Top Ten Most Anticipated Novels For 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Most Anticipated Novels For 2015

The topic is technically 'most anticipated debut novels, but I don't keep track of debut authors very well and there are so many other books I'm looking forward to this year. So I decided to share those instead. Technically my #1 will most likely include debut authors.

1. Five Enchanted Roses by five different authors

2. Poison Crown by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

(This banner is from the title reveal. The cover reveal will be sometime this month or next.)

 3. Always on My Mind by Susan May Warren

(Ok, so technically this came out in Dec, but I still want to read it! And the next one after it which does come out in 2015: The Wonder of You 

 4. The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson

5. A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

6. A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

7. An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund

8. Taken by Dee Henderson

9. How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck

10. Miles from Nowhere by Amy Clipston

What books are you looking forward to reading this year?

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Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read list

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read list

1. Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

My favorite series! The next book comes out in November! Can't wait! 

2. The Vow: the true story that inspired the movie by Kim & Krickett Carpenter

While cataloging it for the library I started flipping through it, looks interesting!

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry

Confession: I've never read this book. Yet.

4. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

Yeah, this was on a TTT-read-in-2013 list and this years TTT-spring-TBR list... hopefully this season.

5. When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren
 
I fell in love with Susan May Warren's Deep Haven series last winter and then started her Christiansen Family series. This is book three in the series.

6. An Eye for an Eye by Irene Hannon

Because I enjoyed Dee Henderson's O'Malley series I thought I'd try Irene Hannon's Heroes of Quantico series. Book one certainly kept me turning the pages and I'd love to find out Mark's story.

7. From Slave to Governor by Perry Thomas

I've met the author and my mom really enjoyed this book. But I've never gotten around to reading it. I want to though.

8. The notorious Benedict Arnold : a true story of adventure, heroism, & treachery by Steve Sheinkin

I need to read more non-fiction... And I like American Revolutionary War history. And I really liked the other book by this author that I read. 

9. Thursday's with the Crown by Jessica Day George

I'm reading the first book in the series to 2nd grade and book two ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, so I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!

10. The Bravest Princess by E.D. Baker

This is also book three in a middle-grade series that I've really enjoyed. A fun twist on classic fairytales all jumbled together. Book #1: Wide Awake Princess

What books do you want to read this fall?

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com or Independent Bookstores use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Blogging Confessions

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Blogging Confessions

1. I am woefully behind on NetGalley reviews. There's even a book or two that I requested last fall that I haven't read yet and a few that I requested this spring that I have read but haven't written reviews for yet.

2. I read what I want to read, when I want to read it. Which is probably the cause for #1 (well and they have so many books!), but also means I'm terrible at reading ARCs. Especially ebook ones from new to me authors.

3. I would rather read than write reviews or other blog posts. Hence my irregular posts.

4. I don't like it when two posts, for whatever reason, end up being posted the same day.

5. Time zones are tricky things when scheduling posts. When working in Africa I've got an extra 6 hours in a day to get a post scheduled before the US East Coast wakes up. Which is bad for when I'm in the States and have to remember to post and schedule the night before.

6. I don't read blogs I've subscribed to via Feedly very consistently. There are currently 879 unread posts. But I do like Feedly for the most part.

7. I have not read Harry Potter, or Divergent, or the second two Hunger Games bks. Maybe someday I'll get around to them, especially since a number of my students enjoy them. But there are so many other books I want to read!

8. I judge books by their cover. But be honest, you do too.

9. I have lost a lot of hours of sleep because of books. Unfortunately I also have to be up by 7am during the school year so starting a book at 11pm or midnight and finishing around 2 or 3am doesn't make for a good night's sleep.

10. There are 346 bks on my Goodreads to read shelf. If I don't add anything more and only read books off that list it would take almost three years. We all know that's not going to happen … such a depressing realization.

Do you have any blogging or book confessions?

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com or Independent Bookstores use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR list

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR list

I didn't get around to doing TTT last week and figured I'd to last week's topic since it'll probably be quicker to come up with than this weeks. ;-)

1. Rules of Murder by Julianne Deering
2. Love Makes a House a Home: A Christian Romance by Kimberly Rae Jordan
3. Heaven Sent Rain by Lauraine Snelling
4. When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren
5. Caught in the Middle by Regina Jennings
6. The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler
7. Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
8. The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
9. Blades of Valor by Sigmund Brouwer
10. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

What books are you going to read this summer?

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com or Independent Bookstores use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year

1. Five Glass Slippers by five different wonderful authors

2. Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

3. It Had to Be You by Susan May Warren

4. Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren

5. A Promise in Pieces by Emily T. Wierenga

6. Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

7. Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer 

8. Captured by Love by Jodi Hedlund

9. The Truth Seeker by Dee Henderson (Actually the whole O'Malley series was great!)

10. Princess in Peril by Rachelle McCalla (Loved the whole Reclaiming The Crown series)

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

A rather difficult topic since while there are plenty of lovely book covers out there I'm not sure I'd want them all hanging on my walls... But let's see what searching through my Goodreads shelf turns up:

1. Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

2. The Soul of the Rose by Ruth Trippy

3. Dealing with Dragons by Patrcia C. Wrede

4. I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

5. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

6. Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson


7. River Secrets by Shannon Hale

8. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

9. The Wretched of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler

10. Winnetou III by Karl May

Whew, I found 10 and it only took going through 900 out of 1242 books on my Goodreads shelf.

What book covers would you like to hang on your walls?

Have you read any books with a librarian as an important character? Please share!

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Characters Who Are Librarians

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Characters Who Are Librarians

This week's topic was Top Ten Characters Who X (you fill in the blank) and I choose librarians, since I'm one and it always warms my heart to find a librarian in a book.

1. Imraldera from Starflower, Dragonwitch, and Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
She's not a librarian at first, but she later looks after books and writes down the histories and stories of the lands.

2. The Chronicler (and Mouse) from Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

The Chronicler as drawn by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Image Source

3. Princess Cimorene from Searching for Dragons by Patrcia C. Wrede

4. Dottie Morgan and Violet from Baby it's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren

5. Alice from Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

6. Miss Braithwaite from The Rose Garden Husband by Margaret Widdemer
One of my favorite books! And you can get it for free from Project Gutenberg.

7. Celia Thatcher from The Soul of the Rose by Ruth Trippy
Ok, so she's not quite a librarian - she works in a book store. But she could be a librarian if she wanted to be one.

8. Miss Finton from Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library! by Eth Clifford

9. Mrs. Byrne from The Report Card by Andrew Clements

10. Eden Spencer from To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer
Thanks Abbi for reminding me of Eden!

Have you read any books with a librarian as an important character? Please share!

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Things On My Bookish Bucket List

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Things On My Bookish Bucket List 
(could be blogging related, book related etc. -- meeting authors, reading x many books per year, finishing a daunting book, etc.)

1. Beat my personal record for books and pages read in a year (it's stood for 12 years!)

2. Meet Anne Elisabeth Stengl in person. Her book signings have always been when I'm out of town or out of the country.

3. Be caught up on writing reviews for books I have to review

4. Own a bookshelf that requires a rolling ladder :-) It would of course have to be in a personal library.

5. Meet blogging friends in person.

6. Visit the famous and beautiful libraries of Europe.

Image source (click through to see more lovely libraries)

7. Read all the books I own.

8. In the past week two people asked if I had read all the books in the library (of course not!) and then asked how many I had read. No idea, but I'd kinda like to find out even if it's a lot of counting and a bit of a waste of time...

9. Read more non-fiction

Sorry, can't think of a tenth...

