One thing I'm not behind in is meeting my goals for the 2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge. I vowed to read 30+ bookish books and I'm currently at 42. Huzzah! How are you doing with your challenge goals?

November was an especially bookish books-y month for me. I managed to read ten of them. My favorites were the Benjamin Stevenson ones. His books are clever and funny. They make me laugh every time. 

Here are my bookish November reads in the order I read them:

Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales by Wendy S. Swore—This middle-grade novel is about two kids, one with narcolepsy and one with Type 1 diabetes. It's not really about books, but the diabetic main character loves to read. She's especially fond of fairy tales and fantasy novels.

The Legend of the Last Library by Frank L. Cole—Another MG story, this one takes place in a future where paper is a scarce and very valuable commodity. When Juni, who scavenges for any kind of scraps that will earn her money to help pay for her grandfather's medical care, discovers a real book—the first one she's ever seen—she can't wait to sell it for profit. That is until she realizes the priceless secret it contains...

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander—In this series debut, Annie Murray cooks up the idea of hosting a mystery-themed book festival to bring in funds to save the struggling bookshop where she works. She's stunned when a group of her college classmates randomly shows up for the event and shocked when one of them winds up dead. Using all the know-how she's gained from reading mystery novels, she sets out to solve the murder.

The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare from Oblivion by Ann Bausum—This picture book, aimed at MG readers, is about exactly what it says it's about. Ha! Imagine that.

A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander—The second installment in the Annie Murray series, this one has the bookseller co-hosting a film festival complete with a movie premiere. With a host of dramatic, egotistical Hollywood types in town, it's not really that much of a surprise when a murder occurs. Once again, Annie is on the case.

The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase—This mystery is about two kids who are never quite the same after their mother leaves home one day and never returns. As they deal with the fallout of their only parent's secret life, they find themselves in even more trouble. Decades later, when a new owner buys their childhood home and starts digging up the basement, one of the kids—now a romance novelist—panics, knowing that their shocking family secrets are about to be unearthed...

Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson—After Ernest Cunningham unmasked a serial killer and wrote a popular book about it (titled Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, naturally), he is invited to attend a mystery writers' retreat aboard a luxury train. With a variety of personalities aboard, it's not long before tempers start to simmer and boil over. When an author is found dead, it's up to Ernie to investigate. Well, technically, it's the police's job, but Ernie can't resist using his vast wisdom and experience to assist the authorities, whether they want his aid or not. (They don't.)

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson—Ernie Cunningham doesn't go seeking murders to write about, but they somehow keep finding him. In this short novel (long novella?), his ex-wife calls him after she's accused of murdering her wealthy, famous boyfriend. As Ernie pokes around in the dead man's business, he discovers that (thankfully) his ex wasn't the only one with motive, means, and opportunity.

Booked For Murder by P.J. Nelson—When her beloved aunt passes away, actress Madeline Brimley finds herself the new owner of The Old Juniper Bookstore. Although she, herself, isn't sure what to think about her inheritance, it becomes obvious that someone in town isn't happy about it. First, someone sets fire to her gazebo. Then, there are threatening phone calls. Now, there's been a murder. To clear her name, Madeline must find out whodunit. 

As for December, the only bookish book I plan to read is A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd. It's a murder mystery featuring one of Romeo and Juliet's daughters as an amateur detective. It sounds like a super fun read. 

I hope you've had a good time with the Bookish Books Reading Challenge this year. I sure have! I will be hosting it again next year and I certainly hope you'll sign up to participate again. I'll make an official sign-up post soon.

If you are participating in the 2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge, please use the widget below to link-up your December reviews. 

 

9. The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters:

I love indie bookstores, but unfortunately, there aren't many near where I live.  At least not right near me.  It takes 20 minutes each way to get to my favorite one, Changing Hands.  I visit a few times a year—always during December because the store gives a $10 off birthday discount and whenever I have a big stack of books to trade in for store credit.  My pile happened to be overflowing, plus I wanted to hit up the Trader Joe's next to Changing Hands, so I headed to the wilds of Tempe today to do some shopping.  

Here's what I took with me to trade:

These stacks are a combination of books I've received for review and those I purchased with my own money.  I do feel a little bit guilty about trading in volumes I got for free, but honestly, I donate a good 85% of my books to the library, so...

Of these 29 books, Changing Hands accepted 14 for a trade-in credit of $67.80.  I know the titles they accept depend on a lot of factors like current inventory, demand, sales, time of year, condition of the books, etc., so I'm always intrigued by which titles they take and which they don't.  The books they accepted from me (most of which were in new or like new condition) this time were:

• A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins 
• The Wish and the Peacock by Wendy S. Swore
• Blink of an Eye by Iris and Roy Johansen
• While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart
• A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan
• The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
• The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
• The Sanitorium by Sarah Pearse
• The Deep by Alma Katsu
• Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
• Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders
• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
• The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
• Dreams of Falling by Karen White

Ahhh, Tuesday!  My favorite day of the week in the book blogging world. I've been a little bit MIA from BBB lately thanks to my attendance at RootsTech—a big, multi-day genealogy conference.  Since I was in Salt Lake City for the event, I took the opportunity to do some on-site research on some of my Mormon pioneer ancestors.  The Church History Library held an absolute gem—a series of letters written to my great-great-great grandfather from his mother in England while he was eking out a life in Ogden, Utah, in the 1860s and '70s.  Since they hadn't been indexed or transcribed, I spent a few hours sending the letters from microfilm to my email address, page by page.  Once I got home, I couldn't wait to transcribe them, a painstaking but very fulfilling process.  Reading the letters made me laugh, cry, and shake my head.  Let's just say that moms haven't changed much in 150 years!

Hoping to strike gold again, I visited the Salt Lake City Cemetery in search of a more recent ancestor who died in a coal mine cave-in near Helper, Utah, in 1925.  Find a Grave did not have any photos, so I went headstone-hunting hoping to take one for myself.  Imagine my dismay when I found this:


Considering the age of some of the headstones in this cemetery, it's amazing more haven't toppled, but nope—the stone I sought was the only one laying face forward on the ground!  Try as they might, my husband and aunt couldn't lift the heavy stone so we could read its inscription.  Such is the life of the genealogist, I guess.  You win some, you lose some.  Ironically, a quick visit to Billion Graves (which I somehow hadn't thought to check) revealed a perfectly clear photo of the headstone taken while it was still upright, proving I'm not quite the thorough genealogist I thought I was!  Good thing I attended RootsTech to hone my skills.   

Anyway, all this is to say that I'm home, recovered from my vacation, and ready to get the blog updated.  Participating in TTT seems like the best way to get back into the swing of things!

If you're not familiar with Top Ten Tuesday, it's a super fun weekly meme.  You should definitely join in. It's simple.  Just head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read some quick instructions, make your own list, and then spend a few happy hours hopping around the book blogosphere checking out other people's lists.  If you're looking for an easy way to feel more connected here while spreading the love to some awesome blogs and adding to your TBR pile at the same time—well, you've found it.  Jump on in, the water's fine :)

This week's topic is Top Ten Authors Who Have a Fun Social Media Presence.  I don't follow many authors, so I'm going to fast forward to next week's topic: Top Ten Books on My Spring 2020 TBR.  Since there are at least 20 books on my Spring TBR, I'll share ten this week and ten next week.  Here goes:

Top Ten Books on My Spring 2020 TBR (Part One):



1.  The Wish and the Peacock by Wendy S. Swore—Swore's debut, A Monster Like Me, was one of my favorite novels of 2019.  I was super excited to get an ARC of her newest, which I'm reading now.  It's a poignant story about a 12-year-old girl who's desperate to hold on to the family farm she loves, which is being sold in the wake of her father's death.  She'll do whatever it takes to sabotage the sale, even tame a wild peacock!  So far, the book is sweet and funny.  I'm enjoying it.


2.  The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron—I'm a big fan of Cameron's books, which are unique and thought-provoking.  Her newest tells a more traditional story than her others.  It's a WWII novel about a real Polish teenager who hid 13 Jews in her tiny apartment, even with Nazis living next door, throughout the war.  Sounds fascinating!


3.  When We Were Lost by Kevin Wignall—Lark recommended this YA novel about a high school field trip to Costa Rica gone horribly wrong.  It sounds like a tense, exciting adventure/survival story.  I just grabbed it from the library and I can't wait to dig in.


4.  My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira—This is an older historical that I somehow missed reading.  It's about a 17-year-old midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon.  The Civil War is raging and she offers her services as a nurse, which leads to an adventure that is full of excitement, danger, heartbreak, romance, and sorrow.


5.  Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi (available June 23, 2020)—This one is kind of a cheat since it doesn't come out until the end of June, but I'm hoping to get an early copy of it, so ... I really enjoyed Rossi's Never Sky series, but her latest is a completely different kind of novel.  It's a historical featuring a young woman who snatches a surprise opportunity to assume a different identity.  Eventually, she becomes a Revolutionary War spy for George Washington.  Based on a real person, this one sounds super intriguing!


6.  The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers by Amy Hollingsworth—Not gonna lie, even as a kid, I found Mister Rogers' Neighborhood a little too trippy!  I was never a fan of the Land of Make Believe (so weird!), but I enjoyed the rest of Mister Rogers' show as well as the calm, accepting, positive vibe he put off.  It's been fun getting to know this wonderful man better through recent movies.  My book club chose this book for our March meeting and I can't wait to read it.


7.  The Last Blue by Isla Morley (available May 5, 2020)—I loved The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, which features a "Blue" from the unique Kentucky clan.  I've been interested in reading more about these people, so when Morley offered me a copy of her newest, I gladly accepted.  Her novel is about a pair of journalists who travel to the wilds of Appalachia to study the Blue People of Kentucky for a government WPA project.  The experience opens their eyes and changes their lives forever.


8.  The Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore—This one came up in a Google search I did for "happy novels."  It's about a trio of friends who have been by each other's sides through thick and thin.  This year, however, will be their most challenging yet.  Sounds a little intense, but I'm hoping happy wins out in the end!


9.  A Good Neighborhood by Therese Ann Fowler—This one's gotten some excited buzz lately, and it does sound interesting, especially considering I have a bi-racial daughter.  The novel concerns a family with a bi-racial son whose ordered lives are challenged when their uppity new neighbors start causing tension, which causes everyone in the neighborhood to ask important questions about race, class, and interracial romance.


10.  In Five Years by Rebecca Serle—This novel, which comes out today, sounds like a thought-provoking one!  It concerns a woman who knows exactly where she will be in five years.  Until one night when she has a very real-feeling dream in which she's shown an entirely different future.  What does it all mean, if anything?  Oooh, the possibilities with this premise ... I'm excited to see what happens.

There ya go, ten books I'm hoping to read this Spring.  Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  What's on your TBR list this season?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT!