Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Since traveling isn’t possible for me at the moment (kids, pets, COVID, the usual), I’ll stick to traveling via the books I’m reading.

Places I’d like to visit that I discovered in books:

The Continent from Andrezej Sapkowski’s The Witcher series.  I’d love to meet elves, dwarves, and of course, Jaskier!

Icewind Dale, home to Drizzt Do’Urden, Bruenor Battlehammer, and more interesting characters.

Romania.  This has been featured in many books, but Mark Edwards’ Follow You Home really reawakened the urge to visit.  Just as long as nothing insane happens to me, thanks.

This is a two-fer: Charlotte, North Carolina and Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Kathy Reich’s Temperance Brennan series has really made me want to explore both cities.

The futuristic version of the US and Canada as depicted in Sean Grigsby’s Smoke Eaters.  I mean, dragons exist in that world!

Not exactly a place, but I’d love to take a trip on The Heart of Gold – the ship from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.  I want to know what it’s like to experience the improbability drive for myself.

Dublin, Ireland.  Although, in Catherine Ryan Howard’s book 56 Days, the country is in COVID lockdown, it’s still high on my list of places to visit someday.

Burning Lake, NY, a small, but exciting little town featured in the Natalie Lockhart novels by Alice Blanchard.

North Devon as it appears in Ann Cleeves’ Two Rivers series.  Although, I’m not sure I’d survive the cold!

Bellamy Bay, the bustling little coastal town in Esme Addison’s Enchanted Bay series.  A town where mermaid magic is alive and thriving?  Count me in.

What are some places you’d like to visit, either in real life or through the pages of a good book?

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I must confess that I’ve barely read anything from my last few seasonal TBR posts due to a million other things going on in my life at the moment. Here are ten books I still need to pick up. If you’ve read any of these titles, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.

1. This Wicked Fate (This Poison Heart, #2) by Kalynn Bayron

2. TJ Powar Has Something to Prove  by Jesmeen Kaur Deo

3. Gallant by V.E. Schwab

4. A Lot Like Adios  by Alexis Daria

X

5. Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story by Lilliam Rivera

6. If This Gets Out  by Sophie Gonzales

7. Death of a Knit Wit by Peggy Ehrart

8. Coming Clean: A true story of love, addiction and recovery  by Liz Fraser

9. Rosie the Truffle Hound by Jessie Hartland

10. History Comics: The Stonewall Riots: Making a Stand for LGBTQ Rights by Archie Bongiovanni

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I wrote this post in advance for scheduling reasons, so there may be a summer-themed title or two that squeaks through before this post goes live. With that being said, these are ten recent books we’ve reviewed that are set during the summer, have covers that remind me of this season, or are otherwise related to the theme in general.

This time of year makes me think of watching thunderstorms while I stand safely indoors near a window, spending time at the beach, eating a little more ice cream than my dentist would probably recommend, going swimming, and enjoying the beauty of nature wherever I can find it.

Isn’t summer a wonderful season?

Double Dipped by Terry Korth Fischer

Genre: Romance

Head In The Sand by Damien Boyd

Genre: Mystery

The Heat Is On: An Anthology by Jill Shalvis, Natalie Anderson

Genre: Romance, Mystery

The Marsh Bird by Anne Brooker

Genre: Mainstream Fiction

Wish List by Amanda Pampuro

Genre: Science Fiction, Horror

The Lightning Rod by Ged Gillmore

Genre: Mystery

With Love From Rose Bend by Naima Simone

Genre: Romance

Hello Puddle by Anita Sanchez

Genre: Children’s picture book

Oona by Kelly Dipucchio

Genre: Children’s picture book

Love and Lavender Ice Cream by Sara Freeze

Genre: Romance

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are some of the books I’m looking forward to reading this summer. If no publication date was noted, that book has already been released.

1. This Wicked Fate (This Poison Heart, #2) by Kalynn Bayron

Why I Want to Read It: I must confess that I haven’t read This Poison Heart yet, but I’m still quite curious about this series and hope the release of the sequel will encourage me to begin it.

2. TJ Powar Has Something to Prove  by Jesmeen Kaur Deo

Why I Want to Read It: I’ve never read a book about a character who struggles with feeling too hairy before.

3.The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

Why I Want to Read It: Imagine accidentally discovering your friend is actually your sibling! I’ve always dreamed of having a sister.

4. Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder by Saundra Mitchell

Why I Want to Read It: Science fiction anthologies are some of my favorite things to read.

Why I Want to Read It: The pun in it made me laugh, and summer is a great time for a cozy mystery.

6. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publication Date: July 19

Why I Want to Read It: The Island of Doctor Moreau is one of those classic novels whose premise intrigues me but whose writing style has never been something I’ve been able to get into. I hope that Ms. Moreno-Garcia’s take on the subject will be a fresh, modern one that breathes new life into it.

7. A Beginner’s Guide to Murder by Rosalind Stopps

Publication Date: July 22

Why I Want to Read It: I’d never pondered how someone learns how to murder others before. The title made me laugh but also made me think about the dark side of it. My fingers are crossed that this will be a funny read instead of a somber one.

8. Twice as Perfect  by Louisa Onomé

Publication Date: July 26

Why I Want to Read It: I’m a perfectionist, too. I liked Adanna as soon as the blurb mentioned her overpowering need to be perceived as a good kid who always does the right thing. That’s a lot of pressure for anyone to bear.

9. How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez

Publication Date: August 2

Why I Want to Read It: The title made me giggle.

