Top Ten Tuesday: A Decade on the TBR List

The secret to immortality is to never run out of books on your to-be-read pile, right? At least, that’s what I tell myself when I look at the list of books that I’ve at one time or another added to this list.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) asks us to look at those books we’ve had on our lists for a decade or so but still haven’t read. So, here we go with my list.

1. About Time, The Unauthorized Guide to Doctor Who (Seasons 4 to 6) by Lawrence Miles and Tat Wood
2. Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovich
3. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
4. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel
5. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
6. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (I’d like to re-read all of the Holmes canon)
7. The Brightonomicon by Robert Rankin
8. Doctor Who: Fury from the Deep by Victor Pemberton (audiobook)
9. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (audiobook revisit of a book I read in high school)
10. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

I wonder which one I will dive into first? Which one would you recommend move from my to-be-read pile?

Top Ten Tuesday: Will I Like It As Much the Second Time?

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) asks an interesting question: What books did you like the first time, but are concerned you wouldn’t like as much on the second or third time.

Rereading Ready Player One a few years ago for a book club, I did not enjoy it as much as I did the first time. On the other hand, Pet Semetary scared me as a young reader and scared me again upon reading it. Over the last decade, I’ve revisited several media tie-in novels that I consumed back in my younger days with varying results. Some held up, some didn’t.

1. Doctor Who: The Dying Days by Lance Parkin – The only eighth Doctor novel in the New Adventures range, I vividly recall multiple passages and being glued to the book. Year later, I wonder if it would be as memorable the second time.
2. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton – I read the original novel before the movie was released and was, thus, kind of disappointed by the movie. I wonder if reading it now with how much a part of pop culture the movies are would make it a different experience.
3. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell – Another book that held me back in the day and full of some vivid moments that are seared into my memory. Not sure it would be the same if I revisited it.
4. The James Bond and Jack Reacher novels – I’ve read multiple entries from both series and they’re enjoyable popcorn thrillers. I am not sure they’d necessarily hold up well to another visit.
5. Star Trek The Next Generation: Imzadi by Peter David – Another tie-in novel that I want to visit again but I’m not sure would connect with me in the same way it did the first time.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite and Least Favorite of 2023

Welcome, 2024, and the first Top Ten Tuesday of the New Year (hosted by That Arsty Reader Girl). This week’s literary prompt asks what were your favorite books you read last year. 

I will include my favorite books I read last year and a couple that just didn’t connect with me. 

My Favorite Books Read in 2023:

1. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes by Jeff Strand — When the audiobook started with the narrator singing the infamous theme song to this cult classic, I knew this would be fun. But the further I got, the more this screenplay adaptation turned out to be everything I wanted/needed it to be and then some. Sure, there were other great tomes of literature published last year, but none satisfied me like this one did.
2. Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond by Henry Winkler – It’s no secret that I love Happy Days and I love the Fonz. So, this autobiography was going to be a hit with me out of the gate. What pleasantly surprised me was the level of honesty from Winkler. Felt like a long conversation with an old friend.
3. Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker – The oral history of one of the funniest movies ever made is insightful and funny. It made me go back and rewatch Airplane with a renewed sense of appreciation.
4. The Quiet Tennant by Clemence Michallon – An unsettling, creepy novel that really stuck with me long after the last page was read. 
5. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie — Fun to revisit this classic murder mystery, especially knowing the solution. It held up very well. 
6. Fairy Tale by Stephen King — Read two King novels this year. I liked his take on an epic fantasy story a great deal in the first half though I feel like the second half dwindled a bit. But I still like that King is willing to take chances and challenge himself and his readers.
7. Doctor Who: The Romans by Donald Cotton — I missed this Target adaptation in my Target collecting days and I’m kicking myself for not enjoying this for the past 30 years. Told in epistolary fashion, this novel is hysterical at times. Extra points to the Target audiobook line for assembling the narrators for this one. 
8. Star Trek Novels I Revisited — I spent a good chunk of 2023 revisiting some old friends from my avid Trek novel days. Some of them held up splendidly. This includes Strike Zone and Vendetta by Peter David, The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane, Federation by  Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens, and Yesterday’s Son by A.C. Crispin.
9. Prom Mom by Laura Lippman — Amber Glass has spent her adult life trying to get away from the events of prom night. That is, until she returns to Baltimore, and starts making a lot of decisions that will tie her back to the night and her teenage years. As with much of Lippman’s recent works, this is a standalone character story that delves into the whys and hows of things instead of just the facts of the case. There’s a deep, dark side to this book that stayed with me.
10. A Great Disturbance in the Force: How and Why the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened by Steve Kozak — As much as George Lucas may hate to admit it, the Star Wars Holiday special is a real thing and it happened. While I can’t recall seeing it, I have heard about it over the years. But this story of the steps that led to its creation is compelling and also tells us a lot about the Lucas of then and now. 

