Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I’ve met

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 Authors I’ve Met. I love getting the opportunity to go to book signings and other bookish events, and over the years have had the opportunity to meet some of my favorites.

1. Diana Gabaldon: At a massive speaking/signing event in Arizona for the release of the 9th Outlander book.

2. John Scalzi: I attended an event where he was in conversation with another sci-fi writer, and then got a few books signed.

3. Joe Hill: At a signing for his first novel, back when he was new and pretty unknown, and then again for a later book, when a very large crowd showed up.

4. Rainbow Rowell: At a signing for a Simon Snow book — such a packed room!

5. Gail Carriger: I’ve been to a few of her events!

6. Felicia Day: Did a very fun speaking engagement when her book You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) came out, and I got my book signed.

7. Chris Bohjalian: I attended a presentation he did at the local Armenian Cultural Center, and of course got books signed.

8. Mary Doria Russell: When a local girls’ high school chose her book The Sparrow for a school-wide reading project, she came to give a talk and engage with the students. I was able to attend as a guest, and actually got a little time to chat with her before the event started.

9. Susanna Kearsley: A long-time favorite, she was kind enough to Zoom with my book group last year, and we found her so lovely and interesting.

10. Matt Haig: I attended a recent speaking engagement of his, which was funny and revealing, and got books signed.

How about you? Have you had any memorable author encounters?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Let’s hear it for indie bookstores!

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 Indie Freebie with the prompt: This topic encompasses a lot: your favorite indie bookstores, indie books, indie authors, indie publishers/presses, indie books on your to-read list, indie authors I read before they became traditionally published, etc.

My list today includes some favorite indie bookstores, plus a few ways to support indie booksellers.

First, my local faves:

1. The Love Potion Library: A new romance bookstore!

2. Borderland Books: Mainly sci-fi and fantasy, but also horror, mystery, and all sorts of cool and eclectic items for sale.

3. Green Apple Books: A San Francisco destination for new and used books (now with two locations).

4. Peninsula Books: A non-profit bookstore selling used books and hosting a variety of bookish events, supporting Peninsula Book Collective.

Next, a few other ways to shop and show support for indie bookstores and authors:

5. Poisoned Pen Bookstore (Arizona): For non-locals like me, a great source for virtual events and for ordering signed books copies, especially for Outlander books (but also plenty of others)

6. Bookshop.org: An online alternative to you-know-what, with purchases supporting the bookstore of your choice.

7. Libro.fm: Up to now, a great resource for audiobooks, but about to expand into ebooks as well. And like the previous item on my list, you can designate a bookstore to support via your purchases.

8. Independent Bookstore Day, sponsored by the American Booksellers Association: The last Saturday in April each year, this is a terrific event offering all sorts of opportunities to get out and enjoy indie bookstores across the country.

9. Check your favorite authors’ websites for preferred sellers! Many authors I follow have a designated local bookseller where we can order signed books (and sometimes fun extras too! It’s a nice way to support an indie bookseller while also getting access to a bookish treat for ourselves.

10. Gumroad: A place for creators to sell directly to consumers (rather than through the big A). I only know about this thanks to author Gail Carriger, who has several of her books and audiobooks available here.

What indie bookstore or resources do you recommend?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Nationalities In The Title

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…

  1. The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
  2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (review)
  3. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
  4. My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith (review)
  5. The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende (review)
  6. The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon
  7. The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris (review)
  8. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L Sanchez (review)
  9. A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (review)
  10. American Hippo by Sarah Gailey (review)

What books made your list this week? Do we have any in common?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Places I’ve Visited

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?

Image via Wikipedia

4. The Morgan Library and Museum in New York: I visited with my book group, shortly after we’d read The Personal Librarian, which is set at this gorgeous location.

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!

Image from A Jane Austen Year; see https://janeaustens.house/a-short-history-of-jane-austens-house/ for more information

Have you visited any bookish places? Are there any you especially hope to visit?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Next, please! Books coming up in series I’m reading

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?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was Reading On This Day Over the Last Ten Years

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.

Let’s jump in:

2025

The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley (review)

2024

The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey (review)

2023

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center (review)

2022

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan (review)

2021

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary (review)

2020

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer (review)

2019

Our War by Craig DiLouie (review)

2018

Night and Silence (October Daye, #12) by Seanan McGuire (review)

2017

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig (review)

2016

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (review)

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?

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Top Ten Tuesday: [Cover Freebie] Books with spaceships on the cover

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:

  1. An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton
  2. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
  3. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
  4. Spaceman by Mike Massimino
  5. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
  6. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  7. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  8. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
  9. Serenity: Those Left Behind (graphic novel)
  10. Space by James A. Michener

What books have you read (or do you have on your TBR) with spaceships on the covers?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish wishes (summer 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 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!

  1. The Children by Melissa Albert
  2. Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
  3. The Calamity Club by Katheryn Stockett
  4. Kin by Tayari Jones
  5. My Friends by Fredrik Backman
  6. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
  7. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
  8. Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher (not out yet; release date 8/25/2026)
  9. Ladies in Waiting (anthology – various authors)
  10. Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

What books are you wishing for right now?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Getting fancy: Books with titles in a cursive font

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.

By the way, did you know that the National Archives is looking for people who can read cursive to volunteer to transcribe historical documents? Sounds like a really fun project… that I’ll bookmark for when I have more free time in my life! Learn more here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/12/national-archives-needs-citizen-archivists-cursive/77493951007/

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.

  1. Cinnamon & Gunpowder by Eli Brown
  2. Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
  3. The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
  4. Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey
  5. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
  6. All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath
  7. The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay
  8. Off the Map by Trish Doller
  9. Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
  10. Pride by Ibi Zoboi
  11. Reputation by Lex Croucher
  12. The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub
  13. The One That Got Away by Mike Gayle
  14. Love Lettering by Kate Claybourn

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read

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 Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read.

My picks this week include a classic I should have read by now and a bunch of books that have been sitting on my shelves for way too long.

In no particular order, my top 10 are:

1. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
2. Venetia by Georgette Heyer
3. Vicious by V. E. Schwab

4. Moloka’i by Alan Brennert
5. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
6. Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler

7. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
8. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
9. Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
10. Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede

Do you see any here that you’d particularly recommend?

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