Top Ten Tuesday is back after a short hiatus (Congratulations on the new baby, Jamie!) and today's topic is a fun one: Top Ten Hidden Gems in X Genre.  I'm always excited to find a great book that has somehow slid under the radar.  I easily thought of 10+ fitting post-apocalyptic novels which I'll be sharing with you in just a sec. 

First, though, you need to click on over to The Broke and the Bookish so you can join in the fun, too.  Just read over the TTT guidelines, make your own list, use the linky to add your post to the master list, and have fun visiting other TTT posts.  It's a great way to get to know others in the book blogging community while learning about awesome reads you're going to want to add to your TBR pile.  Be there or be square.  For reals.  TTT is always a good time—I promise!

Here we go with my list of Top Ten Hidden Gems in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction:


1.  The Tomorrow series (Tomorrow, When the War Began; The Dead of Night; A Killing Frost; Darkness, Be My Friend; Burning for Revenge; The Night is for Hunting; The Other Side of Dawn) by John Marsden—I'm in the middle of this YA series written in the 90s by an Australian author and I'm still enjoying it.  The story revolves around a group of teens who are camping in the bush when an unknown enemy takes over their town.  They return to discover that their families and friends have been rounded up at gunpoint.  Not knowing how widespread the invasion is or what they can do to stop it, the group has to figure out how to survive in a world that has literally changed overnight.


2.  The Wool trilogy (Wool; Shift; Dust) by Hugh Howey—This trilogy of very chunky books looks intimidating, but in fact, tells a very absorbing story set in a unique dystopian world.  Okay, I've only read Wool, the first installment, but I imagine its sequels are just as good.


 3.  Orleans by Sherri L. Smith—Set in a Gulf Coast that is half-drowned after repeatedly being hit by devastating hurricanes, this novel seems especially apropos right now.  It's a chilling, atmospheric tale about a teenager with highly-prized blood who's trying to keep herself and a newborn baby alive in a ruined, ruthless world.  I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for a sequel to Orleans, but so far I haven't seen one.  Pity.


4.  The Hallowed Ones and The Outside by Laura Bickle—When the world is overrun by a dangerous menace, Katie's isolated Amish village is the last to know about it.  To protect their people, the elders close off the community—no one is allowed out or in.  It's only when a handsome, injured Canadian comes begging for help that Katie dares defy her religious leaders.  Will her rash decision to shelter him prove fatal for everyone she loves?


 5.  The Horse trilogy (White Horse; Red Horse; Pale Horse) by Alex Adams—I've only read the first installment of this gritty, gory series about a woman trying to find the man she loves in a Europe ravaged and ruined by a vicious plague.  It's grim and graphic, but addictive.  Adams writes in raw, beautiful prose that makes the book impossible to put down.


 6.  The Ashes trilogy (Ashes; Shadows; Monsters) by Ilsa J. Bick—I'm not sure why I haven't finished this absorbing YA series yet because it's tense, twisty, and thrilling.


 7.  Wayward Pines trilogy (Pines; Wayward; The Last Town) by Blake Crouch—I loved this enthralling trilogy about a secret service agent who wakes up in a strange, secret-filled town after a car accident.  The less you know going into it, the better, but be aware of this: you won't be able to stop reading until you know every one of Wayward Pines' tantalizing secrets.


 8.  The Gone series (Gone; Hunger; Lies; Plague; Fear; Light; Monster) by Michael Grant—This series has a lot of different elements (sci fi, romance, dystopian, survival, supernatural, etc.) that combine to make for always-compelling reading.  I'm stoked that, four years after the series ended, Grant is publishing a new installment.


9.  The Forgetting and The Knowing by Sharon Cameron—Cameron introduces us to an interesting society where memories are wiped out every 12 years.  Unbeknownst to anyone else, Nadia is immune to whatever causes the phenomenon.  Thus, she becomes privy to the shocking secrets of her walled community.  A haunting, hopeful series (I believe it will be a trilogy), these books are not to be missed.


10.  The Ship Breaker Trilogy (Ship Breaker; The Drowned Cities; Tool of War) by Paolo Bacigalupi—I read—and loved—Ship Breaker back in 2010.  It's a watery dystopian about Nailer Lopez, a salvager looking for treasures to sell, who comes across a half-dead woman draped in enough gold to feed him for the rest of his life.  As Nailer sets about rescuing snooty Nadia, the pair find themselves in a frenzied race for survival.  Bacigalupi is a skilled writer, who offers up a story rich in character, setting, and plot.  I need to re-read Ship Breaker and continue with its sequels.

