Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is all about our dream jobs—or at least those that look fun, exciting, and interesting in fiction.  The prompt, Top Ten Characters Whose Job I Wish I Had, has left me scratching my head, though.  I guess it's just too early in the morning for my brain to match up characters from books I enjoyed or books I want to read with jobs I wish I had.  Probably I'm being too literal.  Although I have a college degree in English, my oldest child was born prematurely (at 29 weeks gestation) not long after graduation.  I have been a stay-at-home mom ever since.  While it's hardly the most glamorous career choice in the world, I've found a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment in being able to focus on motherhood full-time.  I do feel less needed now that my oldest two are on their own and my youngest two are in school all day, but I still don't feel any great longing to enter the workforce.  The other day, my husband was joking about me getting a full-time job so he could retire (he's 44).  Our 16-year-old son, who's usually pretty "whatever" about things, looked appalled at the idea and said, "What?  No!  I need you at home, Mom."  So, there you go.  I've been working my dream job for over 22 years now and, all in all, it's been pretty great.  Still, wiping runny noses and changing dirty diapers isn't the stuff of which great fiction is made, so...

If I could choose another dream job, it would for sure be that of a professional reader.  Since book blogging is pretty darn close, I have to say that I'm actually already "working" two of my dream "jobs."  Wow!  

That brings us to family history, which has long been an interest of mine.  A couple years ago, I made the decision to become accredited as a professional genealogist.  While you don't technically need any kind of certification to work in the field, especially as a self-employed researcher, I thought it would be a fun, challenging way to up my genealogy game. And it has been.  I completed two big research projects in two different specialty areas (the Great Lakes and the Southwest regions of the U.S.) and now all I have to do is test in both.  This was supposed to have happened a year ago, but thanks to COVID, it's been postponed.  In the meantime, I've continued researching my own ancestors in an ongoing effort to know and understand those who came before me and to keep my family history sleuthing skills sharp.  One way I do this is by attending RootsTech—the world's largest family history conference—which is held annually in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Because of the pandemic, this year's event was held entirely online and was, for the first time ever, completely free.  Even though the conference has ended, the classes and presentations that were given are still available online, meaning you can watch them right now.  If you've ever wanted to learn more about how to research your own family history straight from industry professionals, this is your chance to do it from the comfort of your own home and without spending a dime.  Click on over to RootsTech.org for more details.

 

If you have any desire at all to know about your roots, I highly recommend checking out FamilySearch.  It's a free, easy-to-use genealogy website where you can build a family tree, connect it to others that are already in its enormous database (chances are excellent that your great-grandparents and beyond are in there, meaning you won't have to do extensive research to find them), and use historical records (millions of which are available to search on the site for free) to learn more about their lives.  Although my illustrious ancestors were more pauper than prince, I have found it extremely rewarding to get to know them and connect to my heritage.  

I know it seems I've meandered far away from books, but I promise this is going somewhere!  Obviously, I love learning about family history—from reading stories about my ancestors to studying old documents to Nancy Drew-ing my way through puzzling mysteries, I'm here for it all.  Not surprisingly, I also enjoy reading books about genealogy.  I've found a few that star genealogists and a lot more that feature characters who are looking into their own pasts in order to solve a mystery, understand an enigmatic family member, connect with a lost culture, or find themselves in their own pasts.  My list today is gong to be a mixture of books I've read and those I want to read about genealogy and family history.  

However you want to twist the TTT topic, you definitely want to join in the fun.  All the details are over at That Artsy Reader Girl.  Check it out.

Top Ten Books About Genealogy and Family History:  

1.  The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissmann—I read this middle grade novel earlier this year and loved it.  It's about a mixed-race girl who was adopted as a baby by a white Jewish couple.  As she prepares for her upcoming bat mitzvah, she begins studying the life of her adoptive great-grandmother, who fled her European homeland during World War II.  This propels the girl on a journey to discover who she really is and where she truly belongs.  It's an excellent, moving book about identity and family.

