TTT-the typography has it

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Book Covers Featuring Cool/Pretty/Unique/etc. Typography (Typography is the art of arranging letters so they look visually appealing and more interesting than, for example, the body text of this blog post you’re reading now. I did a similar post to this a few years ago, so if you need inspiration on what I’m talking about click here to have a look.) Well, I think the last time this topic came up, I skipped it, so let's see what I can come up with today. I feel like, overall, authors are doing more with their fonts/styles than they used to, and there doesn't seem to be a standard font anymore. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today. 

TTT-2025 New-to-me fiction authors

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025 (New-to-you authors you discovered, new genres you learned you like, new bookish resources you found, friends you made, local bookshops you found, a book club you joined, etc.) I am going to go with new-to-me authors I read in 2025. I 53 new-to-me authors, which is lower than previous years (146 in 2021; 55 in 2022; 57 in 2023; and 77 in 2024) It looks like 2026 needs to be a stellar year 😂 Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today. 

Top Ten Tuesday-My top favorite books I read in 2025

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: My Favorite Books I Read in 2025. I added 66 books to my favorites shelf on Goodreads, so this is going to be kind of hard to narrow down. I am not going to count the books that were rereads, which makes the number a little lower. Also, a huge thanks to Erin at Cracker Crumb Life for sending me Strawberry Fields for Never by Kate Watson. I can't wait to read it!! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today. 

Top Ten Tuesday-My top favorite books from 2025

Nonfiction:

 

The Intentional Year by Glenn Packiam and Untangle Your Emotions by Jennie Allen

Analyzing my 2025 Reading Goals and Stats

At the beginning of the year I listed my 2025 Bookish goals. I am very much a type A personality. When I set a goal I have every intention of getting it, and I feel this internal pressure to finish what I started. This year I started having to let things go, which isn't easy for me, but there was already so much stress, I didn't need it from my fun hobby.

Top Ten Tuesday-Winter 25/26 pile of possibilities

 Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Books On My Winter 2025-2026 to-Read List. I have not thought about this at all, so let's see what our possibilities are 😂. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today.  

Top Ten Tuesday-Possibilities for what I will read this winter

 

The Q by Beth Brower and Illusion by Ginny L. Yttrup

Top Ten Tuesday-Satisfying book series

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Satisfying Book Series. I love this topic, I think the hardest part will be narrowing it down to ten! I will apologize in advance if I have mentioned all of them a thousand times already 😁. I narrowed it down by choosing series that I have read all the books and none of the books in the series have less than four stars. I narrowed it down further by not allowing myself more than one series per author (I started with over 30 series). Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today.   

Top Ten Tuesday- Twelve satisfying book series (because I narrowed it down far enough, LOL!)-the first book in each series will be pictured and linked to Goodreads

1. The Holly Series by C.C. Warrens-suspense, thriller, no romance, Christian 

CrissCross

Summer Reading challenges wrap-up post 2025

In addition to the 20 Books of Summer Challenge and Big Book Challenge, two of my blogging friends made a summer bingo challenge. I wanted to support them, so I attempted to find books that fit in their categories as well. Even though these challenges run a few more days, I am not likely to squeeze anything else in, so I am posting a few days early.

My original post for the 20 Books of Summer Challenge and Big Book challenge is here.

The books I read for 20 Books of Summer from the original list:

Stacking the Shelves #180 Sunday Post #177 Sunday Salon #171

Hey my bookish friends! How was your week? I did a lot of relaxing last weekend, and walking (almost 6 miles), so I did not get any packing done, oops. But, I did get some done on Tuesday. On Wednesday the contract on our house fell through, so it is back on the market again. We had two showings last night (Friday), and we will see what the weekend brings. While our house was being shown my husband and I went to Barnes and Noble 😁. On my agenda this weekend is some packing, my daughter is coming home to spend the night this afternoon, and will leave first thing tomorrow, more relaxing, hopefully some walking...

July reading wrap up 2025

I feel like I spend July in England since I binged so many of the Emma M. Lion journals 😂😂. While I did a lot of things in July, I still managed to read quite a bit as well. I read 17 books and DNF'd one. And, until I put this post together, I had not realized how many 5-star reads I had this month! I can say with absolute certainty that I have never had that many 5-star reviews in a month (and probably won't again). Click on the cover of the book if you are interested in reading my review.

5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Top Ten Tuesday-Cindy's World

 Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Books Set in/Take Place During X (Pick a place, time, era, etc. Examples: Books set in Europe/Italy/Australia/Chicago, books set in Regency England, books that take place during the 1900s, books set in imaginary worlds/post-apocalyptic/dystopian worlds, books set on the ocean, books set it castles, books that take place during WW2, etc.) I am struggling! I can't think of anything that will get me to 10 books...so we are going into my world, where I list the last 10 books I gave 5-stars to!  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today.   

Emma M. Lion Vol 7

Title: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 7

Series: The Unselected Journals #7

Author: Beth Brower

Publisher: Rhysdon Press

Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency, Epistolary

Source: Own

Review:

I just want to live in this world forever, LOL!

Emma M Lion Vol 6

Title: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 6

Series: The Unselected Journals #6

Author: Beth Brower

Publisher: Rhysdon Press

Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency, Epistolary

Source: Own

My Review:

Oh boy! There is so much going on in this, and then the ending just leaves us hanging! I reiterate that this is a series where the books MUST be read in order. 

Emma M Lion Vol 5

Title: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 5

Series: The Unselected Journals #5

Author: Beth Brower

Publisher: Rhysdon Press

Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency, Epistolary

Source: Own

Review:

I am loving this series! Beth Brower's character Emma has no bounds to her wit and hilarity. 

The Unselected Journals Vol 4

Title: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 4

Series: The Unselected Journals #4

Author: Beth Brower

Publisher: Rhysdon Press

Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency, Epistolary

Source: Own

My Review:

Oh, this series! I am loving it!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 3

Title: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 3

Series: The Unselected Journals #3

Author: Beth Brower

Publisher: Rhysdon Press

Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency, Epistolary

Source: Own

My Review:

I am hooked. Emma is hilarious, and Beth Brower is a new favorite author! There is not a lot you can say about Emma's journal entries without being spoilery, but I will do my best.

Top Ten Tuesday-Wishing and Hoping

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Bookish Wishes  Like most of you, I have a never ending list of books I want to read, but I have a smaller list of books that I would like to own. As I've gotten older, the list continues to get smaller. I used to want to own every book, now I only want favorites, or books that I can't get at my library. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today.   

Stacking the Shelves #170 Sunday Post #167, Sunday Salon #161

Hey my bookish friends! How was your week? Our house went on the market last Friday, and we had a contract on Monday, it is contingent on them selling their house. We still have not found a new house for us yet, but I am praying we do and don't have to go into a rental! We had a nice visit with my sister and her family. My son is still sick, and now my husband and I are as well. Right now we both seem to have a milder version of whatever my son has. We have a house inspection on our house today and plan to go hang out in a library we have not visited yet 😁. Other than that, the weekend plans are to chill and get to feeling better.

May Reading Wrap Up 2025

May was busy and went by so fast, I think things will slow down for June. I read 18 books and NO DNFs, yay! Click on the cover of the book if you are interested in reading my review. Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston continues to be a family favorite, we just listened to it for the third time.

5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  

20 Books of Summer & Big Book Challenge 2025

It's no secret that I have been trying to whittle down my physical TBR shelves, as
well as my Goodreads shelf (although I am continually adding to that one 😂).

Stacking the Shelves #169 Sunday Post #166, Sunday Salon #160

Hey my bookish friends! How was your week? It was another long week, but we made it!!! I have officially closed down my business and I am jobless. It was a hard week of goodbyes and see ya laters. Our house went on the market yesterday. We were supposed to be in NC this weekend, but my son has a bad cold, my husband's family said not to come, so we are in TN instead, at my sister's house. We are hoping to relax a little bit over the next few days.