When I saw today's prompt—Top Ten Books Set in Places I'd Love to Visit (Real or Fictional)—it sounded familiar. I was sure I'd done this topic before sometime in the past and yet, no matter how hard I searched my blog, I couldn't find a list with that theme. Although a few settings came immediately to mind (Hogwarts, Avonlea, Narnia, etc.), I struggled to come up with a bigger list than that, even though there are many settings that come alive so vividly in books that I long to step foot inside them. Nevertheless, I decided to focus on just one of those places: Scotland. You may remember that I traveled to the U.K. last year for sightseeing and family history exploration and that I did, indeed, visit the country. It enchanted me so much that I've been planning a return trip ever since I got home (in fact, we've been putting a lot of our new home purchased on a British Airways credit card to rack up travel points). So, today, I'm going to cheat a little and share with you ten books on my TBR that are set in a place I would love to revisit. 

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

1.  Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin—As much as I love his homeland and mysteries, I've never read anything by this Scottish author. Knots and Crosses is the first installment in his well-known Inspector Rebus series and I think it's high time I read it!

2. Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine—Libby Snow's third great-grandmother was obsessed with the legend of Ulla, a Viking maiden who washed up on shore with the almost lifeless body of her husband, inspiring fantastical tales and epic poems. When Libby, an archaeologist, receives permission to dig in the place Ulla allegedly appeared on Scotland's western coast, she discovers the bones of a much newer corpse. The stories of Ulla and Libby entwine with that of the dead woman as Libby searches for answers to explain the murder that caused her death.

3. Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine—Another murder mystery, this one revolves around the Inverkillen Family, residents of the titular home. With a mysterious illness running rampant through Scotland, the whole country is in a panic. The Inverkillens are already dealing with an alarming toilet paper shortage and Nanny's inconvenient death when Lord Inverkillen is found dead. Because of the lockdown keeping everyone at home, the only suspects in his murder are members of his family and staff. It's up to the head housekeeper to figure out who did him in.

4. 500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan—Colgan is a Scottish author who writes fun, upbeat rom-coms. This one is the third entry in her Scottish Bookshop series. I enjoyed the first two and am looking forward to this newest installment. 

5. Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon—Written in the 1930s, this if the first book in a trilogy about a woman whose quiet pastoral life in Scotland is changed forever by World War I.

6. Lockdown by Peter May—Speaking of lockdowns, I'm intrigued by the premise of this novel by one of my favorite Scottish mystery writers. I thought it was set in Scotland, but it's actually set in London. Oops! Oh well, it still sounds compelling, especially since it was written over 15 years ago but so closely mirrors what we've all experienced recently with the global pandemic.

7. The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton—This is the first installment in a cozy mystery series set in an Edinburgh bookshop. It features an American armchair traveler who makes an impulsive decision to accept a position at a bookstore in Scotland. Things get off to a cracking start when a valuable artifact goes missing and her boss's sister gets herself murdered. 

8. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley—Another series opener, this one revolves around a woman who retreats to Scotland to write a novel based on a 1708 Jacobite effort to return an exiled James Stewart to his homeland in order to reclaim his crown. Writing from the perspective of one of her own ancestors, the writer soon realizes her strange obsession with the story may be a case of ancestral memory, making her the only person who knows what really happened that fateful day...

9. The Distant Echo by Val McDermid—McDermid is another Scottish mystery writer that I somehow have not read yet. This novel is the first in her Inspector Kate Pirie series and centers around a cold case homicide that opens old wounds and exposes long-buried secrets. 

10. Bone Deep by Sandra Ireland—Mac is working on a compilation of local folktales and legends when her only child, Arthur, insists she needs an assistant to help her. Lucie, who moves into a cottage on Mac's property, seems a little too interested in the secrets Mac's working hard to protect. Unbeknownst to Mac, Lucie has secrets of her own.

There you go, ten (okay, nine) books on my TBR list that are set in beautiful Scotland. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Are there any others I should add to my list? Which books did you highlight today? 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!  

It's Tuesday again and you know what that means.  It's time to take a break from all the craziness happening in the world and focus on what's really important: books.  Kidding, kidding.  Top Ten Tuesday is an excellent excuse to take some time out for some bookish fun, though.  If you've never joined in before, you definitely need to give it a go.  Why?  Here are ten fantastic reasons.  Convinced?  Good.  Now, all you have to do is hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few instructions, build your own list, then spend some happy hours spreading the love across our wonderful book blogosphere.  What's not to love?

I'm all over today's topic since I'm always interested to see what new books are coming out.  Not that I need to be distracted by the shiny and new when I already have TBR piles all over the dang place.  Still.  I just can't help myself.  I'm excited about all the books still to come out in 2020.  Today, I'm going to restrain myself and just chat about ten ...

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020 (in order of release):

1.  We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin (available August 11)—A small Texas town is still reeling after the disappearance of a local young woman.  When a mysterious mute girl is found by the side of the road in the same town, a young police office becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to both girls.  I'm always up for an intriguing mystery!

2.  When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (available September 1)—Concerned over the deterioration of her Brooklyn neighborhood, Sydney Green and her neighbor are trying to revitalize the place.  A delve into the area's history reveals some disturbing answers to the question of where all the residents are disappearing to.  Will Sydney be the next to vanish?    

3.  The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber, and Christine Trent (available September 1)—Huber is the only one of these authors that I've read before, but her involvement is more than enough to make me want to read this book.  The story features a cursed gold watch and the havoc it wreaks on all who own it throughout several centuries.   

4.  Rated by Melissa Grey (available September 3)—This dystopian YA novel takes place in a society where everyone's behavior is rated in real-time 24/7.  Your rating determines your place in life.  When a shocking act puts the spotlight on a prestigious high school where ratings are everything, things start to get very interesting for six special classmates ... [Update:  Someone pointed out that Rated actually came out last year. Oops! At least we don't have to wait to read it :)]

5.  The Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox (available September 15)—I've enjoyed Fox's two previous novels, so I'm excited for her newest, which concerns a young woman who can commune with the dead.  When she runs away from home and ends up in a Boston cemetery, she becomes embroiled in a sinister scheme that puts her and her future in grave danger.

6.  To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan (available September 22)—I got a good start on this one while sitting at the DMV for three hours today so my son could get his driver's permit.  So far, I am loving the story, which revolves around a bestselling thriller writer whose wildly popular fictional character is starting to take over her life.  When her husband disappears, the author must ask herself some very disturbing questions ...

7.  The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult (available September 22)—Picoult's been a longtime favorite author of mine, so I always look forward to a new book from her.  Her latest is about a married woman who's still infatuated by a man she used to know.  When she miraculously survives a plane crash and the airline offers her the chance to fly anywhere in the world, she sees an opportunity to live a whole new life.  And takes it.  Intriguing, yes?

8.  The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (available September 29)—Are you a Knives Out fan?  Me, too.  This YA thriller is being compared to the hit movie thanks to its similar premise.  When a penniless high school senior inherits a fortune from a man she's never meant, she's stunned.  Why has he singled her out?  And what crazy game is he making her play in order to get the money she so desperately needs? 

9.  The Searcher by Tana French (available October 6)—French is one of my favorite thriller writers, so I'm always on the lookout for a new book from her.  It appears her newest is a departure from her Dublin Murder Squad series.  Still, it sounds like a compelling mystery.  It features a retired cop who's ready for some R&R in the Irish countryside.  When a local boy goes missing, however, the child's brother talks the detective into investigating the disappearance.  

10.  The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister (available December 1)—Twelve women join a secret Arctic expedition in the 1850's.  Not all of them make it back.  A sensational murder trial ensues.  Murder in the Arctic?  I'm SO in for this one!

There you have it—ten upcoming releases that I can't wait to read.  What do you think of my list?  Do we have any titles in common?  Which new releases are you excited about?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT!