Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books with Occupations in the Title & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Books I Am Looking Forward to Reading This Fall

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.    

Happy first Tuesday of September. This week's Top Ten Tuesday is about books with occupations in the title. This should be interesting to talk about.

The Pirate's Purchase by Elva Cobb Martin: Who wants to sign up to be a pirate with me? Oh, wait, I get seasick. New plan. 

Neeta Lyfee: I Left My Brains in San Francisco by Karina Fabian: How about we become zombie exterminators? Oh, wait, I am afraid of zombies. 

Death of a Clown by Heather Haven: I used to like clowns, but then I saw It by Stephen King. No thanks. 

A Mother's Love by Charlotte Hubbard: Don't anyone come at me that motherhood is not an occupation. 

What the Bishop Saw by Vannetta Chapman: I don't think being a bishop is in my future. 

Against Doctor's Orders by K. M. Daughters: Won't be a doctor either. Way too many years in school. 

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox: Do you think I've watched enough Buffy the Vampire Slayer to have a career as a demon slayer? 

Code Girls by Liza Mundy: This career would be fascinating. Not sure about the uniforms. 

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson: I doubt I'm designed to be a killer, but with the right motivation...

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you leave your comments in the weekly post if you are participating. Check it out if you would like to join.

This week, Tell Me Something Tuesday is all about the books we are looking forward to reading this fall. It is more than likely that I will be reading books on my review schedule, but if I were dreaming about books I would like to read, these would be some of them.

Annie Lennox: Retrospective is due out toward the end of this month. I've always found Lennox and her music fascinating. 

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman is also due out this month. I have yet to read any of the Thursday Murder Club mysteries, but I desperately want to pick up at least one.

Coming in November is The American Revolution: An Intimate History by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns. I've loved everything that Ken Burns has ever done, and this is one of my favorite time periods to read about. 

How about you? What are you looking forward to reading this fall?

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books I Loved But Never Reviewed

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

This is always a fun topic. We ran through ten books I read but never reviewed earlier in the year. Here are a few others.

I might have been a teenager the first time I read The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank. I definitely wasn't dating yet. While I'm not sure I could fully appreciate what Anne went through or understand it all, she was so open about all her emotions that she seemed relatable, especially as she was exploring her relationship with Peter. 

Battle Cry of Freedom is an engaging narrative about the American Civil War. It won author James McPherson the Pulitzer Prize in 1989. Though this book was an assigned textbook for a college course, it read more like a novel to me. I still have the same copy in my bookcase. 

Gerald's Game was the second-to-last Stephen King book I read immediately after its release. Tired of playing her husband's kinky sex games, Jessie Burlingame kicks her husband and accidentally kills him. Now, she is strapped to the bedpost in an isolated lakeside cabin, all alone. As much as I enjoyed diving into Jessie's head as she tries to escape, I found this book utterly disturbing. King published Dolores Claiborne after this novel. I struggled through that before giving up his books completely. 

In the early 90s, I read many of Margaret Truman's books about murder in Washington D.C. Now known as the Capital Crimes series, Murder at the Pentagon is the one I recall enjoying the most.

Have you read any of these books? Is there an author whom you stopped reading for one reason or another?  Is there an author you've been reading for decades? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Waterfront Covers with Fall Feels

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.    

Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the last Tuesday of July. Now that we are almost in August, my brain and my desire to decorate are leaning toward fall. Though today's topic is Beach/Beachy reads, I'm going for covers that feature water, but also have a fall vibe. Whether it is the setting, the title, the colors, or the storyline, all of these give fall feels. 

Top Ten Waterfront Covers with Fall Feels

Picture Perfect Autumn by Shelley Noble finds a Manhattan photographer embarking upon a new adventure to a dilapidated Gothic beach house in Rhode Island. 

The Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman takes place on a farm near the outer reaches of Cape Cod. 

Autumn Nights by Debbie Macomber contains two short stories set on the coast. 

Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg features a young woman abandoned as a toddler, who goes to the seaside of Maine to meet a woman who might be her grandmother. 

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese spans more than seventy years and follows generations of a Christian family in South India that seemed to be plagued by an odd affliction: every generation, one family member drowns. 

The Inn at Ocean's Edge by Colleen Coble is the first Sunset Cove novel. It tells the story of a woman who disappeared at a hotel on her fourth birthday, only to be found a year later at the same hotel and with no memory of being missing. As an adult, her latest visit to the hotel causes disturbing memories to surface. 

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor is inspired by real events. Its dual timeline takes place in 1838 Northumberland, England, and 1938 Newport, Rhode Island. The lighthouse on the cover is in England. 

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn features two thirty-somethings who reconnect after she walks away from her job to return to her childhood playground and an inheritance that includes a falling-down bait shop. 

The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine is a story of family secrets uncovered with the discovery of the remains of a murder victim on a Scottish estate. 

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne Maclean is another dual timeline novel. This one is set at the end of World War II in 1946, and the modern-day story takes place in 1995, when the main character discovers a secret about her grandfather. 

Have you read any of these? Which ones would you recommend?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Books That Take Place During the American Civil War

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.    

Welcome back to Tuesday! Hope this has been a good week for you so far. I'm on the road this morning, but I will be visiting blogs later. 

Today, we are talking about books set in or that take place during a place, time, era, etc. The Civil War was a dark time in American history. It's a period I became fascinated to learn more about as I got older and dove deep into nonfiction, especially biographies and historical accounts. Today, however, I will share fiction that takes place during the conflict. 

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is a recreation of the numerous days of the Battle of Gettysburg.

March by Geraldine Brooks gives the absent father from Little Women a voice and a greater identity.

Shades of Gray by Jessica James is a romance novel set during a time when brother was pitted against brother. This book made me cry.

Corrigan's Pool by Dot Ryan tells the story of Ella Corrigan, who discovers the secret of the natural spring on her family's plantation. 

Reconstructing Jackson by Holly Bush takes place two years after the end of the conflict and features Civil War veteran Reed Jackson, who returns home in a wheelchair. One of the best books I've ever read.

The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear is part of The Mayflower Brides series. It finds a southern nurse tending to Rebel and Yankee soldiers at her family farm, where she meets Union soldier Joshua Wheeler. 

Valley of the Shadow by Ralph Peters is a novel set during 1864 and 1865, as Jubal Early attempts to maintain control over the Shenandoah Valley against Philip Sheridan and his northern troops. 

Balm by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is set at the end of the Civil War, as three women search for a new life in Chicago. 

Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines by Beverly Stowe McClure finds fourteen-year-old Lizzie Stamford enlisting in the Confederate Army and the changes the conflict brings to her family. 

The Titans by John Jakes is part of The Kent Family Chronicles. It finds a family and a country in search of its identity. 

Have you read any of these? Are there any good Civil War era novels you could recommend? 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books That Need a Sequel

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

This week's topic is such a rabbit hole through which to travel. There are so many great choices. Since time is limited, I will stick with my top three.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough spands sixty years, so one could argue what else is there left to say? For me, I always felt Justine got the short end of the stick. A sequel told from her point of view or taking her from the end of this book through her own life would be interesting.

Admittedly, I haven't fully read Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy yet, for no other reason than lack of time. What I think would be a great sequel for McCoy to tackle is a story about Matthew Cuthbert. He tends to be the forgotten one, but I feel he could be a fascinating character in his own right. 

The Rocky Bluff P.D. books by F. M. Meredith are already a series. Though I know it won't happen, I would love to see a Gordon Butler spinoff. Gordon has long been my favorite character, and it would be wonderful to see his story continue. 

Looking forward to seeing what you shared. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Ways in Which My Blogging/Review Style Has Changed Over Time

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.    

Welcome back to Tuesday. Hope you are having a nice week. This week's topic, suggested by Susan at Bloggin' 'bout Books, asks us to share ways our blogging/review style has changed over time. I'm not quite sure I can think of ten, but I will give it a whirl. If not, I will add in some ways that it has stayed the same throughout the years.

Top Eight Ways in Which My Blogging/Review

Style Has Changed Over Time

I am okay with not finishing a book.

Initially, I read every book I accepted, even if I didn't really enjoy it. With such limited reading time now, I'm okay with saying a book was not for me and donating it. 

I started a spreadsheet to organize my TBR pile.

When requests poured in faster than I could read, I had to find a way to keep track of incoming books and review dates. My handy Excel spreadsheet has been keeping me organized since 2009.

I turn down requests to review. 

While I still struggle with this, I have to be realistic. There are so many requests, and not all of them can be accommodated. 

Adding the First Chapter Review made spreading the book love easier.

Especially when I piled up Kindle freebies, the guilt in owning hundreds of books I wasn't reading gnawed at me. That's why I started the First Chapter Review feature. I read the first chapter, share my thoughts on the cover, share what the first chapter is about, and discuss why I would keep reading or not keep reading. This also allowed me to eliminate books from the TBR pile if they didn't capture me in the first chapter. 

I stopped participating in most reading challenges. 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I just don't follow crowds very well. The only reading challenge I can seem to come close to winning or win regularly is the Goodreads challenge, and I think that's because I don't have to read specific books for it. I just plain old read. Can't tell you how much I admire all of you who can complete book challenges, but it is not for me. 

I stopped checking my stats. 

When I started The Book Connection, it was to gain followers. I stressed over not having enough followers. My goal was to create a following for myself while sharing books by others. Would I like more followers? Sure. Who wouldn't? I just don't focus on it anymore. 

Short reviews are okay.

Only so many hours in the day. A shorter review is better than no review. 

Checking in with other bloggers is much more fun these days.

Because I've been at this for so long, I've virtually connected with a lot of bloggers. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the readers here, and some of you I feel like I've really gotten to know as a result of checking in with you weekly. Because I was so focused on building a following in those early days, it seemed more like work. Now, it's simply a joy to see what you all have been up to lately. 

Two Ways in Which My Blogging/Review Style

Has Stayed the Same Over Time

I search for at least something good to say, even if I don't enjoy a book. 

While my reviews are always reader-focused and honest, it rarely happens that I can't find one good thing to say about every book I read. 

I strive to expand my reading horizons.

Every year, I promise to read at least one book in a genre I don't regularly read. I've discovered a love for some dystopian fiction and young adult fantasy as a result. While my overall tastes haven't changed much, I still like stretching beyond my comfort zone to read outside of my typical genres. 

Not too bad of a list. How did you do? I look forward to visiting your blogs today. Thanks for your loyal readership. 

Wednesday Weekly Challenge: Books I Want Youth to Discover

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they are talking about that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Another fabulous topic for a Wednesday. I'm pretty sure I could write a novel with this one, so I will limit myself to five books.

Though this is a book for children, Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss is sometimes quoted at graduation ceremonies as young people leave childhood behind and embark upon their adult endeavors. I truly believe we could stay in touch with the hope of our inner child much better if we read this book regularly and at any age.

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White teaches children about meaningful friendships. In a world that can sometimes be unkind, we should all have at least one friend who is as wonderful as Charlotte.

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder teaches the importance of family and community. Readers watch a family and an entire town pull together to survive a hard winter that cuts them off from supplies. This book shows how ingenuity, compassion, and cooperation make a difference.

Still There, Clare and the two other books in the series by Yvonne Prinz make imaginary friends not only okay but cool. As Clare navigates the world of junior high school, she always has her oldest friend to help her through.

I didn't read The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster as a child. I did, however, get the joy of reading it with at least one of my children. I'm sure I appreciated the author's play on words much more as an adult than I would have as a child. There are great life lessons inside this fantastical adventure story. 

Do we share any of the same choices this week? I look forward to finding out.