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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s topic is Books I’d Want With Me While Stranded on an Island.  Finding books for this topic was easy.  The difficulty was limiting my list to ten!

Beauty by Robin McKinley-I know I’ve featured this book many times, but it will always be a favorite of mine.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien-Again, a series I’ve featured before, but I’d have to have them with me.  I’m counting them as “one” book.

Mercy Thompson series-I love this series so much!  Almost any book from the series would be welcome on the island.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell-Yes, I have three historical romances on my list, and I’m completely okay with that.

The Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe-This isn’t cheating because there are books that contain all his works in one volume.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales-I have several collections of fairy tales, but for the sake of the list, I’ll just pick this one.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows-I laughed so much when I read this!  I think I’d need some humor if I were stranded on an island.

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell-I’m about half way through this series, and am loving it.  Picking one book is hard, but I’ll go with the first one for this list.

What do you think?  Would you take any of these books on an island with you?  What other books would you pick?

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Wasn’t this week’s prompt a fun one? Here is our list.

1. What Does a Witch Need? by Ida DeLage

2. Are We There Yet? by David Levithan

3. What’s Good for a 4-Year-Old? by William Cole

4. What’s the Number For 911 Again? by Leland Gregory

5. When Will It Snow? by Syd Hoff

6. The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? by Jared Diamond

7. What Happened to Heather Hopkowitz? by Charlotte Herman

8. What Do You Do When Your Mouth Won’t Open? by Susan Beth Pfeffer

9. Why Me? Why Did I Have to Get Diabetes? by Robert Messinger

10. What Makes A Lemon Sour? by Gail Kay Haines

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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

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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.