Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Want to Re-Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally 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.

I've done this post several times previously already. Some books are the same from previous posts. A few are new to the list.

1. The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

2. The Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov

3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

4. East of Eden by John Steinbeck

5. Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King, Junior

6. The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

7. The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

8. All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

9. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

10. Suggestible You by Erik Vance

Have you read any of the books mentioned in my post this week?

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

 

I read the paperback edition of Coraline by Neil Gaiman. This is the fourth book I've read by Neil Gaiman. I never thought I'd read another novel by Neil Gaiman, because I didn't enjoy reading the first three novels I'd read by Neil Gaiman. Plus, the sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman, have left a sour note with me regarding Gaiman's reputation.

Recently, however, I discovered a paperback copy of Coraline at a local Little Free Library, I've heard Coraline is a really good read from other avid readers/Neil Gaiman fans. I wasn't paying for a copy of Coraline, so why not give Coraline a read to see if it lived up to the hype. 

Surprisingly, Coraline by Neil Gaiman is a really good read!! I actually liked this children's book quite a bit. It's a creepy, spooky, fun read. The leading character, Coraline, is an inquisitive, smart youngster. Coraline is brave in the face of danger and is able to problem solve and figure her way out of very sticky situations. In this regard, I do applaud Neil Gaiman for creating a positive centric, young leading, female role model. 

The following is the publisher's summary for Coraline by Neil Gaiman from the Goodreads website:

"Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house. . . ."

When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous. But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

"I think this book will nudge Alice in Wonderland out of its niche at last. It is the most splendidly original, weird, and frightening book I have read, and yet full of things children will love." - Diana Wynne Jones

"This book will send a shiver down your spine, out through your shoes, and into a taxi to the airport. It has the delicate horror of the finest fairy tales, and it is a masterpiece. And you will never think about buttons in quite the same way again." - Terry Pratchett

"This book tells a fascinating and disturbing story that frightened me nearly to death. Unless you want to find yourself hiding under your bed, with your thumb in your mouth, trembling with fear and making terrible noises, I suggest that you step very slowly away from this book and go find another source of amusement, such as investigating an unsolved crime or making a small animal out of yarn." - Lemony Snicket

I am giving Coraline by Neil Gaiman a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Bedroom Decor!

 

Wow, what a fabulous look for book lovers!!

Imagine having this look as a headboard for your bed.

I'd love it, but my husband would not.

I think he'd be too concerned about various objects

falling off the shelves and hitting our heads in the middle

of the night while we are sleeping.

Would you do something like this to liven up your bedroom?

Six In Six 2025

I learned about Six In Six from both Marianne @ Let's Read and also from Yvonne @ It's All About Books.

I've since learned that Jo @ The Book Jotter created Six In Six. Jo created 52 bookish related categories from which book bloggers select six of the categories that most resonate with them and then share six books/authors that belong into the categories they've chosen. All six books/authors selected must be ones that were read during the first half of the current year. See the official rules here.

Six new authors to me

1. Samantha Hunt

2. Marie Benedict

3. Colin Higgins

4. Patti Callahan Henry

5. Lois Murphy

6. Erle Stanley Gardner

Six authors I have read before

1. Willa Cather

2. John Steinbeck

3. Jessica Hagedorn

4. Harper Lin

5. Richard Matheson

6. Joshilyn Jackson

Six audiobooks I’ve listened to

1. Colorful by Eto Mori

2. The Seas by Samantha Hunter

3. TheSacrifice by Rin Chupeco

4.Aphrodite's Island by Hilary Green

5. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

6. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters

Six from the non-fiction shelf

1. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

2. Trust Your Intuition by Jill Sylvester LMHC

3. Botanical Curses and Poisons Fez Inkwright

4. The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee by Paul R. Gregory

5. Millionaire Mission by Brian Preston

6. Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts by John Barell

Six books recently added to my wishlist

1. Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan

2. By Blood We Live by Glen Duncan

3. I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan

4. Butcher by Joyce Carol Oates

5. These Things That Walk Behind Me by David Surface

6. Every Day Is A Gift by Tammy Duckworth

Six authors I read last year – but not so far this year

1. Gary D. Schmidt

2. Paul A. Offit MD

3. Jeff Strand

4. Martha Wells

5. Peter Straub

6. David Morrell

So, are you willing to create your own Six I Six post?

Consider yourself tagged if this kind of post you like

to create!!

Top Ten Tuesday - Freebie - It's All About Trilogies!!

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally 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.

This is a redo post for me as I recently made a Throwback Thursday Post on this very topic earlier this year. I thought it would be a good Top Ten Tuesday post as well.

I've read quite a few trilogies since I began blogging at the start of 2012. In fact, I've read more trilogies than I thought I'd read. Below is a list of trilogies I've read in no particular order of importance:

1. Wolf Hunt trilogy by Jeff Strand

Jeff Strand is a horror author who had been on my radar for a while.

I finally read the Wolf Hunt trilogy back in October 2021.

This is a fun trilogy and would highly recommend it.

The Wolf Hunt trilogy contains nonstop action from start to finish, which never makes for a dull moment.

If you love the idea of werewolves, then the Wolf Hunt trilogy may be right up your alley! But the Wolf Hunt trilogy is more than just werewolves... Meet George and Lou, low level thugs for hire. George and Lou need to transport a werewolf in human form to its final destination in the first installment of Wolf Hunt when things go VERY WRONG for George and Lou early on. George and Lou are great characters! Bad things seem to happen for them routinely. The fun and nonstop action follow George and Lou into the last two novels in the Wolf Hunt trilogy.

2. Rebel Belle trilogy by Rachel Hawkins

The 'Rebel Belle' trilogy is the most recent trilogy I've read. I started and finished reading in April 2025. The 'Rebel Belle' trilogy had been on my reading wishlist for at least a decade. I'm glad I read it finally... But honestly, I didn't love it like I hoped I would. The 'Rebel Belle' trilogy falls into the young adult, fantasy genre.

3. Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood

I am a Margaret Atwood fan, which is the main reason I selected this tilogy to read in the first place. I was curious about her comic book series, 'Angel Catbird', and wondered what a comic book series would look like from Ms. Atwood.

The Complete Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, & Tamra Bonvillain is written for kids ages 8-12. I thought the artwork was just okay and the storyline was very simplistic... A half human-rat wants to take over the world with the desire to have rats rule the world. But his plans for world domination are thwarted by half human-cats and owls.

There were a lot of cat puns throughout this series that were funny/cute to begin with, but did grow old after a while. There are also a lot of cat facts sprinkled throughout this comic series that were interesting and informative.

4. The Moon Marked trilogy by Aimee Easterling

Ugh, this trilogy had such high ratings online!! But it was a big flop for me!! Seriously, the narration for this series was the best part of it.

The 'Moon Marked' trilogy falls into the paranormal romance/fantasy genre. There was too much senseless drama/action throughout the entire trilogy for the sake of propelling the plot forward.

5. March (Trilogy Slipcase Edition) by John Lewis

I read March (Trilogy Slipcase Edition) by John Lewis during Black History Month in 2021. By reading the March trilogy, I learned a lot about the Civil Rights Movement with regards to many of the major events. Additionally, I enjoyed reading about many of the major movers and shakers and organizations that helped propel the Civil Rights Movement forward, which eventually lead to the successful passing of both the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act.

6. Seal Island trilogy by Sophie Moss

I listened to the audio version of the 'Seal Island' trilogy.

It's set in Ireland on an island and spotlights Irish folktales

and mythology. Overall, a very good series.

7. The Syrena Legacy trilogy by Anna Banks

I enjoyed this young adult, fantasy/paranormal romance series.

The first novel wasn't as good as the two remaining novels in the series. I listened to the audio version, which was well narrated by Rebecca Gibel.

8. His Fair Assassin trilogy by Robin LaFevers

I love the 'His Fair Assassin' trilogy!! All tree novels are addicting to read. Robin LaFevers writes so well. This young adult series will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

9. Splintered trilogy by A. G. Howard

The 'Splintered' trilogy was loads of fun!! It falls into the young adult genre with elements of sci- fi, fantasy, and paranormal romance! Also, if you're an Alice In Wonderland fan, then this may be the trilogy for you.

10. A Mapwalker trilogy by J. F. Penn

I enjoyed listening to this young adult, coming of age, fantasy trilogy!! All three books were fun.

2025 Half Yearly Reading Update!!

 

So far 2025 has been a fun year of reading!! I've listened to audiobooks exclusively this year vs reading physical books or ebooks. 

I've listened to a total of 40 books since the start of 2025. I've discovered plenty of new to me authors and explored a wide array of both fiction and nonfiction along the way.

My favorite fiction books to date include:

1. The Seas by Samantha Hunt
2. The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner

3. Aphrodite's Island by Hilary Green

My favorite nonfiction books to date include: 

1. Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright
2. Millionaire Mission by Brian Preston
3. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

4. Trust Your Intuition by Jill Sylvester LMHC

Which books have been your favorite reads so far in 2025?

Audiobook Burnout

 

I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be writing a post stating that I currently have burnout from listening to audiobooks! 

I love listening to audiobooks and have been listening to audiobooks for more than a decade now. However, in recent years I've relied more heavily on listening to audiobooks vs. reading books due to an ongoing eye/visual issues, which have fluctuated in my left eye since November 2022. Because of my ongoing left eye issues, audiobooks have been a way for me to continue devouring books uninterrupted, avoid eye strain/fatigue, and so on. Without audiobooks, I'd probably be reading far less than I currently do and not writing or posting many book reviews throughout the year.

This year alone, I've exclusively listened to audiobooks. In other words, I haven't read a single book in 2025, which seems kinda of strange to write. I don't there's been a time in the past where I've exclusively listened to books and not read any books. At any rate, I've listened to 40 audiobooks to date. Also, in recent years, I've listened to more audiobooks and read less books as a trend.

I started noticing burnout from listening to audiobooks beginning last month. Audiobooks just weren't and still aren't holding my attention as much as they use to in the past. At times, I'd find my mind wandering instead of focusing on the content of the book despite the fact that the book was a good one.

Maybe it's simply time to take a break from audiobooks and return to reading books again. I'm thinking of sticking with ebooks on my Kindle app for the time being, so that I may adjust the font size to best suit my visual needs. Plus, read a few physical books here and there too.

I doubt I'll quit listening to audiobooks altogether. I simply plan to mix things up a bit for more variety and mental stimulation. Reading vs. listening are two different skills altogether and require a different focus.

How do you feel about audiobooks? Do you like listening to audiobooks or do you prefer reading books exclusively?

Trust Your Intuition by Jill Sylvester LMHC

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Trust Your Intuition by Jill Sylvester LMHC, which is narrated by the author. 

Trust Your Intuition by Jill Sylvester LMHC is a quick read at 3 hours, 24 minutes!

I love that the author, Jill Sylvester, presented 100 ways to transform ones life with bitesized chunks of information to help instill daily, actionable changes in relatable, realistic ways. I dislike it when self-help authors make things way too complicated in order to make beneficial changes in ones life... Or they write long winded and sometimes complicated ways to make changes in ones life in their books. Keep it simple, please!

Trust Your Intuition by Jill Sylvester LMHC is a down to earth read, which provides practical solutions. I'm not a licensed mental health counselor. But, it seems to me that the transformative ways to change ones life provided within this book would be beneficial in numerous ways beyond dealing with anxiety and/or depression. Building stronger mental health before one encounters major issues seems like a worthy goal to attain/achieve.

Below is the publisher's summary for Trust Your Intuition by Jill Sylvester LMHC from the Goodreads website:

Are you struggling with anxiety or feeling depressed?

Do you wish there was a better way to deal with your emotions than perhaps taking too many pills or remaining stuck in the past? What if there was a better way to deal with your negative emotions?

There is--and Trust your 100 Ways to Transform Anxiety and Depression for Stronger Mental Health will show you how.

Written by licensed mental health counselor and wellness expert, Jill Sylvester, Trust Your Intuition provides 100 simple tips and techniques designed to teach you how to harness the power of your intuition, find the hidden meaning in your suffering, transform depressed feelings and emerge stronger and more powerful than ever.

Why your intuition can be your most powerful ally in overcoming depression. How to feel more energy - starting today! How to transform sadness and despair into positive feelings by understanding the true meaning of your depression or anxiety. The secrets for bringing more joy and happiness in your life. How to eliminate self-doubt and worry as you supercharge your self-confidence. A book packed with tools the author has successfully used personally for over thirty years and for over thirteen years in working with thousands of clients including adults, adolescents, and children, Trust Your Intuition will show you how to truly feel better by tapping into the wisdom that exists inside of you.

I am giving Trust Your Intuition by Jill Sylvester LMHC a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Colorful by Eto Mori

 

I'm always on the lookout for new to me authors and books to expand my reading horizons. One never knows when they'll discover their next favorite author or book!

I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Colorful by Eto Mori, which is well narrated by Brian Nishii. I've never read anything by Eto Mori before, let along heard of her before. Eto Mori is a Japanese writer.

I liked this coming of age novel. It deals with the topic of teenage suicide in a unique way. The topic of suicide is depressing, of course, but the storyline itself makes you think about suicide in a different way... Colorful is about second chances... I felt like Colorful is about hope... Or at least gives one hope that things in life will not always remain the same, which is an important concept for youngsters going through tough times.

Below is the publisher's summary for Colorful by Eto Mori from the Goodreads website:

A beloved and bestselling classic in Japan, this groundbreaking tale of a dead soul who gets a second chance is now available in English for the very first time.

"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul. The soul hasn't been kicked out of the cycle of rebirth just yet—he's been given a second chance. He must recall the biggest mistake of his past life while on 'homestay' in the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. It looks like Makoto doesn't have a single friend, and his family don't seem to care about him at all. But as the soul begins to live Makoto's life on his own terms, he grows closer to the family and the people around him, and sees their true colors more clearly, shedding light on Makoto's misunderstandings.

Since its initial release over twenty years ago, Colorful has become a part of the literary canon, not only in Japan—where it has sold over a million copies—but around the world, having been translated into several different languages. Now, Eto Mori's beloved classic is finally available in English.

I am giving Colorful by Eto Mori a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!