2.  Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins—This cozy mystery series features a professional genealogist who solves family history mysteries as a job.  In this first installment, she's been hired by a Texas billionaire to find the murderer of his great-great granddaddy.  Although I didn't absolutely love this book, it's still a fun read.  There are a couple more books in the series now—I need to catch up.

3.  Inheritance by Dani Shapiro—In this memoir, Shapiro recounts what happened when a DNA test she took returned unexpected results.  The journey she then undertook to find and understand her true identity is an intriguing one that asks important questions about family, identity, culture, and the ethics of sperm donation.  It's fascinating.

4.  It's All Relative by A.J. Jacobs—I heard Jacobs speak at RootsTech in 2015 after he published this book about his quest to find his roots.  It's a hilarious, entertaining read that any genealogy addict will enjoy. 

5.  The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton—I'm a huge fan of Morton's multi-layered family sagas for lots of reasons.  This one concerns a young girl who is taken in by a tender-hearted old man when she arrives alone in Australia without anyone to retrieve her.  She's raised by the man and his wife, without knowing she's not their biological child.  When she finds out, she sets out on a journey to find out who she really is.

1.  The Lost by Daniel Mendelsohn—Stephanie over at She's Probably at the Library recommended this book about the author's search for his family's Holocaust story.  The way she described his painstaking research process made me especially interested in reading this heavy tome that Stephanie says is heartbreaking but fascinating.  

2.  Under the Light of the Italian Moon by Jennifer Anton (available March 8, 2021)—Based on the author's own family history, this novel tells the story of one woman's resilience during World War II in Italy.

3.  Send For Me by Lauren Fox—This dual-timeline novel concerns a woman who finds her grandmother's letters from World War II Germany, which propels her on a journey into her family's tragic past.  Have I mentioned that I've got a thing for family history?

4.  Paging the Dead by Brynn Bonner—The first installment in a family history mystery series, this one has the professional genealogist main character investigating a murder in order to clear her own name.  Sounds fun!

5.  The Lost Family by Libby Copeland—This book, which examines DNA results and family history research, has gotten some good buzz.  I'm definitely interested in reading it.

There you go, ten books about family history/genealogy that I've read and want to read.  Which books of this type have you enjoyed?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Since I completely spaced posting a monthly link-up for February reviews for the Children's Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, this is going to serve for both February and March.  Please include the name of the book you're reviewing along with your name, and the name of your blog.  I can't to see what you've been reading!

If you haven't officially signed up for the challenge, it's not too late.  Just go to this post and add your name to the Mr. Linky widget there.  

Everyone can use a good laugh sometimes and the last year or so has definitely been some time.  Where have you turned for humor lately?  Movies?  Television?  Internet memes?  YouTube?  The comics?  The place I have not been turning to, apparently, is books because I had a tough time coming up with titles to fit today's Top Ten Tuesday topic:  Top Ten Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud.  If you spend any time at all here at BBB, you've probably realized by now that I'm not a big reader of light, frothy, funny books.  I tend to prefer darker, moodier reads.  Which isn't to say I don't appreciate a comical character or a humorous line or a scene that makes me snort-laugh.  I definitely do.  When I searched my memory (which is, admittedly, deficient in its old age), though, not a whole lot came up.  Apparently, I need more humor in my life, so lay it on me—what are some funny reads I need to check out?

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

Top Ten Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud  

1.  The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion—This is the only book I can think of offhand that really fits the prompt.  Here's what I said in my review:  "This is one of those books that's embarrassing to read in public.  Not because of risqué cover art or a suggestive title, but because I couldn't stop laughing—out loud—at the antics of its main character.  This hilarious rom-com is so delightful that I could hardly restrain myself from smiling, chuckling, and sharing the best bits with the room at large."

2.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery—The titular character is an irrepressible redhead with a vivid imagination and a fiery temper, both of which lead her into hysterical scrapes. 

3.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott—This is one of my favorite books, so I use it over and over for TTT prompts.  It has some hilarious scenes, especially those involving Jo March.  Meg's disaster with the jelly, though, is probably the one that makes me laugh the most.

4.  Little Men by Louisa May Alcott—As much as I love Little Women, I've never read its sequel for some reason.  I'm currently listening to it on audio and it also has some funny scenes, not too surprising since it's about the boys' boarding school Jo runs with her husband.

5.  The Tempe Brennan series by Kathy Reichs—This is a series of murder mysteries featuring a forensic anthropologist.  The books can be gruesome and disturbing, but Tempe's witty banter—both her internal dialogue and her verbal jousts with other characters—keep humor in the novels.

6.  The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz—It's been a long time since I read this series opener, but in my review I called it "engrossing fluff that ma[de] me laugh out loud," so I guess it's a funny book!

7.  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson—What I remember most about this holiday novel is my taciturn third-grade teacher reading it out loud and laughing so hard she cried.  All of us terrified little kids were shocked!  It really is a hilarious book that was made into an equally hilarious tv movie.

8.  Anything by Ally Carter—Carter's books are engaging and fun.  I especially like her Gallagher Girls series.

9.  The Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn—I love me a funny heroine and Veronica Speedwell, who is a lepidopterist, feminist, and amateur detective in Victorian England, is just that.

10.  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey—Although I'm the resident McConaughey fan, I actually haven't read this memoir yet.  My husband did, however, and laughed uproariously through the whole thing.  He keeps urging me to read the book since it's an easy, entertaining read.  I'll get to it one of these days!    

Phew!  I made it to ten.  What do you think of my picks?  What are your favorite funny books?  Which should I pick up?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

It's been over twenty years since 43-year-old Sylvie Townsend had her heart smashed to bits by a lying suitor.  She's never quite recovered, but she has found fulfillment in mothering her adopted daughter, Rose Dabrowski.  At 17, Rose is a headstrong young lady who yearns for independence and freedom.  Although Sylvie is trying to loosen the apron strings, she fears her impulsive daughter is headed for nothing but trouble.  When Rose launches a desperate search for her birth family, Sylvie tries not to take it as an affront.  Knowing she needs to be supportive, she attempts to push her anxiety and fears away and give her beloved daughter the space she so obviously needs. 

With the colorful, chaotic 1893 World's Fair in full swing right on their doorstep, Sylvie has warned Rose repeatedly to be very careful when out and about in Chicago.  Her worst fears are realized when her daughter vanishes without a trace.  Has the young woman been abducted?  Or has she run away from home to escape her mother's suffocating watch?  Sylvie cannot rest until she knows Rose is safe.  Enlisting the help of her sister, Meg, and a multi-lingual musician named Kristof Bartok, she combs the extensive World's Fair venue in frantic hope of finding her missing child.  While the search brings her and Kristof loser together, Sylvie feels herself drifting further and further from Rose.  Can she find her daughter before it's too late?  With Chicago growing more crowded and dangerous by the day, Sylvie fears she'll never see Rose again ...

Shadows of the White City, the second book in Jocelyn Green's Windy City Saga trilogy, takes place 22 years after the first book, Veiled in Smoke.  Although Meg and other characters from the initial installment are present in the second, it's really Sylvie's story.  While she and her cohorts aren't super original story people, they are sympathetic and likable.  I definitely identified with Sylvie, especially in her plight as an adoptive mother.  Her devotion to and desperate yearning for connection with her daughter felt all too real to me.  The World's Fair makes for an exciting backdrop to the story.  Green describes it vividly, dropping all kinds of fascinating tidbits about the event throughout the novel.  As far as plot goes, the tale remains compelling to the end, even though it's significantly longer than it needs to be.  The mystery of Rose's whereabouts is not very mysterious or surprising, but it still keeps the story interesting.  Like Veiled in Smoke, Shadows of the White City is a Christian novel, so it's clean, uplifting, and faith-promoting.  Although the book is overly long with a predictable storyline, I still enjoyed this engaging read.  I'm looking forward to the final installment in the trilogy, which features Meg's grown-up daughter and the way the 1915 Eastland Disaster in the Chicago River impacts her life.  Sounds intriguing!

(Readalikes:  Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green; also reminds me of The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill)