Category: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Book Festivals I’d Love to Go to Someday

Posted July 20, 2020 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 22 Comments

Happy TTT! This week’s topic was submitted by Nandini @ Unputdownable Books and is: Book Events/Festivals I’d Love to Go to Someday (Real or Fictional). In the midst of this pandemic, let us dream and get excited about a future where maybe we won’t have to worry anymore, and will be able to go to fun events again! It was so much fun researching literary festivals for this prompt! I’ve been to ALA twice, so I won’t be counting that one. If available, I’ve linked each pick to the event’s website!

1. Book Expo (USA)
Duh… I think most of us who haven’t been would like to go!

2. Jaipur Literary Festival (India)
This is apparently the largest free book event in the world, and lasts 5 days!

3. Letterature (Italy)
Ok, I’ll take any excuse to go to Italy, but this festival takes place in the Roman Forum and sounds lovely.

4. FLIP (Brazil)
This is literally a bunch of people sitting around in quaint squares, discussing literature until all hours. Is there a romance square?

5. Edinburgh International Book Festival (Scotland)
A tented village of bookishness!

6. The Library of Congress National Book Festival (USA)
“…an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors and thousands of book fans for author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities.” And it’s free!

7. International Agatha Christie Festival (UK)
So much murder! And apparently people dress up in period attire, which sounds like so much fun.

8. Brooklyn Book Festival (USA)
So many authors and publishers gather at the “Literary Marketplace” to share ideas and talk books!

9. Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Stories, & Ideas (USA)
“Booksellers, publishers, museums, theaters as well as literacy and cultural organizations… sell and promote books, distribute related information and/or sell merchandise such as clothing and handmade accessories. Many independent booksellers participating in the festival represent diverse ethnic and cultural communities of Los Angeles, offering books in different languages and genres.”

10. Bay Area Book Festival (USA)
This just sounds like so much fun. “…a world-class literary extravaganza taking place each year over two days in Downtown Berkeley [CA]… our Outdoor Fair, a wonderland of literary vendors, kids’ activities, and family fun, is totally free.”

Which book festivals/events would you like to visit someday?
Do we have any picks in common?


Top Ten Books That Make Me Smile

Posted July 13, 2020 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 23 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! Today’s topic is books that make me smile (and why), and was submitted Julia @ pagesforthoughts, and I just loved it. We could all use a little happy right now, and I can’t wait to see what everyone recommends.

Well Played by Jen DeLuca
I found myself smiling so much with this one because I loved the interactions between Stacey and her love interest, Emily and Simon (from Well Met), and Stacey’s adorable kitty. There were also kilted musicians, so… I was all smiles.

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
This was completely adorkable. Together, Janie and Quinn have some of the best witty banter I’ve read. Their disagreements and debates are hilarious. Their deep and not-so-deep-but-full-of-useless-facts discussions plastered a smile on my face often. They’re just such a fun pair, and they’ve got amazing chemistry.

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler
If you thought I was going to shut up about this book soon, then you were wrong. I love everything about this book. The town of Moose Springs is amazing, and the Moose name Ulysses that was addicted to the smell of freshly baked bread and licking windows stole my heart.

I Temporarily Do by Ellie Cahill
This book had me positively giddy. I love a good fake romance, and this one was so good. The series of unfortunate events that leads to these two having to either get married or be homeless at college was so smile-worthy, but the feelings that come as a result made my cheeks hurt.

The Thousand Dollar Tan-Line by Rob Thomas
This book reads like an episode of the show (Veronica Mars), and I LOVED that about it. Veronica’s inner monologues are still golden. Her snark is perfection. I was all smiles.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
It’s just… perfect. And funny. And sweet. It’s one big smile.

Christmas At Frozen Falls by Kiley Dunbar
This book is just pure happiness and everything I love about Christmas. I love it so, so much!

Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare
There’s a very flirty, swoony scene involving cake that is dripping with tension and smiles.

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare
Tessa just does it to me, what can I say? There’s so many animals in this one and a man who pretends to hate them but actually loves them and oh my.

Operation White Christmas by Nikki Edwards
There’s a BABY LLAMA. And a dog. And so much snow. But seriously, the baby llama.

What books make you smile?

 


Top Ten Authors I’ve Read the Most Books By

Posted July 6, 2020 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 22 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! So sorry I was late today. I got sucked into Animal Crossing on my new Switch! This is a pretty straight-forward week. I’m sharing my list of the top ten authors I’ve read the most books by. I guess you could say these are some of my favorite authors, but I’ve got a lot of new favorites who have only written one or two books, so these are not ALL of my favorites!

1. Tessa Dare (17 books)

2. Mary Higgins-Clark (11 books)

3. Marissa Meyer (11 books)

4. Annette Marie (7 books)

5. Tracey Garvis-Graves (6 books)

6. Sarah Morgan (6 books)

7. Lauren Blakely (5 books)

8. Christina Lauren (5 books)

9. Stephenie Meyer (5 books)

10. Jennifer Armentrout (5 books)

Which authors have you read the most books by?


Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020

Posted June 29, 2020 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 28 Comments

Hello! Welcome to another TTT. Thank you to those of you who made TTT’s 10th birthday so much fun last week! I loved reading about everyone’s experiences with TTT over the years and how much you love this meme.

Can you believe we’re halfway done with 2020!? I can’t! This has been the craziest of years, so I’m taking today to share the books releasing over the next six months that I’m the most excited about. We can only go up from here, right?

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (8/4/20)

Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers. 

After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez.

Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy.

After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had.

Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars.

With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer (8/4/20)

Of all the pomegranates in all the land… they chose this one. I hate the cover, but… Oh well.

When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting beautiful, mysterious Bella is both the most intriguing and unnerving event he has experienced in his long life as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he let himself fall in love with Bella when he knows that he is endangering her life?

In Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer transports us back to a world that has captivated millions of readers and, drawing on the classic myth of Hades and Persephone, brings us an epic novel about the profound pleasures and devastating consequences of immortal love.

The Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox (9/15/20)

The dead won’t bother you if you don’t give them permission.

Boston, 1844.

Tabby has a peculiar gift: she can communicate with the recently departed. It makes her special, but it also makes her dangerous.

As an orphaned child, she fled with her sister, Alice, from their charlatan aunt Bellefonte, who wanted only to exploit Tabby’s gift so she could profit from the recent craze for seances.

Now a young woman and tragically separated from Alice, Tabby works with her adopted father, Eli, the kind caretaker of a large Boston cemetery. When a series of macabre grave robberies begins to plague the city, Tabby is ensnared in a deadly plot by the perpetrators, known only as the “Resurrection Men.”

In the end, Tabby’s gift will either save both her and the cemetery—or bring about her own destruction.

Well Played by Jen DeLuca (9/22/20)

I couldn’t wait, and am reading this one now! LOVING IT so far!

Another laugh-out-loud romantic comedy featuring kilted musicians, Renaissance Faire tavern wenches, and an unlikely love story.

Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it’s been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she’ll even find The One.

When Stacey imagined “The One,” it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she’s not sure what to make of it.

Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey’s shock, it isn’t Dex—she’s been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler (10/6/20)

How the moose (almost) stole Christmas.

Lana Montgomery is everything the quirky small town of Moose Springs, Alaska can’t stand: a rich socialite with dreams of changing things for the better. But Lana’s determined to prove that she belongs…even if it means trading her stilettos for snow boots and tracking one of the town’s hairiest Christmas mysteries: the Santa Moose, an antlered Grinch hell-bent on destroying every bit of holiday cheer (and tinsel) it can sink its teeth into.

And really…how hard could it be?

The last few years have been tough on Rick Harding, and it’s not getting any easier now that his dream girl’s back in town. When Lana accidentally tranquilizes him instead of the Santa Moose, it’s clear she needs help, fast…and this could be his chance to finally catch her eye. It’s an all-out Christmas war, but if they can nab that darn moose before it destroys the town, Rick and Lana might finally find a place where they both belong…together.

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (10/6/20)

Olivia Dade bursts onto the scene in this delightfully fun romantic comedy set in the world of fanfiction, in which a devoted fan goes on an unexpected date with her celebrity crush, who’s secretly posting fanfiction of his own. 

Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. While the world knows him as Aeneas, the star of the biggest show on TV, Gods of the Gates, he’s known to fanfiction readers as Book!AeneasWouldNever, an anonymous and popular poster.  Marcus is able to get out his own frustrations with his character through his stories, especially the ones that feature the internet’s favorite couple to ship, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone ever found out about his online persona, he’d be fired. Immediately.

April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she’s hidden her fanfiction and cosplay hobby from her “real life” for years—but not anymore. When she decides to post her latest Lavinia creation on Twitter, her photo goes viral. Trolls and supporters alike are commenting on her plus-size take, but when Marcus, one half of her OTP, sees her pic and asks her out on a date to spite her critics, she realizes life is really stranger than fanfiction.

Even though their first date is a disaster, Marcus quickly realizes that he wants much more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. And when he discovers she’s actually Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to hide from her.

With love and Marcus’s career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely cancelled?

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (10/6/20)

One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

Simmer Down by Sarah Smith (10/13/20)

In this finger-licking good rom-com, two is the perfect number of cooks in the kitchen.

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.

But Tiva’s Filipina Kusina has faced bigger road bumps than the arrival of Callum James. Nikki doesn’t care how delectable the British food truck owner is—he rudely set up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. He’s stealing her customers and fanning the flames of a public feud that makes her see sparks.

The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. Winner keeps the spot. Loser pounds sand. But the longer their rivalry simmers, the more Nikki starts to see a different side of Callum…a sweet, protective side. Is she brave enough to call a truce? Or will trusting Callum with her heart mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch (11/10/20)

From the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a Mamma Mia–inspired tale about a teen girl finding romance while trying to connect with her absent father in beautiful Santorini, Greece.

