Top Ten Tuesday: One-Word Reviews for the Last 10 Books I Read But Didn’t Review on My Blog

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is One-Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read.  I’ve already reviewed most of the last ten books I read on the blog, so I’ve decided to focus on the last ten books I read but didn’t already review on the blog. I also think this is a great topic since it challenges me to think of better words than amazing, wonderful, great, loved, etc.

One-Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read But Didn’t Review on My Blog

 

1. THE ADDRESS by Fiona Davis  – ENGROSSING

2.  ALWAYS JANE by Jenn Bennett  – CHAOTIC

3.  BLOOD SCION by Deborah Falaye  – BRUTAL

4.  THE DUKE AND I by Julia Quinn  –  DELECTABLE

5. THE BURNING GOD by R. F. Kuang – SHOCKING

6. A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara – HEARTWRENCHING

7.  PASSION ON PARK AVENUE by Lauren Layne – UNEXPECTED

8.  SURVIVE THE NIGHT by Riley Sager – DISAPPOINTING

9. VERITY by Colleen Hoover – JAW-DROPPING

10. THE MURDER OF MR. WICKHAM – NOSTALGIC

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Question:  Have your read any of these?  How would you describe them in one word?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – LUCY ON THE WILD SIDE by Kerry Rea

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“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is LUCY ON THE WILD SIDE by Kerry Rea.  Kerry Rea’s debut novel, The Wedding Ringer, was an absolute gem of a book, one of my favorites from last year.  For that reason and because of this entertaining synopsis, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her new rom com. It sounds like such a fun read!

 

LUCY ON THE WILD SIDE by Kerry Rea

Publication Date:  September 13, 2022 by Berkley Books

 

From Goodreads:

 

A charming and wildly funny new romantic comedy by Kerry Rea, author of The Wedding Ringer.

Lucy Rourke has two great loves in her life: the gorilla troop she cares for as a primatologist and the laundry list of reality TV shows she watches to escape the fact that her actual love life doesn’t exist. And like a reality contestant gunning for the final rose, Lucy’s laser-focused on one thing: getting promoted to head keeper. So when a wildlife docuseries hosted by hotshot TV personality Kai Bridges chooses her zoo as its summer filming location, she sees an opportunity to showcase her beloved gorillas to the world and land a starring role in her department.

When Kai and his film crew arrive, however, it’s obvious to Lucy that Kai cares more about sky-high ratings than the gorillas, and he considers her a camera-averse know-it-all whose wardrobe consists entirely of khaki. But she’s surprised to discover there’s more to him than his rugged good looks and cheesy catchphrases…and that maybe a promotion isn’t the only thing she wants. But when secrets from their pasts threaten to complicate everything, Lucy discovers that happiness and success aren’t the same thing—and that finding joy just might mean getting a little wild.

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Feature Umbrellas on their Covers

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is Books with [___] On the Cover (Pick a thing (a color, an item, a place, an animal, a scripty font, a sexy person, etc.) and share covers that have that thing on the cover).  I have no idea why, but the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this topic was UMBRELLAS (maybe it’s hearing the expression April showers bring May flowers so much lately, lol).  Whatever the reason, that’s what I’m sharing this week. 🙂

Books That Feature Umbrellas on their Covers

 

 

1. A HUNDRED SUMMERS by Beatriz Williams

2.  CUTTING FOR STONE by Abraham Verghese

3.  WEATHER GIRL by Rachel Lynn Solomon

4.  HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford

5. HAPPY NEVER AFTER by Mary Kay Andrews

6. LADIES’ NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews

7.  MARY POPPINS by P. L. Travers

8.  THE FAVORITE SISTER by Jessica Knoll

9. THE IDENTICALS by Elin Hilderbrand

10. THE NANNY DIARIES by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

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Question:  Can you think of any other books that feature umbrellas on their covers?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams

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“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams. I loved this author’s first two novels so I’m very excited that she not only has her airport novella series coming out this year but another full length novel as well.  Williams is an auto-buy author for me because I love her sharp, funny dialogue and her very relatable characters, and I’m sure Do You Take This Man will deliver in both of those areas.

 

Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams

Publication Date:  September 6, 2022 by Berkley Books

 

From Goodreads:

After butting heads, an event planner and a wedding officiant begin an enemies with benefits arrangement as wedding bells chime around them in the newest rom-com from acclaimed author Denise Williams.

Divorce attorney RJ would never describe herself as romantic. But when she ends up officiating an unplanned wedding for a newly engaged couple in a park, her life is turned upside down. The video of the ceremony goes viral, and she finds herself in the unlikely position of being a sought-after local wedding officiant. Spending her free time overseeing “I dos” isn’t her most strategic career move, but she enjoys it, except for the type A dude-bro wedding planner she’s forced to work with.

Former pro-football event manager Lear is a people person, but after his longtime girlfriend betrayed him, he isn’t looking for love. He knows how to execute events and likes being in control, so working with an opinionated and inflexible officiant who can’t stand him is not high on his list. He’s never had trouble winning people over, but RJ seems immune to his charms.

Surrounded by love at every turn, their physical attraction pulls them together despite their best efforts to stay an arm’s length apart. Lear refuses to get hurt again. RJ refuses to let herself be vulnerable to anyone. But when it comes to happily ever after, their clients might not be the only ones saying “I do.”

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Merchandise I’d Love to Own

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is Bookish Merchandise I’d Like to Own.  These kinds of topics are always fun because there’s so much great bookish merchandise out there, and I of course, want it all, lol.  Here’s my most recent list of bookish items I’ve had my eye on.  If you’re interested in purchasing any of these items, the pictures are all linked back to the shops that are selling them.

 

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Bookish Merchandise I’d Love to Own

 

1. Bookish Statement T-Shirt

I’ve had my eye on this “Ban bigots, not books” t shirt ever since two of my county’s school board members made the national news for advocating the burning of books they didn’t like.  It’s a super cute tee and the statement is very effective.

 

 

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2. Funny Bookish T-Shirt

 

I also love funny t-shirt and this shirt featuring someone drowning under their TBR pile cracked me up, haha.

 

 

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3. Bookish Tote Bags

 

I have an obsession with bookish tote bags and probably have a lifetime supply of them already, but I can’t resist adding to my collection whenever a cute one like this catches my eye.

 

 

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4. Bookish Mugs

 

I’m not sure which is worse, my bookish tote obsession or my bookish mug obsession. I literally have no more room for mugs in my cabinet and that’s the only thing that has stopped me from buying this fun one.

 

 

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5. Bookish Quote Postcards

 

These caught my eye, not because I actually mail postcards to anyone, but I thought the collection of them might be cute framed on a wall in my library/office.

 

 

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6. Bookish Embroidery

 

If work ever slows down to the point where I don’t spend most of my free time napping, I’d love to learn how to embroider and this cute bookish beginner kit caught my eye.

 

 

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7. Bookish Cross Stitch Kit

 

I may end up taking the lazy way out though since I at least do already know how to do cross stitch, so here’s another crafty kit I’ve been eyeing on Etsy.

 

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8. Enamel Pins

 

I collect enamel pins too.  I have a fabric covered decorative board in my office and I display my pins on that. I thought this one was really cute.

 

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9. Bookish Themed Candles

 

This romance-themed candle is scented with rosewood, lilac, and blackberry. Doesn’t that sound like it would smell incredible? I really need to get one of these.

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10. Bookmarks! 

 

I still mostly use receipts for my actual bookmarks, but I do love to collect bookmarks.  I don’t have many author-specific ones, but my newfound love of Colleen Hoover’s books made me zero in on this fun one, which is a bookstack of all of her novels.

 

 

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Question:  Do you love bookish merchandise?  What kinds of bookish items would you love to own?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES by Sangu Mandanna

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“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES by Sangu Mandanna.  I love witchy reads and stories that feature found families, so this book sounds perfect for me. 🙂

 

THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES by Sangu Mandanna

Publication Date:  August 23, 2022 by Berkley Books

From Goodreads:

A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family–and a new love–changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – Ten Authors I Haven’t Read Yet, But Plan to in 2022

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is Authors I Haven’t Read, But Want To.  This was a pretty easy topic for me since I almost always have an ongoing list of authors I want to try.  Today I’m sharing a list of mostly romance authors that I’m planning to try for the first time this year, as well as the actual book I’m planning to start with.  Since I drafted this post, I’ve actually started reading the Julia Quinn book.  After I binge watched season 2 of Bridgerton on Netflix a couple of weekends ago, I couldn’t resist diving into the book series that inspired the show.

Ten Authors I Haven’t Read Yet, But Plan to in 2022

 

 

1. ABBY JIMENEZ

2.  EMMA SCOTT

3.  JAYCI LEE

4.  JILL SHALVIS

5. JULIA QUINN

6. KATY BIRCHALL

7.  PENNY REID

8.  REBECCA SERLE

9. CHLOE LIESE

10. HELENA HUNTING

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Question:  Have you read any of these authors?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – LIZZIE BLAKE’S BEST MISTAKE by Mazey Eddings

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“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is LIZZIE BLAKE’S BEST MISTAKE by Mazey Eddings.  I thought Eddings’ debut novel, A Brush with Love, was delightful, so I’m excited to read more from her.  The synopsis for her new book sounds like a lot of fun. 🙂

 

LIZZIE BLAKE’S BEST MISTAKE by Mazey Eddings

Publication Date:  September 6, 2022 by St. Martin’s Griffin

From Goodreads:

Lizzie has made endless mistakes. Kitchen fires, pyramid schemes, bangs (of the hair and human variety), you name it, she’s done it… and made a mess of it too. One mistake she’s never made is letting anyone get closer to her than a single hook-up. But after losing yet another bakery job due to her uncontrolled ADHD, she breaks her cardinal rule and has a two-night-stand that changes everything.

Once burned, twice shy, Rake has given up on relationships. And feelings. And any form of intimacy for that matter. Yet something about charming, chaotic Lizzie has him lowering his guard. For two nights, that is. Then it’s back home to Australia and far away from the pesky feelings Lizzie pulls from him. But when Lizzie tells him she’s got an unexpected bun in the oven, he’ll do whatever it takes to be a part of his child’s life… except be emotionally vulnerable, obviously. He’s never going to make that mistake again.

Through a series of mishaps, totally “platonic” single bed sharing, and an underground erotic baking scheme, Lizzie and Rake learn that even the biggest mistakes can have the most beautiful consequences.

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far This Year

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is a Freebie so I thought it would be fun to, since we’re at the end of the first quarter of 2022, to share my top ten favorite reads so far this year.  I’ll link them to either my reviews here if I reviewed them on the blog or to Goodreads if it was an amazing book that I had no words for or an older book since I’m mainly just reviewing ARCs on the blog these days.

Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far This Year

 

 

1. ALL YOUR PERFECTS by Colleen Hoover

2.  GALLANT by V.E. Schwab

3.  THE BOOK OF COLD CASES by Simone St. James

4.  THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES by Jennifer E. Smith

5. ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND by Josie Silver

6. WITH LOVE FROM LONDON by Sarah Jio

7.  IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover

8.  THE WEDDING VEIL by Kristy Woodson Harvey

9. MR. WRONG NUMBER by Lynn Painter

10. BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE by Fredrik Backman

 

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Question:  Have you read any of these?

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE MURDER OF MR. WICKHAM by Claudia Gray

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“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE MURDER OF MR. WICKHAM by Claudia Gray.  As a Pride and Prejudice enthusiast who absolutely loathed Mr. Wickham, I laughed out loud when I saw the title of this new book and read the blurb.  I’ve enjoyed Gray’s writing in the past so I can’t wait to see how she disposes of this despicable man, haha.

 

THE MURDER OF MR. WICKHAM by Claudia Gray

Publication Date:  May 3, 2022 by Vintage

From Goodreads:

From New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray—a summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature’s most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this brilliantly imagined mystery featuring Jane Austen’s leading literary characters.

The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. In a tantalizing fusion of Austen and Christie, the unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