Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

Thanks, as usual, to The Broke and the Bookish for hosting this wonderful meme every week. 

Also, yet again, Blogger has decided to insert random paragraph breaks between my images. I'm not sure what's going on as I can't actually see these random white spaces when I edit the post. I may have to attack the HTML later, if I can. Please ignore the awful formatting for now and join me in glaring sternly at Blogger. That is all. 

1. The Blythes are Quoted by L. M. Montgomery
This was on my Christmas list last year, and I've had my eyes on it ever since I heard that L. M. Montgomery's last ever manuscript was going to be published in full and completely uncensored. I preordered it from Amazon but when it was released I was told they didn't have it in stock. I don't think they had enough interest from UK readers to bother stocking it, to be honest. So this is one that needs to actually be purchased from Canada, unfortunately. My mum seems to have been investigating this one recently so it may end up in my stocking this year!

2. Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long
Those of you who remember my review of  this book may be confused by its presence on my wishlist, but I read a Kindle edition of this book from the publisher back in March and loved it so much that I want to own a physical copy to display on my bookcase. This book really touched me when I read it, so hopefully it'll have the same effect the second time I read it...providing this is one book I get for Christmas!

3. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
I heard about this book a while back and recently stumbled across this beautiful cover on Amazon while having a look at prospective presents for my mum, who is also a Little Women fan. This is another one that made the shortlist for my Christmas list this year and I'd love to read it sometime.

4. A Widow's Hope by Mary Ellis
While making my Christmas list, I checked out which books had been on my GoodReads wishlist for several years, and this was one of them. I read Mary Ellis's Christmas novella last Christmas and absolutely adored it, but somehow I've not got around to reading any of her full-length novels this year. I read a sample of this book and was hooked, so this is another one I'm hoping to receive this Christmas. 

5. A Man of His Word by Kathleen Fuller
Kathleen Fuller is pretty much in the same boat as Mary Ellis. I've read nearly all of her novellas and have had my eye on this book for a while but just not had the opportunity to read it. I also read a sample of this book and found it very engaging, so fingers crossed!

6. Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer
I had my eye on this book when I heard of its release at the end of 2010 and it was on my list of prospective review books, but I never got the chance to review it in the end. This one didn't make the cut for my Christmas list, which I limited to five books, but since I've just received a lovely little cheque from my uncle and aunt I may use my Christmas money for this book. I've read a couple of Kim's novels recently and really enjoyed them.

7. The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini
I've heard some really good things about this series but unfortunately I can't find this book in either of the library systems that I'm connected to. This looks like it'll be one that I'll have to buy at some point down the line! I'm not a quilter myself, but I'd love to try it sometime. 

8. To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer
I read Head in the Clouds earlier this year and adored it, and was hoping that I'd get the chance to request To Win Her Heart to review at some point this year, but I had too much on my plate. And since this story includes a librarian, this has to be one that's high up on my wishlist. I've only read one of Karen's books but I love her style of writing. Another one that I may spend my Christmas money on. 

9. Virgin River by Robyn Carr
Someone recently recommended this series to me but it's another one that I can't find in either library catalogue! It is on Audible, so if I don't end up buying this with my Christmas money I'll probably download the audiobook. I normally read Historical or Amish fiction, but I do enjoy some contemporary romances and sagas from time to time and this series has some great reviews.

10. Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin
Another librarian love story! I worked in my school library a lot in my final two years of high school and enjoy alphabetising books far too much (so much so that my fiancé's film collection is also alphabetised, and I volunteered to do it...) This was another would-be review book that sadly didn't make the cut, and I almost forgot about it until several of my friends on GoodReads started to rave about it. Plus, isn't this cover just absolutely gorgeous? This one needs to be pushed higher up on my wishlist for definite.

Top Ten Books on my TBR List for Winter

When I first saw this week's list over at The Broke and the Bookish I was confused. "Hasn't it already been winter for at least a month now?" I wondered, then realised that not everyone else's November is as bad as it has been in Scotland. Up here in St. Andrews we've had gale force winds, I've been wearing jumpers and two pairs of socks since the 1st of October, I've not gone outside the house without my hat, scarf and gloves in at least a month, and the other day my computer told me it was 4 degrees Celsius outside at 9am. Oh, and it's only light between 8am and 4pm now that we've changed the clocks. So, yes, I argue that it's been winter for quite some time! However, I shall still let you know which books I intend to read over the next few months.

I'm slightly cheating with A Log Cabin Christmas since I've already started reading this on my Kindle. This collection contains nine different inspirational historical romances set in log cabins, with various best-selling authors such as Wanda E. Brunstetter, Margaret Brownley and Kelly Eileen Hake. This book was released by Barbour back in September of this year so it's already available, right in time for Christmas! I read Barbour's A Prairie Christmas Collection last Christmas and thoroughly enjoyed it, and so far it looks like this book will be up to the same standards. 

An Amish Wedding is a collection of three novellas from best-selling Amish authors Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller and Kelly Long. I'm a big fan of all of these author's novels and stories and was particularly fond of their earlier joint-release, An Amish Love, so I can't wait to get started on this book. An Amish Wedding doesn't release until late December and as such with Amish weddings, takes place in the typical winter wedding season.

I've never read a novel by Susan May Warren before, probably because I mainly stick to historical and Amish novels, but when the offer came to get a review copy from Tyndale for The Shadow of Your Smile I couldn't help but jump at the offer! The plot revolves around a couple who have been married for twenty-five years and contemplating divorce, only for the wife to lose her memory in an accident. Suddenly, the husband finds he's been given a second chance at his marriage, and is determined to make her fall in love with him again. If you're a fan of amnesia plots, as I am, look out for this novel in January 2012.

I'm admitting my lack of knowledge in the Christian fiction department today, as I've never read anything by Lori Copeland previously either. But I love historical romances and any book with "winter" and "love" in the title seemed perfect for the Christmas season, so this is hopefully one novel I'll get around to reviewing over the holidays. Love Blooms in Winter is another January release, so perhaps one to keep your eye out for if you get Amazon vouchers for Christmas? I'm not sure if this is the official cover-art and I have to admit that I kind of hope it isn't as the heroine's grin is slightly nauseating. Still, the first book in the Dakota Diaries series definitely sounds like it'll be a good read. 

Tall, Dark and Determined is the second book in the Husbands for Hire series by Kelly Eileen Hake. I'm very much looking forward to reading this December release as I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel, Rugged and Relentless earlier this year. A twist on the traditional mail-order-bride plot, this series revolves around three women who are determined to bring a mining town back from disaster, but need the help of men to do so. What better solution than to advertise for husbands? This series is fun, quirky and romantic, so I'm definitely slotting this book into my winter reading somewhere.

This book actually released back in October but I've had so much on my plate that I sadly haven't got around to read it yet. A Time for Peace is the third book in the Quilts of Lancaster series, a series that I know I can rely on to provide compelling and comfortable tales of people overcoming struggles in Pennsylvania Amish country. If you're an Amish fan and haven't discovered Barbara Cameron by now then make sure you go back to the start of the series and start with A Time to Love!

A November release, His Steadfast Love is a Civil War era novel by historical romance author Golden Keyes Parsons. I discovered Golden sometime last year when I reviewed on of the books in a series about a Huguenot family who moved to America following persecution in their homeland of France during the Reformation. Having studied this period in my early years of university I was impressed with the wealth of historical detail in her novel, and since I've also studied the US Civil War I can't wait to see her take on this period of history.

Since reading the first two books in Tricia Goyer's Big Sky Amish series, I've become a devoted fan of her work. I also think the sinking of the Titanic is one of the most fascinating events of early twentieth-century History, so naturally I can't wait to read this book. Yes, By the Light of the Silvery Moon is technically a March release but I'm definitely planning to read this ARC well before its release date. Besides, March in Scotland is still practically winter anyway!

Yes, I do actually have some Christmas books on my winter TBR! Patricia Davids's An Amish Christmas actually arrived through my letterbox last December, but it was after Christmas so I ended up putting it off until this year. I've heard a lot of great things about Patricia's novels and since this book isn't terribly long it'll be a nice way to occupy myself one evening, hopefully with a mug of hot chocolate and a cosy blanket. After semester ends, that is!

This book wasn't originally on my winter TBR but a friend passed it on to me and I couldn't possibly resist a historical romance about a German family who have settled in America! I studied German throughout high school and nearly did my joint degree in English and German, not English and Modern History, so I love to discover historical novels about German settlers. So I'm definitely looking forward to reading The Christkindl's Gift by Kathleen Morgan.










What books do you plan to read this winter? Are they all Christmas-themed? Have you been saving some books especially for this period?

