Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Handwriting on the Cover

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Don’t you love seeing fonts that look like handwriting? I think they’re so beautiful.

Years ago I knew someone who had studied calligraphy and could make their handwriting look very different from one word to the next depending on how flowery, messily, tidly, or rigidly they wanted to draw their lines. They were in my thoughts as I selected a variety of styles for today’s post.

Answer #10 particularly reminded me of the amazing things he could do with a calligraphy pen.

 

1. The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements

 

2. Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski

 

3. Call the Midwife (The Midwife Trilogy, #1) by Jennifer Worth

 

4. It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

 

5. O Beautiful by Jung Yun
6. The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron
7. All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
8. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Top Ten Tuesday: First Books in a Series by My Favorite Author

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I have a lot of favorite authors, and narrowing down my favorite books for each might be a bit of a trial, so I thought I’d make it a little easier on myself.  Since I tend to gravitate to series, I wanted to highlight the first book in my favorite series by my favorite authors.

Michael Connelly – The Black Echo.  Bosch Universe.  I had a friend rec this series to me years ago and I cannot thank her enough.

Michael Connelly (again) – The Lincoln Lawyer.  This is also part of the Bosch Universe, but focuses on Harry’s half-brother, Mickey Haller.  I often get a lot of guff for this, but I prefer Mickey to Harry (or Renee Ballard).

Tess Gerritsen – The Surgeon.  Rizzoli & Isles.  This series is one of the few I got into in reverse.  I started watching the series with Angie Harmon and discovered that it had been based on a series of novels.  In between seasons, I began binge reading the books.  While the show and the series are very different, they are both fantastic.

Kathy Reichs – Deja Dead.  Temperance Brennan.  Tempe is an interesting character who often does dumb things (she’s forever getting conked on the head), but her relationship with Andrew Ryan is the best.

Dana Stabenow – A Cold Day for Murder.  Kate Shugak.  Set in Alaska, starring a Native woman, this series is fascinating in all the details you get about native life in Alaska, as well as all the history of the state and the people.  Even though I’m angry with the author for something she did about halfway through the series, this is still one of the best out there.

Travis Baldree – Legends and Lattes.  Legends and Lattes.  I’m pretty sure I discovered this book through TTT and instantly fell in love.  Cozy fantasy is something I never knew I needed.

Vivien Chien – Death by Dumpling.  Noodle Shop Mysteries.  Cozy mysteries are one of my top favorite genres and I read a ton of them.  These are some of the best.

Jenn McKinlay – Books Can Be Deceiving.  Library Lover’s Mysteries.  I love books set in a library and these are particularly fun since the town’s residents are all a little kooky.

Dakota Cassidy – The Accidental Werewolf.  Accidentally Paranormal.  There is so much I love about this series – the crazy way the characters become paranormal creatures, the humor, Nina.  The author is also a pretty great woman, too.

John Scalzi – Constituent Service.  Here, I am going to break with my theme since I couldn’t think of a tenth series I read faithfully (it’ll come to me after I post this, I’m sure).  However, I do adore John Scalzi – he makes me laugh, he makes me think, and – in When the Moon Hits Your Eye – he even made me cry.  While I haven’t read anything of his yet that I haven’t enjoyed, I think his novella, Constituent Service, is one of the best (and most bizarre).

Have you read any of these authors?  What did you think?

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Secondary Characters

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

All of these secondary characters were great!

 

1. Rue from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

She was the person who inspired the main characters to start the rebellion, after all!

 

2. Samwise from Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 

He was such a supportive friend, to say the least.

 

3. Matthew Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

None of the Anne books would have been possible if he hadn’t stood up for Anne and asked his sister to keep her after the orphanage mistakenly sent them a girl instead of the boy they requested.

 

4. Tonkee from The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

There were so many layers to her personality.

 

5, 6, and 7. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

Everyone needs some guidance when visiting strange new lands!

 

8. Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

He had such a fantastic sense of humor.

 

9. Podrick Payne from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

He had a wonderful character arc. I also like the fact that he was timid and shy  when the audience first met him. There aren’t enough characters written like that for my tastes these days.

 

10. Kaede from Legend by Marie Lu

She was incredibly brave and loyal, and the main characters would not have survived without her assistance. The same could also be said for Samwise!

Top Ten Tuesday: Picture Books About Gardens

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Aren’t these picture books about gardens adorable? I think this is a great way to get kids interested in gardening, healthy eating, and the outdoors.

