2016 First Quarter Wrap Up Post

The first quarter of 2016 is quickly coming to a close! So, I thought I'd give a quick update for my reading stats so far for this year.

I've read (or listened to) a total of nineteen books so far this year.

The break down of what I've read thus far this year is as follows:

I've read 5 physical books.

I've read 3 eBooks.

I've listened to 11 audiobooks.

My three top favorite reads so far 2016 have been:

1. The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World by Greg King & Sue Woolmans

2. Go Set A Watchmen by Harper Lee

3. Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford

Click on the above links to read my reviews for each book I've listed.

So, which books have you read this year that have really knocked your socks off?

The Healer by Antti Tuomainen

Unabridged Audio Version

Antii Tuomainen is (a new to me) Finnish author that I first heard about last June while attending the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, California.

I'm always on the look out for new authors to explore, so with that in mind I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Healer by Antti Tuomainen and narrated by Simon Shepard before the end of March. Listening time for The Healer by Antti Tuomainen is 5 hours, 40 minutes.

The Healer is a dystopian, mystery/thriller set in Finland. I liked the characters and the storyline of this novel very much. The Healer is a very quick read. My only complaint about the novel is the ending. It leaves the reader hanging as to what the leading character meant by what he said!!! Arrggh, don't you dislike it intensely when an author leaves you wondering the ending of the book is supposed to mean??? Boo, to ambiguous endings!! Other than the ending, The Healer was a really good read.

The following is a summary of The Healer by Antti Tuomainen from Audible:

It’s two days before Christmas, and Helsinki is battling ruthless climate catastrophe: subway tunnels are flooded and abandoned vehicles are burning in the streets. People are fleeing to the far north where conditions are still tolerable. Social order is crumbling and private security firms have undermined the police force.

Tapani Lehtinen, a struggling poet, is among the few still willing to live in the city. When Tapani’s wife, Johanna, a journalist, goes missing, he embarks on a frantic hunt for her. Johanna’s disappearance seems to be connected to a story she was researching about a serial killer known as "The Healer". Determined to find Johanna, Tapani’s search leads him to uncover secrets from her past - secrets that connect her to the very murders she was investigating.

Atmospheric and moving, The Healer is a story of survival, loyalty and determination. Even when the world is coming to an end, love and hope endure.

I am giving The Healer by Antti Tuomainen a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars. I would have probably given this novel a higher rating if I'd understood the ending.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday -- 5 of My Most Recent Best Reads & 5 of My Most Disappointing Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

I don't rate books as five star reads or 1 star reads all that often. Normally, I rate books somewhere in between these two numbers. Below are five books I've recently enjoyed reading... Followed by five books that I read recently that weren't so great in my opinion.

1. The Ghost and the Graveyard by Genevieve Jack
2. Gone by Stacy Claflin
3. The Assassination of the Archduke by Greg King & Sue Woolmans
4. Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
5. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi

1. Letter To My Daughter by Maya Angelou
2. Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet
3. Holiday Heat by Noelle Adams
4. A Fatal Thaw by Dana Stabenow
5. Death of a Rug Lord by Tamar Myers

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games #1) by Genevieve Jack

Unabridged Paranormal Audiobook

I recently finished listening to the unabridged audio version of The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games #1) by Genevieve Jack and narrated by Brittany Pressley.

I downloaded The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games #1) from Audible. Listening time for the novel is 8 hours, 35 minutes.

I really enjoyed listening to the The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games #1) by Genevieve Jack.  I'm usually not into paranormal romance novels/series, but this one happens to be an awesome novel. I enjoyed the characters and storyline very much.

I also thought that Brittany Pressley does an excellent job of narrating The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games #1) by Genevieve Jack.

The following is a plot summary for The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games #1) by Genevieve Jack from Audible:

Grateful Knight isn’t looking for love when she moves into a rent-free house on the edge of a graveyard. At 22, all she wants is to recover financially so she can move back to the city where she belongs. But sparks fly when the gorgeous cemetery caretaker, Rick, introduces himself and mentions his suspicion that her new house might be haunted. Her attraction to him seems supernatural, and, despite her resolve not to get involved, she literally can’t keep her hands off him. 

When things in Grateful’s house start moving on their own, another man enters her life - Logan, a sexy ghost with a dark secret. He says Rick isn’t what he seems, and indulging her passion for him could cost her soul. One thing’s for sure: Magical forces are at work in the tiny town of Red Grove, and they’re converging on Grateful. Life will never be the same once she's forced to choose between the ghost and the graveyard.

I am giving The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games #1) by Genevieve Jack a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Jennifer Garner Reads 'Go the F**k to Sleep'

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Confessions of a Texan in Tokyo by Grace Buchele Mineta

Autographed Paperback Edition

Confessions of a Texan in Tokyo is the third comic book published by Grace Buchele Mineta. I've now officially read all three of her published comic books and have enjoyed reading each of them.

Confessions of a Texan in Tokyo by Grace Buchele Mineta is a book that continues to highlight Grace's life as an American married to a Japanese man, Ryouske, and their lives together living in Tokyo, Japan. 

I enjoyed the comics in Confessions of a Texan in Tokyo as well as the short essays mixed in between the comics that talk about Japanese culture.

I'm giving Confessions of a Texan in Tokyo by Grace Buchele Mineta a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars. 

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough/In A While

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Wow, it's going to be tough to make a list of only 10 books I really love, because I have so many favorites!! I've decided to make a short list of books I'd really love to reread in the near future.

1. East of Eden by John Steinbeck

I read this novel in 2008 and fell in love with it!! Steinbeck's writing is superb and so is his storytelling. I can honestly see why he won the Nobel Prize for Literature because East of Eden is truly a captivating and brilliant read. Steinbeck makes writing and storytelling look so effortless in East of Eden as he draws the reader into the plot details. The characters in East of Eden are so unforgettable... I love the characters of Samuel Hamilton and Lee in East of Eden... And the character of Cathy Ames is one the most evil female character I've come across in literature.

John Steinbeck's "third and last wife, Elaine, Steinbeck considered it his magnum opus.[3]Steinbeck stated about East of Eden: 'It has everything in it I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years.' He further claimed: 'I think everything else I have written has been, in a sense, practice for this.'" Source of quote is from Wikipedia.

2. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

I can't remember when I read this novel, but it's amazing. Geraldine Brooks has a way of storytelling that makes her novels difficult to put down. 

3. A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov

I've read this Russian classic several times already. I love it as it is a short, fast read and very well written and engaging. I love the writing and characters.

4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I've been an Agatha Christie fan for over 25 years and have read many of her  novels and short stories. So, I couldn't pass up selecting one of her novels to add to my list today. It was difficult to narrow down which novel to select for my post today, but And Then There Were None finally won out. You won't find Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot in this well written novel that will have you wondering who dunnit and why.

5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I read this book in 2012 for Banned Books Week and look forward to rereading it again. Click on above link to read my review of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

6. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This was a very moving novel for me to read... It quickly became one of my favorite novels read in 2013. I loved the fact that The Art of Racing in the Rain is told from the point of view of a dog. It's also a very emotional read that had me crying in parts. Click on the above link to read my review of The Art of Racing in the Rain. 

7. The Scent of God by Beryl Singleton Bissell 

This is an amazing memoir! I read it in 2009 and would highly recommend it! The following is an overview of The Scent of God from the Barnes & Noble website:

When Beryl Bissell entered a cloistered convent in New Jersey, she believed that God had called her to this way of life. At first blissfully happy, within a year she became prey to obsessive compulsions. Her vocation at risk, she overcame these disorders, and persevered for another ten years until returning home to Puerto Rico to care for her ailing father.  

Thrust into this sensual environment, she was drawn to Padre Vittorio, a handsome Italian priest, and underwent a belated coming of age. For the next three years, she struggled to reconcile human desire with spiritual longing. In spare but lyric language, Bissell weaves a powerful story of love, death, guilt, and redemption-a pilgrimage that reaches beyond dogma to personal truth and evokes a transformation that changes not only Beryl but the lives of those whom she most loves.

8. The Sacred Well by Antoinette May 

I read this novel in 2011 and it quickly became one of my favorite reads of 2011. The writing and storytelling are both superb! Do you love historical novels that weave the past and present day together? If so, then The Sacred Well may be the perfect novel for you! The following is an overview of The Sacred Well from the Barnes & Noble website:

A young reporter in 1923, Alma Reed accompanies archaeologists to the ruins of Chichen Itza, where a fortune in Mayan artifacts has been stolen from a sacrificial well. It's believed a curse was unleashed by the theft—yet the career-making story it offers the ambitious journalist seems a godsend. It also leads her to a passionate love affair with revolutionary governor Felipe Carrillo Puerto. But when fate darkens their lives and damns them as doomed political pawns, Alma can't help but wonder if the curse is not, in fact, very real.

In another century, another writer is fascinated by Alma's tragic story. Drawn restlessly to Yucatán—and away from the stifling needs of her desperately ill partner—Sage Sanborn is tempted by her growing feelings for David, a scientist who encourages her to delve deeper into Alma's history. And in this ancient place of mystery and spirits, Sage must make an impossible decision that will forever change the course of her life.

9. Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden

I loved reading this novel. It's another one of those books that contains excellent writing and storytelling. There are lots of plot twists and turns within Memoirs of a Geisha that I didn't see coming. All I'd like to add is that it's too bad that Arthur Golden hasn't published another novel. 

10. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I first read To Kill A Mockingbird in 2010 and loved it and the message it contains. I read Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee earlier this year and reading it makes me want to reread To Kill A Mockingbird.

Bookshelves Make The Best Walls ~ I'll Cheer to That!!

I was surfing on the Flavorwire website yesterday and came across an article titled Bookshelves Make the Best Walls: 10 Stunning Designs by Alison Nastasi. I'd love to have floor to ceiling bookshelves in my home. Wouldn't that be cool!?!? Click on the above link to see the bookshelves displayed in the above Flavorwire article.

See Which Graphic Novel to Read Based on Your Zodiac Sign

I recently read another interesting article on Bustle titled The Graphic Novel To Read Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Charlotte Ahlin. 

Truth be known, I'm starting to expand my reading horizons by reading more comic books, graphic novels, and manga... So, I was definitely curious to see which graphic novel I should read based on my zodiac sign. I'm a Gemini, so the graphic novel suggested for me is Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. I haven't read this novel, so will add it to my ever growing reading wishlist. 

Want to know which graphic novel is recommended for your zodiac sign? Then click on the link above to find out!!

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Here Are A Few Suggestion to Overcome a Reading Slump!

Yes, we've all had reading slumps at various points in our lives! It kind of creeps up on us really. 

I found and article on Bustle on how to overcome a reading slump titled 10 Ways To Snap Out Of A Reading Slump by Julia Seales. Check out the list of ideas to help you overcome a reading slump by clicking on the link above.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Sad News Regarding Harper Lee's Novel, To Kill A Mockingbird

I was more than a little miffed after reading an article I discovered on Bustle this morning titled 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Mass-Market Paperback Will No Longer Be Published, Per Orders From Harper Lee's Estate by Emma Cueto. In the article, Cueto wrote:

For decades, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been a staple of high school English classes, and has inspired young people across the country. Unfortunately, following her death in February, the Harper Lee's estate will no longer allow publication of the mass-market paperback edition of To Kill A Mockingbird — aka, the inexpensive version that's so popular with schools. And it's a concerning decision for a number of reasons. 

According to The New Republic, which received emails sent by publisher Hachette to booksellers in multiple states, Harper Lee's estate has decided that Hachette will no longer be allowed to produce the mass-market paperback version of To Kill A Mockingbird, and that no other publishing house will be allowed to print a mass-market paperback edition. Hachette will be selling off its stock of the book at a discount to booksellers, and after that, there will be no more mass-market copies.

I don't understand the decision to stop producing and selling the mass market edition. It's really a travesty really. I personally can't help but feel that this decision is financially motivated. 

As Emma Cueto goes on to write in her article: 

Whether or not the decision to pull the mass-market paperback was financially motivated it is a sad announcement. The much more affordable copy made it easy for schools to use the novel as part of the curriculum. Now that the cheapest version available will cost more than 50 percent more per copy, it's likely that many schools won't reorder more once their current copies get worn out, and will instead find something more affordable to teach.

It also saddens me that future generations of teens may potentially no longer be reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee in high schools classrooms as part of the curriculum because schools may not be able to afford new copies due to the higher cost of trade paperbacks.

Another excellent point made by Emma Cueto in her article is:

Perhaps even more depressing, however, is the fact that there's nothing precisely that can replace it. To Kill A Mockingbird is not just a beautifully written novel and a 20th century classic, it's also one of the relatively few books in the American literary canon that deals directly with segregation, Jim Crow, and racial injustice and is probably the only such book that is appropriate to high school students. The book isn't perfect by any means — Atticus Finch is the embodiment of the white savior trope, after all — but the fact that any book dealing with these issues has been so widely taught in American schools is unquestionably a good thing.

So, what are your thoughts about the mass market edition of Harper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird no longer being sold in the future? 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

My Japanese Husband (Still) Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta

My Japanese Husband (Still) Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta was another fun and quick, comic book to read!

I like Grace Buchele Mineta's writing style and comics!! My Japanese Husband (Still) Thinks I'm Crazy is filled with more comics and essays from Grace about her life as an American woman in Japan with her Japanese hubby, Ryosuke. Ryosuke, once again writes a touching forward to Grace's second comic book.

The following is a summary of My Japanese Husband (Still) Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta from Goodreads:

Grace and Ryosuke are back, with another year of adventures in Tokyo!

Ever wonder:
Why is sticking your chopsticks in a bowl of rice socially unacceptable?
What's the best way to get free tissues in Japan?
Why do people buy chicken on Christmas?
Does eating an egg hard-boiled in sulfur really extend your life?
What are you really supposed to do with business cards after a meeting?
Who actually buys a poop-shaped hat?
How are you supposed to recycle expired Tofu?
What is the easiest way to get rid of a cold (in Japan)? 

The answers to these questions and more are drawn in the pages of this book.

My Japanese Husband (still) Thinks I'm Crazy is the semi-autobiographical story of Grace, a native Texan, her hilarious husband Ryosuke, and her over-active imagination personified in a talking rabbit, Marvin. Their life is told through a series of comics depicting the joys and hardships of living abroad. 

After all, just because something is different doesn't mean that it's wrong.

I am giving My Japanese Husband (Still) Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

5 EFT Tapping Scripts to Help You Have Deep Restful Sleep by Cathy Vartuli & Rick Wilkes

Okay, let me just come right out and say it... I've had sleep issues/insomnia for almost 17 years now... It's really, really annoying (frustrating, etc) to have to struggle with falling asleep and staying asleep most nights. I sleep anywhere from 2 to 6 hours a night. I pretty much feel tired to varying degrees nearly all the time. But some days are worse or better depending how much or how little I sleep each night and the busy kind of day I've had. 

When I'm super exhausted from lack of sleep, I pretty much stay in my pajamas all day, barely getting the basics of daily living done...

I've tried many things to help me fall asleep easily and stay asleep with varying degrees of success or lack there of... Nothing seems to stick though in helping me overcome my sleep issues.

So, I am now reading to try tapping or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to help me fall and stay asleep each night. 

I finished reading 5 EFT Tapping Scripts to Help You Have Deep Restful Sleep by Cathy Vartuli & Rick Wilkes a few minutes ago. It's a 47 page eBook I downloaded from Amazon.

I look forward to trying the tapping scripts on a nightly basis to see if they can help me fall asleep and stay asleep.

I am giving 5 EFT Tapping Scripts to Help You Have Deep Restful Sleep by Cathy Vartuli & Rick Wilkes a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars. Should I see positive results with my sleep from using the tapping scripts provided in the book, then I'll bump up rating. 

My only major complaint with 5 EFT Tapping Scripts to Help You Have Deep Restful Sleep by Cathy Vartuli & Rick Wilkes, is that the authors have a lot of advertisements referring back to their website for free products or products that have a fee. I thought it was a bit of an overkill on the amount of times the authors refer the many things they have for sale or for free through their website.

My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta

Paperback Comic Book

I first became acquainted Grace Buchele Mineta and her husband, Ryosuke, when my husband starting watching the videos Grace and Ryosuke uploaded on YouTube about their lives living in Japan. I've watched a few of their YouTube Videos and have even visited Grace Buchele Mineta's blog/website Texan In Tokyo.

When I discovered that Grace Buchele Mineta had published three comic books, I was curious to see what they were like. My hubby ordered all three comic books through Grace Buchele Mineta's Etsy Store called Texan In Tokyo. If you purchase Grace Buchele Mineta's comic books through her Etsy store, they are autographed by both Grace Buchele Mineta and her husband, Ryosuke, and are shipped to you from Japan. The comic books arrived to my mailbox last Saturday, which was a lot quicker than expected!! Included with each of the comic books were cute postcards. :-)

I read Grace Buchele Mineta's  first comic book, My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy, and enjoyed reading it very much. My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta is a combination comic book mixed with short essays about life in Japan as a white American woman married to Japanese man. Some of the essays Grace Buchele Mineta included in her comic book are as follows: Laundry in Japan Vs. Texas, The 5 Rules of Train Etiquette in Japan, 7 Questions Interracial Couples Are Tired of Hearing, 15 Things I Love About Living In Tokyo, and other fun and informative essays.

I enjoyed the layout of My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta and its mixture of comics and essays. The comics themselves are done in black and white and are really cute. I'm looking forward to reading the other two comic books Grace Buchele Mineta has written. 

My two complaints about My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta are as follows: 

1. I don't like the title of Grace's comic book!! Grace's hubby, Ryosuke, writes a lovely and supportive forward in her comic book. There is nothing about Ryosuke that would indicate that he thinks Grace is "crazy", so I think the title of her book should be ditched. This is only a minor issue for me.

2. I've only read some of Grace Buchele Mineta's blog/website Texan In Tokyo. On her blog/website, I read her post titled 7 Questions Interracial Couples Are Tired of Hearing for FREE, yet this post ends up being published in her book, which I paid for mind you... I don't know if any of the other essays in her comic book also appear on her blog as well, but the point I want to make is that I don't want to pay for material that I can read for FREE on someone's blog/website.

The following is a blurb about My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta from Amazon:

“My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy: The Comic Book” is the autobiographical misadventures of a native Texan freelancer and her Japanese “salaryman” husband: in comic book form. From earthquakes and crowded trains, to hilarious cultural faux pas, this comic explores the joys of living and working abroad, intercultural marriages, and trying to make a decent pot roast on Thanksgiving.

I am giving My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy by Grace Buchele Mineta a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars. 

Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford

I recently finished reading the eBook version of Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford. Deadly Readings is a cozy mystery novel approximately 172 pages in length and is also the first novel in the Jenkins & Burns Mystery Series.

As many of you may know from previous posts, I enjoy reading cozy mystery novels. I also really enjoy discovery new to me authors and new mystery series... And Laura Bradford is a new to me author for sure.

So, what did I think of Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford? I enjoyed Laura Bradford's writing style and storytelling. I liked the setting for this mystery novel, which is a quaint, coastal town in New Jersey. I liked the leading characters, police detective, Mitch Burns & journalist, Elise Jenkins, a lot. I liked that it wasn't obvious who the killer was until closer to the end of the novel, but there were plenty of suspects to choose from in this novel. I felt that this novel was a good overall read and a good start to a new mystery series.

The following is a summary for Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford from Amazon:

The first book in Laura Bradford’s debut Jenkins & Burns mystery series!

The Jersey Shore has always been known for warm sand, lively boardwalks, and the promise of carefree summer days. This season the small scenic town of Ocean Point, New Jersey, is not nearly as carefree as tourists would hope. The discovery of the body of a young woman is the first in a string of seemingly random and senseless murders, murders connected only by a warning from the same boardwalk fortune-teller.

It’s a crisis that puts local detective Mitch Burns on edge, and his job in jeopardy. It’s up to him to solve the crimes and protect the livelihood of the town, a livelihood that relies almost entirely on tourists. With the help of newly hired local reporter Elise Jenkins, the two step out to discover who the killer is, before another body is found.

This book was originally published under the title Jury of One.

I am giving Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

BookTubes on YouTube

How many of you watch booktubes on YouTube? Do you yourself have a BookTube or are thinking of hosting a BookTube on YouTube?

Watching BookTubes on YouTube is something I'd like to do more frequently than I am doing currently. I've also thought perhaps BookTubing might be something I'd like to do myself some time down the road as and adjunct to my book blog, but haven't fully explored this idea yet. I have, however, watched the above YouTube Video on how to BookTube earlier today and found it helpful on how to make a BookTube.

So, for those of you that do enjoy watching BookTubes, which BookTubes do you enjoy watching? What qualities do you look for when choosing to follow someone's BookTube Channel?

If you are a BookTuber, what made you decide to BookTube? What tips do you have for someone in starting out in BookTubing?

Top Ten Tuesday --- Eleven Books To Read If You Are In The Mood For Non-Fiction!!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

I've read a lot of nonfiction over the years and some have been more engaging and captivating than others. Here's my list of eleven books!

1. Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson

I loved this book!! It's hands down one of my all time favorite nonfiction reads ever!!

2. The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book in 2014 and was blown away at how good it really is! I thought it might be boring, but who knew the making of the OED could be so fascinating.

3. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

OMG, this book was awesome and inspiring!! Bring on creative living!!!

4. The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World by Greg King & Sue Woolmans

Listened to this audiobook earlier this year!! It's filled with lots of important European history that directly impacts World War I.

5. Grayson by Lynne Cox

Short, quick, wonderful read... Lynne Cox is a long distance swimmer. As a teenager, Lynne Cox has a unique encounter with a baby gray whale that had become separated with its mother, during one of her long distance training sessions off the coast of Seal Beach, California.

6. Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O'Brien

Fabulous, must read if you love animals, especially owls.

7. Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process by Irene Pepperberg

Irene Pepperberg does a fabulous job of demonstrating animal intelligence in an engaging way.

8. The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice by Trevor Corson

This is a good read, especially if you're both a foodie and a sushi lover!

9. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

I found this book fascinating and insightful. It's well written.

10. Wittgenstein's Poker: The Story of a Ten-Minute Argument Between Two Great Philosophers by David Edmonds & John Eidinow

Philosophy drama at its finest! This is a fantastic read.

11. Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest by Mark J. Plotkin Ph.D.

Fabulous read about ethnobotany, why ethnobotany is important, and indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest.