Tag Archives: Top Ten Tuesday

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My list will be a short one this week. I tend to be a mood reader, and 2020 only amplified that preference a hundred times over. Honestly, I don’t generally know what I want to read next with these few exceptions.

My hope is that I will be able to finish these books this year.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama.

I’ve read a few of President Obama’s other books and enjoyed them.

 

The End of Everything by Katie Mack

Ms. Mack gave a (virtual) talk at my local library this past autumn that was excellent. Between that and her entertaining Twitter account, I look forward to reading more of her thoughts on astrophysics soon.

Stargazing by Jen Wang

So many of you have talked about Stargazing that I simply have to check it out.

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These are my hopes for 2021. Some are serious while others are purely frivolous.

1. That all of us who can be vaccinated for Covid-19 will be able to receive that vaccine this year. Herd immunity saves so many lives.

2. That this pandemic ends quickly and the economy of every country stabilizes again.

3. That President Biden’s transition into the White House goes smoothly.

4. That Toronto gets at least one decent blizzard this year. I love how quiet our corner of the world becomes when there’s a thick layer of snow covering everything.

5. That Jana eventually chooses one of my submissions for a future Top Ten Tuesday theme. Haha!

6. That streaming services or TV channels make more science shows like Cosmos while we’re all waiting for museums to safely reopen. I love learning about how our world works.

7. That all of our favourite living authors release new books this year.

8. That everyone gets two weeks of paid vacation time to rest and relax after everything that happened in 2020.

I’d argue that frontline workers should get at least double that amount of time off in appreciation of everything they did in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. to keep the rest of us safe, healthy, fed, and educated.

9. That I find the perfect job for my strengths, skills, and interests (and you do, too, if you also need this!)

10. That all of us have a peaceful, happy, and wonderful 2021.

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As always, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be reading these books. So much depends on if or when they arrive at my local library!

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

Release Date: January 19

Why I Want to Read It: I’m always interested in checking out Ms. Okorafor’s new stories.

 

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

Release Date: February 18

Why I Want to Read It: Intergenerational friendships always catch my eye.

 

Love Is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann

Release Date: February 23

Why I Want to Read It: The title makes me giggle.

 

The Salt in Our Blood  by Ava Morgyn

Release Date: March 2

Why I Want to Read It: It sounds like something I would have loved to read as a teenager.

 

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

Release Date: March 2

Why I Want to Read It: The Underground Railroad is one of those historical topics that isn’t talked about enough in fiction.

 

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town  by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Release Date: April 1

Why I Want to Read It: I grew up in various small towns. While that wasn’t the lifestyle for me, I do have a soft spot for books that accurately describe what it’s like to be part of such an insular and tight-knit community.

 

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal

Release Date: April 27

Why I Want to Read It: I enjoy the occasional werewolf story and am quite curious to see how the main character’s Lyme Disease affects the course of the plot.

 

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Release Date: April 29

Why I Want to Read It: Oh, how I miss road trips! Maybe I can live vicariously through this one until it’s safe to do them again.

 

 

The Ones We’re Meant to Find  by Joan He

Release Date: May 4

Why I Want to Read It: I love the idea of characters using science to help humanity.

 

Jay’s Gay Agenda  by Jason June

Release Date: June 1

Why I Want to Read It: The title made me giggle. Yes, funny titles are something that can easily convince me to give a book a try.

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2020 was a topsy-turvy reading year for me, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you feel the same way. We’ve all been through a lot this year.

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

(My review of it is here).

What I Liked Most About It: The world building was well done and there were many scenes I thought would be memorable on the big or small screen.

 

“Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter” by Kate Clifford Larson

What I Liked Most About It: I had a vague notion of the existence of a member of the Kennedy family who was lobotomized, but I didn’t know why that happened or what their fate was afterwards. Her tale was a sad, poignant one.

 

“The Ghost Child” by Sonya Hartnett

What I Liked Most About It: The magical realism added such a nice touch to the main character’s descriptions of what life was like for her in retirement.

 

“Zombies Run!: Keeping Fit and Living Well in the Current Zombie Emergency” by Naomi Alderman

What I Liked Most About It: Zombies might not be real, but there is a ton of great advice here about how to live as healthily as possible when your community is in lockdown, say, due to a worldwide pandemic.

 

“The Pull of the Stars” by Emma Donoghue

What I Liked Most About It: The descriptions of the 1918 flu pandemic, the medical treatments for it, and how hard these characters worked to keep their patients alive were mesmerizing.

 

“A Good Time to Be Born: How Science and Public Health Gave Children a Future” by Perri Klass

What I Liked Most About It: It gave so many reasons to be grateful to live in 2020, and it provided personal accounts from various historical eras on a topic that isn’t generally discussed in history classes. For the vast majority of human history, about half of all children died before reaching adulthood.  It took us multiple generations and the cooperation of countless scientists, politicians, and ordinary people to slowly create entire societies where the vast majority of children live.

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This week’s topic was Books I Hope Santa Brings, but my TBR list is already so huge that with a few exceptions I’ll make note of below that I’d rather not receive more books from Santa or anyone else this holiday season!

With that being said, there are some bookish items I wouldn’t mind receiving this holiday season.

Uninterrupted Reading Time 

What could be better than curling into a quiet corner of the house and reading for as long as your heart desires?

Dairy-Free Chocolate/Sweets

Grocery stores and coffee shops are filled with scrumptious holiday sweets at this time of the year.

I always get excited when I read the ingredient list for a new potential treat and realize that it’s safe for my milk allergy!

Caffeine-Free Hot Drinks

I don’t generally eat or drink while reading, but when I do these are the types of things I like to rummage around for in my cupboards. Some stories simply work better when you have something to sip or nibble on while reading them.

If Santa also wants to make my sweets and beverages low-calorie, I’d promise not to give away his secret for accomplishing that.

A Waterproof Case for My iPhone

So I can safely read ebooks while taking a bath, of course!

Warm Reading Socks

My feet grow cold in the winter. They need all of the coziness they can get.

Happy Endings for Protagonists 

Okay, and maybe some of the antagonists, too, if they truly regret their mistakes.

Audiobooks 

These are the one sort of book I wouldn’t mind receiving over the holidays because I can “read” them while exercising or cleaning my house.

I’ve found that the fantasy and young adult genres works particularly well for me in these scenarios, but I wouldn’t say no to science fiction, biographies, or many other genres as well.

Sequels to Unfinished/Disappointing Series 

I don’t want to hurt any author’s feelings by naming specific series here, but there are certain series that really should have been given better (or, in some cases, any) endings. I’d sure love if it they could all be wrapped up properly and respectfully.

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As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, winter is a time when I read much more nonfiction than usual. Here are some of the nonfiction books I’m hoping to check out before spring arrives.

 

Even Better Brownies: 50 Standout Bar Recipes for Every Occasion by Mike Johnson

Release Date: Already released

Why I Want to Read It: 90% of my diet is based on whole foods and quite healthy. The other 10% is decadent by design.

 

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Release Date: Already released

Why I Want to Read It: I’ve enjoyed all of the previous books President Obama has written and look forward to reading about his memories from the White House.

 

It’s Never Too Late: Make the Next Act of Your Life the Best Act of Your Life by Kathie Lee Gifford and Dolly Parton

Release Date: Already released

Why I Want to Read It: The subject matter is relevant to my life (and to the lives of many other people this year!)

 

Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life
by John N. Gray

Release Date: Already released.

Why I Want to Read It: I enjoy reading light-hearted philosophy books like this on occasion.

 

The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners: Meal Plans, Expert Guidance, and 100 Recipes to Get You Started by Elena Paravantes

Release Date: December 29

Why I Want to Read It: I’m always on the lookout for new recipes for the healthy 90% of my diet I referenced earlier.

 

Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding by Daniel Lieberman

Release Date: January 5

Why I Want to Read It: For many years, I was one of those people who genuinely hated exercise due to negative experiences with it in gym class as a kid and a lifelong disinterest in  team sports. I love the idea of reframing exercise in ways that get people like me to enjoy it. That’s something that should be emphasized much more heavily for all age groups and ability levels.

 

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders

Release Date: January 12

Why I Want to Read It: Writing is one of those topics I could talk and read about all day without growing tired of it. There’s so much to say!

 

The Extraction State: A History of Natural Gas in America by Charles Blanchard

Release Date: January 12

Why I Want to Read It: This is one of those ubiquitous parts of life I’d never think to write about but suddenly find myself interested in reading about.

 

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

Release Date: February 2

Why I Want to Read It: I’m always interested in reading portions of history that either weren’t covered in traditional history courses or were only given a cursory overview. There’s no such thing as having too many details about the past in my opinion.

 

Things I Learned From Falling by Claire Nelson

Release Date: March 5

Why I Want to Read It: Getting seriously hurt while camping or hiking far away from home is something that frightens me. Claire survived this scenario, so it will be interesting to read her account of how she got hurt and how she made it to safety.

 

 

 

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Oh, how I wish that all of these songs could be turned into books.

I added the genre each song seems like it would be best with. Click on their titles to hear any songs you might not be familiar with.

Feel free to add to this list in the comment section below if you think of other suggestions! I had so much fun with this post.

 

1. All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

 

2. Eight Candles by Malvina Reynolds

Genre: Historical Drama

 

3. Wizards in Winter by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Genre: Contemporary/Urban Fantasy

 

4. Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano

Genre: Sentimental Christmas Drama (for all ages)

 

5. Coldest Winter by Pentatonix

Genre: Romantic Contemporary/Urban Fantasy

 

6.Festivals of Light by Lauren Mayer

Genre: Nonfiction

 

7. Candy Cane Lane by Sia

Genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy

 

8. Baby, It’s Cold Outside by John Legend and Kelly Clarkson

Genre: Satirical Romantic Comedy (adult audiences only)

 

9. Soma Loba by Manu Dibango

Genre: Nonfiction

 

10. I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Frank Sinatra

Genre: Historical Drama

 

Happy holidays to everyone in the Top Ten Tuesday community!

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I’m the sort of reader who bounces between doing many rereads and only wanting to read books that are new to me.

The next time I’m in the mood for a reread, these titles will be at the top of my list because of the sense of wonder I felt when discovering their marvellous plot twists and character development for the first time.

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

2. 1984 by George Orwell

3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams

4. The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid’s Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood

5. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

6. The Valley of Horses (Earth’s Children, #2) by Jean M. Auel

7. The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

8. The Hate U Give (The Hate U Give, #1) by Angie Thomas

9. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

10. The Martian by Andy Weir

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Last year I used the Thanksgiving prompt to discuss Native American authors and books. This year I decided to share some of the things I’m grateful for.

Answer #6 mentions Covid-19, so feel free to skip it if that’s a sensitive topic for you. I’m sending virtual hugs to everyone who has had their heart broken by this awful illness this year.

1. Canadian Healthcare

I grew up in the United States in a family that sometimes struggled to pay medical (and other) bills, so it blew my mind to immigrate to a country where you can make an appointment with your family doctor (or even a specialist) without ever having worry about how you’ll afford to pay for that visit.

Canada definitely isn’t a perfect country, but I love the fact that everyone here has the ability to get that suspicious mole/lump checked out or find out that they have high blood pressure/diabetes/other chronic health conditions before those diagnoses balloon into something life-threatening and very difficult to treat. I wish everyone on Earth had this same access to decent medical care.

2. Jana, Top Ten Tuesday, and You

Thank you, Jana, for hosting Top Ten Tuesday. I’ve met so many wonderful people through this blog hop, and I’m grateful for all of you.

3. A Quiet, Warm, Safe Place to Live 

4. A Kitchen Filled With Food

5. Clean Clothes and Comfortable Shoes

There are far too many people in this world whose basic needs aren’t being met. I do what I can to help them and only wish I could do more.

6. My Parents Surviving Covid-19

Both of my parents caught Covid-19 this year. I am so grateful that they are still around. May next year bring a vaccine that will grind this illness to a halt.

7. The Internet 

How many of you remember what life was like before most people had access to the Internet? I do, and I’m glad we have ways to digitally reach out to one another during this pandemic. Life would be much sadder and more isolated if we were all stuck at home without it.

8. Humorous Pet Videos and Gifs

This list needs something silly on it.

Humorous animal content brings so much joy to my life. When my parents were sick earlier this year, I relied heavily on stuff like compilation videos of cute baby rabbits  to distract me while we waited for updates about their health.

9. Front Line Workers

I deeply appreciate all of you. Thank you for working so hard to keep everyone healthy, safe, and stocked up on all of the necessities of life like food and medicine.

You are the true heroes of 2020.

10. Exercise 

A good workout does wonders for my mind and body!

11. Dairy-Free Treats

2020 has felt like it lasted a decade, so I’m sneaking one last item onto my list.

I love the fact that there has been a surge of companies offering dairy-free ice cream, cookies, chocolate bars, and more. These items used to be much harder to find, so it’s marvellous to have such a big selection of them now when I want a treat.

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What a fun topic! I also decided to include the species I’d use the name for, and I tried to cover as many different types of pets as possible.

The titles in parentheses will tell you where I found these names if any of them are unfamiliar to you.

1. Cujo (Cujo by Stephen King)

I think it would be amusing to give this name to a small, friendly dog.

2. Bunnicula (Bunnicula by James Howe)

For a rabbit, of course!

3. Aragorn (Lord of the Rings)

Honestly, this would work well for any species.

4. Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Okay, so sparrows aren’t generally kept as pets. I’ll bet a budgie, finch, or canary would be well-suited for this sort of moniker.

5. Simba (Lion King)

A big, fluffy cat might appreciate this name.

6. Rocky (the film Rocky)

I’d bet there are lizards, turtles, and other cold-blooded pets out there who would fit this name perfectly.

7. Tinker Bell (Peter Pan)

A spider or large, intimidating dog named Tinker Bell would be delightful.

8. Elsa and Anna (Frozen)

The vast majority of rabbits are happiest when they live in bonded pairs (or larger groups). If I had two or more rabbits, I’d pick names for them that matched the same theme.

9. Moana (Moana)

This seems like a nice name for a fish, turtle, or other aquatic pet.

10. Remy (Ratatouille)

Last but not least, we can’t forget rats, mice, hamsters, and similar furry friends. Remy seems like a great name for them.