Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/. Our love of lists inspires this bookish meme, and brings the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will pick a prompt, and we readers will make our list based on that prompt. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for that week. This week, our topic is things that make me not want to pick up a book. This can include Triggers, turn-offs, and deal breakers.
1-Student Teacher Romance
I tried one book of this trope, and it wasn’t for me. I just am not a fan of this trope.
2-Erotica
While it has its place, and I’m glad it exists for fans of it, It’s not for me. As someone who Is Demi-Sexual, it’s not something I want in my books.
3- Books with a spice rating above a 7 or 8
I will ask before I start a book or look into how spicy a book is before starting the book. This is another turnoff because I identify as a Demi-Sexual/on the A-Sexual Spectrum.
4-Horror
I’m putting this here for the moment. I want to look into Horror books I could enjoy. I’m not a fan of scary things, which is why I couldn’t get into a horror book.
5-Books with lots of violence
I’m not a fan of books with a lot of violence towards the characters. I’m okay with some, but after a while, it gets too intense for me.
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/. This bookish meme was born out of our live of lists and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will respond with our list based on that topic. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for the topic that week. This week, we have the topic of things that make me pick up a book, and I’m very excited to talk about what makes me want to pick up a book.
1-If I’ve read the Author before
I have a list of people I will always buy a new book from. If I love an author, I will read, and probably buy all of their books.
2-If the story is about someone in the book industry
Yes, I’m one of those people who enjoys reading about people in the book industry. I find it very fun, and I love seeing how certain sides of the book industry work. I also love seeing bookish characters in books because I love seeing them talk about the books they love. I also love reading books where a character is an author.
3- If there is music or theater indicated on the cover or in the synopsis
If you’ve been here for a while, you know that Theater, especially musical theater, is a large part of my life. I love reading about actors, musicians, and other artists because they bring back the fun of theater for me.
4- If the story is diverse
I’m a huge fan of reading LGBTQ+ books, and books by and featuring characters of color. I love learning about other cultures through books.
5- If I’m interested in the story just based on the cover and summary
I know that the summaries of most books could be better, but I love finding a cover I enjoy and reading a summary to see if I would enjoy the story. Most of the time, I find that I enjoy the books I find this way.
6- Other book blog bloggers and bookish media folks enjoying the book/overall hype
I think this could just be summarized by saying, “if the bookish media is talking about it, I will at least check out the book.” I love finding new books based on people I enjoy following in the bookish media.
7- If an author I enjoy has talked about the book
This could be blurbs on the book or talking about the book on social media. If an author on my list of to read/buy, I will always at least check out the books on Goodreads to see if I would enjoy it as well.
8- If a person I know or a person has recommended the book
I have a few people, mostly online in Discord severs, who will learn my reading taste, and then they will give me links to books they think I would enjoy based on taste, and books I’ve enjoyed in the past. I will at least check out any recs I get in this way.
9- If it’s an author I’ve never read
I love finding new authors, meeting their characters, and seeing their stories. I sometimes find a new author I enjoy this way.
10- the words contemporary romance somewhere in the blurb or on marketing materials
I have a brand, and most of the time, that is a contemporary romance! I never thought about it much before this year, but I love romance, and I read romances. Contemporary is a go-to genre for me, and so this is another reason I enjoy these.
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/. Our love of lists inspires this weekly meme and brings the book blogging community together. Jana will post a list each week, and we readers will make our list based on that topic. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for that week. This week, we have the topic of things getting in the way of reading right now which was done by A Cocoon of Books during a freebie week. This is an entertaining topic, and I’m excited to dive in. I’m going to be using right now, as the month of May so far in this case.
Theater things
Luckily things are slowing down this week, but most of my month so far has been spent running music for a local production of Into the Woods Junior. I am having fun, and I love helping the kids, I just wish I had more time to read a book while there. Tech Week and Opening weekend are now done, so I have more time in the afternoons this week.
2-Content on Streaming Services
I am so behind on streamed shows and movies. I try and have them on and catch up while I read, but that’s hard with the shows I really love and I want to focus on them. I hope to reach a point in my media backlog where I can do both at the same time.
3-Twitch and Youtube Streams and content
I try to read while watching a Twitch Stream. I find that if the streamer is playing a game I want to watch, or the streamer is talking to me, I feel the need to respond. Much like with TV and movies, I want to be able to watch Twitch streams and Youtube content at the same time.
4- Family Obligations
Spring and summer seem to be the busiest times of the year for me. Once it slows down I hope to bring books to family events or read in the car. My family talks to me while I read, so that’s what prevents me from reading when we’re just hanging out.
