Tag Archives: Top Ten Tuesday

February 4, 2020 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My TBR I Predict Will Be 5-Star Reads

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Does anyone else find it tricky to predict which books they’ll give five-star ratings to ahead of time? My list is short and sweet this week due to that. I hope my predictions will be accurate.

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

I love alternate history novels, so I have high hopes that this exploration of what would have happened if Africa developed steam-powered boats before Europe did will be as amazing as I expect.

The Three-Body Problem: Remembrance of Earth's Past Series, Book 1 by Cixin Liu. Image on cover is of person standing next to a pyramid as two moons shine overhead at night.

The Three-Body Problem: Remembrance of Earth’s Past Series, Book 1 by Cixin Liu 

This was recommended to me on Twitter a few weeks ago after I asked if anyone knew of good science fiction novels about aliens that don’t look or act human-like.
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, Book 1 by Rick Riordan. Image on over is of a young boy holding a scroll and wading through water while lighting strikes a city in the background.
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, Book 1 by Rick Riordan 
I accept the fact that I’m probably the last person in the whole world to begin this series. Everyone tells me it’s amazing, so I’m taking them at their word!
If any of you have recommendations for books similar to these ones, I’d sure like to hear about them.

114 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as

January 28, 2020 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers That Make Me Hungry

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Be warned: you may want to grab a snack before reading this post. I won’t be held responsible for any cravings these book covers might encourage.

On a more serious note, I chose these books based on their covers alone as I haven’t read any of them yet. If you’ve read them, I’d sure like to hear your thoughts on them!

Noah Can't Even by Simon James. Image on the cover is of a peeled banana.

1. Noah Can’t Even by Simon James Green

Hello Cupcake by Alan Richards and Karen Tack. Image on cover is of cupcakes whose frosting has been piped on to make them look like miniature poodles.

2. Hello, Cupcake by Alan Richardson and Karen Tack

The House of Rajani by Alon Hilu, Evan Fallenberg (Translator). Image on front is of oranges growing on an orange tree. There is a butterfly on orange at the top of the image.

3. The House of Rajani by Alon Hilu, Evan Fallenberg (Translator)

Everyday Food- Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart. Image on cover is of spaghetti with tomato sauce, cooked tomatoes, and shrimp.

4. Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart

The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum book cover. Image on cover is of a bumble berry pie that does not have a top crust.

5. The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking byJeff Hertzberg and  Zoë François book cover. Image on cover is of a freshly baked loaf of bread.

6. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking byJeff Hertzberg and  Zoë François

,

Food Yoga- Nourishing the Soul by Paul Rodney Turner and Priya Vrata book cover. Image on cover is of many different vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, etc. all piled together.

7. Food Yoga: Nourishing the Soul by Paul Rodney Turner and Priya Vrata

The Adultery Diet by Eva Cassady book cover. Image on cover is of a box of nine chocolates.

8. The Adultery Diet by Eva Cassady

One Bowl: Simple Healthy Recipes for One by Stephanie Bostic. Book cover is of a bowl of hearty vegetable soup. There are two bread rolls, a lime, and a spoon sitting next to it.

9. One Bowl: Simple Healthy Recipes for One by Stephanie Bostic

Book cover for The Bite of Mango by Mariatu Kamara and Susan McClelland. Image on the cover is of someone holding a mango in their hands.

10. The Bite of Mango by Mariatu Kamara

118 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as ,

January 21, 2020 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Picturesque Reading Spaces

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This week’s prompt was “The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf,” and it totally stumped me. I haven’t bought new books in ages, and I’ve already talked about the library books I’m hoping to read soon in a recent Top Ten Tuesday post.

Therefore, I’m going with an unrelated, but still bookish, topic for today: picturesque reading spots. I don’t know about you, but I find reading even more enjoyable if I can do it in a beautiful location. Here are just a few of the spots I’d love to read in.

Two chairs and a table carved out of large logs of wood. They're sitting in a small garden next to a stone house that is covered with wooden carvings of people and animals.

I would need a cushion for these chairs, but they look like a very restful place to sit and read.

A white chaise lounge. It has two pillows on it and is sitting next to a vase filled with dead branches.

This looks like a supremely comfortable reading spot. The minimalistic decor would also make it easier to focus on a difficult or long book.

Stone house overlooking a lake.

There’s something so soothing about large bodies of water. I’ve found that they’re often much prettier in person no matter how beautiful they are in a photo or video. There’s something about smelling that fresh water and possibly hearing it lap against the shore that makes it even more enticing.

A white bench sitting on a slab of concrete at the edge of a pine forest.

I love nature, but I also love having a clean and dry place to sit and read. This bench seems like it could offer the best of both worlds.

Two puppies sitting on a couch

Sometimes the weather dictates that one should read inside. These aren’t my pets, but I sure would love to snuggle with a couple of pets while reading. It sounds so cozy.

111 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as ,

January 14, 2020 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2019

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Let’s see how many things I can add to this list. The prompt for this week said “these could be books, authors, blogs, websites, apps, products, etc.,” so I’m going to try to be creative with it.

The Art of Darkness.

This is a bookish Halloween blog that I love. They have a weekly roundup of links that have introduced me to so many new authors and random literary things.

Header for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge. Image shows a laptop sitting on a wooden desk and the WWBC logo.

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge.

This is a fun blog hop put on by Long and Short Reviews. The topics last year range from favourite characters to recipes to books you’d recommend to people who liked a certain genre.

Open Mic Nights at My Local Library 

I don’t know how many – if any – I’ll be attending this year, but it was pretty amazing to listen to other people read their own work, share a favourite poem from a famous writer, sing, crack jokes, and otherwise explore the wide world of literature and the arts last year. If your community has a library, I’d definitely recommend checking to see if they have a similar event (and asking them for one if they don’t).

It’s such a wonderful way to spend an evening and get to know your community better.

Folklore Thursday

If you’re on Twitter, #FolkloreThursday happens every Thursday. Their website or Twitter account generally share the specific themes ahead of time. Past topics have ranged from the food to children to winter holidays.

I’ve learned about so many legends and traditions from the folks who run it and highly recommend it to anyone who loves fairy tales, folk tales, or anything similar to that.

 

88 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as

January 7, 2020 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Book Releases for the First Half of 2020

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I’ve been looking forward to this prompt for weeks! There are so many amazing books coming out over the next six months.

Book cover for When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk. Figures on cover show two friends embracing, one friend walking away from the other, and then the first friend all alone.

1. When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk

Release Date: March 10

Why I’m Excited for It: There aren’t enough books out there about friendship, especially when it comes to the end of a friendship. I hope this one does so well that publishers realize there’s a demand for these types of stories.

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman book cover. Image on cover is stylized one of a trapeze artist tumbling upside down.

2. Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman 

Release Date: March 10

Why I’m Excited for It: I’m fascinated by trapeze artists and want to read more about them.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin book cover. Image on cover is of the underside of a bridge and the skyline of a large city.

3. The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 

Release Date: March 26

Why I’m Excited for It: This is apparently based on her short story called “The City Born Great.” I loved the world building in that story and can’t wait to see where Ms. Jemisin goes next with it.

Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner book cover. Image on cover is of a butterfly, and there is a quote by Kate McGarry on the upper righthand side that says, "an absolutely real, raw, and emotional read."

4. Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner

Release Date: April 7

Why I’m Excited for It: While the young adult genre in general is getting better at including mental illness reps, I can’t remember the last time I read about a character who was at all familiar with Dissociative Identity Disorder. I hope it’s a good read that does justice for this illness!

 Loveless by Alice Oseman book cover. Image on the front is of a young girl holding a heart that is releasing smaller hearts into the air.

5. Loveless by Alice Oseman

Release Date: April 30

Why I’m Excited for It: There have been a few great books about asexual characters that came out over the last few years. This one is about someone who is aromantic and asexual, so I’m super curious to see what it will be like.

G.O.A.T. - Serena Williams: Making the Case for the Greatest of All Time by Tami Charles book cover. Image on cover is of tennis trophy and outline of Serena Williams playing tennis.

6. G.O.A.T. – Serena Williams: Making the Case for the Greatest of All Time by Tami Charles

Release Date: May 5

Why I’m Excited for It: I’ve never been good at any sports no matter how hard I tried to play them. Serena’s talent on the tennis court amazes me, and I’d like to learn more about  where it came from and how she became a star in her sport.

