It's hard to believe there are only 24 more days left of 2021! There's still plenty I need to do before the year closes out. Among my many to-do items is reading at least ten more books so I can hit my goal of 200. Shouldn't be too hard. Since today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a freebie and I'm not feeling very creative today, I'm just going to list the titles I'm planning to get to before January 1st rolls around.

If you're in a list-making mood today, definitely hop on the TTT party train. It's always a good time! All you have to do is click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

1. The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan (available March 29, 2022)—I'm a fan of Macmillan's engrossing thrillers, so I'm excited to read her newest. Although it doesn't come out for awhile still, I've got an e-ARC. Yay! The novel concerns a group of friends who book a stay in a remote English inn. When their husbands are all delayed, the women go on ahead. Upon arrival, they receive a disturbing note saying one of their men will be murdered. Stuck in the isolated countryside, their vacation takes a terrible turn for the worst.

2. The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan (available May 10, 2022)—This Irish author is one of my favorite crime writers. There's not a lot of info on her newest, for which I have an e-ARC, but it appears to be a standalone mystery/thriller. Color me intrigued!

3. Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi—I need to read a book by a Muslim-American author for a reading challenge and I've heard good things about this one. Faruqi co-wrote another middle-grade novel I enjoyed, so I'm excited for her newest. It concerns a boy who lives in small-town Texas. With the 20th anniversary of 9/11 coming up, his Muslim community is on edge, especially considering all the protests against a new mosque that's opening up nearby. What will happen as the anniversary approaches in a town that's already simmering with unease? 

4. Lies That Comfort and Betray by Rosemary Simpson—I enjoyed the first installment in this Gilded Age mystery series and am anxious to see what happens in this second book. Prudence MacKenzie, a wealthy heiress, has just formed a detective agency with her friend, Geoffrey Hunter. When one of Prudence's young maids is murdered, the duo have their first case. The victim died in a disturbingly similar way to the women Jack the Ripper killed. Has a vicious killer crossed the pond? Or is someone copying his notorious crimes?

5. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson—A dark academia book prompt is propelling me to finally re-read this YA murder mystery that takes place at a remote East Coast boarding school. I enjoyed it the first time around and am looking forward to moving on with the series once I remind myself of who's who and what's what in the series.

6. Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan—This one is getting a lot of positive buzz. It's about a woman whose dying younger brother is a big fan of a newly-published book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When he asks her a burning question that only the author can answer, she reluctantly seeks out C.S. Lewis. The famous author offers her no quick answers, but what he does give her is far more valuable: hope.

7. Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera—I need to read a fantasy book for a reading challenge prompt and this one sounds interesting. Based on Mexican folklore, it's about a girl who must go on a dangerous, magical journey in order to save her sister.

8. Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli—Two of the reading challenges I'm trying to finish are asking me to read books set before the 17th Century. That's not my usual era, but I like Napoli and this book—set in 1592—sounds intriguing. It's about a young noblewoman in Venice whose future will be spent inside a convent. Unless she changes it. Which she does, to her peril.

9. I'll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins Clark—As a teenager, I spent many hours reading MHC by flashlight after I was supposed to be asleep because I literally could not put her books down. I'm supposed to read a 1990s bestseller for a reading challenge so I'll be revisiting this oldie but goodie. It features a news reporter who's mourning her father, who's presumed dead after his car plunged over a New York City bridge. When a young woman is murdered, a woman who could be the reporter's double, her father's secrets—and the truth about his suspected death—begin coming to light.

10. Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva—This Christmas novel is one I hoped to read last year. Since I've already completed my annual re-reading of A Christmas Carol, I think it's a good time to enjoy this festive tale about the writing of my favorite holiday story.

There you go, ten books I'm hoping to read before 2022 begins. What's on your reading list for the rest of the year? Have you read any of my picks? What did you think? What did you choose for your freebie topic today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.

When her family can no longer afford the fees at the private Islamic academy she's been attending, 11-year-old Sara Hameed is forced to attend public school for the first time.  As the new girl and a Pakistani-American, she feels lonely and out of place.  When her mother starts teaching a South Asian cooking class at the school, Sara's even more in the spotlight.  She's not ashamed of her culture or her immigrant mom, but when her classmates snicker and criticize her family's "weird" ways, it makes her feel like even more of an outcast.

Elizabeth Shainmark's British mother has been so depressed lately that she no longer prepares meals or really engages with the family.  The 11-year-old signs up for an after-school cooking class in order to gain culinary skills she can use at home.  Elizabeth forms a tentative friendship with Sara when the girls become cooking partners.  Although her family is not observant, as a Jew Elizabeth understands what it's like to be seen as different.  Not only does she empathize with Sara's plight, but she genuinely enjoys her company and wants to learn more about her.   

Even as the girls face challenges in their friendship and at home, they decide to work together to create a fusion dish that they hope will win them a spot on a television cooking show.  Not only are they keen to nab the prize, but they also want to prove to their doubtful peers that people from different backgrounds and cultures can be not just teammates but also true friends.  Will their unique dish wow the judges?  Most importantly, can the girls show everyone just how beautifully differences can blend—not just in food, but in friendship too?

A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan is a warm, upbeat novel that celebrates the individual traditions and backgrounds that make us all unique.  It encourages readers to be themselves, even when that means being different from everyone around you. Not only does it offer an engaging story with sympathetic characters and interesting conflicts, but it also teaches some great lessons about friendship, family, staying true to you, standing up for others, forgiving each other, and seeking to understand other cultures instead of believing unfair stereotypes. My favorite lesson in the story is that becoming a better, less prejudiced, more open-minded person is a process. We can learn from our mistakes and strive to do better each and every day. As a religious person, I also appreciate that A Place at the Table teaches kids that religion isn't necessarily weird or fanatical—for most people, it's just a normal, ordinary part of life. Also, the way that members of the same faith practice their religion can vary widely among different communities, families and individuals. All of these elements combine to create an eye-opening, entertaining, and thought-provoking story that I enjoyed very much.