Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Memories

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week is all about Bookish Memories  I have many wonderful memories about books, so let’s get to the list!

One of my very earliest memories of reading is sitting on my mom’s lap in a rocking chair as a child.  She would have a stack of books on one side, and she read them, she’d set them on the other side.  When we made it through the stack, she’d start over again!

I’ll always remember going to the library as a child.  I’d go to the back section and check out the old, often overlooked books of fairy tales and myths from places all over the world.  I loved the feel and smell of the old pages.

Reading Little House in the Big Woods is another cherished memory.  My second grade class read it and did all sorts of activities associated with the book, like making butter and candy in the snow.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and it sparked my interest in history and historical fiction.

As I’ve mentioned before, my favorite book is Beauty by Robin McKinley.  I read it for the first time when I was in fourth grade.  I was browsing the school’s library (again seeking out old books of fairy tales) when the librarian recommended Beauty.  I loved it and it will always have a special place in my heart.

Book on Brown Leaves

I’ll also never forget the first time I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.  I was in seventh grade at the time and we read The Hobbit  and The Fellowship of the Ring as part of our class work.  I fell in love with Middle Earth and all the characters and adventure to be had.  My parents gave me the series for Christmas that year so I could finish it on my own.

Discovering Edgar Allan Poe was also memorable.  I had to memorize a poem for a Language Arts class, and as I was looking through my dad’s books, I stumbled upon his collection of Poe’s poetry.  The first one I read was Annabelle Lee.  It was so haunting and passionate!  It remains my favorite poem.  (Of course I then went on to discover Poe’s short stories!)

Interview with the Vampire was the first book with vampires I ever read.  My husband (who was my boyfriend at the time), was reading it.  We were in high school and he’d borrowed it from his older sister.  He had the book out one afternoon, and I started reading over his shoulder  It wasn’t long before I had the book.  I went on to read the rest of the series and to seek out more books with vampires.

Of course one of the great things about books is sharing them with others.  I’ve had a lot of fun discussing books with my husband and my friends.  However, the best memories are of sharing books with my children.  Snuggling with my kids under a blanket on the couch reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one memory that comes to mind as we’ll be heading into the Christmas season soon.

I had a lot of fun making this list and reminiscing! What is your favorite bookish memory?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Settings

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

 

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s topic is favorite book settings.  I wasn’t quite sure how to approach this week’s topic.  I debated between specific places/time periods in books I’ve read versus general settings.  In the end I did a little of both.  Let’s get to the list!

Middle Earth-There is so much to explore in the world J.R.R Tolkien created.  How wonderful to be able to visit places like Rivendell, Rohan, and The Shire all in one series!

Victorian England-I find this time period intriguing.  I’ve read many stories as well as a few really good non-fiction books about this period.  How to Be Victorian by Ruth Goodman is excellent.

Colonial American/American Revolution-Another time period I find especially interesting.  Toliver’s Secret by Ester Wood Brady is one I’ve just recently read with my children.

American Civil War-Little Women is the first example that comes to mind for this time period.

England in the late 9th and early 10th century-I’m about half way through The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell and it quickly become a favorite.  When I finish it, I’ll be on the lookout for more series set in this time period!

Fragile flowers put inside open book

The Past-While I’ve picked out a few specific time periods, I have been captivated by historical fiction in general ever since I read Little House in the Big Woods, Anne of Green Gables, and the American Girl series as a child.  I generally prefer historical fiction set before the twentieth century or at least from World War II or earlier.

Small Towns/Rural Areas-I’ve spent most of my life living in small towns and seen their beauty as well as their flaws.  I can easily relate to characters living in that kind of world.

Urban Fantasy-I suppose this is technically a genre rather than a setting, but there is just something about mixing the paranormal with an urban setting.  Of course the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs comes to mind.

I also enjoy stories set in bookstores and bakeries though no specific examples are coming to mind.  If you have any recommendations, let me know!

Do you enjoy these settings?  What sort of settings do you enjoy?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Read in Autumn

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s topic was Freebie.  This past week marked the beginning of Autumn, and as I write this, the weather has changed and it is really starting to feel like Autumn.  So I decided to put together a list of books that I think would be good to read in Autumn.  Let’s get to the list!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling-When I think of Autumn reading, this is one of the first books that immediately comes to mind!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien-I always associate The Hobbit with Autumn as well.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte-This is perfect for a rainy Autumn day.

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Aston-This fun twist on Jane Eyre is perfect for those not wanting something quite as moody as the original tale.

Persuasion by Jane Austen-Most of the time I associate Jane Austen with Spring, but this one seems more like an Autumn read.

Photography of Maple Trees

The Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe-No one does dark and moody better!

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder-Another one that instantly makes me think of Autumn!

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving by Charles M. Schulz-Both Charlie Brown stories are classics and perfect for Autumn!

A Separate Peace by John Knowles-I read this years ago in college and recently stumbled across a copy in my local used bookstore.  Autumn seems like a good time to re-read it.

What do you think?  Clearly, I have a preference for “moody” stories in the Autumn, but I have some lighter and heartwarming choices as well.  What sort of book do you prefer in the Autumn?  Would any of these make your list?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile on Your Face

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s topic is Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile on Your Face.  I feel like I could make that case for just about any book.  After all, we’re all here because we share a love of books!  However, I did try to approach my list with the idea of avoiding books that were heavy reading or actually brought me to tears.  I also tried to pick books I haven’t highlighted before or at least not recently, especially since I’ve done a lot of talking about my favorites recently.  Let’s get to the list!

