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Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Loved But Not Reviewed. Yet.
9:08 AM
According to my mom, I taught myself to read before starting kindergarten and just never stopped. I've read thousands of books throughout my life; since I didn't create my blog until 2006, that means there are tons of titles that would work for today's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top Ten Books I Loved But Never Reviewed. Could my aging memory come up with enough to make a decent list? Yeah, right! I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday (actually, I can't remember at all—did I even eat breakfast yesterday?). Thankfully, I am, as always, months behind on writing reviews for this year's reads, so I'm just going to chat about ten books I've read in 2020 that I loved but haven't reviewed. Yet.
You've probably got lots of books you loved but haven't reviewed, too, so why don't you join in the TTT fun? All you have to do is click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, scan a few quick instructions, make your own list, then spend some happy hours spreading the love across the book blogosphere. It's a great way to check in on favorite blogs, discover new ones, and of course, find awesome reading recs to add to the ole TBR mountain chain. It's a good time, I promise!
Top Ten Books I've Loved This Year But Haven't Reviewed Yet
1. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren—This enemies-to-lovers romance about a wedding reception that goes awry, leaving the best man and the maid of honor to take the newlyweds' honeymoon vacation, is just plain fun.
2. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart—Based on the real-life experiences of a "lady cop" and her crime-fighting sisters in early 20th Century America, this mystery is the first in a series featuring the indomitable Constance Kopp. It's interesting and compelling.
3. The Split by Sharon Bolton—I love suspenseful stories set in remote places and Bolton's newest definitely fits the bill. It's a novel with a deceptively simple premise—a woman who has fled to remote South Georgia for an extended research trip is being pursued by an ex-con. Why? Will he find her? Like all of Bolton's mysteries, this one is taut, tense, and twisty. The Split might be my favorite of all her books.
4. The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate—This dual-timeline novel combines adventure, mystery, and history to create an intriguing tale that I very much enjoyed.
5. Beyond the Horizon by Lois Lowry—It might be a thin volume, but this memoir-in-verse that recounts the author's experiences as a young girl in Hawaii during World War II, packs a big punch. I found it profoundly moving, but in a way that snuck up on me, if that makes any sense.
6. Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain—This impactful novel is about a new social worker from a privileged background who begins her career in rural North Carolina during the turbulent 1960's. Her life and outlook are both changed when she meets a young girl who's carrying all the burdens of keeping her desperately impoverished family afloat.
7. The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson—It's hard to describe this Knives Out-ish novel, but it's an on-point exploration of what can happen when an estranged family unexpectedly inherits an exorbitant amount of wealth—and secrets.
8. Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams—True, there's nothing super original about this YA novel in which the members of a sheltered religious cult have to face the alarming effects of a terrifying pandemic, but it tells a thoughtful story that kept me engrossed. It asks some important questions about faith, blind obedience, family, etc. I also like that it features a character with Type 1 diabetes (in a cult that eschews medicine, no less). You don't see my disease featured in a lot of books, so I was glad for this important representation.
9. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks—I enjoyed this middle-grade novel about a girl who intercepts a letter from the father she's never met, who's in prison for murder. She starts a secret correspondence with him that leads her to make some important discoveries about herself and her family. Despite its heavy-ish content, this is an upbeat, enjoyable book.
10. The Line Between by Tosca Lee—This YA novel is similar to Agnes at the End of the World and I liked it for a lot of the same reasons. It tells an exciting story, but it also offers up a lot of lots of food for thought on faith, works, and religion. For a doomsday novel, it's surprisingly clean and upbeat.
There you have it, ten books I enjoyed but haven't gotten around to reviewing yet. What do you think? Have you read any of them? Do any of them sound like reads you would enjoy? What books have you loved but not reviewed yet? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
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Agnes at the End of the World, The Split and The Line Between are three from your list that I really want to read. Though whether or not I'll review them when I do remains to be seen. ;D
ReplyDeleteI figured those would pique your interest :) I'll be interested to see what you have to say about them, especially the two YA ones.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lark!
Ooh, I have to find out more about "Girl Waits with Gun"! :D
ReplyDeleteIt's a compelling mystery about a really interesting woman! I hope you enjoy it if you read it.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Christopher!
The Unhoneymooners was a hit for me too. I was leaving reviews now and then when I joined Goodreads, which pre-dates before I was blogging, but I think it's because my daughter was blogging and she encouraged me to do so.
ReplyDeleteI've used Goodreads for a long time, but I haven't used it FREQUENTLY until the last few years when I started joining the GR reading challenge every year. I wish I would have been more diligent in previous years because I like seeing all my stats. Oh well.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!
