Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I'd Buy Today


This week the Top Ten Tuesday linkup with The Broke and The Bookish is a freebie which means we get to pick what our list is about.  I can't wait to go see what everyone came up with!  I decided - after much internal debating - on the top 10 books I'd buy today.  If I went into a bookstore today and had to buy 10 books (and someone else was paying the tab because buying 10 books would probably make me pass out as I'm getting cheaper and cheaper the older I get.  Thanks Dad) these are the ones that I would buy

1.  The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel -
The recovery of artifacts and art after the war fascinate me and this book features a distant relative of mine which adds a little extra personal interest.

2.  Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts
I probably shouldn't since I didn't love the 1st one in the series but in general I love Roberts' books set in Ireland so I've been itching to pick this one up!

3.  My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
I have it in ebook form but it definitely would work better in cookbook form.  The stories and recipes are amazing!

4.  Upstairs at the White House by J.B. West
I've been dying to read this ever since I read Andi's review at Estella's Revenge.  I love the idea of an insider's look at what living in the White House is really like.

5.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Partly because of the title and partly because the book looks really interesting.

6.  The Wife, The Maid and The Mistress by Ariel Lawhon
This is a fictional account of an actual disappearance of a judge in the 1930s.  I know a little bit about the original crime and can't wait to read this!

7.  The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
I read and loved The Forgotten Garden but for some reason have yet to pick up another one of her books.  People seem to really love this one so I think this would be my next pick.

8.  The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley
This book keeps popping up on my Goodreads recommendations and it sounds very interesting.  There's a vineyard, a magnificent chateau and lots of hidden secrets.

9.  Cornish House by Liz Fenwick
I love books set in Cornwall almost as much as I love books set in Ireland.

10. The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook by Tarek Malouf
Because I couldn't go on a spending spree without a cookbook.  I've made banana cupcakes with chocolate frosting from this book and it's to die for!  I'd love to have the entire cookbook.

So that's what I'd buy if I was let loose in a bookstore today!  What would you get?

24 comments:

  1. I read Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society -- it was definitely good. Great list. Here's mine.

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    1. It's on my library list so I'll get to it eventually. I'm definitely looking forward to reading it!

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  2. Great list. We saw The Monuments Men in the theater and I bought a copy for myself. I also find what they did fascinating. Did you read the recent WSJ article that a Swiss Museum was bequeathed the collection of Cornelius Gurlitt, one of Hitler's art dealers?

    Hope you'll check out my list of ten books that I didn't think I would enjoy, but did. http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2014/05/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-books-i.html

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    1. I haven't read the article but I will have to go find it. I'd love to read about the collection. Thanks for visiting!

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  3. I loved the Forgotten Garden - I should also read another of her books!
    New Follower!
    http://she-read.blogspot.com/2014/05/top-ten-tuesdays-books-about-friends.html

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    1. I did too! I read the book last summer and have yet to pick up another of her books. No idea why!

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  4. Now I need to pick up "The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress!"

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    1. Doesn't it look good! Can't wait to read it and I think I will end up having to buy it as my library doesn't have a copy.

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  5. Great choices! I actually loved The Dark Witch and thought Shadow Spell was nearly as good. The Monuments Men and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society are both on my TBR list, and I've been thinking I should read Katherine Morton. And I was intrigued enough by your description of The Lavender Garden to check it out on Goodreads; now it's on my TBR list, too.

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    1. It wasn't that I didn't like The Dark Witch it was more that it was to close to a few of her others that I absolutely love but I didn't feel it was quite as good. So many of her books are in my favorites list that I"m extra picky now! The Forgotten Garden was great though people seem to fall in the loved it or hated it camps. Doesn't The Lavender Garden sound great! Really want to read it!

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  6. I love your list and it's eclectic like my tastes. Yeah ten books would be exciting but ooh the choices!

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    1. LOL! My reading tastes are definitely a bit random. Glad I'm not the only one! In reality the ability to buy 10 books would probably cause me to lock up and panic and NO books would end up getting bought!

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  7. Ooh, I like the idea of The Monuments Men. I might have to get that myself.

    My TTT.

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    1. I really want to read it. I've heard the movie is pretty good too though I'm a book first kind of person!

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  8. What a great list! It's been torture the last couple times I went into a bookstore because I only came out with a book or two for my daughter and nothing for me. It wasn't that I didn't want to buy a book (or two or three), but with so many unread books already . . . I'm trying to be good.

    I have an unread copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on my shelf which I've been wanting to read. I think I may have a copy of The Monuments of Men on my e-reader that I got about the time the movie came out, but never read the book or saw the movie. I tried reading The Secret Keeper, but didn't get very far. I may try again at a later date, but I'm not sure.

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    1. From the reviews I've read people either love Kate Morton or find her monumentally boring. She definitely isn't for everyone.

      I do the same thing in bookstores. All I can think of is how many books are on my shelves or kindle already and lock up. I can sometimes buy cookbooks but that's about it. Except for Amazon's daily deals. Those get me every time.

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  9. Oh my goodness, Secret Keeper!! I hope you do get a chance to buy it soon, because that book (& that author) are incredible! :) Great list - here's to hoping someone foots that bill for you soon!

    Here's my Top Ten Books I Want to See as Movies, if you'd like to check it out:)

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    1. I've walked past it about 10 times at the library but always have so many other books to read I've yet to pick it up. One day though!

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  10. Great topic! Andi got me to add Upstairs at the White House to my list, too. Monument Men sounds great and I loved Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden. Hope you get to read at least a couple of those books.

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    1. I'd seen the book but until her review I hadn't really known what it was about. I'll get to all of them at some point I'm sure! At least this way I know I'll never run out of stuff to read!

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  11. Oh - great list! I highly recommend Guernsey Literary, it's really good! And it's not too long either, you could knock it over pretty quickly :) I also really want to read The Monument's Men! xx

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    1. I think Guernsey Literary is probably higher on my TBR than any of the others. Hopefully I'll be able to get a copy of it soon! I'm really intrigued my The Monument's Men but I've learned the hard way that nonfiction and summer don't work for me so it may have to wait till the weather cools down and I'm not outside as much!

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  12. Great choices. I've had The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on my TBR for the longest time.

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    1. That one's been on my radar for awhile too but never enough to really kick me into gear on reading it! One day, one day!

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