It’s Tuesday again, and my favorite thing about today is that it’s time for Top Ten Tuesday. Today’s topic is Outrageous Things I’ve Done for the Love of Books. My first thought was “I haven’t done anything outrageous for the love of books.” As you’ll see, that’s not quite true. As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!
10. Bought a book on Vacation Because I Left My Copy at Home. I’ve read Legend in Spanish. Although I do sometimes read books in Spanish (and occasionally German or Russian) just to improve my language skills, the reason why I read Legend in Spanish is because I left my paperback copy at home while I went on vacation. After I bought the set for my neice as a Christmas gift, I really wanted to read the book again, so I bought it in Spanish so I could read it without buying the same thing twice.
9. Stay Up Late. Is there anybody that hasn’t stayed up to read? Ever? I’m sure this happens a lot, to a lot of us.
8. Spend a Lot of Money. I’m sure I’m not alone on this one. Yes, I get books from the library, and I get books on sale, but sometimes you just have to have the hardcover version of that book from your favorite author, or you have to read the book now and can’t wait.
7. Write Fanfiction. Most of my fanfiction (which I post on AO3) is based on books. I wrote two novellas that were based on bands when I was in high school, but you’re never going to read them. Most of my fanfics are short novels or novellas.
6. Learn Welsh. In the book I’m writing (see number 3 below) a lot of words in my story are based on Welsh. So I learned some. I’m not a proficient reader or speaker of the language, but I can say a few things.
5. Get Tickets to a Literature Conference. I haven’t gone yet, but I’m going to the Colorado Teen Literature Conference this upcoming weekend! Tickets weren’t free, and I have to get up über early, but I’m excited (and a little nervous, since I’ve never been to one of these things).
4. Spent the Night in the Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium Parking Lot. I wonder if I’m the only person that will be listing this one for Top Ten Tuesday. Probably. Did you know they lock up the parking lot in the middle of the night? Good thing I didn’t have to go to the bathroom. It was July too. Anyway, I was waiting there because I wanted Glenn Beck to sign my book. I ended up being first in line, and I met some really nice people there too.
3. Write a Novel. I’m not ready to query my original fiction work, THE BRIGHTNESS OF SHADOW, just yet, but I wrote it, and if I didn’t love books, I wouldn’t have written it.
2. Name my Kids After Book Characters. Yes, both of my kids are named after book characters (see the book below). They’re actually the second generation in my family to be named after elves. My middle name comes from Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien. While my real middle name isn’t actually Lorren, it’s close, and now you know that it ultimately derives from a Tolkein work.
1. Marry a Boy. I think I can say that this is probably the most outrageous thing I’ve done for the love of books. My then-boyfriend gave me Dragons of Autumn Twilight shortly after I met him. Not only that, he’s an author. What more could you ask for?
Of course, there’s a lot more to love about my husband than the fact that he gave me a book. But I can probably say that it helped, and certainly didn’t hurt.
So what outrageous things have you done for books? Are you glad you did them? Next week we’re talking about Rainy Day Reads. Any day is a good day to read, but I guess I’ll have to look into books that are good for rainy days. I’ll see you then!
Oh yes! I’ve spent far too much money on books. It’s ridiculous really! Amazing list. 🙂
Now that I buy things through Amazon using gift cards, I actually know how much I’m spending… lots.
Aw my heart melted at marry a boy – such a good one and sounds like a keeper. Wonderful list.
We’ve been married for quite a while so maybe everybody should marry for books!
Great list! It’s so cool that you’ve learned some Welsh – I used to work in Welsh publishing in an office where the majority of people spoke Welsh as their first language and I used to love listening to them speak it.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | #OwnVoices SFF #booktubesffbabbles
Wow, there aren’t a lot of people for whom Welsh is a first language. It’s an awesome language.
Your list is really amazing! Naming your kids and marrying a boy? hard to do more dedicated to books hah
Elise recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Crazy Things I’ve Done for the Love of Books!
And when I first heard of this topic I thought “oh I haven’t done anything outrageous!” Okay, weirdo with kids named Laurana and Tanthalas…
I’ve definitely stayed up too late and spent a lot of money on books!
Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #206
There’s a lady I work with who actually stopped reading books because she was so obsessed with reading that she’d stay up so late and never get enough sleep! Kinda sad to go from one extreme to the other.
It’s so cool that you write fanfiction.
My post.
Lydia recently posted…Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Comfort Foods and Recipes and Whys, Oh My!
After reading the end of Allegiant, I couldn’t NOT get into fanfiction, LOL.
