It's Tuesday and you know what that means...it's time for my favorite weekly book blogging event! Today's TTT prompt is: Top Ten Bookish Brags or Confessions (What are you proud of or not so proud of in your bookish life?). This topic was suggested by the incomparable Lydia Schoch, who deserves a shout-out for being so awesome at leaving thoughtful comments on everyone's TTT posts each week. Bragging is something I try not to do and I can't think of any big confessions, so this topic is a bit tough for me. How about I do half and half and see what I come up with? 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. I'm lucky to be at a point in my life where I have a very flexible schedule that allows me to read pretty much whenever I want and for as long as I want. Yes, I have a house to clean (which is where audiobooks come in handy), a family to take care of, a church "calling," several volunteer positions, a couple other hobbies, and more, but I also have a lot of free time. If I want to read all day, I can! (And often do.)

2. I have a lovely home library. Is it the Beauty and the Beast library of my fondest dreams, with books to the ceiling and rolling ladders to help me reach them? Not exactly. But, the long wall in my living room is lined with stuffed bookshelves that extend far above my head (I'm short, but still...). Pretty much the first thing people say when they come into my house for the first time is, "Whoa! That's a lot of books." I'm a proud book nerd and I love my cozy home library. It makes me happy.

3. Speed reading is not a skill I've ever learned, but I do read faster than the average person. That helps with #4:

4. I consistently read over 200 books a year. Like I said, I've got a lot of free time in my schedule; I don't watch tv; I listen to audiobooks whenever I'm driving, cleaning, or exercising; I don't have a lot of other hobbies; and I read quickly. 

5. I've been blogging here at BBB continuously for 18 years without ever taking a scheduled break from it. Some years I've put in a lot more effort than others, sure, but I've been hanging out here for almost two decades. I'm still having fun with it, so I'll keep trucking along. Thanks for all your support over the years!

1. Like many (most?) of you, my TBR "pile" is thousands of titles long. I'll never read all the books I want to, even in several lifetimes (not that that's ever stopped me from trying)!

2. Even though I've become much more selective about the books I accept from publishers, authors, and publicists, I still get many more than I can ever possibly read/review. And yet, I can't stop myself from greedily perusing publishers' catalogs on NetGalley and Edelweiss, saying yes to email queries offering me the latest and greatest new releases, and loading up at bookstore sales. When it comes to books, I'm just a girl who can't say no. No one else can relate, right?

3. Despite my college degree in English, I'm not big on the classics. There are tons that I have never read, a bunch I have DNF'd because they were boring me to tears, and several I suffered through but didn't enjoy. These days, I don't even pretend to prefer more highbrow choices; I just read what I feel like reading!

4. I've never experienced a reading slump. Ever since I learned to read at 5 years old, I've done so voraciously. When other bloggers talk about their months-long slumps, I just can't relate at all. Some months of reading are better than others in terms of how much I enjoyed what I read, but I've never gone more than a day or two without reading at least a couple pages in a book.

5. I rarely buy used books. Is this weird? I love a good book bargain, but I prefer to purchase volumes that haven't been read by anyone else. I adore brand new books with their crisp, unblemished pages and delicious inky smell. Even though they cost so much more than used books, it's worth it to me to buy new. Since I'm not made of money (more's the pity), I am (paradoxically, perhaps) also a huge library user. I just have to grit my teeth and ignore the evidence of other readers who have gone before me—you know, the food stains, stray hairs, folded-down corners (*shudders*), torn pages, etc. Library book sales always tempt me, but I never end up buying from them because I just...can't. It's weird, I know.

There you go, five bookish brags and five confessions. Do you relate to any of them? What are your bookish brags/confessions? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this blog post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also respond to comments left here (although I'm still a tad behind from last week).

As a private bodyguard working for a company that protects only high-profile clients, Amy Wheeler has a pretty cushy job. Case in point: she's currently guarding a famous, best-selling mystery/thriller writer at the author's glittering mansion on her own private island. Although the novelist is being targeted by a Russian mobster after she mocked him in one of her books, no one is actively shooting at them while they lounge beside the pool. Not a bad gig if you can get it. 

When a social media influencer dies in a strange way, oddly close to the South Carolina site where Amy is working, she starts to become suspicious. This isn't the first time it's happened. Clearly, someone is trying to set Amy up for the murders of a string of dead influencers. Unwilling to trust anyone but her most reliable associates, she calls up the one person she knows will always have her back—her father-in-law, a retired British police detective. Although Steve Wheeler is a lonely widower who would be content never to leave his quiet life at home again (save for his weekly pub trivia night), he will do anything for Amy. Soon, he finds himself jet setting all over the world with his adrenaline-junkie daughter-in-law and a zany mystery author in a wild, chaotic search for the murderous criminal mastermind who's intent on taking Amy down. The unlikely trio of investigators isn't about to let that happen. They'll bring the killer to justice or die trying. Which is seeming more likely by the minute).

I quite enjoyed Richard Osman's debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club (although I've yet to read any of the sequels), but I adored his newest, We Solve Murders. It's the first installment in a new series starring Amy and Steve Wheeler, a detective duo with a unique relationship. I've never seen a daughter-in-law/father-in-law pairing like this in all the mystery/thriller books I've consumed and I am here for it. They're both likable protagonists, with distinct personalities, strengths, and flaws. Their relationship is sweet, wholesome. Then there's our irrepressible novelist, Rosie D'Antonio. She's an ageless spitfire with a contagious zest for life. Her exuberance makes her colorful, fun, and unforgettable. Together, they make a very appealing team, with a group dynamic that naturally leads to some hilarious exploits. Their globe-trotting capers are frenzied and madcap, but they're also exciting and endlessly entertaining. I couldn't stop laughing or turning the pages of this completely enchanting mystery. The ending left me satisfied and wanting more, more, more. I can't wait to see what Amy, Steve, and Rosie get up to next!

(Readalikes: Other than The Thursday Murder Club and the Only Murders in the Building television show, I really can't think of anything. You?)

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of We Solve Murders from the generous folks at Penguin  via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Happy October! I'm not sure how exactly it got to be October already, but oookkkayyy. Fall is my favorite season, even if we don't get a traditional one here in the Phoenix area. It's still over 100 degrees outside. Maybe if I crank up the air conditioning, cuddle up with a fuzzy blanket, and read some good Gothic novels I'll be able to convince myself it's REAL Fall. Wish me luck.

How did you do with reading bookish books in September? I ended up reading eight, way more than I thought I would, mostly because I didn't realize a lot of them had bookish elements in them. What a happy surprise! Since there are so many of them, I'll skip the book jacket photos and the plot summaries and just link the titles to my Goodreads review. Why yes, yes, I am feeling a little lazy this evening. 

Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler (editor) - 3 1/2 stars

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton - 3 1/2 stars

An Uninterrupted View of the Sky by Melanie Crowder - 5 stars

Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green - 4 stars

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman - 4 stars

Murder at the Library by Ellen Jacobson - 3 stars

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose - 4 stars

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter - 4 stars

This month, I'm mostly going to be working on making progress on my reading challenges and reading books for the Cybils Awards. I don't know how many bookish books I'll actually get to, but here are a couple I have my eye on:

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan—This cozy mystery sounds like lots of fun. It's set in a Halloween-themed town in Oregon and stars Bailey Briggs, who manages the local bookstore. Just as the festive Halloween season is kicking off, someone is murdered. The police have damning evidence that points to Bailey as the killer. She'll have to play amateur sleuth in order to clear her name.

Murder on the Page by Daryl Wood Gerber (available October 22, 2024)—Another cozy, this one centers around Allie Catt, a caterer and personal chef who creates feasts inspired by literature. When a woman is murdered at one of her parties, Allie turns to her favorite fictional detectives to guide her own amateur investigation into the crime. 

Even though I despise cutesy character names, I still think this one sounds entertaining.  

What are you like when it comes to hype surrounding new books? Do you give into it for fear of missing out on a title "everyone" seems to be loving? Or are you leery about following the crowd, maybe because you've been burned before? Today's TTT prompt is all about that: Top Ten Books You Read/Avoided Because of the Hype (and did you make the right choice?). I'm more likely to do the latter, but occasionally, I do get caught up in the hype. I can think of a few books I've read or bought because of it, just not enough for much of a list. However, I have no trouble at all coming up with more books that are on my Fall TBR list, so I decided to make an addendum to last week's list. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.