Tag Archive for: top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favorite Romance Books That Feature Animals on the Cover

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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 Titles with Animals In Them and/or Covers with Animals On Them.  I blanked out almost completely on titles with animals in them, so I went the cover route.  Here are ten of my favorite romance novel covers that feature animals on them.

 

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My Favorite Romance Books That Feature Animals on the Cover

 

 

Have you read any of these?

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten New-to-Me Romance Authors I Hope to Read for the First Time in 2023

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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 actually meant to be Indie/Self-Published Books but I am sadly not great at keeping track of which of the authors I read are considered Indie.  That said, I thought it would be fun to share some new-to-me romance authors that I’m hoping to read for the first time this year.  I keep hearing great things about their books from fellow bloggers and bookstagrammers so I’m very excited to give them all a try.  I do believe some of them are Indie as well, so I’m not completely rogue this week, haha.

 

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10 New-to-Me Romance Authors I Plan to Read in 2023

 

   

Have you read any of these authors?

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Books to Try If You Enjoyed Emily Henry’s Book Lovers

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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 for People Who Liked Author X.  I decided to go with Emily Henry and to share some books I think fans of her most recent novel Book Lovers would also enjoy.  Book Lovers was a enemies/rivals to lovers romance that featured a small town setting, wonderfully complex and bookish characters, family relationships, and loads of witty banter.  The books I’m sharing today each have one or more of those wonderful elements.

10 Books to Try If You Enjoyed Emily Henry’s Book Lovers

 

 

1. THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center  –  “Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka “bodyguard”), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.” This book is such a delight. It’s got the wonderfully complex characters, an idyllic farm setting, and hilarious banter that will have you laughing your way through the pages.

2. THINGS WE NEVER GOT OVER by Lucy Score  – “There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help this runaway bride out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.  At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.”  This book has a fabulous small town setting and is an opposites attract, grumpy-sunshine romance, that also has a fair share of family drama and relationships.

3. EVERY SUMMER AFTER by Carly Fortune – “For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart. When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past. Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping nostalgic look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever.” This book is a bit more of an emotional story than some of my other selections, but it also features a small town setting, complex and flawed characters, and a second chance romance.

4. THE SIMPLE WILD by K.A. Tucker  – “City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot.”  This one features a remote Alaskan setting, family drama galore, and an enemies to lovers romance.

5. MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU by Samantha Young – “The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy.” This one features a small town setting, a bookish protagonist, as well as some town rivalries and fractured relationships.

6. THE EX TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon – “Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio. When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts. As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.”  This is an enemies to lovers that is packed with hilarious banter.

7. ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND by Josie Silver  –  “Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is the last thing that dating columnist Cleo wanted, but she is going on a self-coupling quasi-sabbatical–at the insistence of her boss–in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some quiet, solitary self-care while she figures out her next steps in her love life and her career.  Mac is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can’t bring himself to acknowledge, his soul searching has brought him to the same Irish island in search of his roots and some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both solitude seekers have reserved the same one-bedroom hideaway on exactly the same dates.  Instantly at odds with each other, Cleo and Mac don’t know how they’re going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company quite as much as they thought they would…”  Like Every Summer After, this one is a bit more emotional at times than some of the other stories I’ve chosen.  But still it features a remote setting, a wonderful community, an enemies to lovers romance, and an intimate personal journey for its characters.

8. WHEN IN ROME by Sarah Adams – “Opposites certainly attract for the stranded pop star and small-town baker in this charming slice of romance.”  This one is a heartwarming small-town, opposites attract romance that is filled with lovable quirky characters and also features close-knit family vibes which I adored.

9. THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman  –  “The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.  When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They’re all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She’ll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It’s a disaster! And as if that wasn’t enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn’t he realize what a terrible idea that is? It’s time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn’t convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It’s going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.”  Obviously this one features a bookish protagonist, and it’s just full of heart and humor.

10. BY ANY OTHER NAME by Lauren Kate  –  “An enemies-to-lovers romance about an editor, her bestselling author, and one life-changing secret.” Bookish characters, enemies to lovers romance, and lots of personal growth for the main characters as well.

 

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Question:  Have you read any of these or are you planning to read any of them?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Need to Read

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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 TTT Rewind (Pick a previous topic that you missed or would like to re-do/update.).  I decided to take this opportunity to share Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Need to Read. Even though I’ve been making a major effort to read more of the books I own and specifically to tackle the backlists of my favorite authors, somehow I still have books by my favorites that I haven’t gotten to yet.  The ten I’m sharing today are ones I really hope to get to this year.

Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Need to Read

 

 

1. NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah  –  “Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.”

2. GET LUCKY by Katherine Center  – “How do you change your luck? Katherine Center’s marvelously entertaining and poignant novel is about choosing to look for happiness—and maybe getting lucky enough to find it.”

3. THE DARK VAULT by V.E. Schwab – “Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.  Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive. Mackenzie Bishop’s grandfather first brought her here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now her grandfather is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.  Follow Mackenzie as she explores the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking, through these two timeless novels, now bound together in this thrilling collection. With stunning prose and a captivating mixture of action, romance, and horror, The Dark Vault delves into a richly imagined world where no choice is easy and love and loss feel like two sides of the same coin..”

4. CONFESS by Colleen Hoover  – “Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry. For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?.”

5. WAITING FOR TOM HANKS by Kerry Winfrey – “Can a romcom-obsessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey. Annie Cassidy dreams of being the next Nora Ephron. She spends her days writing screenplays, rewatching Sleepless in Seattle, and waiting for her movie-perfect meet-cute. If she could just find her own Tom Hanks—a man who’s sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat—her problems would disappear and her life would be perfect. But Tom Hanks is nowhere in sight. When a movie starts filming in her neighborhood and Annie gets a job on set, it seems like a sign. Then Annie meets the lead actor, Drew Danforth, a cocky prankster who couldn’t be less like Tom Hanks if he tried. Their meet-cute is more of a meet-fail, but soon Annie finds herself sharing some classic rom-com moments with Drew. Her Tom Hanks can’t be an actor who’s leaving town in a matter of days…can he?”

6. WOLFSONG by T.J. Klune – “Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.  Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road. The little boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the little boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the little boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane. Ox was seventeen when he found out the little boy’s secret and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega. Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces. It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.”

7. DEAR CAROLINA by Kristy Woodson Harvey  –  “One baby girl. Two strong Southern women. And the most difficult decision they’ll ever make. Frances “Khaki” Mason has it all: a thriving interior design career, a loving husband and son, homes in North Carolina and Manhattan—everything except the second child she has always wanted. Jodi, her husband’s nineteen-year-old cousin, is fresh out of rehab, pregnant, and alone. Although the two women couldn’t seem more different, they forge a lifelong connection as Khaki reaches out to Jodi, encouraging her to have her baby. But as Jodi struggles to be the mother she knows her daughter deserves, she will ask Khaki the ultimate favor…Written to baby Carolina, by both her birth mother and her adoptive one, this is a story that proves that life circumstances shape us but don’t define us—and that families aren’t born, they’re made….“

8. DAUGHTERS OF ROME by Kate Quinn – “A.D. 69. Nero is dead. The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.  But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress.”

9. I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell  –  “‘How long have you been sitting out here?’ ‘I got here yesterday.’ ‘Where did you come from?’ ‘I have no idea.’  In East Yorkshire, single mum Alice Lake finds a man on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, no idea what he is doing there. Against her better judgement she invites him in to her home.  In Surrey, twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed. Two women, twenty years of secrets and a man who can’t remember lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell’s brilliant new novel.”

10. OTHER PEOPLE’S HOUSES by Abbi Waxman  –  “A hilarious and poignant new novel about four families, their neighborhood carpool, and the affair that changes everything. At any given moment in other people’s houses, you can find…repressed hopes and dreams…moments of unexpected joy…someone making love on the floor to a man who is most definitely not her husband.”

 

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Question:  Have you read any of these or are you planning to read any of them?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Spring 2023 To-Read List

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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 on My Spring 2023 To-Read List.  I always enjoy this topic because I’m curious to see what my fellow book lovers are planning to read next.  I am still on my quest to read more of the books I already own, so today I’m sharing a mix of ARCs and books from my own shelves that I’m hoping to read this spring. (Quotes are taken from Goodreads).

Books on My Spring 2023 TBR

   

 

1. YOURS TRULY by Abby Jimenez  –  “A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.”

2. THE PARIS DAUGHTER by Kristin Harmel  – “From the bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names comes a gripping historical novel about two mothers who must make unthinkable choices in the face of the Nazi occupation.”

3. THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT by Christina Lauren – “Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script.”

4. THE GOLDEN DOVES by Martha Hall Kelly  – “Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—an extraordinary novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.”

5. LOVE, THEORETICALLY by Ali Hazelwood – “Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.”

6. THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY by Megan Bannen – “Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness. Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.  After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.  If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most – Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares – each other?”

7. HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry  –  “A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.“

8. THE HOUSEMAID by Freida McFadden – “An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!”

9. BEFORE I LET GO by Kennedy Ryan  –  “Award-winning and bestselling “powerhouse” author Kennedy Ryan is at her absolute best in this compelling, scorching novel about hope and healing, and what it truly means to love for a lifetime (USA Today).“

10. MAAME by Jessica George  –  “Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George’s Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.”

 

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Question:  Have you read any of these or are you planning to read any of them?

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Authors I Would Love to Meet

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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 People I’d Like To Meet (These can be authors, book characters, book bloggers/influencers, cover designers, cover models, etc.).  I decided to keep it simple this week and just share ten authors I would love to meet.  This is a topic I often think about since I’ve never actually been to an event where I could possibly meet one of my favorite authors.  I could also easily make a list ten times this long because there are so many I’d love to thank for sharing their storytelling gifts with us.

10 Authors I Would Love to Meet

 

1. KATHERINE CENTER  – Katherine Center brings me such joy with her books, but I also love her social media presence. She comes across as kind, humble, and very insightful when it comes to the writing process.

2. ALICE HOFFMAN – Alice Hoffman is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her writing and storytelling abilities are pure magic, and I would love to talk to her about what inspired her to take Practical Magic from one to four books.

3. V.E. SCHWAB  – I would just like thank V.E. Schwab for getting me back into reading fantasy with her Shades of Magic trilogy and then making me fall even more in love with the genre with books like Addie LaRue and Gallant.

4.  ABBI WAXMAN – I’ve always enjoyed Abbi Waxman’s novels, but recently she has become more active on her instagram account and she is truly hilarious.  I just think meeting her would be so much fun.

5. CHRISTINA LAUREN – This duo has brought me so much joy with their rom-coms over the past few years. I’d love to talk to them about their process for co-writing their books.  Plus, they both just seem super sweet on social media.

6. COLLEEN HOOVER – I of course have loved everything I’ve read from Colleen Hoover, but she also just seems like she would be fun to meet, at least based on some of her Instagram randomness anyway, haha.

7.  T.J. KLUNE – Anyone who can write such magical, feel good books as The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door is someone I want to meet.

8.  TAYLOR JENKINS REID – As the person who has created three of my favorite female characters, I would love to meet TJR to thank her and to hear what she’s working on next. And of course to congratulate her on the premiere of the Daisy Jones series which is off to an amazing start this week.

9. ABBY JIMENEZ – I love Abby Jimenez’s books but I also love her sense of humor. Her instagram account, especially when it comes to pet-related shenanigans, is one of my favorites.  I think it would be fun to meet her, especially if her dogs, Tess and Stuntman Mike, are there.

10. FIONA DAVIS – Fiona Davis is one of my favorite historical fiction authors and since all of her novels focus on NYC iconic buildings, I’d love to meet her, in New York of course, to thank her for bringing so much history to life in my favorite city and to hear about what other buildings she is considered centering books around.

 

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Question:  Who are some authors you would love to meet?

Top Ten Tuesday – Some of My Favorite Historical Fiction Recommendations

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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 genre freebie so I decided to focus on historical fiction, which has long been one of my favorite genres to read.  I’ve heard comments over the years from people saying they don’t want to try historical fiction because to them, it seems like it would be boring. That or they assume that all historical fiction is about WWII.  So today I’m sharing a list of fabulous reads that are classified as historical fiction that are FAR from boring, and while several of these novels are, in fact, set during WWII, they either come at it from an unexpected perspective and/or they taught me about some aspect of the war I had never heard about before and they are often inspirational.  I highly recommend all of these reads to anyone who either thinks they don’t like historical fiction or anyone who has never read historical fiction and wants to give it a try. (Summaries are taken from Goodreads).

Some of My Favorite Historical Fiction Recommendations

 

 

1. CODE NAME SAPPHIRE by Pam Jenoff  – A woman must rescue her cousin’s family from a train bound for Auschwitz in this riveting tale of bravery and resistance.

2.  THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah – Set in France during WWII, a gripping and emotional story of two sisters, Vianne Mauriac and Isabelle Rossignol, and their struggle to survive and to help others escape from the Nazis as they began targeting Jews, political opponents, and anyone else who got in Hitler’s way.

3.  THE LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly  – Set during WWII, this is an incredible novel of unsung women and their quest for love, happiness, and second chances. It is a story that will keep readers bonded with the characters, searching for the truth, until the final pages.  If you enjoy this book, it is actually the first in a series that follows three generations of remarkable women from the same family.  The second book goes back a generation and is set during WWI, while the final book goes back one more and is set during the Civil War.

4.  THE FOREST OF THE VANISHING STARS by Kristin Harmel – An evocative coming-of-age World War II story about a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis—until a secret from her past threatens everything.

5. DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid – A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous break up. Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the real reason why they split at the absolute height of their popularity…until now.

6. LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus – Set in the 1960’s, this story follow Elizabeth Zott, a feminist, a chemist and a woman ahead of her time.  When a TV producer becomes fascinated by Elizabeth’s unique and quirky, no-nonsense personality, he convinces her to host an afternoon cooking show geared towards housewives, and has no idea what he gets himself into because in true Elizabeth Zott fashion, she turns the show on its end. I really loved what she did with this show and found myself rooting for her every step of the way because what she creates is an environment that educates, celebrates and empowers women, reminding them of their self-worth in what is often a thankless job, that of being a homemaker and raising children.

7.  THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn – Set during 1940, as England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to the mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.

8.  HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi – Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.

9. WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens – For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her. But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life’s lessons from the land, learning the real ways of the world from the dishonest signals of fireflies. But while she has the skills to live in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world—until the unthinkable happens. In Where the Crawdads Sing, Owens juxtaposes an exquisite ode to the natural world against a profound coming of age story and haunting mystery. Thought-provoking, wise, and deeply moving, Owens’s debut novel reminds us that we are forever shaped by the child within us, while also subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

10. WHEN WE LEFT CUBA by Chanel Cleeton – The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez–her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.  As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future–but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything–not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…

 

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Question:  What are some of your favorite historical fiction reads?

Top Ten Tuesday – Ten of My Favorite Fictional Heroines

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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 Favorite Heroines (or Heroes).  I decided to focus most of my list on more recent reads and I wouldn’t necessarily call all of them heroines, so let’s just says they’re my favorite female protagonists and leave it at that.

Ten of My Favorite Fictional Heroines

 

 

1. Tara Chen from EXES & O’s by Amy Lea  –  Tara made my list this week because with her obsession with all things romance and her passion for her bookstagram account, I just found her to be so endearing and relatable.

2.  Delilah Green from DELILAH GREEN DOESN’T CARE by Ashley Herring Blake – Delilah made my list because even though she’s a successful photographer who is living her best life in NYC, when she returns to her hometown, she is suddenly the underdog that her stepsister and all of her friends made fun of and I just love  a good underdog story

3.  Astrid Parker from ASTRID PARKER DOESN’T FAIL by Ashley Herring Blake  – As you can tell, I’m a big fan of the female characters in Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls series.  Astrid made my list this week because I just loved how she was trying so hard to find her own way, all while dealing with the pressure of her overbearing mother.  Her journey of self discovery was everything!

4.  Alexis Montgomery from PART OF YOUR WORLD by Abby Jimenez – Alexis made my list because of the tenacity she displays with respect to her career.  Even though she hails from a family of world renowned surgeons and her parents pressure her to follow suit, Alexis just wants to help the people in her local community.

5. Evelyn Hugo from THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Evelyn made my list because she is just iconic in every way!

6. Addie LaRue from THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab – Addie’s unforgettable journey after she makes a pact with the Devil to escape an unwanted marriage just stole my heart.

7.  Carrie Soto from CARRIE SOTO IS BACK by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Carrie made my list this week because she is a flawed character, unliked by many in her profession because she can be arrogant and too bold, but who still managed to make me fall in love with her.

8.  Finlay Donovan from FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT by Elle Cosimano – Finlay makes my list this week because she just brings me so much joy when I read this book series.  Finlay is hilarious, snarky, resourceful, and is just always involved in the most entertaining shenanigans.

9. Elizabeth Zott from LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus – Elizabeth Zott made my list because she is just such a fantastically quirky feminist, a chemist and a woman ahead of her time.  When a TV producer becomes fascinated by Elizabeth’s unique and quirky, no-nonsense personality, he convinces her to host an afternoon cooking show geared towards housewives, and has no idea what he gets himself into because in true Elizabeth Zott fashion, she turns the show on its end. I really loved what she did with this show and found myself rooting for her every step of the way because what she creates is an environment that educates, celebrates and empowers women, reminding them of their self-worth in what is often a thankless job, that of being a homemaker and raising children.

10. Mila Pavlichenko from THE DIAMOND EYE by Kate Quinn – How can you not love a quiet bookworm who goes on to become history’s deadliest female sniper?

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Question:  Who are some of your favorite female protagonists?

Top Ten Tuesday – Valentine’s Freebie – 10 Books with Love in the Title

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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 Love Freebie, so I decided to take it literally and look for book titles on my shelves that have the word “Love” in them.  I’ve done a similar post before so I tried to find ten books I hadn’t already shared previously.

10 Books with Love in the Title

 

 

1. JUST ANOTHER LOVE SONG by Kerry Winfrey

2.  THE LOVE WAGER by Lynn Painter

3.  LUNAR LOVE by Lauren Kung Jessen

4.  LOATHE TO LOVE YOU by Ali Hazelwood

5. LOVE, THEORETICALLY by Ali Hazelwood

6. LOVE, LISTS AND FANCY SHIPS by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

7.  HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG by Tracey Garvis Graves

8.  THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT by Christina Lauren

9. UGLY LOVE by Colleen Hoover

10. DRUNK ON LOVE by Jasmine Guillory

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Question:  Have you read any of these? Can you think of any other titles with LOVE in them?

Top Ten Tuesday – Ten Debut Novels I’m Excited to Read in 2023

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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 Ten Debut Novels I’m Excited to Read in 2023. I always love finding new authors to read and this week I’m sharing 8 that are currently on my radar as well as two adult debuts from a couple of my favorite YA authors.

Ten Debut Novels I’m Excited to Read in 2023

 

 

1. MAAME by Jessica George  –  “It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting. When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it’s not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils––and rewards––of putting her heart on the line. Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.”

2.  THE FRAUD SQUAD by Kyla Zhao – “For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy. Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest she’ll get to her ideal life. Until she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Samantha’s one chance at infiltrating the high-society world to which she desperately wants to belong. To Samantha’s surprise, Timothy and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. But the borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far. The rest is on Samantha, and she’s determined to impress the editor in chief of Singapore’s poshest magazine. But the deeper Samantha wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed—especially with a mysterious gossip columnist on the prowl for dirt—forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all.”

3.  THE WRITING RETREAT by Julia Bartz  – “Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement. But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she’s desperate to discover the truth and save herself.  A claustrophobic and propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of friendships and fame, The Writing Retreat is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent.”

4.  SEVEN PERCENT OF RO DEVEREUX by Ellen O’Clover – “A clever, charming, and poignant debut novel about a girl who must decide whether to pursue her dreams or preserve her relationships, including a budding romance with her ex-best friend, when an app she created goes viral.”

5. RIVER SING ME HOME by Eleanor Shearer – “A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • This beautiful, page-turning and redemptive story of a mother’s gripping journey across the Caribbean to find her stolen children in the aftermath of slavery is a “celebration of motherhood and female resilience” (The Observer).”

6. LUNAR LOVE by Lauren Kung Jessen – “This sweet, enemies-to-lovers debut rom-com filled with Chinese astrology will undoubtedly prove to be a perfect match with readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Helena Hunting.  Always a matchmaker, never a match… Olivia Huang Christenson is excited-slash-terrified to be taking over her grandmother’s matchmaking business. But when she learns that a new dating app has made her Pó Po’s traditional Chinese zodiac approach all about “animal attraction,” her emotions skew more toward furious-slash-outraged. Especially when L.A.’s most-eligible bachelor Bennett O’Brien is behind the app that could destroy her family’s legacy…Liv knows better than to fall for any guy, let alone an infuriatingly handsome one who believes that traditions are meant to be broken. As the two businesses go head to head, Bennett and Liv make a deal: they’ll find a match for each other—and whoever falls in love loses. But Liv is dealing with someone who’s already adept at stealing business ideas . . . so what’s stopping him from stealing her heart too?”

7.  THE LOVE MATCH by Priyanka Taslim – “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security—just as she’s falling in love with someone else.”

8.  THE HOUSE IN THE PINES by Ana Reyes – “Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer. Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer–the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey. At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin….Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.”

9. THRONE OF THE FALLEN by Kerri Maniscalco – “The adult debut of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco, Throne of the Fallen is a seductive new standalone novel set within her fan-favorite Kingdom of the Wicked world, perfect for readers of fantasy, romance, and mystery alike.  Sinner. Villain. Ruthless. These are wicked names the Prince of Envy welcomes. They remind him what he isn’t: a saint. And when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows he’ll be called much worse before it ends. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way. With a powerful artifact and his own future at stake, Envy is determined to win, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin—and passion—like no other…

Talented. Darling. Liar. The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows notorious rake—and satire sheet legend—Lord Phillip Vexley to blackmail her. And now it seems Vexley isn’t the only scoundrel interested in securing her unique talents as a painter. To avoid Vexley’s clutches and a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Waverly Green’s newest arrival, enigmatic Lord Ashford ‘Syn’ Synton, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Shifting Isles—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm, and encounters with exiled Fae—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love. “

10. FAMILY LORE by Elizabeth Acevedo – “From bestselling, National Book Award–winning author Elizabeth Acevedo comes her first novel for adults, the story of one Dominican-American family told through the voices of its women as they await a gathering that will forever change their lives.”

 

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Question:  Are you planning to read any of these?