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2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


27 / 30 books. 90% done!

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


39 / 50 books. 78% done!

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona
- Arkansas (1)
- California (7)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico
- New York (4)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee
- Texas (3)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (2)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Canada (2)
- England (21)
- Fiji (1)
- France (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Mexico (1)
- New Zealand (1)
- Norway (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Bahamas (1)
- Vatican City (1)

My Progress:


34 / 51 states. 67% done!

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


24 / 25 books. 96% done!

2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

My Progress:


29 / 50 books. 58% done!

Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


38 / 52 books. 73% done!

2026 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 52 books. 65% done!

2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


22 / 40 books. 55% done!

2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


24 / 51 books. 47% done!

2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


19 / 25 books. 76% done!

2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


44 / 52 books. 85% done!

Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)

My Progress:


54 / 65 books. 83% done!

2026 Countdown Reading Challenge

My Progress:


55 / 55 books. 100% done!

2026 Series Reading Challenge


23 / 36 books. 64% done!

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

My Progress:


70 / 125 books. 56% done!

2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge

My Progress:


9 / 9 books. 100% done!

2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)

My Progress:


36 / 60 books. 60% done!

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 40 books. 25% done!

European Reading Challenge 2026

My Progress:


7 / 50 books. 14% done!

2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)

My Progress:


67 / 125 books. 54% done!

2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge

My Progress:


4 / 5 challenges. 80% done!

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

My Progress:


98 / 100 names. 98% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


76 / 80 skills. 95% done!
Showing posts with label Kelly Rimmer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kelly Rimmer. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy This Summer


Today's TTT prompt is a fun one: Top Ten Books I Had to Have IMMEDIATELY But Still Haven't Read. I feel like this describes pretty much every book on my shelf! No titles came readily to mind, though, so I think I'm going to go a teensy bit rogue and spin the topic a tad. 

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

Top Ten Books I Had to Buy This Summer

I don't know if it's the excessive heat we've been experiencing here in Arizona, or the fact that I've been on Bookstagram (follow me @blogginboutbooks) a lot trying to beef up my presence there, or what, but I've been on a bit of a book buying spree. The last thing on Earth I need is more books and, yet, I just can't help myself. I'm contemplating a serious book ban in 2027! At any rate, here are the last ten books I have purchased, in no particular order:


1. Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy—This deceased Irish author has long been a favorite. Published in 1982, Light a Penny Candle is my favorite book by her. I've been wanting to reread it, but my library has limited copies and the wait times are lengthy, so I decided to just buy a copy for myself. I'm excited to reconnect with it. 

The story is about a long-time friendship between two women and the circumstances that now threaten to tear them apart. 


2. The Stargazer of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt—It seems like I've heard nothing but good things about this book. The swashbuckling story about a young woman who stows away on a merchant ship sounds like tons of fun. Into my shopping cart it went!


3. You Had Me at Bigfoot by Nancy Campbell Allen—I've read and enjoyed a few of Allen's books. Described as Nancy Drew meets Scooby Doo, her newest novel sounds like a joy. It's a cozy mystery about a reporter and a photographer who are on assignment to cover a society wedding. Whispers of a missing maid and Bigfoot sightings turn what was sure to be a humdrum story into something much, much more exciting.


4. Murdoku: 80 Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles (Volume 1) by Manuel Garand—This is a Bookstagram Made Me Do It purchase. Someone posted about these fun puzzles for mystery lovers, and I had to give them a try, although I actually haven't done it yet. Soon, I hope.


5. The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff—Everyone seems to be raving about this novel, which is about a family whose lives are turned upside down after their house burns in a fire. Forced to move in with relatives temporarily, the strained situation causes them to reckon with their rocky relationships and family secrets. It's a family saga that is supposed to have it all: humor, heartbreak, and healing.


6. The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer—Have you seen the gorgeous sprayed edges on the paperback version of Rimmer's newest novel? They are BEAUTIFUL. How could I resist buying a copy for my bookshelf? Spoiler alert: I couldn't.

