The Terror of Knowing

It’s yet another Tuesday, so that means another Top Ten Tuesday. For those who don’t know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the book bloggers and list lovers, The Broke and the Bookish, and each week they post a topic for bloggers to respond to.

This week’s theme is Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree (or non-book bookworm items). Handily, these past few years I’ve come to an arrangement with my parents that they will transfer money into my bank account with which I will then proceed to buy books/DVDs off my Amazon wishlist to my heart’s content/as long as the money holds up. Then they take them all away (booo) and wrap them up (yaay) and we pretend I don’t know what I’m getting for Christmas when really I picked them all out myself. It’s a good system, I’m very grateful for it, and it’s one I recommend in fact!

Because of it, by every November I well and truly have a Wish List of books all ready and bookmarked for when my mum starts talking about my Christmas gifts… so this Top Ten Tuesday isn’t too difficult. Those books (this year) only account for about 3 or 4 things though, so we have to hope that the rest of my family/friends are psychic, or they consult Santa on what I told him I was interested in. I think fingers need to be well and truly crossed there! Here are my Top Ten Books I’d Like to See Under the Tree this Christmas! (If they’re not methinks some Amazon shopping will be on the cards on 26th December!)

1. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
   I thought that the film was wonderful and I defy anyone not to get even a little bit teary at those opening notes of the score. I’m hoping the screenplay holds up to how enjoyable I found the film but I’m not that much of a script/screenplay reader so we’ll see!
2. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
   Anna Kendrick is hilarious; I feel like that’s reason enough to assume that her book would be a great, enjoyable read this Christmas. I’m hoping for something reasonably light and fun, don’t let me down, Anna! (I’m sure she won’t.)
3. Saga Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
   I keep saving (read: hoarding) volumes of Saga because I never want to be in the position of having none left to read and having to just anticipate the next collected volume. Getting the sixth volume under the tree would mean I could finally proceed (with caution) onto volumes three and four and maybe even more.
4. A Million Worlds with You (Firbird #3) by Claudia Gray
   I’ve only read the first book in this series but I really adored the concept so I’m hoping the series hasn’t gone downhill since! I do own the second book but again, much like with Saga, I didn’t want to read the second book and then have to wait to buy the third so I’ve been putting off reading Ten Thousands Skies Above You. Now that the third book has been released, however, I am safe in that respect and hopefully I will be gifted it this holiday season. (If not, looks like I’m hunting it down since it’s conspiciously Out of Stock on Amazon most of the time… hmmm)
5. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
   This is a book I’ve read and would highly, highly recommend. I borrowed it from the library when I read it but I would really like to re-read it now, especially as some inevitable-but-sadly-not-very-nice things have happened this year in my family and I feel like Jenny’s book would make me feel furiously happy again.
6. The Case of Beasts: Explore the Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Mark Salisbury
   I adore behind-the-scenes things. Seriously, ask Liz how avidly I watch the behind-the-scenes documentary features on the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions. I have a similar sort of book for the film version of Les Misérables which was gifted to me for my birthday by my lovely friends from university, and I really adore the format of them so I’m hoping the Fantastic Beasts one is of a similar ilk.
7. The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye
   Firstly, look at the cover. Secondly, read the synopsis. Thirdly, tell me you don’t want to read that too? I rest my case.
8. Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
   I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan (I realise this is not, in any way, a controversial or surprising statement to make) so of course I would lap up any bit of information about what it was like to film it. Truth be told, I don’t know much about Lauren Graham, and I don’t watch Parenthood (or, at least, I haven’t yet) so I’m entirely in this book for the Gilmore Girls gossip. I don’t think that’s a bad thing though!
9. Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson
   Mara Wilson is the girl I grew up seeing in films – Matilda and Miracle on 34th Street remain two of my favourite films and, because of this fact, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Mara Wilson. I really want to hear her story of what it was like to grow up when everyone knows you as that young girl from Matilda because I know I am certainly still mildly distressed every time I remember that not only is Mara Wilson not still young but she’s also older than me anyway, so, logically, I’m being ridiculous. (It’s a bit like Thomas Sangster in Love Actually or Nicholas Hoult in About A Boy– my brain refuses to accept that they’re not still children or young forever). The point is, I need to read this book like yesterday, so it would be good if Santa takes the hint.
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [Illustrated Edition] by J.K. Rowling; Illustrated by Jim Kay
    These editions are beyond gorgeous so obviously I need to get them as they’re released. I’ve held off buying this second one for myself since I knew it would make an appropriate gift. Hopefully my sister took the not-very-subtle hint of sending her a screenshot of it on Amazon and has bought me it for Christmas, otherwise we might need to have words with her… I mean with Santa. cough.

That was my Top Ten Tuesday featuring some books I really hope Santa leaves under my tree this year. Do any of these books feature on your Top Ten list? Which books are you really hoping to receive as gifts over the holiday season?

Comment below/link your own post below if you have one – I’d love to read it!

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