Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 books with doorways

I’m sticking with Top 5 Tuesday again this week! I’m participating in the meme originally created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, now hosted by Meeghan Reads.

This month’s topics are like a bookish scavenger hunt — what fun! You can see all the topics for March here.

This week, it’s all about doorways, and I’m happy to share a few faves:

  • Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune: Sweet and uplifting!
  • A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle: I read this one ages ago, and I think this is as far as I got in the Wrinkle in Times series. Someday, I’ll go back and read the rest!
  • The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow: I loved this book so much! The plot is fascinating, and I loved the main character.
  • Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire: The first book in the Wayward Children series introduces us to a world where doors lead children to new lives. Such a favorite.
  • The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley: A fairy tale collection that includes new stories as well as retellings. All are lovely.

What “door” books do you love?

As always, if you have a TTT or T5T post this week, please share your link!

Happy Hanukkah to me! A celebration – with books.

Earlier this week, I wrote a blog post as part of the Top Ten Tuesday blog hop, about the top 10 books I’d like to receive as gifts this holiday season (or any holiday season, or ever, really). I bemoaned the fact that no one in my family or circle of friends buys me books, for reasons too sad to get into again (but you can read my post here, if you’d like).

But really, it wasn’t entirely fair for me to make this statement, as my wonderful and amazing daughter is the exception to the rule. A brief moment of mommy bragginess: My daughter, age 22, is smart, funny, caring, and a reader; she’s the light of my life, and everything a mother could want in a daughter. We make each other laugh; we share the same taste in books, movies, TV shows… you name it.

And so, darling daughter — currently spending a year in Alaska as an Americorps volunteer — sent the family a package in time for Hanukkah, which we opened tonight after latkes were eaten, candles were lit, songs were sung. And in that package was a book for me! And guess what? It was:

  1. A book that I didn’t already own
  2. A book that I hadn’t already read
  3. A book that I hadn’t even known existed
  4. A BOOK THAT I LOVE!

Success! My girl is amazing. She got me… drumroll, please… the brand-new graphic novel of A Wrinkle In Time! A Wrinkle In Time is only one of my very favorite children’s books, and now THERE’S A GRAPHIC NOVEL! (Please excuse my excessive use of caps lock — I’m a tad overexcited at the moment).

You know when someone gives you a present, and you open it up and it’s not really something you’re all that into, but you smile and say “wow!” and “oh my god” and other inane things intended to show happiness with something you could really do without? This was not one of those times. Darling daughter picked out the perfect something — something that I’ll enjoy, something I’m excited to receive, and most important to me, something that shows that she really knows me.

I can’t wait to read my new book. I love my daughter. Basically, I’m a happy camper.

See? The way to a booklover’s heart is through her bookshelves. ‘Tis the season to give and receive good books. And, oh yeah, one more time: I love my daughter.