The novel concerns a woman who returns to her family's crumbling mansion intent on restoring it to its former glory. Within the walls, she discovers a mysterious book that tells a tale that is eerily similar to her own. As these factual and fictional worlds collide, old family secrets are revealed, changing the woman's life forever.


7. The Mad Wife by Meagan Church—The Kindle version of this historical novel is only $1.99 on Amazon. I've been wanting to read the book, so I coughed up two bucks and made it mine. The story is about a 1950s housewife who works tirelessly to keep up the perfect house, marriage, and life. When a new woman moves into the neighborhood, she becomes fixated on the newcomer, sure that the woman is hiding dark secrets. Her obsession with her neighbor soon has her questioning her own life and sanity.


8. The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch—I've heard that Patch writes clean thrillers, which I'm very interested in. My library doesn't have any copies of this one, her newest, so I had to take matters into my own hands and buy a copy. It sounds intriguing. The story is about a former homicide detective who moves to an old house in Maine to rebuild her life and marriage. As she and her husband renovate the home, she notices some strange things about the place. Convinced that something terrible happened in her new home, the detective begins an investigation that will reveal some shocking truths.


9. Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu—I blame this purchase entirely on Ethan over at A Book A Week. His review made it sound too good to pass up. When I saw it displayed at the checkout at Barnes & Noble, it felt like a sign from the book gods that I needed to buy it. Bad things happen when you ignore the book gods, so...

The book has a simple premise: on an ordinary day in small-town Massachusetts, everyone receives an emergency message warning that a missile is incoming and they must find shelter immediately. The residents all have different reactions to the news, some of which will lead to devastating consequences when a second message arrives telling them it was a false alarm. What would YOU do if you thought your demise was imminent? How would your actions affect things if it turned out to be false?


10. Count My Lies by Sophie Stava—This one was an impulse buy from my local indie, Changing Hands Bookstore. Sloane Caraway is a consummate liar, spinning tales to make her ordinary life seem more exciting. When a young girl is stung by a bee at the park one day, Sloane professes to be a nurse and removes the stinger. Impressed, the child's handsome father hires her to be his daughter's nanny. As Sloane becomes immersed in the lives of this wealthy family, she begins to suspect that she's not the only one lying about her life. Her employers are hiding dark secrets about their seemingly perfect lives.

There you go, my last ten book purchases. Have you read any of them? What did you think? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT! 

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring Has Sprung on Mt. TBR, Part Two


I love me a seasonal TBR list, even if I never actually read any of the titles I so ambitiously place on them. Since I was feeling uninspired for last week's freebie-ish prompt, I actually started this week's topic—Top Ten Books On My Spring 2025 TBR List—early. If you want to see Part One of my list, click here or just scroll down on my blog (since TTT posts seem to be the only thing I publish lately). 

As always, this fun weekly meme is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Spring Has Sprung on Mt. TBR (Or, Top Ten Books On My Spring To-Read List)
- Part Two - 


1. The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor—I've been listening to this World War II novel on audio, but it's been slow going and I finally had to turn it back in to the library since another patron had requested it. Luckily, I have an e-ARC of the book on my Kindle. I'm about 60% through the book and it's still plodding along. You'd think a story about the last survivors of a torpedoed ship struggling to stay alive would be more exciting and emotionally resonant, but it just...isn't. I'm determined to finish The Last
 Lifeboat since I'm so close. It's just a *bit* of a slog...


2. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth—Since I can't do housework without an audiobook to listen to, I checked out a new one. I read three of this Australian author's domestic thrillers last year and loved them. The Mother-in-Law is about the suspicious death of a wealthy matriarch who had complicated relationships with her two children and their spouses. Although Diana Goodwin left behind a suicide note claiming she can't bear to live with the cancer inside her, the coroner finds no signs of the disease in her body, although he does find evidence of poison and suffocation. Diana was not the warmest of women, but who hated her enough to kill her?


