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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
☃️ Freebee: Favorite Book Quotes❄️
For the freebee this week, I decided to do some of my favorite bookish quotes that I love.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
☃️ Favorite Books of 2022 ❄️
Instead of doing my top 10 favorite books of the year, I decided to do my top 15 because I couldn't narrow it down. Here are my top favorite books from the 192 books I read in 2022.
1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- My favorite book of the year by far. I read this book back in March, and it instantly became my favorite book of the year. It is absolutely wonderful. This novel made me laugh, cry, and just completely and utterly happy. It was one of the best books that I have ever read in my life, and I cannot wait to read it again. I don't think that I need to recommend this book to anyone at all because it is so well-known. But I will anyway. It is definitely worth the read, and I cannot recommend it enough. I only wish that I had read it before I did.
“There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.”
2. A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna- This wonderful book had everything I love in a story, witchy vibes, found family, quirkiness, a cute romance, and a warm cozy feeling. I went into this book knowing that I would love it.
It was just an enjoyable experience reading every single page of Mika's story. I adored her as a character and the family that she grew to love. Ian, Ken, Lucie, Jamie, Rosette, Terracotta, and Altamira were such great characters, and I loved how close Mika grew to all of them. Their little family was perfection. Truthfully, I did not want this book to end, though I will say that the ending fit so well with the story. It was absolutely hilarious and beautiful.
“The thing is, being a witch is extraordinary,” she said. “It might seem sometimes that all we are is odd and different, but the truth is, we’re amazing.”
A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Review
3. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen- This was a phenomenal fairy tale retelling of "The Goose Girl". I loved every single page of this book, and I especially loved the main character, Vanja. Going into the book I knew the basics of the original fairy tale, but I have never read it myself. I really love where Margaret Owen took this story. Vanja does a lot of terrible things, but I just loved her so much. Her narration was perfect. I loved the little stories she told throughout the entire novel and how they were interspersed in the entire story. It was great to get little pieces of her past and to learn more and more along the way.
Cannot wait for the sequel this year!!!
“You’re what happens when an encyclopedia wishes on a star to be a real boy, if that encyclopedia was also an absolute prick.”
4. Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett- I adore the Death subseries books, and this was a great last book to the subseries. Susan's scenes as a teacher were great! She's a strict teacher in some aspects but uses her powers in ways that make her class one of the most interesting ever. Her class is so popular that parents are fighting to get their kids in it. I would have loved to have just a book of her teaching. It made me think of the Magic School Bus also when she took the kids on their "fields trips." This had such a great Discworld twist to it that I absolutely adored.
“Sometimes I really think people ought to have to pass a proper exam before they're allowed to be parents. Not just the practical, I mean.”
5. Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan- I adored the story in this book and learning even more about C. S. Lewis than I knew before this. This book is a beautiful story about the love between a sister and a brother and the lengths she will go to for him. Megs' little brother George falls in love with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and wants Megs to find out where Narnia came from for C. S. Lewis. Megs goes to meet C.S. Lewis (who goes by Jack) to find the answer to her brother's question. Throughout the novel, Jack tells Megs about his life, and she tells her brother the story. I adored this novel with all my heart and soul.
One of the most beautiful books I read in 2022.
6. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune- This was one of the most beautiful books that I have ever read, and I adored every little bit of it. I originally planned on reading it in 2021 right when it came out, but I never felt like it was the right moment to pick it up. I knew that this would be a heavy-hitting book, and man was I right about that.
I highly recommend this gem of a book. It is one of the best that I have ever read.
“The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.”
7. North Wind by Alexandria Warwick- One of the first books I read in 2022, and I still adore it. I love how it was a mixture of Greek Mythology with the gods of the wind, a bit of Beauty and the Beast, and also a Hades and Persephone retelling. This was a perfect slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance.
8. The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton- I absolutely adored the world and characters in this book, especially Twain and Quinta. It was so much fun reading about their adventure and romance. Also, the magic system with the starlight was intriguing, and I loved how we discovered more about it as the story continued.
This book is a highly entertaining read that I adored from Twain’s first perspective. I liked seeing the story from both his and Quinta’s point of view. The Vermilion Emporium was such an excellent idea with a shop that moves from place to place. I won’t spoil anything about the inside, but I know that I would love to be able to go into a shop like that. Such a neat idea! This fantasy world was a favorite that I know I will return to again and again.
9. Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross- I have fallen in love with Rebecca Ross's writing style in this book and also in Sisters of Sword and Song. This book was absolutely incredible. I love the feeling when I start reading a book, and by page 20 you know that it is going to be a new five-star favorite book of all time. This was one of those gems that I became obsessed with so quickly.
10. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander- I loved reading the entire Chronicles of Prydain series in 2022. Besides the first book, I adored the rest of the series. I grew up watching and loving the Disney movie The Black Cauldron. It was interesting to see how different these books are from that. I wish that this series would have got a much more loyal adaptation. This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it and following books in the series so much more than the first. I loved watching Taran grow throughout the book and become a leader.
11. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett- I loved following Sam Vimes as he traveled back in time and mentored his younger self. This book was a wonderful time, and I loved seeing Sam's growth throughout. I will always be a sucker for a great time travel story. It was great to get one from Terry Pratchett.
12. Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage- I loved the first book in this series, so I was excited to see that there was going to be a sequel based on Through the Looking Glass. The plot in this book was very enjoyable, and it was great getting to follow along with Tyrus and Celia again in a new adventure.
This zany adventure was a great follow-up to the first book, with lots of riddles, wordplay, and characters that I was looking forward to seeing Savage's take on. I am not as big of a fan of the original book Through the Looking Glass as I am of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but I will say that Savage's version of this story was awesome. I'm glad that the adventure for Tyrus and Celia was unexpected, especially the ending.
Secrets of the Looking Glass Review
13. My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows- This book was one of my most anticipated books of last year, and I was lucky enough to get an ARC of it. I have read every Lady Janies' book and have loved almost all of them. Their sense of humor is some of my favorite in books. This book was the one that I was looking forward to the most because I love Mary Shelley and Frankenstein. The fantasy and science fiction elements were some of the best aspects of the story.
14. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle- This book was phenomenal. I have heard a lot of great things about it over the years, but I did not ever expect it to be this great. Beagle's writing is beautiful and I loved this world so much.
15. Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge- 2022 must have been the year of Mary Shelley for me. Throughout the year, I wrote multiple lessons for work on Frankenstein, I read and adored My Imaginary May, and then read this beauty. This book is one of the best biographies that I have ever read. I love how it was written in verse and also the stunning illustrations.
Reviews Week 51
December 19th-25th
Book 182: Merry Christmas Cupid
By N. R. Walker
Read December 19th-21st
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I adore all of N. R. Walker's books in the Hartbridge Christmas series. This is the third book in that series and could technically stand on its own, but it is better after reading the other two. Especially with Jayden, Cass, Hamish, and Ren all making appearances. I love Gunter's friendship with Jayden and Hamish in this book, along with the romance.
N. R. Walker always does an excellent job with the secondary characters in her books, along with the main characters. Gunter and Clay had a sweet story together that I enjoyed. My favorite part of this book was the relationship between Clay and his dad, Cliff. Cliff was such a great character.
Another great addition to N. R. Walker's books. I hope that she continues on with this series next year, with the cop as one of the main characters.
Book 183: A Christmas Carol
By Charles Dickens
Read December 23rd
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December 23rd, 2022 read-
I do not know how many times I have heard/read/ or seen this story over the years, but it is and always will be one of my absolute favorite stories. It is the quintessential Christmas story I have to experience at least once every year. There are so many incredible movie versions of this tale. This time around, I listened to Neil Gaiman's reading of the story and read the extra aspects of this version of the book. I love this visual journey through the story. It was wonderful.
December 15th, 2021 read-
This is not the second time I have read or experienced this incredible story. I don't know how many times I have, but I adore it more and more every time I do. This time around, I listened to a version done by the BTE (a theatre from where I live), which was absolutely amazing. I cannot get enough of this story.