1. Flower Garden by Eve Bunting

 

2. Our Community Garden by Barbara Pollak

 

3. Seed to Plant by Kristin Baird Rattini

 

4. The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone by Timothy Basil Ering

 

 

5. In Enzo’s Splendid Gardens by Patricia Polacco

 

6. The Bunnies’ Picnic by Lezlie Evans

 

7. Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie: A Story About Edna Lewis by Robbin Gourley

 

8. That’s Not a Daffodil! by Elizabeth Honey

 

9. Luke and Lottie and Their Vegetable Garden by Ruth Wielockx

 

10. Two Old Potatoes and Me by John Coy

Top Ten Tuesday: Books We’ve Reviewed Whose Titles Begin With the Letter A

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Pam at Read Bake Create was one of the first Top Ten Tuesday bloggers I noticed who began occasionally blogging about books that began with certain letters of the alphabet, and many others have done so as well.

This week we’re joining in on the trend.

Here are ten books we’ve reviewed here at Long and Short Reviews whose titles begin with the letter A.

Book cover for A Body in the Brewery by Victoria Chatham. Image on cover shows a tiny sword propped up between a glass mug of beer and a bunch of green grapes.

1. A Body in the Brewery by Victoria Chatham

 

Book cover for https://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/the-abnormal-gumshoe-by-tamar-anolic/. Image on cover shows a blood red river next to a city filled with skyscrapers.

2. The Abnormal Gumshoe by Tamar Anolic

 

Book cover for Armored Hearts by Angela Knight. Image on cover shows a white man and a white woman wearing heavy armor as they stand on the ramp going up to a spaceship.

3. Armored Hearts by Angela Knight

 

Book cover for All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley. Image on cover shows a drawing of someone standing in the archway of a large white building looking out at the city beyond.

4. All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley

 

Book cover for Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by Author: Anonymous and Albert Seligman (Editor). Image on cover shows a drawing of a middle eastern man who is holding his plump belly and smiling.

5. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by Author: Anonymous and Albert Seligman (Editor)

 

Book cover for A Friend for Hope by Amie White. Image on cover is a drawing of a young white girl with auburn hair who is riding her bike down a shady path as her dogs jogs alongside her.

6. A Friend for Hope by Amie White

 

Book cover for A Symbol of Time by John Westley Turnbull. Image on cover shows a nude ape walking alongside a tyrranosauras Rex.

7. A Symbol of Time by John Westley Turnbull

 

Book cover for A Summer Lasts Forever by Tamar Anolic. Image on cover shows a young white woman wearing a sundress and standing under a covered bridge.

8. A Summer Lasts Forever by Tamar Anolic

 

Book cover for Acceptance – A Self-Guided Approach to Trauma Recovery by Tiberius Ryuu. Image on cover shows a possibly AI-Generated drawing of a hand placing a seed in the ground.

9. Acceptance – A Self-Guided Approach to Trauma Recovery by Tiberius Ryuu

 

Book cover for A Darkly Shining Star by MS Morris. Image on cover shows street lights illuminating the streets in a city just after dusk.

10. A Darkly Shining Star by MS Morris

 

Top Ten Tuesday: April Showers

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Blue is such a soothing color for a book cover, don’t you think? This week I’m sharing ten blue covers with all of you.

Book cover for All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Image on cover shows an overcast dark blue sky over a city that has been built up right to the edge of the shoreline.

1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

 

Book cover for The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh. Image on cover shows mermaids and colourful fish swimming through an underwater city.

2. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

 

Book cover for Lorali by Laura Dockrill. Image on cover shows blue water shimmering and moving slightly in a swimming pool.

3. Lorali by Laura Dockrill

 

Book cover for Blackberry Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #17) by Joanne Fluke. Image on cover shows a drawing of a blackberry pie and a few loose blackberries against a blue background.

4. Blackberry Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #17) by Joanne Fluke

 

Book cover for The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Image on cover shows a charm bracelet floating in the sky near some clouds. The only charm on the bracelet is of a little house.

5. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

 

Book cover for Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1) by Jennifer Donnelly. image on cover shows a mermaid wearing a long flowing white dress swimming in a body of water.

6. Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1) by Jennifer Donnelly

 

Book cover for Blue Dog by Louis de Bernières. Image on cover shows a drawing of a dog running alongside someone who is riding a motorcycle as three birds fly overhead.

