Month: February 2026

Top Ten Beautifully Descriptive Book Quotes

Posted February 23, 2026 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 12 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! Today’s topic is: Quotes From/About Books. Share book quotes you love, quotes about being a reader, etc. I’ve done a lot of posts on book quotes:

So today I’m going to share quotes that are beautiful descriptions of something, be it feelings, scenery, etc. This is going to be tricky!

“The sun kept dipping down into the ocean and the lights came on at the harbor, casting sudden shadows on the ground, illuminating the faces that were just a second ago silhouettes. The sky was golden and purple, the ocean a darker shade of violet.”

―Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

“Winding our way through the narrow path, we finally pulled to a blessed stop outside the castle. Fingers of moonlight reached over the spires and slid down the roof, casting our shadows in sinister shapes. This castle was eerie and I haven’t even stepped inside.”

― Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

“Loving Alex is innate language. I don’t remember how I learned it because by the time it dawned on me to consider the concept, I was already fluent. I didn’t stop loving him, I didn’t forget that I loved him, either. All I did was put the words behind a door to prevent them from escaping into conscious thought. They’ve been waiting there all this time, alive, just as loud, just as strong, as they ever were.”

Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle

“She had memories of a quiet pool in the woods, where she’d retreat with her books, hiding from chores that needed to be done around the house. She remembered the sound of her parents after sunset, calling her to come home. The fireflies would flicker around her as it became too dark to read, but still she’d stay, to watch the fireflies over the water and listen to the birds and the squirrels settle in for the night and the night hunters, the owls and and the cats, begin to wake. Once, she’d even glimpsed a unicorn sipping from the pond, but it could have been only a white deer and a trick of the twilight. Another afternoon, her father had come with her, avoiding his chores too. They’d read books side by side, and her mother hadn’t said a word when they’d returned. A week later, her mother had been the one to join her by the pond, arriving with lunch in a basket and presenting Kiela with a new unread book, a rare treasure on the island.”

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

“It sounds like a floorboard, emitting the faintest of creaks. I sit up and scan the room, looking for—well, I don’t know what to expect. An intruder? A burglar? The mansion beginning its inevitable slide into the Atlantic? But there’s nothing to see.”

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

“I want to be commanding, stern, intimidating, but I am raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. My resolve is dandelion fluff.”

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

“…there is not a woman alive who has not learned how to eat rage in order to appear calm.”

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

“The wind you hear is the same wind that has always blown. The rain that falls is the same rain. Over and over, round and round, like a giant circle. The wind and the waves have been present since time began. The rocks and stars too. But the rocks don’t speak, and the stars are too far away to tell us what they know.”

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

“I smelled jasmine first—then saw stars. A sea of stars flickering beyond glowing pillars of moonstone that framed the sweeping view of endless snowcapped mountains. Welcome to the Night Court”.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

“He was seated on the bench now. He had his left elbow on his knee, his right arm across his lap, his shoulders hunched, his head bowed. White face, red hair: snow and fire, like something from an old tale. The book I had noticed earlier was on the bench beside him, its covers shut. Around Anluan’s feet and in the birdbath, small visitors to the garden hopped and splashed and made the most of the day that was becoming fair and sunny. He did not seem to notice them. As for me, I found it difficult to take my eyes from him. There was an odd beauty in his isolation and his sadness, like that of a forlorn prince ensorcelled by a wicked enchantress, or a traveller lost forever in a world far from home.”

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

AND a bonus, because I saw this while I was hunting for quotes and burst out laughing.

“A man is not entitled to be called a father merely because he once had a well-timed spasm of the loins.”

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

Which quote is your favorite?
What kinds of quotes did you select for this week’s prompt?


Top Ten Books for Armchair Travelers

Posted February 16, 2026 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 15 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic was submitted by Laurie C at Bay State Reader’s Advisory and is: Books for Armchair Travelers. I loooooove this topic, and have done many similar ones over the years! I love traveling and I love it when a book can take me on a vacation. Many of my favorite books fit this topic, but I’m going to do my best to find books I haven’t mentioned as often because you’re probably getting sick of seeing certain titles popping up in my lists all the time. lol. I will be visiting as many blogs as possible to find more recs to feed my travel bug!

