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Top Ten Tuesday & Top 5 Tuesday: Favorite books of 2024

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It’s that day of the week again…

I enjoy two different Tuesday memes, and once again, their topics align this week — so I’m linking up with both!

snowy10

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 Best Books I Read in 2024.

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — and the topic is Top 5 books of 2024.

Since we have a top 10 and a top 5, why not combine and list my Top 15 Books of 2024? (That’s actually easier, in a way — fewer hard decisions to make!)

I could have added even more — but I’ll stop at 15. I’m including a mix of genres and topics; some serious books, some upbeat or funny or romantic — but all are books that I really enjoyed and that I’m especially happy to have read!

Without further ado…

Here are my 15 favorite books from my 2024 reading:

  1. The Women by Kristen Hannah
  2. The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
  3. The Guncle by Steven Rowley
  4. The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain
  5. The Secret Countess by Eva Ibottson
  6. Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong
  7. My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
  8. The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
  9. The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
  10. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
  11. Songs for the Broken Hearted by Ayelet Tsabari
  12. Close Knit by Jenny Colgan
  13. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman
  14. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
  15. Weyward by Emilia Hart

What were your favorite reads of 2024? Do we have any in common? If you wrote a TTT or T5T post, please share your link!

Top Ten Tuesday & Top 5 Tuesday: Books on my wishlist (winter 2024)

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It’s that day of the week again…

I enjoy two different Tuesday memes, and this week, their topics align — so I’m linking up with both!

snowy10

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 Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. There’s a prompt to include a link to our book wishlists, so people can grant wishes if they choose to — but honestly, I’m not particularly comfortable with that, so I’ll just list a bunch of books that I hope the Book Fairy brings!

Also… as I’ve mentioned in past years, Santa doesn’t visit my house… but I do enjoy looking at new books by the light of my menorah!

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 for Jolabokaflod, and the prompt is: The year we were travelling Europe for Christmas is the year I discovered Jolabokaflod — the Icelandic tradition of giving books as gifts on Christmas Eve. Which is honestly like the greatest tradition I’ve ever seen. So, which books would you like to receive if you celebrated Jolabokaflod?

Honestly, I love this question, and I think celebrating Jolabokaflod is going to have to become my family’s next/newest holiday tradition!

Getting down to business…

Here are my top bookish wishes this holiday season!

  1. A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong: This is the 2nd Rockton book, and I’d be happy to own any and all volumes in the series!
  2. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon: An upcoming book group read.
  3. I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong: I’ve already read this book as an ARC, but would love to have a hardcover edition for my shelves. A signed copy would be even better!
  4. The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey: Another that I’ve read in e-book format — but a hardcover would go so well with my Expanse series books.
  5. The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss: I don’t tend to buy myself non-fiction books, but I think this one would be a great gift to receive.
  6. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell: This book has gotten so much buzz this year, and after reading a different book by this author, I’m eager to check it out.
  7. You Like It Darker by Stephen King: I usually try to keep up with Stephen King’s new releases, except when they’re story collections. Still, I wouldn’t say no if this showed up at my house!
  8. The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson: There are actually a bunch of books by this author that I’d like to read.
  9. The Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis: I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this book since I first heard of it, but I’ve been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the Kindle or hardcover price to drop.
  10. The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston: It’s a Buffy prequel! About Tara! I don’t think I’d buy it, but I’d be happy if it fell into my lap (and if not, there’s always the library).

What books are you wishing for? If you wrote a TTT or T5T post, please share your link!

Top Ten Tuesday: Thankful titles (a Thanksgiving freebie)

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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 Thanksgiving Freebie — we choose our own topic related to Thanksgiving.

After playing around with a few different options, I decided to go with books that express some sort of thanks, gratitude, or good cheer in their titles. Here’s my list of 10 11 (sticking to ten has gotten hard for me!):

  1. Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
  2. Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Kunya Katz
  3. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
  4. Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss
  5. Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
  6. The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
  7. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
  8. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
  9. Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce
  10. All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot
  11. Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith

Can you think of other books with “thankful” titles?

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

Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Oldest (aka Earliest Published) Books On My TBR 

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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 Oldest (aka Earliest Published) Books On My TBR.

At first, I went to my Goodreads to-read shelf to sort by publication year and look for the earliest, but then realized that I was missing many of the classics I want to get to. So… I went to my handy-dandy Excel spreadsheet (yes, I’m an Excel nerd!) dedicated to my future classics reading, and then did a little mixing and matching.

