Tag Archives: Top Ten Tuesday

May 19, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters Who Share My First Name

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I struggled with the original topic for this week, “Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters,” because I’ve been reading more nonfiction lately. Therefore, I’m going rogue. 

When I was a teenager, someone called out my name at an amusement park. I turned around only to see a man talking to his young daughter. This was the only time during my childhood that I can recall someone saying Lydia and not meaning me!

Here are ten books that include characters named Lydia.

How common is it for you to find your first name used for fictional characters or in real life to draw the attention of someone who isn’t you?

 

Book cover for Love for Lydia by H.E. Bates. Image on cover is a painting of a man wearing a suit and sitting in a restaurant or bar listening to a woman sing on stage. This looks like it was painted in the 1920 due to the flapper-style dress she is wearing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Love for Lydia by H.E. Bates

 

Book cover for A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor. Image on cover shows a drawing of a young blonde white girl who is snuggling with her yellow dog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor

 

Book cover for How to Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter. Image on cover is a drawing of several multi-story buildings on a street. Above them the cloudy sky takes precedence in this drawing and fills up about 80% of the available space

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. How to Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter

 

Book cover for The Paper Museum by Kate S. Simpson. Image on cover is a drawing of a cave dug into the side of a hill. There is warm yellow light spilling out of the cave into the dusky night air and a large stone building, possibly a museum, in the distance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. The Paper Museum by Kate S. Simpson

 

Book cover for Lydia, Queen of Palestine by Uri Orlev. Image on cover shows a preteen aged white girl sitting on a red throne. She’s wearing a gold crown and a comically oversized red and white robe.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Lydia, Queen of Palestine by Uri Orlev

 

Book cover for An Accomplished Woman by Jude Morgan. Image on cover shows a small black and white photo of a nineteenth century woman who is wearing a dress and has a serious expression on her face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. An Accomplished Woman by Jude Morgan

 

Book cover for The Education of Lydia by Charles X. Wolffe. Image on cover shows a young white blonde woman with short hair who is wearing a 1960s style short blue dress and holding one arm as she turns gently away from the viewer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. The Education of Lydia by Charles X. Wolffe

 

Book cover for The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale, #2) by Margaret Atwood. Image on cover shows a young woman wearing a white bonnet and a green cloak. Her face is obscured by the bonnet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. The Testaments (The Handmaid’s Tale, #2) by Margaret Atwood

 

Book cover for Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Image on cover shows the title and author’s name written on scraps of yellow, white, and orange paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

 

Book cover for China Trade (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #1) by S.J. Rozan. Image on cover shows a Chinese city just after dusk with lamplights and streetlights glowing against a dark blue sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. China Trade (Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #1) by S.J. Rozan

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May 12, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Foliage and Flower Crowns on Book Covers

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

May Flowers was the topic for this week, so I decided to hunt down some book covers that have people wearing crowns of foliage or flowers on them.

This is something I’ve seen occasionally in films or books, but I have never seen it done in real life by anyone I know. Perhaps it’s an older custom? Or maybe it’s something done in parts of the world I haven’t visited yet?

Have you ever worn a crowns of flowers or other foliage in your hair or seen someone else do the same thing?

Book cover for Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell. Image on cover shows a young white woman with wavy dark blond hair who has some leaves adorning her hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

 

Book cover for All the Violet Tiaras: Queering the Greek Myths by Jean Menzies. Image on cover shows the head of a Greek statue wearing a crowns of violets on his head

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. All the Violet Tiaras: Queering the Greek Myths by Jean Menzies

 

Book cover for Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Image on cover shows a young black kid closing his or her eyes and wearing a crowns of colourful flowers, including a daisy and a sunflower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

 

Book cover for Sisi: Empress on Her Own by Allison Pataki. Image on cover shows a young brunette white woman who is facing away from the audience. There are little white flower tucked in the French brain of her hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Sisi: Empress on Her Own by Allison Pataki

 

Book cover for The Tradition by Jericho Brown. Image on cover is a painting of a young dark-skinned black child who is wearing a white shirt and a crown of white flower in their hair as they stand in front of the ocean on a small hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. The Tradition by Jericho Brown

 

Book cover for Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan. Image on cover shows a young white woman with strawberry blond hair who has a large wreath of white flowers on her head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan

 

Book cover for The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman. Image on cover shows a young white woman with wavy red hair walking away from the viewer in a golden grassy field. She has a small wreath of flowers on her head and is wearing a dark cloak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

 

Book cover for Lost in the Garden by Adam S. Leslie. Image on cover shows a grainy photo of a young white woman with wavy light brown hair walking away from the viewer. She has dozens of small pink and white flowers stuck in her hair haphazardly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Lost in the Garden by Adam S. Leslie

 

Book cover for Dearest (Woodcutter Sisters, #3; Books of Arilland, #4) by Alethea Konti. Image on cover shows a young brunette white woman with loosely curly hair who is wearing a blue dress and sitting on the ground while looking back at the viewer with a solemn expression on her face. She’s wearing a crown of purple and white flowers in her hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Dearest (Woodcutter Sisters, #3; Books of Arilland, #4) by Alethea Konti

 

Book cover for The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude. Image on cover shows a young white woman wearing a white floral crown and a bridal veil who is chest-deep in a body of water at night. This scene made me shudder. She looks scared!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude

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May 5, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors You Wish Were Still Writing Today

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

 

Two ballpoint pens lying on an opened hardcover book that’s filled with beautiful calligraphy. Nearby is an inkwell. Here are some authors I wish would have written more. 

1) Octavia E. Butler

Her Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1) series was never finished, but there is a film version of Parable of the Sower in pre-production as of now.

I would have loved to see how she wrapped up this story and what she would be writing now if she were still alive.

2. Jean M. Auel

The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth’s Children, #1) series was technically wrapped up in 2011, and I’ve grumbled here before about how many conflicts sputtered out and moments of foreshadowing were never addressed in the final instalment. I wish she’d write one more book to properly explain all of the things that were ignored.

 

3. Rachel Vincent

I loved her Stray (Shifters, #1) series that began in 2007. It had a satisfactory ending, but she hasn’t written much since then and I couldn’t get into the few books she did release.

 

4. Sarah Waters 

Nothing new from her has been published since 2015. It’s been far too long.

 

5. Me

A combination of writer’s block, my own health issues, loved ones with health issues, and other stuff going on in my life has seriously slowed down the amount of fiction I write..

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April 28, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Keep Me From Reading

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Thank you to Cristyn @ Draconic Breath for coming up with this topic in 2024. You gave me the inspiration I needed to write this week’s freebie post!

A pair of black-rimmed glasses lying on an opened book. 1. Migraines

There are at least a few other TTT bloggers who already know what this illness is like. For everyone else, Reading is difficult when I’m in the migraine cycle due to symptoms like brain fog, nausea, and pain. Staring at a screen can also trigger migraines or make them worse, so I do try to limit screen time on those days.

2. Doomscrolling 

It’s so tempting but such a time waster as well!

3. Repetitive Storylines

I love speculative fiction, but I also find myself growing bored with some of the common plot lines in this genre because of how often they seem to be repeated. This is one of the reasons why you’ll find other genres mentioned in my Top Ten Tuesday posts. Switching things up keeps me interested in reading.

4. Medical Appointments

There have been a lot of them in my household this past year or so, and they can certainly cut into the time one has for more pleasurable things like reading.

5. Nice Weather 

I know I’ve mentioned this a few times before on my blog, but when Ontario has nice weather, often in the spring and autumn, I feel compelled to go outside and enjoy it instead of read. There will be plenty of other days in the year when it’s too hot, cold, icy, stormy, or humid to enjoy a walk in the park or a visit to the beach.

6. Overwhelming Choices

There are so many amazing books out there that I don’t always know which one to read next! This is not a problem I ever had growing up as ebooks didn’t exist back then and my parents weren’t always able to take us to the library. I feel fortunate to have it now even if decision fatigue does sometimes make it hard to decide what to read next.