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison
The bulk of this book takes place in a luxurious lodge during a huge blizzard, and it sounds like just the place I’d enjoy being snowed in.

The Loch Effect by Genny Carrick
Tag along on a guided tour across Scotland! There’s so much pretty scenery.
This is a closed-door romance.

Love, Loss, and Pasta Sauce by Stephanie Taylor
A woman buys a rundown villa in a small Italian village and fixes it up.

Cotswolds Holiday by Kasey Stockton
Christmas in the Cotswolds! The pub in this sounds so cozy.
This is a closed-door romance.

Enemies Abroad by R.S. Grey
Two teachers chaperone a school trip to Rome!

On a Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk
This takes place on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Gem Thief by Sian Ann Bessey
This is a super fun and romantic European adventure where the leads are hunting down a gem thief.
This is a closed-door romance.

Eighty Days to Elsewhere by K.C. Dyer
This is the ultimate armchair travel experience. If you love The Amazing Race you will love this romance that takes you all over the globe, following Jules Verne’s itinerary in Around the World in 80 Days.

Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci
Another novel sent in Rome!

Gentlemen Prefer Nerds by Joan Kilby
This is another romance featuring two characters chasing down a thief (this time it’s a jewel thief). It takes place in Australia (at a beachy resort town) and has lots of pretty scenery descriptions.
This book has been re-titled and is now called Fancy Pink.

What are some of your favorite destinations in books?
Do you have any recommendations of titles I’d enjoy?


Top Ten Pink & Red Book Covers

Posted February 9, 2026 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 16 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! In honor of Valentine’s Day this Saturday, this week’s topic is a love or Valentine’s Day freebie! I’ve decided to feature book covers that are pink and red, aka Valentine’s Day colors! These books are all either books I want to read or have read!

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar
My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh
The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea
Love and Other Side Effects by Deidra Duncan
Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel
Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey
Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood
Four Weekends and a Funeral and Ellie Palmer
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel
The Forever Pact by Jaimie Casey

Give yourself and those you love a hug this Valentine’s Day!


Book Covers Featuring Pretty Typography

Posted February 2, 2026 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 14 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is Book Covers Featuring Cool/Pretty/Unique/etc. Typography. Typography is the art of arranging letters so they look visually appealing and more interesting than, for example, the body text of this blog post you’re reading now. I did a similar post to this a few years ago, so if you need inspiration on what I’m talking about click here to have a look. As a graphic designer, I adore pretty typography and design so this was a really fun topic for me.

Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
It’s simple, but stunning. I love the interlinking o’s and the swash on the leg of the R. So pretty!

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
I love how the words look like they’re part of a breeze sweeping down the prairie.

A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
The font itself is really pretty, but the layout and treatment of it elevates it to an entirely different level. It’s so cozy and classy.

Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett
It’s hard to have that many words look so nice together in such a flourishing font, so this is amazing. Plus, that font is so whimsically adorable.

A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings
I wish I loved the book as much I love words made out of toothpaste! This is so cute!

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard
This is just. So. Pretty. The glimmering silver effect is very cool, but the font itself is out of this world.

Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West
Something about this typography triggers my warm, fuzzy feelings of nostalgia and lemonade stands and summer days as a kid. Sometimes you don’t need to understand why you love something, it’s all about how you feel. The font itself is plain, but the colors and the chunky drop shadow bring me back to design trends from when I was a teen. It’s comfortable.

Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage
More anything else, this is a case of impeccable font selection. Doesn’t it just scream cowboys and wide open spaces? And it goes so perfectly with the pulp-esque cover style.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
The combination of script and block fonts here gives off such a great vintage Christmas feeling. There’s an art to combining fonts, and this is so well done.

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
So sweet and dainty. Reminds me of old fashioned Valentine’s Day ads.

Which cover is your favorite?
Do you love typography as much as I do?