2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge
2026 52 Club Reading Challenge
2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge
2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)
2026 Countdown Reading Challenge
Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo
2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge
2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)
2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge
European Reading Challenge 2026
2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)
2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Showing posts with label Alex Trebek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Trebek. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: The One With the Silky-Smooth Audiobook Narrators
It's been a couple weeks since I did a Top Ten Tuesday. Since these are about the only posts I've been making this year, it's really good to be back! Today's topic—Top Ten Favorite Audiobook Narrators—is one that won't appeal to everyone. I, myself, wouldn't have had much to say about it just a few years ago. Now, though, I've gotten into the habit of having an audiobook going always so that I can listen while I drive and do housework. Not only does it make tedious chores more entertaining, but it multiplies the amount of time I get to spend reading. A win-win for sure.
As always, TTT is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over to her blog to read all about this fun weekly event.
Top Ten Favorite Audiobook Narrators
- in no particular order -
1. Katherine Kellgren—Kellgren narrated one of my favorite YA series, an ongoing tale of swashbuckling sensation "Bloody" Jack Faber. Her animated readings are the best! Unfortunately, she passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2018. The author of the Bloody Jack books is also deceased, which is incredibly sad as Kellgren and Meyer made a wonderful team. Hopefully, they're still making books together in heaven.
Kellgren books I've enjoyed: The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer
2. Jim Dale—Everybody loves this versatile narrator who's so entertaining with his immense skill at creating unique voices. Listening to him read the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is an absolute delight.
Dale books I've enjoyed: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
3. Guy Lockard—Jason Reynolds is one of my favorite middle grade authors. Lockard is a long-time friend of the author and comes from the same inner-city background as Reynolds. His voice rings with authenticity when he narrates his buddy's work. Plus, he does some super fun voices (Coach Brody from the Track series is my favorite).
Lockard books I've enjoyed: Track series by Jason Reynolds
4. Julia Whelan—I've listened to several books read by Whelan, whose smooth voice makes characters seem so alive that you almost forget they're not real.
Whelan books I've enjoyed: Book Lovers by Emily Henry, The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan
5. Karissa Vacker—Some of the first books I listened to on audio were read by Vacker. She does an excellent job.
Vacker books I've enjoyed: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling, Momentuous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
6. Bethan Rose Young—Young brings Myrtle Hardcastle, one of my favorite MG sleuths, to life so well. I love listening to the series on audio.
Young books I've enjoyed: Myrtle Hardcastle series by Elizabeth C. Bunce
7. Sophie Roberts—Roberts has another voice that's so smooth it melts into the background and lets the story she's narrating really come alive.
Robert books I've enjoyed: The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan
8. Celebrities reading their own books—I'm not much into celebs, so I don't read many of these, but I've enjoyed the few that I've listened to.
Celebrity-read books I've enjoyed: The Answer Is... by Alex Trebek (co-narrated with Ken Jennings), Surrender by Bono (The husband and I are in the middle of this one right now. It's 20 hours long!)
9. Saskia Maarleveld—I've listened to one book read by Maarlevald and she narrates several more that I'd like to read.
Maarleveld books I've enjoyed: The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong
10. Keylor Leigh—I've only listened to one book read by Leigh, but I would definitely listen to more!
Leigh books I've enjoyed: The Renegade Reporters by Elissa Brent Weissman
I'm still a bit of a newbie to the world of audiobooks. Which narrators should I be searching out? Who are your favorites? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments here, so check back.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: My Best Books of 2021
I don't know about you, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that 2021 is almost over. It's been a good year for my family with lots of fun memories made. We're gearing up for an eventful 2022, so I'm excited to ring in the new year!
The end of the year is also a good time in book blogger land. I always enjoy reading people's wrap-up posts and best-of lists. Today's TTT prompt goes right along with that: Top Ten Best Books I Read in 2021. Of the 202 books I've read so far this year (I'll probably still get through another one or two before Saturday), I marked 33 as favorites. It was a little tough to whittle that list down to the ten best, even after I disqualified re-reads. Even then, I couldn't decide what order they should go in, so I didn't rank them.
I'd love to see your list of faves, so please join in the TTT fun. All you have to do is head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details, make your own list, then click around to other people's blogs. It's a great way to spread the love around our wonderful book blogosphere and get some great reading recommendations while you're at it!
