Top Ten Tuesday - Rewind

So today's Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and the Bookish is Rewind where you can pick any list that's been done in the past.  I picked Top Ten Words or Topics that Will Make Me Pick Up/Buy a Book which originally showed up in April of 2013.  So:

Top 10 Topics that Will Make Me Pick Up/Buy a Book:

1. Anything involving a mystery from the past -
Letters or diaries from the past?  A genealogy mystery?  You found an old skeleton you need to identify?  Someone is looking to find out what happened to a long lost grandmother/aunt/uncle whatever?  I'm in!

2. Restoring Old Houses
This is kind of the umbrella of #1 but if it's someone restoring an old house that jumps to the top of the TBR.  I love Jenny Bentley and Shelia Connolly's Orchard series because of this.

3. Vintage Clothes
This one also relates to #1 but I love the details of vintage clothes.  Annette Blair's Vintage Magic series is great and Shattered Silk by Barbara Michaels is one of my favorite books.

4.  Ghosts
Also, relates to #1 but this is the last one!  Whether it's a gothic type ghost in a rambling manor house, a helpful ghost who follows people around or an evil ghost that causes problems if the summary includes the word ghost I will be reading it.  I will actually keep reading a series (aka Victoria Laurie's Ghost Hunter series) long after I would've given up on another series because it involves ghosts.

5. Ireland
The entire reason I started reading Nora Roberts ages and ages ago was because of her Gallagher series that takes place in Ireland.  Mysteries that take place in Ireland also jump to the top of the list.

6. Friends
This is mostly for romance novels.  One of my favorite plot devices is a friendship that turns into a relationship.  It's just so much more believable for the happier ever after.

7. 1920s/30s
Another setting that I will put up with just a lot to stay within the time period.  I read 2 books of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series past the time I was bored with it strictly because it was set in this time period.  Once I saw that Kerry Greenwood's Phyrnne Fisher was set in the 20s that was all I needed to know.

8. Libraries or Museums
Oh you have a primary character that works in a library or a museum?  Sign me up!  Luckily I enjoy Sheila Connolly's museum series and Jenn McKinlay's library series but I'd probably keep reading them even if I didn't.

9. Books
Books about books?  A series that talks a lot about books?  Can't pass it up!  This applies to both fiction and nonfiction.  The Man Who Loved Books Too Much Allison Hoover Bartlett about the hunt for a book thief was one of my favorite books of last year.  I also read Kate Carlisle's book binder series and Lorna Barrett's Booktown series regardless of how much they annoy me (which is pretty frequent, especially with the latter).

10. Food especially Pastry Chefs
This is another one that applies to fiction and nonfiction.  I either have owned, currently own or want to own just about every food memoir I'm aware of.  I have an entire shelf devoted to books like The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn, The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman and Consuming Passions by Michael Lee West.  Let's not even get into cookbooks.  Then there's the fiction books - Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery series,  Paige Shelton's Farmer's Market and Cooking School books, and any book that has a chef or pastry chef as a primary character.  Can't resist!

Top Ten Tuesdays! Top Ten Reasons I love Being a Reader/Book Blogger

I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for their Top Ten Tuesday.  Today's list is Top Ten Reasons I love being a Reader/Book Blogger.






1.  I love being a book blogger because - of being able to talk to other people who read like I do!  I'm in a book club and it's always fun to talk about books but I don't come across many people in real life who always have a book or who set goals and projects related to books.  It's fun to connect with people who do!  Years ago I had a real life friend (aka Lisa @ Books, Lists, Life) who did read like me but then she had the audacity to move away (something about love and going to live with her husband, blah blah blah) and I've missed that ever since.

2.  I love being a book blogger because of  - the Accountability.  I'm pretty type A and there's nothing I love more than lists, spreadsheets and goals.  Blogging allows me to keep track of those goals and holds me accountable because it's out there.  There's no wiggle room, there's no reinterpreting.  I've also come across some really fun challenges to give me a little more focus.

3.  I love being a book blogger because of - the variety of books it introduces me too.  I've read more different genres in the 2 months of this year than I did in all of 2013 combined.  Between recommendations from other bloggers, e-ARCs that intrigue me and just trying to have a little variety in my reviews I've had lots more variety than I normally have and have been having a lot of fun with it.

4.  I love being a book blogger because - it makes me think about the book I've just read.  Instead of just finishing a book and thinking oh I liked it or oh I didn't like it blogging makes me think of  the Why.

5.  I love being a book blogger because - I feel like I'm a little tiny part of the community that I love so much.  I've gotten emails from a few authors and publishers and I've completely fangirl-ed.  Not my most dignified moment but so exciting.

6.  I love being a reader because - I've never been bored.  How can you be bored when you have hundreds of books to read.  I've always had a book in my purse though now it's switched to the Kindle.  I never mind reading because it gives me a chance to read!

7.  I love being a reader because - I know all kinds of random bits of knowledge.  There's always something to learn no matter what genre you're reading.

8.  I love being a reader because - It's a great escape.  No matter what's going on around me I can pick up a book and be in 1920's England, or a professional chef's kitchen, or any other place I choose.

9.  I love being a reader because - It's given me something to pass on to my kids.  Emma reads at a crazy rate and it's so fun to share something.  I love that the Tornado likes to take a book with him in the car so he can look at pictures of trucks or Star Wars or whatever book he's grabbed.

10.  I love being a reader because - I don't know any other way to be.  I can't imagine not having a book going.  I can't think of a time that I haven't had that except maybe during finals in college.  It's just not something I can wrap my mind around!

