Happy Tuesday! How's everyone doing? I'm swell, especially because I have exciting news—on Sunday, I finished my 200th book of the year, meaning that, for the first time ever, I met my goal of reading 200 books in a year. Cue the confetti! I don't know how you tally up your totals, but I count books finished (not including picture books or anything under 50 pages) and not pages read, so it's possible I've read more pages in other years, just not this many actual volumes. I'm so proud of myself :) We won't talk about all the other more productive things I could have accomplished with all those hours...moving along...

Today's TTT topic is Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. It has this addendum, that I find kind of odd but others might enjoy: This was so popular when I did it in June that we’re doing it again for the holidays! List the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to your wishlist so that Santa can grant your wish. Make sure you link your wishlist to your mailing address [here’s how to do it on Amazon] or include the email address associated with your ereader in the list description so people know how to get the book to you. After you post, jump around the Linky and grant a wish or two if you’d like. You can make your identity known or be someone’s secret Santa! Please don’t feel obligated to send anything to anyone! If you would rather not include your wish list, just share the books you hope you find under your tree on Christmas morning. I can't imagine asking people to buy me books, so I'm going to skip this topic altogether. Instead, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite Christmas things—books, music, movies, etc. Before we get to that, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our hostess, Jana, some love.

My Top Ten Christmas Favorites

1.

I think everyone is aware of how much I love A Christmas Carol by now. I re-read it every December to get me in the holiday spirit. It's wise, witty, and just wonderful. It also happens to be the only Dickens book I've ever read. Yay for novellas!

2.

I've mentioned before that I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormons). One thing people of my faith revere is the Sabbath Day, which we try to keep holy. To this end, Mormons don't generally shop on Sundays or attend things like sporting events. Growing up, my father was adamant about us kids only watching uplifting things on the Sabbath. Other than videos produced by our church, he had two others he deemed appropriate: The Sound of Music and It's a Wonderful Life. My siblings and I viewed both so many times that we can still quote them word-for-word all these years later. My love for It's a Wonderful Life started then and continues now. It remains my all-time favorite Christmas movie. 

4.

It's Tuesday again, time for my favorite bookish meme.  I always look forward to this weekly event, especially now when there are so few ways to distinguish one day from all the rest!  How's everyone doing this week?  Are you surviving the quarantine in good spirits or starting to go stark raving mad?  Are you whipping through a book a day or finding it difficult to concentrate on reading when the outside world is still in chaos?  We're doing okay over here.  All of us have cabin fever, but we're being as cautious as we can by staying home, social distancing, washing our hands, etc.  We've had excessive heat warnings here in the Phoenix area—it's supposed to be in the upper 90s and low 100s all week.  Oh, joy!  I'm not a fan of hot weather, but at least I have air conditioning and a backyard swimming pool.  I really can't complain (I mean, I can, but I shouldn't).  For now, I'll just continue reading, cross-stitching, blogging, and attempting to keep my house from becoming a complete shambles.  I hope you all are doing well and keeping you and yours safe and healthy.

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a nostalgic one—Top Ten Books I Wish I Had Read As a Child.  I don't know about you, but I have been a voracious reader for my entire life.  As a kid, there was nothing I loved more than visiting our town's teensy tiny library.  When I couldn't convince my mom to drive me into town, I made the two-mile round trip on my own two feet.  The walk down wasn't so bad since it was all downhill, but the hike back up was a killer, especially in the summer heat with my arms full of all the books I could carry!  Needless to say, I was thrilled when I got my driver's license.  Not only could I drive myself to town whenever I wanted, but I could also cross the bridge into Oregon and check out books from a nearby town that had a much larger library.  I inhaled so many books in those days that, besides the Harry Potter series (which didn't come out until I was in my late 20's), I couldn't think of any that I wished I had read as a child.  I could, however, think of many that I loved back then, so I'm going to twist the topic du jour and list the Top Ten Authors/Books/Series I Loved As a Child.

Before we get to that, though, I have to give a shout out to Jana, our Top Ten Tuesday host.  If you want to join in the TTT fun, head on over to her blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.  You can find all the info you need on her lovely site.

In case you somehow missed the most important holiday of the year, Happy (belated) National Book Lover's Day!  This special day is celebrated annually on August 9th.  Although I scoured the Internet looking for some sort of history behind the holiday, I found nada.  So much for the whys and wherefores of National Book Lover's Day.  Oh well.  I've never needed an officially-sanctioned reason to read, have you?

The folks over at Casper—a sleep startup that has created one perfect mattress—believe that bedtime is the best time.  They also realize how much better it is to rely on stories to help ease you into sleep rather than doing something lame and ineffective like counting sheep.  They've even got a hotline that reads bedtime stories to the listener!  To share the bedtime story love (and because they just know how to party), the folks at Casper are celebrating National Book Lover's Day all week long.  Fun!  They asked me to participate by writing up a little somethin' about bedtime stories I love to read.  How could I resist?


It's been a *little* while since I've had a bedtime story read to me by my mother, but not very long (last night) since I read one.  I know the point of spinning tales before bed is to help children drift off to sleep.  There are many wonderful picture books that do just that with their soft rhythms, whimsical illustrations, and affirming morals.  I love gentle stories like Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd; The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood; I'll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw), but the books I never tire of reading to my kids are more of the "wild rumpus" variety.  My favorites offer upbeat tempos, exciting adventures, and lines that make listeners squeal with delighted laughter.  Although these kinds of stories tend to perk kids up rather than slow them down, they remain the best kind, in my humble, bedtime story-loving opinion.

