I am delighted to bring you a literary Top 10 with this guest post from Sarah who is the woman behind the excellent Reader, I Read It blog, pay her a visit to find book news, reviews and much more including many more Top 10 rankings.  You can also follow her Tweets @ReaderIReadIt

Now the nights are drawing in it gives us a great excuse to sit in and enjoy a good book. So what are those perfect tales to read on dark and dreary evenings? ReaderIReadIt presents the Top 10 Winter Reads.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

One of the most chilling ghost stories with all the perfect elements, a house on the marshes, a causeway, a child lost and a woman with a broken heart.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

An author with a secret concerning twin girls who cause havoc for those around them. Setterfield writes in a unique way that keeps you turning pages.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” the perfect first line. A childhood classic that can never grow old and is great to re-live on rainy weekends.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

A convict and a jilted woman turn mentor for two children. Let the chaos commence.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

A classic with plenty of secrets captured on the Yorkshire Moors.

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

Hardy paints a picture so clear you feel you are snuggled in this Woodland Community.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The original thrill seeking adventure with the ultimate vampire.

Great Tales from English History by Robert Lacey

Told in a humorous, light style, perfect for getting to know your history again.

The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy

Irene the great beauty who creates drama in one of the most brilliant family Sagas.

Emma by Jane Austen

To warm the heart, a tale of matchmaking and to warm the soul, Austen’s gift of storytelling.

Many thanks to Sarah for an interesting line up – Please let us know which books you like to curl up with on a gloomy winters day.

If you would like to purchase any of these titles please click on the “Amazon’ link at the top of the post.

Please be aware that this post has some spoilers for those who have not read all of the books in the series

Whether you get your Harry Potter fix from the page, the screen or both, I am sure you will agree that J K Rowling has served up an amazing cast of characters in the Harry Potter series.  It’s a hard task to pick out the best so I am indebted to Ginger Snaps for her insightful assessment of which of them has had the most impact over the years.

Ginger is the author of a superb blog Gingersnaps in the Morning , just click on the link or the image to check out all of the fun that is to be had there.  You can also follow Ginger on Twitter @GSnaps

10. Dumbledore

For the majority of the series, Dumbledore, Hogwarts Headmaster, seems to be all powerful, infallible and almost invincible.  As the series progresses, we see that Dumbledore is not only human, but he makes mistakes.  He lives a life of regrets and guilt over the events in his youth surrounding his friendship with Grindelwald and the death of his sister.  He has the unique position of falling from grace in our eyes yet in spite of it, retaining our devotion to him as a character.

9. Hagrid

Hagrid is the half-giant, half-wizard Grounds Keeper at Hogwarts. His spellcasting is 3^rd rate at best and he has a deep affection for dangerous creatures.  His faithfulness and devotion to those he loves often puts himself and others in harms way, but he can always be counted on when needed.  His capacity for love is as big as his stature, which makes it so easy to forgive his faults.

8. Draco Malfoy

Draco is the spoiled kid who has been raised to believe he is better than everyone else. He is the leader of the pack, who thrives on bullying and proving his superiority above others. Only toward the end of the series do we see a different side to Draco, where he has been bullied by his father and Voldemort.  We see a vulnerability behind the bully facade.  When he continues his evil ways out of fear, a few acts of mercy from Harry Potter eventually turn Draco around.

7. Hermione Granger

Hermione is the smarter than average girl, who excels at all her academic studies.  She hides behind her knowledge to mask her poor self-image and confidence, initially coming across as a know-it-all.  As the series progresses, Hermione matures as she learns to acknowledge her own shortcomings and accept help from others.

6. Dobby

Dobby the House Elf first appears to be the source of all of Harry’s problems, when it is later revealed he is risking everything to protect Harry.  Harry repays him by freeing him from his slavery, causing Dobby to devote his life to Harry.  Initially irritating and seemingly unlikeable, Dobby’s devotion to Harry translates into giving his own life for Harry’s, which becomes one of the most touching and memorable parts in the series.

5. Ron Weasley

Ron is the likeable sidekick who befriends Harry on his way to Hogwarts. He isn’t particularly good at magic or sports, but his problem isn’t ability, but rather his confidence.  His friendship with Harry is tested throughout the series and has its ups and downs, but in the end we see him transform into a confident and competent wizard who deserves the title of best friend to Harry Potter.

4. Severus Snape

Snape is one of the professors at Hogwarts who always seems to have it out for Harry.  His unfair treatment of Harry earns our anger as we wonder throughout the series whether he is truly on the side of good or evil.  As the series progresses, we find out the events that shaped Snape’s character and the reason he appears to hate Harry so much.  In the end we find that despite his personal negative feelings for Harry, he risks his own life to keep him safe, out of devotion to Harry’s deceased mother.  While he never comes around to liking Harry, his self-sacrifice earns our (and Harry’s) respect in the end.

3. Luna Lovegood

At first glance, Luna can be viewed as the “weird girl” to be made fun of.  But once you scratch the surface, you find a girl who refuses to let others’ opinions shape her sense of self, taste in clothes, or even her unwavering belief in imaginary creatures. Despite being picked on by many, she refuses to be bitter or vengeful toward her oppressors. Luna shines brightly in her faithfulness and devotion to her friends, showing true courage in the face of danger.

2. Neville Longbottom

Neville is a chubby but likeable kid in the beginning of the series who is always losing and forgetting things.  At the end of the first book, he tests the waters of courage by standing up to his friends for what he believes is right.  He is a steady companion and faithful friend for Harry and his friends.  By the end of the series, we find a very different Neville.  One who has stayed behind at Hogwarts under the rule of the Death Eaters, leading the rebellion.  His courage leads to an integral part of the defeat of Voldemort, which would not have been possible without Neville slaying Nagini.

