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2025 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


30 / 30 bookish books. 100% done!

2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


46 / 50 books. 92% done!

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (2)
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (9)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (1)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (8)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (3)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (4)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (1)

International:
- Australia (5)
- Canada (3)
- England (16)
- France (2)
- Greece (2)
- Italy (1)
- Japan (1)
- Norway (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (2)
- Vietnam (1)

My Progress:


51 / 51 states. 100% done!

2025 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


31 / 50 books. 62% done!

2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

My Progress:


37 / 50 books. 74% done!

Booklist Queen's 2025 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


40 / 52 books. 77% done!

2025 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


43 / 52 books. 83% done!

2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


30 / 40 books. 75% done!

2025 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


38 / 51 cozies. 75% done!

2025 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2025 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


26 / 26.2 miles. 99% done!

2025 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


33 / 100 books. 33% done!

2025 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


70 / 109 books. 64% done!

2025 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


57 / 62 books. 92% done!

Phase Out Your Seriesathon - My Progress


23 / 55 books. 42% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


97 / 100 names. 97% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


75 / 80 skills. 94% done!
Showing posts with label Autumn/Fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Autumn/Fall. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 01, 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall TBR List, Part Two


What are you like when it comes to hype surrounding new books? Do you give into it for fear of missing out on a title "everyone" seems to be loving? Or are you leery about following the crowd, maybe because you've been burned before? Today's TTT prompt is all about that: Top Ten Books You Read/Avoided Because of the Hype (and did you make the right choice?). I'm more likely to do the latter, but occasionally, I do get caught up in the hype. I can think of a few books I've read or bought because of it, just not enough for much of a list. However, I have no trouble at all coming up with more books that are on my Fall TBR list, so I decided to make an addendum to last week's list

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

Top Ten (More) Books On My Fall TBR List 


1. Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine—This middle-grade novel deals with the outbreak of COVID in the city where it began. Mei Li's father is busy doctor who's stuck at the hospital dealing with the crisis, unable to spare a moment to come home. Left mostly on her own, the lonely 13-year-old is determined to do her part to help her neighbors and friends. She's an excellent cook who wants to become a chef, a dream her father does not support. Undeterred, she finds ways to use her skills and talents in the kitchen to feed people in need. 

I'm just about done with this novel. Although it deals with a dark time, it tells a hopeful, empowering story about how we can help each other through hardships. Compestine lives in California, but she grew up in Wuhan, which makes the tale feel especially authentic.


2. The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong—In this second installment in the Haven's Rock series, Casey and Eric have accepted a family into their hidden Yukon town for the first time. No one is used to having kids in their midst, so when 10-year-old Max claims to see a strange bear-man prowling the woods, no one takes him very seriously. Then, the boy disappears. As Casey and Eric comb the forest for the child, they come across ominous clues that indicate a killer is in their midst. While they search frantically for answers, they face another unexpected challenge: Casey is pregnant. Can the two of them find Max before it's too late? Are they ready to be parents when they can't even keep track of one small boy? What does a baby mean for their future and that of their town?

Haven's Rock is a spinoff series of Armstrong's popular Rockton series. I've loved all the books, especially on audio, so I'm enjoying this one in that format as well. Thérèse Plummer is an excellent narrator. She performs Casey and Eric so well!


3. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico—I've heard good things about this heartwarming novel and it fits a reading challenge prompt I need to check off, so I'll be reading it soon. It's about a humble English charwoman who falls in love—with a sumptuous Dior dress. Finding the elegant garment sets her on a quest that has her saving every pound she makes until she's got enough to go on a life-changing journey to Paris, where she changes her life and those of plenty others along the way. Sounds like a delightful read!


4. Dead Tired by Kat AilesThe Expectant Detectives kept me royally entertained, so I'm excited to read this sequel. It's about a group of pregnant women who meet at a class for expectant mothers and, unexpectedly, became amateur sleuths who successfully solve a murder together. One year later, the moms are exhausted, desperate for some much-needed rest. An eco-protest provides a convenient escape, but when one of their fellow protesters is killed, the sleepy parents find themselves channeling their inner Nancy Drews once again...


5. A Cruel Light by Cindy MacMillan—When a young woman is brutally murdered, it rocks her small town to its core. Just when memories of the slaying are starting to fade, an eerie painting of the victim is discovered during the renovation of the local parsonage. An art expert is hired to clean the portrait while a local detective hunts for clues in its depths. The pair soon realize that the killer will do whatever it takes to cover their tracks. Can they find answers before they become murder victims themselves?


