Today's TTT prompt is a fun one: The First Ten Books I Randomly Grabbed From My Shelf. We were instructed to close our eyes and point to ten books at random. Easy cheesy! If you want to join the TTT party, click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the deets.

Since I have two different bookcases, I thought I'd give you a little peek into my library and explain how I chose my random ten. Here are my two main bookshelves, both of which are in my living room:

This one is huge, about 9 feet tall and 12 feet wide. The top two tiers hold review books that I've yet to read, alphabetized by author. All the rest of the books are volumes I have purchased, been gifted, or are review copies I enjoyed enough to keep. The lower shelves are organized by genre. I'd say I've read about half of them.

This large bookshelf tops my desk. The three rows of shelving are about 8 feet wide and 3 1/2 feet tall. It holds only review books that I haven't read yet, alphabetized by author. 

Other than the scriptures on my nightstand and the book cart next to my desk which holds my library finds plus a dozen or so paper books that need to be reviewed, these shelves house all of the books I own. (My husband's books are another story...) Even though I have fewer books than I did before I moved last July (by a couple thousand), the first comment most people make upon entering my home is, "Wow! That's A LOT of books." They're not wrong. 

At any rate, I decided to choose my ten randos from my shelves of review books since those volumes can use some highlighting while they await their turns to be read and reviewed. Also, note that I can't reach the higher shelves on these bookcases without a stepladder. Since I was too lazy to go grab one, for some of these I had to stand on my tiptoes, point in the general direction of a book, and go from there. Here's what I came up with:

First Ten Books I Randomly Grabbed From My Shelf(ves)  

- Parentheses indicate the publisher/publicist/author, etc. who sent the book to me and in what year they did so (as embarrassing as it may be). -  

1. The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal (HarperCollins, 2018)—This series opener revolves around Nora Watts, an intuitive investigator who works for a P.I. When she receives a call that the daughter she placed for adoption as a baby—now a teenager—is missing, she can't help but get involved, even if it means dredging up the past she's worked so desperately to put behind her. 

2. Something About Sophie by Mary Kay McComas (HarperCollins, 2013)—When Sophie Shepard is summoned to the deathbed of a stranger but arrives too late to hear what he wanted to tell her, her curiosity is piqued. As she starts digging into her own mysterious past, she uncovers secrets that make her question everything she knows about herself, her birth mother, and the community in which—in another life—she might have been raised. 

3. The Beloved Girls by Harriet Evans (Hachette Book Group, 2022)—A successful barrister vanishes without a trace from a train station. Her disappearance leads back to a fateful summer in a mysterious old country house where her life was not the only one that was changed forever...

4. No Way Down: Life and Death on K2 by Graham Bowley (HarperCollins, 2010)—This non-fiction account tells the story of the worst mountain climbing disaster ever to happen on K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth.

5. Alone in the Woods by Rebecca Behrens (Sourcebooks, 2020)—This middle grade wilderness survival tale is about two girls who find themselves lost in the woods when a rafting trip in an isolated forest goes horribly wrong.

6. The Tumbling Girl by Bridget Walsh (Meryl Zegarek PR, 2023)—This is the first book in a Victorian mystery series starring private eye Albert Easterbrook. When a music hall scriptwriter's best friend is murdered, she enlists Easterbrook to find her killer.

7. The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel (Sourcebooks, 2018)—Another series opener, this middle-grade mystery stars Emmy, a young girl who's shipped off to a prestigious boarding school after her father's mysterious disappearance. Just before she leaves, an anonymous caller leaves her a box containing items they claim belonged to her missing dad. When Emmy sees symbols around her new school that match those she's seen in the box, she follows clues and discovers the existence of a secret society. Does the society have something to do with her father's disappearance? 

8. Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen (HarperCollins, 2022)—Ava Wong, a straight-laced Chinese American lawyer, gets caught up in her friend's lucrative counterfeit scheme. When the friend vanishes, Ava's left to deal with the consequences. 

9. Greenglass House by Kate Milford (HarperCollins, 2014)—The first book in a popular middle-grade series, this novel introduces readers to Milo, who helps his parents run an inn. Business is never brisk in winter, so Milo is anticipating a relaxing holiday when several unexpected guests come knocking. Suddenly, the inn is full of strange people and odd occurrences. What is going on? It's up to Milo and Meddy, the cook's daughter, to figure it out.

10. All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani (HarperCollins, 2015)—Set in the glittering world of 1935 Hollywood, this novel tells the tale of a former nun who becomes an assistant to starlet Loretta Young. Their friendship becomes fierce and binding as they experience the ups and downs of life together. 

There you go, ten random books off my shelves. Have you read any of them? Do any of them sound particularly compelling to you? Which titles are on your list today? 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 your comments here.