Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Thanksgiving freebie -- so we can each come up with our own take on something we're thankful for this year. A few years ago, my Thanksgiving freebie post was about books that make me feel thankful to my book group and bookish friends -- generally, books I might not have read without the booklovers in my life either recommending them or picking them for our discussions.

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. It's Thanksgiving week! I am especially thankful to have my daughter in town for the week. Beyond that, I'm looking forward to a few days off, time with family, and time to chill.

Title: The House SaphirAuthor: Marissa MeyerPublisher: Faber & FaberPublication date: November 4, 2025Length: 432 pagesGenre: Young adult fantasySource: LibraryRating: ★★★ This is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before--a romantasy murder mystery. Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think.

Title: The Berry PickersAuthor: Amanda PetersPublisher: PenguinPublication date: April 4, 2023Length: 295 pagesGenre: Historical fictionSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★ One family’s deepest pain. Another family’s darkest secret. On a hot day in 1960s Maine, six-year-old Joe watches his little sister Ruthie, sitting on her favourite rock at the edge of the blueberry fields, while their family, Mi’kmaq people from Nova Scotia, pick fruit.

I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time in August, and now I'm hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme -- and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in. The rules are simple: Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black…

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Modern Books You Think Will Be Classics In The Future. I could digress into a whole discussion of what constitutes a classic... but I'll spare everyone! My feeling is that "classics" are very much in the eye of the beholder.

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. The rain has returned to Northern California! How's that for drama? I know, we definitely need rain... but does it have to come on the weekend, just when I have time to get outside?

Title: A Stranger in TownSeries: Rockton, #6Author: Kelley ArmstrongPublisher: Minotaur BooksPublication date: February 2, 2021Length: 359 pagesGenre: Thriller/mysterySource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ In the next riveting thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, the paranoia increases – along with the stakes – as the town of Rockton tries to solve the latest mystery at their door.

The opening round of this year's Goodreads Choice Awards is here! I've already worked my way through the nominees and cast my votes. Some categories seem to have a lot of very strong choices this year... although I'm still a little bitter about the elimination (a few years ago now) of the write-in option! For the 2025 awards, here are the eligibility rules…

Title: Britt-Marie Was HereAuthor: Fredrik BackmanNarrator: Joan WalkerPublisher: Atria BooksPublication date: 2016Print length: 324 pagesAudio length: 9 hours 18 minutesGenre: Contemporary fictionSource: LibraryRating: ★★★ From the best-selling author of the "charming debut" (People) A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, a heartwarming and hilarious story of a reluctant outsider who transforms a tiny village and a woman who finds love and second chances in the unlikeliest of places.

Title: Children of TimeSeries: Children of Time, #1Author: Adrian TchaikovskyPublisher: OrbitPublication date: June 4, 2015Length: 600 pagesGenre: Science fictionSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ A race for survival among the stars... Humanity's last survivors escaped earth's ruins to find a new home. But when they find it, can their desperation overcome its dangers? WHO WILL INHERIT THIS NEW EARTH?

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is Books I Enjoyed that Were Outside My Comfort Zone. I don't know that I have a particular comfort zone when it comes to reading. I read across genres, and wouldn't say that certain types of books or topics make me uncomfortable.

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. Once again, the week just flew by! Work has been intense and busy... 'nuff said about that. Outside of work, I managed to fit in some good outdoor time on our surprisingly sunny November days this week.

Spell the Month in Books is a monthly meme hosted by Jana at Reviews from the Stacks. To participate, find a book title that starts with each letter in the month’s name, make a list, share your link, and that’s it! You can share anytime by the end of the month. Some months have additional themes, but feel free to participate however you'd like!

Title: Witchcraft for Wayward GirlsAuthor: Grady HendrixPublisher: BerkleyPublication date: January 14, 2025Length: 482 pagesGenre: HorrorSource: PurchasedRating: ★★★★★ There’s power in a book… They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Title: Elizabeth of East HamptonSeries: For the Love of Austen, #2Author: Audrey Bellezza and Emily HardingNarrators: Brittany Pressley and Teddy HamiltonPublisher: Gallery BooksPublication date: August 6, 2024Print length: 384 pagesAudio length: 9 hours 54 minutesGenre: Contemporary romanceSource: LibraryRating: ★★★★ This fresh and whip-smart modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice…

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week's topic is The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf, with the prompt: Stand in front of your book collection, close your eyes, point to a title, and write it down. If you have shelves, point to your physical books.

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. How did it get to be November already??? This has really been a challenging reading week for me! I finished an excellent book (5 stars!) and am in the middle of another that I'm really enjoying...

Title: The EverlastingAuthor: Alix E. HarrowPublisher: TorPublication date: October 28, 2025Length: 320 pagesGenre: FantasySource: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalleyRating: ★★★★★ From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.

Happy Halloween! Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Halloween freebie! For my Halloween post, I'm going to focus on horror novels on my to-read list. (I've done this topic a few times in the past several years, and given the state of my TBR list, it's time to do it again.) …

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead -- what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too. Life. Another busy week! But we did fit in a very nice dinner with friends, and I got to dance a bit over the weekend.

Title: The Secret Christmas LibraryAuthor: Jenny ColganNarrator: Eilidh BeatonPublisher: William MorrowPublication date: October 14, 2025Print length: 320 pagesAudio length: 10 hours 16 minutesGenre: Contemporary fictionSource: Purchased (audiobook); E-book ARC from the publisher/NetGalleyRating: ★★★★ A new holiday story set in the Scottish Highlands to warm booklovers’ hearts by Jenny Colgan, New York Times…

I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time in August, and now I'm hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme -- and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in. The rules are simple: Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black…

Title: Cinder HouseAuthor: Freya MarskePublisher: TorPublication date: October 7, 2025Length: 144 pagesGenre: FantasySource: LibraryRating: ★★★★★ Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske—a queer Gothic romance perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher. Ella is a haunting. Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.

Spell the Month in Books is a monthly meme hosted by Jana at Reviews from the Stacks. To participate, find a book title that starts with each letter in the month’s name, make a list, share your link, and that’s it! You can share anytime by the end of the month. Some months have additional themes, but feel free to participate however you'd like!