Top Ten Tuesday: Just foolin’…

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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 April Fools Day-themed — officially, it’s Books You’d be a Fool Not to Read. That didn’t really call to me, so I’m taking a simpler approach and highlighting ten books with “fool” in the title.

First, a bunch that I’ve read:

1) Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell: A terrific novel set behind the scenes in Shakespeare’s time. (review)

2) Fool Moon by Jim Butcher: The 2nd book in the Dresden series. This is one of the books that made me realize — yup, I’m hooked!

3) The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory: My first book by this author. I loved the way a Jewish woman serves as a viewpoint into the court of Queen Mary.

4) Fool by Christopher Moore: A brilliant (and super funny) King Lear retelling! Still one of my favorite Moore books.

5) The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George: One of the first Tudor novels I ever read. I remember being totally immersed.

6) Fool’s Paradise by Dale Walker: Non-fiction travelogue about Saudi Arabia. I read this so long ago that I barely remember it — but I do know I enjoyed it at the time.

And to round out my list, a few more that fit my foolish topic:

7) Bloody Fool for Love by William Ritter: It’s a ~~Buffy~~ Spike prequel! How can I resist? I hope to read this later this year, maybe as a nice summer diversion.

8) A Fool and His Honey by Charlaine Harris: This is the 6th book in the Aurora Teagarden series, which I haven’t read… but I’ve been meaning to give it a try, since I’ve enjoyed so many other of her books.

9) Fools Rush In by Kristan Higgins: A few bookish friends have recommended this author over the years, and this book looks especially cute!

10) Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer: I feel like I should have read this story already! I know I’ve heard about it, and we definitely had books of stories by this author in my house growing up.

Happy April Fool’s Day! Do you have any other “foolish” books to recommend?

If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!

End note: Since I mentioned Buffy… Fool for Love is one of my favorite Buffy episodes (season 5, episode 7), and since it fits the theme, I thought I’d end with a little photo montage!

18Mar2025

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for spring 2025

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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 about our spring 2025 reading plans. Earlier in the year, I shared a post on my most anticipated new releases for the first half of 2025 — all of which remain books I’m eager to read (or have read already!).

With that in mind, I’m going to try to avoid repeats — so here are 10 additional books I’m looking forward to this spring:

Swept Away by Beth O’Leary
Run Away with Me by Brian Selznick (I really don’t know much about this one, except it seems to be a novel told with illustrations, and his previous books like this were amazing!)
Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman
City of All Seasons by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whiteley
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (an upcoming book group book!)
The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The Love Haters by Katherine Center
The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner
It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

What books will you be reading this spring? Do we have any in common?

Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

11Mar2025

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 books with a place in the title

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

This week’s topic is Top 5 books with a place in the title, with the prompt: Any location or place in a title is fine — just share your top five with us. I did a TTT post last year with a similar theme, so I’m going to do my best not to repeat myself.

Here are a few from my shelves that fit the theme:

1: The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian: A twisty thriller about a Princess Diana impersonator who gets caught up in a shady, dangerous crime operation. (review)

2: Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti: I didn’t actually love (or even like) this book (the author’s previous book, Dava Shastri’s Last Day, was amazing!), but it kept my attention, and it fits the prompt! (review)

3: The Bookseller of Inverness by S. G. MacLean: A book club pick! We really enjoyed this historical novel set in 18th century Scotland. (review)

4: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: TJR’s books are always a great read! Malibu Rising doesn’t quite rise to the level of some of her other books (Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo, my two favorites), but it’s still really entertaining and worth checking out. (review)

5: Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean: The first in a fabulous duology! I loved both books. (review)

What are your favorite books with place names in the titles?

4Mar2025

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 books with a pronoun in the title

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

This week’s topic is Top 5 books with a pronoun in the title, with the prompt: Find all of your he, she, they, we or you books and then shout them from the rooftops!! Or just on your blog page.

Here are a few from my shelves that fit the theme:

1: She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton: Not actually on my home shelves at the moment, but I borrowed this from the library a while back, and thought it was wonderful. A terrific children’s book highlighting women who made a difference. (And don’t miss the companion back, She Persisted Around the World)

2: He, She, and It by Marge Piercy: This 1991 sci-fi book made a huge impact on me back when I read it ages ago, and it’s one I’d love to get back to and read again at some point.

3: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien: A modern classic set during the Vietnam War. A must-read… and another one that I really should read again.

4: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dare: A more recent book — this one had a ton of buzz, and is definitely worth reading. (Here’s my review, if you want to know more.)

5: We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft: If you’ve never read a book about disco vampires… well, have I got a book for you! Seriously, this book is awesome. (Review)

What books with pronouns in the title do you have on your shelves?

25Feb2025

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 books I want to buy in 2025

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

This week’s topic is Top 5 books I want to buy in 2025, with the prompt: Is there a book coming out in 2025 that you absolutely want to buy? Even if you don’t want to read it straight away. Maybe it’s a special edition version. Or maybe a fancy cover! Tell us all about it!!

Easy-peasy! The hardest part of this week’s topic is sticking to just five! I’ve been much better about being selective when it comes to buying physical books, but there are always some — whether by a favorite author or an especially beautiful edition — that I just can’t resist.

My five must-buys for 2025 are:

1: The Sirens by Emilia Hart: I have a hardcover edition of this author’s previous novel, Weyward, and it’s so pretty! The cover for The Sirens looks just as gorgeous. (March)

2: When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi: This author’s books are auto-buys for me, and I love having the hardcovers! I’ve yet to be able to attend one of his book tour events, but I keep hoping it’ll work out eventually, because I’d love to get a signed edition. If not, though, I’ll be buying the book anyway! (March)

3: The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley: I love Susanna Kearsley’s books, and I always want to read her new releases… but once I saw the deluxe paperback edition, I knew I needed a physical copy rather than just the e-book. (March)

4: Death at a Highland Wedding (A Rip Through Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: This is such a terrific series, and since I already own hardcovers of the previous books, this one will be a must for me as well. (May)

5: The Wicked King by Holly Black: I already own hardcover editions of the Folk of the Air trilogy, and then bought the special black velvet edition of the first book, The Cruel Prince, when it was released in 2023. This year, the 2nd book will get a matching edition, and I have to have it! (October)

What books do you plan to buy in 2025?

18Feb2025

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 books I want to reread in 2025

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

This week’s topic is Top 5 books I want to reread in 2025, with the prompt: Are you planning to reread some favourites in 2025? Maybe that classic you read back in school. Or maybe there’s a new book coming out in a series, and you want to remind yourself what happened in the last book. Whatever it is, let’s share all of our reread plans!!

I have at least two rereads that I’m firmly committed to, and while there are a bunch that are maybes for me, I’ll share a few that seem most likely.

My five are:

1: Dracula by Bram Stoker: This is my most recent Classics Club spin book, and I’m committed to reading it by April. I originally read this book back in my school days, but that was eons ago!

2: The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien: My book group will be reading this book in April, prior to launching into a lengthy group read of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’m excited to read The Hobbit again! I’ve read it several times, most recently with one of my kids, and I’m looking forward to experiencing it all over again.

3: Wolfsong by TJ Klune: It’s no secret that I adored the Green Creek series when I read it recently, and I’ve been wanting to do an audiobook reread. I’m not sure that I’ll get through the whole series right away, but I’d like to at least listen to the first book.

4 & 5: Two October Daye books: Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire: Books 17 and 18 in this phenomenal series — telling the same story from two different perspectives — were released one month apart in 2023. Now, finally, the next book is on the way! Book #19, Silver and Lead, will be released in September 2025. It’s been my habit to reread the previous books before each new release in the series, and especially with two years in between installments, I think it will be absolutely essential this time around!

Read in 2024:

Do you plan to reread any books in 2025?

11Feb2025

Top Ten Tuesday: It’s all above LOVE… My ten favorite love stories from this past year of reading (new & improved for 2025)

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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 Love Freebie, which means we all put our own spin on the topic of LOVE.

Focusing on my favorite love stories from the books I’ve read recently has become my go-to topic for the “love freebie” TTT topic — I’ve been keeping it going since 2020! Here are my ~~ten~~ twelve favorite love stories that I read in the past year:

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (review)
Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot (review)
The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain (review)
Better Than Fiction by Alexis Martin (review)
Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon (review)
My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine (review)
The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima (review)
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell (review)
Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong (review)
Funny Story by Emily Henry (review)
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest (review)
The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon (review)

Yes, I went to twelve! I just couldn’t decide which to drop, and had to hold myself back from including even more!

What were the best love stories you read during the past year?

If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link and let me know your topic!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Save

4Feb2025

Top Ten Tuesday: 2024 Releases I Was Excited to Read but Still Haven’t Gotten To

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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 2024 Releases I Was Excited to Read but Still Haven’t Gotten To, with the added question: will you be prioritizing these this year?

