Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Years of August Reading

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. It's been a while since I played along, but this week's prompt was too interesting to skip! 

What did your last ten years of August reading look like? I chose one memorable August book from each of the last ten summers.

2025 - Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout

Last summer I became an Elizabeth Strout completist!

2024 - The Annotated Persuasion by Jane Austen, David Shapard

Another year of Austen in August

2023 - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

When Ann Patchett publishes a new novel, I read it immediately!

2022 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

I loved this audio production and can still hear the voice of Marcellus!

2021 - The Street by Ann Petry

What a memorable experience it was to read this classic in the author's hometown!

2020 - Beach Read by Emily Henry

If ever there was a summer that called for light reading, 2020 was it!

2019 - The Leavers by Lisa Ko

I still think about this book and, sadly, it's still relevant.

2018 - The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

If it's summer, there must be a new Elin Hiderbrand novel!

2017 - My Life with Bob by Pamela Paul

Delightfully bookish memoir from the former editor of the NYTimes Book Review.

2016 - Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher

Very funny... in a passive-aggressive kind of way!

This topic was suggested by Anne at Head Full of Books.

Find other Top Ten Tuesday posts here.

 

July Reading Wrap -Up and A List of August Possibilities

It's August and still very much summer around here. We've had way too much heat and humidity (along with much of the country) punctuated by frequent thunderstorms. This past week our NYC daughter, son-in-law, and Winnie the Whippet have been here - their last visit before the baby arrives at the end of the month. Meanwhile our CT daughter and son-in-law are looking at an early October due date. It's going to be an exciting fall!

July highlights included spending the 4th with family, celebrating my birthday, a long weekend in  NYC, and a baby shower. July also turned out to be a very good reading month with a mix of new releases, a book club selection, and a classic. I enjoyed three new-to-me authors, plus a novel/memoir by an old favorite.

BOOKS READ IN JULY

Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy

New release, literary fiction, MMD book club selection,

my thoughts here, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Departure(s) by Julian Barnes

Literary fiction that reads more like a memoir, purported final novel by a favorite author

My thoughts are here, ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Kin by Tayari Jones

new release literary fiction, new-to-me author

My thoughts are here,  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster

Classic, YA epistolary novel, from my shelves

My thoughts are here,  ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

ONGOING GROUP READ

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The chapter-a-day slow read with Footnotes and Tangents continues. I'm loving this experience!

AUGUST READING POSSIBILITIES

I'm going all in for Austen in August this year!

The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, David Shapard

(in progress)

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley (nonfiction)

Troika: Three Generations, Three Days, and a Very American Road Trip

by Irena Smith (memoir)

How was your July? What was your favorite book?

 

Mid-Year Reading Questionnaire

I never got around to posting mid-year reading reflections this year, but I've seen this reading questionnaire circulating online and thought I'd do that instead. Let me know if you decide to play along!

1. Best book so far in 2026?  Whistler by Ann Patchett

2. Favorite Sequel of the 1st half of 2026?  The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 8 by Beth Brower

3. A new release that you are excited for but haven’t read yet?  Kin by Tayari Jones 

4. Most anticipated release of the second half of 2026?  The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw

5. Biggest (reading) disappointment so far?  Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer (set aside at 20%, probably a case of bad timing)

6. Biggest (reading) surprise so far? The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen

7. Who is your favorite new-to-you or debut author this year?  Allegra Goodman (This is Not About Us)

8. Your favorite character so far this year?  Eddie Triplett (Whistler)

9. A book that made you cry?  none so far this year

10. A book that made you happy?  Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

11. What is the most beautiful book cover you have bought this year?   Whistler by Ann Patchett

12. What book(s) do you want to read by the end of the year?   Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the annotated edition this time

 

A Summer Reading Plan

Hello, friends. I've spend some time this past week thinking about my summer reading plans. I usually put together monthly TBR (to be read) lists but, since summer feels so short and is packed with activities, I've opted for a seasonal approach this year.

My plan includes book club selections, an Austen in August line-up, and new releases I'm excited about. Plus the yearlong slow read of War and Peace is still in progress. We hit the halfway mark today! 

BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy

AUSTEN IN AUGUST

The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, David Shapard

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

The Other Bennett Sister  by Janice Hadlow

NEW RELEASE PRIORITIES

Whistler by Ann Patchett

John of John by Douglas Stuart

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer

Summerland Cove by Ellen Baker

ONGOING GROUP READ

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Will I stick to the plan? Who knows, but I do enjoy making a list! I'll revisit this one after Labor Day and let you know how I did. Have you made a summer reading list?

 

Top Ten Tuesday : 2025 Author Discoveries

It's been a while since my last Top Ten Tuesday post, but I do like to highlight my favorite author discoveries each year. These are not necessarily debut authors. Many have been writing for years, but I first read them in 2025. Here they are, in no particular order:

FAVORITE AUTHOR DISCOVERIES OF 2025

Michelle Huneven - Bug Hollow, Search

David Nicholls - You Are Here

Marcy Dermansky - Hot Air

Virginia Evans - The Correspondent

Jeanine Cummins - Speak to Me of Home

Beth Brower - The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

Nikki May - This Motherless Land

Charlotte Wood - Stone Yard Devotional

Gardiner Harris - No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson 

Johnathan Mahler - The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990 

Which authors did you discover in 2025?

Find more Top Ten Tuesday Posts at That Artsy Reader Girl

 

My Year in Books: 2025 Favorites

Happy New Year, friends! 2026 is here and I'm ready to share my favorite books of 2025. Overall, it was a very good reading year and I slightly exceeded my average pace of one book per week. I had a record number of rereads in 2025, including several classics, and initially decided not to include them when considering favorites... but I had to make an exception for The Enchanted April! 

By the way, the cold beach above is in Connecticut. We're still here, but you'll be seeing photos of palm trees and seashells soon!

FICTION FAVORITES

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Heart the Lover by Lily King

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower

(Vol 1-5 read, so far)

You Are Here by David Nicholls

Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

This Motherless Land by Nikki May

NONFICTION FAVORITES

A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan

No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris

The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City, 1986-1990 by Jonathan Mahler

HONORABLE MENTION

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection 

by John Green

 I have one more wrap-up post in the works. I'll share reading stats and reflections on 2025, plus my intentions for 2026. Look for that around mid month once we're back in Florida.

What was your favorite book of 2025?