Liv Varanakis doesn’t have a lot of fond memories of her father, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight. What Liv does remember, though, is their shared love for Greek myths and the lost city of Atlantis. So when Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father explaining that National Geographic is funding a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and will she fly out to Greece and help?—Liv jumps at the opportunity.

But when she arrives to gorgeous Santorini, things are a little…awkward. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. And yet Liv doesn’t want their past to get in the way of a possible reconciliation. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo—her father’s charismatic so-called “protégé”—to witness her struggle.

And that means diving into all that Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the hidden caves, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.

How To Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams (12/1/20)

One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

When her flailing department lands on the university’s chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.

Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.

Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she’s finally living again.

Which upcoming releases are you looking forward to?


Top Ten Tuesday Is 10 Years Old! Updates to Many of My Old TTTs

Posted June 22, 2020 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 41 Comments

Welcome to a very special Top Ten Tuesday! Exactly 10 years ago today, we posted the very first ever TTT post over at The Broke and the Bookish.

This is also the 500th TTT topic that’s ever been done!

OH. And today is ALSO my birthday! So there’s lots to celebrate.

As you all know, I started out book blogging as a co-blogger at The Broke and the Bookish back in June of 2010. A few weeks later, TTT was born. I branched off in November 2011 and opened That Artsy Reader Girl so I could have more freedom to post book reviews when the publisher needed them. So the very first TTT I did here was on November 15, 2011. In total, I’ve posted 223 TTTs here in addition to many of the ones I did over at TB&TB. When Broke & Bookish shut down in January of 2018, TTT came here to live with me. Needless to say, I’ve been here since the beginning and I still love this meme so much. I love what it’s done to bring the book community together, and I’m excited to keep it going!

Anyway! This topic is kind of an update or commentary on ten of my old TTTs from the first year I started blogging, all the way up until now. My reading tastes have changed a lot, so there’s a lot to update! These are the highlights.

1. Top Ten Unread Books On My Bookshelf – 11/15/11

Of the 10 books I listed in this topic, I’ve only read 2 of them!! Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. That’s pretty hilarious. Maybe I should give up on the others?

2. Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book – 1/10/12

In this post I complained about Stephanie Meyer not continuing The Host trilogy, but now we’re getting Midnight Sun! So that’s even better! Stephanie Perkins wrote a horror novel after the Anna trilogy, which was a definite surprise! Suzanne Collins gave us another Hunger Games book, which nobody saw coming!

3. Top Ten Books I Recommend to People the Most – 3/26/13

I still recommend On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves ALL THE TIME. Now, I think I’d add anything by Christina Lauren, The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler, and Lauren Blakely’s contemporary romance audiobooks!

4. Top Ten Most Intimidating Books – 7/2/13

These are still intimidating! All I’ve read of this list of 10 is The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. It was meh. I read it because it was required in grad school. I’m not even interested in trying to read If I Stay by Gayle Forman,The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson, or A Game of thrones by George R.R. Martin anymore!

5. Top Ten Popular Authors I’ve Never Read – 3/3/14

This is so funny. Look at the popular authors of 2014! Or, at least the ones I thought were popular. Some of them are not so popular anymore. And I’ve still… hardly read any of them! And that’s ok! I did read a book by John Green… lol. That’s it!

6. Top Ten Characters I Wish Would Get Their Own Book – 5/19/15

Nikolai of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy actually got his own book, King of Scars! It’s a miracle! And Edward is finally going to tell his story in Midnight Sun. Another miracle.

7. Top Ten Series I’ve Been Meaning to Start But Haven’t – 6/19/17

Lots to update here. Still haven’t started Marie Lu’s Legend series, but I’m not really interested anymore. I DNFed Kristin Cashore’s Graceling. I still REALLY want to read Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, Tessa Dare’s Wanton Dairymaid trilogy, and the Pink Carnation series. Not so sure about Juliet Marillier’s series anymore… And I’ve read one book in Sarah Morgan’s From Manhattan with Love series! So good! And I’ve read a few Lucky Harbor books… kinda meh.

8. Top Ten Books that Have Been On My To-Read List the Longest – 2/5/18

They’re… all still on my to-read list!

9. Top Ten Books I’d Slay a Lion to Get Early – 4/30/18

So I actually got most of these books early. I DNFed Escaping from Houdini, didn’t love The Real Deal, was meh on The Governess Game, DNFed 99% Mine, and LOVED Serious Moonlight! I was so excited about all of these, and ended up loving one and either not loving/not finishing/not reading all the others. lol. I’m such a mood reader!

10. Top Ten Books I Could Re-Read Forever – 2/26/18

So I still feel this way about everything I listed!

Phew! What a trip down memory lane! One thing’s for sure… I don’t love YA the way I used to. But I still love books, and that’s all that matters. Which topic did you choose to do this week?

And in honor of TTT’s birthday and 500th topic, can you please share in the comments your experiences with TTT?
How long have you been posting them?
Did TTT introduce you to any new friends/blogs/books?
What have been some of your favorite topics?
Do you have suggestions for future topics? 

Thanks for coming along for the ride! Here’s to 10 more years!