December 7th, 2017 read-
I have read, watched, and listened to this story so many times I could probably recite every plot point. It will never get old for me. I first fell in love with this story when I was a child with Mickey's Christmas Carol. I do not know how many times I have consumed A Christmas Carol, but most likely, it's been over thirty.
You have probably heard of this story before, but for those that have not, I'll give a quick synopsis. We follow Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounters with four ghosts on Christmas Eve. Scrooge has lived a good part of his life mean-spirited. He is an arrogant, insensitive, and quite a cold miser, who spends every day miserable at the world around him. His old friend Jacob Marley (who has been dead for seven years) comes as a ghost that night to give Scrooge a chance to change his ways, so he doesn't end up like Marley. Marley has been doomed to wander the earth as a spirit, to carry the burden of his sins in the chains on his back forever.
The other three ghosts that Scrooge encounters are Christmases past, present, and future. They each help him see the errors in his actions and help show the overall message of this story. A Christmas Carol is known for its story and Scrooge's redemption. We want him to succeed; at least, I know that I do. Yes, he is a curmudgeon, but that does not mean there is no room for change. Like I have said before, I grew up with Mickey's Christmas Carol. One of my favorite characters from Disney cartoons was Scrooge McDuck. It was great getting introduced to this famous literary character through him, especially since Scrooge McDuck is based on Ebenezer.
As we follow Scrooge through his journey through his past, present, and a possible future, we learn a good amount about him. He is never really as cold-hearted as he seems. There are many glimpses of a softer side to Scrooge that shows that he really could change. Our other characters, such as Bob Cratchett and his family, are also a joy to read about. This is a family that has hardly any money, but they can still see the joy of Christmas. Spending time with their family is the most important thing to them. The ghosts are also each distinct from each other and bring about some quite interesting scenes.
This novel just brings a warm feeling to my heart every time I read it. This story is a favorite of mine that I know will never change. It's a classic for a very good reason. If you have not taken the time to enjoy this before now, please pick it up in some fashion. I believe that you will enjoy the overall message and get something out of it.
Book 184: Hogfather
By Terry Pratchett
Read December 22nd-23rd
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December 22nd-23rd, 2022 review-
Now, after reading every one of Terry Pratchett's books, I can say with great certainty that this book is my favorite from the series. It is one of the books that I could read over and over again. And I still never get tired of it. Terry has written what has become one of the quintessential books I feel like I have to reread every year around Christmas. I love how into Hogswatch Death gets and how he wants to make it better for everyone. The references are wonderful and always a joy to read. This is just a perfect book for me in every single way.
December 23rd, 2020 review-
This is the second time I have read this book, and I can confidently say this is still my favorite book in the series. The humor, discussions on life, humanity, belief, and countless references make this book perfect. Terry had such a way with words that was just amazing. Everything fits perfectly.
His discussions on belief throughout the series are some of the best sections of his writing. Whether that be about Gods or in this case the amphomorphic figures such as the Hogfather (the "Santa Claus" of the Discworld). Death especially has a lot of great lines about the importance of belief to humanity. He gets a lot wrong when he is trying to understand humans in general, but he understands them in a way that a lot never will. I always find the Death series books so interesting from his perspective. His enjoyment of the holiday and his journey with Albert are some really great parts of this book. He wants to make Hogswatch better for those that need it. I loved seeing him get excited about gift-giving, especially in the store. His determination to get his Ho Ho Hos right was just so sweet.
Susan is such a great character too. It's enjoyable following her as she tried to solve what was going on with the Hogfather and her grandfather. I loved reading about her going after the monsters that are scaring the children. She is a strong character that I believe is one of the best in the series. Her perspective is just another great part of this book. Also, seeing her use her abilities, which she somehow inherited through her adoptive grandfather, just makes her scenes even better. She does not like getting in touch with these aspects. She would much rather be normal even though she is nothing close to normal.