3. You Belong Here by Megan Miranda (available July 29, 2025)—Miranda is one of my go-to mystery/thriller writers, so I'm always stoked when she publishes a new book. I started an e-ARC of this one, her newest, yesterday before setting it aside temporarily while I finish The Last Lifeboat. It has to do with a mother returning to her hometown to drop her daughter off for her freshman year of college. Twenty years ago, Beckett left the same school following a deadly fire allegedly set by her roommate, who then vanished, never to be seen again. Already uneasy about leaving her only child in a place she never intended to return to, Beckett finds her past overlapping with her present as she contemplates what really happened the night of the fire. 


4. A Town With Half the Lights On by Page Getz (available April 22, 2025)—I like the look and sound of this heartwarming novel. It's about a family from Brooklyn who move to tiny Goodnight, Kansas, to check out the crumbling Victorian home they've inherited. Even while they search for a way to go back to New York, Sid Solvang decides on a whim to buy Goodnight's fledgling diner. As the hopeful transplants try to make a go of their new life, they find themselves wrapped up in the small-town spirit of a place that is suddenly starting to feel an awful lot like home.


5. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister—After about a month of hanging out on a library waiting list, I've finally got my hands on the newest mystery/thriller from another one of my go-to authors. This one is about a woman who is eager to go back to her job as a literary agent after being on maternity leave. She's all set to drop her baby off at daycare and go to work, but when she wakes up, her husband is mysteriously missing from their bed. Then, she hears breaking news about a hostage situation brewing in London. She's shocked to learn that her mild-mannered husband is involved—as the gunman. What has driven him to this extreme and how can she stop him from taking things any further?


6. Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King—The generous folks at Candlewick Press just sent me the first two books in this delightful-sounding middle-grade mystery series. It stars Bonnie Montgomery, aka Montgomery BonBon, a 10-year-old who just happens to be a world-famous detective (or will be someday). When a death occurs at a local museum, the intrepid investigator takes the case!


7. An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette—I'm always on the lookout for fun cozy mysteries. This is the first installment in an older series about a woman who takes a job as a food critic for a Key West, Florida, magazine. Her new boss is the last person she wants to deal with. When the boss ends up dead, the food critic must find her killer before she ends up taking the blame for the foul deed.


8. The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer (available July 22, 2025)—I've got an e-ARC of this forthcoming Gothic family secrets novel. It's about a woman who returns to her Australian hometown to restore her ancestral estate. As she works, she discovers dark secrets long buried by the family she thought she knew.



9. Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin—I made some fairly ambitious resolutions for 2025 which lasted for about, oh, 24 whole hours, if that. I've still got goals I want to work on and fulfill, but I'm in desperate need of motivation. I'm hoping this book will help.


10. Off the Map by Meika Hashimoto—Survival stories are my jam and this one sounds exciting. It's about two friends who are feeling distanced from each other, which makes going on the canoe trip their families planned together a little awkward. When the two get lost, they find themselves all alone in the Alaskan wilderness with no idea how to find their way back to civilization. Can they mend their differences and work together to save themselves?

There you go, ten more books I want to read this Spring. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What's on your Spring TBR list? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My TBR List With Real City Names in the Title


Today's TTT prompt is pretty straightforward: Top Ten Books With Destination Names in the Title. I decided to take the topic literally, choosing titles off my TBR list that included the names of real cities around the world. Since I love historical fiction, a genre which lends itself to these types of titles, it was a cinch to create. I've featured some (most?) of these books before, but since they remain unread by me, here they are again! 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Join the TTT fun by checking out the rules on her blog then creating and sharing your own list. The more the merrier.

Top Ten Books On My TBR List With Real City Names in the Title


1. The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer—It's 1942 and Poland is overrun by Nazi invaders. Their presence is irritating and inconvenient, but Elzbieta Rabinek has been unharmed by them so far. Unlike her neighbors in her city's Jewish ghetto. When Elzbieta befriends a nurse in her apartment building, she is propelled into helping those very neighbors. Her actions put her at great risk, especially since she's hiding secrets that could be deadly for her and her family. Does she dare put her neck out for her Jewish neighbors when it could so easily find its way into a Nazi noose?


2. Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung—Cursed with only daughters, the Ang family lives with the shame of having no male heir to inherit their land and wealth. As civil war rages in China in 1948, the male members of the clan abandon their home, leaving the worthless females behind to fend for themselves. As the eldest, Hai stands trial for her family's crimes. Only barely surviving her beating by the Communist army, she knows she, her sisters, and her mother must make a daring escape. Braving every kind of danger, they set out on a perilous thousand-mile journey to find the family who abandoned them so cruelly.

Based on the author's family history, this novel sounds riveting!


3. The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra—Set in India in the 1920s, this is the first installment in a cozy mystery series starring a husband and wife detecting team. When they attend a party at the Century Club, Kaveri spies a suspicious-looking person lurking in the shadows. Shortly thereafter, a murder occurs. She is concerned when a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime and determines to find the killer.


4. Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin—When the Netherlands is invaded in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to England, but loses her 3-year-old son in the process. Desperate to find her child, she takes a job helping children evacuate to the countryside. Hugh Collingwood is a BBC radio correspondent reporting on the war as well as a series of murders that is plaguing London at the same time. When Aleida begs Hugh for help, the two grow increasingly closer as the world around them becomes more and more deadly.


5. A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd—In this reinvention of a classic play, Romeo and Juliet live happily ever after in lovely Italy and become the parents of seven children. Rosie Montague is the eldest of the brood. Content to remain a spinster, she plays matchmaker with every suitor her parents present, finding the groom-to-be a more willing bride. When Rosie finally meets the man who could very well be her match, their betrothal ball goes awry when a duke is killed at the party. Just about everyone had a reason to want the man dead, but who actually murdered him? Rosie is determined to find out.


6. The Lost Book of Bonn by Brianna Labuskes—American librarian Emmy Clarke is sent by her government to Germany to help the Monuments Men recover literature that was stolen by the Nazis. When she comes across an intriguing note written inside one of the books, it leads her on an intriguing quest to uncover a fascinating story of wartime resistance, betrayal, and courage. 


7. The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore—After a patient dies because of a mistake she made while operating, Dr. Tucia Hatherly no longer practices medicine. Not really. In order to support her disabled son, she is forced to take a position with a traveling medicine show peddling phony miracle cures. Desperate to be free of her obligation to the show's overbearing leader, she prepares to run when the show reaches Texas. It's 1900 and just as she's about to flee Galveston, a devastating hurricane—one so mighty that it will go down in the history books—hits. Tucia must decide whether to save herself and her son or to stay and use her doctoring skills to help the storm's victims.


8. The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore—In post-revolutionary Russia, the Goliteva's ancestral mansion in Moscow has been taken over by Bolsheviks. Forced to live in the attic, the family members look for ways to bring light into their grim lives. Sisters Irina and Lili work for the American Relief Administration to help relieve suffering while back in their bleak home, the house whispers to them of long-buried secrets they must uncover. When one of the Bolshevik officials is found dead in their home, another mystery unfolds...


9. A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan—This dual-timeline historical novel features two women from the same family living in Paris during times of war and upheaval. Having thrown her fate in with a handsome revolutionary, Lisette Vigneau casts off her wealthy upbringing to fight for the people. She opens a small bakery to help sustain her fellow Parisians, but her determination falters as the city descends into chaos from famine, violence, and despair. In 1946, 76 years later, 19-year-old Micheline Chartier is mourning the loss of her parents in the war. As the sole guardian of her two younger sisters, she feels trapped and overwhelmed. When a neighbor enrolls her in a baking school, Micheline finds hope and an unexpected connection with her family's past.


10. Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton—Another dual-time line story, this one concerns a Cuban American freelance writer who travels to Havana to scatter her grandmother's ashes in the deceased's homeland. While there, she investigates her own family history, where she discovers her grandmother's story of romance, revolution, and resilience in the midst of political chaos in the land of her birth.

There you go, ten historical novels on my TBR list with names of real cities in their titles. What do you think? Have you read any of them? Which hist-fic stories with city names in the titles have you enjoyed? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also respond to comments left here (although I'm a week behind at the moment).

Happy TTT!

Tuesday, August 09, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: The Next Few in the Queue


Because of our big move, continued remodeling, and just life, my Top Ten Tuesday posts are about the only thing happening here at BBB! Thanks for hanging in there with me during all the chaos. It's hard to feel settled when there are still boxes to be unpacked, cabinets to be hung, light fixtures that need installing, and on and on and on. I long for the day when everything is back to normal. In the meantime, I'm learning patience and gratitude, so there's that...

I have to say, though, that today's prompt—Top Ten Books With Hilarious Titles—has me stumped. Other than cozy mysteries (which often have punny titles, some of them quite clever), I really don't read funny books. I'm not sure why this is since I do love to laugh. My brain is mush this morning thanks to a wild storm that kept me awake last night, so I can't even come up with an interesting way to twist the topic. I didn't want to miss out on the TTT fun, though, so today I'm just going to list the next ten books I'm thinking about reading. Mood may get in the way, so this list isn't set in stone. We'll see what actually happens. Ha ha.

If you want to join in this fun weekly meme, head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Edited to add: I don't know if anyone else is having this problem, but I'm unable to comment on some of your blogs. I keep getting "Not Acceptable!" errors. Googling tells me the issue has something to do with Wordpress and the JetPack plugin. Even when I'm logged in to WP with my correct username and password, the plugin won't let me in. Super annoying. Anyone else having this problem? Know how to fix it?

Top Ten Books I *Might* Read Next


1. The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer—Marg over at The Intrepid Reader suggested we do a buddy read of this World War II novel, so I started reading it yesterday. It's a dual-timeline story about secrets, war, love, and learning to use one's voice. I'm enjoying it so far.

2. Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley—Speaking of cozies, I just got a copy of this one from the publisher. It's the first in a new series set in a Wisconsin pizzeria. Sounds delicious!

3. The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton—I mentioned this book last week on my TTT list about books I want to read that are set in Scotland. While sorting through my personal library in preparation for moving, I realized I own copies of most of the books in the Scottish Bookshop series. For the first installment, though, I'm going to have to hit up the library. There's a little bit of a waiting list for The Cracked Spine, but it should move fast.


4. A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee—Another discovery I made (or a re-discovery, really) while purging my books was this YA historical mystery series. It's about a secret detective agency made up of Victorican women. I read most of the books as they came out and enjoyed them, but I never finished the series. Since I own all of them, I think I'm going to re-read them starting with this first installment.

5. The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick—This contemporary novel sounds fun. It's about a woman who makes ends meet by working as a maid. In her spare time, she escapes into books and dreams of writing her own. When her employer—a bestselling author—dies, she's given the opportunity to finish the writer's last novel, a task that will change her own life forever.

6. The Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa—Is a book set in 1996 really considered historical fiction? I was a college sophomore then and it really doesn't seem like that long ago! Anyway, this novel is set in Dublin in 1996. It's about a woman who is living her best life when she receives a life-or-death plea from the daughter she placed for adoption thirty years ago. I'm always up for an adoption story, so this sounds right up my alley.

7. Hypnosis is For Hacks by Tamara Berry—I enjoyed the first book in this cozy mystery series, so I'm excited to read this second installment. The series stars a sham medium and is lots of fun so far.

8. The Girls With No Names by Serena Burdick—This historical has been on my TBR for too long. I just picked up a copy from the library so I can finally get it read. It concerns the wrongful commitment of a privileged young woman to a home for wayward girls and her sister, who's determined to rescue her, even if it means incarcerating herself. 

9. Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March—Another series opener, this historical mystery is based on a true story about two women who fell from a clock tower in colonial India. The accident looks a lot like murder, which leads Captain Jim Agnihotri to investigate.

10. Hide by Kiersten White—I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this novel on here before, but it sounds so good that I'm going to mention it again. The story concerns a vicious hide-and-seek competition held in an abandoned amusement park. The winner snags a pile of cash big enough to change their lives forever. Mack is determined to win, but something not quite of this world has been let loose in the playing field...

There you go, the ten books I will might read next. What do you think of my picks? Have you read any of them? What funny titles did you highlight 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.

Happy TTT!

