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. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s freebie topic is:
Book Titles that Would Make Great Song Titles
I’m sure I Wanna Be Where You Are and You Should See Me in a Crown are already song titles (definitely You Should See Me…).
I know there is a song called To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before (my dad used to listen to it A LOT when I was a child haha), so why not To All The Boys!
What do you think? I think these would make some pretty good songs!
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. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is:
Non-Bookish Hobbies
(Let’s get to know each other! What do you do that does not involve books or reading?)
Crafting with Resin
It’s a hobby I just picked up in 2020 and I started selling some of my items on Etsy again. My shop is called FancifulWish is you want to check it out. I also do some hand stamping metal still (which was why I opened my shop in the first place…8 years ago now?). My shop took a hiatus when my daughter was born 3 years ago and I thought I was done with it, but I guess the creative juices in me won’t quit.
2. Plants
I have to thank quarantine for this hobby. I’ve been living in this house for about 7 years now and I did try to grow things before and all my plants died! Haha…but for some reason, during lockdown 2020, my green thumb emerged? Maybe because I really put time and effort this time and had fun doing it? I don’t know…but I’ve already propagated so many succulents – I’m proud of myself! 😀 I did tell my family if they need gifts for Xmas, please, take my extra plants and give them a good home.
3. Gaming
I’m not a big gamer, but I did pick up Animal Crossing this year. I occasional help my son out on his Nintendo games and we did finally finish Luigi’s Mansion 3 during lockdown. Yay! Haha…
4. Cooking
Another thing I started to do more during lockdown and trust me, I used to semi-enjoy cooking. I’m TIRED of my cooking sigh but I did manage to cook more filipino foods and get better at it. I’m not good haha, but at least now I can say I’m getting better at it. I have more fun baking because desserts are my weakness!
5. Netflix and Chill
I haven’t had time to sit down and watch anything since you got it, 2020 and being in lockdown! Ha! So definitely had more time to binge shows. I guess before lockdown I was taking my son to school, running around doing errands, taking them to their ballet and soccer. I had so much to do, I didn’t have time to watch anything.
Other than that my main hobby is reading! I read, I blog about reading and I post bookish things on my IG.
Drop my a link to your TTT in the comments! I’d love to know what your hobbies are outside of reading. 🤗
💞~Yolanda
P.S. My fellow Americans, please go out and Vote today it you didn’t yet!!
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. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s freebie topic is:
Creepy Covers
Just to stay in the Halloween spirit…these covers have that cool, kinda creepy vibe. I don’t have 10, just 5!
And I will say…that Horrid cover – creeps me out so bad! 😅 It’s the eyes! 😑 I was trying to find covers with girl faces that had the creepy/scary vibe to it and that one just tops the list. I’ve only read The Grace Year and Sawkill Girls from this list and The Grace Year still is vivid in my mind. I was disturbed, but it was a good read.
Have you read any of these? I’m a wimp when it comes to horror but just for the season, I occasionally indulge in reading these haha.
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. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is:
Books That Make Me Hungry
This one should be a fairly easy topic so let’s go!
Kingdom of the Wicked by. Kerri Maniscalco – this book is set in Sicily. Enough said.
Furia by. Yamile Saied Mendez – this book is set in Argentina and I learned about new foods and drinks like yerba mate! It sounds delicious and addictive.
Here to Stay by. Adriana Herrera – main character was always cooking up Dominican foods that sound amazing.
4. The Last Story of Mina Lee by. Nancy Jooyoun Kim – one of my favorites is Korean food and we get some Korean cooking in this book. Yum!
5. Tweet Cute by. Emma Lord – a dessert blog, and deli food? This book made me hungry the whole time I read it.
6. Wicked As You Wish by. Rin Chupeco – yes for the Filipino representation in this book! I’m Filipino so right away I was salivating over the foods that were mentioned in the beginning of this book.
7. With the Fire on High by. Elizabeth Acevedo -it’s ALL about food and cooking class so it made me ravenous.
8. I love You So Mochi by. Sarah Kuhn – the title made me hungry off the bat. I love mochi – especially mocha ice cream.
9. A Sweet Mess by. Jayci Lee – this romance was centered around a cooking show, so of course it made me hungry. I’m a sucker for baked goods.
10. Somewhere Only We Know by. Maurene Goo – was a romp through Hong Kong and so many delicious food scenes. It made me want to take a trip to Hong Kong just to eat.
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. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is:
Questions I Would Ask My Favorite Authors (Living or dead. You can post 10 questions for one author, one question each for 10 different authors, or anything else!)
Question for Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts – What motivates you to keep writing? (If you don’t know who these authors are, just check out their catalogue and see how many books they’ve written! lol)
Question for Jane Austen – Which Pride & Prejudice adaptation (tv series or movie) is your favorite?
It’s the top two tuesday for me today haha – this was the only two questions I really wanted to know for some reason.
Anyway, I’m sure the rest of you have better questions so drop your link in my comments section so I can check out your TTT!
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. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is:
Books that Should be Adapted into Netflix Shows/Movies (submitted by Nushu @ Not A Prima Donna Girl)
I’ll Be the One by. Lyla Lee – this would be so cute as a movie. I think Skye makes a fun main character and it’s an uplifting story.
Fable by. Adrienne Young – with the right director, this one could be amazing as a movie.
Color Me In by. Natasha Diaz – Harlem, Black Lives Movement, identity – it’s the kind of movie we actually need right now.
Legendborn by. Tracy Deonn – this has the race issues but add in the King Arthur legend, mage magic, plus black girl ancestor magic and the South? YES.
The Black Kids by. Christina Hammonds Reed – The L.A. Riots and being black in Los Angeles are at the forefront at this book. I also want to see this as a movie because I grew up in the 90’s and it would be nostalgic.
The Unhoneymooners by. Christina Lauren – where have all the rom com movies have gone?! Seriously, I lived for watching rom coms and now there aren’t many being made. This would make a really good movie!
A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas – make it into a series that I can indulge in for a few years please? Haha! I want to see the Fae come to life. And see who they would pick to play Rhys.
The Cruel Prince by. Holly Black – I want it dark, with all the political chess games. Yes…definitely a series I can binge on.
The Bone Houses by. Emily Lloyd-Jones – zombies? Yes! This would be perfect for a Halloween release.
American Royals by. Katharine McGee – I would like to see some American royalty! And this story has so much drama, it would make a good series.
Patron Saints of Nothing by. Randy Ribay – would love to see some filipino actors on screen!
What’s on your TTT today? Leave me your link so I can check it out!
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. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is:
Books I Loved but Never Reviewed
So many books come under this topic haha – I only started reviewing books last year and I’ve been reading book since I was eleven-ish? 🤔 I’m going to have to go into my Goodreads history for this one!
So I remember buying this book in Barnes & Noble just because it was about vampires and that cover just had me from the start. Black, red and white…yesss…haha. I don’t think I loved it right away because I wasn’t a teen anymore, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. I found myself waiting for the sequel…and then it just kind of took over the world huh? I remember buying the whole series and letting friends and family borrow all of them when they finally heard about this book. I didn’t even know some of these people read books, that was the reach of this series. I let someone borrow the series and it never came back to me.
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More vampires! I was so addicted to this series! There are so many kindle unlimited “academy” fast-release books out there from indie authors but for me it started with this series right here. Bummed the movie flopped but I think it would make a good television show.
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And my other obsession after Vampire Academy was Bloodlines! Alchemist unite…Sydney and Adrian were my faves.
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I mean what can I say about it – I’ve read it multiple times because I love the world building and world of the Fae.
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I love the whole dystopian, sci-fi aspect of this series and I gave the third one high marks because it had the romantic conclusion I wanted but the more I thought about and re-read it…I’m bummed about book three. It’s one of the reviews I have to mark down after reading it again. But the first books in the series had my heart.
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I’ve read this book multiple times. I love Edie and see what she goes through after a traumatic event.
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There is something about this contemporary YA book that I love – the whole pop star falls in love with regular girl trope is so much fun! It just made me feel like a teen in love with her favorite star…I mean, haven’t we all had one pop star crush in our lifetime?!
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Mafia love story – YES. One of my fave’s.
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Another book I’ve read multiple times but never reviewed and now it’s everywhere because of the Netflix movies.
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I’m not a big fan of pirate stories but this series totally got me into the whole trope!
In conclusion, there are a LOT of books I haven’t reviewed on this blog or Goodreads. I left star ratings but never bothered to input a written review. Maybe I should challenge myself to reread some of these. Except my TBR is long as it is…anyway what was on your TTT?
So much has been happening in the past few weeks that it’s taken me some time to write a post for this blog. I’ve been reading some and working on posts, but slowly. I’ve been on my social media sites posting support for Black Lives Matter and trying to do my part in helping to bring awareness to the issue. I’ve been donating where I can, and now I feel like I need to support the movement through my blog as well.
I looked at the amount of reviews I posted on this blog in the past year and counted 9 books from black authors that I’ve read and reviewed. 9…out of 180++ books that I have read since last year! That’s awful and I need to do better. I’ve read books by other POC authors as well but still, I think the total would still be less than 50 books by POC authors. Out of 180. And 180 is the most books I’ve read in any year! I’m not on pace to read that many books this year but…I’m going to channel my energy for the rest of this 2020 towards reading more books by black authors and other POC authors out there.
Since this week’s TTT topic is: Books I’ve Added to my TBR and Forgotten Why
I’m going to switch it up and call it:
Books By Black Authors I’ve Added to my TBR:
Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Never mind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.
But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.
For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.
But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.
When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?
The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.
On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.
But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.
Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?
When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.
But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.
Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.
Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.
The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky.
In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life.
Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.
And they’re willing to fight an entire war to get there.
When Chloe Pierce’s mom forbids her to apply for a spot at the dance conservatory of her dreams, she devises a secret plan to drive two hundred miles to the nearest audition. But Chloe hits her first speed bump when her annoying neighbor Eli insists upon hitching a ride, threatening to tell Chloe’s mom if she leaves him and his smelly dog, Geezer, behind. So now Chloe’s chasing her ballet dreams down the east coast—two unwanted (but kinda cute) passengers in her car, butterflies in her stomach, and a really dope playlist on repeat.
Fiercely independent and smart, Zora Emerson wants to change the world. She’s excited to be attending a prestigious summer program, even if she feels out of place among her privileged, mostly white classmates. So she’s definitely not expecting to feel a connection to Owen, who’s an actual prince of an island off the coast of England. But Owen is funny, charming…and undeniably cute. Zora can’t ignore the chemistry between them. When Owen invites Zora to be his date at his big brother’s big royal wedding, Zora is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, along with her family and friends. Everyone is talking about her, in real life and online, and while Owen is used to the scrutiny, Zora’s not sure it’s something she can live with. Can she maintain her sense of self while moving between two very different worlds? And can her feelings for Owen survive and thrive in the midst of the crazy? Find out in this charming romantic comedy that’s like The Princess Diaries for a new generation.
Magic has a price—if you’re willing to pay.
Born into a family of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah yearns for magic of her own. But each year she fails to call forth her ancestral powers, while her ambitious mother watches with growing disapproval.
There’s only one thing Arrah hasn’t tried, a deadly last resort: trading years of her own life for scraps of magic. Until the Kingdom’s children begin to disappear, and Arrah is desperate to find the culprit.
She uncovers something worse. The long-imprisoned Demon King is stirring. And if he rises, his hunger for souls will bring the world to its knees… unless Arrah pays the price for the magic to stop him.
By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the Black man.”
But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”
Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her previous life, family memories, or her childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at a local university seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.
A flying demon feeding on human energies.
A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.
And a teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.
The mage’s failure reveals Bree’s own, unique magic and unlocks a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that she knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, Bree will do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn by becoming one of their initiates. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur and his knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.
I like how I have a mix of everything that I love to read in this list: fantasy, contemporary, sci-fi and romance. I’m waiting to get my hands on a few of these through my library and NetGalley (if they approve me), but I’m already reading Truly, Madly, Royally. Also the Kingdom of Souls ebook is only $1.99 right now on Amazon, so that’s waiting for me on my iPad. If you have any suggestions below on books from black authors I would enjoy please list them below so I can add them to my ever growing TBR list!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 