Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2025 TBR List

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 Books on My Fall 2025 to-Read List.

Once again, summer whooshed by! I read 8 out of 10 books on my summer TBR list, and I’m including one of the two remaining on my TBR for fall. (I do still want to read the other one… eventually.) Looking ahead now that fall is here, I have a new set of books to prioritize — and hope to do a decent job balancing commitment books (ARCs, book group books) with books that I just feel like reading!

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 2025… but yes, I still intend to read the five remaining from that list too!

My top 10 for fall are:

Green Rider by Kristen Britain: I swore I’d start this series in 2025, and the clock is ticking!
Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree: These books are always so much fun.
Alone in the Wild (Rockton, #5) by Kelley Armstrong: I’ve been loving this series, and I’m kinda, sorta hoping to get through the three books I have left by the end of the year.
My Friends by Fredrik Backman: I’ve been waiting for the mood to strike to pick up this book, and I think it’s about time I make it happen.
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher: My summer holdover. Again, I’ve just been waiting to be in the mood… which hasn’t happened yet, but I know I always end up loving this author’s books, so I think I just need to commit and get started.
A Pirate’s Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne: The first book in this cozy fantasy series was sweet and entertaining — just waiting for my library hold to come in for book #2.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky: Another series that I swore I’d finally start, and since this book also checks a box on a reading challenge I’m trying to finish, I think it’s about time to read it.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: I think everyone has read these books but me!
The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell: I apparently have an insatiable appetite for Austen retellings!
A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz: I randomly grabbed a copy of this book when I saw I price drop, and I think it sounds like fun.

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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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:

Burn by Peter Heller
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Says Who? by Anne Curzan
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
The Glory by Herman Wouk
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
There’s Something About Mira by Sonali Dev

Have you read any of my recent additions? What books have you bought most recently?

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

7Jan2025

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 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 Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025.

Despite good intentions (read more from my shelves! request fewer ARCs!), I find myself with an absolute TON of ARCs and preorders for new books releasing over the next few months. Yes, I’m looking forward to reading them all (that’s why I requested/ordered them!), but it feels like a lot to keep up with, no matter how amazing they’ll all be.

Still — I really am excited about reading these upcoming new releases!

Here are (just some of) the books I can’t wait to read in the first half of 2025:

Listed in order of release date:

The Sirens by Emilia Hart (3/4/2025)
The Tomb of Dragons (Cemeteries of Amalo, #3) by Katherine Addison (3/11/2025)
The Martian Contingency (Lady Astronaut, #4) by Mary Robinette Kowal (3/18/2025)
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi (3/25/2025)
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (4/1/2025)
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (4/22/2025)
Overgrowth by Mira Grant (5/6/2025)
Death at a Highland Wedding (A Rip Through Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong (5/20/2025)
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (6/3/2025)
The Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady (6/3/2024)
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (5/22/2025)

Yes, that’s eleven, not ten: I just couldn’t decide which one to drop!

What upcoming new releases are you most excited for? If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

31Dec2024

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

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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!

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:

The Women by Kristen Hannah
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain
The Secret Countess by Eva Ibottson
Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Songs for the Broken Hearted by Ayelet Tsabari
Close Knit by Jenny Colgan
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
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!

24Dec2024

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

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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!

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!

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!
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon: An upcoming book group read.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson: There are actually a bunch of books by this author that I’d like to read.
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.
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!

3Dec2024

Tuesday’s topic: Favorite book covers from 2024

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Lately, I’ve been bouncing back and forth for my Tuesday posts, switching between the Top Ten Tuesday and Top Five Tuesday memes, depending on their topics for the week. This week, I’m doing them both!!

First up… Top Ten Tuesday:

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 freebie… and since I like the Top 5 Tuesday topic this week, I’ll use it for both memes.

And speaking of Top 5 Tuesday:

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 covers of 2024, and the prompt is: What are some of your favourite covers that you have seen this year? Maybe these were reprints, redesigns or alternate covers that came out this year, or maybe they are brand new books!! Whatever they are, tell us all the pretties you have been coveting.

For my list of favorite covers, I’m looking at books I’ve read in 2024 — not necessarily books published in 2024. (My list, my rules!)

Here’s a selection of covers I loved this past year:

Weyward by Emilia Hart
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
Schemes & Scandals by Kelley Armstrong
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
Until Next Summer by Ali Brady
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes
Camp by L. C. Rosen
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

What do you think of my cover choices? Do any particularly catch your eye? What were your favorite book covers this past year?

Also, I’d love to know what freebie topics other people came up with!

If you posted a list for TTT or T5T, please share your link!

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26Nov2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Thankful titles (a Thanksgiving freebie)

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 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!):

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Kunya Katz
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss
Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce
All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot
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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19Nov2024

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

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 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!