Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Water-Themed Books and Films We’ve Reviewed

August 29, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 41 Comments

One of the coolest things about being part of a group of reviewers working together is the wide range of genres and perspectives we cover here.

I rarely read romance, for example, but I stay up-to-date on some of the newest titles out there thanks to my fellow reviewers who spend some to all of their reading time in that genre. Likewise, those of us who love horror give everyone else a chance to know what’s going on with the scary side of modern fiction as well.

Here are some of the books and films we’ve discussed over the past few months that have water references in their titles. If you pay close attention, you might notice a tiny bit of overlap between this list and last week’s list.

The genres they cover range from mystery to picture books to science fiction, so there’s a little something here for just about everyone. I think it’s cool to look for the similarities not only between books but between book reviewers as well!

Just like last week, I wrote this post in advance for scheduling purposes. It’s once again possible there might be another water-themed review or two on our front page by the time this is published.

1. On Duck Pond by Jane Yolen

Genre: Children’s

2. Saltwater Sorrows by Rhonda Parrish

Genre: Science Fiction

3. Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby

Genre: Mystery

4. Fuddles and Puddles by Frans Vischer

Genre: Children’s

5. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

Genre: Mainstream Fiction

6. Dragon Springs & Other Things by Raven Oak

Genre: Science Fiction

7. Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perri

Genre: Romance

8. Deep Tide by Laura Griffin

Genre: Mystery

9. Movie Review: Adam & the Water

Genre: Science Fiction

10. Salt Water by Eugenia Triantafyllou

Genre: Science Fiction

What books with watery themes or titles have you read lately?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Picture Books We’ve Reviewed This Month

August 22, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 36 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Picture books aren’t just for kids! I especially enjoy reading them on days when I’m not feeling well or having trouble concentrating on longer works for whatever reason. They are often about cheerful topics, too, which is a refreshing change from the serious and sometimes scary stuff I typically choose.

Here are ten picture books that we’ve reviewed so far this month. I wrote this in advance for scheduling purposes, so there may be more a few great reviews from this genre on our site by the time this post goes live.

1. Mario and the Hole in the Sky – How a Chemist Saved Our Planet by Elizabeth Rusch

2. Thank You, Neighbor by Ruth Chan

3. Touch the Earth by Julian Lennon

4. My First Day by Phùng Nguyên Quang

5. Purplicious by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann

6. On Duck Pond by Jane Yolen

7. Dog’s Day by Jane Cabrera

8. Go for the Moon by Chris Gall

9. Cows to the Rescue by John Himmelman

10. I Am Quiet – A Story for the Introvert in All Of Us by Andie Powers:

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: Picture Books, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: One-Word Titles

July 18, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 54 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

We’ve reached the hot, humid portion of the year where I live. Along with eating ice cream and other cold foods, I spend a lot of free time reading and trying to stay cool.

Here are ten books that have one-word titles that could be good reads as the temperature soars.

1. Pawcasso by Remy Lai

2. Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

3. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

4. Warcross (Warcross, #1) by Marie Lu

5. Alaska by James A. Michener

6. Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

7. Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

8. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

9. Brass by Xhenet Aliu

10. Sadie by Courtney Summers

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Summer Quotes

July 11, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 52 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Long and Short Reviews has a small team of people who take turns writing Top Ten Tuesday posts. I feel excited every time Freebie posts pop up and try to request them as often as I can.

This week I’m going to use the freebie post to share ten bookish summer quotes.

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
― Henry James

“All in all, it was a never-to-be-forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne’s House of Dreams

“The library in summer is the most wonderful thing because there you get books on any subject and read them each for only as long as they hold your interest, abandoning any that don’t, halfway or a quarter of the way through if you like, and store up all that knowledge in the happy corners of your mind for your own self and not to show off how much you know or spit it back at your teacher on a test paper.”
― Polly Horvath, My One Hundred Adventures

“I have only to break into the tightness of a strawberry, and I see summer – its dust and lowering skies.”
― Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye

“It was summer and moonlight and we had lemonade to drink, and we held the cold glasses in our hands, and Dad read the stereo-newspapers inserted into the special hat you put on your head and which turned the microscopic page in front of the magnifying lens if you blinked three times in succession.”
― Ray Bradbury, The Illustrated Man

“The sound of crickets, the feel of warm dried grass on the soles of his feet and the scent of baked earth pleased him. The big thick glass was icy in his hands. When he set it down, the tinkle of the ice cubes sounded personal.”
― Ian McEwan, Lessons

“There are not enough jam jars to can this
summer sky at night. I want to spread those
little meteors on a hunk of still-warm bread this
winter. Any trace left on the knife will make a kitchen sink like that evening air

the cool night before
star showers: so sticky so warm so full of light”
― Aimee Nezhukumatathil

“The thing about a deep summer’s evening is that it is filled with an array of sounds that never intrude on the silence because they were created to accentuate it, not fill it.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

Meeting someone on a summer’s evening is like giving a dead flame new life.”
― Caleb Azumah Nelson, Open Water

“And I spent a wonderful summer, below the trees in the Godavari, writing my poetry.”
― Avijeet Das, Why the Silhouette?

What are your favorite bookish summer quotes?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: Quotes, Summer, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023

June 27, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 56 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

All of my summer picks were included in last week’s Top Ten Tuesday posts, so this week I’m going to focus on books that are coming out in the autumn.

There is going to be more horror than usual on this list because I enjoy being scared and because Halloween is a time of year when publishers like to release their scariest novels.

I did choose titles from other genres as well, though. Jumping around from one genre to the next is something I quite like doing.

Yes, I once again added a bonus book to my list. Sometimes 10 answers just quite isn’t enough.

1. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: September 12

Why I’m Interested: It sounds deliciously scary.

2. The Meadows by Stephanie Oakes

Release Date: September 12

Why I’m Interested: Books that claim to be like The Handmaid’s Tale intrigue me. That’s a big role to fill, but I do silently cheer on every book that attempts to do it. Hopefully, this one will add an excellent sapphic twist to those themes.

3. Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

Release Date: September 19

Why I’m Interested: It looks adorable.

4. All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr

Release Date: September 19

Why I’m Interested: I know someone who has studied the problem of sexual abuse in religious communities for many years. My fingers are crossed that this will be a good representation of that issue and, more importantly, a well-written story in general.

5. All You Have to Do Is Call by Kerri Maher

Release Date: September 19

Why I’m Interested: This wasn’t a part of history that was ever covered in the history classes I took. I know almost nothing about it and am looking forward to changing that.

6. Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig

Release Date: September 26

Why I’m Interested: Mr. Wendig’s books scare me so much I’ve never been able to finish one of them. Maybe this one will be different? I love his writing style…I’m just a little too scared of the spooky things he comes up with.

7. Family Meal by Bryan Washington

Release Date: October 10

Why I’m Interested: There aren’t a lot of books out there that talk about the difficulties of ending a friendship. It sounds like this one might leave space for a reconciliation which is yet another reason to read it.

8. The Hive and the Honey by Paul Yoon

Release Date: October 10

Why I’m Interested: I need more short story collections in my life.

9. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Release Date: October 17

Why I’m Interested: I like books about curses and how curses might be broken.

10. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Why I’m Interested: A gothic fairy tale sounds like the perfect way to celebrate Halloween. I’m getting strong whiffs of horror from it, too.

11. Love in a Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello

Release Date: November 10

Why I’m Interested: I’m fascinated by how much some folks love Christmas. It’s a holiday that stirs up mixed emotions for me, but I do enjoy reading about characters who have much simpler reactions to that time of year.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: TBR Lists, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer 2023 to-Read List

June 20, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 52 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Happy summer to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere!

Here are ten books I’m looking forward to reading this summer.

Once the weather grows hot and muggy, I hope to spend a lot of my free time reading. If it’s too humid and warm outside to take a simple walk, why not go places in your imagination instead? I think that’s a wonderful way to pass the time until evening comes and it might cool down enough to be more active outdoors.

About half of these titles have already been released. I included publication dates for the ones that are coming but that aren’t quite available yet in stores or your local library.

Yes, there are 11 books on this list instead of 10. I couldn’t bear to trim any of them out, so this will help to make up for the weeks when it’s a struggle to come up with enough answers.

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

Why I’m Interested: Small town politics can be incredibly complex, especially for residents who aren’t Caucasian or otherwise stand out from the crowd. I look forward to seeing how those issues are addressed in this murder mystery.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

Why I’m Interested: It’s based on the true story of a fifteenth-century female physician in China. How cool is that?

You Were Always Mine by Christina Pride and Jo Piazza
Why I’m Interested: I hope this doesn’t sound strange, but I’ve actually had a conversation with a relative about what we’d do if we found an abandoned baby in a public place. It was an interesting thought experiment as far as who should be called and how society should respond to such things, so I hope it will be a good premise for a book as well.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Why I’m Interested: Many people in nursing homes are kind, gentle souls…but some of them can have much darker pasts. I’m intrigued by how healthcare professionals deal with people who are frail now but who once did unspeakable things. It must be difficult sometimes.

Old Enough by Haley Jakobson

Why I’m Interested: I’m drawn to books about people healing from trauma and creating wonderful lives for themselves.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Release Date: July 18

Why I’m Interested: Ms. Moreno-Garcia is a great storyteller, and I’m always eager to see what she comes up with next.

Robots Through the Ages edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Release Date: July 25
Why I’m Interested: Robots are awesome.

Family Lore by Elizabeth AcevedoRelease Date: August 1
Why I’m Interested: It’s been a while since I read any magical realism. Summer seems like a good time to dive back into it, maybe because it was the end of summer the first time I tried this genre?

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Release Date: August 1

Why I’m Interested: Occasionally, I broaden my horizons and read literary fiction. This looks like it could be a good reason to step outside of my usual mystery, young adult, and science fiction/fantasy habits.

Forged by Blood Ehigbor Okosun
Release Date: August 8

Why I’m Interested: Mythology is so much fun to read.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: TBR Lists, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book

May 23, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 43 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

All of these things are green lights for me when deciding whether to try a book. The more of them that pop up, the better the chances are of me loving that story!

1. Moderately descriptive writing.

I want to be able to clearly imagine what the characters and settings look like, but I don’t want read Tolkien-like works that describe everything in minute detail over many pages. Yes, some stories need to have long, flowery descriptions in them, but they are generally not my cup of tea.

2. Complex characters

They do not need to be people I’d ever want to spend time with, in real life, but they should have plenty of interesting and surprising layers to their personalities that are slowly peeled back as the storyline progresses.

Character development is one of those things that can pull book down to a low rating or catapult it to a five-star read depending on how well it’s done!

3. Diversity

Diverse reads are automatically pushed to the top of my TBR.

4. Little to no romance

Kudos to all of the romance readers out there! While I do sometimes enjoy books that have a dash of romance sometimes, I prefer characters who pursue other goals in life most of the time.

5. Lots of platonic relationships

This is something I’d be thrilled to see a lot more of in stories in general. Show me the relationships between relatives, coworkers, friends, enemies, acquaintances, neighbors, and more. I love seeing how character relate to each other in these moments. The more complicated things are between everyone, the better.

I also find it much more interesting to read romances that develop from longterm friendships because that’s how I ended up falling in love with my spouse.

6. Short stories or novellas

While I do enjoy longer works as well, my sweet spot is something that can be read in an afternoon.

7. Historical accuracy

Whether it’s historical fiction, a biography, or a nonfiction work about the past, I want it to be as historically accurate as possible.

8. Puns

The cozy mystery genre excels at coming up with all sorts of puns for their titles. I wish this trend would spread to other genres more often. I love it.

9. Scientific accuracy

Hard science fiction is difficult to write but so much fun to read. I love stopping a chapter or two into these sorts of books to research anything from cordyceps to what astronauts are actually trained to do to see where the line truly is between fiction and fact.

Sometimes there is a lot of fiction added when you’re talking about a TV show like The Last of Us, but it still taught me all sorts of interesting things about how some species of cordyceps infect certain species of ants. In other cases, stories like Andy Weir’s The Martian are surprisingly accurate in the majority of their scenes!

10.Playful use of tropes.

It’s always cool to see authors acknowledge the tropes in their genres and then play around with them in unusual ways or even gently poke fun of them.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Things Getting in the Way of Reading

May 16, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 40 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten things that are currently getting in the way of me reading more.

1. The Outdoors

This is the time of year when I want to spend as many hours out in the nice weather as possible.

2. A Reading Slump

Spring is a common time of year for me to have a reading slump. I generally feel more interested in books again once the weather heats up and it’s less fun to be outdoors all day.

3. Seasonal Allergies

4. Trouble Sleeping

My seasonal allergies are in full swing, and that can mean some sniffly nights if the pollen counts are really high or if I accidentally forget to take my medication for it.

5. A Little Bored with Many New Releases

This is something I’m saying with all of the kindness in the world and with the knowledge that it is a me problem just as much – and maybe even more – than it is a publishing or author problem. You see, I’ve been reading speculative fiction for so many years that it’s pretty hard to surprise me these days. Maybe taking a break from this genre will help me be more excited about it in the future?

6. Documentaries

Lately, I’ve been much more interested in nonfiction than I have been in fiction. There are so many amazing documentaries out there!

7. Mental Health

I’ve been struggling with some anxiety and sadness this year. When I do want to read, I’m more interested in cheerful stories than I ever was before.

8. Films and TV Shows

There are so many interesting things out there to watch.

9. My Own Writing

On a more positive note, I’ve been trying to spend more time writing my own stories. Sometimes it can be hard to find a balance there, but I have high hopes.

10. Long Walks

One of the things that helps lift my mood is taking a long walk. The neighborhood I live in has a lot of advantages, but it can be a little rough around the edges. Since I am a woman, I don’t feel comfortable listening to audiobooks while I walk in that area. I’d rather know exactly what’s going on around me at all times even though it’s pretty safe here most of the time.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Audiobook Narrators

April 25, 2023 By Lasreviews 34 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This week’s topic is about audiobook narrators.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve really started to love audiobooks. And with that comes a certain predisposition to narrators. For me, the narrator has to have a clear, concise voice and enough animation to make the story interesting. For me, it doesn’t mean they have to have voices for every character. However, they do need to engage your ear and draw you in. Here are some of my favorite narrators as well as a few I’d love to see tackle audiobooks in the future. Oh, and beware – there will be a bit of a theme here.

Dick Hill. I first encountered him when listening to the Harry Bosch novels by Michael Connelly. Since he narrates the earlier books in the series, he is, for me, the ‘voice’ of Bosch.

Len Cariou. My only experience with him as well is through Harry Bosch. He’s the narrator of the mid-series novels, the ones I’m currently working my way through.

Titus Welliver. Now, I’m jumping the gun here a bit because I haven’t actually gotten to the books that he narrates yet. However, since he’s played Harry Bosch in seven seasons of Bosch, plus Bosch Legacy, I think he’s going to do a knockout job of it.

Lorelei King. She narrates the later Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. The woman has such a way with the voices for the characters that whatever voice I’d had in my head before has been replaced by her. And there’s something about listening to a ridiculous book that makes it ten times funnier in my opinion.

Stephen Fry. He narrated my favorite book ever – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – and it caused me to fall in love all over again. There’s something amazing and wonderful about having such a posh, cultured voice narrating the bizarreness that is Douglas Adams. 11/10 would recommend.

Marin Ireland. I discovered her quite by accident. Someone had recommended I read a book called Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. I could only get it in audio from the library so I figured why not. Another ridiculous, but heartwarming book, with a deadpan narrator that doesn’t quite fit the craziness of the plot. But it works. It works so darn well. One of my favorite audiobooks ever.

Neil Gaiman. He’s narrated several of his own novels, which is a lot of fun. He has a pleasant voice that really draws you into the story.

Some people I think would do a great job narrating:

Cary Elwes. I say this because I got the audio version of his memoir, As You Wish and he does a fabulous job. Plus, he just has an amazing voice overall.

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. Okay, confession time: I’m obsessed. I love him as an actor and he’s handsome to boot. But even better is his accent, which I find to be swoon-worthy. Since he is now playing the role of Mickey Haller – I think he’d be the perfect person to narrate The Lincoln Lawyer novels that are a part of Michael Connelly’s Bosch Universe.

Lastly, one of my favorite Peloton instructors has a book coming out later this year. And the audiobook just won’t quite be right if Cody Rigsby himself doesn’t narrate it.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: audiobook narrators, Blog Hop, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Shows I Enjoy

April 18, 2023 By Long and Short Reviews 38 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I love this idea for a prompt! Here are ten recent (or recent-ish) shows that I’ve enjoyed. I usually only watch two or three of them each week, so sometimes it takes me a few years or even longer to start watching what many other folks finished ages ago.

1. The Last of Us