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.

Rainbow Stevie over at The Idealistic Daydream is one of my favorite book bloggers. Her posts are always fun, as are her thoughtful comments here on BBB. Not surprisingly, her prompt idea—Top Ten Books With a Unit of Time in the Title (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, eternity, etc.)—which was chosen for today's TTT, is one that sounded enjoyable to complete, although it ended up being a little tougher than I thought it would be. I used Goodreads to find units-of-time books that are on my TBR pile mountain mountain chain. I've included a few of them on lists before, but most of these should be new mentions.

If this topic sounds like a fun one to you, hop on the TTT party train. It's a good time, I promise! Just click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

- in no particular order - 

1. The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber, and Christine Trent—This appropriately-titled novel, which consists of four linked stories, follows the path of a gold watch that is both priceless and cursed as it makes its way from owner to owner wreaking havoc along the way.

2. Ten Years in the Tub: A Decade Soaking in Great Books by Nick Hornby—What could be better than a book about books by an acclaimed, well-loved author?

3. The Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens—Hannah Steele is babysitting her neighbor's kids when a violent earthquake rocks the tiny island they live on. With the bridge connecting the island to the mainland blocked, help is not on the way. A terrified Hannah is now in charge of keeping two little kids safe in a chaotic situation—without electricity, a cell phone connection, or her inhaler. What is she going to do?

4. 15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher—This is the third book in a cozy mystery series starring a Nantucket candlemaker. I haven't read the first one yet, but hopefully it will be enaging enough that I want to read the next installments.

5. These Days by Lucy Caldwell—Set in 1941 Ireland, this novel focuses on the relationship between two sisters as they fight to survive the Belfast Blitz. 

6. When Time Stopped by Ariana Neumann—Also set in 1941, this Holocaust memoir is about a daughter's search for answers in her family's experience in Nazi Berlin and Prague. This one is a little bit of a cheat since it has "time" in the title instead of a unit of time, but oh well...the book sounds fascinating.

7. The Second Mother by Jenny Milchman—Needing a new start in a place where no one knows her secrets, Julie Weathers accepts a position as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse on a remote island in Maine. It's not long before Julie realizes she's made a grave mistake...

8. Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards—I found a copy of this time-slip novel while packing up my bookshelves. It's about a high schooler who falls asleep in study hall and wakes up six months later, with her whole world changed. What in the world happened while she was sleeping?

9. Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert's Year of Living Dangerously by Jessica Pan—This book sounds entertaining and oh-so-relatable.

10. The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati—Another book I rediscovered while cleaning off my bookshelves, this historical is about two female cousins who spend their days helping New York City's most desperate people during its glitziest era.

There you go, ten books I want to read that have units of time in their titles. What do you think? Have you read any of these? Which books did you choose to highlight? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will happily return the favor on your blog.

My 12-year-old daughter has been keeping a verbal Christmas countdown for a few weeks now.  When she said, "It's 20 days away," I couldn't believe it.  Now that it's ten, I'm even more shook.  It's always surreal when the Big Day finally gets here, isn't it?  I'm just glad she still has her little-girl excitement about the holiday.  Thankfully, I'm ready—my shopping is done, Christmas cards have been sent, the halls are decked, and we're getting ready to make our traditional homemade doughnuts to give out to neighbors and friends.  My college freshman comes home in a week, so I get to have all four of my kids under one roof for the first time in months and for the last time (at least for the foreseeable future), since my oldest moved out a couple months ago and is getting married on January 2nd.  Whew.  The next three weeks are going to be a marathon.  When all my company goes home on January 4th, I'm going to sleep for a month!

Despite this whirlwind of activity, I just finished my 183rd book of the year.  Can I finish 17 more before January 1 to reach my goal of reading 200 books this year?  We shall see.  There are a handful I still need to read for challenges and a few others I'm going to try to get to.  I'm not stressing about it (obviously, I'm not obsessed with my reading stats AT ALL), but I'll do my best.  My all-time reading high was 186 books read in a year—at the least, I'll beat that record by a few.  How are you doing on your 2020 reading goals?

Naturally, I've also been thinking about how I want to start off 2021, book-wise.  I've already discussed a lot of the reads I'm really looking forward to in recent lists, so I've tried to fill this one with new titles.  These aren't my most anticipated reads, but they are definitely ones that are on my Winter TBR list.  Without further ado (since there's already been a lot of ado), here we go with:

1.  The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman—I have this one out from the library right now, but I doubt I'll get to it before 2020 fades away.  It's about a group of friends in a retirement home who solve murders. The book sounds super fun and it's gotten great reviews, so I'm excited to read it.

2.  The Survivors by Jane Harper (available February 2, 2021)—I've enjoyed all of Harper's mystery/thrillers, so I've been waiting patiently for this one, her newest.  This one revolves around a man who's visiting his seaside hometown with his young family when a body washes up on shore.  Could it be that of his missing brother?  As authorities investigate, old secrets are churned up.  What really happened to Finn?  I'm always up for a hometown secrets mystery, especially when it's penned by one of my favorite authors.  Can't wait!

3.  Without a Brew by Ellie Alexander—I just started this latest installment in the Sloan Krause cozy mystery series.  The books are set in Leavenworth, Washington, a German-inspired tourist town.  Sloan is a beer brewer and amateur sleuth.  It's a light, fun series that I enjoy.

4.  Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert—This mystery series opener features a former NYPD detective who's taken a job in a sleepy upstate New York town to take a breather.  When a man goes missing on a nearby private island, she's called in to investigate.  Although it looks like murder to our heroine, no one in the victim's family is talking.  With a vicious nor'easter brewing all around, it looks like she's going to be stuck on an isolated island with the killer ...

5.  The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson—Billed as Rear Window for the YA set, this mystery is about Kasia, a homebound girl who witnesses a kidnapping on her street.  Another girl was watching from another window, but when Kasia rushes out to find her she gets a shock—there is no girl.  What exactly did Kasia witness?  How can she solve a crime if she's not sure there was one?  Sounds dark, but intriguing!

6.  Alone in the Woods by Rebecca Behrens—This middle-grade survival story concerns two former best friends who become stranded in the woods when their boat springs a leak during a rafting/camping trip.  Despite their issues with each other, they have to work together to find their way out.

7.  The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel—World War II novels always appeal to me and this one sounds excellent.  It's about a woman who uses her skills in forgery to help hundreds of Jewish kids evade the Nazis and make sure their true identities are not lost in the chaos.  I'm in!

8.  The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama—My brother lives in Hilo, Hawaii, which looks like a beautiful and interesting place.  Hilo is the setting of this historical novel that concerns a Japanese-American community living there and dealing with a variety of issues, including the impending eruption of a volcano.  It alternates between 1918 and 1935, time periods I haven't read tons about.  I've enjoyed other books by Tsukiyama, so I'm excited for this one.

9.  An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn (available March 2, 2021)—Although this mystery, the newest in Raybourn's delightful Veronica Speedwell series, doesn't come out until Spring, I have an e-ARC.  I adore these books, so I can't wait to delve into the latest installment.  It concerns the suspicious death of a female mountain climber and a princess who goes missing.  

10.  Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson—I'm always looking for good historical middle-grade novels and this one sounds intriguing.  It's about a young girl whose parents are sharecroppers in Mississippi in 1955.  When Emmett Till is murdered nearby, she looks for ways to help with the Civil Rights movement.

There you have it, ten books I'd like to get to this winter.  Have you read any of these?  What's on your winter TBR list?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.