This was a surprisingly tough topic. I did a pretty good job in 2024 of reading the books I was most excited about. Of the remaining 2024 releases on my TBR list, I can really only name seven that fit the excited description — the rest are maybe, someday books, but not truly high priorities.

Here are my seven books for this week’s list:

1) Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

Synopsis: Welcome to the Grand Abeona Hotel: home of the finest food, the sweetest service, and the very best views the galaxy has to offer. All year round it moves from planet to planet, system to system, pampering guests across the furthest reaches of the milky way. The last word in sub-orbital luxury—and an absolute magnet for intrigue. Intrigues such as: Why are there love poems in the lobby inbox? How many Imperial spies are currently on board? What is the true purpose of the Problem Solver’s conference? And perhaps most pertinently—who is driving the ship?

Priority for 2025? Yes, I do really want to read this one, and I’m on my library’s hold list.

2) The Naturalist Society by Carrie Vaughn

Synopsis: In this magical tale of self-discovery from New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn, a young widow taps into the power that will change the world—if the man’s world she lives in doesn’t destroy her and her newfound friends first.

Priority for 2025? Yes. I’ve enjoyed so many of this author’s books, and bought a Kindle edition as soon as it was released.

3) The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black

Synopsis: An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame... From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.

Priority for 2025? Sigh. Unlikely. The Stolen Heir didn’t wow me the way the original Elfhame trilogy did, and by the time The Prisoner’s Throne came out, I barely remembered what had happened in The Stolen Heir. I’d need to reread the first book before reading the second, and right now, that’s not something I see happening.

4) My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Synopsis: Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, New York Times bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are back with a fantastical, romantical, and piratical historical fantasy remix that marries the story of The Little Mermaid with the life and times of infamous lady pirate Mary Read.

Priority for 2025: Yes! Or at least, I hope so. I have two other “Mary” books to read first (My Contrary Mary and My Imaginary Mary)… but I love the sound of all three, and definitely want to make an attempt!

5) The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

Synopsis: The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.

Priority for 2025? Maybe. I’m interested, and I have a copy in my Kindle library… but I can’t say that it’s a burning priority at the moment.

6) Annie Bot by Sierra Green

Synopsis: Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the cute outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard. She’s learning, too.

Priority for 2025? This is a big of a cheat, because this is coming up for me as a book group book, so I’ll definitely be reading it!

7) Storybook Ending by Poppy Alexander

Synopsis: From the author of The Littlest Library—a heartwarming novel about a widowed children’s book author who moves into a cottage in the English countryside and finds herself face-to-face with the handsome and brooding blacksmith who lives next door.

Priority for 2025? Yes! I only came across this book late in the year, but the cover drew me in right away, and I’m looking forward to curling up with it when I’m in the mood for a cozy romance.

What 2024 releases do you still hope to read in 2025? Have you read any from my list? If so, which do you recommend?

If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

28Jan2025

Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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 New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024.

I did a Top 5 Tuesday post on this same topic at the end of December… but there are so many new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2024, so why not highlight even more? Check out my previous post, here, and don’t miss the T5T fun with Meeghan Reads!

First, here are the five new-to-me authors I features on my T5T post:

Carley Fortune — I’ve now read all three of her available novels!
Ali Brady — Same — three read, eagerly awaiting a new release!
Meg Shaffer – Read two!
Emilia Hart – Read one, waiting for her upcoming release in March
Julie Leong – Read her debut, and hope there are more books soon to come

And now, even more! Here are ten more new-to-me authors I read in 2024 — all of whom are authors whose books I’ll be looking for in the future as well:

Douglas Preston
Ayelet Tsabari
Holly Gramazio
Ray Nayler
Sarah Beth Durst
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Katherine Rundell
Alexa Martin
Hildur Knutsdottir
Virginia Heath

Which new-to-you authors did you discover in 2024?

If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

21Jan2025

Top Ten Tuesday: The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Kindle Library

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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 The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection.

I’ve bought a few hardcover editions of favorite books over the last several weeks, but since those are all books that I’ve already read (and in some cases, already have in my e-library), I thought I’d focus on my greatest buying temptation: Kindle books. I can’t resist a good Kindle price break, even though the result is having more e-books than I have time to read. It’s not the worst problem to have!

Here are the ten Kindle books I’ve added most recently: