Category: top ten tuesday

top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Purple, Yellow and/or Green Book Covers

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

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.

The rules are simple:

  • Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.
  • Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to The Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
  • Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other blogger’s lists.
  • Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

Hello lovelies! It’s that time of the week again and we’re back with a new list just in time for Mardi Gras!

This week is all about book covers, particularly those in Mardi Gras colours of purple, yellow or green. While not all of them have all 3 colours, I have tried my best to collate some from my recent reads that fit and have stunning covers.

Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these, or if you think the cover is absolutely beautiful!

1. Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie

A beautiful purple gem surrounded by jewels is the highlight of this cover

A unique debut by beloved author Kathryn Purdie following a protagonist who can feel what others feel as she rises and becomes the king’s weapon and puppet.

2. Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

I love the golden hues in this cover, along with the image of their setting in her dress

An explosive finale to a crazy series full of murders, intrigue and the yearning for scientific advancement. There’s no better crime solving pair than the duo protagonists here!

3. The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

Simple but focuses our attention to one item and one colour

Another fantastic finale to a murder mystery in the past that may tie in with the current ordeals this isolated boarding school is facing, including fresh murders of its students.

4. Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa

You can really feel the Japanese-inspired art on this lovely purple cover. Does the golden title count as a cover colour?

Okay, this is also a finale (I’m so sorry everyone) but this beautiful ending of a Japanese-inspired mythology on kitsune (nine-tailed fox), samurai and ronin in imperial Japan was everything I loved in an OwnVoices tale.

5. They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman

I love the plaid skirt uniform colour! Is it weird it reminds me of my own childhood uniform? At least it was never bloody.

I’ve mentioned this one recently in another list but this is one of few YA mysteries that have executed the twists and turns surrounding the unfortunate death of a high school student well. This mystery definitely goes a little beyond just the regular whodunnit question with plenty of why questions added throughout.

6. Finale by Stephanie Garber

Two colours in this gorgeous cover! I normally don’t think purple and yellow work together but this has proved me wrong

As noted in the title, this was the conclusion to a beloved series full of illusions and enigmatic characters many fell in love with. If you have not ever been to Caraval, I would say you should definitely find your invite to this elusive place.

7. To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

I love this bird’s eye of a maze – you can even see a girl in a yellow coat in the middle. I would not want to be her

The only one I have not finished yet on this list, but one that has been high on my TBR for a while now. A story of survival and wits, with female protagonists as great as any of the boys, this maze seems as clever as it is deadly.

8. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Golden details surrounding a green foliage, this cover is as enticing and beautiful as its story within. (Also, are those purple flowers? *squints*)

An absolutely stunning book one that makes history feel alive and exciting! Full of treasure hunting, mysterious organizations pulling the strings and a crew of unforgettable characters, this story is a treasure such as the ones the characters seek to find.

9. 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Four words. I. Want. Those. Balloons! But yes, lovely green and gold balance here

I adored this wholesome rom-com that was equal parts cute/romantic and full of family love. Perfect for this time of year to cozy up with indoors as we follow a girl who is set up on 10 blind dates by different family members.

10. A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

Last, but not least, the cover that contains ALL three colours in a beautiful array

A middle book that in no way suffered from middle book syndrome! This series may need no introduction, but I loved this book more than the first book because it features a certain captain whom I adored. If you’ve read the recently released third book in the series, no spoilers because I’m just waiting for my copy!

What did you think about the books above? Any titles you liked or didn’t like? Which is your favourite cover? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time, friends!

top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With “Love” in the Title

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

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.

The rules are simple:

  • Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.
  • Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to The Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
  • Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other blogger’s lists.
  • Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

This week on TTT is a Valentine’s/love themed freebie. I considered going with book covers or favourite rom-coms, but felt this one calling to me.

So I will be presenting a variety of books I have loved or am excited to read with the word “love” in its name. I feel these are a good selection of books from fictional, sweep-me-off-your-feet kind of love to the more grounded makings of love in a marriage.

As usual, in no particular order, here we go!

1. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

I read this book when it first came out, and I have always acknowledged that this was the book that prompted my first review because I loved it so much on so many levels. I love the Asian representation in Lara Jean and her discovery for balancing all that she was.

But since this is a love post, let me just make it simple. #TeamPeterK all the way 😉 Peter was like the book boyfriend in my teenage mind, and my more grown-up mind can’t find too many reasons to shoot it down now either. Also, that hot tub scene…phew, is all I can say. You can read my review HERE.

If you loved this series, be sure to check out the Netflix movies for each of these books. The movie based on book 3, Always and Forever, Lara Jean comes out THIS Friday, February 12!

2. How to Love by Katie Cotugno

This was a real treasure when I first read it. Down to earth, full of life’s big problems that “love” and all its connotations may not always be able to overcome so simply. I think as an adult now, re-reading this would bring to light things I possibly missed as a teenager, but either way this was a beautiful story about the messiness in life and how love is built on many little imperfect moments instead of one giant perfect thing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a deeper read into love that isn’t just a foregone conclusion they’d get together or for simple fun. Definitely not a rom-com, but I would say showcases love in all its many facets.

You can check out my review HERE.

3. Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Talk about representation in mainstream YA love stories! This would’ve done wonders for me when I was growing up to have seen characters like me in the stories I read and found on bookstore shelves. While I have not gotten the chance to read this book in its entirety yet, I am excited about its whole premise centred on Asian children born in Western societies and the balance of figuring out who they are. It’s essentially a balance I find in myself too, and I’m stoked to see it explored in a book.

4. Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

This is actually one of the few on the list I want to read! It has been on my TBR for years. I feel bad for saying that. But it sounds like a wonderful story of love and self-discovery, all under the beautiful Tuscany sun. Sometimes you just want that sweet, cute, heartwarming book where the characters just get together, you know?

If any of you HAVE read it, I would love to know what you thought on it!

5. To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

I haven’t read this one either but got to hop on that Bridgerton curiosity that took the show binging world by storm. While I don’t always read romances such at these (or even less, blog about them), I do have to say I love Regency-era books. So with slight trepidation, I may have to keep an eye out for these books once the craze has died down a little so it’s possible to get a copy from the library.

Also, I haven’t watched Bridgerton yet. I am still debating if it’s worth the hype. I would love some honest opinions though!

6. The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

I loved learning about my love language and my boyfriend’s love language. Thankfully we both feel loved through quality time, which is the one blessing of the pandemic to get more time with each other.

While I love romantic, fantastical love stories, when it comes to my own, I’ve learned the hard way that it isn’t necessarily like the kind of love portrayed in fictional stories. It takes work and communication after the initial butterflies die down (and they do at some point). This book is a winner in my eyes for any couple learning to communicate their need to be loved and how that looks like for one another in the long-term.

7. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

One of my very first contemporaries in YA I gravitated towards – I was very heavily a fantasy-only kind of preteen – I adored its concept and the execution of this fast-paced, 24-hour span romance on second chances and fateful connections. While the title suggests it’s on instant attraction alone, I do think it’s more nuanced than that as our two protagonists spend a flight across the ocean together. I love slow burn attraction but this was one story that did the chemistry and banter right. If you want to see more of my thoughts, my review is HERE.

8. Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella

I’m a huuuuggge Sophie Kinsella fan ever since I picked up her first Shopaholic book in seventh grade (I’m not sure it was the most appropriate thing to read but oh well). I don’t find most rom-coms actually funny – maybe the protagonist’s sense of humour just isn’t for me – but I never lacked laughs when seeing Sophie’s heroines at their antics.

I will admit that I have yet to read this one but I’m super hopeful it’s like a lot of her other books that will give me a good laugh and lots of feels at the end of the day.

9. Love Her Wild by Atticus

Cannot do this list without a collection of poems. I’ve only in more recent years delved into poetry (thank you to working at a bookstore for 2 years), but I’m grateful I have entered this wonderful world of feelings and emotions. Atticus is one of the more popular poets, and he has such quotable phrases that are known to be used for permanent tattoos. I personally just love the style, and the added ambience of photography really enhances the setting, drawing the reader to look deep into themselves and embrace what resonates.

10. Love, Life and the List by Kasie West

Last, but never least, one of my all-time favourite contemporary romances featuring a friends-to-lovers trope is this beauty by Kasie West. There were so many things I loved about this one, from a checklist of self-discovery items that challenged our protagonist to FEEL, to the angst and all the feels in her crush on her best friend. It balances my love for rom-com and lighthearted romance with my deep appreciation for writing about what’s real regarding the emotions love invokes.

Its title couldn’t be more aptly named, and I think it’s one of Kasie’s best works. Check out my review HERE.

What do you think? Are there other books with “love” in its title you feel should be on here? Always happy to chat!

Until next time, friends!

musings, top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Written Before I Was Born

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

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.

The rules are simple:

  • Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.
  • Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to The Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
  • Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other blogger’s lists.
  • Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

Whoever thinks that only new books are better for recommendations, I sorely think we need to have a good conversation. I grew up reading as a child (maybe that’s why I have glasses), and most of the books I had access to at that age were well-loved novels well beyond my years.

For today’s TTT, I will endeavour to share with you beloved series that made me fall in love with reading, and the heroines and heroes who ruled these pages. In no particular order, let’s dig in!

1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (1908)

I can’t be a proud Canadian girl if I didn’t grow up reading one of our most beloved stories preserved through time. While I haven’t grown up in the PEI, reading this series helped me almost imagine what it would’ve been like, especially in the early 1900s.

If you too love Anne, the spunkiest redhead of her time, then you should also definitely check out the TV series Anne with an E! I highly recommend it, and it’s not just because I absolutely ADORE this girl, but because this series actually did a good job bringing her to life while discussing some great modern issues.

2. Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene (The Secret of the Old Clock – 1930)

I can trace my love of mysteries as an adult to all the Nancy Drew books I read. I was obsessive in reading all 56 yellow-spined novels which I considered canon in my childhood years. You should’ve seen my surprise when I learned that Carolyn Keene was a pseudonym used by multiple writers. Young Andge was not the most impressed by that.

There is also a new Nancy Drew TV series out and I’m super hesitant to watch it. I thought the movie starring Emma Roberts some years ago was okay but I don’t have super high hopes for these modern adaptations. What do you think?

3. Redwall by Brian Jacques (1986)

Does anyone remember this series? I grew up watching the children’s television program and fell in love with the elaborate storytelling and world these talking creatures lived in. I wanted to be brave like Martin the Warrior, and go on adventures with the hares and badgers. It was one of the longer, tiny printed books I’ve read in my young life, and for sure affected my eyesight but I have absolutely no regrets.

4. Trixie Belden series by Julie Campbell/Kathryn Kenny (The Secret of the Mansion – 1948)

While she may be the lesser known 20th century amateur sleuth, Trixie was brave, adventurous and everything I wished I could be like as a young girl. I loved the family dynamic with her older brothers and the new neighbours next door that eventually formed their Bobwhites crew on multiple adventures. She felt like someone I could actually be like whereas Nancy sometimes felt so much older and more worldly than I’d ever be.

Later books in the series were also written under a pseudonym, Kathryn Kenny, with different authors contributing to their adventures. At this point, young Andge was starting to think all amateur sleuth stories were written in such a fashion.

5. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)

This post wouldn’t be great if I didn’t mention its name and inspiration. I loved reading this crazy, one-of-a-kind book and its sequel when I was little. While I read most of the classics, this one stuck out, especially the wacky nonsensical words Lewis Carroll created and was eventually added into the English dictionary (just take a look at the Jabberwocky poem). Are you much of a fan for this classic? (I won’t take offence if you don’t haha)

6. Night World by L.J. Smith (Secret Vampire – 1996)

I loved this series as a pre-teen heading into high school, especially in the wake of Twilight and the renewed interest in vampires, werewolves and other mystical creatures. While L.J. Smith is known for her Vampire Diaries series, I thought this lesser known series of hers was way better. Each story is contained within itself but the current 9 books all connect together, especially books 7-9.

The unfortunate matter is she never finished the series, but that’s something that would take a whole blog post to rant about so I will cut it there (though feel free to rant if you need to in the comments below).

7. The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – 1950)

If you’ve watched the film, that’s great and all but the book is SUCH a classic that should be on any classic reader’s shelves. While some of the books are more hit or miss for people, C.S. Lewis’ first published book in these chronicles was full of adventure and a deep moral lesson of sacrifice and familial love. If you haven’t read it yet, I very much recommend at least The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to you.

8. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (The Fellowship of the Ring – 1954)

I’m sure Peter Jackson’s films in the last two decades have left very few people unfamiliar with the creations of Tolkien. I loved his work, but I also am a fan of the man himself. Both him and C.S. Lewis were brilliant creative minds and men of faith and I admire the balance they had as fictional fantasy writers. While these books are ridiculously long at times, it’s worth the read if you loved the world brought to life by the big screen.

9. Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard (Mandie and the Secret Tunnel – 1983)

The last of the young amateur sleuth series I read as a child – you can totally tell why I love mysteries as an adult – was this wholesome series following a girl named Mandie as she finds mysteries in her every day life. From boarding school to her travels in Europe to her life at home, I loved the lessons it taught on family, faith and love. It also spurred my love of historical fiction as it isn’t as boring as one may think. The last of the series ended with Mandie in college but unfortunately it is left open ended as Lois passed away after its release.

10. Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet – 1887)

Last but not least, I devoured the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and other stories and it is no secret it is a standard for detective portrayals and crime solving, even in modern times. The legacy left behind by a fictional detective and his friend/sidekick from London has changed the world, and it definitely blessed me with the love of mysteries beyond young girl sleuths.

Wow, what a nostalgia trip! Some of these series I haven’t thought of in ages but they each shaped me in some way into the person I am and the books I look to read even now.

I hope you enjoyed some of these, and were maybe even introduced to a series or two. Let me know if you like these choices! See you next week for Top Ten Tuesday.