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: A World War II TBR List


As much as I love descriptive words, I'm just not feeling the TTT topic du jour—Top Ten Books With An Adjective in the Title. Instead, I'm going to swerve way off today's path and talk about something totally different. In sorting through all the many books on my shelves, trying to decide which to keep and which to donate in anticipation of my upcoming move, I've realized that I have quite a lot of books on one particular subject. Because of the state of the world in recent years, I've actually kind of avoided reading about it, so now I have quite the stockpile of books to read about...drumroll, please...World War II! Surprised? I doubt it. BBB regulars know I'm fascinated by this historical period. So, today, I'm going to list ten-ish (although I probably could have done 30) books about World War II that I want to read sometime soon.

If you're feeling list-y today, join in the TTT fun. Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten World War II Books I Want to Read  
- in no particular order -


1. The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer—Although Elzbieta Rabinek is careful to keep her true identity hidden, she's still wary of the German soldiers who have taken over her hometown. As their vengeance against her Jewish neighbors heightens, she watches with increasing fear and anger. When she befriends a nurse living in her building, Elzbieta's careful existence quickly turns into one ripe with danger and risk. Is saving the lives of Jewish children worth losing her own?

Rimmer's The Things We Cannot Say, which is set in the same year (1942) as The Warsaw Orphan but takes place in Russia, is also one I want to read.


2. Sisters of Night and Fog by Erika Robuck—This novel tells the tale of two women from different circumstances, both of whom have risked everything to work against the Nazi regime, whose stories converge in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

Robuck's The Invisible Woman also sounds intriguing.


3. The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff—Helena and Ruth are sisters in war-torn Poland. As they struggle to care for their three younger sisters, they make a decision that puts all of their lives in danger. While helping a wounded American paratrooper is the right thing to do, it has dangerous unforeseen consequences for all of them.

I've read and loved a couple of Jenoff's World War II novels, but there are still a bunch on her backlist that I want to read.


4. Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees—Now that World War II has finally ended, Britain has created the Control Commission for Germany. The organization hires British civilians to help rebuild the country and investigate war crimes. Bored with her provincial life, Edith Graham applies for a job with the commission, but soon finds herself acting as a spy for the Secret Service. While she's found the excitement she's been missing, it may just cost her her life.


5. The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable—Based on the wartime experiences of real-life literary icon Nancy Mitford, this novel concerns a woman adrift who eagerly takes on the challenge of running a London bookstore while its owner is away. 


6. 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness by Brian Murphy—I always enjoy survival stories and this one sounds especially intriguing. It tells the true story of a routine flight gone horribly wrong. When their plane crashes, four Army aviators are killed, while one—a man from Philadelphia with no wilderness experience—is left alone in the freezing Yukon to wait for rescue. Or death.


7. The Night Train to Berlin by Melanie Hudson—As war rages all around them, Alex and Eliza meet by chance. The RAF pilot turned war correspondent and the war artist make a solemn vow to meet in Berlin once peace has finally been declared. Will their newly found love triumph in a time when nothing at all is certain?

Hudson's The Last Letter From Juliet, about a female World War II pilot, is also on my TBR list.


8. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave—Although I'm not a fan of love triangles, this epic wartime romance sounds compelling. It features three people whose lives converge in an extraordinary time. As the war rages on, they'll experience friendship, love, devastation, sorrow, and triumph. 


9. The London House by Katherine Reay—Caroline Payne is shocked when a historian friend uncovers a scandalous secret about her British great-aunt. Can the woman really have betrayed her family and her country by running to Germany to marry her Nazi lover? Caroline can't believe it. Desperate to clear her great-aunt's name, Caroline travels to her family's ancestral home in London to learn the truth.


10. The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan—Everyone knows the tragic story of Anne Frank and her family, but one question about their fate has never been answered: Who betrayed their whereabouts to the Nazis? Retired FBI agent Vincent Pankoke became obsessed with finding the answer. With the use of new technology, Pankoke and his team of cold case investigators pored over numerous documents and conducted scores of interviews, all of which led them to a shocking conclusion.

I eat up World War II books, but I know not everyone loves them for various and sundry reasons. What's your take? Do you love them? Loathe them? Which are your favorites? Have you read any of the ones I mentioned? What did you think? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

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Hidden Rooms by Kate Michaelson



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