Welcome to my first ever Top Ten Tuesday post! I’m still working on my fresh plan for my blog, but one thing I’m keen to re-introduce is some more bookish posts that are personal to me. To that end, I’m jumping on the T0p Ten Tuesday bandwagon, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, and participated in by a number of my favourite book bloggers. I hope you will enjoy this feature every Tuesday.
As you can see from the title, the theme is books I meant to read in 2018 but didn’t get to! Oh, dear. There are soooo many, but I’ve kept is to ten(best keep to the recommended format for my first post, at least!) and selected books that I own and will be reading in 2019.
I’ve heard such excellent things about both Mario Escobar’s Auschwitz Lullaby and Patti Callahan’s Becoming Mrs. Lewis. There’s nothing like reading fiction based heavily on the lives and circumstances of real people and these two fit the bill perfectly. One, the story of Helene Hannemann—a woman who sacrificed everything for family and fought furiously for the Romani children in her care, and the other, the retelling of the friendship and love that blossomed between C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman.
Jocelyn Green and Tamera Alexander are two novelists whose love for history bleeds from their pages. I can’t wait to dive into A Refuge Assured and With This Pledge and wish I’d had the time in 2018!
A couple of contemporary romances that I didn’t get to are Pepper Basham’s When You Look at Me and Liz Johnson’s A Sparkle of Silver. Both these writers are very talented and as I’ve loved their previous novels, I know I have some great reading ahead of me!
I’ve heard so much about the heroes in these two stories from Roseanna M. White and Jaime Jo Wright! Barclay Pierce from An Hour Unspent, a former thief turned fierce patriot, and Garrett Greenwood from The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond, former boyfriend of the contemporary heroine (this is a dual timeline novel) whose motives take some working out….or so I’m told!!
Gah! Must get to these two! Readers are raving about both of these stories. Morgan’s Mark of the Raven is the first in her Ravenwood Saga, an epic fantasy trilogy, and The Traitor Prince is a standalone fantasy novel, inspired by The Prince and the Pauper. Can’t wait!
So, do tell! Any books from this list you didn’t get to either but plan to read this year? Or any other books burning a hole on your bookshelf – physical or digital – that you are going to read in 2019?
Rel
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January 22, 2019 at 9:20 pm
Mark of the Raven and The Traitor Prince (oooh, a Prince and the Pauper premise, nice!) have such gorgeous covers! I hope you enjoy them!
January 22, 2019 at 10:03 pm
verushka » Thanks! They are beautiful covers, aren’t they?
January 22, 2019 at 9:29 pm
Well, I’ve read all but two of those you’ve listed, and you are definitely in for some good reading! I’m intrigued by The Traitor Prince. You’ll have to tell me how you enjoy it!
January 22, 2019 at 10:03 pm
Katie Donovan » Excellent – always love your recommendations!
January 22, 2019 at 9:30 pm
And I totally meant to say, “Yay! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesdays!” Lol.
January 22, 2019 at 10:02 pm
Katie Donovan » Thank you! You inspired me, for sure 🙂
January 22, 2019 at 9:42 pm
Love this post! I have read all of these except “The Traitor Prince” and I can encourage you to carve out the time to read them in 2019.
Two books still sitting on my TBR pile from 2018 are “The Masterpiece” by Francine Rivers and “The Hidden Side” by Heidi C. Both of these made it onto the top reads of others, so I must get to them.
January 22, 2019 at 10:02 pm
Rebecca Maney » You do extremely well with your reading! You must read The Masterpiece and I’ve heard great things about The Hidden Side…also in my TBR 🙂
January 22, 2019 at 10:17 pm
Too many to name. Too many….
In addition to all the paperbacks and ebooks, I currently have Becoming Mrs. Lewis, Jerusalem’s Queen, and House at Saltwater Point that I borrowed out from the local library sitting on my desk….
January 22, 2019 at 10:45 pm
MJSH » We just love all the books 🙂
January 22, 2019 at 11:44 pm
Glad you joined the TTT! I’m looking forward to more great posts. I have a read a few on your list and am currently reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis for my book club next week. It is written in 1st person, and I have to keep reminding myself it is fiction, not memoir.
Have a great day!
January 23, 2019 at 8:48 am
Beckie B. » Thanks!! I’ve selected Becoming Mrs. Lewis for my book club, too, but we are doing it a little later in the year 🙂 Off to read your Top 10!
January 22, 2019 at 11:51 pm
Ooh, Becoming Mrs. Lewis sounds like a great read. I’ve added it to my TBR.
This is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
January 23, 2019 at 8:47 am
Lydia » Your list of books is fascinating. I stopped by and commented but it looks like it may have gone to your spam folder. Sigh. Hope you enjoy Becoming Mrs. Lewis.
January 22, 2019 at 11:56 pm
My YA daughter LOVES, LOVES, LOVES the Traitor Prince and also The Shadow Queen and the Wish Granter, also by C J Redwine. Like you, it’s still in my “wish I’d read more in 2018 pile”.
January 23, 2019 at 8:42 am
Arletta » Me, too. I have all 3 waiting to be read here. One day soon, I hope!
January 23, 2019 at 1:43 am
I still want to read, Becoming Mrs. Lewis and With This Pledge. I did borrow a few books from your 2018 top 10. I must say that Long Way Gone was excellent and has become my favorite Charles Martin novel. Thank you for these posts they keep my TBR list never ending. 😀
January 23, 2019 at 8:42 am
Penny » Soooo love hearing that! Thanks for letting me you loved Long Way Gone – my husband just read it and he does not read as a general rule, and he loved it too. I’m so very glad you have found some authors and books through my blog, Penny!
January 23, 2019 at 3:12 am
I’m about in the same place. I tend to be a year OR TWO behind!
January 23, 2019 at 8:40 am
Debra E. Marvin » I’ve just decided that I’ll have plenty of books to read when I’m retired 😉
January 23, 2019 at 3:23 am
The Reckoning of Gossamer Pond sounds good!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
January 23, 2019 at 8:40 am
Cholla » Yes, it does, and I’ve heard so many good things about it! Thanks for stopping by.
January 23, 2019 at 7:15 am
I have so many books, I meant to get to in 2018 but didn’t. I also made my list based on what books I own or have ARCs of. I haven’t read any on your list but I am in love with the cover of A Refuge Assured. It is beautiful. I hope you enjoy all of these when you get to them.
Tina @ As Told By Tina
January 23, 2019 at 8:38 am
Tina @As Told By Tina » I have way more than these 10, too, Tina! Always too many books and not enough reading time 🙂
January 23, 2019 at 7:41 am
I’ve read 5 of these and loved them, and I have 2 more of them sitting in my TBR list taunting me (the first 2 you have listed). You’re in for some great reading! I’ve heard wonderful things about all of these.
January 23, 2019 at 8:30 am
Winnie Thomas » Yes, I can’t wait 🙂
January 23, 2019 at 12:51 pm
The Mark of the Raven and The Traitor Prince are both awesome! Do read them!!! <3
January 26, 2019 at 8:26 am
I will! And your recommendation means sooner rather than later, Jen 🙂
January 24, 2019 at 3:12 am
Mark of the Raven and Reckoning at Gossamer Pond both made my top ten list for 2018. Those ladies can write! And With This Pledge will probably be on 2019’s top ten.
January 26, 2019 at 8:27 am
Excellent news, Rachael!
January 24, 2019 at 10:15 am
I’ve read four on your list. A Refuge Assured was one of my favorites from 2018!!
I don’t have a specific book that I didn’t get to but there are a couple of authors I’d like to read…Heather Gilbert is one.
January 26, 2019 at 8:28 am
I’m hearing that a lot about A Refuge Assured, Staci. Heather writes great stories – hope you get to read some of her books soon.