Any of Ree Drummond’s cookbooks-I absolutely love Ree Drummond’s recipes and I love all the stories and pictures she sprinkles throughout her books.  Her Charlie the Ranch Dog books are hilarious too.

The Fog Ladies by Susan McCormick-I like a good cozy mystery and this one was full of colorful characters!

The Bear and Mouse series by Bonny Becker-I can’t even think about these without smiling!

Copper and Goldie by Larry and Rosemary Mild-This collection of mysteries was a lot of fun to read, and of course I loved the dog, Goldie!

Bridget Jones’s Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding-I picked these up in a used bookstore years after they came out and enjoyed them both!

Stack of books with Magnolia flower on white table

National Geographic Book of Poetry compiled by J. Patrick Lewis-There are a lot of wonderful poems in this one!

Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book-Calvin and Hobbes is always good for a smile.

Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King Smith-I had a lot of fun reading this with my children!

Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright-The idea of discovering such a place as a child really stirred my imagination.

Do you agree with any on my list?  What other books make you smile?

LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Mine By Design by Becky Moore

Thanks for joining us on our 14th anniversary scavenger hunt! There are two ways to enter to win and it’s easy to play– first read the blurb below, then answer the question on the first Rafflecopter. You might win a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC (along with other prizes). Follow and visit authors’ social media pages on the second Rafflecopter and you’re entered to win another $100 Amazon/BN GC (along with other prizes)!

When Abby Markham witnesses the murder of a local cop with ties to a political dynasty, she finds herself not only in the crosshairs of a killer, but also on the radar of a powerful US senator.

The clock is ticking for her survival, and Detective Ben Owens knows the best way to keep Abby safe is to keep her close. But as the danger escalates, so does their attraction. With their backs against the wall, Ben and Abby will risk everything to make sure she survives the dangerous web of political corruption, lies, and deceit.

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Orion’s Foot: Myth, Mystery, and Romance in the Amazon by M. S. Spencer

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Petra Steele is wallowing in self-pity after being dumped at the altar, when her brother Nick invites her to come to the Peruvian Amazon. Before she even sets her suitcase down, she’s confronted with a murder victim.

In a research station peopled with a quirky assortment of scientists, she is drawn to Emory Andrews, a big, gruff man with a secret past. That is, until his beautiful ex-wife shows up. More murders, more secrets, more mysteries ensue, all in the deeply romantic, sizzling jungle.

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Emergence by Ellie Beals

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It starts with Just Watching. But danger emerges when Just Watching ends.

When the “wild child” Xavier first encounters Cass Harwood and her dogs in the woods of West Quebec, he is enthralled. Unknown to them, he Just Watches them in a lengthy ongoing surveillance, before finally staging a meeting. His motives are uncertain – even to him.

The intersection of the lives of Cass, a competitive dog-handler, her dogs, her cousin Lori and the complex and enigmatic Xavier, leads them all into a spiral of danger. It starts when Just Watching ends – when Cass and her crew encounter tragedy in the bush. Xavier’s involvement in the tragedy, unknown to Cass, sets off a chain of potentially lethal events, that begin in the dark woods of Lac Rouge, when hiking, skiing, hunting, trapping, marijuana grow-ops, and pedophilia, collide. It matures in the suburbs of both Ottawa and Baltimore, and culminates back in Lac Rouge, when danger arrives uninvited at Cass’ isolated cabin in the woods. In the night. In the cold. In the heavily-falling snow. Xavier observes it all. His motives are again uncertain, but his propensity for action is not.

Join Xavier, Lori, Cass and the realistic and compelling dogs that are essential players in this dark drama, as their fates converge in a deadly loop of revenge, fear, guilt, and hope.

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: The Virus of Beauty – Book 1 by C. B. Lyall

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Ugliness is power, and the Virus of Beauty is spreading causing panic throughout the witch population.

Wilf Gilvary is a teenage wizard who is terrified of using magic. When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Wilf is plunged into the middle of a political struggle between the witches and wizards in the Magical Realm. He’d rather play soccer than practice magic, but he’s forced to make a choice between the life of a normal Hong Kong teen and one of wizardry after a powerful virus begins to decimate the witch community.

The cure is spellbound in a journal Wilf inherited from his father and when his friend Katryna contracts the virus, Wilf understands that he must overcome his fear of magic to unlock the journal’s secrets – but will it be too late to save her?

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking by Linda Griffin

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Software engineer Reid Lucas loves to cook and has a history of falling in love with married women. When he leaves his complicated past in Chicago for a job in California, he runs into trouble and must call a virtual stranger to bail him out of jail.

Alyssa Knight, a tough street cop waiting for a church annulment from her passive-aggressive husband, is the roommate of the woman Reid calls for help, and she reluctantly provides bail for Reid.

He falls for her immediately, and cooking for her is an act of love. She just wants to be friends, but they keep ending up in bed together. When his boss is murdered, Reid is a suspect—or is he the intended target?

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Baked with Love ( A Match made in Heaven, Book 3) by Peggy Jaeger

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Innkeeper Maureen O’Dowd lives to cook and bake, spoils her family and friends, and is an expert at keeping secrets, especially about the man who’s held her heart for years.

Police Chief Lucas Alexander is dealing with an aging father and a moody teenage son, and he’s in love with a woman who only wants to be friends.

How can these two fiercely private people reveal their feelings for one another without destroying the friendship they already have? And if they’re successful, will another secret, if revealed, drive a wedge between Maureen and Lucas that can never be repaired?

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