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Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy This Summer
6:47 PM
Today's TTT prompt is a fun one: Top Ten Books I Had to Have IMMEDIATELY But Still Haven't Read. I feel like this describes pretty much every book on my shelf! No titles came readily to mind, though, so I think I'm going to go a teensy bit rogue and spin the topic a tad.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Books I Had to Buy This Summer
I don't know if it's the excessive heat we've been experiencing here in Arizona, or the fact that I've been on Bookstagram (follow me @blogginboutbooks) a lot trying to beef up my presence there, or what, but I've been on a bit of a book buying spree. The last thing on Earth I need is more books and, yet, I just can't help myself. I'm contemplating a serious book ban in 2027! At any rate, here are the last ten books I have purchased, in no particular order:
1. Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy—This deceased Irish author has long been a favorite. Published in 1982, Light a Penny Candle is my favorite book by her. I've been wanting to reread it, but my library has limited copies and the wait times are lengthy, so I decided to just buy a copy for myself. I'm excited to reconnect with it.
The story is about a long-time friendship between two women and the circumstances that now threaten to tear them apart.
2. The Stargazer of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt—It seems like I've heard nothing but good things about this book. The swashbuckling story about a young woman who stows away on a merchant ship sounds like tons of fun. Into my shopping cart it went!
3. You Had Me at Bigfoot by Nancy Campbell Allen—I've read and enjoyed a few of Allen's books. Described as Nancy Drew meets Scooby Doo, her newest novel sounds like a joy. It's a cozy mystery about a reporter and a photographer who are on assignment to cover a society wedding. Whispers of a missing maid and Bigfoot sightings turn what was sure to be a humdrum story into something much, much more exciting.
4. Murdoku: 80 Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles (Volume 1) by Manuel Garand—This is a Bookstagram Made Me Do It purchase. Someone posted about these fun puzzles for mystery lovers, and I had to give them a try, although I actually haven't done it yet. Soon, I hope.
5. The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff—Everyone seems to be raving about this novel, which is about a family whose lives are turned upside down after their house burns in a fire. Forced to move in with relatives temporarily, the strained situation causes them to reckon with their rocky relationships and family secrets. It's a family saga that is supposed to have it all: humor, heartbreak, and healing.
6. The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer—Have you seen the gorgeous sprayed edges on the paperback version of Rimmer's newest novel? They are BEAUTIFUL. How could I resist buying a copy for my bookshelf? Spoiler alert: I couldn't.
The novel concerns a woman who returns to her family's crumbling mansion intent on restoring it to its former glory. Within the walls, she discovers a mysterious book that tells a tale that is eerily similar to her own. As these factual and fictional worlds collide, old family secrets are revealed, changing the woman's life forever.
7. The Mad Wife by Meagan Church—The Kindle version of this historical novel is only $1.99 on Amazon. I've been wanting to read the book, so I coughed up two bucks and made it mine. The story is about a 1950s housewife who works tirelessly to keep up the perfect house, marriage, and life. When a new woman moves into the neighborhood, she becomes fixated on the newcomer, sure that the woman is hiding dark secrets. Her obsession with her neighbor soon has her questioning her own life and sanity.
8. The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch—I've heard that Patch writes clean thrillers, which I'm very interested in. My library doesn't have any copies of this one, her newest, so I had to take matters into my own hands and buy a copy. It sounds intriguing. The story is about a former homicide detective who moves to an old house in Maine to rebuild her life and marriage. As she and her husband renovate the home, she notices some strange things about the place. Convinced that something terrible happened in her new home, the detective begins an investigation that will reveal some shocking truths.
9. Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu—I blame this purchase entirely on Ethan over at A Book A Week. His review made it sound too good to pass up. When I saw it displayed at the checkout at Barnes & Noble, it felt like a sign from the book gods that I needed to buy it. Bad things happen when you ignore the book gods, so...
The book has a simple premise: on an ordinary day in small-town Massachusetts, everyone receives an emergency message warning that a missile is incoming and they must find shelter immediately. The residents all have different reactions to the news, some of which will lead to devastating consequences when a second message arrives telling them it was a false alarm. What would YOU do if you thought your demise was imminent? How would your actions affect things if it turned out to be false?
10. Count My Lies by Sophie Stava—This one was an impulse buy from my local indie, Changing Hands Bookstore. Sloane Caraway is a consummate liar, spinning tales to make her ordinary life seem more exciting. When a young girl is stung by a bee at the park one day, Sloane professes to be a nurse and removes the stinger. Impressed, the child's handsome father hires her to be his daughter's nanny. As Sloane becomes immersed in the lives of this wealthy family, she begins to suspect that she's not the only one lying about her life. Her employers are hiding dark secrets about their seemingly perfect lives.
There you go, my last ten book purchases. 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 yours.
Happy TTT!
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2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge
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I’ve seen a few TikTok’s of people playing Murdoku and it looks like fun. I’m jealous of those gorgeous sprayed edges for The Story Keeper. In Australia (which is where Kelly lives) the book is called The Midnight Estate and does not have such pretty edges!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your #TTT
I hope you enjoy Burning Side! It’s my best read of the year so far! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ~Carol @ ReadingLadies
ReplyDeleteThese all sound intriguing, but Seek Shelter Immediately is particularly compelling. On the TBR list it goes!
ReplyDeleteI blame a lot of bloggers for my haul too! You have a great list here and some that have caught my attention
ReplyDeleteI haven't read these, but You Had Me At Bigfoot looks fun!
ReplyDeleteAs a mystery lover, Murdoku looks fun! Such a cute cover!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to resist a book you just read a rave review about that is sitting right there at the bookstore.
ReplyDeleteThe Burning Side sounds very appropriate (unfortunately) at the moment with all the wildfires going on around the world.
ReplyDeleteI’ve read Maeve Binchey ages ago and what a pleasant book to get into. Your others are new to me.
ReplyDeleteNancy Drew meets Scooby Doo - two of my faves, and then it is about Big Foot. Sounds like a winner to me.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these, but I hope you enjoy them when you have chance to read them! I didn't take part in this week's topic, instead I shared my new list for The Classics Club. 😊
ReplyDeleteYou Had Me at Bigfoot sounds right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really a buying a print edition of a book I've read on Kindle but the cover/edges of The Story Keeper are really tempting me. It's so pretty! The Murderduko is also calling to me. It looks like a lot of fun. And now I need to find You Had Me at Bigfoot. How can I resist that description?
ReplyDeleteOkay, Murdoku looks SO COOL tho!!
ReplyDeleteI think I've read all of Maeve Binchey--most when they came out. Wonderful books. Mad Wife intetests me, but I had aterrible habit of buying cheap Kindle books and never reading them so I've quit buying them.
ReplyDeleteThese look good. I try to keep book buying to a minimum - Christmas and birthdays. Still doesn't help with Blog Tours and Netgalley 😂
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
These all look really good and I haven't read any of them.
ReplyDeleteSeek Immediate Shelter is one that I bookmarked when I first heard about it. Eventually, I'll need to track down a copy of my own!
ReplyDeleteI think I read Light A Penny Candle a long time ago. Know I read lots of Maeve Binchy books. Hope you enjoy it. Otherwise, I've seen some of these, but not gotten them. I will say that I am trying very hard to reign in my book-buying impulses. I have so, so, so many books that I've bought in the past, especially on my Kindle. Am trying to treat my Kindle like a bookstore or library. That's OK, right? Ha! Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteMurduko and The Mad Wife look interesting!!
ReplyDeleteOooh, You Had Me At Bigfoot sounds like fun! Hope you enjoy all these when you get to them.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to eventually get to some of these books! You Had Me at Bigfoot sounds like an outstanding read. I don't read a lot of mysteries anymore, but I may have to add this to my TBR. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover of You Had Me at Bigfoot! I hope you enjoy all of these if you get to them!
ReplyDeleteAh ah I saw Murdoku in a bookstore. I almost bought it, but then refrained because of my small income.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
Seek Immediate Shelter sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteI have several of these books on my TBR shelf, but they are either ARCs, or books I hope to get through the library. I have so many books that I've bought and not read, but not any of these. I hope you enjoy them Susan. I'm with you, I need a book buying ban as well.
ReplyDelete"You Had Me at Bigfoot" sounds super cute! I also want to read The Story Keeper (and I think the book is so pretty, too!).
ReplyDeleteMurdoku looks so fun! Hope you'll enjoy all of these! :)
ReplyDelete