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Tuesday, November 04, 2025
Top Ten Tuesday: Random Picks From My "Owned" Bookshelves
12:00 AM
Today's TTT prompt is a fun and easy one: First Ten Books I Randomly Grabbed From My Shelf (Stand in front of your book collection, close your eyes, point to a title, and write it down. If you have shelves, point to your physical books. If you have a digital library, use a random number generator and write down the title of the book that corresponds with the number you generated. You get bonus points if you tell us whether or not you've read the book, and what you thought of it if you did!) Although I read on my Kindle frequently, I still prefer the experience of reading (and collecting) physical books. Mine are housed on two massive bookshelves. They are divided by review books and owned books, with the former in alphabetical order by author's last name, and the latter by genre. To highlight older/less talked about titles, I decided to do my random picking from my "owned" shelves. Although it was tough to pick blindly since I know my shelves so well, I managed to come up with a fairly eclectic group of books. Oddly enough (or not?), I've only read one of them.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.
First Ten Books I Randomly Grabbed From My Shelf
- in the order that I picked them -
1. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager—I've read all of Sager's thrillers except Final Girls and this 2024 novel is my favorite. Although it's just as atmospheric and engrossing as his others, Middle of the Night has a sweet poignancy to it that sets it apart from its predecessors. The story is about Ethan Marsh, a man who is still traumatized by the disappearance of his best friend thirty years ago while the 10-year-olds were having a sleepover in Ethan's backyard. When he returns to his childhood home, he begins to experience strange things happening in the night, things that point to Billy's vanishing. Is someone playing a cruel prank on Ethan? Has Billy, believed to have died three decades ago, coming back to haunt him? What really happened to Ethan's best friend on that fateful night? Ethan is determined to find out, once and for all.
2. Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert—I loved Moloka'i, a historical novel about the titular island's role as a leper colony. By the time this sequel came out, I had forgotten who was who in the story, so I put off reading it until I could reread Moloka'i, which I still haven't done.
Daughter of Moloka'i tells the story of the child whom Rachel Kalama (the protagonist in Moloka'i), who was quarantined for most of her life because of leprosy, was forced to give up. Ruth is taken to an orphanage in Honolulu, from whence she is adopted by a Japanese couple. Brought up in California, Ruth is unfairly interred at Manzanar Relocation Camp during World War II. Her life is upended again when she receives a letter from Rachel, her birth mother, and learns more about her own story.
3. Lovely War by Julie Berry—It's tough to describe this uniquely-told YA novel about love and war. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, narrates the story as she tells Hephaestus and Ares about two human couples whose relationships are irrevocably changed by what they experience during World War I.
4. The Pioneers by David McCullough—I own a few of McCullough's books because I love learning about history, but I've never actually read any of them. The author is extremely knowledgeable, but his writing is a bit...dry. My husband got bored quickly with The Pioneers and ended up setting it aside. I'm afraid I might have the same problem, but I still want to give it a try. As indicated by the title, the book discusses the settling of the United States' Northwest Territory by intrepid pioneers who overcame incredible obstacles in pursuit of the American Dream.
5. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins—I don't read a lot of self-help books, but this one has gotten so much buzz that I decided to see what it's all about (although I haven't yet). Apparently, it teaches how to free yourself from the constant anxiety of trying to control other people by letting go and focusing on the only person you can change: yourself.
6. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid—I've never read anything by Reid, but this novel sounds intriguing to me. It concerns a Hollywood actress who lived a long and scandalous life before becoming a recluse. When she finally decides to spill all her secrets, she shocks everyone by choosing an obscure, struggling journalist to write her biography. The chosen writer is dumbfounded by this turn of events and is even more astounded by what the Hollywood icon tells her.
7. A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White—When their parents die in a plane crash, sisters Ruthie and Julia are shocked and grief-stricken. They're even more so when they learn that their parents' will stipulates that the two be raised separately. The novel tells the stories of both women as they grow apart from each other, then come back together again.
8. The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe—This YA novel is the first in a dystopian series about a small island community whose population is depleted by a deadly virus. With the island under quarantine, the survivors fight over dwindling supplies while trying to figure out how to save themselves and those they love in the midst of the resulting violence and chaos.
9. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris—As indicated by its title, this historical novel is a fictionalized version of the story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who was imprisoned at Auschwitz-Birkenau during World War II. Because he could speak several languages, he was assigned to tattoo numbers on the arms of new arrivals at the concentration camp. He secretly used his privileged position to procure food to help other prisoners survive. When Lale met a young woman named Gita, he vowed to marry her after the war was over—and did.
10. The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson—I've enjoyed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek twice now, but I've yet to read this sequel for some reason. The novel features Honey Mary Angeline Lovett, who takes on her mother's packhorse librarian route after both of her parents are imprisoned. As she brings literature and hope to the people in the hollers of Appalachia, she finds independence, freedom, and purpose for herself.
I just clicked over to Richardson's website and saw that a new novel starring Cussy Lovett is coming in April 2026. Looks like I'll be reading The Book Woman's Daughter next year, followed by The Mountains We Call Home. Woo hoo!
There you have it, ten random books I picked from my bookshelves. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which random titles did you choose from your shelves today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
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Nice selection of randomly selected books here. Makes me wonder what else you have on your shelves!
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Susan! I highly recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Book Woman's Daughter. Happy Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteI've only read the Riley Sager, which I did like. The Tatooist of Auschwitz is on my TBR list. Fun to see some of the books from your own bookshelves. :D
ReplyDeleteAwesome list, Susan! I still haven't read The Pioneers. Hope you get to enjoy all these.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these, but they do look like good books.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to try Let Them, it sounds like an interesting concept to master.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to my TTT post
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2025/11/04/%f0%9f%93%9a-toptentuesday-10-books-on-my-bookshelf-tuesdaybookblog-booktwitter-bookx/
I didn't read any of these but I have read other books from Crewe and TJR.
ReplyDeleteI meant to pick up Moloka'i years ago, but just never got to it.
ReplyDeleteMy adult son recommended Let Them to me. He found it helpful in his own life. I thought it offers a great approach to life made up of things you cannot control.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I know my shelves well and I would have had to pick a random generator or something to have variety.
ReplyDeleteThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was fun; not my usual kind of choice, but I was glad I gave it a shot!
ReplyDeleteI THINK I read the Pioneers, but it's been some years!
ReplyDeleteI own Lovely War and still need to read it!! Evelyn Hugo is one of my favorites by Reid!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! McCullough is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThese look good. A nice mix. I want to read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Great list! I see several books I'd really like to read but the only one I have read is Evelyn Hugo. I liked it but wasn't as in love with it as so many people are. I really want to read more Riley Sager. The one book I read by him was really fun.
ReplyDeleteOoh nice! This does look like a nice eclectic selection of choices! All new to me ones. Hope you get to read the rest soon and enjoy them all!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my TTT!
Good selection! Spunds like you need to get reading! :)
ReplyDeleteLovely War has always looked interesting I just haven't read it yet!
ReplyDeleteI just recently finished The BookWoman's Daughter. I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as the first one. I am also looking forward to the new one. I hope you get around to reading some of these, and enjoy them, Susan.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun mix of books! I loved Evelyn Hugo and recommend it whenever I get a chance. I didn't know there was a new Book Woman book coming out! I read the 2nd one, thought it was good but not as great as the 1st. I've had a copy of Molokai for years now, and still want to read it... and then read Daughters of Molokai too!
ReplyDeleteEvelyn Hugo is one of my all time favourite! I also have Lovely War on my TBR and I keep wanting to read it every time I remember it's there but then I forget again 🫣 I hope you enjoy all the ones still on your TBR!
ReplyDeleteGreat list of books!! I want to read both The Lovely War and The Let Them Theory. I've also read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and want to read the second novel too.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these, and I gave up on The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I know a lot of readers loved it, though. My husband reads a lot of McCullough, but I don't think he has The Pioneers.
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Seven Husbands is on my list to. I have Let Them but haven't read it yet.
ReplyDeleteEvelyn Hugo was everywhere back in the day. I never got around to that one though.
ReplyDeleteNice selection of books! I haven't read any of these, but The Book Woman's Daughter sounds really interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe Let Them Theory was an interesting read, though a little hit or miss from me. It's essentially the same thing the Stoics taught, but sort of boiled down with modern-day applications. I thought it was a good read!
ReplyDeleteLovely War is one I heard of quite a bit back in the day. The cover looks so pretty, but I have a feeling the story may be deeper. Thanks so much for visiting my list last week! Apologies for not visiting here before now.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! Like you, I want to read Daughter of Moloka'i, but it came out so much after the first book that I got confused. The Let Them Theory kind of reminds me of how when things are chaotic at home, I have to tell myself 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
ReplyDeleteI loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, hope you will too. Though I'm not a big thriller reader, I've been wanting to read Riley Sager books too, and Middle of the Nights sounds intriguing indeed.
ReplyDelete