6. All Better Now by Neal Shusterman—This YA thriller concerns a virus that is running rampant. Although it starts with a fever, its long-term effects include personal peace, contentment, and happiness. Not everyone is thrilled with these results, especially those who make big money off people with depression, stress, and worry. Soon, they are trying to convince the populace that too much happiness is not a good thing. Two teens who are confused by the mixed messages determine to find the truth behind the virus and its effects. Can an overabundance of happiness in the world truly be a bad thing?


7. The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose—I loved both The Maid and The Mystery Guest, so I'm all in for this holiday-themed Maid novella. Molly Gray has always loved Christmas. She's looking forward to celebrating the special season with her beloved boyfriend, Juan Manuel. When a gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel goes wrong, however, it leaves her questioning the people she thought loved her most. Molly has always had trouble reading people and knowing whom to trust. Has she made a critical mistake once again?


8. Homeless Bird by Gloria Whalen—This National Book Award winning YA novel sounds interesting. I'm not sure exactly when it takes place, but it's about a 13-year-old girl who's being married off by her parents. When she realizes they've been horribly deceived about the situation, the brave young woman vows to take charge of her own future. 


9. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens—I read or listen to this holiday classic every year to get me into the Christmas spirit. The audiobook narrated by Tim Curry has become my go-to version lately. It's fantastic!



10. Gone to Hot Pot by Vivien Chien—Thanks to a reading challenge prompt (what else?), I need to read a book sold only in digital format. This novella, #9.5 in one of my favorite cozy mystery series, fits the bill. Lana Lee, the main character and usual narrator in the Noodle Shop Mystery books, is away at a restaurant convention. Megan, Lana's roommate, is left in charge of her dog, Kikkoman. When Megan decides to drop by Asia Village with the pup in tow, she never dreams the pooch will run away and become hopelessly lost. Even with everyone in the community helping, Kikko is nowhere to be found. Where in the world is Lana's beloved pet and can they find him before she returns?  

There you are, ten more books that I'm eager to enjoy this Fall. Have you read any of them? What's on your Fall TBR list? And what titles have you read or avoided because of hype? I'd 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 left here.

Happy TTT!

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall TBR List


Edited to add: I always comment on every blog that is linked to the main Top Ten Tuesday post. Today, I keep running into errors that I think are related to "not secure" blogs. The blog "times out" when trying to load its main page or when trying to process my comment. Very irritating. If you don't see a comment from me on your TTT post today, that's why! 

It's been a hot minute since I've participated in my favorite weekly blogger roundup! Between my FamilySearch Center volunteering gig and grandbaby sitting, Tuesdays are busy for me. The seasonal TBR list prompts are my favorites, though, and I didn't want to miss out on this week's: Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR List. Even though it's still over 100 degrees here in the Phoenix area and doesn't feel much like Autumn (I just heard the term "Hautumn," which is much more fitting), I'm looking forward to the cozy season for lots of reasons. 

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

Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR List 

1. My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara—I'm about a third of the way into this children's classic that I don't *think* I've ever read before. I need to read a book set in Wyoming to complete the Literary Escapes Reading Challenge and one with the word "friend" in the title for the Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge, so My Friend Flicka seemed like a good double-duty choice. The story is about a boy and the wild horse he wants to tame. Not gonna lie, it's slllloooowww. Hopefully, it will pick up soon. It's supposed to be a beautiful, heartwarming book. We'll see.

2. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose—My book club is meeting on Thursday night to discuss this novel. We all loved The Maid when we read it last year, so we're excited to experience the sequel. This time, Molly, a neurodivergent hotel housekeeper is investigating the murder of a well-known mystery writer. There are suspects aplenty, including Molly herself. If she can't clear her name, she'll be cleaning in jail instead of at her beloved Regency Grand.

3. Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens—This middle-grade series opener qualifies for the "Book Written During NaNoWriMo" PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt, plus it just sounds fun. It's about two schoolgirls who form a detective agency. When one of their teachers dies in a suspicious accident, the duo determine to prove it was murder.

4. The Mesmerist by Caroline Woods—It's 1894 and young women are disappearing mysteriously in Minneapolis. When a young woman named Faith arrives at the Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers, refusing to speak or explain herself, her superstitious housemates are quick to accuse her of wielding dark magic, which must be the cause of the missing persons. Faith's roommate is secretly assigned to investigate her background, which reveals shocking secrets about the city and its supposedly genteel residents.