Top Ten Tuesday - Books That Make Me Swoon

Today's Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and The Bookish is Books That Make Me Swoon.  So in no order than how I remembered them here is my top ten!

1.  Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery -  Yes, I know, another Montgomery book!  Gilbert is the most swoonable character ever in fictional history.  He is smart, funny, logical with just the right amount of sentimental and he so genuinely loves Anne.  The end of this book alone is just one big swoon.

2. What Happens in London - Julia Quinn - I probably laughed more reading this book than any other that I can think of.  Harry and Olivia are great but Sebastian... Unfortunately he wasn't as great in his own book but in this one he was amazing.

3. When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries - Top 5 best endings ever.  There's adventure, strong characters and a proper villain.  Totally swoon worthy.
4.  House of Many Shadows by Barbara Michaels - the Gothic-ness, the ghosts, the history, the romance, the mystery.  I want to be Meg when I read this book.

5. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas - the romance between Mark and Maggie is wonderful but the true swooniness is watching the Nolan brothers start to thaw.

6. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton - the cover alone is swoon worthy on this but the atmosphere throughout this entire novel really got me.

7.  The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Alison Hoover Bartlett - I know this is kind of an odd choice but this was a fun book and then all the talk of bookstores and collections stuffed with gorgeous first editions - definitely swoonworthy.

8. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas - I'm not a lover of bad buys but St. Vincent is so spectacularly wonderful in this one and so in love with Evie it's hard not to swoon.  It doesn't hurt that I loved Evie as well and it was great fun watching her learn to stand up for herself.

9. The Case of William Smith by Patricia Wentworth - A mystery generally isn't swoonworthy but when it's full of fantastic characters, 2 great detectives and just the right touch of romance it's hard to resist.

10. And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke - One of my favorite romances ever.  The end - if you don't swoon over the ending I really don't know what to say.

I had a good time thinking up this list and now I have a serious urge to go find all these books for a big rereading session!

Books I Haven't Read but Should - Children's/YA edition

This past weekend didn't lend to much reading between baby showers (not for me), dog shows (as a spectator), binge watching The Office (LOVED the ending!) and just feeling a rundown.  So instead of a review I'm making a list because I love lists almost as much as I love reading.  Today's list is the books I know I should read but for whatever reason haven't.  I'm linking up with the Literary Love Linkup because this incorporates one of my most loved genres - Children's books - with one of my most loved things to do - make lists about books!

1.  Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
I think I have a copy of this on my Kindle but I've never read it.  In fact other than the movies my only exposure to this was in 4th grade when we deconstructed the "Jabberwoky" poem and replaced the nonsense words with real words.  Way to take the fun out of it now that I think about it.

2.  At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald
This was my grandmother's favorite book when she was a child and she actually got me a copy but for no other reason than basic contrariness I refused to read it.  I actually just got it on Kindle when I looked it up a few minutes ago so at some point I will be fixing that.

3.  Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Before the Tornado was born I used to substitute teach a bit and any time I was in 1st grade I always ended up reading bits of this out loud but that's as far as I got.  I've always avoided this and the movie because I know the ending.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
I loved both movies but have never read the book even with Emma and Eleanor were reading Dahl by the truckload.

5. & 6.I have never read anything by John Green or Sarah Dessen.  A fact I know that would make many people gasp in disbelief.

7.  Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
I have seen this book on pretty much every best of or favorites book list of 2013.

I'm sure there's more that for whatever reason have slipped through the cracks.  This is only the children's/YA edition so who knows what I'd find if I started looking at categories like "Classics".  I'm sure there's giant holes in my reading.  There'll be another list tomorrow but that's part of a linkup so not nearly the same thing!

Top Ten Tuesday - Books that Make You Cry

Today's Top Ten List from The Broke and the Bookish is the Top Ten Books that Make you Cry.  I've been searching my mind trying to come up with books that make me cry for days.  This one was challenging for me since I tend to avoid books that will make me cry like the plague.



1.  Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery

Cried doesn't seem quite strong enough.  I sobbed, wept through pretty much this entire book.  I don't know if it's  having teenagers or having a four year old but even though I've read this book about Anne's children going to war it's never affected me quite like it did a few months ago.  This wasn't just teared up - this was openly weeping to the point if I read more than a chapter or so a night my eyes would be swollen the next day.

2. Marley and Me by Josh Grogan - This is another one I sobbed during.  I cried so hard at the ending that J wouldn't believe I was that upset over  a book.

3.  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom - I resisted reading this book for awhile despite having a friend strongly recommending it.  I was afraid it would be preachy but it was wonderful.

4.   Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - This one isn't sobbing but there are scenes that cannot be read without crying.

5.  The Shell Seekers by Rosamunce Pilcher - This one doesn't affect me quite like it used too but I read this book to pieces in high school and college.

6.  Love Story by Erich Segal - I cannot even think about this book without remembering the story a friend told me about how she was reading in class and as she was getting to the ending she all of a sudden remembered the first line and spent the rest of the time torn between not being able to put the book down and not wanting to get caught reading (and crying in class).

7.  Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult - I read this for a book club a few years ago and I have mixed feelings about it.  I cried but I felt so manipulated that I was mad about it.

8.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - The scene with Rue's death. Oh the tears.

9.  The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn - I know I'm in the minority here but I loved this one.  And cried quite a few times.

10. She: The Old Woman Who Took Over My Life by Kathryn Tucker Windham - this is Windham's final book as she looks back over her life.  She died before it was finished.