2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge
2026 52 Club Reading Challenge
2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge
2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)
2026 Countdown Reading Challenge
Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo
2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge
2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)
2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge
European Reading Challenge 2026
2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)
2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: "Heart" Books On My TBR List
Freebies always stump me and today's is no exception. I wracked my brain to come up with a creative topic for the Valentine's/Love Freebie, but nothing came to mind. In the end, I just decided to go with books on my TBR with "heart" in the title. I'm not much for romance reading, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover I had ten (but not many more) on my want-to-read list.
If you want to join in the TTT fun, head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Books On My TBR List With "Heart" in the Title
- in no particular order -
1. Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country in the World by Sarah Smarsh—The product of generations of Kansas wheat farmers on her paternal side and generations of teenaged mothers on her maternal side, Smarsh is well-acquainted with the effects of intergenerational poverty. This close, intimate look at what it means to be part of America's working class poor sounds fascinating.
2. The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee—I'm a big fan of Lee's YA historical novels. This book is the only one the author has written that I haven't read yet. It's a contemporary story about a 16-year-old girl who uses her ability as an aroma expert to help others find true love. As much as she longs to be a normal high school kid, she knows that if she falls in love, her gift will disappear. When she finds herself falling for the perfect guy, her whole life begins to change...Sounds like a cute love story!
3. The Metal Heart: A Novel of Love and Valor in World War II by Caroline Lea—Following the Allies' win in North Africa, a large group of Italian soldiers are shipped to a remote island off the Scottish coast until the end of the war. When Dorothy and Constance—sisters who have been orphaned—volunteer to tend to the sick and injured men, Dorothy finds herself drawn to one of the prisoners. Their forbidden friendship causes strain between Dorothy and her sister as well as Dorothy and her community. When she is faced with an impossible choice, Dorothy must decide where her true loyalties lie.
4. Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story by Mazie K. Hirono—As a genealogist and the descendant of Europeans who immigrated to America in the 1800s, I'm endlessly fascinated by immigration stories. This one is written by a woman who was born in Japan, immigrated to Hawaii as a young child, and is now a U.S. Senator.
5. Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert—This YA novel sounds odd, but intriguing. It concerns a teenaged girl who is experiencing strange occurrences that seem to be linked to her mother's mysterious past. With the help of the boy next door, she starts digging into the secrets her enigmatic parent is clearly hiding.
6. Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier—When the remains of a woman missing for fourteen years are discovered, it leads to the reopening of a cold case that stirs up the lives of three best friends, forcing them to reckon with dark secrets and terrifying truths.
7. A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan—I've never heard of Madge Oberholtzer, but her story sounds intriguing. Her deathbed testimony outed KKK leader D.C. Stephenson, which brought the organization to its knees.
8. The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis—Louis' books sound like romances I would actually like to read. This one revolves around a grieving widow who finds solace in playing music in a London Tube station. When someone begins leaving the sheet music for her dead husband's favorite songs on the station's piano, the widow is incredulous, curious, and, for the first time in a long time, hopeful. Could this—whatever it is—be her second chance at life and love?
9. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng—I still haven't read Ng's newest, which is about a boy who embarks on a quest to find the mother he has never had a chance to know except through her banned poetry.
10. Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur—When Vale, a bartender in New Orleans, is informed that her estranged mother is missing after a violent tropical storm ravaged her Vermont town, she feels compelled to go home. As she looks for her mom, she digs deep into her family's roots and history, revealing shocking secrets that change everything.
There you go, ten "heart" books on my TBR list. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What did you do for today's Valentine's/Love freebie? 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!
Tuesday, February 07, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: 2023 Debuts in the Queue
I love the buzzy beginnings of a new reading year when we're all atwitter with excitement and anticipation about the books we're planning to read over the next 365 days. So far this year, I've made two (Part One, Part Two) Top Ten Tuesday lists of Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023 and one about New-to-Me Authors I Want to Try in 2023. This week's prompt goes right along with its predecessors: 2023 Debut Books I'm Excited About. After digging into my TBR list and doing some Googling, I've found ten I'm looking forward to reading.
As always, this fun weekly meme is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Give her some love, won't you? While you're there, you can get all the deets about TTT so you're ready to hop on board the TTT party bus!
Top Ten 2023 Debut Books I'm Excited About
- in order of publication -
6. The Perfect Ones by Nicole Hackett (available May 2)—A group of popular influencers travel to Iceland for a fabulous promotional trip. One of them ends up dead. Who killed her and why? The Icelandic police are on the case.
7. The Housekeepers by Alex Hay (available July 4)—This novel sounds clever and fun. It stars Mrs. King, the offspring of tricksters and con artists, who has escaped her checkered past to become a respected housekeeper in a posh Mayfair home. When she is unceremoniously dismissed, she vows to get revenge by robbing her former employees of all their possessions on the night of their much-anticipated costume ball. Mrs. King hires an eclectic group of women to help steal all the family's treasures—and their secrets.
8. Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan (available July 25)—Billed as an "irresistible" read for fans of Kate Morton and Eve Chase (both of whom I adore), this Gothic ghost story sounds like a perfect match for me. It revolves around a 55-year-old woman who has lived in the same haunted manor house for her whole life. When her estranged sister returns home bearing unbelievable tales about their family's troubling past, everything she thought she knew is shaken to bits. Rattled to her core, she must find out the truth for herself.
9. Into the Sunken City by Dinesh Thiru (available Fall 2023)—This YA dystopian adventure is a retelling of Treasure Island "with an Ocean's 11 twist." Count me in! It's about two sisters who are just trying to survive in their harsh world. When a mysterious stranger clues them in to a massive treasure to be found under the sunken ruins of a Las Vegas casino, they vow to make it theirs.
10. Up in Flames by Hailey Alcaraz (available October 3)—When a California wildfire destroys everything wealthy, entitled Ruby Ortega has, she is forced to confront a much different reality than anything she's previously known. Her family and her hometown are in desperate need of help. Can self-centered Ruby step outside herself long enough to help rebuild their ravaged world? This timely YA novel riffs on themes of resilience, change, and compassion.
There you are, ten 2023 debuts I'm excited to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which debuts are you looking forward to? 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!
Wednesday, February 01, 2023
The Bookish Books Reading Challenge: February Book Ideas and Linkup for Reviews
It's hard to believe the first month of 2023 has already passed us by. How did your January go? Did you read any bookish books? I read these four:
I enjoyed all of them, with Dead and Gondola being my favorite of the bunch. It has a fun mountaintop setting, complete with a gondola and a charming bookstore. The mystery is entertaining, too. Of these four, I only managed to review The Blackout Book Club here at BBB, but you can see my quick reviews of each on Goodreads. Hopefully, I'll get at least a couple of these reviewed here in the next few weeks. We'll see.
My goal is to read 2-3 bookish books a month. I rocked it in January. Here's what I'm thinking of reading in February:
The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons doesn't come out until July, but I've got an e-ARC of it from NetGalley. It's about a widow in London who doesn't have the heart to keep her bookshop open after the death or her husband. When she decides to take in a Jewish girl fleeing Nazi Germany, she finds new purpose in helping her and in the book club they run together.
Smile Beach Murder is the first installment in Alicia Bessette's cozy Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. It stars Callie, a laid-off journalist who returns to her hometown to lick her wounds. She finds a job at a local bookstore. When a suspicious death rocks the town, it's eerily reminiscent of Callie's mother's own unexplained demise. Are the two related? What really happened to the dead women?
I've been wanting to read this bookish memoir for years. The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch tells the story of the bookstore she and her husband opened in a little Applachian mining town. Against all odds (a declining economy, the growing popularity of e-books, no knowledge of how to actually run a bookstore, etc.), Welch and her husband managed to create not just a successful business but also a powerful sense of community.
I've heard nothing but good things about Sara Nisha Adams' The Reading List. It tells the story of two lonely souls, each very different from the other, finding a connection through a list of recommended reading. Sounds uplifting and heartwarming!
Have you read any of these? What bookish books are you planning to read this month?
For those of you who are participating in the Bookish Books Reading Challenge, here's the Mr. Linky to use for linking up February reviews. If you've not yet signed up for the challenge, what are you waiting for? Join us in this low-key challenge that celebrates a genre we all love: books about books. It will be fun, I promise!
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Want to Try in 2023
Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a freebie. My mind is blanking on anything fresh and creative, so I'm going to continue with the author theme from last week. If you missed my post on my Top Ten 2022 New-to-Me Author Discoveries, you can find it here. Today, I'm going to dish about some authors I want to try out for the first time this year. In order to keep the list to just ten, I opted to leave out debut authors and focus on those who've already published at least 2-3 books.
Before we get to that, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give Jana, our lovely host, some love. While you're there, read up on TTT and join in the fun. You won't regret it!
Top Ten Authors I Want to Try in 2023
1. Armando Lucas Correa—Originally from Cuba, Correa is a journalist who has penned articles, historical fiction and a memoir.
Where I plan to start: The German Girl is a World War II novel about a young Jewish girl who must escape Berlin before it gets any more dangerous. She boards the S.S. St. Louis, a liner taking German refugees to safety in Cuba. What begins as a luxurious adventure soon turns into a harrowing nightmare. Sounds intriguing!
2. Tanita S. Davis—Davis writes contemporary fiction for middle-grade and YA audiences that feature diverse characters dealing with real-life problems.
Where I plan to start: Mare's War, a road trip and dual-timeline novel about two kids who learn just how fascinating their eccentric grandma really is, sounds fabulous. I love stories about family history, unsung heroes, and generations learning about each other.
3. Kimberly Duffy—Several of Duffy's historical fiction titles have caught my eye. They all have gorgeous covers and plot summaries that sound right up my alley.
Where I plan to start: Duffy's newest, The Weight of Air, is about two female circus performers whose lives intersect in New York in the early 1900s. It sounds excellent.
4. Susan Furlong—Furlong writes cozy mysteries as well as crime fiction and psychological thrillers.
5. Kimberly Willis Holt—Holt writes contemporary and historical fiction for young readers. She won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 1999.
Where I plan to start: Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel is a middle-grade novel about a young girl who goes to live with her estranged grandfather at his dilapidated motel after her parents are killed. As she befriends the place's colorful residents, she finds healing and connection.
6. Lydia Kang—Kang is a doctor who writes science and historical fiction as well as non-fiction with an emphasis on medicine, forensics, chemistry, etc.
Where I plan to start: Kang has written two non-fiction books with Nate Pederson. Both sound interesting, but I think I'm going to start with Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases.
7. Caroline Lea—A poet and novelist, Lea writes historical fiction set around the world.
Where I plan to start: The Glass Woman, Lea's 2019 debut, is "a gothic thriller set during the Icelandic witch trials." Say no more. I'm in.
8. Kate Quinn—Quinn probably needs no introduction. Her recent war novels have gotten tons of buzz over the last few years, but she actually has a fairly long backlist of historical fiction.
Where I plan to start: Set in 1937 Ukraine, The Diamond Eye is about a studious young mother who becomes a deadly sniper in order to fight the Nazis invading her country. Based on a real person, the story sounds fascinating.
9. Nikola Scott—Although Scott had a career as a crime fiction editor, she writes historical fiction about families and their secrets.
Where I plan to start: Scott's 2017 debut novel, My Mother's Shadow, is about Addie, a woman whose mind is blown when a woman shows up claiming to be her sister. Addie thought she knew everything about her mother's life, but clearly, her mother was keeping secrets.
10. Art Spiegelman—Spiegelman is an American cartoonist, comic advocate, and Pultizer Prize winner. He's best known for his Maus books, a graphic novel series about his parents' experience as prisoners in Auschwitz.
Where I plan to start: I'm not sure there's anywhere else to begin but with Maus, the first installment in Spiegelman's well-known series.
There you have it, ten authors I want to read this year. Have you read any of them? What do you think? Which authors are you planning to try in 2023? 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!
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