Believe it or not (not!), I started this blog ten years ago this month.  Crazy.  It's evolved a lot since then, as have I.  Weirdly enough, in all those years, my enthusiasm for book blogging has not waned.  I still think it's a grand old time.  Will I still be doing this ten years from now?  Probably.  Here's to another decade of BBB!

I've been inhaling books for a lot longer than ten years so you'd think that I'd have read every book on my TBR list mountain mountain chain by now.  Yeah, not quite.  It's still crammed full of titles I'm hoping to get to someday.  Plenty of them have been on my radar for more than ten years, which makes this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic a cinch.  I could make several TTT lists of Books That Have Been On My TBR List Since Before I Started Blogging.  I'm guessing you could, too, so why don't you join in the fun?  Cruise on over to The Broke and the Bookish for the rules of the game, then make your own TTT list, and share it with the book blogosphere.  It's fun!

Top Ten Books That have Been On My TBR List Since Before I Started Blogging:



1.  Atonement by Ian McEwan (2003)—This Booker Prize-nominated novel seems to be about many things: writing, a crime that changes people's lives, war, and I'm not sure what else.  Lots of people love it and I've yet to read it or anything by McEwan for that matter.


2.  Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick (2006)—I bought this book at Borders back in the day.  I've been meaning to read it ever since.  My Bailey (Bayley) ancestors did not come to America on the Mayflower, but they arrived in Plymouth soon after the famous ship docked.  Mayflower is supposed to be a fascinating account of the Pilgrims and their journey to the New World.  Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea has also been on my TBR list for some time.


3.  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (2004)—This story about an autistic teen investigating the death of a neighborhood dog sounds quirky and interesting.  I've seen lots of praise for it over the years.  And yet, still it languishes on Ye Olde TBR ...


4.  Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2006)—A sweeping multi-generational tale about fathers and sons, this novel came out the year I started blogging.  Still haven't gotten around to it.


5.  The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst (2004)—This tale about a man who tries to make sense of his wife's death by performing experiments to teach his dog to speak sounds ... unusual.  Also heartbreaking.  I'm still curious about it.  One of these days I'll finally get to it.  Maybe.


6.  Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2001)—Admittedly, I'm not a huge dragon/fantasy fan.  Still, so many people love the Inheritance Cycle series that I need to at least give it a go.  The fact that Paolini wrote the first book when he was just 15 is another reason to check it out.


7.  I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (2002)—Like many people, I've only read one book by Zusak—The Book Thief.  Some of my most trusted book blogging friends (I'm looking at you, Suey and Jenny) think he's written more than one great novel.  I need to see for myself.  This particular Zusak has been on my TBR list for far too long.  It's about time I just read I Am the Messenger already!


8.  The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1998)—I love post-apocalyptic books, but for some reason I just can't ever get very far in this one.  Not because it's not intriguing, just because I always get distracted by newer, shinier books.


9.  Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (2004)—I've heard so many great things about Roach's books, this one in particular, that it's a wonder I still haven't read her.  I need to remedy that right away.


10.  Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (1992)—I was completely swept away by Outlander when I read it way back when.  Why I didn't grab this sequel immediately I'm not sure.  I'll have to read Outlander again before I can continue on with this series, so who knows if it will ever actually happen?  I like big books (and I cannot lie), but re-reading has never been my favorite thing.

So, there you have it.  What do you think?  Have you read any of these?  Do you consider any of them must-reads or can they linger on the TBR list?  I'd love to have a look at your list.  Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT!  

(All book images from Barnes & Noble)

It's been awhile since I participated in Top Ten Tuesday, my favorite bookish meme.  The last few topics haven't really piqued my interest, but I love the one for this week:  Top Ten Finished Series I Have Yet to Finish.  Although I could seriously list about a million answers, I'll try to restrain myself and keep it to just ten :)

If you want to play along, head over to The Broke and the Bookish.  Read the rules, make your Top Ten list, share it with the rest of us, then visit other blogs to see lots of fun answers to the question du jour.  Simple.  It's an enjoyable little diversion that will put a smile on your face while introducing you to tons of great book blogs.  What's not to love?

Here we go with my list.  In no particular order, here are the Top Ten Finished Series I Have Yet to Finish: 


1.  Matched by Ally Condie—I enjoyed the first book in this series, but never moved on to the second.  Not sure why.  At this point, I'd probably have to re-read Matched before picking up the next installment.  One of these days ...


2.  Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer—This is a series that was already wrapping up when the author died in 2014.  Still, the thought of no additional Jacky Faber stories makes my heart sad.  She's such a lively, vivid character that I can't imagine not having her in my reading life.  Perhaps that's why I'm stalling instead of finishing up the series?  Probably.  I've read five of the twelve Bloody Jack novels, so I've still got a lot of ground to cover with this one.


3.  Outlander by Diana Gabaldon—I was totally absorbed by Outlander, but again, I never picked up another book in the series.  Why not?  Who knows?  I need to since I believe it's now complete?



4.  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis—The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe stands out in my mind as one of those reads that just swept me away as a child.  As much as I loved the book, I don't think I kept on with the series.  My memory ain't what it used to be, that's true, but I'm pretty sure I've never read the rest of the Narnia books.  I need to remedy that, for sure.


5.  Divergent by Veronica Roth—Again, I enjoyed the first book, but didn't progress beyond the series debut.  I've heard not great things about Insurgent, thus my hesitation ...


6.  The Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter—These books are so dang fun.  I love them!  And yet, I've only finished two of the six books in the series.  They're easy, entertaining reads, so it wouldn't be tough (in fact, it would be quite enjoyable) to binge-read the rest of them.


7.  Virgin River by Robyn Carr—When it comes to creating small, cozy towns that teem with so much life and warmth that I want to move in right away, there is simply no one like Robyn Carr.  I adored her Grace Falls series.  Her newer ones, Virgin River and Thunder Point, are just as engaging.  While the latter continues, I believe the former is complete.  I've read 6/20 V.R. books and am always excited to open another one and get back "home" to Virgin River.


8.  The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd—I've read 2/3 of this series in 2015.  I'm hoping to finish it this year as well.


9.  The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale—I'm halfway through this enjoyable series, but it's been a loooonnnngggg time since I read the first two books (2008 and 2009, respectively).  I'll have to re-read them before grabbing the final two.


10.  Incarceron by Catherine Fisher—A two-book series should be a cinch to complete, and yet, I'm still only halfway through this one.  I proclaimed Incarceron one of my favorite books of 2010.  For some reason, though, I never read Sapphique.  It's gathering dust on my shelf—methinks it's high-time to re-experience Incarceron and finally get to its sequel.

There you have it, ten of the many, many, many series I've started and never finished.  So, where should I start?  Which series are your favorite?  Which have you left incomplete?  Why?  Inquiring minds (mine, anyway) really want to know ... I love visiting book blogs, so leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT!

Once again, it's time for Top Ten Tuesday, a bookish, list-y meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at The Broke and the Bookish.  And, wow, is this week's topic a stumper:  Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Was a Blogger.  It's a toughie, right?  Especially for those of us who have been blogging for a while (BBB was born in August of 2006).  I mean, one of the chief reasons I started this blog was so I could remember all the great books I've read because, without it, my old, feeble mind just comes up blank!  Well, okay, I managed to think of ten, but I'm telling you, it was not easy, not easy at all ...


1.  Twilight by Stephenie Meyer—Yeah, yeah, yeah.  When Twilight first came out, I belonged to a book club with a woman who was related to Meyer somehow (cousin?).  She recommended the novel to us, saying if we all read it, she was pretty sure she could get Meyer to come chat with our book club.  But, when she described the novel as a "teenage vampire romance," we all turned up our noses.  And, it must be said (though it pains me to do so), that by the time she convinced us all to read Twilight, Meyer was much too busy to come to our little book club.  True story.

I remember being embarrassed to read Twilight in public.  Back then (it came out in 2005), adults didn't read teen books unless it was to screen them for their kids (which was totally what I was doing—uh huh).  And yet, it kept me totally entranced.  It still shames me to admit it, but I loved Twilight.


2.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling—The name J.K. Rowling doesn't appear on my blog until 2007, when I reviewed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, but I had been reading her ever since the first Harry book came out in the U.S. in 1998.  I remember devouring the series while sitting in the bedroom of my toddler (who's now 14).  He played happily while I read, oftentimes falling asleep before I realized the room had gone suspiciously quiet.  H.P. grabbed me from the get-go, keeping me totally riveted with the story, the characters, the setting, everything.  It will always be one of my favorite children's series!


3.  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell—I'd seen the movie version of GWTW several times, but I didn't read the book until after I traveled to Atlanta in 2000.  The setting definitely came alive more because I'd visited the setting and the story, of course, kept me totally engrossed.


4.  Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman—I'm not sure why this one sticks out in my mind, except that I remember it being a fun, charming novel that was different than other books I was reading at the time.


5.  Outlander by Diana Gabaldon—I read this fat tome on someone's recommendation and, in no time at all, found myself totally immersed in the story.  It swept me away from the stresses of my every day life, which at the time included bottles, diapers, housework, and all the other chores that come along with stay-at-home motherhood.  I don't know why I didn't continue with the series, but it's one I would like to finish.  Someday.  You know when I have a million free hours to wade through those very, very large books!



6.  Emma by Jane Austen—After Gwyneth Paltrow brought Emma Woodhouse to such charming life on the big screen in 1996, I knew I had to read this book.  Needless to say, it met my (very) high expectations.


7.  Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty—I've never been a huge fan of Westerns, but this classic really captured my imagination.  It's an entertaining read that I should probably re-read soon.


8.  The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown—Like millions of other fans, I found this one edge-of-your-seat compelling.  Is the writing absolutely brilliant?  No, but it's still an exciting and very readable thriller.


9.  A Time to Kill by John Grisham—I loved the movie version of this novel and not just because it's the only  Matthew McConaughey film in which the actor does more than just look pretty.  Nope, it was the storyline that sucked me in.  I'm not a huge Grisham fan, but I did really enjoy this book.  I've been meaning to re-read it for years, but a library copy's still sitting on my desk waiting for my attention.  Soon, I promise!



10.  The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold—As disturbing as this novel is, I also found it totally mesmerizing.  It's unique, compelling and memorable.

A stunning realization:  So, as I was typing up this post, I had an epiphany—all the books I listed, except one (Outlander), have been made into movies/t.v. series.  Does this make them stick out more in my mind?  Or, is it just because I selected a crop of very excellent books?  Hm ...

Now that I've searched my tired mind for titles I loved before becoming a book blogger (way back in 2006—yikes!), I'd really like to know which books you adored back in the day.  Do we have any favorites in common?