Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Oh, this is such a great topic. Of course, I am sure there are more than ten on my list. 

Are any of these books on your list? Did you read any of these? What did you think about them? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Dec 28

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome to the last Monday of 2020. The next time we post this meme it will be in January 2021! Let's hope turning the calendar will help us turn the corner on this horrible pandemic. 

We had a nice Christmas with our children. I was blessed to receive some book gifts, which you can read about here. 

On the reading front, I didn't get much accomplished because the days leading up to Christmas were filled with work and holiday preparations. 

I am reading the latest by Charlotte Hubbard. This book will be released tomorrow.

Then I will work on reading these for book tours.

Then these ones are next.

I am in the middle of going through my 2021 TBR Pile spreadsheet. I don't have the time right now to go through all my stored books, but I did straighten out and rearrange the shelf in my office, which allowed me to put six books in the "donate to the library" pile. 

I am only participating in one blog reading challenge in 2021.

I love cozy mysteries and never seem to read the ones in my pile, so I am hoping this will help. I will probably keep a list on Goodreads as well. 

What reading challenges are you participating in next year? How many books do you want to read in 2021? How do you organize your TBR Pile? 

Shelf Control - Dec 23

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves sponsored by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. Here's how to jump on board:

• Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
• Add your link in the comments!
• Link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your own post.
• Check out other posts, and…

Wow! I haven't participated in this meme since August. I like to use it to highlight the Kindle freebies that I haven't read, of which there are many. 

BLURB: Rich is a police officer in Dale, North Carolina. He has seen a lot in his profession, but he has seen even more in his personal life. His wife died while giving birth to his daughter, and twelve years later, he loses his little girl to Leukemia. He now lives his life in seclusion, burying himself in old photo albums and memories of the past, closing out everyone around him in the process. Julie is a business woman from New York City who is trying to escape the big city life, and find a place to truly call home. When the two meet, their lives will be changed forever.

DATE BOUGHT: August 5, 2013... just a little while ago

WHY I BOUGHT IT: My love for costal North Carolina spurred this purchase. I am also fascinated by the impact of work trauma on law enforcement. They see a lot of tough things in their line of work, but they also have personal issues they must cope with, making them vulnerable. 

Have you read this book? It received good reviews, but sounds like it needed editing. Not sure if the author has addressed that since I purchased it.

Top 5 Tuesday - Top 5... Books of 2020

 

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme that explores different topics. Originally created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, it is now hosted by Meeghan at Meeghan Reads. For a list of December topics you can click here. To participate, link your post back to the weekly post.

I find this to be a challenging post. How do you choose just 5? I will do my best.

This middle grade adventure plots an orphan and his friends against a powerful group who doesn't want the truth revealed.

While I have enjoyed all the Tradd Street books, this one is my favorite so far because Melanie's relationships are tested in so many ways. 

Caitlin Strong has been a favorite character of mine for years. In this novel, Land really gets up close and personal with the plot. Loved this from beginning to end.

These two books from Charlotte Hubbard are a tie. I simply can't choose between them. The first one finds the maturing of a character and a new bishop who threatens so much of what the community has built. 

The second is the strong start of a new series. I am reading the second book of the series now. 

If ever there was a book that reads as wonderful as a Hallmark Christmas movie, Selling Christmas is it. I hope to read this one again.

What were your top books of 2020? What books should I add to my list to read in 2021? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Dec 21

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome to the Monday before Christmas--for those of you who celebrate. I always think I will be much more ahead of myself than I ever am by this time of the month. On the good side: my shopping is done; I have wrapped half the gifts; most of the grocery shopping is done. The cards still aren't done, but that is my plan for Tuesday. At this point, they won't arrive in time anyway, so what is one more day?

On the reading front, I posted two reviews:

Read my review here

Read my review here

I will start the latest by Charlotte Hubbard today. This book will be released on December 29.

Then I will work on reading these for book tours.

Then these ones are next.

I need to do my best to stay on track and not request too many book tour books for review this year. 

That's it for me this week. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season. 

Book Review: The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel

 

When journalist Lee Strobel is sent to interview a family who lost all they owned in a fire, little does he know this encounter will forever change the course of his life. 

The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel opens with his visit with Perfecta Delgado and her two granddaughters. While reporting for the Chicago Tribune on some of the city's neediest families, Strobel is touched by the feeling of hope of peace displayed by this family who had lost everything in a fire. 

Strobel's second visit to the Delgado's home brings even more surprises and leads him on a journey to discover the identity of the Child in the Manger. 

Part of Strobel's Case for... Series that began with The Case for Christ, this former atheist shares his story of how his encounter with the Delgado family led him to investigate the identity of Jesus through interviews with well-known scholars and theologians across the world. 

This is a book that came recommended to me by my former pastor. I don't read nonfiction as much these days, but this book was on sale and it is less than 115 pages, so I figured the Advent season would be the perfect time to read it. 

Going into it, I wasn't sure what to expect, though I knew Strobel converted to Christianity as a result of his investigation. What unfolds within these pages is an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on the evidence that points to the identity of Jesus. In the end, the reader is encouraged to weigh the facts and decide for themselves.

I found Strobel's approach fascinating. Strobel came armed with his investigative skills and a heavy dose of skepticism. You really need to be committed to uncovering the truth if you will travel to the extent he did and prepare in the way he did to meet these scholars and theologians. Interspersed among the narrative and interviews are sidebars with other pertinent information Strobel learned or tidbits of history and how it played into his investigation. As one would expect, you can't have this discussion without citing some Scripture as well. 

As a Christian, I didn't need to be convinced about the identity of God's greatest gift to the world, but The Case for Christmas still captivated me. I am glad I took time to read it. I would love to read more of Strobel's books.

Publisher : Zondervan; Reprint edition (September 8, 2014)

Language: : English

Mass Market Paperback : 112 pages

ISBN-10 : 0310340594

ISBN-13 : 978-0310340591

I purchased a copy of this book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books On My Winter 2020-2021 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

For the record, my TBR pile is so big I have no idea what's going on at this point. I do, however, have some plan of what the season looks like as far as reading goes. It is a mix of adult fiction and kidlit (I read what I write). Did I tell you I almost bought a children's book publishing company this year? A bit sorry it didn't work out, but all things end up being for the best in the end. But, I digress. Here's what my winter 2020-2021 TBR list looks like.

Top Ten Books On My Winter 2020-2021 TBR 

Love everything by Charlotte Hubbard.

I have enjoyed books by these two children's authors before, so I have high expectations for the three above books. 

If Santa doesn't bring this one, I am buying it for myself.

Really want to read this one. 

This sounds wonderful.

I love this author's work.

Nothing like a Christmas cozy to make the season bright.

This is one of those books I would read because it's not my typical read. 

What books are on your winter reading list? Are there ones that have been there for a while? Do you have any seasonal titles on your list?