Top Ten Unread Books on my Bookshelf

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme over at The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott I remember starting to read this when I finished reading Little Women and Good Wives, which suggests that this was at least ten years ago. I fell asleep with this book on my chest...and for some reason never tried to read it again. Considering that I bought a lovely, 1950s American hardback copy of the sequel, Rose in Bloom, from a charity shop in Edinburgh a few years ago I should really read this book. That, and that Louisa May Alcott is one of my all time favourite authors!

2. The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond I heard wonderful things about this book when it first released, but it wasn't available in the UK at the time. I stalked BookMooch until I found someone who would post to the UK. And now, after all that effort, this book is languishing in a box under my bed. 

3. Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin I friend gave me this book after I raved about Property, and I put off reading it until I had read Stevenson's original Jekyll and Hyde story. This was almost two years ago so I really have no excuse for not reading this.

4. My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson This is another book that I went to an effort to get hold of and never read. My mum raved about this book, and I'd read Marshmallows for Breakfast and Goodnight, Beautiful, so it seemed sensible to get hold of the book that made Koomson so famous. I think this one is also, sadly, under my bed.

5. Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell Another under-the-bed book. Someone gave me this, and it's a particularly interesting ARC copy. I keep starting this then never getting anywhere, but the premise is too interesting for me to just give up altogether and pass on to someone else. Someday, I will read this!

6. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff I definitely want to read this now that books about Mormons are becoming more popular, and since I occasionally watch Sister Wives. I spotted this on my MIL's shelf the other day and felt guilty that I've owned this for at least a year but have no idea where it is. Box under bed, possibly? I really need another bookcase.

7. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver This one is on the shelf above my bed back home, since I've been intending to read it ever since I got hold of it. I was intrigued by the premise of this novel long before the film came out, so now I really should read it before someone spoils the plot for me or makes me watch the film first.

8. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella I bought this at the airport on my way back from Germany - which was in July 2009. I'm not even a massive fan of Sophie Kinsella, although I really enjoyed Remember Me? and The Undomestic Goddess. Considering I spent £10 on the airport paperback this book needs to be read.

9. When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall I know, I'm a very bad Amish fan if I haven't read this book. I actually bought it with an Amazon gift voucher over a year ago, just after my 19th birthday. Amazingly, my home library system has all three books in this series so I plan to read this sometime over December/January and borrow the subsequent books in the series, as I hear it's impossible not to read them one after another. Considering how unusual it is for a Scottish library to own Christian books, and Amish ones at that, I really should take advantage of this opportunity. 

10. Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge I made a big fuss over trying to get hold of this on ReaditSwapit.co.uk, and eventually a friend managed to grab it for me. At least this one is in plain sight on my university bookcase, so I've not totally forgotten it. I keep pledging to read it and then not. 

What books have been languishing on your bookcase for too long? Are there any here that grab your eye? Let me know, it may convince me to read them faster so that I can pass them on to someone else! These are all hard copies as well, I've not even looked at the 200+ books I've accumulated on my Kindle since December 2010!

Top Ten Bookish Resolutions

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic:
Top Ten Bookish Resolutions

We're already in the new year and we want to know what your bookish resolutions are. They can be book-blog related, reading related, writing related and/or book related! If you've already posted your own resolution list on your blog feel free to link it below and let us know how you're doing with your resolutions!

1. Not obtain any new books until my TBR is under 200 I noticed on GoodReads today that my to-read shelf is at 199, and I know that that's going to get higher as I still have some books due to arrive from BookMooch. Considering that all of the shelves in my room at my parents' house are full, I have boxes in the attic and under my bed, as well as a box and several piles of books in my student flat, I physically do not have any space left for new books! 

2. Read more books by L. M. Montgomery I have at least ten books and anthologies by L. M. Montgomery waiting to be read, but for some reason I just keep forgetting about them. Which is crazy as she's one of my favourite authors! This year I need to read more of her books to rekindle my love.

3. Read more non-fiction I think that university has put me off reading non-fiction books for fun, so I should really do something about this. I have a lot of non-fiction books that I've owned for years and never read, so I have plenty to get started on.

4. Realistically schedule the books I'm going to read for review purposes While I have a lot of great books from publishers that I can read and review, I need to think seriously about how many I can review on time, especially during term-time. I should decide which ones I really want to read, and which I just requested because they looked remotely interesting.

5. Read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Every year I pick one book that I've been putting off reading that I really do want to read. Last year I read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, which my grandma had given me a lovely copy of but I'd tried reading several times as a teenager and always hated. Reading it at 18, I loved it! I hope I'm the same with Pride and Prejudice as I feel it is my duty as both a woman and an English student to read it.

6. Not feel ashamed of the books that I read A lot of people give me flack for being an student of literature whose favourite genre is romance. Specifically, Christian and Amish romances. Yes, I've read Dickens, Pushkin, Milton and Shakespeare, and many more. But I do love my romance novels, and to be honest, when I do get somewhere with my writing I'd much rather be thought of as the next Nora Roberts than be compared to Alessandro Manzoni. I'm not going to let people's comments put me down anymore, especially as I have a wonderful group of friends online that I can talk to about my favourite books. 

7. Read rather than waste time online I procrastinate a lot on the internet, as I'm sure most people are guilty of! But I've realised that I spend a lot of time reading about books rather than actually reading a book. I need to cut down on this as I'm wasting valuable reading time!

8. Be ruthless with my TBR Not just because this will enable me to get it below 200 and buy more books (!) but also because I'm sure I own some books that I don't actually want to read anymore. Either because my tastes have changed dramatically, or because it's a classic that I feel like I should read, or because I bought it purely to support the church/school fundraiser, or because it was ludicrously cheap and looked remotely interesting. Especially as I'm getting married in 2012 and I realise that Simon and I own a ton of books, films and CDs and we're going to try to squish them all into a small flat and I need to be sensible about my belongings from now on.

9. Read 100 books in 2011 I've managed this for the last two years (including rereads and kids books) so this should be fairly easy, but I'll put it down anyway. What would be good would be if I were to manage 100 books that I hadn't read before. Although I read 105 books in 2010, only 83 of them were completely new to me. If I can just read 17 more new books next year I'll reach my goal!

10. Expand my blog While I do primarily write reviews because I enjoy doing it, I'd love to have more followers and get more feedback on my reviews. Perhaps I'll look into doing some giveaways and author interviews to get more publicity to my blog.

Top Ten Books of 2010

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is Top Ten Books of 2010. I found this surprisingly easy to choose this year, but maybe that's because I've become more strict with my ratings? While there are lots of books I loved this year, these are the ten I truly adored. (In the order that I read them).

1. A Gift of Grace by Amy Clipston I've really got into the Amish genre this year, and Clipston is definitely one of the best authors in this steadily growing market. This, the first in the Kauffman Amish Bakery series, is the story of two teenage girls who go to live with their Amish aunt after their parents are killed in an accident. It's a heart-warming tale with characters who are very easy to relate to, not to forgot a lovely community-feel, fantastic setting and a bakery that'll make you very hungry! If you're an Amish fan and haven't yet read anything by this author then you're definitely missing out.

2. Dreaming of Amelia by Jaclyn Moriarty I've been a huge fan of this author since I read her debut novel, Feeling Sorry for Celia, when I was thirteen. All of her novels are written in an epistolary style and I think she's one of the few writers who can really pull it off. If you like quirky, teen novels then definitely check this out!

3. The Summer Before by Ann M. Martin While my biggest book obsession is anything to do with the Amish, I'm also a huge Babysitters Club fanatic. I was so excited to discover that a prequel was being released and pre-ordered as soon as I could. And I was not disappointed. If you were ever a BSC fan, you need to get this book. But I also think it can be read by kids who never grew up with the BSC - it's an excellent introduction, and if they love it then you can always buy them the re-releases!

4. The Betrayal by Beverly Lewis This is #2 in the Abram's Daughters series, and while I found something a bit off about #1 in this Amish saga, I loved this one. The series follows four sisters in from the 1950s onwards, and while they're all wonderful characters, you may need tissues handy when you read these books! 

5. A Promise of Hope by Amy Clipston Spot a pattern?! Sometimes the second book in a series doesn't live up to the first but this one certainly did. This followed on from the events of the first book and told the story of Rebecca Kauffman's sister. I'm starting to really enjoy reading a series that follows several members of the same family.

6. Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon A bit different from my usual books, but while I'm really getting into the romance genre right now I still like a mystery/thriller now and then. This was almost impossible to put down and had wonderful twists - so if you're fed up with all the soppy books on this list, go check this one out!

7. The Sacrifice by Beverly Lewis #3 in the Abram's Daughters saga, very addictive books! I just got #4 for my Christmas and can't wait to continue to read about the Ebersol girls. Although there seems to be a lot of sadness and tragedy, I've really come to care about these characters.

