Tag Archives: Top Ten Tuesday

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

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

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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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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Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Thank you to Joanne @ Portobello Book Blog for submitting this week’s theme! Here are ten book titles featuring ordinal numbers. 

Book cover for Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Image on cover shows the title written in a cursive font against a fuzzy green background that looks like it might be the canopy of a tree or trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

 

Book cover for The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Image on cover shows a drawing of three hardback novels neatly stacked in a small pile together. One of the books has a red cloth book cover that is hanging out between its pages and draping down to the wooden surface below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

 

Book cover for Eighth Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, #1) by Heather Brewer. Image on cover is a drawing of a pale-skinned young teenager who is wearing a black hoodie that has a red smilie face with fangs printed on it. The kid’s face is partially obscured by their hoodie’s hood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Eighth Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, #1) by Heather Brewer

 

Book cover for Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2) by Darynda Jones. Image on cover shows a realistic painting, or maybe a heavily photoshopped photo, of a young white woman who has one hand on her hip and is wearing jeans, a jacket, and a blouse that shows a hint of cleavage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2) by Darynda Jones

 

Book cover for The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien. Image on cover is a drawing of a country farmhouse with an empty dirt road next to it. The farmhouse is drawn from an angle and so looks smaller than it would if it were drawn facing forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien

 

Book cover for First Among Sequels (Thursday Next, #5) by Jasper Fforde. Image on cover is a drawing of an opened book that has a small explosion bursting forth from its pages. Dust and rubble is shooting out in all directions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. First Among Sequels (Thursday Next, #5) by Jasper Fforde

 

Book cover for Seventh Son (The Last Apprentice #1-2) by Joseph Delaney. Image on cover shows three of the characters, presumably the actors from the film version of this book. They are all white, one young woman, one young man, and one old man, and are looking dramatically to the right or facing the audience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Seventh Son (The Last Apprentice #1-2) by Joseph Delaney

 

Book cover for The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1) by N.K. Jemisin. Image on cover shows what appears to be a very old door that is partially covered by grime. On the door an ornate metal object has been forged that curls into itself as if it has leaves or perhaps small tentacles. It’s beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, by N.K. Jemisin

 

Book cover for Eighth Moon: The True Story of a Young Girl's Life in Communist China by Bette Bao Lord. Image on cover shows a drawing of an arrange of purple flowers surrounding the face of a young Chinese woman, presumably the author.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.  Eighth Moon: The True Story of a Young Girl’s Life in Communist China by Bette Bao Lord

 

Book cover for The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book by Bill Watterson. Image on cover shows Calvin and Hobbes making funny faces at the audience by pulling their cheeks gently away from their teeth and sticking out their tongues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book by Bill Watterson

 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Nonfiction Titles I Recently Added to My TBR List


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten nonfiction titles I’ve recently added to my TBR list. If you’ve read any of them or have other suggestions for great titles in this genre, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Book cover for Surviving Rome: The Economic Lives of the Ninety Percent by Kim Bowes. Image on cover shows a close-up photo of a silver Roman coin. The face on the coin is pointing up, and you can only see the top half of the coin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Surviving Rome: The Economic Lives of the Ninety Percent by Kim Bowes

Why I’m interested: As I’ve mentioned here before, I prefer reading about the lives of ordinary people in the past. It’s interesting to find out what they ate and wore and what their daily lives were like.

 

Book cover for The Crown's Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas by Brooke N. Newman. image on cove shows a British royal crown hanging from the black silhouette of a head as if it were an earring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The Crown’s Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas by Brooke N. Newman

Why I’m interested: This is an aspect of the transatlantic slave trade that I wasn’t aware of.

Book cover for elieve You're Made for More: 7 Steps to Break Free from Low Self-Esteem, Remember Your Worth and Claim Your Quiet Confidence by Natasha Page. Image on cover shows the title written in a pink font against a blue background with the subtitle written in a yellow bubble on the bottom right hand of the cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Believe You’re Made for More: 7 Steps to Break Free from Low Self-Esteem, Remember Your Worth and Claim Your Quiet Confidence
by Natasha Page

Why I’m interested: It sounds helpful. (I don’t have a great track record with self-help books, though, so no promises that I’ll actually finish it).

Book cover for Ferns: Lessons in Survival from Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants by Fay-Wei Li and Jacob S. Suissa. Image on cover is a drawing of about eight different types of ferns, one of whom is red, growing towards the centre of the book cove.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Ferns: Lessons in Survival From Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants by Fay-Wei Li and Jacob S. Suissa.

Why I’m interested: Botany is such an interesting subject.

 

Book cover for Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic by Mia Bennett and Klaus Doods. Image on cover is a drawing created from the perspective of someone looking down at the arctic and seeing the dark sea water between icebergs as a few different cargo ships sail past each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic by Mia Bennett, Klaus Dodds

Why I’m interested: Cimate change frightens me, but I am also intrigued by how it alongside geopolitical conflicts are shaping the future of this continent. Will humans someday live there for non-scientific purposes, for example?

 

Book cover for The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy by Susan Wise Bauer. Image on cover is a historical painting of a woman lying sick in bed as two other women tend to her. I’d estimate that this scene was set in the late 1700s or early 1800s based on their attire and the little white rumpled hat one of the caretakers is wearing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy by Susan Wise Bauer

Why I’m interested: I couldn’t read about contagious diseases back when Covid first emerged, but now I can occasionally explore how previous generations handled similar crises and how epidemics and pandemics e can permanently affect a culture in all sorts of interesting ways.

Book cover for The Flowers of Good: The Science and the History of Marijuana Liberation by Sidarta Ribeiro, Daniel Hahn. Image on cover is a drawing of what I presume is a marijuana plant. It’s tall, leafy, and green.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. The Flowers of Good: The Science and the History of Marijuana Liberation by Sidarta Ribeiro, Daniel Hahn

Why I’m interested: For the record, I don’t drink, smoke, or do any sort of drugs, including this one. I also do not judge you if you’ve made other choices in life. My interest in the topic is rooted firmly, pun intended, in how this plant can be used to treat pain and nausea from all sorts of various illnesses. The less suffering in the world, the better if you ask me! Such things should never be politicized.

 

Book cover for When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery. Image on cover shows drawings of the leaves of about a half dozen different plants, none of which I can identify unfortunately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery

Why I’m interested: Can you tell I love reading about plants, especially during the cold months of the year when nothing grows? This is another topic I know nothing about but would like to.

 

Book cover for Why Not Me: Living with Invisible Illness by Lindsay Ireland. Image on cover shows dozen of little oblong shaped objects smushed together in circle. Are they bacteria multiplying in a Petri dish, maybe? They seemed to be loosely arranged in a star-like pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Why Not Me: Living with Invisible Illness by Lindsay Ireland

Why I’m interested: I don’t have multiple sclerosis, but I do like reading about the lives of other people living with chronic, invisible illnesses. We often share a lot in common, and it’s rewarding to learn about the aspects of other diseases that are generally only known to those who are quietly dealing with them. Having empathy and/or sympathy for others is a good thing that I think should be encouraged more often than many parts of western society currently do.

 

Book cover for Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others by Stephanie Dalley. Image on cover shows a man carved into a stone wall. He has a long beard and appears to have two large wings sprouting out behind him as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others by Stephanie Dalley

Why I’m interested: I was lucky enough to learn a little about this topic in college, but there’s still so much I don’t know about it. Mythology is fascinating, so this is definitely something I’ll be checking out sometime.

 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Fictional Things I Wish Were Real


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This list is going to be heavily influenced by Star Trek and other science fiction themes. Be prepared.

I wish these fictional things were real:

A photo of Earth taken from the moon. Earth is partially hidden in shadow and looks small against an endlessly inky black sky. The moon’s surface is a monotone of grey and light brown. 1) Successful Human Settlements

For example, groups of people living well on other planets or on the moons of other planets. I think our longterm chances of surviving as a species would be much higher if we had the technology to spread out in the galaxy or universe.

2) Replicators.

Imagine if we could have all of the food, medicine, medical equipments, and other necessary things for life available at the press of a button. So much human suffering could be eliminated. (I’ve already talked about the wonders of a Star Trek medical bay in a previous WWBC post, or I would have included it here as well).

3) Equality for All

My favourite types of science fiction to read and to watch are the ones that show humans solving problems that have nothing at all do with any form of prejudice based on ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity,  sexual orientation, religion, disability, etc. because such a thing doesn’t really exist in their society anymore. If only they went into more detail about how that happened, because I’d love to see us figure it out in the current era.

4) Warp Drives

We’ll need them to travel to other solar systems!

5) Magic

I wish I really could flick a wand or perform a spell to fix many major problems.

6) Dragons

Is this at all practical? No. Do I still want them to exist in remote places on Earth where humans will hopefully leave them in peace anyway? Yes.

7) Bigfoot

See also: #6.

8) Justice

Even the worst antagonists in books are virtually always overcome eventually. In real life, not so much…but I still wish it could happen. I want peace for everyone.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Quotes About Reading


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

A tiny green cactus in a tiny white planter that is sitting on a white hardcover book on a wooden table. The original theme for this week was  “Quotes From/About Books,” but I’m tweaking it to be quotes about reading instead. 

1. “Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.”
Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

2. “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Stephen King

3. “She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.”
Annie Dillard, The Living

4. “Only a generation of readers will spawn a generation of writers.”
Steven Spielberg

5. “My alma mater was books, a good library…. I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity.”
Malcolm X

6. “Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book.”
Stéphane Mallarmé

7. “Why can’t people just sit and read books and be nice to each other?”
David Baldacci, The Camel Club

8. “The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries.”
René Descartes

9. “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”
Anne Herbert

10. “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
Joseph Addison

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books for Armchair Travelers


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This is one of those cases where I’ve read and enjoyed all of the Top Ten Tuesday books I’m mentioning today. It’s been a while since I’ve read some of them, but maybe they’ll become rereads this year.

Thank you to Laurie C @ Bay State Reader’s Advisory for submitting this topic. 

Book cover for The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Image on cover is a drawing of the city where the main character lived. The houses huddle close together and there are no plants to be seen anywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

 

Book cover for Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. Image on cover shows the faces of two Mexican people, one woman and one man, leaned in so close that his nose is nearly touching her cheek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

 

Book cover for Walden or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau. Image on cover shows a sketch of the tiny cabin Thoreau stayed in. Trees are growing all around it. It is overlayed with a green filter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Walden or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau

 

Book cover for Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Image on cover shows a closeup shot of a Geisha who is starting ahead at the viewer with a serious expression on her face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

 

Book cover for The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Image on cover shows a setting yellow sun partially obscured by a large tree. The background is orange as if it were just before sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

 

Book cover for Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Image on cover shows an Asian woman holding a fan up to her lips as if she were shushing the audience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

 

Book cover for Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez. Images on cover are a colourful bird hanging upside down at the top and a closeup shot of an olive-skinned person with brownish-green eyes peering at the audience from the bottom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

 

Book cover for Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe. Image on cover is a drawing of a middle-aged African man’s face who is staring thoughtfully into the distance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe

 

Book cover for Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Image on cover is a photo taken of the author from the side. She’s brown-skinned and wearing a black turtleneck sweater. She has a serious and slightly sad expression on her face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Book cover for The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Image on cover shows golden metal leaves and flowers arranged in a beautiful circular pattern against a dark pink background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

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Top Ten Tuesday: Pets Are Family, Too


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Since I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, it’s always interesting to see what I can come up with that fits this theme for Top Ten Tuesday.  My previous posts have included Romantic Quotes, Conversation Hearts, Helpful Nonfiction Books About Relationships, Asexual Characters, Platonic Relationships, and Chocolate.

I’m not feeling particularly creative this year, so I’m going to keep it simple and share ten quotes about the joys of having a pet. If platonic love can also be celebrated among friends and family for Valentine’s Day, I’d argue that pets should be included as well.

If not for my allergies, I’d want to have a couple of pet rabbits hopping around my apartment!

Two baby bunnies eating a row of daisies that have been picked and placed in front of them. Behind the rabbits you see a large expanse of short grass.1. “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
Anatole France

2. “My philosophy when it came to pets was much like that of having children: You got what you got, and you loved them unconditionally regardless of whatever their personalities or flaws turned out to be. ”
Gwen Cooper, Homer’s Odyssey

3. “Perhaps the greatest gift an animal has to offer is a permanent reminder of who we really are.”
Nick Trout, Love Is the Best Medicine: What Two Dogs Taught One Veterinarian about Hope, Humility, and Everyday Miracles

4. “Anyone who thinks money can’t buy happiness has never owned a cat [or any pet].”
Arya Riverdale

5. “Our pets are our family.”
Ana Monnar

6. Dogs teach us the true meaning of unconditional love and loyalty. In their eyes, we find a reflection of our best selves.”
Uma Sajit

7. “Our pet are our babies. We’re not rational about them. Feathers or furs or scales, they’re the center of entire worlds.”
Nicole Snow, No Good Doctor

8.“Some things about being human can’t be learned from your own kind..”
Rona Maynard, Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World

9. “A pet and a book and a bar of chocolate – what more could one want?”
Michelle Granas, Amadea: One Spring in France

10. “We are very fond of books. You can learn nearly everything from them that rabbits can’t teach you.”
Alan Snow, Here Be Monsters! (1)

Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate it! If you have a cute story about your pet(s), I’d love to hear it.

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