I've been drawing a blank on a lot of the recent Top Ten Tuesday topics and today's is no different.  It's Top Ten Books For My Younger Self.  If the subject sounds familiar, it's because we did the same one back in April (which our host, Jana, just realized - ha ha).  If you're interested in my list of Top Ten Books I Loved Waaayyyy Back in the Day, you can check it out here.  

So, this week, I had a shocking revelation—it's September!  Even though 2020 seems like it's lasted for five years, it's actually almost over, which is crazy.  There are only 115 days left in the year (if Google did its math correctly), so I've been thinking about what I want to read before 2020 vanishes forever (thank goodness).  My goal of reading 200 books in 2020 isn't looking super doable at this point, but I'm still going to give it my best shot.  I'm set to finish The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman today (an excellent MG historical, by the by), which will be my 107th read of the year.  I'd love to get at least 62 more in so I can beat the number of books I read last year (168).  We'll see how it goes.

Since I'm a super book nerd (as opposed to just an ordinary one), I sat down the other day and typed up a list of 70 books I'd like to read before January 1, 2021.  Some of them are simply titles I've been meaning to read but haven't gotten to yet.  Others are books that fill prompts for reading challenges I haven't yet completed.  About ten of them are actually re-reads, which is funny because I rarely re-read.  Since ten is our golden number today, I decided to share them with you:  

1.  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith—I loved this novel when I read it for a literature course in college, so I'm excited to revisit it.  It fits several prompts for the PopSugar Reading Challenge:  a Bildungsroman, a Book Over 500 Pages, or a Book Published in the 20th Century.

2.  The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin—This mystery is one I enjoyed as a kid.  Prompt(s):  Wisconsin Setting (Literary Escapes Reading Challenge) and Reread a Childhood Favorite or A Mystery or Under 200 Pages (Booklist Queen Reading Challenge)

3.  A Separate Peace by John Knowles—This classic was also part of the curriculum for a literature class either in high school or college.  Prompt(s):  New Hampshire Setting (Literary Escapes Reading Challenge)

4.  The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel—I read several books in Coel's mystery series set on an Indian reservation before I started blogging.  I never finished the series for some reason, so I'm going to start over with the first installment.  Prompt(s):  Wyoming Setting (Literary Escapes Reading Challenge) 

5.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee—There are very few books that I've read multiple times, but this is one of them.  Since it's my favorite novel of all time and one that is frequently banned, it's perfect for the Read a Banned Book During Banned Book Week prompt (PopSugar Reading Challenge).  It also fits the prompt for Reread a Favorite Book (Booklist Queen Reading Challenge) and Book Published in the 20th Century (PopSugar Reading Challenge).

6.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens—I reread this holiday classic every year to get me feeling all Christmas-y.  Prompt(s):  Reread a Favorite Book (Booklist Queen Reading Challenge) 

7.  Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier—This may be a cheat since I can't remember if I've read this book or not.  Regardless, it should be a great Halloween read.  Prompt(s):  Book Published in the 20th Century (PopSugar Reading Challenge)

8.  The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate—I'm not usually one for books about animals (especially if they talk), but this is a lovely children's book.  In preparation for reading its sequel, The One and Only Bob, which just came out, I'm going to reread this powerful novel.  Prompt(s):  Reread a Favorite Book (Booklist Queen Reading Challenge), Book Made into a Movie in 2020 (The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge and Booklist Queen Reading Challenge), Middle Grade Reading Challenge

9.  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley—I read this one as a teenager.  It will make a great reread for Halloween.  Prompt(s):  a Book Published in the 20th Century or a Book Written By Someone in Their 20's (PopSugar Reading Challenge)  

10.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling—Okay, this is cheating a little bit since technically, I'm not the one rereading it.  I am, however, listening while my husband reads it aloud to our 11-year-old daughter, neither of whom has read it before.  Even though I'm usually reading my own book at the same time, I'm enjoying hearing the story for the third time.  It never gets old!  

Do you re-read books?  Why or why not?  What do you think of my rereads?  Have you read or re-read any of them?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave a comment on this post and I will return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!  

Bailey King learned everything she knows about sweets from her beloved Amish grandparents, who run a candy shop in sleepy Harvest, Ohio.  Although she's poised to become New York City's next great chocolatier, when she learns her grandfather's heart condition is worsening, Bailey books it to Harvest.  The old man is doing better than expected, but that doesn't last long.  When the corpse of a real estate developer who was pressuring Bailey's grandfather to sell is found at Swissmen Sweets, the elderly candymaker becomes the prime suspect in the dead man's murder.  Bailey doesn't care how hot the local deputy is, she's not going to let anyone accuse her family of doing something so nefarious.  If the police aren't willing to search for the real killer, she will.  As she channels her inner Nancy Drew, Bailey discovers that while Harvest may look quaint and sweet, something very rotten is going on underneath its placid surface ...

I used to be a big hater when it came to cozy mysteries, but my heart has softened toward them considerably in the last few years.  Although I'm never going to find one that is realistic or Nobel Prize-worthy, I can appreciate what the genre does offer—quick, clean, entertaining reads that don't tax the brain or cause nightmares.  I'll take it!  I'm still choosy about the cozies I do read, so I'm always happy when I find a series that appeals to me.  Carla over at Carla Loves to Read raves about the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower, so I gave the series opener, Assaulted Caramel, a go.  The setting charmed me right off the bat, not just because it's warm and unique but also because Flower imbues her little town with some Amish/Englischer tension that I didn't expect.  That makes the community feel more authentic while adding some interesting conflict to the story.  There are some fun characters in Harvest, although Bailey and Deputy Brody could both use some fleshing out.  Plotwise, this isn't exactly a nail-biter and you'll probably see the killer coming, as I did, but the story is still engaging enough to keep the reader turning pages.  All in all, I found Assaulted Caramel to be a fun, easy, entertaining read.  I'll definitely continue on with the series.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of cozy mysteries by Ellie Alexander, Vivien Chien, and Kylie Logan)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

When Patrick Walsh's dementia gets too debilitating for him to live alone, his children relocate him to a nursing home.  Since she's on maternity leave, child psychologist Beth Evans volunteers to clean out her father's house.  The place has always been spic-and-span, so she's stunned when she discovers that a padlocked room holds a chaotic mess of Patrick's paintings, papers, and assorted junk.  Among the detritus, she discovers loose pages from a journal that seems to have been written by her mother.  Patrick always told his kids that their mother died in a car accident when they were small.  The diary entries tell a different story.  Beth reads about her mother's struggles with postpartum depression—which mirror her own—as well as descriptions of a Patrick Beth doesn't recognize at all.  Who are her parents, really?  What was their marriage truly like?  And why is Patrick hiding dark secrets from his own children?

I'm always up for a tantalizing family secrets novel, so I was intrigued by the premise of Kelly Rimmer's newest, Truths I Never Told You.  While the book is definitely about secrets, they're not all that tantalizing.  Plus, the plot crawls along at such a glacial pace that I struggled to stay invested in the story.  While I empathized with Beth, I found her to be a difficult MC to care about.  She's whiny, self-centered, and victimy—my least favorite kind of heroine.  Add in about 100 pages of unnecessary text and, yeah, this novel is just ... putdownable.  It took me a few days, but I did finish it.  Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it.  Bummer. 

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)