8. A Simple Amish Christmas by Vannetta Chapman I got an early review copy of this from Abingdon Press and can't wait for the next book from this debut author. This sweet romance is perfect for the Christmas season - add it to your list for next winter!

9. A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron Another early review copy from Abingdon, this is the story of a journalist who is injured in a war zone and goes to recuperate on her grandmother's Amish farm. She reconnects with an old friend, who is now a widower with children, and finds herself falling in love with the simpler way of life. Different from the other Amish books I've read but absolutely wonderful!

10. Sarah's Christmas Miracle by Mary Ellis I read this one just before Christmas and it's such a sweet little novella. For once, this Amish story wasn't focused on romance, but on Sarah trying to bring her older brother home to spend Christmas with their family. Short but very endearing.

What were your favourite books of 2010? Do you agree with any of my choices, or find any that you want to read?

(And yes, I know it's Wednesday but I didn't finish the post until now!)

Rachel's Top Ten Holiday Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. 

Each week they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers. Don't worry if you don't have ten or if you have more than ten! Post what you can!

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott This was one of my favourite books as a child and I try to reread it at least once a year. I don't always manage this, but I always make sure that I watch the film over the Christmas holidays! Although the book doesn't focus primarily on Christmas there are several Christmas scenes throughout and it just has a lovely, family-orientated, wholesome feel that is perfect for the Christmas season.

2. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery This is another book that doesn't focus on Christmas but has wonderful values in it that I always associate with the season. Another childhood favourite!

3. Christmas with Anne: and Other Holiday Stories by L. M. Montgomery This is a wonderful little collection of stories that I read last Christmas and adored. Two of the stories come from the "Anne" novels but he rest are taken from newspapers and magazines that Montgomery wrote for. The stories focus on events surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. The themes can be rather same-y but I'd recommend reading one every few days for the month of December and it'll definitely get you in the mood for Christmas and cheer you up! 

4. A Simple Amish Christmas by Vannetta Chapman I read this a few months ago as a review book for Abingdon Press and loved it! I'm a fan of Amish fiction, romances and Christmas stories so this was perfect for me. Check out this review to find out more.

5. Grace by Shelley Shepard Gray This is another recent read with a wonderful message and Christmassy setting. Check out the review for more information if you're a fan of Amish romances and happily ever afters.

6. Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans by L. M. Montgomery You may have guessed who one of my favourite comfort-read authors is! I just think that Montgomery suits the holiday season perfectly with her sweet stories and wholesome values. This is a collection of stories about orphans who either get reunited with family members or make their own new families. Plenty of happy endings and will definitely put a smile on your face. Click here for more information. 

7. The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows I read this around Christmas 2009 so for that reason will always associate this book with Christmas. I do think it suits the season as it's an easy read and made me smile a lot. Juliet, the main character, reminded me a lot of Jo March so perhaps that's why this book reminds me of Christmas.

8. White Boots by Noel Streatfeild One of my favourite children's authors, although I didn't read this book until 2008. As I read this over Christmas I, again, associate it with that season but I'm fairly certain that it was also set in winter. Anything by Streatfeild is perfect for the holidays, much like Alcott and Montgomery.

9. Forever Rose by Hilary McKay McKay is a severely underrated kids author who I absolutely adore. This is the fifth book in her Casson Family series but you could easily pick it up and read it as a standalone novel. This book is partly set over Christmas and I loved the angst that Rose had because her class teacher hated the holiday season.

10. Mallory's Christmas Wish by Ann M. Martin Indeed, I was a massive Babysitters Club fanatic as a child and this book has always stuck with me because it was one of the first I ever read. Incidentally, I will be blogging about the BSC later today - check back sometime this evening!

Top Ten Favourite Fictional Couples in Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

My favourites right now are definitely:

1. Anne & Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery

2. Sephy & Callum from the Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman

3. Leah & Jonas from the Abram's Daughters series by Beverly Lewis

4. Francine & Davis from Shades of Grace by Barbara Delinsky

5. Jane & Mr Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

6. Ross & Lia from Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

7. Rilla & Kenneth from Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery

8. Caddy & Michael from the Casson Family series by Hilary McKay

9. Marvinder & Patrick from the Surya trilogy by Jamila Gavin

10. Annie & Samuel from A Simple Amish Christmas by Vannetta Chapman

What are your favorite couples in books? Do you disagree/agree with any of mine? What makes a good fictional couple in your mind? What couples make you want to gag?