Top Ten Tuesday for January 22, 2019!!

    Here are previous Smoke & Mirrors Top Ten Tuesday posts.

This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by that site 
until January 2018 when That Artsy Reader Girl took on the hosting duties!

Today's theme is Books I Meant to Read in 2018!

And trust me, there are MANY!

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance

by Ruth Emmie Lang

A very good friend graciously loaned this book to me 

at the beginning of 2018 

and I am appalled to realize I have yet to read it. 

I intend to change that this year 

and hope to get it read next month, 

in February 2019!

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

I have wanted to read this book for several years, 
ever since two of my best friends and I 
sat and watched it in a theater 3 times in a row! 
(And, no, no one ever chased us out or made us pay more...)


I hope I will enjoy it 
since I already own 
the second book in the series, 
The Girl With No Shadow.


 And, of course, if I enjoy those two, 
then I must read the third installment 
in the series, 
Peaches for Father Francis.


And as of April 4, 2019,
the fourth installment, The Strawberry Thief, 
is due to be released! Bonus!!




Third on this list is Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.

It has been about 5 years since 
I read a Kingsolver book 
and I am soooo looking forward 
to reading this one in 2019!

It will satisfy several prompts for reading challenges!


Fourth is Every Note Played by Lisa Genova.

Everyone in my book club adored Still Alice 
and I went on to read and love
Left Neglected and Love Anthony.
I also own but have yet to read Inside the O'Briens.

Fifth is The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin.

I loved Alice I Have Been and 
The Aviator's Wife (this links to my review).
And I have yet to read The Swans of Fifth Avenue or 
The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, 
which Ms. Benjamin claimed to be her personal favorite 
when I met her a few years ago!
She is one of my absolute favorite writers!
And she has another release scheduled for May 21, 2019:
Mistress of the Ritz!

Sixth is Lionboy by Zizou Corder

I purchased this book on a whim several years ago 
from a clearance rack at Books-A-Million. 
Then in the course of researching books for the 
"book written by two female authors" 
2019 Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge, 
I learn Zizou Corder is simply a pseudonym 
for a mother-daughter writing team! 
And it is the first of a trilogy... 
Now I am truly fascinated and anxious to finally read it!

Seventh, eighth, and ninth are Giovanni's Room, The Fire Next Time, 
and If Beale Street Could Talk, all written by James Baldwin.

I LOVED Go Tell It on the Mountain (links to my review)!
I want to read more classics this year. 
I already know I love this man's writing style, 
so these are definite reads for 2019!
Then I'll be anxious to see the movie adaptation for If Beale Street Could Talk!

The tenth book for this posting follows this theme 
with a reread of a classic, 
Soul On Ice by Eldridge Cleaver. 

I first read this at the 'ripe old age' of 13 and I am CERTAIN
I didn't grasp much from it.
I trust my reading of it some 50 years later 
will prove to be much more enlightening and informative!

What's even more fun is that this year, all of these books (and more!) will fulfill prompts for both the 2019 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
and the 2019 Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge.
I have created a page for each of these challenges which I update as I finish reading books 
and it is so much fun to see just how many prompts can be fulfilled with each book!
If I had the time, I would certainly prefer to read a separate book for each prompt, 
but I do not, so I will approach these challenges in this way...
I have listed each book already selected for each of the book clubs in which I participate 
and secondly, am trying to read as many from the current stock of books 
I already own as possible. 
Though I already know I will purchase more books in the year to come as well. 
But I am trying to complete blog posts for books I've read and then give them 
to my favorite used bookstore to be resold, 
hoping to decrease the total amount of books in my household throughout 2019. 
At least that is my goal!

What books did you intend to read last year but didn't manage to get to?

Happy reading!
--Lynn

Top Ten Tuesday for December 18, 2018!

                                              

    Here are previous Smoke & Mirrors Top Ten Tuesday posts.

This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by that site 
until January 2018 when That Artsy Reader Girl took on the hosting duties!

Today's theme is Winter 2018 TBR!

Oh, so many! I currently have 6833 books on my Goodreads "Want to Read" shelf!
Of those, here are some I am most anticipating reading this winter...


Becoming, Michelle Obama's autobiography, 
is a definite read for me 
during this winter. 

She and Barack are 
two people for whom 
I have the utmost respect. 