The results originally showed a few instances of multiple books by the same author, and I made the executive decision to limit it to one book each. In the end, it was very hard to whittle the list down, so…

Here is my list of 10 12 of the oldest books on my to-read shelf!

  1. Belinda by Maria Edgeworth (1801)
  2. Waverley by Sir Walter Scott (1814)
  3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)
  4. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper (1826)
  5. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (1848)
  6. Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1862)
  7. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850)
  8. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (1860)
  9. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (1872)
  10. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott (1875)
  11. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (1877)
  12. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy (1878)

Note: I’ve read Frankenstein, but it was so long ago that I feel a reread is needed!

Have you read any of the books on my list? Any thoughts or recommendations?

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

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Top Ten Tuesday: Destination Titles

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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 Destination Titles, and the prompt is titles with name of places in them. These places can be real or fiction!

I’m going with real place names, and have found more than expected on my shelves!

Here is my selection of 10 destination titles:

  1. Moloka’i by Alan Brennert
  2. The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi (review)
  3. My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (review)
  4. South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby (review)
  5. The Paris Diversion by Chris Pavone (review)
  6. The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore (review)
  7. Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole (review)
  8. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
  9. The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty (review)
  10. Denali‘s Howl by Andy Hall

What destinations made your list this week?

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

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books with BOOKSTORES on the cover

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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 Covers with [Item] on the Cover (You choose the item! It can be anything at all.)

Last time this topic came up for a TTT post, I went with books on the cover… and this time I’m doing books with bookstores on the cover. So, yeah, I’m not particularly thinking outside the box here!

Without further ado, my bookstore book covers are:

  1. Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan (review)
  2. The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser (review)
  3. The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan (review)
  4. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
  5. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (review)
  6. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
  7. The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman (review)
  8. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
  9. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
  10. Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin (review)

Yes, that’s three by Jenny Colgan! What can I say? Her bookshop books are hard to resist!

I’ve read all of the above except #6 and #9, and both are on my to-read list.

Do you have any great books to recommend with bookshops on the cover?

What was your cover topic this week? If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Living up to the hype… or not.

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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 Read/Avoided Because of the Hype (and did you make the right choice?).

The hype machine can be crazy at times, and my first instinct is usually to avoid books where it’s in overdrive. You know the ones — the books that everyone seems to be gushing about at all possible times. And yet, sometimes those books end up being just what I need, despite my initial hesitation.

My list is focused on hyped books that I’ve read… some with good results, and some definitely the opposite.

These ultra-hyped books did not work for me:

  • Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: I disliked so much about this book.
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: I know people loved this book, but it never clicked for me. In general, I don’t do well with books about people performing magic in this way. What are the rules? What are the limits? I didn’t buy into it at all.
  • It End with Us by Colleen Hoover: Hiding the fact that this book is about an abusive relationship is just one of its many faults.
  • Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: Promoting this book as laugh-out-loud funny and then starting it off with a rape scene is not okay.
  • The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: I liked the sound of the setup, but too many coincidences sank this story for me.

Not to fear! Some much-hyped books really deserve all the buzz and more! Among my favorites:

  • Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto: This book is so silly and over the top, but really hits the spot when you need something ridiculous to escape into.
  • Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: Tears! Tears everywhere! And I couldn’t put it down.
  • The Martian by Andy Weir: I feel like a lot of books have tried to mimic the vibe of The Martian in the years since it was published, but the hype about this book was so well deserved.
  • Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree: Loved everything about this cozy fantasy.
  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I couldn’t decide which of these two books to include on this week’s list… so added them both! I feel like these two books pushed TJR into a whole new level of hype… and amazing writing.
  • Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: When the buzz was building for this book, I scoffed. How could I possibly enjoy a book about gaming? Fortunately, the hype for this one was spot on, and I’m so glad I read it. One of the best books of 2022.

Yes, that’s more than ten books in all. I just couldn’t narrow down the second part of my list!

Which hyped books worked for you? Which didn’t?

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

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2024 TBR List

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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 Fall 2024 to-Read List.

Is it fall already? Where did the summer go? I did pretty well with my summer 2024 TBR list, with just one book still to read, and I’m including it in my fall reading plans. Other than that, my list this week includes an upcoming new release, books from my shelves, and one old favorite that’s become an annual reading tradition.

In the interest of not repeating myself, I’m not including any of the books already featured in my list of anticipated new releases for the 2nd half of 2024… but yes, I still intend to read all of those too!

My top 10 for fall are:

  1. Extinction by Douglas Preston: I haven’t read this type of science thriller in a while, and I think I’m up for it.
  2. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny: My annual October reading tradition. Always a blast!
  3. D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins: I needed an LGBTQ+ romance for a reading challenge, and this one came highly recommended.
  4. On Her Own by Lihi Lapid: A recent new release that sounded promising based on the reviews I’ve seen.
  5. A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston: My summer holdover — which I’ve been looking forward to, but just haven’t gotten around to reading yet.
  6. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: I love the sound of this book!
  7. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: I think I have a reading block when it comes to this book… but I’m determined to finally get through it!
  8. The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Alain: The only upcoming new release on this list. This author’s books are always such fun!
  9. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi: I feel like I’m the last person left who hasn’t read this book, and it’s about time to fix that.
  10. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: I love this author’s newest novel, The Lost Story, so I’m eager to read this one too.

What books are you most excited to read this fall? Do we have any in common?

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

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books Involving Food (That are Not Cookbooks)

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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 Involving Food (That are Not Cookbooks). Yummmmm.

Here are ten (mostly) recent reads that feature food… and which left me hungry!

1. Songs for the Broken-Hearted by Ayelet Tsabari: So many wonderful descriptions of Yemenite Jewish food! (review)

2. The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais: About restaurants and family, and filled with mouth-watering dishes. (review)

3. Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev: Love on a cooking reality show! (review)

4. The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan: You could really include most Jenny Colgan books on this list! So many of her books center around bakeries or sweetshops, and even include recipes! (review)

5. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki: I just finished this book over the weekend, and it left me with huge cravings for donuts. Especially cake donuts… (review)

6. Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau: Speaking of donuts… (review)

7. The Vintage Village Bake Off by Judy Leigh: Among other delights, this book includes a scone-baking competition. Delish… (review)

8. A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey: A YA book with a main character whose cooking is central to her journey. (review)

9. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: Throughout this YA trilogy, the main character bakes and bakes and bakes.

10. A Twist of Fate by Kelley Armstong: In this timeslip romance, the main character supports herself and her sisters by opening a bakery, and thanks to her time-traveling ways, introduces chocolate chip cookies to her Victorian-era family. (review)

What books have you read recently that feature amazing food? If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Is there room for me? Bookish families I’d like to join (or at least visit… )

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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 Relationship Freebie (Pick a relationship type and choose characters who fit that relationship as it relates to you. So, characters you’d like to date, be friends with, be enemies with, etc. Bookish families you’d like to be a part of, characters you’d want as your siblings, pets you’d like to take for yourself, etc.).

I love reading about big or unusual or quirky bookish families, so that’s my theme for this week. Below are ten families I’d love to join… or at least, have Sunday brunch with or visit for the holidays… or just pop in for tea now and then.

  1. Frasers – Outlander – Was there any doubt that I’d include Outlander folks on this list? I wouldn’t want to be around for all the terrible things that happen to these people, but would happily attend one of their big (joyful) gatherings on Fraser’s Ridge.
  2. Weasleys – Harry Potter — I want Molly to knit me a sweater!
  3. Bridgertons — I mean, no, I could do without all the pressure to make a good match, but I’d down for afternoon tea and cakes with Violet and whoever else is around.
  4. Price-Healy family – Incryptids – Yes, there’s a lot of weaponry involved… but this family of cryptozoologists is all sorts of awesome (and there are religious talking mice involved!)
  5. Bennetts – Green Creek series – So a family of werewolves might not be the safest place to be on an ongoing basis, but their Sunday traditions are awesome.
  6. All-of-a-Kind Family – What is their last name??? I couldn’t find it… but they must have one, right? In any case, I grew up on these stories, and thought living with these five sisters must have been the ideal childhood.
  7. Chen family (Aunties) – Dial A for Aunties series – Oh, the Aunties would drive me batty… but isn’t it good to know that your family will have your back no matter what, even when it comes to hiding a body?
  8. Hastings – A Stitch in Time – The sisters in this family all get an adventure going through a time stitch, and I’d like to join them!
  9. De Clermonts – All Souls – I’m not saying I’d actually want to be a vampire or witch… but I’d enjoy hanging out at one of the family’s fabulous castles and hear about how they lived over the centuries.
  10. Not a single family – Game of Thrones – Too many opportunities to end up dead, gruesomely. (Clearly, my ideas failed me by #10)

Would you want to join any of these families? Are there other fictional families you love?

What was your TTT topic this week? Please share your link!

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