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As a bonus, I discovered five other hidden post-apocalyptic gems that I just added to my TBR list on Goodreads:

1.  The Last One (2016) by Alexandra Oliva—Contestants on a reality show must survive in a real emergency.
2.  Zone One (2010) by Colson Whitehead—described as "literary zombie fiction"
3.  The Quiet Earth (1981) by Craig Harrison—A man wakes up and finds himself all alone in a world gone wrong.
4.  Icequake (1979) and Tsunami (1983) by Crawford Kilian—Devastating natural disasters create chaos and fear.
5.  Down to a Sunless Sea (1979) by David Graham—An airplane full of passengers escaping the apocalypse runs head-on into a nuclear holocaust.
6.  Emergence (1984) by David Palmer—A young girl with a unique genetic makeup sets off through a wasted world to find others like her.

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Phew!  So, there you have it ... some hidden post-apocalyptic gems for you to try.  What do you think of the list?  What am I missing?  What's on YOUR list today?  I'd love to know.  Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT!

If you had an all-powerful genie at your disposal, what would you ask the magical being to do?  What if your genie specialized in granting bookish wishes?  What requests would you be throwing at him/her?  It's always fun to imagine these types of scenarios, isn't it?  Well, that's exactly what the fine ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish are asking us to do this week.  I love fun Top Ten Tuesday topics like this—I can't wait to see what's on everyone's lists today!  If you want to join in the fun, click on over to The Broke and the Bookish for all the details.

Without further ado, I give you:

Once upon a time, the Book Blogger Hop was a huge, really popular weekly event here in the book blogosphere.  I had tons of fun with it, especially because it introduced me to awesome new blogs to read as well as keeping me up-to-date on some of my old favorites.  Then, for various reasons, it kind of lost steam. I forgot about it, you forgot about it, it was kind of forgotten (although never abandoned by its intrepid host, Crazy For Books).  Well, guess what?  The Book Blogger Hop is back!  It's gotten a teensy facelift as well as a new host.  I'm excited to see how this new-old Hop goes.

As for the weekly question, it is this:  What upcoming 2013 book are you most looking forward to reading?

- Well, there are tons, of course, but the one that comes to mind most readily is Orleans by Sherri L. Smith.  It's a dystopian YA by an author who usually sticks with historical YA (Flygirl) or contemporary YA (Lucy the Giant).  So, I'm interested to see how she does in this new genre.

I've actually had the ARC for awhile, but I'm holding off reading it until we get closer to the book's publication date in March.  It's been a tough wait, though!

How about the rest of you?  What 2013 releases are you most excited about?

For those of you who are new to BBB, welcome!  I hope you'll take a look around, leave a comment (or two or three or ten) and, most of all, come back often.  For you old reliables, thank you!  Your enthusiasm and devotion makes writing this blog so very worth it.

Happy Reading!    

At home in Sitka, Alaska, 15-year-old Lucy Otswego's known for two things: her size and her father. As if being called "Giant" all the time isn't enough to make her into a total freak, she also gets the privilege of dragging the town drunk home every night. Lucy dreams of escape, of leaving Sitka forever, just like her mother did. But, how does a kid disappear like that? And who would take care of her father?
When Lucy loses the only thing that's ever mattered to her, her grief propels her to run away from her miserable life. Before she even knows what's happening, she's boarding a plane headed to Kodiak. The other passengers are college-aged kids looking for work on fishing vessels. As large as she is, Lucy fits right in. With little money and nowhere to sleep, she ends up in a bar facing a surprising challenge. It ends with an even bigger surprise - a job aboard a crabbing boat called the Miranda Lee. No one questions her age, especially when they see how hard she's willing to work. Still, not everyone's happy about having Lucy (who's calling herself "Barb" on board. With the help of warm-hearted Geneva, Lucy finds that the hard work, hefty paychecks, and camarederie of sea life agrees with her. Sitka seems far, far away.
Lucy may be feeling like an adult, but a chance encounter that threatens to reveal her true identity has her trembling like a child. What will happen if she's discovered? She never meant to hurt anyone with her charade - now she's putting others at risk. Coming clean could mean legal trouble, wounding people she loves and, once again, losing everything that's important to her. She can't survive that kind of pain again. It all comes to a head one stormy night when Lucy the Giant has to make a very adult decision, one that could mean losing everything, including her life.
Sherri L. Smith's Lucy the Giant, is one of those You-Had-Me-At-Hello stories. It grabbed my heart from the very first line and hasn't let go yet. Poignant and warm, the novel looks unassuming, but packs a powerful punch. With a unique setting, a cast of interesting characters and a compelling plotline, the book's an all-around absorbing read. Add a heroine who's wholly sympathetic and utterly endearing, and what's not to love? Although I wanted a picture-perfect ending for Lucy, the fact that she has to create her own Happily Ever After gives the story an authentic bent that makes it both hopeful and satisfying. It all works together to create an exciting, yet tender story about growing up, a story I absolutely loved.
(Readalikes: The descriptions of professional fishing/crabbing remind me of The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw, while Lucy's character reminded me of D.J. in Catherine Gilbert Murdock's Dairy Queen series and Beth from Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison)
Grade: B+
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs) and mature subjects
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find