Space Station Mir

Although I am forever catching up on the backlist, I have seen a lot of great books that are going to be released later this year, especially a lot of great sci fi and fantasy. I've also been lucky enough to receive a couple of the books below for review from LibraryThing, so I'll let you know what I think pretty soon.  Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2023 The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord-August 29, 2023 Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer-August 29, 2023 The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa -July 11, 2023 Learning to Fly Alien Spacecraft by Fay Abernethy-July 14, 2023 A Gift of Stars by Renée Gendron- Coming Summer 2023

 I love these seasonal TBR lists! Even though I usually don't end up reading all of them, it sets a good mood for the reading season. Plus, I've learned to game it by including books I'm already reading, book club books, and books I already have :-) There are so many exciting books coming out this summer too, and I keep seeing books on other people's lists that I'm adding to my TBR! Case in point, I stole a couple from Jana's list. Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Books On My Summer 2023 TBR Marry Me by Midnight by Felicia Grossman-This was already on my TBR and happened to be on Jana's too--Gender-bent Cinderella with a Jewish protagonist set in 1830s London--how's that for ticking like 5 of my interests! Roleplaying by Cathy Yardley--Saw this on Jana's list--I love the idea of a book about an older couple that meets online! Horse by Geraldine Brooks--Book club read. Wouldn't have picked this one myself, but I've liked her other books. Last S...

It's been a long time since I reviewed a short story. This story, at 15,460 words, is a novelette, whatever that means. I don't often read short stories that aren't on Tor.com or part of the occasional collection. This one, as most shorter fiction that I like, is speculative fiction. It tells a fairy-tale-like story with an intrusive narrative voice I love, reminiscent in tone and theme of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas  and in content, like something out of My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me , although this one isn't tied to a specific fairy-tale (that I know of), though perhaps it contains notes of Chicken Little, if Chicken Little were wise. In any case, go read it now . All authors leave a swath of destruction. We maim and move on. The privilege of the happy ending is accorded to few.

 I'm doing last week's TTT topic since I missed it. Also, although I of course love books and have an ever-expanding TBR list, I'm actually trying to get rid of books to open up more space in my home and hold less literal baggage in my life. Actually, I should probably post books I am looking to let go of because I would like to give them to new homes that want them. That would be my actual wish list! Anyway, on to summer books and Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Books or Covers that Feel Like Summer Caribbean Competitors by Poppy Minnix-I got this for review *checks notes* in November 😯but it looks like more of a summer book, so hopefully I'll finally get to it! The Villa by Rachel Hawkins-Sultry, sordid summer secrets. Summer at the Garden Cafe´ by Felicity Hayes-McCoy--haven't read this one yet, but loved the first book! Happy Place by Emily Henry--I enjoyed Book People , and this one has a very summery cover. That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrisey--Adult summer camp! H...

  Books Read This Month The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (April book club read)--Well-written, intriguing, with a surprisingly hopeful ending (and finally, finally historical fiction set after the Civil War--so glad to get away from WWII and mid-war in general).  L.A. Weather by María Amparo Escandón (May book club read)--Terrifying depiction of current climate change in L.A. (as of 2016), and a calendar year in the life of a telenovela-esque family drama. The weather-related secret is the best though. Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham--I read Graham's last book, Talking as Fast as I Can,  since I'm a Gilmore Girls fan, and her writing style is entertaining and breezy. This is a collection of essays about her life in showbiz, ranging from the present to different past eras; a quick, easy enjoyable read.  The Cloisters by Katy Hays--Modern Gothic novel set at one of my favorite museums, the Cloisters. This was absolutely every atmospheric, twisty, ...

I caught up and almost caught up on a few books in April. I didn't quite finish The Sweetness of Water for one of my book clubs, but I attended anyway, and just barely didn't finish in April, leaving me at just two books for the month 😳 Books I Read This Month Book Lovers by Emily Henry--So glad I picked this up on the "Hot" shelf in the library. This book had me laughing aloud so much--so much great content for book lovers and romance readers especially. I heard that this was a "love story without tropes," but I would say more that it's a love story aware of its tropes and consciously creating new ones, the HEA for the organized, career-driven, luxury-loving people who want to stay in the city and edit books.  The Corgi Chronicles by Laura Madsen--I asked for this awhile ago because it's a fantasy novel starring a corgi, but I started it sometime last year (?) and have been reading it on and off and finally finished it. It's a fun book but defi...

 I've never really thought of TV shows like books until more recently, but I probably should. Especially since, these days, I can read them like texts, go back, rewind, repeat, stop there and think. I can stop a screen, and start writing how I'm feeling and reacting to characters and plot and setting on screen. I can return to favorite scenes again and again. And I can always compare the show and the book(s) because for some reason, a lot of my favorite shows are based on books--can't imagine why. Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Some of My Favorite TV Shows 1. All of the Star Treks, but right now, I'm enjoying Star Trek: Picard (The TNG cast especially my favorite Geordie!!!) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (love the episodic nature and modern sensibility and LOVE Anson Mount's Captain Pike). 2. Gilmore Girls--ultimate comfort TV, love that weird quirky impossible town.  3. New Girl--came to this a bit late, but I love how it's a wackier, quirkier spin on the sitcom wi...

What a fun unique challenge this week for Top Ten Tuesday ! I suspect most of the ones I find will be of dogs, especially corgis (for no particular reason 😎) but we shall see! I will try to include at least some books I have actually read but I may also look into some titles that I haven't read but just have an especially fun animal in the book or on the cover (although I imagine most cover art of animals would mean that animal is in the book?) Top Ten Books with Animals in Them and/or Covers with Animals on Them 1. Pax by Sara Pennypacker--Foxes, and a cute cover! I found the story sad, but do know, the fox lives. 2. Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore--Named after a bird but actually features a ton of blue foxes (I sense a theme!) And you can see a fox on the cover. 3. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler--Cannot forget the corgi in this one--he completely drives the plot. 4. Temeraire series by Naomi Novik--Dragons on all the covers! Often, Temeraire himself. 5.Heartstopper series b...