Top Ten Best Books I Read in 2021
1. Atomic Habits by James Clear—If you're determined to make your goals into realities this year, you want to get your hands on a copy of this book. It's motivating, helpful, and very readable. I enjoyed it when I read it earlier this year. It's so inspiring that I might re-read it this week to jump-start my goal-reaching in 2022.
2. The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm—I loved this uplifting middle-grade sci-fi novel. It's a space adventure, but it's really more of a family/community drama. It just made me smile.
3. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron—I'm a big Cameron fan and this YA World War II novel is a perfect example of why I love the author so much. It's a riveting story filled with page-turning action, interesting historical details, and sympathetic characters.
4. The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner—Meissner is another hist-fic author whose books I really enjoy. This novel, set against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, tells the story of a mail-order bride with a secret past. It's super compelling.
5. The Answer Is... by Alex Trebek—This memoir was a delight to listen to. It's not as serious or melancholy as I thought it would be. In fact, it's funny, inspiring, and life-affirming. The chapters narrated by Trebek (most are read by Ken Jennings) are especially enjoyable.
6. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny—Like many mystery lovers, I can't get enough of Penny's popular series starring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. I read three installments this year, of which A Great Reckoning is my favorite. It has an intriguing premise, which makes for a compelling and thought-provoking novel. I loved it.
7. How to Get Away With Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce—I discovered the Myrtle Hardcastle mystery series this year and it is all kinds of charming! I've listened to all three of the books that are out and had the most fun with this, the second one. It tells an exciting story that has plenty of twists, humor, and action.
8. A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus—Another middle-grade novel, this one features three recently orphaned siblings who are sent to the English countryside while London is being bombed in World War II. As they search their new village for a family to call their own, they find refuge in the town library and its unconventional librarian. Funny, poignant, and hopeful, this is a truly lovely book!
9. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty—Not everyone loved Moriarty's newest, but I adored it. It's different from her others...in a good way.
10. The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman—I found this non-fiction book about the many people who go missing in North America's federal land every year absolutely fascinating.
There you have it, my ten favorite reads of the year. What do you think? Do we have any in common? What are the best books you read in 2021? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, September 07, 2021
TTT: The Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books I've Read So Far This Year
I need more happy reads in my life because prompts like today's—Top Ten Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile On Your Face—always leave me scratching my head. Although I do like a fun cozy mystery as well as humorous characters, I just don't read very many smiley kinds of books. I did manage to come up with ten for February's list of Top Ten Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud and that was tough enough. So, I'm going rogue once again. As promised last week when I listed the Top Ten Best Novels I've Read So Far This Year, this week I'm going to give you the non-fiction version. Today's list was a much easier one to put together because I've only read, ahem, nine non-fiction books in 2021. Luckily, all of them were excellent. I am going to include the one I DNF'd as well because I only ditched the audio—I want to read the book instead of listen to it because I was missing too much by just listening.
Want to join in the TTT fun? Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books I've Read So Far This Year
- in no particular order -
1. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Story of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown—I know, I know, it's weird to want to read about the Donner Party, but I've long been a fan of pioneer stories and survival tales. This one is both. It's also about a lot more than cannibalism. Brown does an excellent job telling the epic story in all its tragic horror, without sensationalizing the truly horrific bits. It's a fascinating account of a terrible journey.
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear—I loved this self-help book about how to make goals attainable. Clear gives some great advice on not only how to set reachable goals, but also how to break bad habits.
3. The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman—I just reviewed this absorbing book about the jaw-dropping number of people who go missing every year in North America's federal lands. Why do they vanish? And what is being done to find them?
4. A Girl From Yamhill by Beverly Cleary—Did your childhood reading life revolve around Beverly Clearly? Mine did. This first volume of the author's autobiography provides an interesting look at Cleary's growing-up years and how they informed both her character and her writing.
5. American Baby by Gabrielle Glaser—I've always been fascinated by adoption stories, even before becoming an adoptive mother myself. This book uses the story of an unwed mother who placed her child for adoption in the 1960s as a vehicle to explore how poorly such women were treated, not just by the system but by society and their own families. It's a heartbreaking, eye-opening, thought-provoking read.
