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.
Today’s topic: May 23: Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book (these can be auto-buy authors, tropes you love, if an author you love blurbed it, settings, genres, etc.)
Concepts
Retellings- fairytales, myths, Jane Austen, I love any book that takes a known story and twists it.
Dual timelines with connected stories
Romances with marriages of convenience or fake relationships
Settings
Greece
Scotland/Ireland
Locations or historical time periods which are unique and not as well-known
Characters
Librarians, Bookshop Owners or Writers
Bakers/Chefs
Female Warriors
Real people from the past whose stories are not well known (people from marginalized groups, or people on the sidelines of more famous historical figures)
Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.
Today’s book: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Date Read: May 14, 2019
Favorite Quote:
“Loveliness of the spirit is worth more than loveliness of the flesh.” ― S. Jae-Jones, Wintersong
Goodreads Synopsis:
The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride…
All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her mind, her spirit, and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesl can’t help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.
But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds—and the mysterious man who rules it—she soon faces an impossible decision. And with time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.
My Thoughts:
My tastes lean more towards whimsical fanatasy, but this was delightfully dark. The characters were complex and intriguing. Many inspirations (Labryinth, Der Erlkönig, Mozart, Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast) blend together to make a unique story.
Top Five Wednesday is a Goodreads group that responds to weekly bookish prompts.
May 17th: Mysteries
May is considered “Mystery Month,” so let’s share some of our favorite mystery reads!
I prefer mysteries which are not graphic, and focus more on characterization and motive. I read an occasional thriller, but lean more towards historical or cozy mysteries.
The Lady Julie Grey series is one of my favorite of any genre.
I loved this mystery and found Lena to be a lot more relatable than a lot of protagonists in cozy mysteries.
The Cormaran Strike novels are written by J.K. Rowling under pen name Robert Galbraith. These mysteries are so good and a completely different writing style than Harry Potter
This is book three in the Lady Darby Mystery Series. This is my favorite, but I would recommend reading them in order.
The Australian Outback setting adds an interesting level of danger to this mystery. This is more of a slow burn mystery where a lot of time is spent developing the back story and family relationships.
Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.
Today’s book: The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Date Read: September 27, 2014
Favorite Quote:
“A heart was not a thing that should have an attack mode.”
~The Wishing Thread, Lisa Van Allen
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they’re angels; some say they’re crooks. In their tumbledown “Stitchery,” not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters—Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie—are said to knit people’s most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made—and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers.
When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah’s death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another—and their beliefs in magic—are put to the test. Will the threads hold?
My Thoughts
This was a sweet story about sisterhood, magic and hope. Set in Tarrytown, the magical story gives lots of nods to Sleepy Hollow. Everyone says this, but it really if you like Sarah Addison Allen’s writing, you will love this book.
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.
Today’s topic: Books I Recommend to Others the Most
I was at a party this weekend and overheard a conversation about how this was the best book they’d ever read. I then jumped in and started recommending it to anyone who hadn’t read it. It’s that good.
I read a lot of WWII era books, but this is the one I recommend most often. The story revolves around a group of women who are employed to secretly decode German military messages.
I hesitated to put this book on the list, because unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of The Hunger Games. But, I read this book before it was a box office phenomenon and recommended it to many people.
The book is so much better than the movie. This is another one that goes against my usual preferences. Never have I loved a book so much while hating every character.
I enjoy books that have multiple, connected stories, but there’s usually certain stories that you’re more interested in than others. I loved every one of the storylines in this one.
I’m generally very old-fashioned when it comes to my reading preferences. By this, I mean the way I read, not the content. I love the sensory experience of reading a traditional book. The ease on your eyes compared to a screen. The feel of it in your hand. The rustling of turning the page. The smell of ink on paper. Ebooks and audiobooks can’t compete. With those traditional books comes an extra accessory: bookmarks.
I have a mug in my kitchen filled with bookmarks, another in my bookroom, and various bookmarks on various surfaces in the house where I happened to be when I finished a book. While others find change in their couches, I find bookmarks. I have a mix of pretty, inspirational, humorous and promotional bookmarks. Still, as often as not, receipts and sticky notes are marking my place.
Bookmarks do have thier drawbacks. They can fall out of books. You have to remember where you put them down (part of my nightly routine is patting down the covers to find the bookmark before I turn out the lights).
Magnetic bookmarks have revolutionalized my life. They never fall out; you don’t even have to take them out when you resume reading. You leave them in place and move them when you’re done. It adds an extra sense of accomplishment when you see how far you’ve read in a sitting. Also, if life somehow pulls you away at an inopportune time (don’t get me started on not being able to end on an even chapter or page break), you can move the magnetic bookmark to the side of the page to mark the sentence where you stopped. Of course, my love of magnetic bookmarks doesn’t change my habit of scattering bookmarks throughout the house, so you’ll still see an occasional receipt marking my place.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Title: What if I’m not a Cat?
Authors: Kari-Lynn Winters
Illustrator: Kelly Collier
Publication Date: June 6, 2023
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Book Description:
A sweet, playful story about identity – and what it means to belong. Why, of course Donkey’s a cat. He spends all his time with the other cats on the farm. He licks his fur and pounces, just like they do. He even cuddles with them at nap time. Though, he must admit, sometimes he does feel … a little off. So, when Farmer says to him, “Donkey, you’re acting like a cat!” it gets him thinking. What if he’s not a cat? And if not, then what is he? Will going off on his own help Donkey figure out what he is and where he belongs? Award-winning author Kari-Lynn Winters’s delightful story of self-discovery uses kid-perfect hilarity to deliver the message that every individual has something unique to offer to their community. The contrast between Donkey and his cat friends makes for laugh-out-loud silliness in Kelly Collier’s endearing and amusing art (ever seen a Donkey perch on a fence post?). Pages are filled with spot illustrations, speech bubbles and action words that keep the visual appeal high. Sure to be a story-time crowd-pleaser, this picture book could easily spark discussions about identity, fitting in and belonging. It also works well for character education lessons on adaptability, inclusiveness, initiative and caring.
My Thoughts:
Donkey assumes he’s a cat because all his friends are cats. But, sometimes he feels different. Then, one day the farmer makes a comment that makes him think, maybe he’s wrong and he’s not a cat at all. Kids will love this story. The illustrations of donkey acting like a cat are so funny. They will laugh outloud when they see Donkey curling up on the farmers lap or trying to climb a tree. It’s such a fun way to lead kids to discussions about finding your identity.
Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a free digital advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Title; Holly and the Pittie Party
Author: Julian Frischherz
Publisher: North Star Editions, Jolly Fish Press
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Book Description:
After her family realizes the puppy they adopted is a pit bull, Holly finds herself abandoned in the city. To make matters worse, many people are unwilling to help her because of the misconceptions about her breed. Holly’s search for love (and food) takes her through the city to a dog park, an animal shelter, and, finally, a fabulous pittie party. Against the backdrop of a culture not yet ready to accept all kinds of dogs, Holly learns that love and belonging are still possible.
My Thoughts:
This is a sweet story about a puppy who is misjudged because she’s a pitbull. It starts out sad, but never fear Holly finds a family that will give her the love she deserves. No doubt, this touching story will inspire readers to give real pitbulls their own happy endings.
Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.
Today’s book: The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
Publisher: Anchor
Publication Date: February 21, 2012
Date Read: September 10, 2016
Favorite Quote
“You know one of the best things? Women gathering, marching, doing anything together makes a lot of men go crazy. They yell and scream and taunt and shake their fists. You know why? They’re scared. They’re scared we’ll actually gain power and force them to change.” ― Kate Alcott, The Dressmaker
Goodreads Synopsis:
Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.
Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she’s had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic’s doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.
Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky.
On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period’s glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.
My Thoughts:
The irony of the unsinkable ship that sunk on it’s maiden voyage has fascinated people for over a century now. I’ve read several books about the doomed ship, but this was the first to focus on the aftermath and the trials that followed. Tess was a relatable character who evolved throughout the story from a naive girl to a confident woman. A must read for any titanic fanatic.
Top Five Wednesday is a Goodreads group that posts new bookish prompts every week.
This week’s Topic:
May 3rd: MAY You Please Read This…?
To celebrate a new month starting, let’s share some recent recommendations of books we have absolutely loved! After all, May is a great time to ask if they’ll read titles we’ve shared about, so MAY you have fun! 😉
These are the last five books that I’ve rated with 5 Stars.
