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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  Today’s topic is the first ten books I reviewed.  I starting reviewing for Long and Short Reviews just over ten years ago!  Back then, Long and Short Reviews primarily focused on books in the romance genre.  A lot has changed since then, but I’ve always been proud to be part of Long and Short Reviews.  Let’s jump right into my list starting with the very first book I reviewed.  Titles are linked to Goodreads.

Blood’s Price by Colleen Love

The Ghost Downstairs by Molly Ringle

Touch of Black Velvet by Brieanna Robertson

Mortal Coil by Julie Eberhart Painter

Lure of the Emerald Peacock by Romona Hilliger

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No Fear by Allie Harrison

Eden at Twilight by Colleen Love

Rainbow’s End by Joan Beth Erickson

Enemy of the King by Beth Trissel

Through the Fire by Beth Trissel

I haven’t thought about many of these books in a long time so this list was a nice trip down memory lane.  For those who review, how long have you been reviewing?  If you love books and want to review them, consider joining Long and Short Reviews.  We have a great team!

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Oh, this week’s prompt is a fun one. Obviously, I don’t expect every book to fulfill all of these wishes, but they more they can hit the better.

Here are the things that will make me pick up a book instantly if I know they’re included somewhere in the plot:

1.  Is Told from the Third-Person Perspective.

I’ve been a reviewer for Long and Short Reviews for seven years now. While I have occasionally bent this rule, I generally prefer to read stories that use pronouns like he or she instead of you or I. When I read something like “she rode a horse down Main Street at high noon,” it feels like an old friend is telling this story to me. I want to lean in and absorb every last word of what happened on Main Street and how the horse reacted to any cars that might have also been there.

2. Has a Clever Title

If a title makes me laugh, I become much more likely to pick it up. In fact, I’m kind of infamous among the LASR staff and volunteers for requesting silly titles. Books also get bonus points from me if they have a humorous pun.

3. Discusses the Lighthearted Side of Illness

One of my parents works in the medical field, so I grew up hearing all sorts of interesting stories about illnesses, injuries, and surgeries when I was growing up.

We obviously never heard any identifying information about the patients, just funny anecdotes about how hospitals actually work behind the scenes, things that go wrong with the human body, and stuff like that.

4. Talks About World War I

There are approximately five billion stories out there about World War II and only three about World War I. (Okay, so I might be exaggerating a little there). I’m always interested in learning more about this time in history. It was the first modern war, after all.

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If I’m reading a story set in a world where magic exists, I always appreciate it when the author comes up with a coherent set of rules about how magic works, what it’s capable of, and what no spell will ever able to do in that universe. It’s a lot easier to suspend disbelief when you know exactly where the boundaries are for wizards and witches.

6. Has an “Unlikely” Protagonist 

Give me protagonists who are 70-year-old grandmothers, or who have a disability, or who are also single parents raising a couple of small children on their own. I’m hungry for far more stories about people who break the traditional mold when it comes to who and what audiences expect heroes to be.

7. Includes an Open-Ended Final Scene

As long as my most important questions about the plot and characters are answered, I really like it when books leave a few dangling strings. It’s cool to have a few minor plot points left up to the reader’s imagination so us fans have something to discuss and debate for years to come.

8. Makes the Food Sound Delicious

I’ve read quite a few fantasy novels over the years.  One of the things they all seem to have in common are their descriptions of glorious feasts.

Reading about the delicious meals that hobbits, elves, and other creatures eat has taught me to expect other genres to put just as much effort into describing what humans eat when they’re celebrating.

9. Has a Happy Ending

Occasionally I’ve been known to flip ahead to the final page of a book before starting it just to make sure it ends in a cheerful place. I can handle a lot of dark material, but I do need to be reassured that the characters will survive those scenes and go on to get whatever it is they were hoping for.

10. Fights Stereotypes in General

I love it when characters are written as well-rounded individuals whose hobbies, interests, or personality traits might not necessarily fit what society assumes someone of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other label is actually supposed to be like.

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  This week’s topic is Audio Freebie so I’m taking a break from books to discuss music!  Whether I’m cleaning, cooking, driving, or going for a run, I love listening music.  Like a really great book, music can be a mood booster, calming, or energizing.  I debated on how to approach this topic.  Should I list my ten favorite bands, albums, songs?  Then I had an unusual experience, and I knew I had to share it.  So today before I get to my list, I’m going to talk about an amazing band called The Maine.

A couple years ago I was at a concert, and The Maine were the opening act.  They put on such a great show.  I was immediately hooked.  Their newest album is being released on Friday, March 29th.  I pre-ordered it last month, which speaks to how much I love this band.  I’m very particular about my music, and I never pre-order anything.  However, I have a lot of faith in this band.

A couple weeks ago shortly after putting my kids to bed, my phone rang.  It was a restricted number, and I don’t normally answer my phone if I don’t know the number.  However, I picked it up without thinking.  It was Garrett Nickelsen, the bass player for The Maine…..  He was calling to thank me for pre-ordering their album!  I know The Maine does things like this.  I’ve seen videos on you tube of them calling fans, but never expected to be lucky enough to get a call.  The conversation went something like this.

Garrett: Is this (my real name, but I’m not sharing that here )?

Me: Yes

Garrett: This is Garrett from The Maine, and you pre-ordered our album.

Me: (freaking out inside but staying calm outwardly) Yes I did.

Garrett: I just wanted to call and say thanks.  We really appreciate it.

Me: Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it.  I’ve enjoyed the songs you’ve released so far. (I’m so not cool)

Garrett: So how has your day been?

Me: It’s been pretty good.  Both my kids have colds so I’ve been dealing with that. (Seriously?! Thanks the best thing I can think to say when talking to a member of such an awesome band?!)

Garrett: Oh yeah, cold and flu season is terrible.  Hope they feel better soon.

Me: Thanks. (still kicking myself for not thinking of something better to say but also thinking how nice Garrett is being)

Garrett: Well, thanks again for your support, and I hope to see you out on tour this year.

Me: I already have tickets to one of the shows! (Finally I have something cool to say!)

Garrett: Awesome!  Thanks!  See you out on tour then.  Have a good night!

Me: You too, and thanks for calling!

I disconnected the call and promptly freaked out. (and thought of so many better things I could have said)

So today in honor of The Maine being such an amazing band and so great to their fans, I’m going to list some of my favorite songs by The Maine.  The titles are linked to you tube.  I recommend using earbuds if you’re at work as some of the lyrical content might not be appropriate for that setting.

From their sixth album Lovely Little Lonely

• Don’t Come Down
• Bad Behavior
• Black Butterflies and Deja Vu
• How Do You Feel
• The Sound of Reverie

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From their fifth album American Candy

• Miles Away
• English Girls
• Diet Soda Society
• Am I Pretty-This one has a short segment before getting to the song.  You can fast forward, but I think it is worth watching the whole video.
• (Un)Lost

From their fourth album Forever Halloween

• Love and Drugs
• Run
• Kennedy Curse
• Sad Songs
• Forever Halloween

From their third album Pioneer

• Identify
• Some Days
• Time
• When I’m At Home

I’ve clearly exceeded ten songs, but I just couldn’t help myself.  I hope you get a chance to listen to some of the songs, and I hope you like them!

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My list for this week is an eclectic one. I tried to pick characters who would show me things that I’ve never seen before if I could live their lives for a day.

1. Polly from C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew. 

Many people have read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, but not everyone has read the later books in this series that have never been made into films. One of the coolest things about The Magician’s Nephew was the magical place Polly visited where you could visit countless worlds by stepping into and out of various pools of water. I sure would have wanted to visit more of those pools if I could step into her shoes for a day.

2. Tom Bombadil from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

Tom was the only character in this series I can recall who wasn’t affected by the evil power of the One Ring in any way. He wasn’t a king or warrior, and yet he his presence commanded respect from everyone who crossed his path. The narrator was never totally clear about who or what Tom actually was, but I’d sure like to find out.

3. Sookie from Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries series

If you haven’t read this series or watched True Blood yet, know that Sookie is a woman who lives in a small, southern town in a version of the United States where vampires exist and are well-known to the general public. This series mixed romance, horror, fantasy, and adventure together in some pretty exciting ways. I’d pick a day when Sookie was planning to cross paths with as few vampires as possible, but I would want to see the world through her eyes.

4. Sir Lancelot from the Legends of King Arthur

I’ve been a fan of the many various versions of the King Arthur and Camelot legends since I was a kid.

Lancelot has long been a favorite character of mine in these stories because of how brave he was.

5. Winnie-the-Pooh
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Winnie was one of my favorite characters when I was in preschool. I’d trade places with him for a day in a heartbeat.

6. James Bond

Being a spy sounds so exciting to me.

7. Scout Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

I’d want to skip ahead to Scout’s adulthood and see what sort of person she became then. Maybe she would have become a lawyer like her dad?

8. The Cat in the Hat

This was another one of those stories I loved hearing growing up. There is something a little appealing to me about getting into a whole bunch of mischief for a single day.

9. Alice from Alice in Wonderland

It would be so cool to see Wonderland for myself, so I’d have to pick the time in Alice’s life when this was something she did.

10. Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz

Speaking of going to faraway magical lands, I’d also love to see Oz from Dorothy’s perspective.

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For this week’s prompt, I stuck to places that really do exist somewhere in our world. I love the thought of being able to visit a place that inspired a writer so much he or she decided to make the setting for their story.

1. Conservatory Water in Central Park, New York from E.B. White’s “Stuart Little.”

This was the pond in “Stuart Little” where Stuart participated in the sailboat race. As you’re about to see, I love visiting nature. Nearly all of my answers today are going to involve it in some way.

2. Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts from Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden.”

The only parts of this book I remember are the ones that talked about the animals and plants that Thoreau noticed at Walden Pond. Obviously, that landscape has no doubt changed a lot since he lived there, but I’d still like to see it.

3. Anne Frank’s House, Amsterdam from “The Diary of Anne Frank”

“The Diary of Anne Frank” was my favourite piece of non-fiction when I was a kid. Someday, I’d love to go to Amsterdam and see the place that she and her family hid in during the last few years of her life.

4. Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India from Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book.”

Seoni in 2019 is no doubt quite different from the way this town was when Kipling wrote his story. It would be interesting to see how it’s changed and what people who live there think of that tale.

5. Kyoto, Japan from Arthur Golden’s “Memoirs of a Geisha.”

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6. San Nicolas Island, California from Scott O’Dell’s “The Island of the Blue Dolphins.”

While I wouldn’t want to live alone on this island like the main character in this book did, I would love to live on one if there were at least a few other people around for company. Imagine being surrounded by the ocean no matter which way you looked! That sounds so soothing.

7. Great Maytham Hall in Kent, England, from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden”

It was originally described as such a dark and joyless mansion. While Mary changed that throughout the course of the plot, I’d be curious to see if the building itself was as foreboding as my childhood imagination always made it out to be.

8. Mark Twain Cave in Missouri from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

I love exploring caves, but I’ve never made it to this one. Someday that will have to change.

9. Maienfield, Switzerland from Johanna Spyri’s Heidi.

There’s nothing like sitting next to a rushing mountain spring. The water in them is generally too cold to bathe in, but the combination of mountains and fresh, sparkling water is something that will always make me smile.

10. The Yorkshire Moors, England from Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.“

This seems like an excellent place to take a long walk without any interruptions. I have no idea if that would still be true in 2019, but it would be fun to find out.

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  Keeping with the love theme since we’re just past Valentine’s Day, this week’s topic is books I loved that have fewer than 2,000 ratings on Goodreads.  All of these books are wonderful, and they clearly need more love!

Discount Prices (Heroes for Hire #1) by C.S. Feldman-21 ratings-I know I’ve mentioned this book several times, and I’m going to again.  It is great, and I can’t recommend it enough.

First Contact (Heroes for Hire #2) by C.S. Feldman-5 ratings-When I first read the premise of the sequel to Discount Prices, I was a little unsure.  The setting sounded much different than the previous book.  However, I loved the first book so much, I had to read the second one.  I’m so glad I did!  I sincerely hope there will be a book three.

The Magician’s Workshop Volume One by Christopher Hansen and J.R. Fehr-93 ratings-An excellent young adult series filled with magic!

The Magician’s Workshop Volume Two by Christopher Hansen and J.R. Fehr-42 ratings-I’m eagerly anticipating volume three!

The Caves of Etretat (Book One of Four) by Matt Chatelain-11 ratings-I read this years ago, but it has stayed with me.

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Justice Unending by Elizabeth Spencer-6 ratings-I really enjoyed the concept of this young adult novel!  I believe a sequel is in the works!

Eagle En Garde by Olga Godim-5 ratings-I enjoyed this fantasy, adventure novel very much.

Blistered (A Modern Greek Myth #1) by Deidre Huesmann-60 ratings-The Modern Greek Myth series is well worth reading!

Priestess (A Modern Greek Myth #2) by Deidre Huesmann-30 ratings

Warrior (A Modern Greek Myth #3) by Deidre Husmann-24 ratings

This concludes my list for the week!  Have you read any of these?  If not, which ones are you most interested in?

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Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday!  Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so today is all about great couples in books.  Since I wrote a post on this topic last year, I’m going to try not to repeat too many of the couples from my previous list.  Here is this year’s list in no particular order.

Audrey and Thomas-Stalking Jack the Ripper-I seriously need to read the second book!

Cinder and Thorne-The Lunar Chronicles-They aren’t a romantic couple but their friendship is one of the highlights of the series.

Jane and Gifford (G)- My Lady Jane-I had so much fun getting to know them!

Azalee and Joel-The Modern Greek Myth Series-After everything they endure, they deserve to be together.

Persephone and Hades- The Daughters of Zeus Series-I love re-tellings of Greek Myths.

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Anne and Gilbert-the Anne of Green Gables Series-A classic couple!

Beauty and the Beast-Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast-One of my favorite books.

Mercy and Adam-Mercy Thompson Series-I couldn’t help myself!  I had to put them on my list again.  They are such an awesome couple!

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy-Pride and Prejudice-Would a great couples list be complete without them?

What do you think?  Who are some of your favorite couples?  Did any of my couples make your list?