Winter 2018 TBR #TopTenTuesday

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

Winter 2018 TBR: Here are some books that I own and am planning to read over the next few months

Chill Factor
by Sandra Brown

The Giver
by Lois Lowry
(The Giver, Book #1)

The Flight Attendant

by Chris Bohjalian

Congo

by Michael Crichton

Dearest Ivie
by J.R. Ward
(Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book #15.5)

The Thief
by J.R. Ward
(Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book #16)

Sharkman
by Steve Alten

The Warlord Wants Forever
by Kresley Cole
(Immortals After Dark, Book #1)

Dead Sexy Dragon
by Lolita Lopez
(Dragon Heat, Book #1)

MILA 2.0
by Debra Driza
(MILA 2.0, Book #1)

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat
by Sofie Kelly
(A Magical Cats Mystery, Book #1)

Soulless
by Gail Carriger
(Parasol Protectorate, Book #1)

Cast in Shadow
by Michelle Sagara
(Chronicles of Elantra, Book #1)

The Infinite Sea
by Rick Yancey
(The 5th Wave, Book #2)

An Angel's Touch
by Heather Graham

The Christmas Blessing
by Melody Carlson

The Christmas Train
by David Baldacci

So, what books are on your Winter 2018 TBR? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!

Books Set in Winter or Snow #TopTenTuesday

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

This week's topic is a freebie. Since I featured Christmas-themed books in last week's Cozy/Wintery Reads, I'll pick some books set in winter or snow that are not Christmas-themed. I really enjoy books with isolated settings where people are trapped because of bad weather:

Chill Factor
by Sandra Brown
I just bought this one at a used book sale for $0.65. It's about a woman trapped in a remote cabin during a blizzard with a man who might be a serial killer.

The Snow Child
Eowyn Ivey
The setting is 1920s Alaska with elements of fantasy.

Frozen
by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston
(Heart of Dread, Book #1)
A YA dystopia set in New Vegas, now blanketed in ice.

The Shining
by Stephen King
(The Shining, Book #1)
Jack Torrance takes on the job as winter caretaker of a remote hotel, which is shut down until Spring. This is probably my favourite King book! Loved it!!

The Girl in the Ice
by Robert Bryndza
(Detective Erika Foster, Book #1)
This is a great police procedural about a woman whose body is found beneath the ice.

Snowblind
by Christopher Golden
Blizzards and ghosts, oh yeah!

Trapped
by Michael Northrop
A group of kids get trapped by the blizzard in a school.

The Sittaford Mystery
by Agatha Christie
I recently read my first Christie mystery, and I just loved it! This murder mystery is set in a house where the inhabitants are snowbound.

Far From You
by Lisa Schroeder
A snowstorm traps a family together, and they are forced to deal with their issues. It's told in rhyming verse.

Into Thin Air
by Jon Krakauer
This is a non-fiction memoir about a journalist/mountain climber who nearly died on Mt. Everest.

So, what books set in winter or snow have you read? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!

Cozy/Wintery Reads #TopTenTuesday

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

Cozy/Wintery Reads - I'll share some that I've read and others that are on my TBR

Dashing Through the Snow
by Debbie Macomber
4 stars
I am not a contemporary romance reader, but I cannot resist Macomber's holiday books! I look forward to them every year.

Twelve Days of Christmas
by Debbie Macomber
5 stars

Starry Night
by Debbie Macomber
5 stars

Merry and Bright
by Debbie Macomber
4 stars

A Winter Dream
by Richard Paul Evans
5 stars
Evans is another author who puts out great holiday "feel-good" stories. This is a favourite of mine.


And these are ones that are on my TBR:

Home for Christmas
by Lily Everett
(Sanctuary Island, Book #4)
I haven't read the rest in the series, so I hope this works as a standalone!

Christmas at Twilight
by Lori Wilde
(Twilight, Texas, Book #5)
Ditto for this one. When I see a holiday themed cover, I just can't resist buying it and don't find out until later that it's in the middle of a series.

Mr. Miracle
by Debbie Macomber
(Angelic Intervention, Book #10)
Yikes, that's way into this series!

Snow Angel Cove
by RaeAnne Thayne
(Haven Point, Book #1)

The Memory Tree
by Joseph Pittman
(Linden Corners, Book #5)
And, no, I haven't read the others in this series either!

So, what cozy/wintery reads have you read or are looking forward to reading? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!

Books with Great Platonic Friendships

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

Books with Great Platonic Friendships

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
by John Boyne
Oh my gosh, this book!!! The friendship that develops between Bruno, the 9-year-old son of a Nazi commandant, with Shmuel, a Jewish boy in a concentration camp, will rip your heart out. Bruno is deserving of the highest award to Best Friend Ever!!! I wept, and wept, and wept. If you haven't read this one, go right now to the library and pick it up. Seriously, it's one that you'll never forget and will stay with you. A beautifully tragic story.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by J.K. Rowling
(Harry Potter, Book #1)
I adore the friendship that developed between Harry, Ron, and Hermione! Very sweet, and the sacrifice that Ron made during the chess game so that Harry could checkmate the White King - ack! my heart. A very emotional scene.

Wonder
by R.J. Palacio
This should be required reading for every person on how to treat others. The friendship between Auggie and Jack is heartwarming but will also break your heart, as it did Auggie's. His relationship with Summer helps to repair the damage. This is another story that will stay with you.

The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
A very moving story about Asif and his friendship with the servant boy, Hassan. It's tragic, but there is also a redemption theme.

The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton
The Curtis boys are orphans, and their friendships with their fellow Greasers are just as strong as blood ties. 

A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman
I loved how the relationship between Ove and his neighbours next door developed! Truly a heartwarming story.

The Christmas Angel Project
by Melody Carlson
You're going to want to put this one on your Christmas TBR. It's about a group of bookish friends who meet for book club. When one of the ladies dies from cancer, she leaves a legacy behind with special gifts that she made for each of her bookish buddies before she died.


So, what are your favourite books with great platonic friendships? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!

Ten Things That I Am Thankful For #TopTenTuesday

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

Today's list is a Thanksgiving Freebie. Even though I'm in Canada and we've already celebrated Thanksgiving, I'll play along:

Ten Things That I Am Thankful For

My two beautiful girls.

A job that I love, which I've had for 28+ years.

The roof over our heads.

My parents, who are always there to lend a hand!

Living in a country that provides access to good food to eat and clean water to drink.

Siblings and extended family members in my life.

Continued good health for me and my loved ones.

Friends and neighbours who reach out and check on me!

For the lessons that I've learned and the life experiences I've had which have made me a better person and who I am today!

A loving and forgiving God, who may not give me everything I want but gives me everything I need.

So, what are you thankful for? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!