Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books With Nationalities In The Title with the prompt providing example such as The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Mexican Gothic, An American Marriage, etc. Well, clearly I can’t use those! But I did manage to come up with ten others…
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (review)
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith (review)
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Bookish Places I’ve Visited with the prompt: Share all the cool places you’ve been that are bookish or tied to books! This includes neat libraries, book stores, places featured in books, places inspired by books, author homes/places they’ve stayed, etc. You can also share your bucket list of the bookish places you’d like to visit someday. (submitted by Susan @Bloggin’ ’bout Books)
Here are nine places I’ve been that have some connection to books — plus one that I really want to get to:
Note: Images from online sources are credited; uncredited images are from my camera roll.
1. Forks, Washington: A road trip last summer took me through the Olympic Peninsula, and I totally fangirled out over the Twilight-ness of it all.
2. Oregon Shakespeare Festival: I love everything about the annual festival in Ashland, Oregon, and hope to make it an annual tradition.
3. New York Public Library: Iconic! Need I say more?
5. Harry Potter World at Universal Studios: Okay, sure, this is mainly based on the movies… but close enough!
6. Muir Woods: This national monument, just a quick drive from where I live, is one of my favorite local destinations, and has the added bonus of being an important site in the world of the October Daye series. Every time I visit, I hope to catch a glimpse of Toby and Tybalt. Hasn’t happened yet, but I can dream!
7. Salem, Massachusetts: Connected to so many books, and I found the small park with the names of the witch trial victims incredibly moving (despite being hemmed in on all sides by so much witchy kitsch)
8. Powell’s, Portland, OR: This immense bookstore is just as amazing as everyone says! I was so happy to finally get a chance to visit last year.
9. Florence, Italy: I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Florence during college, and read The Agony and The Ecstasy immediately before the trip, then planned my sight-seeing around checking out as many Michelangelo masterpieces as possible.
10. Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, UK: Finally, one from my bucket list! I don’t know when this will happen, but someday, I absolutely want to get to this Jane Austen landmark!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Book Series I Want to Catch Up On (or series you’d like to start)
I generally start each year with a post about my series reading goals (here’s the version I shared for 2026), where I share my intentions regarding new-to-me series that I plan (or hope) to start. For today’s post, I decided to focus on the next books in series that I’m already involved with. Most of these are series that I’m totally committed to, basically just checking my calendar until the next installment is available — and a couple are series where I’ve read a book or two and feel interested in continuing, but perhaps a little less motivated to dive in the second I get hold of them.
In no particular order, here are the top ten next installments from series I’m reading — can’t wait to get to all of these!
1. October Daye by Seanan McGuire
Up next: A Divided Duty #20 in the series Release date: September 2026
2. Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire
Up next: A Song of Sugar Sparrows #12 in the series Release date: January 2027
3. InCryptids by Seanan McGuire
Up next: Pride and Poltergeists #16 in the series Release date: March 2027
(Yes, that’s three from three different series by Seanan McGuire!! Moving on…)
4. Alpha & Omega by Patricia Briggs
Up next: Steel Rain (no cover yet — this is an earlier book in the series) #7 in the series Release date: April 2027
5. Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong
Up next: Last Resort at Haven’s Rock #5 in the series (series finale) Release date: February 2027
6. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Up next: We Chase Shadows #2 in the series Release date: September 2026
7. The Marys by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows
Up next: My Imaginary Mary #2 in the series Published: 2022
8. Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Up next: Well Versed #5 in the series Release date: September 2026
9. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Up next: The Neverfear #3 in the series Release date: September 2026
10. Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart
Up next: Roundabout #2 in the series Release date: January 2027
What series do you hope to start or continue?
If you posted a TTT list this week, please share your link!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books I Was Reading On This Day Over the Last Ten Years, with the prompt: … the idea is to share what you were reading on August 11th of 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016.
I love this concept! What fun to look back at past years and see what books were in my hands! Based on my Goodreads history, I was able to get a pretty good idea of what books I was reading at this time for each of the last 10 Augusts.
So many years of reading… so many great memories! I’d completely forgotten about some of these — it’s nice to get a reminder, and to see the variety of genres and topics I’ve read over these last ten summers.
What memorable books have you read over the last decade of Augusts?
If you posted a TTT list this week, please share your link!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a cover freebie, with the prompt: Pick any topic related to book covers. You can make up your own topic or pick one from the list of previous ones!
I decided to go with spaceships… historic, modern, or science fiction! Anything involving space flight counts from where I’m standing!
Here’s my batch of 10:
An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton
Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Spaceman by Mike Massimino
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
Serenity: Those Left Behind (graphic novel)
Space by James A. Michener
What books have you read (or do you have on your TBR) with spaceships on the covers?
If you posted a TTT list this week, please share your link!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven’t Read.
As the host explains, this is a throwback topic from 2022. My post from back then is here, in case you’re interested. And I’m a bit embarrassed to say that of the ten I highlighted, I’ve still only read three!
And yet, I keep buying books! (Don’t we all?)
Here’s a new batch of books I couldn’t wait to get my hands on… and still have not touched:
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney
The Fair Folk by Su Bristow
The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi
Have you read any of these? Any recommendations about which should be my top priorities?
Do you have any books that you couldn’t wait to buy… but still haven’t read? Please share your TTT links!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026.
So many to look forward! Plus all the other books already on my shelves that I still need to read! How will I ever keep up?
Here are ten books scheduled for release from July through December that I’m looking forward to:
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian (8/4/2026)
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher (8/25/2026)
Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison (9/1/2026)
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (9/15/2026)
A Divided Duty (October Daye, #20) by Seanan McGuire (9/29/2026)
Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger (10/6/2026)
Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (10/6/2026)
As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers (10/13/2026)
Eight Ways to Say I Love You by Amanda Elliot (10/27/2026)
Murmuration by TJ Klune (11/17/2026)
What upcoming new releases are you most excited for? Please share your TTT links!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books on My Summer 2026 to-Read List.
Before getting started with my summer TBR, I took a look back at my spring TBR post… and discovered that I did pretty well! Of my 10 winter TBR books, I actually read eight and DNFd one. I still intend to read the one remaining book, which is the first in a series I’ve been planning to start this year:
So, I’ll leave Just One Damned Thing After Another here as a reference… and meanwhile, I’m picking another ten books for my summer reading TBR! Of course, narrowing it down to just ten is practically impossible, but here’s the batch of books I’m putting high on my priority list right now:
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage
My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
What are you planning to read this summer? Please share your TTT links!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Bookish Wishes, with the prompt: List the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to your wishlist so that people can grant your wishes. Make sure you link your wishlist to your mailing address or include the email address associated with your e-reader in the list description so people know how to get the book to you. After you post, jump around the Linky and grant a wish or two if you’d like. Please don’t feel obligated to send anything to anyone!
When wishlists come up as a TTT prompt, I typically don’t share a link… but what the heck! I’ll jump in with my Amazon wishlist this time around. Really, I’m not terribly comfortable asking people for anything! Mainly, I’m posting this to say — here are books I want to get my hands on… and eventually, I may end up treating myself to at least one or two.
A couple of these are books that I read via the library and would love to own; one I just purchased in hardcover using a gift card, but would love to get a Kindle edition; and one is an upcoming new release that I already know I’ll need!
The Children by Melissa Albert
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
The Calamity Club by Katheryn Stockett
Kin by Tayari Jones
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher (not out yet; release date 8/25/2026)
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books with Handwriting on the Cover.
The topic got me thinking: Do kids still learn to write in cursive these days? I’m guessing not. I used to have a fairly nice cursive handwriting… and now when I attempt it, it’s mainly a big, messy scrawl. Sigh. I love how quick and easy it is to use a keyboard, but it’s a bit sad to think about handwriting as a lost art.
Back to the books! Rather than focusing on actual handwriting, I just started looking through my physical and digital shelves for book titles in cursive fonts… and found more than I expected! Here’s a round-up of 13 that I really like… because I couldn’t decide which to drop to get to ten.
Cinnamon & Gunpowder by Eli Brown
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath
The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay
Off the Map by Trish Doller
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Reputation by Lex Croucher
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub
The One That Got Away by Mike Gayle
Love Lettering by Kate Claybourn
If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!
Bookshelf Fantasies 