Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer 2024 To-Read List


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten books I’m looking forward to checking out this summer. If a release date hasn’t been included, that title is already available to purchase or maybe even request from your local library if you have one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. It’s Only a Game by Kelsea Yu

Why I Want to Read It: I’m fascinated by stories about people who must assume new identities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Eruption by Michael Crichton

Why I Want to Read It: Crichton has a long history of writing exciting thrillers that make great vacation reads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  The Ghost of Us by James L. Sutter

Why I Want to Read It: Would I ever go ghost hunting in real life? No, but it is fun to read about in fiction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Why I Want to Read It: Since this going to be turned into a Netflix film soon, I want to get to know the book’s version of events first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie

Why I Want to Read It: Fellow horror fans, don’t you wish you could give advice to some horror film characters? I feel like more of them would survive if they were aware of this genre in advance and took some basic safety precautions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.  Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba

Release Date: June 25

Why I Want to Read It: This sounds like such a playful and lighthearted read. Sometimes one needs a little of that in my opinion!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Hombrecito by Santiago Jose Sanchez

Release Date: June 25

Why I Want to Read It: The main character sounds like such an interesting person. It’s not easy to come out of the closet or to feel torn between two different cultures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestu

Release Date: July 30

Why I Want to Read It: This sounds like an exquisite novel full of strong character development and thoughtful commentary on life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Dance of the Starlit Sea by Kiana Krystle

Release Date: August 6

Why I Want to Read It: A Greek myth retelling is right up my alley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Release Date: August 6

Why I Want to Read It: Kingfisher is one of those authors I always check out when they release something new. Also, I love fairy tale retellings even more than Greek mythology ones!

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for June 12, 2024

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Characters I See Differently Now Than I Used To

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1. George L Thomas  4. Michael Mock  
2. Lydia Schoch  5. M | RAIN CITY READS  
3. Greta Ham  6. Priscilla King  

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for June 5, 2024

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Books that are Tearjerkers

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1. George L Thomas  5. Aymee  
2. Tanith Davenport  6. M | RAIN CITY READS  
3. Lydia Schoch  7. Bob Mueller  
4. Greta Ham  

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Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Happy Harry by Barbara Lampert


*Happy Harry by Barbara Lampert
Publisher: Golden Wolf books
Genre: Non-Fiction, Animal Essays
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

“Nobody who loves dogs will be able to resist your book! A magnificent love story!” – Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, international bestselling author of Dogs Never Lie About Love and When Elephants Weep.

In her dog memoir “Happy Harry: A Magical Golden”, psychotherapist Barbara Lampert, a lifelong dog lover, tells the story of her beloved Golden Retriever, Harry. Like her first dog memoir, Harry’s story comes from her mostly uncensored daily journal and takes place in Malibu, California.

Harry was a genuinely free spirit – wild, and very wolf-like. Did all this contribute to his being exceptionally happy? Perhaps.

Harry was not only the happiest being Barbara’s ever known, happy to the very core of him, but also the bravest. More than once in his life, Harry had to face true adversity, and each time, Barbara would look at him in wonder, not fully understanding how a being could be so brave and at the same time continue to be so happy.

Harry literally pranced through life, with a joyous attitude that made being around him like magic. Barbara fell in love with Harry. And as you immerse yourself in Harry’s story, it’s likely you will too! Happy Harry is unforgettable!

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for May 29, 2024

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Museums/Galleries I’ve Visited or Want to Visit

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1. Tanith Davenport  5. Greta Ham  
2. George L Thomas  6. D. S. Dehel  
3. Lydia Schcoh  7. M | RAIN CITY READS  
4. Judy Thomas  8. Priscilla King  

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for May 22, 2024

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

How I Feel about Staycations

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1. Siran T  6. D.S. Dehel  
2. Tanith Davenport  7. Priscilla King  
3. George L Thomas  8. Michael Mock  
4. Lydia Schcoh  9. M | RAIN CITY READS  
5. Greta Ham  

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for May 15, 2024

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Funny Things I’ve Googled

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1. George L Thomas  4. Greta Ham  
2. Lydia Schoch  5. Priscilla King  
3. M | RAIN CITY READS  

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Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Quotes

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I love quotes and it doesn’t matter where they come from – books, TV, movies, song lyrics – they just stick in my brain and come out at the most random of times.  Having a Kindle really helps with this obsession since I don’t have to stop and write them down any longer – I can just highlight and save for later.  Neat, huh?  Also, you should see my Kindle Notes and Highlights.

Here are some of my favorites, and I hope I didn’t repeat any from the last time we did this topic.

“Don’t swim with the dolphins during a labor dispute. No matter how much they try to convince you otherwise” ― John Scalzi, Starter Villain

‘That’s the role of poetry, Ciri. To say what others cannot utter.’ – Andrzej Sapkowski, The Time of Contempt

“This is who I am. I can’t change. I don’t want to, really. But for once I’m gonna put this devil inside me to good use.” – S. A. Cosby, Razorblade Tears

“Guncle Rule number eight: Live your life to the fullest every single day, because every day is a gift. That’s why people die. To teach us the importance of living.” – Steven Rowley, The Guncle

I usually define fear as the thing I feel when the unexpected happens. Anxiety is when I’m doing something that I already know is stupid. – Andrew Mayne, Black Coral

A clever, thoughtless person is one of the most terrifying things there is. – Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Intimidation was a drug. But control was an illusion. – Meg Gardiner, Into the Black Nowhere

In her mind, where the line between fact and fiction is often blurred, murder is simply a solution to a problem. – B. A. Paris, Behind Closed Doors

Perhaps a heart was indeed like a piece of dry birchwood, and could only take fire and burn brightly once—that any fire that came after would be only an ember, smaller and cooler. – Tad Williams, Shadowmarch

“I’ve seen too much of the underside of life to have much confidence in people. I don’t really believe in happy endings.” I felt him swallow. “But I’ve come to believe in you.” – Kathy Reichs, Grave Secrets

I highly recommend all of the books I’ve quoted here, especially Starter Villain by John Scalzi.  He has this amazing way of taking the ridiculous and making it make sense.  Much like Douglas Adams did.  And, on that note, one last bonus quote for the road:

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened.” – Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for May 8, 2024

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Books/TV Shows/Movies I wouldn’t revisit and why

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1. George L Thomas  3. Greta Ham  
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Top Ten Tuesday: Scary Books With Flowers on Their Covers


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

All of the books in this week’s list are from the suspense and horror genres. This is a trend that I don’t quite understand as flowers feels so sweet and innocent to me.

Maybe they are being included as a juxtaposition to the frightening things that often happen in mystery or horror novels? What do you all think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Toxic by Lydia Kang

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. The Undead Truth of Us by Britney S. Lewis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. The Depths by Nicole Lesperance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Ghosted: A Love Story by Jenn Ashworth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.  Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Almost Insentient, Almost Divine by D.P. Watt