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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s topic is Reasons I Love Books and Reading.  Let’s get to the list!

The characters- Great characters are so important.  I love getting to know them and watching them grow.  Some of the characters in long running series begin to feel like old friends when I read them.  If I don’t like the main character, it is very hard to continue reading a book/series.

Getting lost in the story- Disappearing between the pages of a story is something I’ve always enjoyed.  When I’m reading an excellent story, I feel like I’ve slipped into another world for a while.  Books have a way of capturing my complete attention in a way that movies and tv never have.

Variety- The list of genres I won’t read is a lot smaller than what I enjoy.  As a mood reader, this is excellent.  Whether I’m in the mood for a classic, urban fantasy, romance, mystery, etc, I can nearly always find something to enjoy.

Sharing books with my children- I absolutely love reading books to and with my children.  I will always treasure the memories of laughing with them over picture books and cheering as they learned to read.  I am thoroughly enjoying sharing some of my old favorites with them.

Long running series- Maintaining a long running series takes talent.  I’ve been let down before, but some series continue to hold my interest book after book.  The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs is a great example.

Stand alone books- Many of the books I read are part of a series, but sometimes it is good to read a book that is complete all by its self.  There is something comforting in knowing that a standalone book can be enjoyed without the years of commitment a longer series requires.

Reading books with friends- Sharing the excitement of reading a book with a friend is almost as much fun as reading the book!

Bookstores- I love visiting bookstores.  Sometimes I go in looking for specific books, but more often then not, I like going to small independent bookstores and just browsing the shelves.  Each store is different, and I never know what gem I might find!

Physical books-I have an e-Reader and I will acknowledge how convenient  it is to store and carry so many books on one device.  However, physical books are still my favorite.  I love the way they smell, especially old books.

Book covers- I’ve never read a book simply because I liked the cover.  However, beautiful book covers can be works of art.

There is so much to love about books!  What are some of the things you love most about books and reading?

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I’m beyond excited for all of these books.

Yes, I know that all I’ll be doing on September 7 is reading based on how many of these titles come out then. LOL!

1. The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi 

Publication Date: September 1

Why: It’s a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. How cool is that?

2. Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1)  by Jay Kristoff 

Publication Date: September 7

Why: I love stories about scary vampires, and this one definitely seems like it fits the bill.

3. The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

Publication Date: September 7

Why: This looks like a nice blend of mystery and dark fantasy.

4.We Are Not Broken by George M. Johnson

Publication Date: September 7

Why: Coming-of-age novels are the perfect thing to start September off with if you ask me.

5. Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero  by Saadia Faruqi 

Publication Date: September 7

Why: It’s hard to believe that we’ll be observing the 20th anniversary of 9/11 this year. I’m curious to see how this book handles that topic, especially for readers who weren’t alive then or weren’t old enough to remember it.

6. Mary, Will I Die? by Shawn Sarles 

Publication Date: September 7

Why: The idea of Bloody Mary freaked me out when I was a kid! I want to know why these characters were brave or foolhardy enough to try to summon her.

7. To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames  

Publication Date: September 7

Why: Ghost stories are the best, and this one looks particularly fun.

8. Hello (From Here) by Chandler Baker  

Publication Date: September 7

Why: I’m ready for a love story set during Covid-19 lockdowns. Do you all feel the same way?

9. The Shaadi Set-Up  by Lillie Vale 

Publication Date: September 7

Why: Online dating can be so complicated. I like reading books about characters who must navigate it.

10. A Lot Like Adios  by Alexis Daria 

Publication Date: September 14 (Look! We finally moved past September 7. Haha!)

Why: I don’t normally read many romance novels, but I do like the second chance trope. After the 2020 and 2021 so many of us have endured, I’m in the mood for happily ever afters for everyone.

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Here are the ten books I’m most looking forward to reading this summer. If a publication date isn’t listed, the book has already been published.

1. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo 

Why: I’ve often wondered what it was like to live through the Jazz age.

2. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Why: There aren’t a lot of fictional books out there about workplace bullying and abuse. This one sounds good.

3. A Song Below Water (A Song Below Water, #1)  by Bethany C. Morrow  

Why: I love magical realism and mermaid tales.

4. The Very Nice Box by Eve Gleichman

Why: I don’t know I’ve ever read a satirical thriller before. That combination of genres sounds amazing.

5. Sisters of the Snake (Ria & Rani #1) by Sasha Nanua

Why: There’s something fascinating to me about a princess switching places with an orphan.

6. The Secret Keeper of Jaipur  by Alka Joshi

Publication Date: June 22

Why: It sounds like good historical fiction.

7. Rescue on Turtle Beach  (Wind Riders #1) by Jen Marlin

Publication Date: July 6

Why: This story sounds adorable. I rescued a turtle once when I was a teenager!

8.This Poison Heart (This Poison Heart, #1) by Kalynn Bayron

Publication Date: July 15

Why: Briseis sure sounds like she has an amazing magical ability. I can’t wait to see what it would be like to make plants grow with a simple touch of your hand.

9. The Hand of the Sun King  by J.T. Greathouse

Publication Date: August 5

Why: There’s something about hot, humid summer days that makes me want to read high fantasy. Maybe it’s because I read so much of it during summer breaks when I was a kid?

10. Seeing Ghosts: A Memoir by Kat Chow

Publication Date:August 24

Why: Ms. Chow sounds like she’s had an interesting life. I’m curious to read her thoughts on grief.

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week is a Freebie week.  Last week’s topic was on quotes, and I’m still in the mood to find good quotes.  A while back I did a post on quotes from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, and so this week I decided to pick quotes from Persuasion.  I really need to make time for a re-read of it.  Enjoy!

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s topic is quotes fitting a particular theme.  I absolutely love dogs, so I decided to browse Goodreads in search of quotes about dogs.  Let’s get to the list!

“Happiness is a warm puppy” -Charles M. Schulz

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” -Josh Billings

“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed.  For after all, he was only human. He wasn’t a dog.” –Charles M. Schulz

“The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made His greatest gifts the commonest.” –Martin Luther

“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.” –Dean Koontz

This is my dog Cannoli when she was a puppy.

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” –Roger Caras

“Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” –Dean Koontz

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.”- Orhan Pamuk

“The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too.” –Samuel Butler

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” –Agnes Sligh Turnbull

What do you think?  Which quote do you like the most?

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s theme is books with nature on the cover.  I decided to choose books with flowers on the cover, specifically flowers against a black background.  I’ve always found that combination striking.  I’ve read many of these, but I don’t have these gorgeous covers.  I wish I did!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Emma by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Persuasion by Jane Austen

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Sonnets by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout-I haven’t read this one, but the cover is gorgeous.

After the Funeral by Agatha Christie-I’ve never read any of Agatha Christie’s work, but I really need too!

What do you think?  Do you enjoy flowers on a black background?

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Here are my ten most recent reviews at Long and Short Reviews as of when I wrote this post.

If you’re interested in joining the Long and Short Reviews team, go to our Become a Reviewer page for more information.

We have a wonderful group of reviewers and are always happy to welcome new folks aboard!

1. Spirit in Time by Julie Howard

Genre: Romantic Mystery

Why I Liked It: It had genuine character development that I mentioned wanting to see more of in my review of the first book in this series. Isn’t it wonderful when authors do this?

2. Fern and Otto by Stephanie Graegin

Genre: Children’s

Why I Liked It: There were so many clever references to classic fairy tales and legends.

3. To the Moon and Back For You by Emilia Bechrakis Serhant

Genre: Children’s

Why I Liked It: The main character was a loving, attentive parent. I also liked how open-ended the storyline was as far as how she eventually was able to become a mother.

4. Short Poems, Long Tales by Rashid Osmani

Genre: Poetry

Why I Liked It: All of poems were short, sweet, and to the point. I appreciate that sort of poetry.

5. Mae the Mayfly by Denise Brennan-Nelson

Long term ED however is more regular in its occurrence and is usually generic cialis overnight observed among men of ages above 40 because of the amount of stress you feel in today’s competitive society. This smooth muscles increased flow of blood viagra no prescription online from leaving the tissue, leading to a lasting stiffer penile erection. In the cialis australia meantime, one can opt for ED pills. By Providing On-site Technical Support:- This technical support is the most cost effective and most reliable way to get a cure. purchase generic viagra, therefore, became the first flexible, workable cure to one of men’s oldest lifestyle problems. Genre: Children’s

Why I Liked It: Mae was such a brave little Mayfly.

6. The Ferret by Tom Minder

Genre: Mystery

Why I Liked It: The descriptions of how the Witness Protection Program works were fascinating.

7. Hunted: A Short Story by Brandon Tolin

Genre: Science Fiction

Why I Liked It: Cryptozoology is one of those topics that isn’t covered nearly enough in this genre, so I was happy to see it here.

8. Where Are You,  Agnes? by Tessa McWatt

Genre: Children’s

Why I Liked It: I didn’t know much about the early life of Agnes Martin, a famous Canadian painter, and was excited to learn more.

9. Sparky Brain – Epileptic Tips and Stories by Ada Almond

Genre: Non-Fiction

Why I Liked It: Someone I care about has epilepsy. It was interesting to read about this author’s experience with it and learn about some things that have helped her reduce her seizures.

10. Masquerade Season by ‘Pemi Aguda

Genre: Science Fiction

Why I Liked It: The main character was incredibly sweet and likeable. He made me want to learn more about the world building.

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s topic is animals in books.  I love dogs.  I have three dogs, a pug and two Saint Bernard/Great Dane mixes, and they are a much loved party of my family.  So this week, I decided to feature books with dogs.  Let’s get to the list!

If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff-Part of a classic series!

Wellington’s Rainy Day by Carolyn Beck-Always good for a laugh.

Kipper Series by Mick Inkpen-Love this whole series!

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach-I almost feel that including this story is cheating, but once you get to the end, I think you’ll know why I included it!

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford-I haven’t read this book in a very long time.  I think I should pick it up again.

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Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo-I I read this a couple years ago with my oldest and we both loved it!

Say Hello to Zorro! by Carter Goodrich-Having a pug and big dogs makes this book even more entertaining!  There are two other books in this series and they are all a lot of fun.

Dream Dog by Lou Berger-I stumbled across this heartwarming story at the library.

Tornado by Betsy Byars-I just recently picked this book up for my youngest, but we haven’t started reading it yet!

James Herriot’s Dog Stories by James Herriot-Another one on my to read list!

Have you read any of these?  If so, do you have a favorite?  If not, are you interested in any of them?  Do you like dogs?  Do you have any?  If not, what sort of animal is your favorite?

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All of these books have nice splashes of color on their covers, don’t you think? I haven’t read any of them yet, so do let me know if you’ve read and enjoyed any of them when you comment.

1. A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3) by Claudia Gray

2. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

3. Dead Astronauts (Borne #2) by Jeff VanderMeer

4. A Tyranny of Petticoats (A Tyranny of Petticoats, #1) by Jessica Spotswood

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6. The Girl in the Tower (The Winternight Trilogy, #2) by Katherine Arden

7. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

8. The Undercover Captain by Henry Vogel

9. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare

10. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

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All of the places I picked for this week’s prompt were fictional and magical. If only I could really go visit them! Wouldn’t it be neat to drink butter beer or have a conversation with a talking animal?

1. Hogsmeade from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

2. The Shire from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.

3. The quiet village of Carvahall from Christopher Paolini’s The Inheritance Cycle series

4. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children from Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, #1) series

5. Oxford College from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series.
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6. Anywhere that Aziraphale and Crowley are spending time together from Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

7. Oz from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)

8. The spacious home of the big friendly giant From Roald Dahl’s The BFG

9. The home planet of the little prince in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince
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10. Cair Paravel from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series.