I also really want to finally read his two books:

Dreams From My Father: 
A Story of Race and Inheritance 
and 
The Audacity of Hope: 
Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream


I just feel the need to remind myself that there will be a return to 

decency, compassion, and intellect among those occupying 

the main leadership positions of this country... Those changes cannot arrive too quickly!

The January 2019 

read for the face-to-face book club 

I facilitate is 

We Are Okay 

by Nina LaCour. 

And then there is The Dry by Jane Harper for the Second Flight Books Backlist Book Club in January. I have a feeling I will immediately want to follow this with Force of Nature. These are book #1 and #2 in her Aaron Falk series.

But...before any of these 

I am currently finishing 

Life's Work: A Moral Argument for Choice 

by Dr. Willie Parker.

I have found this to be even more interesting 

and informative than I at first imagined 

it might be. I am enjoying his writing 

as well as the details of his life.

Immediately following that is 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 

by Rebecca Skloot.

I selected both of these books for Nonfiction November, a reading event 

 cohosted by the following five bloggers: 

Sarah of Sarah's Book Shelves, Katie of Doing Dewey, Kim of Sophisticated Dorkiness,
Rennie of What's Nonfiction, Julz of JulzReads

And although November has come and gone, I am determined to complete these books before 2019 arrives! (Better late than never!) I have anxiously anticipated reading both of these books for sooooooo long!  :)

Sometime during January, I will read and review 
They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple 
for the February 4, 2019, 
Literary Wives review posting. 
This is a Persephone reprint 
so I'll definitely be ordering a copy!
It sounds rather intense!

Also in January I will be 
reading and reviewing 
James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room 
for the Classics Club Spin #19! 
I was totally enthralled by his book
Go Tell It on the Mountain.

The Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge group 
is hosting a group read of 
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 
by Stuart Turton 
for January 2019.
I am intrigued by this book for many reasons. 
It would fulfill quite a few prompts 
for the Popsugar 2019 and ATY 2019 challenges as well.
Both of these challenges are on Goodreads.
 If you're interested, look for them in "groups" on Goodreads.

And then? I have so many more I want to read...
How about you? What is on your Winter 2018 to-read listing?

Happy reading!
--Lynn

Top Ten Tuesday for October 2!

Here are previous Smoke & Mirrors Top Ten Tuesday posts.

This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by that site until

January 2018 when That Artsy Reader Girl took on the hosting duties!

Today's theme for Top Ten Tuesday is Authors I Would Love to Meet!
Wow. Honestly, there are so many! 
Although I have perhaps met more authors than I ever expected to be able to meet, 
there are more I would love to have the opportunity to meet...
(Perhaps I'm just never satisfied! LOL)

I don't know if I can limit this list to ten or not...but here goes!

First and foremost, Janet Evanovich! 
Her Stephanie Plum series is one of the silliest I've ever read, 
but also one of my absolutely favorite and most entertaining ways to spend time!
The newest installment, Look Alive Twenty-Five, is due to be released November 13th! 
That is a Tuesday. If at all possible, I will schedule myself off work for a day of vacation, head to my local bookstore that morning as soon as they open, 
purchase my pre-ordered copy, and enjoy my afternoon!
I am certain to be laughing out loud many times as I read.
The only question is how many times and how loudly! :)
I cannot imagine being the person whose imagination works in ways 
whereby you create Stephanie's world and all the very unique people and situations 
contained therein! Pure genius! (IMHO) :)

I have been privileged to have met many of the authors who might otherwise 
appear next on my list:
Garth Stein, Erica Bauermeister, Carol Cassella, Jennie Shortridge, Elizabeth Berg, 
Marisa de los Santos, Laurie R. King, Terese Marie Mailhot, Roxane Gay, Junot Diaz, 
AJ Finn, Lori Rader-Day, Annie Sullivan, Summer Heacock, 

And I feel as if I've met others due to having spoken with them via Skype/telephone and/or extensive contact via email/social media: Andrea Busfield, W. Bruce Cameron.

But to continue with the list of those I would love to meet in the future:

Jacqueline Winspear (I love her Maisie Dobbs series!)

David Rosenfelt (I love his Andy Carpenter series!)

Alexander McCall Smith (I love his No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series,
Isabel Dalhousie series, and Corduroy Mansion series!)

Sarah Addison Allen (I love her magical realism!)

