Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books of 2022

Hi all and happy first TTT of 2023! This weeks topic is our top ten books of 2022. I read a lot of great books last year and I’m excited to mention them. A lot of the books on this list are part of series so the list won’t be ten items long, but it’s actually more than ten books. Anyways, let’s get to it!

1. The Scholomance by Naomi Novik – Most of this list is in no particular order, but I have to say that The Scholomance books were easily among the best and most surprising books that I read last year. I was so pleasantly surprised by these that I just had to put them first.
2. The Shattered Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima
3. Mistborn and The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
4. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
5. A Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
6. The Wheel of Time books 1-4 by Robert Jordan
7. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
8. The Bat by Jo Nesbø

So these are the best books/series I read last year. What makes your list?

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books on my Winter TBR

Hi All. It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday and this weeks topic is top ten books on my Winter TBR. As terrible as I am at reading off of TBR’s (proof to come shortly when I discuss my ill-fated Fall TBR) there is a part of me that still loves to curate a reading list for myself – who cares if I don’t follow through?! So without further adieu, my Winter TBR:

1. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan: I started reading these books earlier this year and my goal is to keep reading a little at a time.
2. In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1) by Tana French
3. Out for Blood (House of Comarré #2) by Kristen Painter (Though I may reread the first three books first, will I get to this one? Only time will tell!)
4. The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer #2) by Brent Weeks
5. Storm of Locusts (The Sixth World #2) by Rebecca Roanhorse
6. The Undoing (Call of Crows #2) by Shelley Laurenston
7. The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women’s Lives by Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux
8. The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga #1) by John Gwynne
9. A Room With A View by E.M Forster
10. The Gilded Ones (Deathless #1) by Namina Forna

A lot of these are from series that I started reading previously that I’d like to finish or get caught up on. In the infinite wisdom of Cyberkitten, I should probably finish up some of the many series I’ve started instead of starting the other billion series I want to read. Of course, there are some new series in here too though – we can’t be all work and no play. 🙂

What’s on your Winter TBR?

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I’d Like to Start

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday and this weeks is a freebie. In lieu of having anything in mind, I’m going to do a recent topic that I missed. Not that I need any more fuel to the series train, but lets talk about ten book series I’d like to start reading.

1. The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima
2. Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill
3. Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French
4. The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne
5. The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski
6. A Chorus of Dragons by Jenn Lyons
7. You Caroline Kepnes
8. Temeraire by Naomi Novik
9. The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft
10. Discworld by Terry Pratchett

Some of these have been on my list for years like the Tana French books, and others are on there in the hopes that I’ll someday achieve an amazing bookish feat like reading Discworld. One thing they all have in common, I am determined to read them at some point.

Have you read any of these? Any you would recommend, on this list or otherwise? Do share!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Nature on the Cover

Happy Tuesday y’all! I don’t really have the mental capacity to cook up a post for this weeks topic so I decided to pick a past topic. Seeing as I’m working on this on a flight home from Montana, books with nature on the cover seemed a fitting topic.

1. Fen, Bog, & Swamp by Annie Proulx
2. Wild Green Wonders by Patrick Barkham
3. Ever Green by John W. Reid
4. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
5. Man in the Dark by Paul Auster
6. The Girl in the Tree by Şebnem İşigüzel
7. The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
8. Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker
9. Kings of the Yukon by Adam Weymouth
10. Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

Have you read any of these? They’re all from my TBR, so let me know if any should be a priority. I am really looking forward to everyone’s posts this week even if I didn’t follow the prompt.

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Bookstores/Bookstores I’d Love to Visit

Happy Tuesday everyone! This weeks TTT is favorite bookstores or bookstores I’d love to visit. I am very excited for this weeks topic as I love visiting bookstores all over the world, so I’m going to do half and half this week. I’m also super excited to learn about some new bookstores to add to my list from this weeks posts!

Five of my favorite bookstores:
1. The Book Barn in Niantic, CT: This is my local-ish used bookstore and they have several locations down the main drag in Niantic. I love browsing their shelves every chance I get.
2. Boekhandel Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands: This is a bookstore located in a church that is about 800 years old in Maastricht. It’s easily the most beautiful bookstore that I’ve ever been in.
3. Elizabeth’s Bookshop in Melbourne, Australia: I had a great time browsing the shelves here and this is the home of the original ‘blind date with a book’ which I love.
4. Strand Book Store in New York, NY: I don’t think that any book lover can go to NYC without drooling over the shelves upon shelves of books in The Strand.
5. Daunt Books in London, UK: I’m very sure there are plenty of bookstores I’ve yet to find in London that are also wonderful, but there is something about Daunt Books. I just love this place.

Five bookstores I want to visit:
1. El Ateneo in Buenos Aires, Argentina: This is a bookstore in a beautiful old theater in Argentina and I would love love love to visit someday.
2. Shakespeare and Company in Paris, France: This is probably one of the most famous bookstores in the world if I had to guess and I cannot wait to get there.
3. Powell’s City of Books in Portland, OR: This is the world’s largest independent bookstore, who wouldn’t want to visit?
4. Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle, WA: Every picture I’ve seen of this bookstore is beautiful. The inside is all hardwood and exposed beams and of course there are books everywhere.
5. Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal: This is another bookstore that looks gorgeous, and honestly, I don’t even care about needing to queue to visit!

That’s all for now, though I could go on! Have you been to any of these stores? Are there any that you recommend?

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Typographic Book Covers

Hello again and Happy Tuesday! This weeks TTT post is typographic book covers, or book covers that are mostly words. In the end, I expected this to be much more difficult than it actually was, but I ended up with far more than ten options after just a few minutes of browsing my TBR. Here is what I went with:

What did you come up with for this weeks TTT? Do tell!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books on my Fall 2022 TBR

Happy Tuesday everyone! It is time for another Top Ten Tuesday and this weeks topic is books on my fall 2022 TBR. I certainly have a few books that I am anticipating, however, I am the ultimate mood reader, so we shall see how many of these I actually pick up this fall. Here they are:

1. The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik: This is my most anticipated book right now. I read the first two in the trilogy over the summer and immediately pre-ordered book three. I CANNOT wait to get my grubby little hands on this one.
2. The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West: I recently happened across this book and while the cover is what initially caught my eye, the story sounds so amazing and I am looking forward to picking up a copy and digging into this book.
3. The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan: This is book five of The Wheel of Time and my goal is really to just keep reading and enjoying the series throughout the rest of the year, especially with season two of the show coming soon!
4. For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten: This is a fairy tale fantasy retelling that seems like it will be perfect for binging on a cool day with a cup of coffee and a fuzzy blanket. I’ve got big plans for this one, basically.
5. The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher: I grabbed an e-copy of this one a few months back and I keep hearing such great things about T. Kingfisher. What better time to prioritize a horror novel than the fall?

6. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson: This book seems perfect for a spooky fall read and I am here for it!
7. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: I started reading this one a while back, but for some reason I never finished it. I don’t really know why as the premise is really interesting, but I want to pick this up again and read it in full.
8. Radiance by Grave Draven: I have heard so many good things about this book and it does seem to be very up my alley. I think this fall is going to be the perfect time to read it!
9. A Pleasure and a Calling by Phil Hogan: I put this on my TBR immediately after seeing a single review for it, simply for the twisted creepiness of it (based on that review). Another perfect Halloween time read I think.
10. Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrell: I’ve had a copy of this for more than a few years now and the premise of the book is SO intriguing, especially that it differs from other time-travel stories in one major way (that I know of at this point) and I really want to read this and find out what is really going on.

These are my top ten books on my fall 2022 TBR. Have you read any of these? What’s on your list?

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Geographical Terms in the Title

Hi All! It is time for Top Ten Tuesday and this weeks topic is books with a geographical term in the title. Below are all titles from my TBR. Lots of mountain and sea options, other terms took a little more work to dig up, but here’s what I found.

1. The Sea by John Banville
2. Colors of the Mountain by Da Chen
3. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
5. Isolde, Queen of the Western Isles by Rosalind Miles
6. Valley of the Kings by John Romer
7. Concrete Island by J.G. Ballard
8. Between the Bridge and the River by Craig Ferguson
9. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
10. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

What terms did you manage to find in your book titles?

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Completed Series That I Wish Had More Books

Happy Tuesday! It’s time for this weeks Top Ten Tuesday, completed series that I wish had more books. Off the cuff… I’m not sure how many series I’ve actually completed AND that fit the bill… currently I have quite a few that I’m working my way through, but I do love a series. Let’s see what we come up with!

1. Shattered Realms by Cinda Williams Chima: I just read this series last month so it’s fresh in my mind and I can tell you without fail, I would read ALL THE BOOKS that occur in this world and with these characters. I had such an amazing time with this one.
2. Sweep by Cate Tiernan: I LOVED this series when I was a teenager and I reread all of the books earlier this year. I would love to see more in this series, but particularly after the last book with Morgan as an adult and as her daughter grows into her power. I’d eat that up.
3. All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness: The first book in this series is SO good, and even though I have a love/hate relationship with the second and third books I really did like the characters and would love a glimpse into their lives post ‘The Book of Life’.
4. Knitting in the City by Penny Reid: These are contemporary romances that were just so witty and quirky and I had a great time reading them.
5. Lady Julia Grey by Deanna Raybourn: I didn’t love how this series closed out, but I was obsessed with the characters in this series and would happily read more books with Lady Julia.

Okay, these last five are series that I haven’t finished so I’m definitely bending the rules here, but I’m assuming I’ll want more of the story when I do finally finish them. Plus, there are A LOT of series that I’ve started and have not finished. What better way to give myself some motivation…
6. Mercy Thompson by Pamela Briggs: I haven’t picked these up in sometime, but I love Mercy Thompson’s character and I remember loving a lot about the world. I actually intend to reread the books I have read and get caught up in the nearish future (because I don’t think this is finished yet?)
7. The Scholomance by Naomi Novik: I believe this will only be a trilogy and the third book is due out the end of September, but I loved the first two and I suspect that I will want much more once I’ve read the third book.
8. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead: I feel like Vampire Academy got all the glory and as enjoyable, if at times annoying, as those books can be I really liked Bloodlines a lot more. The perspective of the Alchemists and Sydney’s struggles between what she was raised to believe and what really is was such an interesting perspective to read from.
9. Lightbringer by Brent Weeks: Why in the hell I haven’t finished this series I do not know because I devoured the first book and loved it so much. The magic in particular is so interesting in this series. I’m sure that once I finish it I will wish there was more of this world to read.
10. In the interest of really bending the rules…. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin: this series is not finished. Last I checked there isn’t even a confirmed release date for book six, let alone book seven, but let me tell you, there are a few characters in this book that I just love, and when it’s over I know I will want to know what happens now that all of the upheaval is resolved.

So what series do you wish there were more books in?

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Love That Were Written Over Ten Years Ago

Happy Tuesday All! It’s time for another TTT and this weeks topic is books I love that were written more than ten years ago. Most of my favorite books fall into this category, so this is pretty exciting. Without further adieu, lets talk about some oldies.

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, first published 1999: I first read this as a teenager and absolutely adored this book, enough that I have a tattoo from the book. I think that’s saying something.
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, first published 1813: Like this wasn’t going to make the list? This is my favorite classic!
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, first published 2003: This book has all the feels, as they say. What a sad, wonderful story.
4. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, first published 1995: I could not put this book down when I read it, the story and the main character in particular just sucked me in.
5. The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta, first published 2007: I flew through this book in about two days when I read it a few years back. This hits a little too close to home when we consider some of America’s flaws, but this was such an amazing read.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, first published 1960: I suspect that we will see this on A LOT of this weeks lists, but I mean…. there’s a reason for it!
7. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen, first published 2009: I still think about this memoir from time to time now and I read this 12 years ago. There is just something about this memoir that when things get nutty in my life, I always think back to this read.
8. Soulless by Gail Carriger, first published 2009: I remember this book so fondly. I was in college when I stumbled across the ebook from my library one night and I read the whole thing that night. I think I was up until about 4 am reading. Not a big deal for 19ish year old Hannah, but I do remember sitting in class later that day yawning and wondering just how I let myself get so sucked in.
9. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, first published 1960: Listen y’all. We need to give credit where credit is due. What books turn us into readers? I read this book almost every single day as a kid. This book is one of the ones that made me the reader I am today.
10. The Witches by Roald Dahl, first published 1983: I’ve never read a bad Roald Dahl book, but this is another one that I read over and over as a kid. Anytime it was available at the library I took that sucker out and read it like I’d never get to read it again.

These are ten books that I loved that were written more than ten years ago. Have you read any of these? What’s on your list?

Until next time, Happy Reading!