TCWT May Blog Chain: Book Wishlist

Once again the lovely folks at Teens Can Write, Too! are hosting their monthly blog chain. This month's prompt is:

What kinds of published books would you like to see more of?

Disclaimer: I may be an avid reader, but there are a lot of books I haven't read, so the listed books probably do exist, and I just haven't found them yet. If you have recommendations I'd love to hear them. And let's face it: what I really want is a TARDIS so I can read all the books already on my to-read list without worrying about finding time to do so.

1. More mysteries. Yes, several people in the chain have mentioned this, but what can I say? I agree. My parents raised me on a healthy diet of Blues Clues and murder mysteries, so I'm rather fond of that genre.
2. More clean books. One of the reasons I'm wary of romance (be it a side plot or main plot) is that every time a kissing scene comes around I'm wincing and waiting for it to turn inappropriate. Ew. I don't want to read about that stuff.
3. Fiction books about the Monuments Men from WWII. A few years ago, my parents read The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter, which is about the group of art scholars and museum directors who worked to preserve the great art of Europe during war time. I remembered it after I heard it was being made into a movie, and recently started reading it myself. I would totally read a work of fiction about characters involved with the Monuments Men and the art they recovered.
4. Books by my friends. I've made a bunch of writing friends over the past few years, and would love to see their books in print. 
5. Books about people who aren't searching for romance, or who don't find romance in the course of the story. Romance has its good points, absolutely, and I'll squeal over a cute couple as much as the next person, but not everyone is looking for romance. Some of us avoid romance because we just don't have the time and don't want to deal with the drama just yet. Lots of YA books have romance in them, but not all teens want/are ready for romance. It would be interesting to read about those people. There are other kinds of relationships and plots worth exploring. 
6. The last of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place books.  My sister and I recently looked up the next one - book 5 in a 6 book series - and it doesn't come out until next year. *Wails.*

I think that's about all. What kinds of books would you like to see more of? Be sure to check out the other blogs participating in the chain:

• May 5: Sammi Talk 
• May 6: Nerds Inc.
• May 7: Against The Shadows
• May 8: The Upstairs Archives
• May 9: The Little Engine That Couldn’t
• May 10: Life Of A Random
• May 11: Relatively Curious
• May 12: Hugs & Kisses of Poetry
• May 13: Musings From Neville’s Navel
• May 14: The Looney Teen Writer
• May 15: This Page Intentionally Left Blank
• May 16: Tara Therese
• May 17: Miriam Joy Writes
• May 18: Writers Write, Right?
• May 19: Writing Portfolio
• May 20: Magic And Writing
• May 21: Unikke Lyfe
• May 22: Brooke Reviews
• May 23: page eight hundred ninety
• May 24: Laughing at Live Dragons
• May 25: Avon’s Babbles
• May 26: The Weirdy Station
• May 27: The Writing Duo
• May 28: Lily’s Notes in the Margins
• May 29: Sun, Sand, Stars and Dreams
• May 30: Teens Can Write, Too!

The TARDIS vs. The Imagination

Last night I was lamenting the fact that I was going to the French Revolution without the TARDIS, and I realized that the imagination is just as good.  Okay, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I stared Les Mis last night, and was sad that I was using my imagination to go to revolutionary France instead of the awesome, time-traveling, blue phone box from Doctor Who.  You can learn more about the TARDIS here.  WARNING: That page does include spoilers. The one that clicking on the words "Doctor Who" takes you to might also.

Anyway, whilst pondering my misfortune, I realized that the imagination is just as good as the TARDIS, if not as cool.  Below is a list I created that compares the TARDIS and the imagination.

1.  The imagination can take you to more places and to more times than the TARDIS can.  But the TARDIS actually takes you there. You can feel, smell, hear, see and taste more when the TARDIS takes you somewhere. You're actually there.  Whereas the imagination can't really take you anywhere.  Generally.  Only those with very vivid imaginations can actually go to imaginary places. (Yes, I'm one of them)

2. The rules for the imagination are...well, actually there really aren't any.  Whereas if you travel by TARDIS you have to obey the rules of time travel and the Shadow Proclamation.  Like no messing up the future or the past, there are fixed points in time that have to remain a certain way, blah blah blah.  Nothing is certain or fixed in the imagination. You can change anything you want.

3.  The TARDIS is bigger on the inside than the outside.  In a way, the imagination is bigger since it can contain multiple universes.

4. The TARDIS is an awesome blue phone box with all sorts of buttons and pully things and telephones and zig-zag plotters and weird screens and universal translators and a swimming pool and a library (and sometimes a swimming pool in the library) and an engine that wheezes and whorps.  Here's an example of the noises that the TARDIS makes. The imagination is a probably disgusting looking lump of brain tissue.

In conclusion, both the TARDIS and the imagination are very nice way to travel.  If you want to go in style though, go with the TARDIS.