7. Blue Dog by Louis de Bernières

 

Book cover for Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart. Image on cover shows yellow light illuminating one upstairs room in a blue two-story house at dusk or dawn.

8. Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart

 

Book cover for A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. Image on cover is a drawing of a spool of blue thread.

9. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

 

Book cover for Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. Image on cover shows the author Mindy Kaling wearing a white dress and peeking behind a light blue door in a light blue room.

10. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Spring 2026 To-Read List

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

The first two titles on this list are already available to buy or maybe even borrow from your local library, and I’m sharing the release dates for the rest of them as well.

 

1. How Simi Got Her Groom Back by Sonali Dev

Why I Want to Read It: The reference to the 90’s romance film How Stella Got Her Groove Back was honestly what first caught my attention because I loved that movie, but the blurb sounds really good as well.

 

2. Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence

Why I Want to Read It: High fantasy isn’t a genre I’ve read in ages, and it may be time to change that.

 

3. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

Release Date: April 7

Why I Want to Read It: Both the 1930s and stories about orphans who probably will never be adopted are of interest to me.

 

Version 1.0.0

4. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Release Date: April 21

Why I Want to Read It: Mabel sounds like a delightfully exasperating and interesting character. Sometimes I need to read about folks who aren’t all sweetness and light.

 

5. Where the Earth Meets the Sky: A Story of Penguins, People, and Place in Antarctica by Louise K. Blight

Release Date: April 26

Why I Want to Read It: Of course I want to read about penguins. I am lowkey fascinated by them.

 

 

 

6. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Release Date: April 29

Why I Want to Read It: Letters aren’t included often enough in modern fiction for my tastes, so I’m hoping this will be a good example of what an epistolary novel can be like in the twenty-first century.

 

7. Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel

Release Date: May 5

Why I Want to Read It: Like #4, this features a senior citizen protagonist. I think it’s really cool that we’re getting more stories about that age group.

 

(This book cover was too large to load. Click on link below to see it!)

8. John of John by Douglas Stuart

Release Date: May 5

Why I Want to Read It: There’s something so interesting to me about characters who fail at their original goals and must find alternative ways to live a good life.

 

9. Say Nephew: On Boyhood, Unclehood, and Queer Mentorship by Steven Pfau

Release Date: May 26

Why I Want to Read It: This sounds like such an interesting read.

 

10. Spawning Season: An Experiment in Queer Parenthood by Joseph Osmundson

Release Date: May 26

Why I Want to Read It: There is so much I don’t know about this topic, and I’m curious to hear how the discussions between the author and the women who were thinking about using him as a donor turned out.

Top Ten Tuesday: Green Book Covers

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to everyone who celebrates it!

1. False Start (False #3) by Meli Raine

 

2. Beginners Welcome: A Moving Middle Grade Novel of Magical Realism and Hope After Loss for Kids (Ages 8-12)
by Cindy Baldwin

 

3. The Maid by Nita Prose

 

4. Harvey by Mary Chase

 

5. Euphorbia by Glyn Soitiño

 

6. Gods of Howl Mountain by Taylor Brown

 

7. The Brilliant Ideas of Lily Green by Lisa Siberry

 

8. Wish by Jake Smith

 

9. Otherwise Known as Possum by Maria D. Laso

 

10. Food Fight by Linda B. Davis

Top Ten Tuesday: Mysteries We Have Recently Reviewed

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten mysteries we’ve recently received at Long and Short Reviews. I enjoy seeing the wide variety of books that are included in this genre.

1. Smoldering Lies by LT Ryan

 

2. The Chilling by Riley James

 

3. The Killing Place by Kate Ellis

 

4. The Murder Book by Mark Billingham

 

5. From The Ashes by Damien Boyd

 

6. Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham

 

7. Ruff Justice by Tara Choate

 

8. Death Rocks by LJ Ross

 

9. Framed for Murder by Marla A. White

 

10. The Shadow Child by A. Williams

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Writing Quotes

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten quotes about writing that make me smile.

1. “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time

2. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

3. “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
Robert Frost

4. “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
Anton Chekhov

5. “Fiction is the truth inside the lie.”
Stephen King

6. “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”
W. Somerset Maugham

7. “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

8. “Writing is a way of talking without being interrupted.”
Jules Renard

9. “The hard part about writing a novel is finishing it.”
Ernest Hemingway

10. “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
Toni Morrison