Category: top-ten-tuesday

Top Ten Books I HAD to have But Still Haven’t Read

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday11 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

If you are new to my blog, I just wanted to share with you that I co-host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (no, you don’t have to drink tea to participate) with Erin (Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs) and Cat (Cat’s Wire). You can find a link to it at the top of the page. The link party is for all book-related posts from reviews and recommendations to …well, anything related to books at all. Including Top Ten Tuesday, if you want to link your top ten there too!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is:  Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven’t Read (this is a throwback topic from 2022)

Note: I read a lot of older books, so I don’t necessarily yearn to have new release books. That’s why this list will include older books, which will probably confuse some of you. Yes, I desperately want older books and then don’t read them when I get them, which my son scolds me about.

So here are ten books I wanted and bought (used of course) but still have not read.

A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain

I was very excited for this one and planned to read it this summer. I’m not so sure that is going to happen.

Bombs on Aunt Dainty by Judith Kerr

I read Judith’s first book in this series, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, and was excited to find this one on Thriftbooks. I also planned to read this one this summer. It’s also not happened yet. Just distracted by mysteries.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

I know this one is going to be hard to read so I want to read it but I’ve put it off a bit.

Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie

I’ve been so busy reading her mysteries, I haven’t gotten to this one yet.

Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death by James Runcie

This is the first book in the series that the show Grantchester is based on. I was excited to get in great shape at a used book sale but still have not read it.

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

I read this one in sixth or seventh grade and have wanted to reread it the last few years but just keep getting distracted by lighter reads. I hope to read it this autumn or winter.

Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink

This one cost a bit because apparently no old copies exist anywhere and the estate re-released it themselves. I broke down and bought it new and am excited to read it but am holding on to it for winter to read with my daughter.

The Black Dudley Murder by Margery Allingham

I actually have this on Kindle but really wanted to hold an actual paperback copy because I just like reading the Golden Age Mystery writers’ books. It feels like the best way to read them. So now I finally have a copy of it and I haven’t read it yet. In my defense, I did just get it a week or so ago.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

I’ve had this book on my list to read probably since high school but never seem to get around to it because I got distracted by mystery books and gentle fiction. I think this year might be the year for it!

Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery

I keep saying I am going to read this one, but I’ve also heard it is a little depressing so I’ve been avoiding it. I’ll probably read it this fall or winter.

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

If you would like to be the first to get news about my books or just have access to special posts for supporters, you can do so here for $2.99 a month : https://lisahoweler.com/support-my-writing/

Ten books I want to read by New To Me Authors

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday12 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

If you are new to my blog, I just wanted to share with you that I co-host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (no, you don’t have to drink tea to participate) with Erin (Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs) and Cat (Cat’s Wire). You can find a link to it at the top of the page. The link party is for all book-related posts from reviews and recommendations to …well, anything related to books at all. Including Top Ten Tuesday, if you want to link your top ten there too!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is: Books I Want to Read by New to Me Authors (Share books from your to-read list that are written by authors you’ve never read before.)

A couple of months ago, I could have written this list with a bit more ease, but I have since read at least one book by many of the “new-to-me” authors on the suggested author’s list I’ve made in my reading journal.

I had to dig a little bit to pull out these ten books by authors I haven’t read, yet, but it was worth it because it reminded me of the books I want to read.

Also, when I write “new-to-me” authors, it doesn’t mean I have never heard of these authors. It simply means I have yet to read a book by them.

Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher

I follow a Booktuber who often talks about Rosamund Pilcher and her books do sound good (maybe a bit depressing) so I am going to eventually get to her books.

Arabella by Georgette Heyer

That’s right. I have never read a Heyer book. Keep in mind that the main genre I read from is mystery.

Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart

I started this, I did not like it. I think it was the mood I was in. I’m going to try again.

Give Me One Summer by Emilie Loring

This one just looked good to me.

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen

I’ve been wanting to read her for awhile, but not sure her “regency” genre is really my thing.

A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh

This is a Golden Age mystery author that I have not yet read anything from, but want to.

Foster by Claire Keegan

This one just popped up on a Booktuber’s video and I though it sounded good. I don’t know anything about it or the author.

Lending A Paw by Laurie Cass

Laurie is a cozy mystery writer and I keep saying I am going to read the book by her that my husband purchased for me a few years ago, but I want to read the first book in the series, this one, first.

The Queen and I by Susan Townsend

This book about an alternative reality where the monarch from England is forced to leave the palace and become like common people.

The Corner Shop by Elizabeth Cadell

I just heard about this one today as I was writing this and trying to jog my memory of authors I want to read and this one popped up. I’ve heard of her before and the books sound good.

Have you read any of these books or authors? What did you think of them?

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

If you would like to be the first to get news about my books or just have access to special posts for supporters, you can do so here for $2.99 a month : https://lisahoweler.com/support-my-writing/

Top Ten Books with the word secret in the title

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday20 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

If you are new to my blog, I just wanted to share with you that I co-host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (no, you don’t have to drink tea to participate) with Erin (Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs) and Cat (Cat’s Wire). You can find a link to it at the top of the page. The link party is for all book-related posts from reviews and recommendations to …well, anything related to books at all. Including Top Ten Tuesday, if you want to link your top ten there too!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is: Top Ten Tuesday July 7

 Book Titles That Include the Word “[insert word of your choice here]” (Pick a word and share ten book titles that include that word!) I chose the word “secret.”

This is a list of books I have read, want to read, would very likely, or possibly, read.

I should note that I could make this entire list out of just Nancy Drew titles alone, since a ton of the books in that series have secret in the title, but I decided to give some variety to the list and instead have three Agatha Christie titles. Ha!

|| The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett Hodgson (have read) ||

|| The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (a Nancy Drew Mystery. Have read) ||

|| The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries, #1) by Agatha Christie (haven’t read but sure I will at some point) ||

|| The Secret, Book & Scone Society (Secret, Book, & Scone Society, #1) by Ellery Adams (haven’t read but will probably soon) ||

|| The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle, #1) by Agatha Christie (have read and enjoyed) ||

|| The Codebreaker’s Secret by Sara Ackerman (haven’t read but it looks good) ||

|| Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (haven’t read but probably will eventually) ||

|| The Secret Life of Walter Mitty James Thurber (haven’t read but it interests me because I’ve seen one of the movie adaptations) ||

|| The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad (never read it, think I’ve heard of it. Probably will read some day.) ||

|| The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden (I don’t know anything about it but it popped up when I was searching for books with the word secret in the title and it looks good.) ||

Have you read any of these? Let me know in the comments, especially for the ones I have not read yet.

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

Ten mysteries I hope to read this summer

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday15 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

If you are new to my blog, I just wanted to share with you that I co-host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (no, you don’t have to drink tea to participate) with Erin (Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs) and Cat (Cat’s Wire). You can find a link to it at the top of the page. The link party is for all book-related posts from reviews and recommendations to …well, anything related to books at all. Including Top Ten Tuesday, if you want to link your top ten there too!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is:  Books on My Summer 2026 To-Read List

Since I listed 15 books I want to read this summer in a blog post last week, I thought today I would list 9 mystery books I want to read this summer and one I already read. There are four Agatha Christe books listed here — one I already read, two I’ll be reading for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge (July and August) and one I threw in for extra.

Already read: 1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Description:

The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. The widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of Veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling case involving blackmail and death that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “little grey cells” before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his career.

2. The Ivory Dagger (A Miss Silvers Mystery) by Patricia Wentworth (already started)

Description: When Lila Dryden is discovered standing over her fiance’s body with dagger in hand, Miss Silver is called in to investigate, only to discover Lila’s sleepwalking patterns, the return of her former lover, and the victim’s circle of acquaintances–all of whom occasionally wished him dead. 

3. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy Sayers

Description: In a shocking scandal, the likes of which has not been seen in the English aristocracy since the 18th century, the Duke of Denver stands accused of the foul murder or his sister’s fiance, shot through the heart on a cold, lonely night at Riddlesdale Hall in Yorkshire. The Duke’s brother, Lord Peter Wimsey, attempts to prove Denver’s innocence, but why is the Duke refusing to cooperate? And what does his sister, Lady Mary, know about the affair? Trying to reveal the truth, Wimsey uncovers a web of lies and deceit within the family and finds himself faced with the unhappy alternative of sending either his brother or his sister to the gallows – until he himself becomes a target…

4. Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham

Description: A red chess piece… An improbable suicide… A disappearing judge… These were the clues to a killer whose victims never escaped. Judge Lobbett has found evidence pointing to the identity of the criminal mastermind behind the deadly Simister gang that is terrorizing New York. After four attempts on his life, he seeks the help of enigmatic and unorthodox amateur sleuth, Albert Campion, during his travel to England. For safety, Campion sends the Judge and his family to a secluded house in an island on the Suffolk coast.

But that safety is it seemed fitting that odd things should happen in a town called “Mystery Mile”. Soon after their arrival the local vicar is killed – a clear message from the gang. Its a race against time for Campion to get the judge to safety and decipher the clue to their mysterious enemy’s name. But even a connoisseur of crime as Scotland Yard’s Albert Campion had never encountered such elusive clues. He had to trace a mastermind of crime in time to save his client’s life–and his own. Luckily for Judge Lobbett, underneath his constant stream of banter, Campion displays a diamond-sharp intelligence and a natural detective’s instinct… Blackmail, abduction and sudden death bring matters to a climax.

5. Murder, She Wrote: Slaying in Savannah by Donald Bain

Description: Jessica is saddened when her eccentric old friend Tillie Mortelaine passes away—and surprised to learn that Tillie has left her a million dollars. But there are strings attached. Jessica must use the money to help the literacy fund she and Tillie established years ago in Savannah, Georgia. And she will receive the money only if she can solve a mystery within the month: the murder of Tillie’s fiancé, Wanamaker Jones.

As Jessica settles into Tillie’s Savannah mansion and meets Tillie’s boarders, she also discovers that the spirit of Wanamaker Jones haunts the grounds. And that there are those in Savannah who are looking to cash in on Tillie’s demise—and Jessica’s failure…

6. ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

Version 1.0.0

Description:

When Alice Asher is murdered in Andover, Hercule Poirot is already looking into the clues. Alphabetically speaking, it’s one letter down, twenty-five to go.

There’s a serial killer on the loose. His macabre calling card is to leave the ABC Railway Guide beside each victim’s body. But if A is for Alice Asher, bludgeoned to death in Andover, and B is for Betty Bernard, strangled with her belt on the beach at Bexhill, who will then be Victim C? More importantly, why is this happening?

Often considered to be one of Agatha Christie’s best.

7. By The Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie

Version 1.0.0

Description:

Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, Agatha Christie’s delightful sleuthing duo, investigate the strange and troubling doings behind the scenes at a gothic British nursing home in By the Pricking of My Thumbs

When Tommy and Tuppence visit an elderly aunt in her gothic nursing home, they think nothing of her mistrust of the doctors; after all, Ada is a very difficult old lady.

But when Mrs. Lockett mentions a poisoned mushroom stew and Mrs. Lancaster talks about “something behind the fireplace,” Tommy and Tuppence find themselves caught up in a spine-chilling adventure that could spell death for either of them.

8. Pigeon Pie Mystery by Julia Stuart

Description: When Indian Princess Alexandrina is left penniless by the sudden death of her father, the Maharaja of Brindor, Queen Victoria grants her a grace-and-favor home in Hampton Court Palace. Though rumored to be haunted, Alexandrina and her lady’s maid, Pooki, have no choice but to take the Queen up on her offer.
     Aside from the ghost sightings, Hampton Court doesn’t seem so bad. The princess is soon befriended by three eccentric widows who invite her to a picnic with all the palace’s inhabitants, for which Pooki bakes a pigeon pie. But when General-Major Bagshot dies after eating said pie, and the coroner finds traces of arsenic in his body, Pooki becomes the #1 suspect in a murder investigation.
     Princess Alexandrina isn’t about to let her faithful servant hang. She begins an investigation of her own, and discovers that Hampton Court isn’t such a safe place to live after all.
     With her trademark wit and charm, Julia Stuart introduces us to an outstanding cast of lovable oddballs, from the palace maze-keeper to the unconventional Lady Beatrice (who likes to dress up as a toucan—don’t ask), as she guides us through the many delightful twists and turns in this fun and quirky murder mystery. Everyone is hiding a secret of the heart, and even Alexandrina may not realize when she’s caught in a maze of love.

9. Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

Description:

Beautiful young Elinor Carlisle stood serenely in the dock, accused of the murder of Mary Gerrard, her rival in love. The evidence was only Elinor had the motive, the opportunity, and the means to administer the fatal poison.

Yet, inside the hostile courtroom, only one man still presumed Elinor was innocent until proven Hercule Poirot was all that stood between Elinor and the gallows.

10.The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lilian Jackson Braun

(Little nervous about this one as it is the last in the series before Lilian died and the later books really weren’t very good.)

Description: A twenty-ninth installment of the popular series finds Moose County in an uproar over a string of lucrative inheritances and a bee sting-related death, throughout which Polly departs for Paris, Koko the irrepressible Siamese meets a piano tuner, and Qwill writes a play.

Have you read any of these? What did you think of them?

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

If you would like to be the first to get news about my books or just have access to special posts for supporters, you can do so here for $2.99 a month : https://lisahoweler.com/support-my-writing/

Ten Books with Handwriting on the Cover 

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday18 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

If you are new to my blog, I just wanted to share with you that I co-host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (no, you don’t have to drink tea to participate) and you can find a link to it at the top of the page.

The link party is for all book-related posts from reviews and recommendations to …well, anything related to books at all. Including Top Ten Tuesday, if you want to link your top ten there too!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is: Books with Handwriting on the Cover (Or fonts that look like handwriting. Titles, subtitles, covers with letters on them, etc.)

So I went to my shelves and pulled ten books out with covers with handwriting, or script that looks somewhat like handwriting at least.

Some of these I’ve read and some I haven’t.

A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden

Have not read yet.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Read and loved.

Stories That Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

Have not read, but hope to soon.

A Murder At the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

Read and enjoyed.

Bombs on Aunt Dainty by Judith Kerr

I read the first book in this series (When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit) a couple of years ago so I would like to read this second one soon.

Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray

I enjoyed this one as well.

Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie

I am looking forward to reading this one slowly.

Phantom Stallion by Terri Farley

This is a book that Little Miss picked to read.

The Chronicles of Narnia (omnibus) by C.S. Lewis

I am on the sixth book in this series and really enjoying it. I am reading it from a smaller collection that this one, though.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

I started this one and hope to finish it this summer. It’s very good – thought-provoking.

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

If you would like to be the first to get news about my books or just have access to special posts for supporters, you can do so here for $2.99 a month : https://lisahoweler.com/support-my-writing/

Notice: This post may contain affiiate links. If you purchase the product from these links I will receive a small compensation at no extra charge to you.

Ten Books I can’t believe I’ve never read

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday36 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

If you are new to my blog, I just wanted to share with you that I co-host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (no, you don’t have to drink tea to participate) and you can find a link to it at the top of the page.

The link party is for all book-related posts from reviews and recommendations to …well, anything related to books at all. Including Top Ten Tuesday if you want to link your top ten there too!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is: books I can’t believe I’ve never read

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

I’ve been interested but just haven’t got there. Hopefully one day.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Another one I just haven’t gotten to.

Or anything by Jane Austen. I got halfway through Mansfield Park at least.  I will get there!

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

Have you seen how big this thing is?!

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I tried! I tried! *sobbing* It beat me!

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Whales. Sailing. Ocean. Didn’t think it would interest me and now I feel bad I haven’t read it yet.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scot Fitzgerald

Seems like it might be my thing but I’ve never read it.

The Diary of Anne Frank

Just couldn’t do it. Too emotional. Too sad thinking of the future she never had and should have had.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

I am one step closer. I bought the book a couple of months ago. Similar to Anne Frank, though, it’s a difficult one to read. I know enough about it to know that.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham

I don’t know why I haven’t read this one. Again, it sounds like my thing … I need to do it already.

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Like most, I’ve seen the Disney cartoon but never read the book.  

Have you read any of these?

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

If you would like to be the first to get news about my books or just have access to special posts for supporters, you can do so here for $2.99 a month : https://lisahoweler.com/support-my-writing/

Top Ten Favorite books by authors I like

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday13 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

If you are new to my blog, I just wanted to share with you that I co-host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (no, you don’t have to drink tea to participate), and you can find a link to it at the top of the page.

The link party is for all book-related posts from reviews and recommendations to …well, anything related to books at all. Including Top Ten Tuesday if you want to link your top ten there too!

Now, on to today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt, which is: My Favorite Books by My Favorite Authors (Pick your ten favorite authors and your favorite book written by each one of them.) (submitted by Cathy @ WhatCathyReadNext)

I’ll be honest, I don’t know if these authors are all “favorites,” but they are authors I enjoy.

Jan Karon

Jan’s book A Light In The Window is my favorite because it is the  one where the romance between Father Tim and Cynthia begins.

If you have not read this series, it centers around an Episcopal  priest in his 60s who finds love and fatherhood late in life. The 15-book series features sweet, challenging, and thought-provoking stories of faith with a myriad of quirky, fun, and lovable characters.

Lilian Jackson Braun

The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts is my favorite in Lilian’s The Cat Who series. The series is about journalist, and later former journalist, Jim “Qwill” Qwilleran, and his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, who help him solve various mysteries.

In this one, a close friend of Qwill’s passes away and he travels to where she lives to find out what happened to her. During the visit he meets a precocious little girl (he is older and in a relationship but has no interest in children), an abused young woman, and other interesting characters.

C.S. Lewis

I still have a lot of C.S. Lewis to read so this book could change, but I really liked The Magician’s Nephew from the Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Chronicles of Narnia are about a magical land called Narnia where children disappear into from the modern world and become kings and queens and meet magical creatures. There is much more to it than that, but that is the short version. The Magician’s Nephew is very magical and where the story of the chronicles really begins.

Agatha Christie

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans is my favorite book so far from Christie.

I know that this is not one mentioned as much when someone talks or writes about Agatha Christie but it is one of my favorites because there is a little bit of romance in it and a lot of humor between the main characters Bobby and Lady Frances “Frankie” Derwent.

A body is found at the bottom of a  cliff by the ocean and when Bobby reaches the man, he isn’t in good shape but manages to utter five  words: “Why didn’t they ask Evans?”

Bobby decides to find out who “they” are and who in the world was/is Evans and why no one asked this person whatever they were supposed to ask him.

Craig Johnson

I have a lot more to read of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series, but so far my favorite book is The Dark Horse.

Here is a quick description of it from Goodreads: “Wade Barsad, a man with a dubious past and a gift for making enemies, burned his wife Mary’s horses in their barn; in retribution, she shot him in the head six times, or so the story goes. But Sheriff Walt Longmire doesn’t believe Mary’s confession and is determined to dig deeper. Unpinning his star to pose as an insurance investigator, Walt visits the Barsad ranch and discovers that everyone in town–including a beautiful Guetemalan bartender and a rancher with a taste for liquor–had a reason for wanting Wade dead.”

Anthony Horowitz

Moriarty is my favorite book of Horowitz’s so far, but I have a lot more of his to read. Moriarity takes place after Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis, Moriarty, have plunged over the Reichenbach Falls.

Now Pinkerton detective agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe from New York to find the man who wants to take Moriarity’s place as the most sinister criminal in Europe. Horowitz was given permission by the Arthur Conan Doyle Trust to write this and another book, Silk, using Sherlock Holmes’ character.

L.M. Montgomery

The Blue Castle, which I wrote about in a series of posts earlier this spring, is my favorite of L.M. Montgomery’s books for a variety of reasons. It is poetic, thought-provoking while also being sweet, romantic, and enchanting

You can find my posts about the book here.

Carolyn Keene (or whoever wrote this one)

Nancy Drew: The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes is my favorite Carolyn Keene book so far.

The Nancy Drew books were written by several different authors under the same pseudonym and this one, about a trip Nancy takes to Scotland to investigate a theft at her great-aunt’s house. This one was not only fun but it was full of interesting facts about Scotland. 

P.G. Wodehouse

A Damsel in Distress is my favorite read by P.G. Wodehouse so far. Full disclaimer, I have only read three of his books, but this one, featuring many romantic misunderstandings, is so much fun and full of hilarious moments, if you can push through the old style writing.

Here is a quick description from online: “When Maud Marsh flings herself into American George Benson’s cab in Piccadilly, he believes he has met a damsel in distress. George traces his mysterious travelling companion to Belpher Castle, home of Lord Marshmoreton, where life is hilariously muddled.”

Francine Rivers

A Voice in the Wind (from the Mark of the Lion series). This first book in a series that takes place in Jerusalem during Roman rule fascinated me and kept me on the edge of my seat. It follows the story of a young Jewish girl named Hadassah who is made a slave in the home of a Roman leader.

Have you read any of these? And who are some of your favorite authors?

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

If you would like to be the first to get news about my books or just have access to special posts for supporters, you can do so here for $2.99 a month : https://lisahoweler.com/support-my-writing/

Ten Favorite Secondary Book Characters

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday19 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

If you are new to my blog, I just wanted to share with you that I co-host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (no you don’t have to drink tea to participate) and you can find a link to it at the top of the page or here.

The link party is for all book-related posts from reviews and recommendations to …well, anything related to books at all. Including Top Ten Tuesday if you want to link your top ten there too!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is: Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters

I had to think pretty hard about this one as I haven’t read as many books as others have, so I don’t have as many books to choose from, and I know I will think of others after I publish this, but here goes.

  1. Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien

In some ways Sam is a main character in Lord of the Rings and to me he is one of THE main characters, but he is considered as a secondary character too since he is Frodo’s “sidekick.”

Let’s all be honest, though, Frodo never would have made it to destroy the ring if it wasn’t for Sam supporting him, and sometimes even carrying him, on his journey. Frodo gets the credit for destroying the ring, and he did withstand the temptation of it the longest, but he would have been completely lost without Sam.

2. Diana Barry from the Anne of Green Gables books by L.M. Montgomery

Diana Barry is Anne Shirley’s best friend in the Anne of Green Gables series and especially in book one when they first meet.

She is Anne’s best friend, loyal at all costs, and just so sweet to Anne — even after Anne gets her drunk and disapproves of the man she’s going to marry. Ha!

3. Huck Finn from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Huckleberry Finn is one of the most fun side characters ever. He’s in the middle of all the drama in Tom Sawyer and then he gets his own book in the sequel. I haven’t read Tom Sawyer all the way through since I was in junior high but I plan to do so this summer.

My son and I read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a few years ago for school.

4. Polly Duncan in The Cat Who book series…by Lilian Jackson Braun

Polly is the main character Jim Qwilleran (Qwill)’s girlfriend and the town librarian. She is mild mannered, most of the time, sweet and very smart. I don’t like that Lilian describes her as boring and mundane at times and I also don’t like she often comments on her weight (though Qwill doesn’t seem to mind it) and eventually has her have a heart attack, but I do like Polly and how she  handles the sometimes rude, maybe a bit chauvinistic Qwill (the books are a product of their time in some ways), and how she likes to take care of Qwill without pushing him toward marriage.

5. Dr. John Watson from the Sherlock Holmes short stories and novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Dr. John Watson is Sherlock Holmes’s right-hand man, confidant, and co-sleuth. Sometimes he is as smart as Sherlock and many times he leads an investigation and puts himself in danger while Holmes is working on another area of the case (like in The Hound of The Baskervilles).

As an aside, I was sad to see that David Burke, the actor who played Watson in the first season of the  1980s Sherlock Holmes opposite Jeremy Brett, passed away this past week.

6. Dill from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I have to be honest and admit that I did not think of this one on my own. I’m surprised I didn’t since To Kill A Mockingbird is my favorite book. I saw it on a list online about secondary characters, which I looked up to refresh my memory of some of my favorites when my brain started drawing blanks.

Dill is the best friend of main characters Jem and Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. He spends his summers in their town after essentially being abandoned to his aunt’s every summer by his parents. Eventually he begins choosing to visit his aunt so he can see Jem and Scout, who make him feel like he belongs.

He is the catalyst for getting another great secondary character, Boo Radley, to come out of his house and also instigates several other pivotal scenes and moments that make the reader think about a wide variety of issues — one being children and people who feel neglected.

7. Bess Marvin in the Nancy Drew Mystery series by Carolyn Keene

Bess Marvin is one of Nancy’s friends and the cousin of George Fayne, who incessantly picks on Bess.

Bess is described as pleasantly plump in the early Nancy Drew books and her weight is pointed out often, but she’s portrayed, mainly, as the sometimes nervous friend of Nancy’s who gets dragged into many mysteries she’d rather stay out of.

While Nancy’s other friend, and Bess’s cousin, George, is more adventurous and outgoing, Bess prefers to wring her hands a bit and say things like, “Can’t we just go back home? It’s dark in there.”

I can relate to Bess. I’m heavy, not pleasantly, plump, but I am the one in a group who would be suggesting we all go home and let the police handle it.

8. Fairlight Spencer from Christy by Catherine Marshall

When Christy Huddleston moves to the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee to be a teacher at rural school in Cutter Gap, she meets Fairlight, an abused mother who wants an education and to improve herself. The two become fast friends and Fairlight teaches Christy about nature and how to communicate with the people of Cutter Gap. Fairlight is just about my favorite character in the book besides Miss Alice. Fairlight loves to pause and admire God’s handiwork by watching a sunset or looking at flowers.

I won’t say much about the end of the book other than I felt Marshall was very unfair to her character. It’s why I doubt I’d read the book again.

9. Eustace Scrubb from The Voyage of The Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

Eustace is the cousin of the children we know so well from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (if you’ve ever read it) — Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy. When he gets pulled into a painting in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader he becomes a central character, but still a secondary character (to me) in the Narnia series.

Eustace starts out miserable, mean, and a little brat. Things definitely change as the book goes on and he is changed by the traumatic experiences that happen to him throughout the  book.

10. Marmee March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The mother of the ‘little women’ (Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth) truly isn’t a secondary character. She is the character that holds the book together, in my opinion, even more than Jo. She holds the family and the book together, the guiding light for the little family who faces so many trials, heartache, and also joy. But, I suppose, the girls are the main characters and she would be considered a very, very important secondary character.

 How about you?

Do you have some favorite secondary characters?

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

Top Ten – Er – Eight Authors I wish were Still Writing Today

On By Lisa R. HowelerIn books and reading, top-ten-tuesday20 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today’s prompt is:  Authors You Wish Were Still Writing Today

I only came up with eight authors I wished were still writing, all of them long dead, but I think it’s a good list.

Agatha Christie

The fun she’d have with modern times and modern toys to mix in her plots. The only drawback is that some of her plot points might not work since we now have so many conveniences and cameras and things that could make getting away with murder even more difficult. That might be a challenge Agatha would love to take on, though.  

Margery Allingham

Margery would also love to use some of the more modern elements to knock off a few victims, I think. But she would write it in a much more poetic way than Agatha. This woman’s way with words….wow.

Erle Stanley Gardner

Perry Mason on his cellphone  telling Burger to stuff it where the sun don’t shine. Also, just more great stories with other characters — Bertha Cool on a podcast, telling everyone stories about her greatest cases.

L.M. Montgomery

I would love to read more sweet, touching stories by her. Whatever she wants to write. Clean, no swearing, just writing about every day life in a beautiful rural setting in Canada.

Donald Bain

Donald was a prolific ghost writer, but I just need him to write more Murder, She Wrote books that feel like authentic Jessica. I love how he makes her so real and fleshed out. He writes it from a first-person point of view and adds in her thoughts about her late husband Frank. She’s always so caring about her friends too. I mean, I really forget it is a man writing it. I feel like he’s truly seeing Jessica’s world through the eyes of a woman. I also love when he adds in history and facts about Maine or whatever city or country Jessica is visiting. He completely immerses you in the story.

Mildred Wirt Benson

I love Mildred’s children’s mystery books. If you don’t know, she was the author who helped create the Nancy Drew books and was the first Carolyn Keene. She later went on to write other children’s books with girl detectives, such as the Penny Parker series

I loved the plots she came up with and always find her plots in the Nancy Drew books so much better than ones written by other authors using the pseudonym.

Mildred wrote 130 books for juveniles and a few for adults. I hope to look up those adult ones soon.

J.R.R. Tolkien

I would love if Tolkien was still  writing and would infuse some of his wisdom and purity into fantasy books of today. He would, however, probably find some of his work edited so we don’t have to read so many descriptions of trees.

C.S. Lewis

I would love to particularly read Clive’s theological thoughts in relationship to the unique challenges of our modern world, which really aren’t that unique, but feel like they are. I would love to know what he thinks of the modern church, our crazy leaders, Christians who are so obsessed with politics that they’ve lost sight of Jesus…and so much more. I have a feeling he would anger so many people.

Are there any authors that you wish were still writing today?

If you write book reviews or book-related blog posts, don’t forget that Erin and I host the A Good Book and A Cup of Tea Monthly Bookish Blog Party. You can learn more about it here.

On Thursdays, I am part of the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot blog link party. You can find the latest one in the sidebar to the right under recent posts.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.