6. The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest by Mark Synnott—This book tells the story of Synnott's Mount Everest expedition, which focused not on summitting the mountain but on finding a lost piece of Everest history. This is a more academic study of Everest than most and yet, I found it just as interesting (although much slower) than Jon Krakauer's popular Into Thin Air.
7. The Answer Is... by Alex Trebek—I was surprised to discover that this book is actually quite light and funny. It's less of an autobiography and more of a rumination on a life well lived.
8. Dead Wake by Erik Larson—Disaster books are another of my weird reading likes. This one, about the sinking of the Lusitania during World War I, made for a really interesting read (listen, actually, as I enjoyed it on audio).
9. The Lost Family by Libby Copeland—Genealogy is another of my big interests, so I couldn't resist this book about how DNA testing is changing our ideas of family, nature vs. nurture, privacy, and so on. It's riveting!
10. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing—Like I said, I started listening to this book on audio, but I kept having to rewind it to catch parts I missed. Since I didn't want to miss a word, I decided to pick it up in book form instead.
Have you read any of these? What did you think? What are the best non-fiction books you've read this year? I'd truly love to know. Leave a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Monday, June 28, 2021
What Is...A Wonderful Memoir By the One and Only Alex Trebek
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
The death of Alex Trebek—long-time host of the trivia game show Jeopardy!—saddened all of his fans, including me. I'm not the kind of person who cares much about celebrity gossip or Hollywood tell-alls, but I have wanted to read Trebek's memoir, The Answer Is..., ever since I first heard about it. Since I'm always looking for entertaining audiobooks, I decided to listen to this one. I'm glad I did, as it made me smile to listen to Trebek's antics told in his own voice, which is so familiar and soothing. While the majority of the book is narrated by Ken Jennings, Jeopardy! champion and Trebek's successor on the show, I most enjoyed the portions voiced by Trebek himself.
Because Trebek has always projected such a serious, straight-laced persona on television and because he was dying as he wrote The Answer Is..., I expected the book to be a somber text full of deep, philosophical reflections on life and death. It's not. With an "It's all good" vibe throughout, the memoir is actually quite light and funny. Told in short vignettes taken from Trebek's career and personal life, it's a fast read (or listen, in my case) full of humor and simple, down-home wisdom like these nuggets:
- If you're not ten minutes early, you're late.
- If it's a good idea, it doesn't matter if it came from the CEO of a company or the guy who mops the floors.
- You're never as important as you think you are—just ask the queen!
- A good education and a kind heart will serve you well throughout your life.
- Always give back, even if your contribution is small. (Note: Trebek was a philanthropist who contributed to many charities. All profits from the sale of The Answer Is..., in fact, will go to charity.)
Like Trebek himself, his book is charming, entertaining, and uplifting. Although it's lightly peppered with F-bombs (Surprise! Trebek had a bit of a potty mouth), it's a mostly clean read that exudes the television host's "warm bath outlook on life." Hearing the author talk about his impending death gives The Answer Is... a poignant aspect as well. Although I did shed a tear or two, mostly I smiled and laughed my way through this enjoyable listen. If you're a Jeopardy! fan (or even if you're not), I highly recommend this book, especially in audio format.
(Readalikes: I'm not a celebrity memoir person, so I'm not sure what to compare this one to. Suggestions?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives)
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: 2020 Seasonal TBR List Rollovers
I don't know about you, but there are a lot of books I meant to get to in 2020 but didn't. Like a lot. Some of them didn't happen because I lost interest, others got pushed aside for more pressing reads, and still others just didn't make the cut when my mood caused me to reach for one genre over another. For whatever reason, there are hundreds of titles I meant to read in 2020 and didn't. This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is just that: Top Ten Books I Meant to Read in 2020 But Didn't Get To. Since I don't want to list four hundred forgotten books, I'm going to take one of the prompt's suggestions and look back at the seasonal TBR lists I created in 2020 and see how many of those books I actually read.
First, though, I want to encourage you to participate in the TTT fun by hopping over to That Artsy Reader Girl, where you can find all the info on how to join up with this diverting weekly meme.
Top Ten Books On My 2020 Seasonal TBR Lists That I Still Need to Read
Because I did not do a Fall list, but created two lists each for Spring and Summer, I had a total of 50 books on last year's seasonal TBR lists. How many of them did I actually read? Drumroll, please ... 19! Not too shabby, really. Let's break it down by season and see which titles I still most want to read:
Spring:
TBR List, Part one—read 6/10
Books on list I still want to read most:
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
A Good Neighborhood by Therese Ann Fowler
TBR List, Part Two—read 3/10
Books on list I still want to read most:
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
Summer:
TBR List, Part One—read 2/10
Books on list I still want to read most:
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
The Answer Is: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek
TBR List, Part Two—read 7/10
Books on list I want to read most:
All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker
Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy
Winter:
TBR List—read 1/10
Books on list I want to read most:
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert
There you go, ten books from my 2020 seasonal TBR lists that I still want to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which books are you rolling over from your 2020 lists? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, June 09, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: It's Summertime and the Reading is Fine
I'm not sure if this is clear, but when I talk about my TBR
First, though, I have to give a shout out to our lovely TTT host, Jana, over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over to her blog for all the details on this fun weekly meme as well as book reviews, giveaways, and more.
Top Ten Books on My Summer 2020 TBR List, Part One (Adult Books)
1. Sisters by Daisy Johnson (available August 25, 2020)—Sisters July and September have always been inseparable. After a case of bullying at school, the girls' single mother moves them to her remote, abandoned ancestral home, where the sisters' bond will be tested in ways no one could have foreseen. Abandoned homes and sister relationships are two of my favorite literary tropes, so I'm definitely down for this one.
2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett—This novel about Black twin sisters, one of whom is "passing" as White, unbeknownst to her White husband, sounds intriguing and timely. I'm in.
3. The Answer Is by Alex Trebek (available July 21, 2020)—I've always been a big Jeopardy! fan, so this autobiography of the game's host appeals to me. I don't know much about Trebek, so this will certainly be an interesting read.
4. Beach Read by Emily Henry—I've heard good things about this summery romance novel that centers on rival writers who are both dealing with severe writers' block. In order to shake up their writing games, they agree to swap genres and compete to see who can publish their book first. Sounds cute!
5. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager (available June 30, 2020)—I've enjoyed several of Sager's psychological thrillers and his newest sounds especially compelling. It's about Maggie, a woman who works as a restorer of old homes who inherits the haunted house her father popularized in a best-selling horror memoir. She doesn't believe in ghosts. But that's about to change ...
6. The Guest List by Lucy Foley—I've heard good things about this Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery. It involves a group of people celebrating a wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Things start to go awry when someone turns up dead. I love me an atmospheric thriller set in an isolated locale, so this one is right up my alley.
7. The Lost Girls of Devon by Barbara O'Neal (available July 14, 2020)—Books about women returning home to confront secrets from their past always appeal to me, so I'm intrigued by this one that centers on a woman going back to her hometown after an old friend goes missing.
8. The Choice by Gillian McAllister—After visiting a bar where an annoying man wouldn't leave her alone, Joanna is walking home alone when she hears footsteps behind her. On instinct, she turns and pushes the man following her. He falls down a set of stairs and doesn't get up. What has Joanna done? The Choice explores the two paths the night could have taken in a novel that forces the reader to ask themselves, "What would I have done in Joanna's place?" Sounds compelling.
9. The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson—I've never heard a book described as "a comic novel that brings together a train wreck of a family, the Holocaust, and a brooch ..." (see review here) but that's a pretty irresistible description. I'm definitely going to read this one.
10. Sea Wife by Amity Gaige—At some time or another, all of us have probably been tempted to sell everything and hie off on a get-away-from-it-all adventure. That's what happens to Juliet when her husband decides to do just that. A year sailing around the world with their two young children doesn't sound so bad and it isn't. At first.
So, that's a portion of the books I'm interested in reading this summer. What do you think? Have you read any of them? Do you have suggestions for similar books I should pick up this summer? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll return the favor on yours.
Happy TTT!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Readin'
Beach Thriller by Jamie Day
Listenin'
Hidden Rooms by Kate Michaelson
Followin' with Feedly
-
-
-
-
Sweet Spot by Kemper Donovan4 hours ago
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