The Anthill by Julianne Pachico book cover. Image on cover is of a barrio.

7. The Anthill by Julianne Pachico

Release Date: May 12

Why I’m Excited for It: As soon as I saw the phrase “literary ghost story” in the blurb, I knew I had to read this one. Hauntings of both the literal and metaphorical kinds are always interesting to me.

Supernavigators: Exploring the Wonders of How Animals Find Their Way by David Barrie  book cover. Image on cover is of a bear reaching down to touch the "U" in the title and a bird and two bees flying around the title.

8. Supernavigators: Exploring the Wonders of How Animals Find Their Way by David Barrie 

Release Date: May 28

Why I’m Excited for It: My sense of direction is honestly not spectacular. Like reading about star athletes, I find joy in learning how other living beings find their way around in our world much better than I can!

The Remarkable Life of the Skin: An Intimate Journey Across Our Largest Organ by Monty Lyman  book cover. Image on cover is of a patch of human skin that is perspiring slightly.

9. The Remarkable Life of the Skin: An Intimate Journey Across Our Largest Organ by Monty Lyman  

Release Date: June 2

Why I’m Excited for It: I take good care of my skin. Reading about the newest science on what you should and shouldn’t do for healthy skin is something I enjoy quite a bit. Here’s hoping this book will touch on that topic!

 

111 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as

December 31, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Books I Read in 2019

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

2019 was an odd reading year for me. I started and finished fewer books than I usually do. The ones that I did finish were less likely to stand out as amazing in my mind for reasons that had as much to do with me being honestly a little burned out on reading in general as it did with the content of what it read itself.

So my list this week is going to be short and sweet. I hope that I will have a much longer response for this prompt if Jana decides to recycle it next year.

Becoming by Michelle Obama book cover. Image on the front of it is of Mrs. Obama smiling and looking straight ahead at the viewer.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I had no idea the former first lady was such a good storyteller! It was really lovely to read her remembrances of her childhood, college years, working/married life, and experiences in the White House.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood book cover. Image on cover is of a handmaid wearing a green shawl and white cap. You can't see her face.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (my review is here)

I adored the way this sequel fleshed out the parts of The Handmaid’s Tale that Offred couldn’t have possibly known about. I can’t wait to see how it might be incorporated into the TV show next!

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters book cover. Image on front is of the shoulder, arm, and face of a topless woman who looks like she is dancing.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

It took me a couple of years to finish this book because of how slow the beginning was and how much other stuff I had to read, but I’m glad I slowly chipped away at it. There are other Sarah Waters books that I enjoyed more, but I ended up really loving this one once the characters had all been introduced and the mystery elements of the plot started to coalesce.

If you’ve been through a reading slump, what have you done to get out of it?

84 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as

December 24, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Hope to Find Under My Tree

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Santa's red bag overflowing with presentsThis week’s topic was a little tricky for me because the list of books that I want to read but haven’t already purchased as e-books or requested from the library is honestly pretty small. When you add my minimalistic lifestyle on top of that, I’ll admit that I can be a difficult person to buy presents for.

What I ended up doing with this prompt was coming up with a list of titles that my library doesn’t carry and that were hard to find in e-book form the last time I looked for them.

It’s quite possible that one or both of these things have changed for any of these titles. Maybe I’ll do more searches for them after Christmas ends? Or maybe it’s best to keep these as ideas for people who want to buy me stuff and are totally stumped by what to get? What do you all think?

Book cover for The Witch Under the Mountain by Audrey N. Allison

1. The Witch Under the Mountain by Audrey N. Allison 

Why I Want to Read It: A friend of mine gave it a great review a few months ago. Witches and ghosts are also things I enjoy reading about in general, so combining the two is automatically going to make me perk up.

2. Interference (Semiosis Duology #2) by Sue Burke

Why I Want to Read It: I was a huge fan of the first book! It’s surprising to me that my library doesn’t have it yet considering how popular Semiosis was.

Book cover for Defying Doomsday by Tsana Dolchva.

3. Defying Doomsday by Tsana Dolchva

Why I Want to Read It: It’s still disappointingly rare for characters who have disabilities or chronic illnesses to be main characters in science fiction stories. I’ve been yearning to read this book ever since stumbling across a reference to it on a blog earlier this year.

4. The Deep by Rivers Solomon 

Why I Want to Read It: I’ve heard amazing things about this book from other bloggers. The premise of it makes me think of a horrifying scene in the 1970s Roots mini-series that showed Africans being thrown off slave ships to drown in the middle of the ocean. I love the fact that Ms. Solomon decided to create a world where these people not only survived but thrived.

59 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as , , ,

December 17, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Winter TBR

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Ostrich looking over the shoulder of a man reading the newspaperHere are ten books that will be published during the winter of 2020 that I hope my local library gets copies of soon.

As always, my TBR list is heavily influenced by which books my library orders and how long the wait lists are for them.

The photo in today’s post was included mostly because it made me chuckle. To the best of my knowledge, there are no ostriches  in Toronto who expect winter bedtime stories.

1. Born in the Wrong Time: Female Husbands and the Transgender Past by Jen Manion

Publication Date: January (no book cover photo or precise publication date currently available.)

Why I Want to Read It: I know very little about this topic and would like to learn more.

Cold Fusion Presents: New Thinking: From Einstein to Artificial Intelligence, the Science and Technology that Transformed Our World by Dagogo Altraide book cover. There is an abstract picture of circles connected by lines as the image on the book cover.

2. Cold Fusion Presents: New Thinking: From Einstein to Artificial Intelligence, the Science and Technology that Transformed Our World by Dagogo Altraide

Publication Date: January 15

Why I Want to Read It: Cold fusion is a fascinating topic that I do not understand well enough to discuss in this post. With that being said, I like reading about science and technology in general.

The Seep by Chana Porter book cover. There is a bouquet of flowers on the cover.

3. The Seep by Chana Porter

Publication Date: January 21

Why I Want to Read It: It’s been too long since I read anything about alien invasions. The fact that the protagonist is a middle-aged woman only entices me more. Will she have more common sense than the typical teen hero in these tales? I hope so!

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi book cover. Cover image is of a woman's face.

4. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

Publication Date: January 21

Why I Want to Read It: There’s nothing like the bond between siblings. The characters in this book sound like they’re going to go through a lot of hard times together. I want to see them come out triumphant at the end.

Remembrance by Rita Woods book cover. Image is of the profile of a woman's bowed head. her eyes are closed.

5. Remembrance by Rita Woods

Publication Date: January 21

Why I Want to Read It: There’s something I really like about books that jump between the past and present, especially when the timelines seem like they might somehow intersect.

Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond by Lydia Denworth book cover. The only images on the cover are of stylized DNA strands lying on their sides at the top and bottom. They are behind green or blue backgrounds.

6. Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond by Lydia Denworth

Publication Date: January 28

Why I Want to Read It: Friendship is a fascinating topic.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice: The Untold Story of 18 African Americans Who Defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to Compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Deborah Riley Draper book cover. Image on the cover is of eight of the athletes who defied Adolf Hitler.

7. Olympic Pride, American Prejudice: The Untold Story of 18 African Americans Who Defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to Compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Deborah Riley Draper

Publication Date: February 4

Why I Want to Read It: I know only a few scraps of information about the 1936 Olympic Games and would like to read more about it.

Everywhere You Don't Belong by Gabriel Bump book cover. Image on cover is of a young person wearing a hoodie whose face is obscured by an orange dot.

8. Everywhere You Don’t Belong by Gabriel Bump

Publication Date: February 4
Why I Want to Read It: I’ve never thought of terms “funny” and “riot” in the same thought before. Only time will tell how this author finds the humour in such a serious topic.

9. Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Anthology by Claudie Arseneault

Publication Date: February (no cover photo or precise publication date currently available.)

Why I Want to Read It: I’m demisexual and curious to compare my experiences to theirs.

Finna by Nino Cipri book cover. Cover image is of bent tubes and screws scattered around.

10. Finna by Nino Cipri

Publication Date: February 25

Why I Want to Read It: Of course there would be a portal to a different dimension that just so happened to open up in a retail store. If anyone deserves an adventure, it’s two people who work for minimum wage! We honestly need many more books about characters like these.