My least favorite reads of 2023:

1. The Exchange by John Grisham — Grisham’s sequel to The Firm was wholly unsatisfying. Grisham revisits Mitch and Abby in a story that misses so many great opportunities. Indeed, this one felt like a manuscript he couldn’t sell until he inserted one chapter with Mitch going back to Memphis and then telling a completely different and far less interesting story.
2. Anything by Tessa Bailey — So, I listen to rom-com stories while running because they’re fun and help pass the miles. Except for the stories I tried from Ms. Bailey this year that just annoyed me more than entertained me. This includes Wreck the Halls and Secretly Yours. I think she’s just not my cup of tea.
3. No Plan B by Andrew & Lee Child — I think I need a break from the Reacher series. It feels like too often, the stories that would be great as novels are short stories and the stories told as short stories are stretched to novel length. 
4. Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie — The big reason I revisited Roger Ackroyd was because I read this Poirot story ahead of the new Poirot movie — and found it a bit too much like Christie going through the motions. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR

Time again for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl). This week’s question is “What is on your fall to-be-read list/pile?”

I’ve got a couple of things I am looking forward to reading as the days turn cooler and the leaves turn.

1. Holly by Stephen King
2. The Last Exchange by Charles Martin
3. Being Henry by Henry Winkler
4. The Night House by Jo Nesbo
5. Star Trek: Black Fire by Sonny Cooper
6. Star Trek: Mutiny on the Enterprise by Robert E. Vardeman
7. Starter Villian by John Scalzi
8. Doctor Who Psychology by Travis Landley
9. Doctor Who: Evil of the Daleks by Frasier Hines
10. Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Mystery Stories

It’s been a hot minute since I participated in the Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl). This week’s literary prompt is a genre freebie. I just finished re-reading The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and that got me thinking about the mystery novels I’ve enjoyed reading during my lifetime and the ones I’d recommend. So, here we go…

1. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol. I enjoyed this series growing up and am visiting them again with my daughter. I like how Sobol is teaching young readers how to watch for clues and to try and determine the solution with Encylopedia Brown. Flipping to the back for the solution was fun and sometimes made me go “How’d I miss that obvious clue?!?
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Yes, the Sherlock Holmes short stories are better, but this is a sentimental choice for me. It was my entry into the Holmes canon that introduced me to a life-long love of Holmes and mysteries.
3. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. The novel that inspired this list. If you’ve not read it, don’t let anyone tell you anything.
4. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. Yes, they’ve made a lot of movie versions of this, including the iconic one with Humphrey Bogart. But as a literary snob, I have to say the book is better. And this one is one of the most rewarding.
5. The Poet by Michael Connelly. Again, the story that hooked me on Michael Connelly books. Probably one of his best. Connelly (like other authors on here) writes books that not only have great mysteries but also examine the reasons/forces that created the mystery.
6. Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman. I read this one in two days, glued to the twist and turns. Again, Lippman is concerned not only with the solution but the why behind it.
7. Playing for the Ashes by Elizabeth George. Elizabeth George writes epic settle in for a bit and enjoy character-driven mysteries. This was my entry point to the series and remains a favorite.
8. The Quiet Game by Greg Iles. Iles’s books are so good and this one is one of his absolute best. I loved it, feeling like I consumed and regretted reading it “too fast.”
9. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. There’s a reason everyone was reading this one. Yes, it started a trend of every book marketing itself as the “next Gone Girl,” but there were few that did it better than this one.
10. Dare Me by Megan Abbott. Cheerleader noir. ‘Nuff said. I loved it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Reading

It’s been years since I had “required” summer reading — and to be honest, I don’t really miss is. I far prefer picking the books I want to read or listen to during the warm days of summer.

We’ve signed up for the summer reading programs and have been enjoying summer reading since school let you in late May. So, for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl), I give you the books I hope to get to before the leaves start changing in the fall.

What’s on your summer reading list?