Kevin Kwan (I love those crazy rich Asians!)

Joyce Maynard (I loved Labor Day and The Good Daughters!)

Alafair Burke (I've loved all 10 of her books I have read!)

Susan Wittig Albert (I love her China Bayles series!)

Gennifer Choldenko (I adore her Al Capone at Alcatraz series!)

Sara Gruen (Water for Elephants--one of my all-time favorite books)

Emma Donoghue (Room was amazing!

Bill Clegg (I loved his debut, Did You Ever Have a Family!)

LaShonda Katrice Barnett (Jam on the Vine!)

Paula McClain (The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun!)

Penelope Lively (I loved Moon Tiger)

Anthony Doerr (All the Light We Cannot See...be still my heart!)

Susanna Kearsley (I've read two and need to read more!)

And if they were still alive: Kent Haruf and Sue Grafton 

Trust me! I could add more--but time has run out!

Happy reading!

--Lynn

Top Ten Tuesday for September 18!

Here are previous Smoke & Mirrors Top Ten Tuesday posts.

This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by that site until

January 2018 when That Artsy Reader Girl took on the hosting duties!

Today's theme for Top Ten Tuesday is Books on my Fall 2018 TBR List!
Yes, more than 10! And a couple into 2019!
Another favorite topic of mine! Adding to the TBR listing!

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, 
Lauren Willig, Karen White
I have yet to read a book written by either Lauren Willig or Karen White, though I know I own some. :) 

I did read Williams' A Certain Age and loved it!

This book combines so much of what I love to read:
historical fiction,
a mystery, 
interwoven lives of seemingly unrelated characters!
Since I know virtually nothing about the Lusitania, 
I am anxious for this one! 

Their first joint venture, The Forgotten Room, 
looks to be a good one, as well!

She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore

Catherine of The Gilmore Guide to Books 
has rated this debut novel highly! 

This just released September 11, last Tuesday.
Set in Liberia. 
Historical fiction. 
Magical realism.
Wow! My interest is certainly piqued! 

Unclaimed Baggage by Jen Doll

To be released today! 
This book sounds a bit "romancy" for me, but I'm willing to give it a try!
I find most of the Young Adult novels I read to be very satisfying:
Ana of California by Andi Teran, the Anne of Green Gables series 
by L.M. Montgomery, The Cay by Theodore Taylor, Eleanor & Park 
by Rainbow Rowell, Emory's Gift by W. Bruce Cameron, 
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, 
My Side of the Mountain and On the Far Side of the Mountain 
by Jean Craighead George, Rascal: A Memior of a Better Era 
by Sterling North, Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan, 
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, and Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
And never fear...I have read more than this, but these are the ones I have reviewed here!

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
A huge confession...I own 3 Kate Morton books and have yet 
to read even one! [hides face in shame] Really! 
I need to remedy that as soon as possible, especially since several readers have highly recommended her work to me! 
I believe the page count may intimidate me a bit!
It seems none of her works are less than 500 pages in length.
This newest is to be released September 20.
From Goodreads: "Told by multiple voices across time, 
The Clockmaker's Daughter is a story of murder, mystery, and thievery, of art, love, and loss." That's more than enough to interest me! 

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
I admit to being extremely disappointed by the fact that there is a release event for this debut novel planned in Indianapolis, Indiana, and I was excited to receive an initial email about it weeks ago! But when I tried (and tried and tried--for a total of 8 times!) to purchase tickets, I couldn't get the purchase to finalize. I used that same card at least 5-6 times that same day, but I just considered it fate that I was not to attend this event. Even though his brother, and one of my absolute favorite authors, John Green, is participating in it! ARRRGGGHHH!!! 
The frustration! But it's cool! I'm sure I'll live! 
Besides, this is definitely a first-world challenge! 
I am so excited for this one! It is scheduled to release September 25. 

The Weeping Books of Blinney Lane by Drea Damara
Release date: September 27.
Goodreads descriptors:
Fantasy
Romance
Books About Books
Fiction 
Magic 
Adult Fiction
Time Travel 
Paranormal
I just feel this is definitely worth reading!

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
This is due to be released October 2. 
I have yet to read a book written by Chamberlain.
However, this one definitely grabbed my attention. 
It is labeled as Historical Fiction AND Time Travel!
From Goodreads: 
"A rich genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother's quest 
to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. 
Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science 
to deliver a novel that you will never forget."


All You Can Ever Know: 
A Memoir 
by Nicole Chung
Release date: October 2.
A Korean child adopted by a white couple and raised in the US. This must be an intriguing autobiography!
An opportunity to learn so much!


November Road by Lou Berney
Release date: October 9.
Honestly, I have no idea how I heard of this book/author!
But, I notice that Lori Rader-Day,
 one of my favorite mystery authors says it is 
one of her favorite reads thus far for 2018! 
Her recommendation: pre-order it now!
That is definitely enough recommendation for me!
And now I notice that Lori has just released her fourth book, Under A Dark Sky! 
Definitely another must-read for me! 
Oh, and in case, you're wondering about my using her first name, again, I have met her! And if you're ever able to attend an event in which she is participating--just DO IT!
She is a hoot! Very engaging and genuine!



Also on October 9, The Witch Elm by Tana French is released! Wow! October 9, 2018, is a great day for mysteries! 
I will never forget the day I picked up In the Woods to read it. I worked at Borders at the time and had been eyeing this cover/book for what seemed to be ages!
I was a bit hesitant, thinking it might be too scary for me...
But it wasn't! And. I. Was. Hooked. 
Her second release, The Likeness, is one of the best plotted and most unique story arcs among the mysteries I've ever read!
Point being: I am confident this will be just as enthralling!

I rarely read "romance" books. 

But, for some reason, the plot of 
Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks 
caught my eye. 
It is scheduled for release on October 16. 
Confession: I have yet to read a Sparks novel. 
Perhaps it is time to remedy that! I admit I am at the very least curious!





Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
Release date: October 16.
A five-star review from Roxane Gay 
certainly piques my interest!
As if I needed another motivation 
to anxiously anticipate this book!
The black experience in the US...
especially for males...
so much to discover and attempt to understand...


And now...for one of my very favorite series of all time!
Yet another, the 25th, installment in the Stephanie Plum series 
written by Janet Evanovich! 
I love these books so very much! 
Look Alive Twenty-Five. Release date: November 13.
If I can at all, I schedule myself off work the day of release 
of a new Plum novel, purchase from the nearest bookstore 
that morning, and settle in for a fun afternoon!
I am neither Team Morelli nor Team Ranger!
I enjoy the fact that Stephanie has them both in her life
and hope it remains that way! :)

Wow. Rough transition here...
from Stephanie Plum to one of the women 
I most admire in so many ways, Michelle Obama! :)

I am very anxious to read what she has to say.
She and her husband courageously survived and 
even thrived despite so many challenges!
If only they were still heading our country! :)
Becoming is set to release November 13th as well!
I am ashamed to note that I have yet to read any books written by Barack Obama, 
though I own two of them. 
So hopefully I'll also get to reading those soon!





An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Release date: January 8, 2019. 
This pair also wrote The Wife Between Us, which I own...
but have yet to read. 
(I know! No big surprise there, huh?) :(
I met them this past April at the Christamore House Guild's 
2018 Book Author Event. 
They are quite fun! It is amazing to hear them 
describe their writing process! 
They even live in different states and they make this work!

Children of Virtue and Vengeance 
by Tomi Adeyemi is scheduled 
for release March 5, 2019!
As you can see, 
a cover image has not yet been revealed.
You might ask: 
Why mention it now? Because... 
It is the second book in the 
Legacy of Orïsha trilogy! 
I literally inhaled 
Children of Blood and Bone, 
the first of the three books planned 
for publication when I read it in June! 
Goodreads classifies this series as Young Adult, Fantasy, and of course, Fiction!
This is one of the most unique books I've read!
I loved the fact that each character is "black," "African," whatever word you select. 
Character descriptions were rich in detail and I enjoyed creating an image for each of them.
This was a selection for two different book clubs to which I belong. 
I was amazed at the difference between the two discussions. 
One group was quite diverse in age, vocation, race/ethnicity, etc., while the other was very monocultural. Can you guess which group provided a more intense and deep discussion? :)

 And, that is my Fall 2018 TBR listing!
Just 15 of the 6533 books on my Goodreads "Want to Read" shelf!
Oh, yeah...I definitely can't live long enough to read them all!
But that doesn't keep me from wishing I could! :)

Happy reading!!
--Lynn