The scenes in this book with the wizards at the Unseen University are just some of the best. I found it absolutely hilarious that they kept conjuring fairies and gods out of thin air by just talking about these ideas. Especially the Cheerful Fairy. I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time.
One final aspect I would like to touch on is the references to other Christmas properties throughout the book. I love Terry's use of pop culture throughout the entire series, and this definitely did not disappoint. We get references to "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", "The Little Match Girl", A Christmas Carol, so many songs, and many other properties. Some were comical, and others were just so touching, especially "The Little Match Girl". There are many writers that use pop culture in their books, and it just doesn't work. That doesn't happen with Terry's.
One of the best quotes from the entire series (let alone this book)
"All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
Reviews Week 49
December 5th-11th
Book 170: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
and Other Festive Poems
by Chris Riddell
Read on December 3rd-5th
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Book 171: Urbanshee
by Siaara Freeman
Read on December 5th
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Going into this poetry collection, I expected the poems to be urbanized/modernized versions of fairy tales, myths, and fables. It is the first thing mentioned in the description. There were references and allusions to Zeus, Athena, and many other mythological and fantastical beings, but many do not have these aspects. I know I went in expecting more of that because of the description, but Siaara’s poetry is some of the best I have ever read or heard. I highly recommend reading this collection of poetry.
I really enjoyed how Siaara discussed such raw topics for her, such as race, religion, and the loss of her father. The poems that she wrote about him were my favorites. I looked up her slam poetry, and I completely recommend watching her perform these poems. They are incredible. She does an excellent job evoking emotions into her poetry that the reader can feel the entire time reading or watching her perform.
Siaara is an incredible poet, and I look forward to picking up Urbanshee for my poetry collection. Along with the powerful messages Siaara conveys, I thoroughly love how she formatted each of her poems. As a poet and a lover of poetry, I enjoy seeing how others decide to present their poetry to their readers. I highly recommend this to the poetry lovers out there.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of the collection. All opinions are my own. *
Book 172: The Famously Funny Parrott
by Eric Daniel Weiner
Read on December 5th
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This book was a fun collection of four humorous little stories for children. Freddie Parrott was a character with the right amount of ridiculousness that children would love to read about. He continued throughout the collection to cause trouble because he thought he knew more than he did instead of listening to his butler and friend, Peccary.
I enjoyed the first two stories the most out of the collection. They, in my opinion, were the funniest parts. This book reminded me a bit of the Wayside Books by Louis Sachar, especially with his brand of humor that I know I loved when I was younger. It would be a great book for children, and I know that the little girl I watch would especially love the first story with the knock-knock jokes.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 173: The Sheperd's Crown
by Terry Pratchett
Read on December 8th
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In his afterward for this book, Rob Wilkins explains that there is a beginning, middle, and end for this book, but that Terry was unable to finish it in the way he would have liked before his death. I can see what he is talking about, but that did not ruin my enjoyment of this book. It was great to have one last adventure in this world, and it felt like a fitting end to the series.
Tiffany is one of my favorite characters from the series, and I enjoyed seeing where she ended up in this book. I won't spoil any of the plot points here. The entire book hit me hard and had me crying for many reasons. I'm sad to see it end, but I will revisit these characters again and again for the rest of my life.
Thank you to Terry for such a fantastic series with which I have had such a great time. You'll forever be one of the best writers, at least to me. And I'll end this review with some very powerful words from the book:
“FOR I CAN SEE THE BALANCE AND YOU HAVE LEFT THE WORLD MUCH BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT, AND IF YOU ASK ME, said Death, NOBODY COULD DO ANY BETTER THAN THAT. . . .”
Book 174: Lost Legends of Nothing
by Alejandra Green and Fanny Rodriguez
Read on December 8th
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The world of Nothing is so such an immersive one that I enjoyed even more this time around. I love how much more information we got about the world's past, and I cannot wait to see what else we learn if the authors return to it again. Found family stories are always my favorite, and Nathan, Haven, Sina, and Bardou are such a great group. I love their dynamic, and I hope we get more of them soon.
The art style was stunning, just like the last volume, especially the bright coloring. It's beautiful to look at, along with a fantastic storyline. I highly recommend picking up this volume along with the first if you have not. They are great reads with interesting world-building, fleshed-out characters, and unique mythology. Overall, it's a fun read that I believe fantasy lovers will enjoy. I preordered my copy as soon as I heard about it, and I love that I was given the opportunity to read it early.
*Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 175: The Middle Age- Sword Troubles: A Sir Quimp Fantasy Graphic Novel
by Steve Conley
Read on December 9th
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This short book was a fun little story that I enjoyed reading. I remember this book was recommended to me a while back because I enjoyed the Groo graphic novel series. The comparison makes sense to me though I enjoyed Groo's adventures better than Quimp's. This did have one of my favorite fantasy tropes, which is the sarcastic talking sword. I can't get enough of that trope in books, and I love whenever I can find it.
Book 176: The Middle Age- Better Than Nothing: A Sir Quimp Fantasy Graphic Novel
by Steve Conley
Read on December 9th-10th
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Like the first volume, I really enjoyed this book too. I hope that Steve Conley will continue with this series because I will pick up the next one. I like how he plays on fantasy tropes throughout this book and the first one.
Book 177: William Shakespeare's Christmas Carol
by Ian Doescher
Read on December 11th
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Two of my favorite things in literature are A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and many of Shakespeare's plays. This is a book that I have wanted to pick up for quite some time, and I am happy to say that I finally have. Ian is famous for his Shakespearean versions of the Star Wars movies that I have yet to read. I had a lot of fun reading this and seeing the references to many of Shakespeare's plays throughout, along with the story. My favorite parts were Puck as The Ghost of Christmas Past and The Witches as the thieves.
Reviews Week 48
November 28th- December 4th
Book 165: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse: The Animated Story
by Charlie Mackesy
Read on November 29th
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Book 166: Raising Steam
by Terry Pratchett
Read on November 29th-30th
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Book 167: The Little Mermaid and other Fairy Tales
by Hans Christian Andersen
Read on December 2nd
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This book was a collection of stories that I was really interested in picking up, especially since I have not read most of Hans’ fairy tales before. “The Little Mermaid” has always been one of my favorite fairy tales because of the Disney movie, and I really love the original fairy tale. The only others I had picked up before this were “The Princess and the Pea,” “The Ugly Duckling” (which I did not know was even one of Hans’ fairy tales), and “The Steadfast Tin Solider.” Most of the others I had heard about before but had never read.
MinaLima’s edition of these fairy tales was beautiful, like the other books they designed. I love the interactive features throughout the stories, especially the ones that went along with “The Little Mermaid.” I highly recommend picking up this version of the fairy tales for your collection. MinaLima’s children’s classics are some of my favorite books from my own collection. They are perfect pieces for the fairy tale fan, the classic fan, and the lovers of reading.
Book 168: The Truth About Magic
by Atticus
Read on December 2nd
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I have been a poetry lover my entire life and love how a poet can create an image in your head with a few words. Atticus’ poetry collection was stunning, and some of his poems hit me hard. I listened to an audiobook copy and followed along with the book. Most of the time, I do not read poetry in Atticus’ style, but I will say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I have another collection of his that I plan on picking up next year.
Book 169: Scattered Showers
by Rainbow Rowell
Read on December 2nd-4th
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I have been a fan of Rainbow Rowell’s books for about ten years now and love most of them. Before this short story collection, I had only read one of her short stories before: "Kindred Spirits.” I loved almost every single one of these stories. This is a collection that I have been eagerly waiting for ever since I first heard that Rainbow was writing it. Also, this was a great collection to read in December.
“Midnights”- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love how Rainbow formatted this story, how she starts in the present day of the story and then goes back to how Mags and Noel met. This was an adorable story that I enjoyed a lot. It made me think of the song “New Year's Day” by Taylor Swift.
“Kindred Spirits”- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the only story from the collection I read before picking up this book. It’s funny how much of this one stayed with me over the years. I read it right after The Force Awakens came out and enjoyed the story. After seeing the rest of the sequel trilogy, it was interesting to come back to it again. I remember how excited I had been for a new Star Wars movie when The Force Awakens came out. That excitement has dialed down a lot over the years, especially after The Rise of Skywalker, but I will say that this story really reflects those feelings.
Before this story, I knew about the people that camped out for Star Wars movies, but I did not realize the extent that they went to. It was entertaining to see characters like Troy who just love Star Wars with their whole being. I loved the reenactment they did for Elena of the prequel movies; it was so much fun. This is a great little story that I had fun revisiting again after many years.
“Winter Songs for Summer”- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I absolutely adored this story. Music is an integral part of my life, and I, like Summer, have listened to many songs on repeat for various reasons. Out of Rainbow’s stories, the characters I have related to the most were Cath from Fangirl and now Summer from this story. Over the years, I have listened to my fair share of sad songs to help myself wallow in misery. I had a similar thing happen to me in college with someone I thought the world of. Makes me wish I had a person like Benji in my life at the time. I loved this story so much.
“The Snow Ball”- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a cute little romance.
“If the Fates Allow”- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved that we got a story from Reagan’s perspective and that we got to hear about Levi and Cath. Fangirl was one of my favorite contemporary books in college, and I have always wanted some kind of continuation for it. This great little story hit me hard with what Reagan’s grandfather said to Reagan about her grandmother.
SPOILERS for the story in red. Don’t read if you don’t want to know any plot points.
My grandmother, like Reagan's, also passed away before Covid happened, and I cannot imagine how she would have been with Covid. This story had me tearing up at that point in the story.
Overall, this incredible story hit me hard; I didn’t expect that.
“The Prince and the Troll”- ⭐⭐⭐
My least favorite from the collection, but I did like it. I thought it was interesting that it is never obvious what the “troll” in the story actually is and that the “prince” wasn’t really a prince.
“Mixed Messages”- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another story that was a continuation. This time it was a continuation of Attachments, one of Rainbow’s adult fiction books. It was like no time had passed at all for me when I started reading this story since I read Attachments. I have not read Attachments since probably around 2013, and I remember how much I loved it. Especially Beth and Jennifer’s emails back and forth throughout the book. I like how this time around that, Rainbow had them start the story with texts. Makes me want to pick up the original book again. This was an incredible story that I loved.
“Snow for Christmas”- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My first thought when I saw that we were getting a new Simon Snow story was: Oh my god, Simon and Baz. I enjoyed the Simon Snow trilogy, especially the way Rainbow ended it, but I could not stop hoping she would return to their world in some capacity. It was great to see them dealing with a family Christmas dinner with Baz’s family. I love seeing how their relationship has grown since the first book and to this point. They are two of my favorite characters, and I am so happy that Rainbow has brought them back for this story.
“In Waiting”- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Other than the last two stories, this is another one that I adored. The idea behind this story, with the characters that an author comes up with, living in a world where they have to wait for their story to be written, is brilliant. As a writer, it just makes me think about my own characters. It was such a joy reading this story and seeing what happened to James and Anna. I would love to see something else from this story eventually. Here’s hoping.
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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Thankful Freebee:
10 Books I’m Thankful for from 2022
Here are ten books that I am thankful that I got the chance to read this year. Most will definitely make it on my favorites list. Each have a link to my review on this blog.
1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- Review
2. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna- Review
3. Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross- Review
4. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle- Review
5. Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage- Review
6. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen- Review
7. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett- Review
8.The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander- Review
9. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin- Review
10. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Kline- Review
Reviews Week 46
November 14th-20th
Book 160: The Vermilion Emporium
by Jamie Pacton
Read on November 15th-19th
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I absolutely adored the world and characters in this book, especially Twain and Quinta. It was so much fun reading about their adventure and romance. Also, the magic system with the starlight was intriguing, and I loved how we discovered more about it as the story continued. What interested me in this book were the comp titles and the little bit of the description that I read months ago when I requested it. I have been waiting for the right moment to read it, which happened this week. This book was beautiful, and I could not get enough of it.
Also, please make sure if you pick this up to read the author’s note at the end. Some people don’t read anything in a book after the story, but I highly recommend reading Jamie’s note. It was beautiful, and I loved reading about her inspiration for this story.
This book is a highly entertaining read that I adored from Twain’s first perspective. I liked seeing the story from both his and Quinta’s point of view. The Vermilion Emporium was such an excellent idea with a shop that moves from place to place. I won’t spoil anything about the inside, but I know that I would love to be able to go into a shop like that. Such a neat idea! This fantasy world was a favorite that I know I will return to again and again. I am buying my own copy of it, and I cannot wait for it to come to add to my collection. Also, I hope that Jamie continues on with this world. I would love to see more adventures with Twain, Quinta, and the Vermilion Emporium.
*Thank you to the publisher for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 161: Snuff
by Terry Pratchett
Read on November 20th
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This book was absolutely wonderful and such a great time. I cannot believe that this is my last Watch book and that I only have two more books left in the Discworld series. It has been a joy following Sam Vimes ever since Guards! Guards! and seeing him with his family. I love his relationship with Sybil and seeing Little Sam a little older this time.
“... the bestselling novel taking the Ankh-Morpork literary world by storm was dedicated to Commander Samuel Vimes.
The title of the book was Pride and Extreme Prejudice”
I love that Vimes goes on vacation with his family and gets involved in a murder investigation. Wouldn’t expect anything less from him, though. Loved the references to Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen. Couldn’t help tearing-up a bit at the end, because I didn’t want it to be done. This book was just one more example of Terry Pratchett’s incredible works.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Series I’d Like to Finish
1. The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett- My top goal for this year was to finish reading this series. I am 38 books in, and I only have three more books left. This month, I will be reading Snuff and Raising Steam. It's bittersweet for me to finish this series, but I'm happy to say I am almost done. I have had a lot of fun reading this ever since the beginning of 2017, and I know that I'll reread it over and over again.
2. Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor- I read Strange the Dreamer years ago and have not picked up the sequel yet. My plan is to hopefully get to it next year. I really don't think I can this year, but hopefully, it'll be soon. Strange the Dreamer was one of my favorite books of 2017.
3. Groo comics series by Sergio Aragonés- One of my goals for the last couple of years is to finish a graphic novel/comic series. In 2020, I read the Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman. Last year, I read The Lumberjanes graphic novels, and this year I read Jim Henson's the Storyteller series. I believe that I'm going to read all of the Groo series that I can find next year.
4. Descender by Jeff Lemire- I read the first volume of Descender a few years ago and have yet to pick up the final volume. It was one of my favorite science fiction stories that I have ever read besides The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
5. The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy "Trilogy" by Douglas Adams- One of my favorite books of all time will always be The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I have read the next two books in the series, but I did not enjoy them as much as the first. I would love to eventually read the other two books. Hopefully.
6. Stephen Fry's Greek Mythology series- I have read Mythos and Troy. I still have to read Heroes, and his version of The Odyssey will hopefully come out next year. Stephen Fry is one of my favorite authors, audiobook narrators, and actors. His versions of Greek Mythology are great, and I cannot wait to see his take on The Odyssey. Also, I recommend the audiobook versions of the books. They are great!
7. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde- Earlier this year, I read The Eyre Affair and had an awesome time. I first heard about this series many years ago, and I just loved the idea behind it. I'll always be a sucker for books where the characters go into other literary works. One of my goals next year is to get through more of this series.
8. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor- Another Laini Taylor series that I would love to finish sometime soon.
9. Pandava series by Roshani Chokshi- I loved the first two books in this series when I read them but never read the rest. Mythology retellings will always be some of my favorites, and I loved learning about Indian mythology in this one.
10. Rise of the Empress Series by Julie C. Dao- Another book that I absolutely adored from 2017 was Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I'll always be a sucker for villain origin stories, and this one was one of the best that I have ever read. It was one of the books that I reviewed for Audiofile Magazine, and I fully enjoyed the narration. I have yet to pick up the rest of the series, but I would love to.
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