being able to pick up a book and read because you just can’t, you just can’t read.

person 1: “what’s the matter with you?” 

reader: ” I CAN’T READ , NO BOOK IS GOOD ENOUGH, LEAVE ME ALONE, READING SLUMP

person 1: uhm….. okay.

The reading slump. It comes without warning, attacks from behind. A plague that leaves the victim unable to pick up another book for days, weeks, months! There is no cure. No one is safe.

Okay, okay, that was a little dramatic. It is true the reading slump is a horrific disease that we readers have to deal with at least once in our reading career. And though they are nasty little things, it’s not impossible to “cure” the reading slump. I’ve been doing some research and I think I’ve figured these bad boys out.

This is going to have a few parts to it so it’s not one super long post. First, let’s get into the four main types of reading slumps.

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1. Hangover Slump

You’ve waited for the new book in your favorite series to come out for nearly a year! When it finally comes out, you zoom to the bookstore and pick up that sweet $19.99 piece of happiness. Unable to contain your excitement, you begin reading the moment you get home, even though it’s already afternoon. You finish the book in one sitting, and, oh man, was it amazing!

But now what? After bawling your eyes out over your beloved characters, how are you to pick up another book? Nothing could ever be as good as the masterpiece you just finished. You are now in a reading slump.

The hangover slump. I’ve personally have not experienced this type, but many readers do.

2. Bad Book Burn

A book that has been your TBR shelf for a while catches your eye. It’s a popular book that someone recommended to you a few weeks ago. You take it off your shelf, rereading the blurb from one of your favorite authors. Sure, why not? you think to yourself, then start reading.

It’s terrible. How can people like this? Cheesy romance, plot holes, bad writing. By the end of the story, you’ve lost all trust in humanity. How are you going to pick up another book after this atrocity? You are now in a reading slump.

I ran into this problem back when I read Alliegant by Veronica Roth. Granted not many people gave it praise anyway, it was still part of a popular series that, for some reason, I kept reading even though I didn’t like any of the books. If I had not a.) lowered my expectations; or b.) listened to it on audiobook, I probably would have been knee-deep into a reading slump.

3. Existential Book Crisis

You’ve spent all day staring at your TBR shelf. How are you ever going to read all of these books? You feel dread, hopelessness. You open up the Netflix app. Just one episode, then you’ll dig into your books. Before you know it, you’re halfway through your new favorite show and don’t plan on stopping. I’ll read after this episode, you tell yourself after every episode. You are now in a reading slump.

I’ve been in this kind of reading slump a number of times. It usually mixes with the next type and I’m left alone watching anime and thinking about books but never picking up a book. It’s a problem.

4. Exhausted the Engine

You’ve found a new series you love. 7 books long, just completed this year. You buy every single one and take them home. One after another you read them, each one just as amazing as the last. You read 7 books in three days. You look at your shelves but feel disinterested. Instead, you watch a little television. You deserve it, right? You go about your life, stopping every once and a while to think about your books sitting unread on your shelves. Meh. You can read them later. You are now in a reading slump.

This one is a lot like the one before it, and it is the one I’ve had the most trouble with. I get on a roll, reading book after book after book, until I’ve essentially run out of reading gas.

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In order to destroy a disease, you must figure out its habits and tendencies. I’ve classified them in this post. In the next, I’ll tell you my secrets on how to eradicate the reading slump. Until then, happy reading.