Top Ten Bookish Things That Make Me Smile  

1.  Mom—The first one isn't a thing, it's a person.  My mom and her identical twin sister turned 78 today and they both make me smile.  They're both retired teachers who love to read.  My mom taught me to love books by example (she was always reading—even when she had to do it in a locked bathroom to get some privacy), by reading me bedtime stories, by driving me to the library and letting me check out as many books as I could carry, by encouraging me to enjoy said books (even when I stayed up way too late), and by being one of the very first followers of this blog.  She's also taught me to love family history, to find joy in the journey of life (even when it's tough), to be strong through my trials, to be patient, and to have faith in a loving God.  She's pretty great, I have to say.  Happy birthday, Mom!  P.S. I think my mom's the one making the goofy face, but I'm not totally sure ...

2.  Strong, endearing leading ladies—I do have some favorites who make me smile:  Jacky Faber, Veronica Speedwell, Hermione Granger, Scout Finch, Jo March, Anne Shirley, etc.

3.  Punny book titles—I've come to appreciate cozy mysteries a lot more in the past few years than I ever have before.  They're clean, they're upbeat, they're fun, and oh my goodness, the titles!  A Tale of Two Biddies, Assaulted Caramel, Penne Dreadful, Dachsund Through the Snow, etc.  Even when they're totally silly, they make me smile.

4.  Book Memes—You gotta love a good nerdy meme that makes you feel seen and understood in your crazy bookwormish ways.

5.  Bookish apparel—There are so many fun shirts, socks, hats, etc. that promote a love of reading.  I love seeing them in the wild :)

6.  Bookish Accessories—Posters, mugs, jewelry, totes, bookmarks, etc. are fun, too.

Buy at Etsy

7.  Knife Blocks Made out of Books—Who knew these were a thing?  They make me grin and, not gonna lie, I kind of want to make one.

Buy at 123Stitch

8.  Bookish Cross-Stitch Patterns—COVID boredom has reawakened my interest in cross-stitching.  I haven't made anything book-y yet, but I've purchased some fun patterns that I can't wait to work on.  The one above will probably be my next stitching project.

9.  Book Mail—This has been a regular thing for me since I started my blog way back in 2006, but guess what?  I still smile every time I get a book in the mail, especially one I'm really excited about!

10.  BBB Readers and Their Comments—Truly, hearing your thoughts on books never gets old.  I smile every time I check my comments.  They always make my day.  Also, Napoleon Dynamite makes me smile.

So, there you go, ten bookish things (okay, nine things and one person) that make me smile.  Which books and/or bookish things make you smile?  I'd love to know.  Leave a comment on this post (see #10) and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!