Top Ten Tuesday: I'm My Own Santa Claus (Or, the Last Ten Books I Gifted to Myself)

I love Christmastime—the lights, the carols, the food, the traditions, the generosity and goodwill in the air, just all of it. Even though it can be stressful to make all the magic happen for my family, this is still my favorite time of year. In spite of all the chaos in the world, I hope you're able to feel the joy of the season and take comfort in the goodness that still exists out there. I don't talk about my religion on here much, but I have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ as my Savior and Redeemer. Each nativity scene I see displayed reminds me of the gift of His birth, the example of His life, and the tremendous sacrifice He made to redeem us all. Throughout my life, I have felt the presence and love of my Heavenly Father and His Son and I will be forever grateful for that. For those of you who celebrate the holiday, Merry Christmas! For my Jewish friends, Happy Hanukkah!  I hope we are all able to enjoy time together with our friends and loved ones this holiday season and that we can be both the recipients and the givers of cheer and love. 

Since I won't be back on TTT until mid-January, after my Holy Land trip, I also want to wish you all a Happy New Year! Thank you for sticking with me for another year. I truly appreciate everyone who drops in here at BBB and all who make the book blogosphere a wonderful place to hang out. Here's to more great reads and bookish fun in 2026.

Oh, and remember that if your holiday isn't turning out to be so merry and bright, we always have books to provide us with comfort, companionship, entertainment, and joy!

Speaking of books...let's get on with Top Ten Tuesday (hosted, as always, by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl). The topic du jour is Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. For this annual prompt, we're encouraged to post our Amazon book wishlists; visitors to your blog can then grant wishes by buying you books, if they choose. I've always been uncomfortable with this prompt, so I'm going to twist the topic a tad and talk about the last ten books I have gifted myself. (Who needs Santa, anyhow?)

The Last Ten Books I Gifted to Myself 

1. Pearls and Poison by Erin Lindsey—I talked about this book in my last TTT post. It's the fourth installment in a Gilded Age mystery series starring a former New York City housemaid who becomes involved with a special branch of the Pinkerton Detective Agency that investigates paranormal mysteries. Now a Pinkerton agent in her own right and with Thomas Wiltshire (her mentor and object of affection) away in California, Rose Gallagher is on her own to investigate a series of strange deaths as well as some missing jewels. 

This is a fun series, and I've enjoyed all the books, which I've been able to find at my local libraries. Unfortunately, they do not carry Pearls and Poison, so I bought the e-book from Amazon. I started it today and I'm already hooked! 

2. The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson—My local indie, Changing Hands, offers a $10 discount during your birthday month, so I always go in December. This mystery novel looks fun, so I grabbed it. It's about Nora Davies, a newcomer to Cornwall who starts a book club at her local community center. So far, it's been a huge disaster, with attendees disagreeing over everything. When one of the members disappears and a dead body is found at his home, the remaining book clubbers must come together to figure out what happened to their missing member.

3. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt—This book got so much buzz when it came out, that I immediately bought a copy of it in hardcover. It has been gathering dust on my shelf ever since! Then, a blogger (I can't remember who, unfortunately) mentioned how good the audio version is. When I got a new Audible credit in December, I cashed it in right away. The story is about several lonely souls whose lives converge in surprising ways. It really is a lovely book, one I really enjoyed, and the audiobook narrators truly are wonderful. 

4. Shadows in the Mind's Eye by Janyre Tromp—I couldn't find this historical novel at my library, so I bought it with Audible credits as well. The story is about a man who returns home to Arkansas after serving in World War II. After the horrors he experienced in the Pacific Theater, he's hoping to find peace and solace in his beloved hills. When he starts noticing strange things happening on his property, he's sure something sinister is going on. Considering the shell-shocked behavior he's been displaying ever since his return, no one believes the dismayed veteran. What's really going on? He's determined to find out.

5. The Dead Come to Stay by Brandy Schillace—Another pick from my Changing Hands shopping spree, I just realized this is actually the second book in a series. Oops! I'll have to read The Framed Women of Ardemore House first, then move on to this sequel. The series stars an "amateur autistic sleuth" working in North Yorkshire. Sounds promising!

6. Upgrade by Blake Crouch—I've enjoyed a number of books by Crouch, but I hadn't read this one yet so I grabbed it while I was at Changing Hands. It concerns Logan Ramsey, a man whose genome has been hacked, giving him some enhanced abilities. Of course, he's been "upgraded" for a reason, just as the rest of humanity will be if Logan doesn't stop it from happening. And fast.

7. James by Percival Everett—Everyone's raving about this historical novel that tells the story of Jim, the escaped slave who accompanies Huckleberry Finn on his grand adventure. I haven't read the book yet; hopefully, I'll get to it soon.

8. The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee—To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book of all time, so naturally, I had to buy this newly-released volume of essays and stories by the iconic TKAM author.

9. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus—In order to fulfill a prompt for my 2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge, I need to read a book with a tv or movie screen on the cover. This novel qualifies and I've been curious about it ever since it came out, so I snatched up a copy when I saw it at Changing Hands.

10. Murder Buys a T-shirt by Christy Fifield—This is the first book in a cozy mystery series that features a Florida souvenir shop that is haunted by its deceased former owner via his pet parrot. When a local football star dies, the bird has a lot to say to its new owner. Can she trust a chatty pet to help her find out what really happened to the teenager? 

I bought a copy of this book because I couldn't find it in my local libraries. It was okay. Not very original, although I did like the crime-solving bird approach. That's unique and fun.

There you go, the last ten books I bought for myself. Have you read any of them? What did you think? 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!