I started learning Romanian for a similar reason. Hahaha. My husband calls them my Dracula lessons. 😀
Aw, I love #1. When my husband and I were dating in high school, he got me to read my first fantasy novel – The Sword of Shannara. The Dragonlance series written by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis were the next series I read. Oh, and he’s a redhead, just like Tanis.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
I like that… Dracula lessons!
I’ve seen bloggers to posts on how much money they spend on books in a year, but I am terrified of the idea. I don’t know if I want to know.
Probably not.
I think I spend more money on books now that I put money into Amazon.com gift cards every month. Because now I know the money is there… until I spend it.
I also stay up pretty late reading. I’m known to barely get any sleep because a book is just too good. Great list!
Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
I’ve learned that I can stay up an extra hour and not really face too many consequences…
Although in a couple of months I’ll be able to add “Quit my job” to this list (my dh got a better job so I can leave the one I have now to be a full time writer) and I’ll have more time to read without losing sleep.
I spend WAY too much money on books, so true. And I’ve only recently discovered fanfiction myself – I had no idea how much was out there!
#2- so cool. 🙂 I think it’s awesome when Tolkien (or books in general) inspire real life names.
Greg recently posted…Top Ten Outrageous Things I’ve Done For Books
Some of it is really good! Especially when there are characters that you want more of.
Ah yes, I’ve broken my wallet many times buying a lot of books. And that’s so awesome about your marriage and naming your children after characters. 🙂
Leah recently posted…{Top Ten Tuesday} Crazy Little Thing Called (Book) Love
Forgot to add: best of luck with your writing!
Oh thank you!
Spending the night in the parking lot is definitely above and beyond the call of duty! Great list, I was nodding my head at most of them.
I’d do something like that again too!
Great list! I love the idea of naming kids after book characters.
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra recently posted…Can’t Wait Wednesday – SCREEN QUEENS by Lori Goldstein
Thanks! People usually like their names, and we rarely meet anybody who has them. Funny though, I worked with a lady once who also named her kids after book characters, and our boys had the same name!
I’m learning Welsh on Duolingo right now! It’s so different from other languages I’ve studied. 🙂
It’s a cool language, and not too difficult.
Have fun at the conference! I’d go to a lot more of those if they were cheaper and closer.
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: For The Love Of Books
Thanks! That’s why I’ve never been to one before. I asked my husband if he wanted to go too, and he didn’t want to spend the money.
Books are so expensive though?!? *sobs* Hardcovers are the most expensive but they are almost always worth it because they are so pretty XD
OOOO! I’m from Wales! *distant waving* It’s such a fun language to learn (though it is hard. It’s my second language). But I started speaking it when I was a smol child.
Awww #1 is so cute!
Good luck with your writing! I’m sure it’s amazing!!!
Happy Reading! <3
Lin @ The Reader of A Thousand Stars recently posted…Oh, The Things I’ve Done For The Love Of Books
Books are even more expensive outside the US. Here, at least they’re close to the cost of a movie ticket, and they last longer.
If you ever get the chance to read my book (although it won’t be out for years, I’m still editing it, let alone looking for an agent) and you come across words that sound like Welsh words… yes, I probably intended it ;-).
Partners that give you books are the best <3
Annemieke recently posted…Slayer // Book Review
It’s the way to a girl’s heart, right?
I can totally sympathize with buying another copy of a book because you forgot to pack your own for vacation. While I haven’t done that exact thing, I have bought multiple copies of a book so I have a “convenient,” quick-to-hand Kindle version to read on my phone; a hard copy to savor/take bookstagram pics of, and a paperback copy to lend to friends.
Yes, there are some books that I don’t want to loan out, even to my family members that live in my own house! This morning I realized the importance of having some of my favorite books in hardback… I needed to see how Allegiant did its chapters, and it’s so much easier to look up some things with a physical copy. But there’s also something to be said about having a Kindle copy of the books too. I might end up getting Rebel in both Kindle and hardback. The upsides to that are 1) I can start reading it at 10 PM Monday night, rather than waiting for the mail, and 2) I don’t have to lend my boy my hardback copy. I say that’s a win-win situation for me.
Ohh wow amazing list, thank you so much for stopping by my TTT post last week.
Katiria Rodriguez recently posted…Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Cold Falling White (The Nahx Invasions, #2) by G.S. Prendergast
Thanks for visiting back!
How cool! I didn’t know you wrote a novel; that’s awesome. Best of luck with it.
Spending too much money on books AND staying up late? I can RELATE! 🙂
Thanks for visiting Finding Wonderland last week.
Rissi JC recently posted…Good Luck Charm – A Cute Story about Luck and Love
Thank you!
I tend to stay up too late on Monday nights for Top Ten Tuesday too, LOL.