This week The Broke and the Bookish has issued the challenge for 10 books that are set outside of the United States. I'm going to exclude fantasy like The Hobbit from this list because I feel that would be cheating.

Now, in no particular order:

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (so obvious I almost feel like this is cheating, too)
   
2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (yes, they're fantasy, but they start out in England)
   
3. Born in Fire by Nora Roberts (as well as the rest of the trilogy, all of which take place in Ireland)
   
4. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
   
5. Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare
   
6. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
   
7. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
   
8. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
   
9. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
   
10. The Iliad by Homer
    

Obviously some of these are newer while most are old, and some of the authors are American while others were writing before the U.S. even existed. What books that are set outside the U.S. have you read?

The wonderful people at The Broke and the Bookish have decided that this week we should all look back on books that we read when we were younger and reflect on our feelings regarding them now vs. then. I only looked at 5 today, but I think I found some pretty good ones.

1. Twilight. I'll admit, I loved Twilight when it first came out, before it became everyone's favorite book and TV show. However, in hindsight and as a writer and English teacher, I can now look back and say that the writing was definitely lacking. And as an adult person, I can also look back and say that the relationship between Bella and Edward was seriously messed up. So that love didn't follow me into adulthood, which is probably a good thing.
2. Harry Potter. I feel no shame at all in admitting that this was, and still is, one of my all-time favorite series. I read the first one when I was 10 (the perfect time to start reading because you can hope for that owl on your 11th birthday!) and was immediately in love. I love it even more now that I am older and able to appreciate Rowling's craft and the intricacy with which she constructed the books, including her themes and criticisms of things like educational bureaucracy.
3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The first time I heard this story, I was four and my dad was reading it to me. I read it myself when I was 10 and was home sick with strep throat, and even ended up taking a college course on C.S. Lewis and his work. While I still think it's a great story, I no longer have the love for it that I did when I was younger. As an adult reading it, it is more clearly for children, and the Christian component is more obvious. It also seems to value boys over girls (not a surprise considering the time period in which Lewis lived), but all of that together makes it more complicated for me to love. I would still recommend it as a children's book, but I don't foresee myself reading it very often in the future.
4. The Lord of the Rings. I read The Hobbit for the first time when I was about 11 (and had it read to me for the first time when I was about five) and loved it both times and all the times that have followed. The Fellowship of the Ring, however, I read by myself when I was twelve and didn't fall in love with. I have to admit that I found it boring. I had seen the movie and loved it, which is why I was disappointed the first time I read the book. Unlike The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring (and the rest of the series), tends to move slower and spend more time on meandering details and side-trips that don't do much to advance the plot. Now that I'm no longer twelve, I've developed the patience to read about Tom Bombadil and whatever other side-trips Frodo and his gang go on, and I like the trilogy a lot more (although Sam and Frodo walking through Mordor for chapters-on-end still irks me).
5. Romeo and Juliet. The first time I read Romeo and Juliet was in high school, and I liked it well enough. It's language is hard to understand for a first time reader of Shakespeare, and it was assigned as homework, which automatically makes it less interesting, but overall I thought it was pretty good. After having taught it four times, however, my feelings for the play have really changed. The complexity and the richness of the writing I have grown to love and believe that every time I read it my own writing becomes better. As a story, however, I have come to hate it. Two teens falling in love and killing themselves in less than 72 hours is just not my idea of a good story. I'll stick to Antony and Cleopatra and Richard III when given the choice.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday asks what 10 books to read if you're in the mood for X. I chose fantasy and science fiction because it's what I know best. Here are my picks:

1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
3. Magician's Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist
4. The Legend of Drizzt by R.A. Salvatore
5. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
6. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
7. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
8. In Her Name: Redemption by Michael R. Hicks
9. Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard
10. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

These are in no particular order, and #10 is more futuristic romance than true sci-fi but I like it so much that I decided to throw it on there.

What sci-fi and fantasy greats am I missing?

Today's Top Ten Tuesday, courtesy of The Broke and The Bookish, is about what books I would recommend to readers who had never read a certain genre, or about a certain topic. 

I chose fantasy and speculative fiction because it's often scoffed at, and because I love it.

For everyone: 

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling- Regardless of what sort of books you normally choose, I believe that everyone should read this series at least once. Not only has it sold more books than any other book or series since the Bible, but it is fantastic in so many ways. There are so many good feels here.

For fantasy skeptics:

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis- Not only are these great books for adults and children alike, but they are a quick read. If you think that reading speculative fiction and children's (or perhaps middle grade) fiction is beneath you, pick up The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Between the writing, the plot, and (if you're looking for a justification for reading a book like this) the allegory, I dare you to walk away from this thinking it was a waste of time.

For real fans of fantasy:

3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien- I would love to recommend The Lord of the Rings as well, but despite my deep love for Tolkien, LOTR has some slow parts. The Hobbit, however, has a pace much better suited for the modern reader, and since this is really the springboard for fantasy works, it is an eventual must for every fantasy writer.

4. Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan- This is one of my favorite series. My sister argues with me about it, but I still think reading this series, or even just the first couple books, gives readers a really good look at fantasy and all of its wonder. It has high fantasy elements, but doesn't stick to elves and dwarves and dragons.

5. The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist- Another great fantasy book. Feist has great rules about magic, a lot of hidden mysteries, and a style that keeps you reading late into the night.

6. Dragonlance series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman- Most specifically, the autumn, winter, and spring trilogy. I first read this series when I was 11 or 12 (although they were written for adults) and they influenced me for years. Still do. If you are looking for a great fantasy series with all of the beloved elements of high fantasy (elves, dwarves, dragons, sorcery), this is the place to get it.

For young readers:

7. Sweep series by Cate Tiernan- This is a young adult fantasy or paranormal series about a teenage girl who discovers she is descended from witches and has powerful magic. I haven't read it for years, but my memory is that it is one of those YA books that really makes you connect with the main character. And who doesn't secretly wish to one day find that you have hidden powers?

8. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld- Westerfeld is a popular YA author, and I like a lot of his work, but for this list I picked Peeps because a. it is a stand alone novel and I haven't offered that yet, and b. it combines so many cool elements of science fiction (actual science--biology) and fantasy (vampires) in completely new ways

For those considering science fiction:

9. In Her Name series by Michael Hicks- For any fantasy reader who wants to dabble into the world of sci-fi, this series is for you. There are spaceships and wars, but most of the first book takes place in a low-tech world where the primary weapons are swords and daggers. In my mind, it is a great mix of fantasy and sci-fi.

10. Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard- I avoided this books for years. First it was too "science fiction-y" and then...I don't know. I didn't want to? But when I did--bam! It's a fantastic book. I would almost go so far to say that Battlefield Earth is The Hobbit of science fiction. If you consider yourself a serious sci-fi fan, you can't leave this book unread.

What fantasy, paranormal, sci-fi books would you recommend?