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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 Rebecca Stead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rebecca Stead. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday: Hot Summer, Cool Reads


Ahh, summer. Although I appreciate the relaxed, laidback vibe of the season, it's still my least favorite one. It's just TOO DARN HOT. Ugh. The Phoenix area has been under an extreme heat warning all week and it's only going to get worse. It's supposed to be 115 degrees here on Thursday. Heaven, help us! Thank goodness for air conditioning and our backyard swimming pool. I'd die otherwise.

In happier news, it's Tuesday and today's TTT prompt is a fun one. I always love the seasonal TBR lists, so I'm excited for: Top Ten Books On Your Summer TBR List. I've already posted my list for the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge, but I have more than 20 titles I'm hoping to read, so this list shouldn't have any repeats. We'll see.

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

Top Ten (More) Books On My Summer TBR List 


1. The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa—Even though I no longer do blog tours, I agreed to review this novel for one. It sounds so heartwarming that I just couldn't resist! The story is about five characters who are riding a train traveling between two Japanese towns. Each is dealing with different dilemmas and challenges. Six months later, they're riding the rails once again. How have their lives changed in that time? Have they found resolutions to their problems? How have their lives and stories intersected? This isn't my usual kind of read, but I'm excited for it.

2. The Enemy's Daughter by Anne Blankman—This middle-grade historical novel is about Marta, a young German girl who is traveling on the Lusitania with her father in 1915. Although they've kept quiet about their identities to avoid being accused of espionage, her dad is detained after the ship sinks. Clare, an Irish girl, believes Marta to be a Dutch refugee and brings her home to be taken care of by Clare's family. While struggling to keep her true origins a secret, Marta must also wrestle with the idea of what an "enemy" is. Her family and Clare's are on opposite sides of the war, but how can she hate people who have been so kind and welcoming to her? And what will happen if Clare discovers who Marta really is?

3. Murder Past Due by Miranda James—In this cozy series opener, we're introduced to Charlie Harris, a librarian in small-town Mississippi who's known for walking his cat, Diesel, around town on a leash. When Charlie's former classmate, now a famous novelist, is killed, it's up to Charlie (with a little help from his favorite feline) to find a killer.

4. The Experiment by Rebecca Stead (available September 16, 2025)—This middle-grade science fiction tale doesn't come out until the Fall, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can get my hands on an early copy. The story revolves around Nathan, a boy living on Earth who is secretly from another planet. When other members of The Experiment suddenly start disappearing, Nathan's family is called back to the mothership. Confused and frightened, Nathan begins to question everything he knows about who he is, why he was on Earth, and just what he's supposed to do now.

5. Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes—It's 1948 and Mercy Windsor is fleeing Hollywood after a scandal knocked her from her glamorous life as a leading lady. She purchases an abandoned estate with a mysterious past in an isolated Colorado town and throws her efforts into restoring it. The more she works, the more she uncovers about her new home, including rumors of a disappearing train and the priceless treasure it carried. As Mercy mines the past for answers, she finds renewed purpose and hope in her present.


6. The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly—When Lila's grandfather dies, her family heads to Ohio to figure out what to do with his creepy old Victorian inn. On the way, they get into a car accident, after which things start to get decidedly weird. Lila is seeing things, ghostly things. Like her grandfather, who tells her he was murdered, probably by someone who wants to control his inn, which isn't just a hotel, but a portal between the lands of the living and the dead. Now Lila has to find his killer and stop evil spirits from wreaking havoc on her world.


7. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie—I've read several Hercules Poirot novels, but I've yet to read the one that started it all. In this most classic of mysteries, Poirot's wealthy benefactor is poisoned in her home and the Belgian must use his little grey cells to pick out a murderer from among a plethora of suspects, all of whom have something to hide.


8. A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver—This is the first book in a historical mystery series featuring Electra McDonnell, a thief who is caught while trying to steal valuable jewels from a posh home. Instead of incarceration, Electra is given a reprieve. If she will help the British government by stealing an important set of blueprints before they're delivered to a German spy, her attempted theft will be pardoned. With little choice in the matter, Electra accepts, only belatedly realizing just how dangerous of a mission she's been given. 


9. Dead As a Door Knocker by Diane Kelly—The first in an older cozy mystery series, this opener introduces Whitney Whitaker, a Nashville house flipper who discovers a dead body buried in the yard of her new fixer-upper. Who is the stiff and who is responsible for their death? Whitney is determined to find out.


10. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (available July 22, 2025)—I've got an e-ARC of this up-and-comer, Jackson's first novel for adults. The story concerns 27-year-old Jet Mason, who suffers a deadly head injury after being attacked by an unknown assailant. Jet's doctor is sure she will be dead of an aneurysm within the week. That may be, but until then, she is alive and determined to solve her own murder.

There you go, ten more books I'd like to read this summer. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which titles are you planning to read over the next few months? 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!

Monday, October 02, 2023

The Bookish Books Reading Challenge: October Book Ideas and Link-Up

 


It's October already? When did that happen? It's still warm here in Arizona, although our high today is only supposed to be 84. My husband and I have transitioned from doing our daily walk at a nearby mall to strolling in our neighborhood since it's been fairly cool in the mornings. We don't really get that lovely Fall briskness or the stunning changing leaf colors where I live, unfortunately, but I'll take the cooler weather. It's a welcome change after the unrelenting heat we've had this summer. 

I read a few bookish books in September. My Goodreads ratings are in parentheses and the title links to my review on that site:

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer (3 1/2 stars)—a rom-com about a Jewish writer who has a secret career as a bestselling author of Christmas romances

Like Vanessa by Tami Charles (4 stars)—stars a young Black woman who dreams of being Miss America and loves to read, especially books by iconic Black authors like Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker

The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne (4 stars)—memoir by a Salt Lake City librarian who loves books and uses weight lifting as a way to control his Tourette's 

The Red Blazer Girls: The Vanishing Violin by Michael D. Beil (4 stars)—the second installment in a middle-grade series that features a group of classmates solving mysteries that always involve literary clues

I enjoyed all of these for the most part, but my favorites were Like Vanessa and The World's Strongest Librarian. Did you read any bookish books last month? Which did you like best?

With only three months left in 2023, I'm focusing on books I need to read to complete my reading challenges. None of them are particularly bookish, but I did come across two intriguing bookish books that I'll probably read for next year's challenge:


The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass—This middle-grade novel concerns the sudden appearance of a mysterious little free library in a small town. When a boy chooses two books from its depths, he doesn't realize how doing so will change his life. One of the books has to do with a past event in his town that no one wants to talk about. He starts asking questions, not realizing that he's opened a puzzling Pandora's box...

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (available March 12, 2024)—Three women from different backgrounds unite to save their London neighborhood's library after it's destroyed in the Blitz in the newest World War II novel by one of my favorite historical fiction writers. 

Do you have any bookish books on the docket for October? 

For those of you who are participating in the Bookish Books Reading Challenge, here's the Mr. Linky to use for linking up July reviews. If you've not yet signed up for the challenge, what are you waiting for? Join us in this low-key challenge that celebrates a genre we all love: books about books. It will be fun, I promise!


Thursday, December 10, 2020

Stead's Newest Poignant But Hopeful

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

It's been two years since her parents' divorce and lots has changed for 10-year-old Bea.  While things have turned out mostly okay, she still worries a lot, which makes her eczema act up.  To help calm herself, she keeps a list in her notebook of the things in her life that have not and will not ever change.  She knows her mom and dad will always love her, for example.  That's a constant, no matter what.

When Bea's dad informs her that he and his boyfriend will soon be getting married, Bea's thrilled.  She loves Jesse.  He's even got a daughter Bea's age, which means she'll finally have the sister she's always wanted.  She just knows they're going to be BFFs.  As the wedding date comes closer, though, Bea discovers that nothing ever goes perfectly.  Building a new family isn't easy and sometimes change is difficult, confusing, and heartbreaking.  With her family structure shifting once again, Bea has to learn how to manage her anxiety, deal with difficult situations, and find happiness along the way.

The List of Things That Will Not Change is the newest middle grade offering from Newbery Award-winning author Rebecca Stead.  Although its plot is a little unfocused, the story is realistic in that it has both sad and happy parts.  My favorite element of the novel, in fact, is its validation of emotions—not just that they can be super complicated, but also that it's okay, even important, to feel them.  Bea's voice as she's dealing with hers is pitch-perfect, making her a narrator who is both authentic and relatable.  Although The List of Things That Will Not Change deals with some tough subjects, overall it's an upbeat, hopeful novel.  I enjoyed it, even if I didn't absolutely love it.

(Readalikes:  Hm, nothing's coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for violence and topics most suited for kids over 10 years old

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Why Waste Words?



Not gonna lie, I'm not super enthusiastic about today's topic of Top Ten Long Book Titles.  Maybe it's because I read mostly mystery/thrillers, which usually have short, snappy titles like The Mist, Killing Time, or Blood Moon.  Longer titles seem to be more the norm for rom-coms, contemporary fiction, and children's books.  To see if I'm right about this, I decided to take a look at the books I've read so far this year.  How long is the average title?  Does title length really vary by genre?  How many words is the longest title I've read this year?

Before we get to that, though, I want to give a quick shout-out to Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.  Give our lovely host some love, won't you?  You can learn all about Top Ten Tuesday on her blog.

Okay, here we go with my ultra scientific study of title length.  I've read 130 books so far this year.  Here's how their titles break down:

ONE WORD:  6
TWO WORDS:  28
THREE WORDS:  39
FOUR WORDS:  22
FIVE WORDS:  21
SIX WORDS:  9
SEVEN WORDS:  2
EIGHT WORDS:  2 
LONGEST TITLE WINNERS:  The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (horror) and The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead (contemporary MG) 


I appear to prefer three-word titles.  Interestingly, titles of this length appear in every genre I've read this year—mystery, memoir, rom-coms, historical fiction, YA, MG, etc.  Three-word titles do seem to be trendy these days.  I've especially noticed a string of them with this format:  The ______'s ______, like The Lieutenant's Daughter, The Embalmer's Apprentice, The Killer's Niece, etc.  What titular trends have you noticed lately?

Which super long titles have you discovered?  Which are your favorite?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will happily return the favor on your blog. 

Happy TTT!

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

TTT: My Picks for Fall


It's been a rough few days around my house and I think Top Ten Tuesday is just what the doctor ordered!  The seasonal topics always generate my favorite lists.  I'm excited to share the Books on My Fall TBR List and I'm excited to see your selections.  If you want to join in (you do—it's fun!), simply click on over to The Broke and the Bookish, check out the rules of the game, create your own TTT post, then click around the book blogosphere to discover fabulous new blogs and get great reading recommendations.  

Here's what I'm looking forward to reading this Fall.  The Top Ten Book on My Fall TBR List are:


1.  The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware—I'm almost done with this psychological thriller, which is messing with my head in the best possible way.  Like In a Dark, Dark Wood, Ware's debut, this one features a woman in an isolated locale who's trying to figure out what really happened one fateful night.  It's twistier and altogether more intriguing than Ware's first novel.


2.  Danger Close by Amber Smith—I just received this one in the mail from the good folks over at Atria Books.  It's a memoir by a combat helicopter pilot who just happens to hail from my teensy tiny hometown.  I can't wait to read all about her adventures.


3.  Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly—I always like immigrant stories and because I lived in the Philippines for a year, the premise of this one really speaks to me.  


4.  Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens—This middle grade novel about two friends who form a detective agency to investigate the death of a teacher at their boarding school sounds fun.  I wonder how it will compare to The Scandalous Sisterhood of Pickwillow Place by Julie Berry


5.  Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead—I've never read anything by this award-winning author and her newest, a YA novel about friendship, sounds like an excellent place to start.


6.  The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz—I've been wanting to read this middle grade historical about a Pennsylvania farm girl who takes a job in Baltimore in order to make a better life for herself for a while now.  


7.  Factory Girl by Josanne LaValley—This YA novel has a similar premise to that of #6.  A 16-year-old girl from northern China who's forced to leave her home to work in a far-away factory learns how to survive—and thrive—in a foreign situation.


8.  Beautiful Affliction by Lene Fogelberg—The author of this memoir sent me this book about her journey to find answers about a mysterious medical condition from which she was suffering.  When she discovers what is happening, she's faced with an even bigger question: How much time does she have left?  Sounds intriguing, no?



9.  The Last September by Nina de Gramont—This murder mystery and family drama set on Cape Cod sounds compelling.


10.  The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter—An 18-year-old woman struggles to decide if she really wants a relationship with her mother, who forced her into a mental institution several years earlier.  Sounds interesting.

So, there you have it ... ten books I'm looking forward to reading sometime soon.  What's on your list?  Have you read any of the books on mine?  What did you think?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Leave a comment on this post and I will happily return the favor.

Happy TTT!  

*Book images from Barnes & Noble
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