Top Ten Tuesday: Books with a High Page Count


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I have not read any of these books yet, so let me know if you’ve read them and think they were good reads.

1. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

2. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

4. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

5. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

6. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

7. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

8. I, Claudius (Claudius, #1) by Robert Graves

9. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

10. The Court of the Lion: A Novel of the T’Ang Dynasty by Eleanor Cooney

Top Ten Tuesday: Middle Grade Novels I’ve Recently Reviewed


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I love it when authors submit middle grade stories to Long and Short Reviews. This genre can be such a playful one, and it’s just as interesting to see what sorts of mischief characters in that age range get up to as it is read about more serious topics.

Here are ten books for readers between the ages of eight and twelve that I’ve reviewed for this site recently. Click on their titles to read my reviews.

1. Rudy & Me by Brittany Gilbert

2. Memoirs of Lady Greta by Heather Piper

3. The First Avocado by Greg Schindler

4. I Know What UFO Did Last Summer by Kevin Garon

5. Free by EB Roshan

6. Sour Apples: A Novel For Those Who Hate to Read by Paul Jantzen

7. Devin Drake and the Roller Ghoster by R. M. Clark

8. An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze by David Scott Richardson

9. The Island by Brian Conte

10. Secret of the Whispering Woods by Jordan Gray

Top Ten Tuesday: Beach/Beachy Reads


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I don’t have a beach close to me; however, I do enjoy light summer reads.  Or even heavier ones that grab you in a way that you don’t want to stop reading.  Here are ten that filled that role for me.

Happy Place by Emily Henry.  Fun and sometimes heart-rending story of friends and lovers set during summer.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.  An insane and gripping novel that’s part chick lit and part thriller.  It is 100% crazy though.

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.  A fun, sweet, romance between a prince and the First Son of the US President.

Bonus red: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall.  I don’t consider this a beachy read because Luc’s family issues make it a bit heavier, but if you like the above, you might enjoy this one, too.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley.  While this can get a little heavy at times, this story about grief and love is hilariously funny and poignant.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave.  Another thriller that drew me in and kept me reading because I needed to know.

One for the Money (and the rest of the Stephanie Plum series) by Janet Evanovich.  These mysteries are ridiculous and over-the-top, but you can’t help but root for Steph and Lula to nab the FTA’s.

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London.  Despite not being a fan of reality television, a romance set during a dating show was intriguing to me.  It certainly didn’t let me down.

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood.  My first and only Ali Hazelwood novel so far, but I did enjoy the mix of STEM and enemies to lovers (one of my favorite tropes).  And the NASA setting only made it better.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.  Another thriller (I have a type, I admit it) but this one told in alternating timelines.  I did enjoy the 70’s timeline a bit more, but overall, it was an engaging read.

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto.  Not sure if it’s a list by me if there isn’t at least one cozy mystery on the list, so I had to include one full of hijinks and family bonding.

Are any of these on your list this week?

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set in Amusement Parks


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Close-up photo of about a dozen people riding a roller coaster on a sunny day. They look like they’re having fun!It’s amusement park season for those of us living in the Northern hemisphere. Here are ten books set at these parks.

1. Caraval (Caraval, #1) by Stephanie Garber

2. The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #9) by Lemony Snicket

3. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

5. One Day at Horrorland (Goosebumps, #16) by R.L. Stine

6. Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan

7. The Summer of Cotton Candy (Sweet Seasons, #1) by Debbie Viguié

8. Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman

9. My Sister, the Traitor by Candice F. Ransom

10. Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Honorifics in the Title


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Photo of a woman standing outside of a brick building. She’s wearing an old-fashioned grey dress with ruffles on the bottom of it. Here are ten books with the word lady or ladies in their title.

1. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, #1) by Alexander McCall Smith

2. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

3. Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar Wilde

4. Lady of Ch’iao Kuo: Red Bird of the South, Southern China, A.D. 531 by Laurence Yep

5. The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins

6. Lady of Palenque : Flower of Bacal, Mesoamerica, A.D. 749 by Anna Kirwan

7. The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett

8. Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood

9. Lady and the Tramp by Ward Greene

10. Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

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


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.

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


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.

Top Ten Tuesday: Animal Companions


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

My favorite sorts of stories about animal companions are the ones that focus on the relationships between humans and their dogs, cats, birds, elephants, horses, ferrets, spiders, and other animals. There’s nothing like reading about cross-species relationships and how they can thrive!

1. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

2. That Quail, Robert by Margaret A. Stanger

3. Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O’Brien

4. The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony

5. King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian by Marguerite Henry

6. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Dave Manak

7. We Wish You A Ferret Christmas by Nikki Lynn Barrett

8. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

9. My Life with Leopards by Fransje van Riel

10. The Gift From Little Raccoon: A Pandemic Tale by Carolyn Watson-Dubisch

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Feature Travel


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I generally prefer reading about travel to actually going anywhere myself. That way I can skip straight to the fun stuff and not have to stand in any long security lines or be squished by strangers on a plane on the way.

Here are ten books that feature travel.

1. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

2. Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes

3. Blood River: A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart by Tim Butcher

4. Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town by Paul Theroux

6. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

7. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

8. Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald

9. Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback by Robyn Davidson

10. Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill by M.G. Edwards

How do you all feel about travelling in real life?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with the Word “Triangle” in the Title


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I thought I’d challenge myself and see how this week’s prompt would go with a word I don’t associate with books or reading at all: triangle. Surprisingly, there were quite a few titles to choose from. Here are ten of them.

1. The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps
by Heinz Heger, David Fernbach

2. It’s Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self by Hilary Jacobs Hendel

3. Be a Triangle: How I Went from Being Lost to Getting My Life into Shape by Lilly Singh

4. The Greedy Triangle (Brainy Day Books) by Marilyn Burns, Syd Hoff, Gordon Silveria

5. Deadly Triangle: The Famous Architect, His Wife, Their Chauffeur, and Murder Most Foul by Susan Goldenberg

6. The Truth About Triangles by Michael Leali

7. Triangle (Star Trek: The Next Generation: Imzadi #2) by Peter David

8. The Girl in the Triangle by Joyana Peters

9. The Triangle: A Year on the Ground with New York’s Bloods and Crips by Kevin Deutsch

10. The Triangle Fire by Leon Stein, William Greider

Wasn’t this a nice assortment of genres and themes? What books have you read with the word triangle in their titles?