I'm all about reading young adult these days, but that's not to say that I haven't read my fair share of the classics - or other genres, for that matter. I think the beauty of books is that there is just so much to choose from, and we have the opportunity to pick what does and doesn't work for us. While I only review young adult novels, I have to say that much of my literary tastes has been induced by classics that I've discovered long past. Here are the top ten that I've read - and loved - throughout my life.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature from The Broke and the Bookish.

Let's Talk is a new weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

Question: What are your favourite swoon-worthy literary romances?

First off, please allow me to clarify the term "romances." I am by no means talking some 50 Shades of Grey garbage - although, heck, if that floats your boat, be my guest. I'm talking those romances that leave you breathless, teary-eyed and wishing that you could have a romance just like it. You know, a love that defies obstacles, means something true and has a pure, unadulterated worth? You don't know? Let me show you what I mean.

Take, for example, the love of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. (Hold please, I'm hung up on Mr. Darcy again.) Moving on. When we meet the two of them, they seem as different as can be. Elizabeth is carefree and exuberant with a love of writing and a free, unhindered spirit. Mr. Darcy is chained to his old-world values, straight-faced and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

And yet, despite their initial reservations (read: anger/animosity), the two begin to have feelings for one another, which they must consistently battle. Morals, virtues, personalities, families, worlds and classes combine and intertwine to make their love come together, and holy hell...it is beautiful.

There is nothing quite as beautiful and painstakingly torturous than a star-crossed love. Jamie is dying of Leukemia when, unbeknownst to her, Landon is spiraling out of control. The preacher's daughter takes him under her wing despite his initial resistance, and she makes a place in her heart for him. 

His careful facade of toughness and badassery was designed to protect him though, and her purity put a chink in his armour, complicating things when she relapses. Their love blossoms from a mutual respect, and she transforms him, just as he transforms her. Honest and true, I cry every time I read this.

Guys, the point is, there are hundreds of swoon-worthy romances out there. Other ones right up there for me? Susan and Timothy from The Last Silk Dress, Carly and Ryan from Raw Blue, Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games (I know, seems like an odd choice), Maggie and Caleb from Leaving Paradise, Arwen and Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings...yeah, the list goes on, and on and on.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Ten "Awww" Moments In Books (those cute lines, charming actions, or any other sentimental moment that made you say "AWWW!"):

1. When Katniss held Rue in the arena and sang to her (The Hunger Games) - I am entirely unashamed to say that I bawled like a baby, and while this was definitely an "awww" moment, it was more beautifully heartbreaking than anything else.

2. When Harry sees Dumbledore in limbo after Voldemort casts the Killing Curse (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) - There are far too many moments in this series to list them all, and they could probably be the entire top ten, but this moment...this chapter just made the series for me. I cried like a baby. A colicky baby.

3. When Adnarel offers to save Yalith from the flood and take her to Heaven (Many Waters) - Never have I seen such a beautiful twist on the tale of Noah's Ark. The brothers desperately wanted to save her life, but she was ready to accept her fate. Adnarel gave Noah the best other option.

4. When Percy & Annabeth finally realize their feelings (The Last Olympian) - Seriously...lower YA/MG romance never got cuter. Their awkwardness kept the story going, and when they finally realized they liked each other. Cutest. Ever.

5. When Isobel turns her back on her friends's actions and helps Varen (Nevermore) - Talk about a sweet character dynamic change. Isobel found something in herself that made Varen different in her eyes, and that revelation made her actions that much more genuine and sweet.

6. When Mr. Darcy admits his love for Elizabeth...both times (Pride & Prejudice) - The back and forth of this story gets me every time, and his devotion to Elizabeth despite his outward demeanor is perfection. LOVE.

7. Jo's enduring love for her little sister, Beth (Little Women) - Talk about undying devotion. Jo loved her little sister more than anything else, and despite her loneliness and, perhaps, self-pity, all she wanted was the very best for Beth, even at her end.

8. When Carly decided to actually respond to Ryan's calls (Raw Blue) - They had a relationship despite both of their flaws, but it had a dark underbelly and when things came to a head, she retreated. When she finally gave herself the time to heal, she realized he was worth it.

9. When Caleb's secret truth about Maggie's accident is revealed (Leaving Paradise) - Holy plot twist that I never saw coming and totally made Caleb an even better character! He was finally worthy of Maggie, which made the book that much better!

10. When Tansy throws the pearls into the ocean to prevent future greed or pain (Pearls of Lutra) - The pearls are what drove the whole story. A vicious corsair killed Grath's whole family for them, and when the Redwallers found them, they realized they weren't worth all the death and bloodshed, so they got rid of them.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Ten Settings In Books (All those real or imagined locations/worlds you loved reading about):

1. The World of Harry Potter (Harry Potter) - No, I'm not talking about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios (though I want to go there, too, if someone wants to pay for me). Honestly, if I could live at Hogwarts, or Diagon Alley, or even The Three Broomsticks for a day, my life would be complete.

2. Camp Halfblood (Percy Jackson & The Olympians) - Well, it's a camp of quirky people with amazing powers, centaurs who teach and pretty much unlimited access to Greek mythology. Sold? So am I.

3. Pemberly (Pride & Prejudice) - If you've seen the newer movie, they've pretty much plucked the image of Darcy's estate straight from my brain. It's gorgeous and decadent while still a tad simple, plus, it would totally be a bonus if Darcy was there. I'm jussayin'.

4. The Spaceship, Godspeed (Across the Universe) - I'm solidifying my status as a geek forever by saying this, but I was a bit of a trekkie growing up. Oh wait, I still am. Honestly though, who wouldn't want to be on a ship millions of miles above the Earth amidst the stars?

5. The Capitol (The Hunger Games) - Before you say anything, no I'm not a sadistic fool wanting to live in a greedy city where they thrive on games that kill children. I want to see the crazy hair, and the colours, and the clothes, and heck, if I could run into Cinna while I'm there, I'd be golden.

6. Hecate Hall (Hex Hall) - I've always been fascinated by the idea of witches and their witchy cool powers. I think it would amazing to spend a day in a creepy little house that has rooms to suit a person's taste and emotions.

7. Redwall Abbey (Redwall) - If you haven't read the books, you're seriously missing out. That castle sounds amazing, and they have so many feasts and celebrations that I don't think I'd ever go hungry. Another bonus? Warrior mice.

8. Blackwood Academy (Wildefire) - Who hasn't wanted to stay at a boarding school at least once in their life? The remoteness of the location, the crazy students and the fun activities remind of college...only more tame.

9. Selkie Island (Sea Change) - Obviously, I have a thing for the water, and the island sounds so beautiful and quaint. Plus, the descriptions of the coves, the beaches (uhhhh the mermaids?!) and the old-fashioned houses make me long for a little Southern charm.

10. Winter Harbor, Maine (Siren) - I moved to New England this past fall because I love the little coastal towns THAT much. The sound of the cliffs, the dense forests and the peace that Vanessa feels by the ocean just sing to me.

Talk to Me Tuesday is a brand new weekly meme where we will discuss anything (and everything) literary-related in an open forum of honesty. Questions for the next week will be posted one week prior to the post on the Features page. If you'd like to participate in this weekly feature, simply create your post, link back to me, and add your post to the wonderful Mr. Linky below. Have fun, and have at it!

This week's question: Who are your all-time favourite male and female characters?

Ahhh yes, the age-old question. A good friend asked me who my favourite all-time characters were, and it got me to thinking. See, the problem is that there are SO many characters in the genres I read that have characters that resonate on different levels, you know? I think it’s impossible and completely untrue for me to say that I have one true favourite for both male and female characters, but that said, I definitely have those that continue to stay with me long after I’ve finished a book or series, so I decided that I’d tell you my two (read: current) all-time favourites.

Sirius Black played such an important role in the Harry Potter series, though his role was far too fleeting for my liking. No, he’s not the youngest, or the hottest, or even the smartest, most likely, but there is something about his character that stays with me, no matter what book I pick up next. He’s an unlikely hero with a clouded past, but he resonates familial love, true courage and a depth of personality that doesn’t often appear for characters that don’t in a long series for a long period of time. No, he may not have played a role continuously through the series in terms of face-time, but his personality, spirit and heart remained long past his exit.

Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series wasn’t your typical female MC from the first second she entered the series. She’s strong and resourceful, she has no desire to be coddled in any way, shape or form, and she most certainly doesn’t want a boy to take care of her. She’s got this hardened exterior because of how she was raised, but inside, she’s just a teenage girl with the same angst as every teen. There are little hints of angst that appear now and again, but they’re peppered and punctuated by her sassy attitude and no-holds-barred demeanor. Most of all though, Annabeth doesn’t want to fit in. She’s special, and she will try her damndest to stand out.

Obviously, there are a ton of fantastic characters out there. To name just a few of my other favourites – Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice, Hagrid from Harry Potter, Anna from My Sister's Keeper, Lloyd & Sam from The Long Weekend, Jo from Little Women and far too many others to name. So what about you? Do you have all-time favourite male & female characters?

Want to weigh in and do your own Talk to Me Tuesday post for this week? Go ahead and link up!