Top Ten Tuesday: Thankgiving gratitude

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 a Thanksgiving Freebie, so I thought I’d put together a list of the top ten things I’m grateful for right now.

I’m so thankful for:

The health and wellbeing of my family and friends, and my own health too
The upcoming inauguration on January 20, 2021! So thankful that the US will finally have competent, honorable leadership.
Related to #2, but it deserves its own recognition: Shattering the glass ceiling! Hurray for our first woman VP.
Zoom and FaceTime — yes, I’m sick of Zoom work meetings, but I’m so grateful that I connect with family across the country.
Having a job. Can’t take it for granted, when so many don’t. I’m grateful to have steady employment and benefits right now.
A never-ending pile of good books to read!
Being able to stream so much great entertainment.
Living in a place with (mostly) year-round sun, so even if I’m always home, I can get outside to read in the sun or go for long walks.
Medical professionals, teachers, supermarket staff, and all the other front-line workers performing essential services.
All the responsible people who wear masks and practice social distancing.

And of course, I can’t forget to say THANK YOU to all the wonderful people in the blogging community. I love the support, connection, insights, and fun!

What are you thankful for this year?

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

26Nov2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons I’m grateful for all the bookish people in my life

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 a Thanksgiving freebie — so we can each come up with our own take on something we’re thankful for this year.

This time around, I thought I’d keep it simple and just talk about why I love having a book group and friends who love books. I’m not actually doing ten… just the top things that come to mind when I think about the bookish people in my life.

1. I’ve read so many books over the years thanks to my book group — books that I might not have picked up on my own, as well as classics that I might never have gotten around to without the group to motivate me.

2. I’m an introvert — but put me in a room or across a table from someone who’s a reader, and the conversation flows.

3. I’m thankful that my family members include people who love books as much as I do… and for those that don’t, they tolerate my bookish obsessions, which is nice too.

4. I’m thankful for all the amazing book bloggers I’ve met since starting my blog seven years ago! Thanks to all of you, I’ve engaged in fantastic discussions, considered new ideas, discovered so many amazing books, and have found a true community.

5. It’s thrilling to have friends who will geek out with me over the latest book in a series, or will share my terror that something bad will happen to a character I love.

6. I love having friends who will go with me to a used bookstore just because it’s there. Do we know how to have fun or what?

7. It’s great going to a silent reading party with people who will sit silently beside me and read their own books and not talk to me… and walk out when it’s done talking about what a great time we all had!

8. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without giving a big shout-out of appreciation to the public library, indie bookstores, and most especially, to the nonprofit organizations who focus on reading, books, and literacy. There are so many ways to share our love of reading while making a difference in the world! (Check out this list on Goodreads to get started.)

As a booklover, there’s so much to feel thankful for, this year and always! What books or bookish things are you most grateful for this Thanksgiving week?

Please share your thoughts, and if you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

23Nov2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten books that make me grateful for book groups & book friends

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Thankgiving freebie — so we can each come up with our own take on something we’re thankful for this year.

I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on how important my book group is to me. A smarter, kinder, warmer bunch of people I can’t even imagine… and what’s funny is that while I feel that I know them all so well, we’ve never actually met in person! We have such amazing conversations about books in general, our shared love for the Outlander series, and our monthly groups reads… as well as offering one another friendship and support through all our many non-bookish ups and downs.

In addition to spending time with great people, thanks to my book group I’ve read some really wonderful books! Here’s a list of ten books that I might (or might not) have chosen on my own, but which I’m thankful to have read and discussed with my book group friends.

1) The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczky (review)

2) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (review)

3) The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (review)

4) The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (review)

5) The Day of Atonement by David Liss (review)

6) The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian (review)

7) All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (review)

And these last three are extra special, because not only did we read amazing books and have fabulous discussions, but we were also fortunate enough to have the authors join us to answer questions and participate in the conversations:

8) Henna House by Nomi Eve (review)

9) I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe (review)

10) Gathering Storm by Maggie Craig (review)

So, a big virtual hug to my book club friends! Thank you for enriching my life for all of these years — I’m looking forward to many, many more!

What books or bookish things are you most grateful for this Thanksgiving week?

Please share your thoughts, and if you wrote a TTT post, don’t forget to share your link!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out my regular weekly features, Shelf Control and Thursday Quotables. Happy reading!

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Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I host a Book Blog Meme Directory, and I’m always looking for new additions! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!