7. Social Media in General  

I have been trying to be more mindful of my use of it in 2026, but it can be quite easy to spend an hour watching short videos or reading stranger’s comments online instead of picking up one of the books I’ve been meaning to read.

8. Writing

Striking a balance between writing and reading isn’t always easy.

9. Meeting Other Goals

Whether it’s related to work, exercise, or spending time with other people, I do have limits on how much energy I have for reading!

10. Chores 

The dishes won’t wash themselves, after all.

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April 21, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: April Showers

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten books with rainy titles.

Book cover for The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Image on cover shows the side profile of the head and snout of a yellow Labrador retriever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

 

Book cover for Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Image on cover shows a young native woman taking a photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith

 

Book cover for Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls. Image on cover is a cute drawling of a young girl sitting next to a red fox in the forest while they both look up at a rainbow that is beaming down at them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

 

Book cover for Madras on Rainy Days by Samina Ali. Image on cover shows a blue butterfly and a yellow butterfly flying past falling autumn leaves outdoors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Madras on Rainy Days by Samina Ali

 

Book cover for Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years With a Midwife in Mali by Kris Holloway. Image on cover shows Monique smiling. She’s wearing a blue dress that reveals her shoulders and a colourful head wrap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years With a Midwife in Mali by Kris Holloway

 

Book cover for Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields. Image on cover shows Brooke Shields face from the side. She’s looking down with a solemn expression on her face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields

 

 

Book cover for Raining Sardines by Enrique Flores-Galbis. Image on cover shows an alligator or crocodile lying motionless in a body of water beside some tall green grass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Raining Sardines by Enrique Flores-Galbis

 

Book cover for The Thing That Walked In the Rain by Otis Adelbert Kline. Image on cover shows a dark and gloomy scene where it is raining heavily and there isn’t enough light to see much else other than the vague outline of a building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. The Thing That Walked In the Rain by Otis Adelbert Kline

 

Book cover for Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Rain Forest by Mark J. Plotkin. Image on cover shows a white man wearing an all white outfit crouching next to a South American Native person who is talking to him about, presumably, medicinal plants in the rainforest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Rain Forest by Mark J. Plotkin

 

Book cover for Zonia's Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal. Image on cover shows a drawing of an adorable South American preschooler who has long, straight black hair and is looking at a blue butterfly with curiosity in her eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal

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April 14, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles That Describe Me

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Thank you to Susan @ blogginboutbooks.com for submitting this week’s theme! Let’s see how many titles I can find that help to describe myself. You might enjoy my sense of humour with some of these picks, too.

Book cover for The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Image on cover is lime green except for the upper right corner which shows a small black and white photo of someone wearing dress pants and dress shoes who is standing by the wall. You can only see their legs and shoes in this image.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I’m a quiet and unassuming person who likes to observe what’s going on before jumping into the fray.

 

Book cover for A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar. Image on cover is a still from the film showing the protagonist’s wife cupping his chin with her hand and looking at him with love in her eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar

I’d like to think I have a beautiful mind.

 

Book cover from Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. Image on cover shows a painting of a woman who has dreadlocks and a snake curled around her breasts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

I eat a pretty healthy diet and was one of those kids who happily had fruit or a salad as an after school snack. Even to this day, I’d rather have a piece of fruit than a bowl of chips most days!

 

Book cover for Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin. Image on cover shows someone slumped over sitting as they hold a wooden cross in one hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

My family was low income for most of my childhood. On nice weekends my parents would take us out into nature for long walks and picnics because it fit our budget. I loved visiting the mountains most of all, and still adore nature to this day.

 

Book cover for Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart. Image on cover shows a cat confidently walking into what appears to be a wormhole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart

Unfortunately, as I’ve said here before, I’m terribly allergic to cats and so can never pet them.

 

We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen book cover. Image on covers shows dozens of little yellow, red, orange, and pink dots spilling out over a white surface.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

Being technically true is the best kind of true. 😉

 

Book cover for The Past is a Foreign Country by David Lowenthal. Image on cover shows a painting of a woman in a white dress petting the snout of a white horse in front of some stone buildings that have tall columns on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. The Past is a Foreign Country by David Lowenthal

Here’s another somewhat tongue-in-cheek answer from me. Although, as someone who immigrated from the U.S. to Canada as a young adult, my past literally is a foreign country now.

 

Book cover for More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. Image on cover shows a black line swooping up against a yellow background and ending in a puddle of blackness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Nobody’s life is perfect, of course, but mine has been more happy than not. I try to focus on the positive and what I do have instead of what I wish I could have.

 

Book cover for Fairy Tales Written By Rabbits by Mary A. Parker. Image on cover shows two frightened rabbits huddling together as the shadows of a unicorn and a snake loom above them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Fairy Tales Written By Rabbits by Mary A. Parker

As a child, I read every single fairy tale I could find. As an adult, I love rabbits and read as many books about them as possible whether fiction or nonfiction.

 

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April 7, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set In Places on My Bucket List

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Thank you to Rachel @ Sunny Side for submitting this week’s theme!

I only have one setting to talk about this week: Prince Edward Island. It’s somewhere I’ve wanted to visit since I first read the Anne of Green Gables books as a child. You can probably already guess what the first book on this list will be!

Someday I will visit that island, but in the meantime there are so many books set there that I sort of feel like I already know it.

Book cover for Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery. Image on cover shows a simple coloured pencil drawing of Anne sitting down outdoors near an opened wooden door. She’s wearing a plain blue dress and grey sweater and looking down at her lap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery

 

Book cover for The Troop by Nick Cutter. image on cover shows the silhouette of someone standing on top of a hill against a reddish-orange sky, probably just after dusk or just before dawn given how heavy the shadows are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The Troop by Nick Cutter

 

Book cover for Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog by Eileen Beha. Image on cover shows a photo of shaggy little dog peeking out at the viewer. Behind the dog one can see wooden crab traps stacked up on the pier and, behind the peer, the calm ocean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog by Eileen Beha

 

Book cover for This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune. Image on cover shows a drawing of two people dancing on red rocks near the ocean at sunset or sunrise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

’4. This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

 

Book cover for Acadian Legends, Folktale and Songs from Prince Edward Island by George Arsenault. Image on cover shows a painting of several small cottages huddled near the shore. In front of the houses there is a line of fish drying and, in front of them, several boats tied to shore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Acadian Legends, Folktale and Songs from Prince Edward Island by George Arsenault

 

Book cover for Favourite Recipes of Old Prince Edward Island by Julie Watson. Image on cover shows a table ladened with delicious food like bread, roasted potatoes, and a creamy soup in a white bowl. They are all sitting on a white tablecloth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Favourite Recipes of Old Prince Edward Island by Julie Watson

 

Book cover for Mi'kmaq Campfire Stories of Prince Edward Island by Julie Pellissier-Lush. Image on cover shows three indigenous people dancing outdoors underneath a partly cloudy sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Mi’kmaq Campfire Stories of Prince Edward Island by Julie Pellissier-Lush 

 

Book cover for Mermaids of Prince Edward Island by Allison Wolvers. Image on cover is a drawing of a redheaded mermaid who is siting with her green tail behind her as she gazes off to the right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Mermaids of Prince Edward Island by Allison Wolvers

 

Book cover for Mirrors on which dust has fallen by Jeff Bursey. Image on cover appears to be drawn through the perspective of an old mirror that has been scratched up and is covered in a layer of dust. Everything is hazy and some sections are harder to see due to the scratches. The sene shows light falling through a window into an otherwise empty room. We only see this one corner of the room, however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Mirrors on which dust has fallen by Jeff Bursey

 

Book cover for Black Islanders: Prince Edward Island's Historical Black Community by Jim Hornby. Image on cover shows a black and white drawing of a shirtless black man who has a moustache and is holding his arms up in a boxing formation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Black Islanders: Prince Edward Island’s Historical Black Community by Jim Hornby

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March 31, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Buzzwords or Phrases That Make Me Want to Read a Book

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

1. Prehistoric, Neanderthal, Hunter-Gatherer, and/or Anatomically-Modern Human

I’m always interested in books set at this point in the past.

2. Magical Realism

There’s nothing like a story that is 99% realistic but has a slightly magical twist to it.

Grey stones in a stone garden. The stone closest to the viewer has the word “hope etched onto it. The stone right behind it has the world “charity” etched onto it. 3. HEA (happily ever after)

It’s not that common in the scary stuff I sometimes read, so I have to branch out to other genres to see characters who ride off into the sunset peacefully.

4. Friends to Lovers 

This is how my spouse and I ended up together. When I do dip into more romantic reads on occasion, starting off with a strong friendship between the characters is definitely the first thing I’m looking for.

5. Twist Ending

If the right amount of foreshadowing is included ahead of time, I love it when there’s a twist ending that catches me off-guard but, in retrospect, makes perfect sense. It’s quite difficult to accomplish, so I never fault authors who can’t quite strike the balance between hinting at what’s to come and still keeping their audience guessing. It’s simply a fun bonus when it does occur.

6. Solarpunk, Hopepunk, and/or Utopian Themes

Show me visions of the future that are remarkably better than the world we currently live in!

7. Animal Companions 

Assuming the pets don’t die or get seriously injured in the story, I love reading about characters who have close relationships with their furry (or scaly, aquatic, or what have you) friends.

8. Urban settings 

I love living in an urban setting as well as reading all sorts of stories with this sort of setting.

9. Medical triumphs 

That is to say, there’s nothing like reading a book about a condition or illness that we now either prevent with better nutrition, clean water, vaccines, municipal sanitation, etc. or have such effective treatments for that the average person may not realize how dangerous or painful it was for previous generations. It’s exhilarating to read about all of the progress we’ve made.

10. Mutual Aid

That is, stories about people working together to solve seemingly insurmountable problems. It’s easy for this topic to come across as an cheesy after school special, but when care is taken in fleshing out the characters and exploring the conflict(s) they face in depth, the hopefully happy ending that eventually comes can be immensely satisfying.

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March 24, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Spring 2026 To-Read List

The text reads, “Top Ten Tuesday. www.thatartsyreadergirl.com.”
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A few of these books have already been released. As usual, I’m including publication dates for the rest of them.

I have two Top Ten Tuesday bloggers to thank for blogging about a couple of these titles earlier, so keep an eye out for those mentions.

 

Book cover for Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer. Image on cover is a photo of Judy Blume with short curly hair and in a black turtleneck sweater. She’s smiling faintly and looking off to her left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer

Why I’m Interested: I adored her books when I was in elementary and middle school but know nothing about her personal life.

 

Book cover for Poisonous People: How to Resist Them and Improve Your Life by Leanne ten Brinke. Image on cover shows a neon green background and what appears to be a black puddle of something possibly poisonous off to the right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Poisonous People: How to Resist Them and Improve Your Life by Leanne ten Brinke

Why I’m Interested: Hopefully it will have some excellent advice for identifying and neutralizing troublemakers in any community.

 

Book cover for Phases: a Memoir by Brandy Norwood. Image on cover is a close-up photo of her face as she wears a blue silk garment and gazes thoughtfully off into the distance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Phases: A Memoir by Brandy

Publication Date: March 31

Why I’m Interested: This is at least the third time I’ve blogged about this memoir while waiting for its release due to how excited I am for it. One more week to go before I hopefully get to learn more about my favourite singer’s life behind the scenes. In the meantime, I’m trying to get on my library’s waitlist for it as soon as I possibly can today as they generally open it up for requests a week before a book is published. Wish me luck!

 

Book cover for What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed. Image on cover shows a drawing of a white flower with thin yellow petals forming a ring around the thick white petals. This image is half covering a black circular object that I can’t identify. It looks like a black moon hanging in a blue sky, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed

Publication Date: April 7

Why I’m Interested: Science fiction set on other planets often grabs my interest.

 

Book cover for American Fantasy by Emma Straub. Image on cover shows a drawing of a white cruise ship sailing on the ocean on a mostly cloudless day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  American Fantasy by Emma Straub

Publication Date: April 7

Why I’m Interested: Actually dating a member of a boyband or other type of touring musician? No, thank you. Having a spouse who travels for work for most of the year sounds terribly lonely. Reading about a character who dates her boyband teenage crush, on the other hand? Sign me up.

 

Book cover for Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. Image on cover shows a train travelling along a train track next to a field of wheat. The image is warped, though, and has an unnatural bend to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Thank you to Living on the Sunny Side for bringing my attention to this title!

Publication Date: April 7 (I am apparently going to be doing nothing but reading on April 7. Ha!)

Why I’m Interested: No offence to anyone who likes this stuff, but I find tradwife content terribly confusing. It seems odd to me to make a living telling other women that they should not have jobs or ambitions outside of the home. By that logic, then, shouldn’t tradwife creators stop making new content and delete all of their old stuff, too? I love the fact that this novel is exploring those contradictions.

Book cover for Canon by Paige Lewis. Image on cover shows three scenes: a whale swimming through the ocean on the top of the cover, a full moon hanging over a mountain range on the right middle side of the cover, and, on the bottom, a two-paned drawing of a warring carrying a spear and shield charging at a woman wearing a t-shirt and black slacks who is standing in front of a large wall that protects the city behind them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Canon by Paige Lewis

Publication Date: May 19

Why I’m Interested: This sounds delightfully campy and silly.

 

Book cover for The Redemption Centre Is Closed on Sundays by Andrea Hairston. Image on cover shows a computer-generated drawing of a little brown and white dog looking up at an ominous old house just after dusk. There is light streaming through one window in the house, and a shadowy figure is standing there looking down at the dog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.  The Redemption Centre Is Closed on Sundays by Andrea Hairston

Thank you to Spirit Blog for letting me know about this book.

Publication Date: May 26

Why I’m Interested: Mixing the mystery and science fiction genres together is a good way to get my attention.

 

Given that I have published seasonal TBR posts with as few as two books on them in the past, eight books is an excellent number for me even if it’s still a little less than the recommended amount.

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March 17, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Green Book Covers


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone who is celebrating it! I always forgot to wear something green on that day when I was in school and so endured jokes about being pinched all day. (Nobody ever really pinched me, though!)  Did your school have that custom as well?

Here are some books that have green book covers. I’ve only read the first two titles, but the rest sound interesting as well.

Book cover for nne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery. Image on cover shows Anne wearing her sun hat anad standing in front of Green Gables smiling as she clutches a book. This appears to be a drawing that was used a lot in 1980s covers for this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery

 

Book cover for Dark Waters (Small Spaces, #3) by Katherine Arden. Image on cover shows a drawing of a large fish menacingly swimming up to the top of the lake. A small boat is floating on top of the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Dark Waters (Small Spaces, #3) by Katherine Arden

 

Book cover for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Image on cover shows a white woman wearing a glamorous, silky green gown that shows off a little cleavage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

Book cover for The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint. Image on cover shows a drawing of about a dozen cats sitting near a small, pale child who is wearing a gauzy green dress and standing next to a pond in a jungle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint

 

Book cover for The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith. Image on cover is a drawing of an owl flying with wings outstretched through a murky green forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith

 

Book cover for The Bee and the Orange Tree by Melissa Ashley. Image on cover is a drawing of a bee sitting on a small orange tree that is currently only growing a single orange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. The Bee and the Orange Tree by Melissa Ashley

 

Book cover for The River Wife by Jonis Agee. Image on cover shows a white women with auburn hair floating in a river while wearing a gauzy white dress that is falling down her shoulders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. The River Wife by Jonis Agee

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