Today's TTT prompt—Top Ten Villains (favorite, best, worst, lovable, creepiest, most evil, etc.)—is a head scratcher for me. I got nothin'. Next week's—Top Ten Bookish Candles I'd Make—is beyond the limits of my creativity, so for the next two weeks, I'm going rogue. In three weeks, we'll all be talking about our Fall TBR lists, but I'm going to get started early. Over the next three weeks, I'll be yapping about the top 30 books I want to read before 2025 ends. I still need to complete 55 books to hit my Goodreads goal of 200 and, although I do have a printed-out list of 90 possibilities, I won't bore you with all that. We'll stick to the 30 I'm most likely to read spaced out over the next three weeks. You're welcome.

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

1. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn—Although I love historical fiction, I've yet to read a book by this popular author. The Alice Network is my book club's pick for this month, so I'll be starting it soon. It's a dual-timeline novel that focuses on the real-life, all-female spy ring called the Alice Network, which conducted espionage efforts against the Germans in France during World War I. 

2. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins—I've heard nothing but praise for this Hunger Games prequel that focuses on the backstory of Haymitch Abernathy and his experience as a competitor in the 50th annual games.

3. Famous Last Words by Katie Alender—I need to read two books with the same title for a reading challenge and I've already completed Famous Last Words by Gilly Macmillan. Alender's book by the same name has a completely different storyline. Alender's is a YA mystery with a supernatural twist. A teenage girl is experiencing strange, haunting visions that seem to be sending her a message about a series of murders that are currently happening in Los Angeles. In order to regain her sanity, the girl must figure out what the messages mean in order to bring a killer to justice.

4. Clover Blue by Eldonna Edwards—In 1970s California, 12-year-old Clover Blue is growing up on a peaceful commune full of colorful people. He's happy there. Until his best friend urges him to start asking questions of the community's founder and the answers he's given just aren't enough. As Clover searches for answers, he makes some startling discoveries that create disturbing cracks in his sanguine existence.

5. The Five: The Untold Story of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold—For a reading challenge, I need to read a book that debunks a historical myth. Emily at ARRRGH! Schooling suggested this book, which delves into the lives of Jack the Ripper's victims, showing that they weren't just throwaway women, but complex human beings with rich lives that were extinguished far too soon. Sounds fascinating! 

6. Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce—I've been meaning to read this historical novel since it came out. I've heard great things about it and, bonus, I need a book about "creepy crawlies" for a reading challenge. Beetles fit that description for me! The novel is about a spinster schoolteacher living a bleak existence in post-World War II London. Tired of the drudgery, she impulsively decides to take off on an adventure to find a mythical beetle. When she advertises for an assistant, she's surprised by who applies. Together, the two very different women find friendship, excitement, trouble, and maybe, a great discovery. 

7. Shadows in the Mind's Eye by Janyre Tromp—When Anne's husband returns from serving in World War II, he's a changed man. Haunted by the horrors he witnessed, he's become sullen and scary. When he claims to see strange men hiding in the mountains near their home, Anne's not sure whether to believe him or not. If he's telling the truth, then who are the men? And what do they want? If her husband is having paranoid delusions, what does that mean for them and their already struggling marriage?

8. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness—I feel like I've been talking incessantly lately about Ness' Chaos Walking trilogy. It's one of my all-time favorite YA series and 've been rereading it this year in anticipation of a new spin-off trilogy that will be published starting in Spring 2026. Monsters of Men is the third book in the original series, which is about a young man and his girlfriend and their quest to save their world. 

9. Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro—I'm on a library waiting list for this novel about a woman whose perfect-looking life is slowly falling apart. Her already unraveling marriage becomes even more strained when the body of a family friend washes ashore and her husband is arrested for the murder. In spite of her own struggles, she must find out the truth about her friend's death in order to clear her husband's name.

10. Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto—I enjoyed the first book in this fun series. Even though I've heard this second installment isn't as good, I'm still excited to reconnect with Vera and her friends. This time around, Vera & Co. are searching for a missing man who no one appears to actually know. Who is Xander Lin? What happend to him? Vera is determined to find out.

What are you planning to read before the end of the year? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Although I like its lazy, daze-y vibe, summer is actually my least favorite season. I've lived in blistering hot Arizona for 25 years, but I'll always be a Pacific Northwest girl at heart. Give me cloudy skies, a brisk wind, and a fine drizzle, and I'm a happy camper. Sunscreen, sandy toes, and triple digit temperatures? Not so much! Still, when I think of summer, I do think immediately of beaches (even though my backyard swimming pool is much more my speed), which gave me a good idea for today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt: Summer Freebie. Since my favorite genre is mystery/thriller and I especially like ones with a water-y setting, I'm going to feature mysteries and thrillers on my TBR list that are set by the ocean.

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

1. Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney—It has taken FOREVER for me to climb to the top of the library's hold list for Feeney's newest, but I finally made it. Yay! The story revolves around an author who calls his wife to share some good news while she's driving home. He hears her brakes squeal, her door slam, and then...silence. When her car is later discovered on the edge of a cliff, Abby's possessions are there, but she's not. One year later, Grady has no answers about his wife's disappearance. Paralyzed with grief, he travels to a remote Scottish island to try to rebuild his life. He's stunned when he sees a woman there who looks just like his wife. Is it her? What really happened to Abby Green?

2. No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack—Set on California's Catalina Island, this is the second entry in a fun mystery series. Bestselling mystery author Eleanor Dash is attending her best friend's wedding. The joyous occasion is marred when Eleanor receives a note warning that someone is going to die at the event. Still reeling from her last amateur murder investigation, the writer reluctantly takes the case. 

3. Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea by Liz Eeles—When her mother dies, a grieving Rosie Merchant travels to the seaside hamlet of Heaven's Cove in Devon, England, to prepare her mom's cottage for rental. Liam, a handsome neighbor, volunteers to help her with the daunting task. Their developing relationship brings some needed sunshine into Rosie's life. Then, she finds a disturbing photograph in her mother's attic, a picture that speaks of the heartbreaking secret that first brought the woman to Heaven's Cove. Liam's reaction to the discovery is...odd. Does he already know the truth about her mother's past? Can she trust him or is he only helping her to protect his own interests? 

4. Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro—From the outside, Brynn's life on Martha's Vineyard looks perfect. She has a healthy new baby, a loving husband, a profitable career, and a full life in a beautiful location. Secretly, though, she's struggling with postpartum depression, the distance she feels in her marriage, and a hectic lifestyle that's pulling her apart at the seams. When a family friend is found dead and suspicion turns her husband into the police's prime suspect, Brynn fears the stress may send her over the edge. No matter how crazy her life already is, though, she won't rest until she finds her friend's killer—even if it's her own husband.

5. Clammed Up by Barbara Ross—The first installment in a cozy mystery series set in Maine, this novel features a woman who returns to her hometown in order to save her family's clambake business. When a corpse is found at her family's home, however, she must channel her inner Nancy Drew and unmask a murderer.

6. You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego—Mila del Angél is thrilled when a famous author asks her to host a retreat for writers at his home on a private island in Maine. The guest list includes someone who has deeply wronged her; this is the perfect opportunity to make them disappear forever. When a different murder takes place during the event, Mila is stunned. And that's only the beginning. A storm is blowing in, the body count is rising, and it's up to Mila to save herself and everyone left on the island from a ruthless killer. 

7. The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey—This novel is set on a remote Scottish island inhabited by more sheep than humans. It's known for an unsolved mystery in which three lighthouse keepers disappeared without a trace in 1919. When a body is found washed up on shore near the infamous lighthouse, two Glasgow detectives are sent in to investigate. It soon becomes clear that the island is hiding its fair share of secrets and the locals are none too eager to spill them to a couple of big city policemen. 

8. A Death at Seascape House by Emma Jameson—In this cozy mystery series opener, librarian Jemima Jago is offered the opportunity of a lifetime to catalog a stunning collection of shipwreck records. The only problem? It requires returning to the Cornwall island she vowed she would never step foot on again. Unable to refuse the offer, she returns home. Before long, she finds herself the prime suspect in the murder of the town busybody. Jemima knows she didn't do it. Who did? If she wants to clear her name, she'll have to find out.

9. Dreaming of Water by A.J. Banner—Astrid Johansen swore she would never return to the oceanside town in Washington State where her younger sister drowned under Astrid's care. When her aunt sends her an urgent plea to come home, Astrid can't say no. To her horror, she arrives to find that her aunt is in a coma after a possible attack. Why did the older woman call Astrid home so urgently? Was she about to reveal a long-held secret that threatened the wrong person? Astrid won't leave until she finds out.

10. The Resort by Sarah Ochs—Years ago, Cass escaped to Koh Sang Resort, a world-famous party place on a remote island in Thailand. Now, she's a dive instructor on the island, which is populated by The Permanents, a group of carefree expats who live in the now, having left their pasts in the past. When a dive student is found dead, their idyllic island life is shaken. And not for the first time. Someone on the island is a killer, and it's up to Cass to find out who.

There you go, ten seaside mystery/thriller novels I'm eager to read. Have you read any of them? Do you have any favorites that would fit this list's theme? I'd love any recs! Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. 

Happy TTT!