I haven't read any on your list yet, but I have Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart and am looking forward to reading it. Glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoyed! It's an engrossing story and Constance Kopp is a fascinating person. I'd love to read a non-fiction book about her life, but this mystery is really fun. I need to read the rest of the series!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Um, you had me at Knives Out!! I have to read The Imperfects now. I love the cover of Girl Waits with Gun, as well. Does it read like non-fiction or fiction?
ReplyDeleteBy the way - saw you are reading Recursion - loved that book! Hope you are enjoying!
My TTT
THE IMPERFECTS isn't as witty or as quirky as Knives Out, but it has similar themes. It's enjoyable in its own way. It did remind me of Knives Out, though.
DeleteGIRL WAITS WITH GUN is a good on, too. It definitely reads like fiction. Like I said above, though, I wouldn't mind reading a non-fiction version. Constance Kopp fascinates me!
RECURSION is a good one. I enjoyed it, but I haven't reviewed it. Yet.
Thanks for stopping by, Leslie!
I wanted to read Agnes at the End of the world, and now I want it like today 😍😍
ReplyDeleteHa ha. It's a good one! I had to wait for it at the library, but it was definitely worth it :)
DeleteThanks for coming by!
I haven't tried any of these so I'm happy you shared these faves with us.
ReplyDeleteI hope you found a title or two to pique your interest :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Diane!
I've seen The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren everywhere this summer!
ReplyDeleteHere is my Top Ten Tuesday list this week.
It's a really fun read. Light and entertaining. Just what you need sometimes!
DeleteThanks for coming by, Lectrice!
Ha, funny to see Girl Waits With Gun on someone else's list! I didn't expect that. :D
ReplyDeleteMe neither! It's sort of an obscure book, but it's a really good one, so I'm glad it's getting a little love today :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Nicky!
I passed on this week, because I am almost caught up on reviews and I review all the books I read. I am with you that there are tons I read before I began reviewing and blogging, but what I loved then, is not what I love now. There are only a few on your list that I have not read, but I will check them out.
ReplyDeleteYou are much more self-disciplined than I am, Carla! I am ALWAYS behind on reviewing. In fact, I've been known to post 3-4 reviews a day at the end of the year so that I can start anew in the new year. Ha ha.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Carla!
Necessary Lies and Agnes at the End of the World are going on my TBR...I'm actually reading some of my TBR books for the first time in a while.
ReplyDeleteThe only one I've read of these is The Book of Lost Friends, one that I liked a lot, if maybe not quite as much as I thought I would.
I'll be interested to see what you think of these two. Both of them are thoughtful books that made me think. They're not slow stories either, just the kind that give you pause. I hope you enjoy them.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!
The Unhoneymooners was soooo good! It was my first book by the duo and it's one of my favorites this year! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the only one I've read by them as well. I need to check out their backlist.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Leslie!
Awesome list Susan!The Unhoneymooners is clearly the best 😁
ReplyDeleteHa ha. Everybody seems to enjoy THE UNHONEYMOONERS! And no wonder, it's a super fun book.
DeleteThanks for coming by, Rebeca!
I have not read any of these but some titles definitely sound good. I'm especially interested in the Diane Chamberlain book. I read one of her books last year and really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed Chamberlain's last two books. I need to read more from her backlist.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Iliana!
Glad to see you included some YA, too. I don't really know where to start but I want to add all of these to my "must read" list. I'll start with Lowry's I think.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been reading as much YA lately as I used to, but I usually read a dozen or so every year.
DeleteThe Lowry book is a good place to start. It's a really short, easy read, but it's one that really stays with you. I'll be interested to see if it has the same affect on you that it did on me.
Thanks for coming by, Debra!
I've read and liked Girl with a Gun and The Unhoneymooners. I just added The Imperfects and The Split to my TBR list and already had a few of your others on there. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteOh, good, I'm glad you found a couple titles to pique your interest. Definitely come back and let me know what you think of them!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Laurie!
Ohh, The Unhoneymooners was good!! Great list!
ReplyDeleteRight? I laughed all the way through it!
DeleteThanks for coming by, Colleen!
Woah these all look amazing! The Unhoneymooners has been on my TBR for a while but I'll have to add some of these other ones too. You're right - I barely see any characters with diabetes whether it's Type I or II. I'm trying to remember any but I really can't :/ I'll definitely be reading Agnes at the End of the World, the Goodreads synopsis sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteDiabetes is mentioned occasionally, here and there, but I've never encountered a main character in fiction with the disease. I think it's especially important to have Type 1 Diabetes representation in children's fiction since it's a common disease among kids and one that is not well understood. A side character dealing with the disease is a good start since diabetes, especially in a child, really does affect their whole family.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Sabrina!
I absolutely loved Girl Waits With Gun, and the rest of the series is great too. I'm glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great book, isn't it? I need to keep on with the series. I can't wait to see what Constance and her sisters get up to next!
DeleteThanks for coming by!
Your list is exactly why I enjoy browsing some of the MANY entries on TTT. I didn't know any of these books! And now several are on my TBR. Sheesh...it just keeps getting longer. It looks like we have similar reading tastes since many of your fave authors are also mine. I'll be checking back again.Thanks for visiting me.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean—TTT is seriously dangerous for my already miles-long TBR list! I love learning about new books every week, though. It's just fun.
DeleteAnd, I agree, it looks like we enjoy similar books/authors. We should definitely stay in touch :)
Thanks for stopping by, Terrie!
Interesting choices. I read/reviewed Unhoneymooners. I haven't read the others.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun book, isn't it? I don't read enough light, entertaining books, so THE UNHONEYMOONERS was a treat!
DeleteThanks for coming by, Lisa!
Came back to say I love the Nerd Daily Challenge! And, I see you are reading the states--if you need suggestions, I finished all 50 states earlier this year. The hardest ones I had to research a book for were ND & RI. Stop by or message me if you need suggestions!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I'm stuck on several Nerd Daily prompts and on a bunch of states. Why are no books set in Arkansas?? I'd love suggestions - I don't have any ideas for N.D. or R.I. I'll stop by and see what you did for those. Thanks!
DeleteWow what a list! Loved every single book no joke.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's awesome! I'm glad you liked my list :)
DeleteThanks for coming by, Jawahir!
The Unhoneymooners is on my tbr! I'm glad you enjoyed it, I've heard great things!
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy it. It's not my usual genre, but I'd heard good things and it did not disappoint! I hope you enjoy it as well :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Nicole!
I just added nine of the ten books on here to my TBR list because they all sound SO good. The only one I've read is The Unhoneymooners and I loved it.
ReplyDeleteNine? Really? That's awesome! I'm so glad all these appeal. I hope you enjoy them.
DeleteThanks for coming by, Kennedy!
I currently have 5 unreviewed books from 2020 (I'm too overwhelmed to figure out what to say about them) and even THAT'S driving the completist in me crazy. What is your secret to this laissez-faire life??
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I think I've commented on some of these when they've come up on lists before, but all of these truly sound great! I had no idea Lowry had released a new memoir. Verse kills me, though.
Well, I still have those completist urges because I always find myself rushing to post reviews at the end of the year so I can start the new one fresh. I just need to be better about keeping up with them throughout the rest of the year. So, I need YOU to teach me your excellent self-discipline techniques!
DeleteYes, I've probably mentioned all of these here at one time or another. Even if you don't like verse, you may still like the Lowry memoir. It's written for children, so the verse is fairly straightforward, not all abstract and artsy-fartsy. It is deceptively simple, though. If you read BEYOND THE HORIZON, be sure to come back and let me know what you think of it.
Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, RS!
I started Girl Waits With Gun but never finished it. I need to add The Imperfects to my wish list.
ReplyDeleteYeah? I can see it not being everyone's cup of tea. That's okay. Different strokes for different folks.
DeleteI hope you enjoy THE IMPERFECTS!
Thanks for stopping by, Carol!
The only one I've read is The Unhoneymooners. Thought it was great. Think it was the first book I read this year. Our mystery group will be reading Girl Waits With Gun for October. I also have The Split to read at some point. Sharon Bolton - love her books. As to not having reviewed a lot of books, I've been going through my old book journals and wow - so many books I loved and haven't talked about.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I'll be interested to hear what you all think of GIRL WAITS WITH GUN. I think you'll enjoy it. Like I said, THE SPLIT might be my favorite Bolton novel so far. I'll be interested to hear what you think of it as well.
DeleteI love that you've kept a book journal for so long. I wish I had thought to keep one throughout the years. It would have been fun to look back and see what I was reading five years ago, ten years ago, fifteen, etc.
Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Kay!
I love the look of Girl Waits With Gun, that cover is so striking.
ReplyDeleteIt's unique, isn't it? And it perfectly captures the book, too.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Heather!
Since I've starting blogging, I sometimes have the feeling that if I don't review a book, I haven't really read it. Strange, I know.
ReplyDeleteI feel that, too. I also sometimes think I've already written a full review after I just write a quick one on Goodreads! Book blogging can be confusing :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Helen!
I see some here that I need to check out. I love the cover of From the Desk of Zoe Washington. I'll have to see if my library has that one.
ReplyDeleteI hope it does! It's a good read that takes about some important subjects without getting too heavy for its middle grade audience. I liked it a lot.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Barb!