  5. Curtain by Agatha Christie—If you know when this mystery, the final one in the Hercule Poirot series, was published, then you'll know what year I was born! I'm reading it for, you guessed it, a reading challenge prompt. The story takes place during a house party at Styles.

6. Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James—I'm a big St. James fan. I've been working through her backlist and this historical mystery is one of the two that I haven't read yet. It's about a woman on the run who falsifies her resume in order to get a job at a remote hospital for WWI veterans suffering from shell shock. Strange things are afoot at the institution and the fake nurse is determined to get to the bottom of what is really happening at the eerie hospital.

7. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson—What could be more perfect for spooky season than a book about witches? Immanuelle Moore is the product of a mixed-race relationship, a sin in the strict Puritanical society in which she lives. Already an outcast, she tries to keep her head down by always being pious and devout. When she finds herself being beckoned into the mysterious woods around her home, she is given a precious gift by the witches who lived there: her dead mother's diary. As dark truths about her community start coming to light, Immanuelle realizes it is up to her to make things right.

8. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dexon—Book covers that feature a hotel are surprisingly hard to find and I need one for a reading challenge prompt (What else?). I was tempted to re-read The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James to fulfill this one, since I loved it the first time around, but I decided on this historical mystery instead. It stars Kitty Underhay, a young woman who is temporarily left in charge of her family's hotel on the English coast. Expecting a busy but unremarkable season, she's shocked when several guest rooms are broken into. Rumor has it that someone is searching for a priceless ruby, a jewel that is connected to Kitty's mother. With the help of a handsome hotel employee, she vows to figure out what is happening before the hotel is ruined by bad press.

9. The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters—This middle-grade novel looks cute and entertaining, plus it features a superhero, which makes it perfect for another reading challenge prompt I need to cross off (natch). It's about an "unadoptable" foster kid who is finally chosen to be part of a forever family. His new parents are far from perfect, but they're kind. They're also a little...strange. When Logan discovers they're actually superheroes, he realizes his life has just taken an unexpectedly wild turn.

10. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter—Carter's books are always upbeat and entertaining. Her newest is a holiday-themed enemies-to-lovers locked-room murder mystery starring rival mystery writers. Say no more. I'm in!

There you go, ten books I'm planning to enjoy this Fall. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What's on your Fall TBR list? I'd 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 left here.

Happy TTT!

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Let's Get the Fall Reading Party Started, Or, My Fall TBR List (Part Two)


I always love it when we do seasonal book lists for TTT, so I'm excited for today's topic—Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR List. I was so eager for it, in fact, that I started it last week, posting the first part of my list here. (Or just scroll down since I only seem to be able to manage one post a week these days!) Today, you get the second half of my list of books I still need to read to fulfill prompts for my 2023 reading challenges. I can't wait to see what you all will be reading this Fall!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over there and give her some love, won't you? While you're there, add a link to your own TTT list of Fall reads so I can check it out.

Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR List (Part Two) 


1. Scene of the Climb by Kate Dyer-Seeley—This cozy mystery is set in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, a lush scenic area in Oregon and Washington. It's a region I know well since that's where I grew up. I've been meaning to read this series opener for awhile now since (1) I enjoy a good cozy, (2) it's by one of my favorite cozy writers (Kate Dyer-Seeley is Ellie Alexander's real name), and (3) it's set in a place I love. 

The story revolves around an out-of-work journalist who bluffs her way into writing for an extreme sports magazine (even though she's anything but athletic). Pretending to be a seasoned mountain climber for a story is difficult enough, but when the reporter witnesses a suspicious death, she finds herself impersonating Nancy Drew as well.



2. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree—Even though this is not at all the type of book I usually read, it is so universally loved that not reading it is giving me a serious case of FOMO! For the few of you who haven't read it, it's about an orc who's tired of doing battle for her daily bread. She decides to retire her sword and open the first coffee shop ever seen in her city (where, by the way, no one even knows what coffee is). Abundant obstacles stand in the way of her business plan's success, but that doesn't stop her from working tirelessly to make her dreams come true. 

PopSugar Reading Challenge—A Book Written During NaNoWriMo AND the Craving For Cozies Reading Challenge (Is Legends & Lattes a cozy mystery? Someone said it was...)


3. Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman—Eighty-year-old Mary Jackson has run the Very Cherry General Store in quaint Good Hart, Michigan, for most of her life. As the last of the Jackson women, she's afraid she might have to do the unthinkable and turn the place over to (gulp!) a man. Then, Becky Thatcher comes to town. Becky never expected to start over at age 40, but it's beginning to look as if fate has other plans for her...

The Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge—A Book By An Author Using a Pseudonym of the Opposite Gender


4. The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees by Meredith May—This non-fiction title is about a girl who is left lonely and adrift by a chaotic home life. She is taken in by her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper, who helps her find herself and her "people" by teaching her the art of beekeeping and honey-making.

The Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge—A Memoir or Biography About Someone With an Unusual Hobby


5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass—High fantasy is not a genre you see featured much here at BBB because it's just not my thing. One great feature of reading challenges is that they force me out of my reading comfort zones. So, I'm going to finally read a Maas book. She's such a popular author that it will be fun for me to give her a go. I think. 

Wait! Does Legends & Lattes count as a high fantasy? I'm a little confused by what is and what is not a high fantasy...anyone know??

Anyway, this popular novel is the first in a YA romantasy series about a huntress who is dragged into the vicious faerie underworld after killing a wolf in the woods. As she comes to know the beast who has captured her, she realizes that neither he nor his world is quite what they seem. Something is not quite right in faerie land and she might be the only one who can save it...

The 52 Club Reading Challenge—High Fantasy AND the Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge—A Book About Fairies 


6. Off the Grid by Tess Sharpe—This middle-grade adventure is the first installment in a series starring Maisie Lockwood, a young character from the Jurassic Park movies. I'm not sure what the plot of this novel is, but I know it's exciting and features dinosaurs. Again, not my usual thing, but it fulfills several of my reading challenge prompts, so I'm in.

PopSugar Reading Challenge—A Book Based on a Popular Movie AND the Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge—A Book With Dinosaurs in It 


7. Solito by Javier Zamora—I've been meaning to read this immigration memoir ever since it came out last year. It's the author's story about the harrowing 3,000-mile journey he made from his small hometown in El Salvador through Guatemala and Mexico, into the United States where he planned to reunite with the parents he hardly remembered. Traveling with a group of strangers with only a paid coyote to guide them, the 9-year-old experienced every kind of terror on his long, perilous journey.



8. Hour Glass by Michelle Rene—This western is set in the lawless town of Deadwood, South Dakota, where two orphaned children find a collection of colorful individuals who unexpectedly become family.

Literary Escapes Reading Challenge—South Dakota AND the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge


9. All the Small Poems and Fourteen More by Valerie Worth—Poetry is another genre I tend to avoid. In general, I find poems too abstract and confusing to really enjoy. I figure poetry written for children should be short and easy to understand, right?



10. The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie—This is a novel about family secrets. It's told over several generations, all of which are connected through an heirloom sewing machine. 

The Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge—A Book With the Word "Machine" or "Mechanic" in the Title AND the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

There you go, ten more books on my Fall TBR list. It's an eclectic list for me! What do you think? Have you read any of these? Which titles are you planning to read during this season? 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 left here.

Happy TTT!

Friday, September 03, 2021

Fall Into Reading Challenge 2021

I'm not a BookTuber or a Bookstagrammer (I do have an Instagram account for Bloggin' 'bout Books, but I don't post there very often).  To be honest, I sort of forget these mediums exist even though they revolve around my favorite subject: books.  Thank goodness for the lovely Nicole over at Bookwyrm Knits who posted about a fun Fall reading challenge that was announced a couple weeks ago on BookTube (just FYI: her links go to the 2020 challenge).  The Fall Into Reading Challenge is a prompt-based challenge that is hosted by four YouTubers:  Tia at Tia and All the Books, Kelly at Cozy Reader Kelly, Angie at Literary Labors, and Rainey at Rainey Day Reads.  Because the prompts are very general, I'm going to do the harder 24-square level:


I'm not going to pre-plan any reading for the challenge since the books I'm already tentatively "planning" to read in the next few months fit these categories pretty well.  We'll see what I end up doing.  You can track my progress with this challenge—and all the others I'm participating in—by checking out the left sidebar of my blog.  For more details, like which books I'm using for which challenges, click on the "Reading Challenges" tab in my blog header.

Also, you may not know or may not remember that I started Ready for a Reading Challenge? at the end of 2019 to act as a database for all the reading challenges going on around the Internet.  While there's not a lot going on over there at this time of year, pretty soon it will be hopping with lots of announcements about new challenges for 2022.  If you are hosting a challenge in the new year or if you see one announced, please let me know so I can add it to the database.  Free advertising!  

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The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed By Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

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The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner



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