So, you know how Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter? Well, someone forgot to inform Arizona. We've barely had any cold weather at all. Instead, we're breaking winter heat records. It was 83 degrees today and it's supposed to be 86 on Wednesday! That's just insane. Ick. Why do I live here?

In other news, today is Tuesday, meaning we have a new TTT topic du jour: Top Ten Book Covers Featuring Cool/Pretty/Unique/etc. Typography. I enjoy a fun font as much as anyone, but since I didn't get a chance to do last week's prompt—Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025—I'm going to do that one today instead. As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025 

1. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron—Okay, this one is a cheat. Not only is it a re-discovery, but I also experienced it last month. Ahem. ANYway, I first read (and loved) Bluebird when it was published in 2016. The story captivated me because it was such a gripping and moving read. Even though I have read tons of World War II fiction, it's one that has really stayed with me. I recommended it to my book club, which prompted a reread. Guess what? Although I remembered some of the twists, Bluebird still kept me riveted. My husband just finished it for the first time and loved it as well. My book club is meeting in a few hours to discuss the novel. I can't wait!

Here's the publisher's blurb: A historical novel, set in postwar New York City.

But Eva hasn't come to America for secrets or power. She hasn't even come for a new life. She has come to America for one thing: justice. And the Nazi that has escaped its net. 

2. Kindle Scribe—I've been a dedicated Kindle Fire user for a long time, but when I saw some ads pushing the Kindle Scribe, I decided to try it out. My husband gifted me one for an early birthday/Christmas present, and I love it. Instead of taking notes on paper while I read, I now use the "Notebook" feature on my Scribe. I prefer writing them by hand, but it's much easier on my Scribe since I can easily add and erase information while keeping my notes looking neat and orderly. Toggling between two screens isn't the easiest thing to do on this device, but otherwise, I really dig it for distraction-free reading and note-taking. I'm itching to get the new ColorSoft version, not gonna lie, but at $679.99, it's a wee bit out of my price range!

3. Connie Berry—My favorite author discovery of 2025 is mystery writer Connie Berry. Last year, I enjoyed the first four books in her Kate Hamilton series, which stars an American antiquities dealer who solves mysteries in her adopted U.K. home. There are two more full-length novels and a novella in the series so far, and I'm planning to read all of them in 2026.

4. Audiobooks + cross-stitching = a winning combination—I've enjoyed cross-stitching since I was in my 20s, but I haven't always done it consistently. I rediscovered the hobby during the Covid lockdown when I got bored with just reading all the time (Right? I didn't know that could happen!). I would stitch for hours while watching t.v. with the kids. A few years later, I stopped stitching when I started having trouble with severe tendonitis in my hands. After having surgery in mid-2025, I am able to enjoy cross-stitching without pain again. Huzzah! However, I'm no longer much of a t.v. watcher. Enter audiobooks. Now, I can enjoy my two favorite hobbies at one time. With that discovery, I hope 2026 will be the year I finally finish the birth announcement I've been working on for my granddaughter, who turns three this year!

5. Celebrity memoirs on audio—Maybe it's because I'm not big on t.v. or maybe it's because I'm really old, but I don't care much about celebrities. Their dramatic, glamorous, disastrous lives are just not of much interest to me. Shockingly, I've actually listened to two celebrity memoirs over the last few months: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey and Not Dead Yet by Phil Collins. Both are narrated by the authors. Both are funny, poignant, interesting, and entertaining. The former is weirdly reverent and irreverent at the same time; for a book about spirituality, it's actually quite crude. The latter is better written and more engaging than I thought it would be. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed either book as much had I read them. Listening to the authors' own words in their own voices seems to be the key for me. I'm not saying I'll be listening to a lot of celebrity memoirs in the future (although I admit to being on the waitlist for Dick Van Dyke's 100 Rules for Living to 100 on Libby), but I did discover that I don't hate them. Who knew? P.S. My husband and I also enjoyed listening to Surrender by Bono a couple years ago.

6. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins—I read the original Hunger Games trilogy as the books came out, and I have never reread them, although I've definitely thought about doing so. Finally reading this much-anticipated prequel reintroduced me to the HG world, reminding me how engrossed I was by the books, and rekindling my desire for a reread of the original trilogy. Will it happen this year? May the odds be ever in my favor...

7. Barbara Ross—This cozy mystery author is another writer I discovered last year. I enjoyed the first book in her Maine Clambake Mystery series in 2025 and am currently reading the second installment. The story revolves around a New Yorker who returns to her Maine hometown to help save her family's long-running clambake business. Along with that, she gets to tangle with family drama, troubles with townspeople, a new boyfriend no one approves of, and, oh yeah, murder. 

8. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt—When books are really hyped up, I tend to avoid them rather than snatch them up. And, you have to admit, the plot of this novel sounds a bit strange. An octopus narrator? Count me out. Then, it came up as an "Available Now" audiobook on Libby and I remembered how much Athena had been raving about the greatness of the audio version, so I caved. Spoiler alert: I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures. Spoiler alert #2: Athena was right—the book is excellent on audio.

9. The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman—As a member of the Whitney Academy, I'm invited every year to help judge the Whitney Awards, which is a program that celebrates fiction written by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This year, one of the finalists in the Middle Grade category is The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman. I enjoyed Hartman's first book, but I was still a little skeptical of her sophomore effort becuase its plot sounds a little...odd. Plus, animal narrators and I don't always get along. I read it anyway, and loved it for its uniqueness and heartwarming vibe. Guess who agrees with me about its awesomeness? The American Library Association. The book just received a well-deserved Newbery Honor Award. Congratulations!

10. Books read counter—Another bookish gift my husband got me for my birthday/Christmas was this cute counter for my desk. I enjoy tracking what I read on Goodreads, but it's also fun to count my books this way. My husband purchased this particular one on Amazon (he's addicted), but there are all kinds of cute ones on Etsy as well.

There you go, ten bookish discoveries I made in 2025 (and one re-discovery from this year). What did you discover last year? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. If you posted for last week's TTT, leave me a link so I can check out your 2025 discoveries.

Happy TTT! 

Today's TTT prompt is a nice, easy one: Top Ten Books With My Favorite Color on the Cover. As much as I love green, though, I'm just not feeling this topic today. Since today is the mid-point of the year (2024 is flying by!), I thought I'd hop on the Mid-Year Freak Out tag bandwagon and take a look at how my reading year is shaping up. I'm not entirely sure where this tag originated—someone said it started with Ely over at Earl Grey Books some years ago—but it's been all over the blogosphere lately. I saw it most recently over at Girl Plus Books, so that's where I grabbed the questions from. There are other versions floating around as well. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Back to the tag...

I've read a handful of books this year that I've really enjoyed, but I have to go with Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson for this one. It's a YA fantasy—not my usual thing at all—but I enjoyed it immensely.

I'm always going on about the Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong, so this one is no surprise. Disturbing the Dead is the third installment in the series. It's just as enjoyable as its predecessors.

My last two Top Ten Tuesday lists were on this very subject (check out Part One and Part Two). Of the 20 books on those lists, I'm most excited about Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman. She's an auto-read author for me, so I'm always up for a new one from her.

I hate to label a book a "disappointment," but Trouble Island by Sharon Short is a historical mystery that I was really, really looking forward to reading. I enjoyed the atmospheric setting as well as the And Then There Were None plot. The characters were not very likable, though, and in the end, the novel just wasn't nearly as satisfying as I wanted it to be. 

Not gonna lie, the cover of The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor by Aubrey Hartman does not appeal to me. I'm just not much of a fantasy reader. I was pleasantly surprised, though, by how much I enjoyed this engaging middle-grade novel.

Of the 91 books I've read so far this year, almost half of them were written by new-to-me authors. I don't know if an author can become a favorite with just one book, but here are some writers I'm definitely planning to read more from: Kat Ailes, Benjamin Stevenson, Jamie Sumner, Gabrielle Meyer, Lesa Cline-Ransome, Jenny Adams, Annelise Ryan, Kayvion Lewis, Katie Tietjen, Elizabeth Lowham, Kristen Perrin, Aubrey Hartman, and more.

I'm not a book boyfriend kind of person, so how about favorite literary couple/duo that I've encountered this year? No surprise here: Mallory Atkinson and Duncan Gray from the Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. As of yet, they are not officially a romantic couple, but they share a professional partnership and a personal friendship that are mutually supportive, kind, and fun.

I'm super chintzy with my star ratings. So far this year, I've only awarded two books with the coveted 5-star rating:

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Dust by Dusti Bowling

I'm not a big re-reader, but I do read or listen to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens every December. Last year, I listened to the audio version narrated by Tim Curry. It's fantastic, so I'll probably enjoy that one again this year.

In a few months, my book club will be reading The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. I can't remember a whole lot about who's who and what's what from the first book in the series, so I'll likely re-read The Maid as well before moving on to its sequel.

I expect The Women by Kristin Hannah will be a 5-star read for me. 

Phew! That was a long tag/Top Ten Tuesday post. Thanks for hanging in there! What do you think of my answers to all these questions? How would you answer them? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your post. I also reply to the comments you leave here on my TTT posts, although I'm a little behind from last week.