10. Camp Scare by Delilah S Dawson

Publication Date: August 2

Why I Want to Read It: I attended camp with my parents and siblings, but I disliked bugs and humidity too much to sign up for parent-free camps when I was a kid. (I liked having the option of telling my parents that I was done with nature and then maybe going home early. Hehe). Now that I’m an adult, I do like reading about summer camps, though! This looks like a delicious fun and scary camp story for sure.

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Let’s take a look at some of the many books out there that have the word day in their titles.

1. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

2. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

3. The Summer Day is Done by Mary Jane Staples

4. Seven Days in May by Kim Izzo

5. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

6. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

7. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

8. The Days Are Just Packed (Calvin and Hobbes #8) by Bill Watterson

9. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

10. Long Day’s Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

There are so many amazing comfort reads out there to choose from!

Here are ten books I think fit the bill nicely, especially if you choose to reread them.

1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

2. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien

3. Bridget Jones’s Diary (Bridget Jones, #1) by Helen Fielding

4. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

5. The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7) by C.S. Lewis

6. A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1) by Madeleine L’Engle

7. All Creatures Great and Small / All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot

8. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1) by L. Frank Baum

9. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

10. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m a big-time mood reader so, often, when I finally get a book that I’ve been waiting ages for, it doesn’t get read immediately.  More often than not, it gets forgotten completely until I see a bazillion people posting about it and I think, “Hmm, I should get that – wait, I HAVE IT.”

Yeah, it’s a problem.

So, here are ten books I was thrilled to finally have and… haven’t managed to read yet.  Oops.

The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski.  I bought the entire set in July 2019.  I wanted to read at least the first before the Netflix series started and gifted them to myself for my birthday.  To date, I’ve read two out of the eight books.

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.  I love these two authors and devour every book of theirs I get.  And yet, I haven’t cracked this one open yet.  BOTM selection for February 2022.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.  Another BOTM selection (as most of these are!) from October 2021.

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham.  This book drew me to it like a moth to a flame.  And now it’s residing on my nightstand, waiting.  BOTM selection for February 2022.  I really need to start resisting those dang add ons!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.  I bought this book back in um… June 2014 in preparation for a trip to Huntington Beach, CA.  I was eager to read it, but I thought my daughters would enjoy it as well.  They did – one read it on the trip down, one on the way back.  Me?  Not yet.

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena.  I got excited when I saw this was one of the BOTM selections in August 2021.  I’d read her book, The Couple Next Door, and was so eager to read this new one.  Hah.

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby.  This at least wasn’t an ignored Book of the Month choice.  I grabbed it quickly when the ebook was on sale.  Cheap… in July 2021.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid.  This was my first BOTM choice because of all the hype I’d seen in regards to both the book and the author.  I’d had good intentions with this, but the minute I took it out of the box, my kid grabbed it and said, “Oooh, I’ve been hearing about this book.  Thanks.”  By the time she’d finished it, I was eyeball deep in something else.  BOTM for June 2021.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.  Another ebook deal that I couldn’t pass up but couldn’t be bothered to read either.  June 2021.

Imaginary Friends by Stephen Chbosky.  Yet another ebook deal that suckered me in and then was soon forgotten.  February 2021.  What I really need help with is my addiction to one-click buying!

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I wrote this post a few weeks in advance due to a scheduling issue, so there may be a couple of newer reviews from me on this site that aren’t included in this list. With that being said, here are ten books that I’ve recently read and reviewed here.

New Era by Tommy B. Smith

My One-Word Review: Frightening

The Chronologist by Ian R. MacLeod

My One-Word Review: Complex

When the Time Is Right by Bill Bush

My One-Word Review: Amusing

Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth by Isabela Oliveira and Jed Sabin

My One-Word Review: Refreshing

Pooch Problems by Christopher Poston

My One-Word Review: Sensible

Out of a Jar by Deborah Marcero

My One-Word Review: Reassuring

The Proud & the Dumb by Bob Freville

My One-Word Review: Sarcastic

Carson Crosses Canada Linda Bailey 

My One-Word Review: Perfect

Redlocks and the Three Bears by Claudia Rueda

My One-Word Review: Creative

The Assumption of Death by David Vernon

My One-Word Review: Uneven

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I’d like to tweak this week’s theme a little bit. While all of these items certainly caught my eye, they were also things I’d happily buy for someone else if they asked for a bookish present and trusted my judgement.

I am not entirely sure what the copyright laws say about posting images of gifts that are being sold by small businesses, so I’ll share links to these Etsy accounts and briefly describe them only with words in this post. In a few cases, I’ll expound on why I chose that item.

1. Death by TBR sweatshirt

2. Bookish Stickers

3. Just One More Chapter tote bag

4. Never Too Many Books tote bag

My city has slowly been phasing out plastic bags. Stores have charged for them for a long time now, and now more of them aren’t offering them at all with each passing year. I’ve learned to always have a reusable bag in my pocket when I go out shopping.

5. I’d Rather Be Reading t-shirt 

6. Butterbeer tea 

7.   Never-EndingTBR zippered pouch

This could hold anything from pencils to makeup to first-aid supplies if, say, you’re going on a camping trip or hike!

8. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy stickers

9. Pumpkin book stack sticker

10. Book beat Toque

A toque is a type of knitted hat that is quite warm and durable. Traditionally, they was made of wool, but there are synthetic options available now for people who are allergic to wool or who prefer not to use it for other reasons. Toques can be knitted by hand or by machines depending on your preference and budget.

I look forward to seeing how all of you have answered this week’s prompt!