Happy Book Lovers Day

 It's Book Lovers Day! Enjoy a good book this weekend and tell us what you read in the comments. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Unpopular Bookish Opinions

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! We are finally having some spring weather, so I hope it sticks around now. Preparing this week for Easter brunch, which I am excitedly and unexpectedly hosting, this weekend. Working on the menu, and the hosting supplies have arrived, along with a few new items from Pampered Chef. 

This week is an interesting topic. Sharing unpopular bookish opinions almost seems like sharing pet peeves. I used to do that when I was younger, but not so much these days. Let me see what I can uncover.

Top Ten Unpopular Bookish Opinions

Authors who take constructive reviews personally or try to defend their books.

I figure I best get what are likely the two most controversial opinions out of the way at the start. Reading is subjective. It is not a one-size-fits-all kind of business. What resonates with me, might not resonate with another reader. Authors who get upset about constructively written reviews might not be in the best line of business. Totally understand it's like calling someone's child ugly, but you're putting your work on display for the general public. Not everyone will like it, and no amount of explaining what you meant or why they should like it will change that. 

Sending unsolicited books. 

Thankfully, a good disclaimer on your blog lets people know you won't be reviewing the books they send your way without asking, but I have lost count of how many introductory emails I've received with a copy of the book attached just in case I want to read it. Not only do I refuse to open attachments from people I don't know, but an author presuming that's the way to attract me to their work usually has the opposite effect. 

Fanfiction getting a bad rap.

So many people frown upon fanfiction. I've never understood that logic. Let people practice writing with fully developed characters so they can focus on honing other writing skills. I do, however, feel that even in newly explored storylines, the characters should remain true to the way they were created. 

Shallow point of view characters.

This is why I don't enjoy the third-person omniscient point of view as much as the first-person. I want to crawl inside the characters' heads, exploring the story through their eyes. Not that third-person omni can't be a deep point of view, but it often isn't. If I can't experience the characters' emotions as I read, the story will fall flat for me. 

He said she said tags.

I love it when an author manages to limit these as much as possible. Seeing action around dialogue makes the characters more alive. Jerry Jenkins once rewrote one of his previous novels to eliminate as many of these tags as possible. 

In conjunction with the above, creative tags that are meant to replace he said and she said. 

If you are overusing he said and she said tags, you might feel the need to change the word said to something like whispered, shouted, or answered. If you use proper action around the dialogue, many of these can go, too. 

Stock self-publishing covers that have nothing to do with the genre, the characters, or the setting. 

Considering that the cover is the potential book buyer's first impression, this is something you can't skimp on. Now, I won't go on my side rant about how we need to make author services more affordable, but the reality is that if you don't have a good cover, it's highly probable that copies of your book are going to sit in a box in the garage, in the trunk of your car, or on virtual bookshelves without gaining much traction. It's going to make it harder to sell. 

Too many gory details in horror novels. 

This is why I stopped reading horror. So much of it became blood and guts. Give me a good psychological horror novel any old day. I don't even mind being scared. I just don't want characters chopped up and bludgeoned to death. 

Overly graphic sex scenes in any genre.

I love sweet romance and even enjoy a sensual, sexy scene between two characters from time to time. Intimacy is a meaningful and physical expression of two people's feelings toward one another. What I've never been completely comfortable with is nasty names for body parts and the focus being on the sex itself. 

The importance of branding sometimes limits authors to writing similar stories.

Long-term success in publishing requires careful branding. If I pick up a book by Charlotte Hubbard, I know I'm getting Amish fiction told from a refreshingly feminist perspective. If I pick up a book from Karen White, I know I'll be reading a story set in the historical South that often has family secrets, romance, and/or the paranormal involved. So, if I fall in love with one of their books, it's likely I will want to read more. Publishers count on that, and it works. Could you imagine Stephen King writing an inspirational romance? Would you buy that if it were on the shelf? Maybe, but can publishers afford to take those chances these days? 

Looking forward to visiting you today and reading about your unpopular bookish opinions. Do we share any of the same? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten 2024 Releases I Was Excited to Read but Still Haven’t Gotten 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.    

Welcome to the first Tuesday of February. I had hoped to post reading updates on Monday, but life had other plans. I guess I will have to make for it today with one of my favorite weekly memes. 

This week for Top Ten Tuesday we are sharing the 2024 releases that we were excited to read but still haven't gotten to yet. I'm pretty sure that is most of them on my list. I am often digging into the back of my TBR pile or reading review books. I swear, if I buy more books, I will need to add another room onto the house. 

TOP TEN 2024 RELEASES I WAS EXCITED TO READ

BUT STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO

Did you read any of these? What were your thoughts? What are some books on your list? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Most Recent Additions to My TBR Pile

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. It is a cold one here in New England. This reminds me why winter and I can only be occasional friends. It is the season of my favorite holiday and the magic of the first snow. Other than that, it is as grumpy, cold and uncomfortable as a person wandering to an outhouse in the middle of a January night without shoes and a coat. 

Today, we are talking about the ten most recent additions to our book collections or our to-read lists. Over the holidays, I added one book to my Anne of Green Gables collection. This was a gift from one of the kids. Other than that, the books that have made their way here have been additions to my to-read list. 

Ten Most Recent Additions

 to My TBR Pile

Print or e-book

Audible

What are some of your recent additions? Which ones are you looking forward to reading?

Become Who You Were Meant To Be by Dr. Myles Munroe

 

It's Time to Unlock Your Potential and Discover Your Destiny!

Do you long to make a difference with your life only to find yourself burned out by unfulfilling work? Have setbacks and failures and criticism stolen your joy and left you questioning your worth and purpose?

The truth that the enemy doesn’t want you to know is that you were created with a purpose and destiny. And not just any purpose or destiny―a world-changing, history-making role only YOU can fill!

Known for activating potential and igniting purpose in those he ministered to, internationally beloved pastor Dr. Myles Munroe takes you on a 40-day journey that will transform your life―and your heart―calling forth who you truly are, unlocking the gifts inside of you, and releasing the fullness of your destiny.

Weaving the most impactful, life-changing teachings of Dr. Munroe with powerful, life-giving Scriptures, this interactive journal empowers you to: 

• Awaken to everything God created you to be.
• Activate dormant abilities, dreams, and the treasure trove of giftings you possess.
• Discover your unique place in God’s eternal storyline.
• Experience the excitement and joy of new possibilities.
• Put your gifts and unique abilities to work.
• Know the deep satisfaction of fulfilling your God-ordained purpose.

The chaos and crises of the world are waiting for you to release your God-given purpose and potential―and become the history-maker you were created to be.

Though Dr. Myles Munroe passed away in 2014, Munroe Global continues his vision to "reach the world with priceless principles of leadership and empowerment." 

Become Who You Were Meant To Be is a 40-day devotional. The number 40 appears in many instances within the Bible, so this might be a subtle reminder of that significance. The format of opening with Scripture followed by a short devotional and discussion questions, allows the reader to focus on the meaning behind the verse and how it applies to daily life. Explore this devotional and unleash your potential. 

Dr. Myles Munroe was a beloved statesman and internationally renowned bestselling author, lecturer, life coach, and government consultant. His legacy continues to impact countless lives―individually launching people into lives of discovered purpose and unlocked potential, and corporately ushering the global church into a greater revelation of demonstrating the Kingdom of God. He, along with his wife, Ruth Ann, served as senior pastors of Bahamas Faith Ministries International Fellowship. They have two children, Charisa and Chairo.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - July 22

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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.   

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great week. It was good to get back into my regular schedule. Picked up the rental car on Monday while my Buick is getting fixed. Caught up on local real estate happenings. Read a little. Wanted to garden, but it was too dang hot. Below are some of the lovely flowers that bloomed in our yard while we were away. 

Held an open house with a fellow agent on Saturday.

Not a ton of reading going on, but I did make time for these two. 

Next up are these. 

Upcoming events:

• The Righteous Arrows by Brian J. Morra - July (Review)
• Truth and Dare by Ann M. Trader - August 5 (First Chapter Review)
• Affiliate Marketing for Beginners by Audrey K. Andado - August 12 (First Chapter Review)
• Dishing Love Daily by Susanne Clark - August 14 (First Chapter Review)
• Knowing by Mark Cox - August 22 (Review)
• Death in St. George's by M. A. Monnin - August 23 (Review)
• Hollywood Underworld by Lindy S. Hudis - August 30 (Review)

You can read the latest Christmas news at the Christmas Year Round blog. Lots of fun Christmas news lately. You can read about the latest here.

I will be in meetings this morning, but will check in with you later. Eager to see what you're reading. Hope you have a fabulous day!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Unread Books on My Shelves I Want to Read Soon

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 to Tuesday! We are back home after our trip to North Carolina. It was so good to see the Lil' Princess. Hard to believe the semester is almost over. She will be coming home in early May.

I was looking through my photos, and I came across this book that I have to tell you about before I get into this week's Top Ten Tuesday. 

I grabbed this new book by Dawn McMillan while shopping in Target. This is the latest book in the author's I Need A New Butt series. OMG! I had to buy this because I couldn't stop laughing. I'm sitting there in the middle of Target reading this to our daughter and tears are streaming down my face because I am laughing so hard. By the time I was done, my sides ached. Just talking about it makes me break down in fits of laughter. She actually took photos. 

Okay, now on to more serious matters. Unread books. We bloggers have plenty of those. So many books and so little time. What can we say? Back in March, we talked about books on our Spring 2024 TBR List. You can find mine here. Now, let's talk about books that are unread on our shelves that we want to read soon. Here are my...

Top Ten Unread Books on My Shelves

I Want to Read Soon 

I grabbed this from one of my clients, whose house I sold in 2023. She had a ton of books that she sold before moving. I enjoy the author's work and have other books of his in my TBR pile. 

I bought this in 2014. That year was the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. As a LMM fan, I had to have this in my collection. 

This book was purchased in 2012, the summer after it came out. Melissa Francis was still reporting for Fox News at the time. I enjoyed her other book, Lessons from the Prairie, so I would love to read this one as well. Besides, it's the 50th anniversary of Little House on the Prairie, and I am trying to stay on top of books released by the cast. 

Thanks to an Amazon gift card, this book made its way to my house in 2012. We watched The Waltons growing up, and this cast often travels in the same circles as the LHOP cast. I would love to read this before the end of the year. 

In 2023, I was gifted a Barnes & Noble gift card as a thank you gift. This is one of the books I grabbed. I've heard a lot of great things about it. Hopefully, I can get to it soon. 

Thanks to another B&N gift card, I bought this in 2022. The title alone captures you, but it was McCurdy's interviews that made me want to read it. There has been recent talk of this book with the release of the "Quiet on Set" docuseries. 

I pre-ordered this book in 2018, almost a year before it was published. Having read Wendi's other book, I would love to read this one before attending the cast reunion in August. 

I'm not sure when I bought this book, but it was after Go Set a Watchman came out because I wanted to read To Kill a Mockingbird first. 

This book was pre-ordered a couple of months before it came out in 2017. I've heard mixed reviews of this biography, but mostly good ones. I would love to dive into this one. 

This book was also a pre-order before it came out in the fall of 2018. I started it, but review books got in the way. I've heard so many great things about this book, I would love to read it soon.

How many of these books have you read? Is there one you think I should start with first?