1. Off the Grid by C.J. Box
2. Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini
3. Translation State by Anne Leckie
4. Where Nobody Knows Your Name by John Feinstein
5. The Making of Doctor Who: The Original 1970s Programme Guide by Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke (audiobook)
6. The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop
7. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Vendetta by Peter David (re-read)
8. The Murder of Roger Ackyrod by Agatha Christie (audiobook, re-read)
9. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Novelization by Jeff Strand (audiobook)
10. Prom Mom by Laura Lippman

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

This week’s Top Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) asks us to look at which books will bloom on our spring to-be-read list. Here are the books I hope to read this spring:

1. Storm Watch by C.J. Box
2. Babel by R.F. Kuang
3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The High Country by John Jackson Miller
4. The Curator by Owen King
5. Happy Place by Emily Henry
6. Doctor Who: The Time Monster by Terrance Dicks (audiobook)
7. Episode 13 by Craig DiLouie
8. Alone With You In the Ether by Olivie Blake
9. Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini
10. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Top Ten Tuesday: Meeting

Time again for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s literary writing prompt is the people associated with books you’d like to meet.

I’ve decided to break this down into authors I’d like to meet and writers I’ve met.

Authors/Literary People I’d Like to Meet:

1. Terrance Dicks — He wrote a plethora of Doctor Who novels and script-edited one of the most consistent eras in the show’s history. He’s no longer with us, but I wish I’d met him to thank him for all enjoyment he’s brought to my world and to pick his brain a bit about his association with my favorite pop culture item.
2. Robert Holmes — Another writer associated with Doctor Who who had a huge impact on the classic show. He only adapted one of his scripts for print, but whenever his name appears on-screen as a writer, you know it could be something special. I’d love to talk to him about some of his other scripts including the ones he wrote for Blake’s Seven.
3. Stephen King — I’ve read just about everything he’s written and would love the chance to just hang out with him and talk about whatever crosses our minds.
4. Elizabeth George — One of the authors that I will read just about anything she publishes. I’d love to hear more about the research process she undertakes for every new Lynley novel.
5. Mark Twain — He’s still studied in literature classes and seems like he’d be an engaging conversationalist. I’d love to see what he’s like behind the public persona he crafted for himself.
6. Kevin Smith — His scripts just connect with me. I think it’d be fun to hang out with him and shoot the breeze about pop culture.
7. J.T. Ellison – She writes mysteries set in Nashville. I’d love to grab some hot chicken and hear about how she crafts her books.

Authors/Literary People I’ve Met:

1. Peter David – It’s been a while, but he signed copies of some of my favorite Trek books at a convention. He was fascinating to speak with and I kind of wish I’d had time to talk to him longer and not be an annoying fanboy.
2. Garrison Keillor – He signed my copy of Lake Wobegon Days, which is a favorite. I’ve encountered him twice and both times, he took the time to speak to myself and everyone meeting him beyond just pleasantries and small talk.
3. Sally Kilpatrick — Probably cheating here, but I knew her way back before she was a published writer person. But I’ve met her.
4. Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey — I love the Rick and Bubba show for so many reasons. They published a series of books a decade or so ago and went on book tours. I went to all the Nashville stops and enjoyed meeting them. I’ve also heard Rick’s testimony online and in person.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books of 2022

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope your 2023 is off to a great start.

Between reading and listening to audiobooks, I consumed 92 books last year (plus a smattering of collected comics). As 2023, begins the first Top Ten Tuesday of the new year (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) asks what were your favorite books from last year.

I’m breaking my list into two — my favorites and those books that disappointed me.

My favorites:

1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
2. Breaking Open by Jacob Armstrong
3. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
4. Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
5. The Not So Nice List by Sally Kilpatrick
6. We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman
7. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
8. Star Wars: Brotherhood by Michel Chen
9. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
10. Desert Star by Michael Connell

Top Disappointments of 2022

1. Normal People by Sally Rooney
2. Rated X by Maitland Ward
3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
4. Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson
5. Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering
6. Verity by Collen Hoover
7. Daughter by Kate McLaughlin
8. The Club by Ellery Lloyd

Top Ten Tuesday: Winter TBR

With the changing of the seasons, I continue to add books to my TBR list — both physical and e-books. This ties in well with this week’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl). Here are the ten books I hope to read this winter.

1. Fairy Tale by Stephen King
2. 1979 by Val MacDermid
3. It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellsion
4. Blood Trail by C.J. Box
5. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
6. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
7. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
8. Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
9. Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks by John Peel (audiobook)
10. Class Mom by Laurie Gelman