Because my oldest child is 16 and my youngest only 6, I can tell you which nighttime tales have endured in our household.  The following five have been enjoyed by all four of my children as well as their book-obsessed mother:


1.  The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss—These zany books have stood the test of time, not just at my house, but throughout the world.


2.  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault—There was a time when I knew this one by heart.  I'd recite it when my toddlers were restless in the car as well as at their bedtime.  It's a fun book that teaches the alphabet while making kids smile with its lively cadence.



3.  We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen—Not only is this one a joy to read, but it captures kids' imaginations with its dream-like illustrations and dramatic adventure story.



4.  Click Clack Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin—This book is hilarious.  'Nuf said.



5.  Anything written or illustrated by Eric Carle—My kids have all loved listening to Carle classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (by Bill Martin, Jr.); and The Mixed-Up Chameleon.  More recently, my youngest's favorites are: 10 Little Rubber Ducks; Dream Snow; and The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse.

Reading to your children is essential, not just for their intellectual development, but also for their emotional well-being.  Is there a time when young kids feel more loved than when they're cocooned in their beds, receiving the direct attention of a busy parent, who has paused for a moment to read a favorite story?  I don't think so.  No matter how ridiculous you feel tripping over your tongue reading a nonsensical Dr. Seuss story, creating silly voices to amuse your pint-sized audience, or half-snoozing through yet another recitation of The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room, do it anyway.  These precious moments won't last forever; cherish them while you can.

So, what are your favorite bedtime stories?  Which books did your parents/grandparents read to you?  Which do you enjoy with your own children/grandchildren? 

Also, be sure to check out more great recommendations on the Casper mattress Twitter page!    

(Book images from Barnes & Noble; bedtime story painting by Gary Daly)

Content has been a little scarce here at BBB, mostly due to a HUGE book organizing project I've been doing.  It turned out beautifully, though, and I will definitely be sharing pictures in the near future.  In the meantime, I wanted to join the lovely ladies over at The Broke and Bookish in celebrating the third day of the week with my favorite bookish meme, Top Ten Tuesday.  This week's topic stumped me a little bit, but after some thinking I finally came up with this list of Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters:


1.  Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger (from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)—Yeah, yeah, I know these two are going to be on everyone's lists.  For good reason, though.  Harry could not have defeated Voldemort (time after time after time) without Ron's loyal aid and Hermione's brains and bravery.  They're both lovable, admirable characters.  The HP books simply would not be the same without them!


2.  Hagrid (from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)—HP's chock-full of memorable secondary characters, but Hagrid's one of my very favorites.  This gentle giant has just the right amount of gruffness, sensitivity and warmth.  Who doesn't love Hagrid?


3.  Samwise Gamgee (from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien)—Another no-brainer.  Sam is a funny, kind and devoted friend to Frodo.  A perfect sidekick.


4.  Manchee (from the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness)—I usually don't like books that feature talking animals, but this series is a huge exception.  In the books, all living things can read each other's thoughts.  Therefore, Manchee the dog can "talk" to his master, Todd Hewitt.  The canine's thoughts are much simpler than those of the humans around him, but his personality and dogged loyalty to Todd comes out through his thoughts loud and clear.


5.  Willie Woodley (from Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys)—Willie, the no-nonsense owner of the French Quarter's most popular brothel, really shouldn't be such a lovable character.  She's bossy, she's crude, she's greedy and she makes her living from an industry most would agree is morally reprehensible.  So, why do readers lavish her with such fierce adoration?  It's because of her loyalty, her intelligence, and the way she protects Josie, even at her own peril.  Oh, yeah, and she's funny, too.


6.  Piper Williams (from the Alcatraz series by Gennifer Choldenko)—The always-scheming warden's daughter makes for a fun secondary character, especially considering what a stick-in-the-mud Moose Flanagan can be.  Piper confuses him so much that, in Al Capone Does My Homework, he says he likes her on the outside, just not so much on the inside.  Ha ha!  Piper's a great character.


7.  Roar (from the Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi)—Everybody loves the fierce, but funny Roar.  His complete devotion to his friends (especially Liv) makes him the kind of character you wish you knew in real life.


8.  Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert (from the Anne of Green Gables books by L.M. Montgomery)—What's not to love about this down-to-earth brother and sister, who take in the indomitable Anne Shirley when no one else will?


9.  Templeton the rat (from Charlotte's Web by E.B. White)—I love irascible characters whose goodness hides under a gruff exterior, surprising even them when it reluctantly emerges.  Templeton's an excellent example.  Though he doesn't mind getting "paid" for his services, he'd do anything for Wilbur and Charlotte.


10.  Grammy (from The Lorax, 2012 feature film)—So, I know this is a film character, not a book character, but whatever—the film's based on a book, so that counts, right?  Anyway, I think this charming old lady is summed up perfectly by Audrey, who exclaims to Ted, "How cool is your grandma?"  So cool.  

Well, how'd I do?  Do you agree with my picks?  Which characters made your Top Ten list?

P.S.  Book images are from Barnes & Noble; other images were taken from Tumblr and other sites around the Web.