What are some of your bookish aspirations?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten: Spring 2014 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Spring 2014 TBR (to be read) List

1. Shadowhand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Hopefully it arrives in the mail this week!

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

3. Born of Persuassion by Jessica Dotta

4. Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston
I loved Roadside Assistance and was so excited to see a sequel I went and bought it! But my Kindle is giving me trouble with the book so I haven't been able to start it yet.

5. Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

6. Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

7. Forget Me Not by Amber Stokes

8. The Thief by Stephanie Landsem

9. Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

10. What do you think I should read this spring?

And what's on your TBR list for the spring?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books in Fantasy/Fairy Tale

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books in Fantasy/Fairy Tale

1. Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Actually the whole series...

2. The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye

3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
And The Horse and His Boy
And The Last Battle
Actually the whole series...

4. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

5. Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

6. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

7. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

8. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

9. Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm

10. The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson

What are some of your favorite books in a certain genre?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten New-to-Me Authors in 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

It's always good to look back and remember some of the books I read this year. There were a number of new-to-me authors amongst those which is what this week's TTT focuses on.

Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2013

1. John Flanagan - author of the Ranger's Apprentice series among others.
He write adventures stories that middle and high school boys especially enjoy.
You can learn more about the series at http://www.rangersapprentice.com/.

2. Sarah E. Ladd - author of The Heiress of Winterwood and The Headmistress of Rosemere
Her debut book (and series) is an inspirational romance novel set in Regency England. Looking forward to book two. You can learn more about Sarah on her Facebook page.

3. Rachel Hauck - author of Once Upon a Prince and Princess Ever After
Inspirational romance author. Looking forward to reading the second book on the airplane on Thursday/Friday! Learn more about the author on her website: http://www.rachelhauck.com

4. Jeff Wheeler - author of The Wretched of Muirwood, the rest of that series, and other books.
Science fiction and fantasy are his genres. His website is: http://www.jeff-wheeler.com

5. Beth Wiseman - author of The House that Love Built and lots of Amish Fiction
 Her genre of choice is inspirational romance and while most of her books are Amish fiction she is branching out into more contemporary settings. Learn more on her website: http://bethwiseman.com/

6. Melody Carlson - author of Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel and lots of other books and series
A prolific author, most of her books are written for teenage girls but she's written kid books, middle grade fiction and contemporary Christian romance. Her website is: http://www.melodycarlson.com

7. Ruth Trippy - author of The Soul of the Rose
I loved that book. You should read it. Learn more about the author on her website: http://www.ruthtrippy.com/

8. Kimberly Rae Jordan - author of The Waiting Heart, the rest of that series, Faith, Hope and Love and other books
A missionary kid who has grown up to write inspirational romance. You can learn more about her and her books on her Facebook page.

9. Heather Gray - author of Ten Million Reasons and five other books
I will get around to reviewing this book, it's such a cute story! I liked it so much I went and bought several of her other books and enjoyed those as well. Learn more about her on her Facebook page.

10. Brandon Sanderson - author of Elantris and other books
Mainly a science fiction and fantasy author for young adults, I just finally got around to reading a book of his and enjoyed it. his website is: http://brandonsanderson.com/

What new authors did you discover this year?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To…Parents to read aloud

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic was a bit open ended: "Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To X Person" I decided to go with read alouds for middle and high school students since read alouds seem to end in elementary school. Just because kids get older doesn't mean they won't enjoy having a book read to them. Our family read books aloud frequently though sadly it did taper off the older we got. Oh, and I had fun creating a word cloud. What do you think?

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To…
Parents to read aloud to their middle and high school age children

1. Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
If you haven't done so already. Better late than never!
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
3. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Yes, it's a long book but I know a family who has read it to their young elementary age kids.
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5. Dragon and the Raven by G.A. Henty
My mom started reading this to my brother but my sister and I liked it so much we sat in.
6. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
7. White Fang by Jack London
8. Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
9. Winnie-the-Poohby A.A. Milne
A friend of mine read and was read these books when he was a teenager and he loved them. He would also quote them in emails.
10. Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge

What books did your parents read to you? Or are you reading to your kids?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.