Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025

June 24, 2025 By 14 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

The second half of 2025 feels so far away, but it will begin sooner than I think.

It’s interesting how slowly winter seems to pass by versus how quickly summer happens, at least in my experience. Do you feel the same way about the warm seasons where you live?

I once again have another Top Ten Tuesday blogger to thank this week, so stay tuned.

Let’s see what I can come up with for this list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

Release Date: September 2

Why I Want to Read It: Books about foster care often pique my interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young

Release Date: September 9

Why I Want to Read It: This looks like an adorable summer romance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy

Release Date: September 16

Why I Want to Read It: There is nothing like reading a novel about friendships and how they evolve over many years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Alchemised by SenLinYu 

Release Date: September 30

Why I Want to Read It: Memory problems are one of the scariest issues the human body can have in my opinion. What a great premise for a story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Cinder House by Freya Marske 

Release Date: October 7

Why I Want to Read It: Cinderella was one of my favorite fairy tales as a kid, and I love reading retellings of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. The Last Spirits of Manhattan: A Novel by John A McDermott

Thank you to Susan @ BlogginBoutBooks for blogging about this last winter.

Release Date: October 14

Why I Want to Read It: Two of the quickest ways to make me want to read something is to describe it as a ghost story and as something based on a true story, so this is floating up to the top of my TBR list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.  Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz

Release Date: October 21

Why I Want to Read It: Romance readers of Top Ten Tuesday, can you believe I picked two books from that genre this week? If any of you read them, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.  I’ll Quit When I’m Dead by Luke Smitherd

Release Date: October 14

Why I Want to Read It: Fitness-themed horror is not something I think I’ve read before, but I can totally see how it could be a thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews 

Release Date: October 28

Why I Want to Read It: Ooh, this cover looks scary. Plants can be a threat for sure, and not just for those of us with seasonal allergies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.  Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher

Release Date: November 11

Why I Want to Read It: Ms. Kingfisher has so many books coming out this year. I tried to refrain from including all of them in the TBR lists last week and this one, but I had to indulge one more time.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: ,

Thursday Thoughts: June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025 By 6 Comments

Image result for tacosIt’s time for Taco Tuesday Thursday!

Yeah, I know, Taco Thursday doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, but here we are.  And I don’t know about you, but I’m good with tacos any day of the week.  How about you?

My favorite tacos are al pastor.  They’re made from pork that’s been marinated in spices, cooked on a vertical spit, with pineapple and onion on top of the spit.  It’s the pineapple that does it for me, I think, because that sweet and spicy combo is always a hit with my taste buds.  In a pinch, a good old fashioned ground beef or grilled chicken taco is a win as well.

Tacos, for the most part, are a super simple meal that’s easy to prepare and generally is not too expensive.  So, I tend to make them often.  The trouble began when my older daughter went fully vegan.  Since I didn’t want to keep feeding her Beyond Beef tacos, I went on the hunt for vegan taco recipes that were both easy and delicious.

Our favorite by far are these crispy vegan potato tacos with jalapeño cilantro sauce.  Whenever I make these, I make two simple alterations to the recipe.  First, I double it because the leftovers make a great breakfast hash or taco.  Second, I add in half a poblano pepper or, if they’re in season and I can find them, a Hatch chile.  Poblanos are my favorite pepper and they add a great flavor to the tacos.  The jalapeño cilantro sauce is fantastic as well and is great for dipping fries into.

Another great vegan taco recipe are these simple black bean tacos with vegan lime crema.  Since I am not a fan of beans of any variety, these are something I make for my kids only.  But it’s easy enough to pan fry a chicken breast on the side for myself, so it all works out in the end.

Lastly, these beer battered Kung Pao cauliflower tacos aren’t exactly easy, but man are they ever worth it.  I’ve only made them a handful of times, but they are so good and crispy!  I had a hard time keeping the kids from snacking on the cauliflower while I got it all fried.

A shout out to Navajo tacos/fry bread tacos (they come by many names, depending on where you are).  These start with a piece of fry bread – aka a piece of fried dough – and are piled high with all your usual taco toppings.  I recently had one of these in a little hole in the wall restaurant in Gallup, NM and it was beyond delicious.  The green chile sauce it was topped with only made it better.  And I’ll forgive the son of the owners who told me it’s not really a taco if it doesn’t have beans on it (he was teasing me) because he gave us fantastic service.

Ever wonder what kind of taco fits your foodie personality?  Yes?  Then you’re in luck because there’s a quiz for that (no, really!) and you can find it here.  And while I didn’t get the al pastor I’d been hoping for, I’m okay with what I did get.

What about you?  What kind of tacos do you like?  Which taco fits your personality best?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: , ,

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025 By 2 Comments

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Humorous Book Titles

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer 2025 to-Read List

June 17, 2025 By 54 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This looks like it’s going to be a fabulous summer of reading! Here are the titles I’m most excited for and why I can’t wait to read them. If no release date is included, this means they’re already available to buy or hopefully even borrow from your local library if you have one.

I discovered two of them on other Top Ten Tuesday TBR posts earlier this year, so I will be thanking those bloggers individually later on in this post.

Isn’t it awesome when this blog hop introduces you to new books that are right up your alley?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The Immortal Choir Holds Every Voice by Margaret Killjoy

Why I Want to Read It: This is a horror series I haven’t started yet, but maybe I will feel the urge to get started now that the third instalment has come out?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by Victoria E. Schwab

Why I Want to Read It: Scary vampires are the best kind of vampires if you ask me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. These Heathens by Mia McKenzie

Why I Want to Read It: History is something I enjoy reading about through both fiction and nonfiction means.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Release Date: July 29

Why I Want to Read It: A cozy mystery? Check. A fun title? Check. A food-related plot? Check. This is exactly the kind of stuff I like to read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman

Release Date: August 12

Why I Want to Read It: Everyone needs a good tearjerker sometimes. (Or at least I do!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Release Date: August 19

Why I Want to Read It: T. Kingfisher is a must-read author for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand by Christopher Golden

Release Date: August 19

Why I Want to Read It: I loved The Stand and would like to revisit that universe, especially since Mr. King has fully authorized this spinoff.

 

(This cover was too large to upload, but the link below includes it)

8. The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Canaz 

Thank you to bookwormnai for this recommendation.

Release Date: August 25

Why I Want to Read It: What a scary premise it has, from the epidemic to the demonic possession.

 

(This cover has not been released yet)

 

9. Secret Lives of the Dead by Tim Lebbon 

Thank you to BooksBonesBuffy! For this recommendation. 

Release Date: August 26

Why I Want to Read It: It sounds deliciously scary.

 

(The third time was not the charm today! This cover was also too large to upload, but the link below includes it).

10.  Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

Release Date: August 26

Why I Want to Read It: Ms. Kuang is also on my list of authors I immediately check out when they release something new.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: ,

Movie Review: Pets

June 16, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Pets (a Documentary)
Director: Bryce Dallas Howard
Starring: Travis Ford, Adam Burke, and Sterling Davis
Publisher: Disney
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars (6 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

It explores the extraordinary relationship between animals and their people around the world. Highlighting dogs, cats, pigs, goats, and birds of prey, Pets takes us on a lovely journey that celebrates love, loss, and licks along the way.

Everyone needs unconditional love.

One of the cool things about this film had to do with how many different age groups it was created for. There were interviews with preschoolers, senior citizens, and everyone in-between those age groups, too. This mean that the storytelling worked on multiple levels depending on how closely a viewer could pay attention and how much they already knew about this world. It is not easy to create something that everyone can enjoy, so kudos to the director and crew for pulling it off!

This documentary bounced around quite a bit between various people and their pets. As much as I liked seeing so many different types of animals and people from a wide variety of backgrounds, it was tricky for me as a viewer to feel deeply connected to any of them due to how little screen time they all received. I would have loved to see a smaller number of folks be interviewed so more time could be spent exploring their connections with their furry – or sometimes not so furry – companions.

Every aspect of owning a pet was covered here, from the naughty things they sometimes do to how families help pets who are sick, injured, or elderly. I laughed and cried as I watched this as the people who were being interviewed talked about both the difficult and joyful parts of sharing their lives with one or more animals. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored the quirks certain pets had, from licking doorknobs to getting a little jealous if someone else received more attention than they did. It was a delightful exploration of what life is like when you live with animals.

Pets was heartwarming.

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Thursday Thoughts June 12, 2025

June 12, 2025 By 8 Comments

Over Memorial Day weekend, a good friend of mine flew out to see Kenny Chesney in concert.  She’d just been here in February, but Kenny has long been her favorite and her birthday was that weekend.  She told me, “Kenny wants me here.”  Who am I to argue with her?

The show was amazing – he’s truly an entertainer.  He sounded fantastic and engaged with the audience regularly.  Which is something some artists don’t bother with, and others try and fail at.  However, this post isn’t so much about Kenny, but something that happened to me during the show.

My friend’s favorite song is “Old Blue Chair”, something that he doesn’t perform live much these days.  Mine has been “Anything But Mine” since the first time I heard it all those years ago.  Neither of us had expected him to play these songs because hers was never a single, and mine was just really old.  (Heavens, I just looked and it released in 2004.)

Anyway, about halfway through the show, he stops to tell the audience that the next song hadn’t originally been on the playlist, but he’d gotten a request, so he was going to do it – and it turned out to be “Old Blue Chair”.  Sometime after the first chorus, I burst into tears.  I don’t know why, but there I was, sobbing.

During his encore, Kenny so kindly played “Anything But Mine”, during which, I burst into tears a second time.  This song, however, always gets me emotional.  So, it wasn’t such a surprise that it had stirred so much feeling within me.  Thankfully, he ended the set with “American Kids” which is fun and upbeat so I didn’t leave looking like I’d just been in a fight.

This did get me thinking of all the times I’ve been brought to tears by a song.

“Who You’d Be Today”, also by Kenny Chesney, gets me every time.  First time I’d ever heard it was days after learning a good friend had fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed his truck, dying in the accident.

“Andy (I Can’t Live Without You)” by Ashley McBryde gets me as well.  It’s her calling out her partner for all his faults but also admitting that she loves him despite it all.  This is the kind of song that probably resonates with anyone who has ever been in a long-term relationship.  Because even when you have a fantastic partner, they still drive you crazy at times.

I’ll probably get teased about this, but “If Everyone Cared” by Nickelback hits me like a brick if I haven’t heard it in a while.  Especially now, with all the craziness in the world.  I think we could all use a little bit more empathy for others.

How about you?  Are you a sap like I am who cries at random songs (and occasional commercials)?  What song has moved you to feel things strongly, even if it didn’t bring you to tears?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: , ,

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for June 11, 2025

June 11, 2025 By 2 Comments

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Favorite Things to do in the Summer

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MOVIE REVIEW: Royal-ish

June 9, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Royal-ish
Writers: Teri Wilson
Director: Roger M. Bobb
Starring: Nichole Sakura, William Moseley
Publisher: Hallmark
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars (8/10 stars on IMDB)
Review by Dicentra

Lacey is an amusement park princess who befriends 8-year-old Rose, a real-life princess, and is recruited by her handsome father to travel to their kingdom and be the new governess.

Hallmark movies are where happily ever after lovers go for a guaranteed happy ending (usually in the last five minutes), and that’s no different in one of their newest releases, Royal-ish. Theme park princess Lacey (Sakura) spends her days delivering magical tea parties to children in her role as Princess Sweet Pea. When she befriends 8-year-old Princess Rose (and her father and heir to the throne Prince Henry (Moseley) it sets off a romance that screams meet cute and swoon.

While the movie is very much stereotypical Hallmark in plot, it tackles some deeper issues. Lacey found work as a princess while she was working towards a graduate degree, and finds joy in bringing joy to others. She’s worried about aging out of her job (which hadn’t previously registered for me as an issue for theme park workers). The young princess Rose is struggling with the weight of responsibility after the death of her mother and a traumatic incident. And the romantic love interest (Prince Henry) struggles to balance his role as a father and the crown prince of a small kingdom. They did make some slight changes to the stereotypical ‘royal’ plot line for these movies that left me amused. And while the lines were undeniably cheesy, it remained entertaining and engaging.

Overall, this was another entertaining storyline. I didn’t realize this was supposed to be another ‘trilogy’ movie, as they didn’t connect it outright to the other movies (The Royal We and The Reluctant Royal) like they did in their other trilogies (The Wedding Veil Trilogy). I highly recommend this movie to those who like low pressure, guaranteed happily ever after stories. I don’t recommend this movie to those looking for innovative, high-stakes storylines that are harder to predict.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , , ,

Thursday Thoughts: June 5, 2025

June 5, 2025 By 8 Comments

Since I’m about to embark on another road trip in a couple of weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of internet searching on things to keep my friend and myself from getting bored on the drive.  I’m still relatively new to this road tripping thing, so I definitely needed a bit of inspiration.  Especially since, when we did this when I was a kid, I’d sit in the back with my cassette Walkman (dating myself here) and a book.  But you can’t really do that when you’re the one driving.

So, how do we keep ourselves entertained?

The first thing my traveling partner suggested was an audiobook.  We’ve done this before, and it worked out really well.  We’re planning on a John Scalzi novel for this trip because he’s one of our favorites and his books are always lighthearted and a lot of fun.

The next thing she suggested were Mad Libs.  I am so excited that she did, too, because I haven’t done these things since my girls were in elementary school.  Found two different ones at Barnes and Noble and can’t wait to see what kind of ridiculousness we can come up with.

In a similar vein, since she and I are both writers, we have been known to randomly plot stories while we’re driving or otherwise preoccupied.  I’m hoping we can get some of that in during this trip, even if the stories never get written.

Something fun I saw online was to bring a notebook along and write down the interesting or crazy things you see on your trip.  Or funny things you and your travel partner say.  I love this idea because I want to make a travel junk journal once I’m back home, and these little observations and memories will be great to have for later.  Plus, it might remind me to keep all the silly little things you usually throw away on a trip.

Another idea I found online was to find the weirdest roadside attractions and stop at them.  This made me laugh because we came really close to doing something like this last year.  We’ll have more time and will be on the road more this trip, so I think we’ll have to factor this one in for sure.  And driving through the desert southwest, there’s bound to be some strange and odd things to stop and see along the way.  Maybe we’ll even spot a jackelope?

One I’d never have thought of on my own was to bring a project.  My travel partner is bringing her knitting, which I think is fantastic.  She can get caught up on her projects while I drive.  Since she has offered to take some of the driving duties off my hands, I ought to find something I can do while riding as well.  I’m open to suggestions as well.

Plus, I’m sure we’ll talk each other’s ears off whenever we have a bit of downtime, but I think that’s half the fun of a girl’s trip.

What kind of things do you do to keep yourself entertained on a long drive?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: ,

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025 By 4 Comments

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Favorite Book Covers and Why

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