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.

Don't you love the festive Top Ten Tuesday image above?  It's a perfect complement to today's topic:  Top Ten Christmas Books I Hope to Read in December 2019.  If you don't celebrate Christmas or you want to highlight non-holiday books, that's okay too.  Personally, I love to read holiday books to get me in the Christmas spirit.  This year, however, I'm a Round 1 judge for the Cybils Awards, so I'm busy, busy, busy reading books that have been nominated for an award in the YA fiction category.  Our shortlist is due on December 29, so the rest of my reading year will basically be taken up with that.  Since I'm not sure exactly what I am and am not allowed to say about the process, I'm going to focus on the Top Ten Christmas Books I Would Have Liked to Read in December 2019.

Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun.  It's a great way to spread the love around our great book blogging community.  You can revisit favorite blogs, find new ones to enjoy, and of course, gather awesome reading recommendations to add to your TBR pile.  What's not to love?  Joining in is super easy—just hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few quick instructions, create your own TTT list, and get clicking.

Alright, here we go with the Top Ten Christmas Books I Would Have Liked to Read in December 2019:

I'm not much for re-reading, but I make exceptions for the following three books:

1.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens—I try to read this classic novella every December.  It's a quick read and one that never fails to put a smile on my face.  There are so many powerful lessons in this deceptively simple story!  It always reminds me that generosity trumps greed, people's hearts can change and that Christmas is a time for forgiveness, unselfishness, and love. 

2.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling—Rowling's descriptions of Christmas at Hogwarts are just ... magical.

3.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott—Always a fun read, this is one of my favorite classic novels.

I haven't read any of the following yet.  Maybe next Christmas?

4.  Christmas novels by Jenny Colgan—The Scottish author has penned a number of holiday novels.  I'll probably start with Christmas at the Cupcake Café and go from there.

5.  Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva—As I mentioned above, I love Mr. Dickens' famous carol.  This novel, about the author and how his most loved work came to be, sounds excellent.

6.  A Christmas by the Sea by Melody Carlson—Wendy Harper and her son travel to Seaside, Maine, in order to fix up the cottage Wendy inherits when her grandfather dies.  Although she has every intention of selling the place ASAP, her son insists it's their new home.  Does he know something his mother doesn't?  Sounds like a sweet holiday story!

7.  Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini—I've read a little bit about the sad story behind Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," which was set to music and became a beloved holiday carol.  This novel goes into more depth.  One of these Christmases, I really need to read it.

8.  Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle—A woman who is clamoring to save the small store her family has owned for generations pens a desperate letter to Santa asking for help.  Little does she know, the person reading her letters is the handsome owner of the chain megastore that she holds directly responsible for putting her store out of business ... A fun holiday rom-com?  Yes, please!

9.  The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury—Another romance, this one revolves around a bookstore that has brought people together for decades.  When a devastating flood threatens to close it forever, its customers (including an estranged couple who made many happy memories at the bookstore) must rally together to save it. 

10.  Sentimental Journey by Holly Schindler—This lovely author has had a special place in my heart ever since she told me she posted my glowing review of her first novel, A Blue So Dark, on her fridge because she was so proud of it!  LOL.  Schindler writes in a variety of genres, but her holiday story collection is particularly fun.  The novellas all center around Ruby's Place, a rundown restaurant and bar that was once the sparkling center of life in little Sullivan, Missouri.  Although it appears deserted, there are some delightful spirits who inhabit the place and are eager to help return it to its former glory.  I've read the first two installments in the series, but haven't yet gotten to this third one.

There you go, ten books I'd like to read in December 2019.  Even though I will likely not get to them next month, I hope to someday.  Have you read any of these?  What are your favorite Christmas reads?  What will you be reading during the holiday season?  I'd love to know your answers.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT!