I'm a little bit late to the party today, but I didn't want to miss out on my favorite weekly blog event. This week's topic is a fun one, too: Top Ten Books With Honorifics in the Title (submitted by Joanne over at Portobello Book Blog). You don't find this trend much in my favorite genre (mystery/thriller), but it's more prevalent in my second fave (historical fiction). We'll see if I can come up with a list of ten. It's going to be a bit tough, methinks...

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

1. Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce—I've already read this delightful historical novel about an advice columnist dispensing wisdom during World War II, but there are now a few sequels, the newest of which comes out in August. I need to reread this first installment and then continue with the series.  

2. A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant—The titular character of this mystery is a Jamaican nurse living in England who has many talents. She's working with a community of Black investors when a John Doe is discovered, a Bible verse the only clue as to what happened and whodunit. The discovery takes Miss Hortense back to her long-hidden past. It's up to her to solve the killing without destroying the life she's built in England in the process. 

3. Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Ella MacNeal—The first in a historical mystery series, this novel introduces Maggie Hope, a brilliant young woman who's as smart and capable as anyone in British intelligence. Because of her gender, the only job she's qualified for at No. 10 Downing Street is a typist. It's not long before her superiors recognize her real abilities and start giving her assignments that will put her and everyone she loves in grave danger.

4. The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull—In this historical novel, the heartbreaking story of Russia's royal Romanov family is told through the eyes of Olga, one of Anastasia's sisters. 

5. Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd—Another series opener, this book features Lady Caroline, who's left penniless after her father's suspicious murder. She takes a position as a lady's maid in an odd household where suspicious things are happening, including the murder of a family member. Along with the lady of the house, Caroline investigates the murder.

6. The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abé—As indicated by its title, this novel tells the story of Madeleine Talmage Force, the 17-year-old socialite who attracted the attention of 46-year-old, recently divorced John Jacob "Jack" Astor and married him in 1911. The scandal became the talk of the town. After honeymooning in Egypt, they boarded Titanic for their journey home, only to meet with disaster...

7. The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr—Screen legend Lena Browning is known for her glamorous Hollywood roles. No one knows the truth about her past as a Polish Jew who fought with the Resistance to take down the Nazis. When someone in her present threatens to expose her, everything—and everyone—she loves comes under threat. It's up to her to protect her family and her secrets.

8. The Lady and Her Quill by Ruth A. Casie—This historical mystery/romance features two feuding authors who are competing against each other in a challenge to determine who is the more talented writer and the more skilled detective.

9. Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin—The first in a new cozy series, this mystery introduces Kausar Khan who returns to Toronto after thirty years in order to help her daughter, who has been accused of murdering her hated landlord. Kausar soon discovers that the killing is only one of a number of crimes that have occurred lately in her old neighborhood. What is going on? She's determined to find out and clear her daughter's name in the process.

10. Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray—Frances Perkins was a formiddable woman who was determined to make a difference by enacting societal change. When she met Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a young lawyer with an outsized ego, she was not impressed. Unbeknownst to both of them, the two would form a powerful, unlikely partnership, one that would take them both to the White House. This novel tells Frances' story.

I had to repeat a few honorifics, but I made it to ten. Phew! Have you read any of these? Which titles with honorifics did you feature on your list today? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a Spring cleaning freebie, but let's be honest here...I hate cleaning.  I'd much rather put my feet up and read a book on the couch than dust, scrub, vacuum, or sweep.  In keeping with this theme, I'm going to avoid today's prompt and spring forward a week and do next week's Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR instead.  Since there are so many great-sounding books coming out in the next few months, I'm going to focus my list on upcoming releases.  As usual, I'll do it in two parts because, you know how it is when you want to read ALL the things.

If you want to join in the TTT fun (and you do), head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details. 

1.  In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo (available April 6, 2021)—This contemporary novel features three Army wives who bond through a book club, which is later disbanded because of a shocking betrayal among its members.  When one of the former friends sends out a plea for help, the others come to her rescue.  As they work through old hurts, they'll have to decide whether or not their broken friendship is worth salvaging.

2.  All the Children Are Home by Patry Francis (available April 13, 2021)—Set in the 1950s and 60s, this historical novel revolves around a set of foster parents who reluctantly takes in an indigenous girl who has been horribly abused.  The child, who knows next to nothing about herself or her Native American roots, just might be the family's salvation.

3.  Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia (available March 30, 2021)—This family saga features family history, secrets, and fraught mother/daughter relationships, all with a Cuban flair. 

4.  A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan (available May 11, 2021)—I enjoy the Jazz Ramsey mystery series, so I'm excited to read this third installment.  An ARC of A Trail of Lies just landed on my doorstep, so it's next on my list.  The story features more dead bodies for Jazz's canine to find and more murders for her to solve.

5.  The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray (available March 30, 2021)—This historical novel has three timelines, all which center around a French castle and the women who defend it.

6.  A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser (available March 23, 2021)—You all know I love a good DNA/family history story and this one sounds compelling.  It's about two sisters who find each other through a mail-in DNA test.  The shocking discovery changes both of their lives. 

7.  The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale (available April 27, 2021)—I don't believe in ghosts, but I'm still a sucker for a haunting story.  This "true" account sounds like fun, even if it seems more appropriate for Fall than Spring.

8.  Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen (available May 4, 2021)—I need an Afrofuturist book for a reading challenge prompt and this middle grade sci-fi/fantasy adventure sounds fun.  

9.  The Vines by Shelley Nolden (available March 23, 2021)—For several decades, North Brother Island, New York, was used for quarantining patients with infectious diseases like tuberculosis and small pox.  Long abandoned, but still covered in crumbling medical buildings, it's off-limits to visitors. When an urban explorer sneaks onto the land and spies a beautiful woman hiding in the ghost town, he becomes obsessed with learning her story.

10.  The Kew Garden Girls by Posy Lovell (available April 20, 2021)—With World War I in full swing, able-bodied male workers are scarce in London.  Determined to do their part on the home front, Ivy and Louisa enlist, becoming laborers at the Royal Botanic Gardens.  Not everyone is pleased to have women doing men's jobs, however, and problems quickly ensue.

There you go, ten upcoming releases I'm looking forward to reading.  Which new titles are you interested in?  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!