1.  Harry Potter

Harry starts out as a young boy, who has been horribly treated and raised without love by his aunt and uncle who resent his very existence.  He learns on his 11^th birthday that everything he has been told about his parents’ death was a lie.  Not only does magic exist, but he is a the most famous wizard that ever lived.  Raised without magic, he finds himself behind his peers in magical knowledge as he arrives at Hogwarts.  We see Harry face loss after loss, as he’s relentlessly pursued by Voldemort and forced to mature quickly in his confidence, character and magical ability.  As Harry prepares himself to face Voldemort, he learns that only his self-sacrifice will lead to Voldemort’s defeat.  Rather than running from his destiny, he accepts it and faces it head on, defeating Voldemort and saving the world.  His self-sacrifice and extension of mercy to his enemies proves love trumps power and earns his place as the greatest wizard who ever lived.

Thanks so much for a well argued and detailed Top 10 Ginger.  I am sure you will have your own thoughts so please share them with us and let us know who your favourites are!

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*SPOILER ALERT*- PLEASE TAKE CARE THERE ARE SERIOUS SPOILERS IN THIS POST

With the release of the latest part of Stephanie Meyer’s best selling series, Breaking Dawn, upon us, what an opportune time to share a ‘Twilight’ Top 10 with you.

10. Bella and Jacob Kiss

Although most of the romantic moments are shared by Bella and Edward, when Jacob forces an unexpected kiss on Bella it causes a moment of great confusion. The tension is building towards the new-born vampires battle in the third instalment Eclipse, when Jacob surprises Bella with a kiss forcing her to question her feelings for him. It’s snowing, tense and emotional, making it number 10 in my Top 10 Moments.

9.  Trip to Volterra

It’s the closing stages of New Moon, Edward believes Bella is dead and travels to Italy to ask the Volturi (vampire lawmakers/royalty) to end his life. Alice and Bella enter in to a frantic race to stop him, ending in Volterra home of the Volturi. A gripping end to both the book and the movie, Bella comes face to face with the haunting Volturi for the first time with near disastrous consequences.

8. The Wedding

Yet to be shown on screen, the wedding of Edward and Bella takes place early in Breaking Dawn. Set in the garden of the Cullen’s house, the ceremony is beautifully described in the book and is one of the most eagerly anticipated moments to see translated on to the big screen.

7.  Edward saves Bella

Bella is shopping in Port Angeles when as usual trouble finds her. A group of men begin hassling her, she is poised to fight when Edward arrives on scene to rescue her. One of the most dramatic moments of the first movie of the saga, the scene was perfectly portrayed on screen. The moment is made even better by the following dinner between the two where Edward reveals he can hear people’s thoughts.

6.  Bella confronts Jacob

After Edward deserts Bella leaving her devastated and struggling to function, Jacob becomes her saviour. So when he too cuts off contact from her suddenly, Bella is desperate to find answers. In an emotion fuelled scene in the pouring rain, Bella confronts Jacob about his absence but comes away more confused than ever. The scene is one of the highlights of the movie adaptation of New Moon with stunning cinematography and score accompanying great performances.

5. The Final Battle

The ultimate climax to the saga comes at the end of Breaking Dawn when the Volturi travel to Forks to confront the Cullens. The Cullens have built something of an army themselves however, in the hope of saving themselves from the might of the powerful Volturi, recruiting fellow vampires with some special powers. However in the end, it is Bella who holds the key to their strength in a surprising twist.

4. Bella’s Pregnant

During their honeymoon in Breaking Dawn, Bella comes to the slow realisation she is pregnant, and more importantly that this is no normal pregnancy! At first mistaking her symptoms for food poisoning, upon seeing her already swelling stomach, Bella is forced to realise she is having a baby.. and fast. One of the most shocking moments of the entire saga, the twist to the story is massively unexpected. Speculation continues as to how the scenes will be handled for the movie adaptation.

3.  The Baseball Game

A seemingly innocent game of baseball turns from family fun to mortal peril for Bella in Twilight. The game involving the Cullens and Bella, is interrupted by roaming vampires Victoria, Laurent and James who upon discovering Bella is human sets out on a deadly hunt to kill her. Both and the book and movie switch in an instant from fun and games to a frantic chase which leads to an atmospheric face off between James and Edward in Bella’s old ballet studio.

2. Bella becomes a vampire

The ‘will she wont she’ storyline is brought to an abrupt and dramatic close in Breaking Dawn where a reluctant Edward is forced to change Bella in to a vampire to save her life during child birth. From the moment Bella discovered Edward’s secret, she too has wanted nothing more than to become a fellow vampire and finally she got her wish, if in slightly unexpected circumstances when her life is threatened by the birth of daughter Renesmee. As is discovered later in the book, the change to a vampire is essential to fend off an attack by the Volturi. This is another scene that will doubtlessly cause a headache for the director of Breaking Dawn Bill Condon.

1.  Bella and Edward Meet

Although the first meeting of Bella and Edward is less than successful, the first time they speak is an integral moment in the story. Their first tentative conversations in Biology class are the beginnings of the entire love story that ensues and therefore earn their place at number 1 in the countdown! For the most part this scene remains particularly faithful to the book, and is handled to perfection both by director Catherine Hardwicke and Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. An unforgettable moment!

Do you have your own Twilight moments? If you do please let us know.

Thanks for visiting The Top 10 Blog. I hope to see you again soon!