74 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as , ,

December 10, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Cookbooks for Winter Holiday Feasts

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Gingerbread people lying on a table. My Brain: Okay, it’s time to write this week’s Top Ten Tuesday entry now. What should we talk about in our freebie post?

My Stomach: Food!

Brain: Well, it’s supposed to be a bookish topic and, ideally, at least tangentially related to winter or the holiday season in general.

Stomach: We will be surrounded by more delicious food than usual until at least the first week of January. It’s the only thing I want to talk about, so there must be a way to blog about it while still technically following Jana’s rules.

Brain: What if we decide to use this prompt to discuss cookbooks? Will that work for you?

Stomach: Yes, I’ll agree to that deal.

Now that you all know how I came up with today’s topic, let’s talk about cookbooks. All of the winter holidays I’m aware of share one delicious and important thing in common: special dishes and meals. Every culture has them, and this is a very common time of the year for people from all walks of life to start making that famous family recipe that everyone expects during the holidays.

If my apartment were large enough for me to host holiday get-togethers, I’d want to browse through these books to plan the perfect meals for all of my guests.

Book cover for Roast Figs Sugar Snow: Winter Food to Warm the Soul by Diana Henry.

1. Roast Figs Sugar Snow: Winter Food to Warm the Soul by Diana Henry

Book cover for Husbands That Cook: More Than 120 Irresistible Vegetarian Recipes and Tales from Our Tiny Kitchen by Ryan Alvarez

2. Husbands That Cook: More Than 120 Irresistible Vegetarian Recipes and Tales from Our Tiny Kitchen by Ryan Alvarez

Book cover for Nadiya's Kitchen by Nadiya Hussain

3. Nadiya’s Kitchen by Nadiya Hussain

Book cover for Bread (River Cottage Handbook) by Daniel Stevens

4. Bread (River Cottage Handbook) by Daniel Stevens

Book cover for The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, Stories and 100 Essential Recipes for Midwinter by Nigel Slater

5. The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, Stories and 100 Essential Recipes for Midwinter by Nigel Slater

Book cover for The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions: Veganize It! Foolproof Methods for Transforming Any Dish into a Delicious New Vegan Favorite by Celine Steen

6. The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions: Veganize It! Foolproof Methods for Transforming Any Dish into a Delicious New Vegan Favorite by Celine Steen

Book cover for How to Cook Without a Book: Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart by Pam Anderson

7. How to Cook Without a Book: Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart by Pam Anderson

Book cover for Diabetic Living The Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook by Diabetic Living Editors

8. Diabetic Living The Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook by Diabetic Living Editors

And for dessert…

Book cover for Wintersweet: Seasonal Desserts to Warm the Home by Tammy Donroe Inman

9. Wintersweet: Seasonal Desserts to Warm the Home by Tammy Donroe Inman

Book cover for The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

10. The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks’ Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Which cookbooks do you love? What are a few of your favourite things to eat during the winter holidays?

82 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as , ,

December 3, 2019 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Holiday Reads

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Ornaments, snow-covered pine cone, tinsel, and a wrapped present.While I don’t really celebrate any winter holidays with anything other than a nice meal, I still enjoy reading books about or set in this part of the year.

1. Yuletide Tales A Festive Collective by Peter John

I’ve never seen such a diverse assortment of stories related to Christmas. The references to the horror genre in the blurb are particularly interesting.

2. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

One of my favourite Language Arts teachers assigned this story to us when I was a teenager. I’ve loved it ever since.

3. The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror (Pine Cove, #3) by Christopher Moore

How can anyone read this title and not want to find out what happens next?

4. A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd

How did I just now find out that this is a novel as well as a classic Christmas movie?

5. Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth by Dorothy Morrison

There’s something fascinating to me about learning where the various winter holiday traditions started.

6. The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen

I was obsessed with Mr. Andersen’s stories when I was a child. He was the person who introduced me to many of my favourite classic fairytales and legends!

7. The Cat Who Ate Christmas by Lil Chase

This is another one of those titles that is completely irresistible to me.

86 Comments

Filed under Blog Hops

Tagged as ,