5- Video and Mobile Games
I know this could have gone in the streams section, but I am loving playing video games right now. I am trying to read and play video games simultaneously, but I have a hard time putting the book down at the beginning of a round, and getting back into the story when I pick it back up while waiting for the next round. I have to crave out the balance between reading and gaming.
6- Other Audio media
This is specifically about the two audiobooks I have going right now. Some days I just don’t feel like listening to an audiobook because of my podcast backlog, or musicals I want to listen to. My idea for this is that I downloaded what I most want to listen to from Spotify, so I’m hoping to use a car ride, or sometime around the house to listen to those. I could do the same for the podcast backlog as well.
7- Work and content creation
I’m a freelance writer, and I have my blog here. I want to get back to three days a week minimum of blogging here and on Instagram. I have reviews to write, so I’m taking reading time to write the content. I have personal fiction projects as well that prevent me from reading because I want to work on them.
8- Social Media
I feel like this is true for a lot of people today. I spend so much time checking in on Instagram when I could be reading. Discord is also a big culprit of this.
Hi! I’m back from my unplanned break last week. Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com. This weekly meme was born out of our love of lists and brings the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make our list based on that prompt. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for the topic that week. This week, our topic is books I’d recommend the most. This is fun, and I have separated the books by genre.
Middle-Grade
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
This is my favorite Middle-Grade series. I read these as an adult, but they’re delightful, and fun with a lot of heart. At the start of the series, we meet Percy, a 12-year-old who hasn’t had the best luck in school. Over the course of the series, Percy finds out more about his father Poseidon. Especially if you’re a fan of Greek mythology. Read these books.
2-Shannon in Spotlight by Kalena Miller
This is a recent release, and I was on the blog tour a few weeks ago. The theater kid in me loved this story, and I loved seeing the mental health rep as well. If you love The Sound of Music, I think you would in particular love this book. The writing is fantastic; the characters are delightful, and the story is both heartwarming and fun. I loved the journey that Shannon and her friends went on over the course of the book.
The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan
This is the second series in the Percy Jackson Universe. Among the two series I’ve completed, I prefer Percy Jackson. I think this might be because I’ve always preferred the Greek Mythology to Roman. This series combines both Greek and Roman mythology and tells the stories of both in a fun and interesting way. There are characters I love in this series, like Piper and Reyna, and Jason grows on me every time I reread the series.
Young Adult
4-Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, or seen my other posts, you know that I love this book. This queer YA story is a lot of fun and has a lot of heart. Simon tells a story that is relatable to some of the audience. There’s also a theater element to this story which I love.
Honorable Mention: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertallli. I’m in the middle of this book, and I would have swapped it out. I love this book a lot, and I really love the characters and the story. There’s also a fake dating trope.
5-Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Orsmbee
This was the first book I read with an Ace lead. As someone who was newly thinking I was on the Ace spectrum, this was the book I needed at the time. I also had a huge web series phase, where I would watch a lot of Literary Web series on YouTube, and this had those vibes as well. I just love this book, and I’ve recommended it to a number of people.
6-All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
This was my favorite YA book last year. I love the story, and the dual timelines in the story. Sal and Noor are fantastic characters, and I loved seeing Sal’s mother in the story as well. I’m planning to reread the book this year because I loved it so much, and the story hasn’t left my mind in over a year.
7- Heartstopper by Alice Osemen
If you want a graphic novel, try this one! I was a little late to the hype of reading this one, but I just love it so much. This is another queer story that follows Nick and Charlie. The characters are fun and delightful, and the story has a lot of heart. Heartstopper has a large cast of characters, so there is one or two characters who you will be interested in following their story.
Adult
8- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I keep meaning to reread this book but never make room on my TBR for it. Hopefully next month, I will squeeze in a reread because not stopped thinking about this book since the summer of 2019, and next month seems like the perfect time for a reread. I love Evelyn, and I want to get my mom a copy so she can read it.
9- The Brown Sisters Trilogy by Talia Hibbert
This series is delightful. I have read Get A Life, Chloe Brown three times, and my most recent reread was my favorite. I am continuing the series and loved Dani Brown even more than Chloe Brown. I think it was the fake dating trope in Dani Brown.
10- The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir
This is 100% a wild card if you know my reading taste, but Gideon the Ninth blew me out of the water, and I’m planning a reread when I finish my current trilogy. This series really makes my brain work, and I just love it.
Hi! Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday. Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com. This bookish meme was born out of our love of lists, and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make our list based on the topic. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for the topic that week. This week, our topic is audiobook narrators. I missed last week, so this is a make-up week, and I had a few ideas for this one. In the end, I wanted to talk about my top Ten Musicals at the moment, because theater is a big part of my life, and it’s almost theater awards season.
Les Miserables
This is a favorite from my childhood, and will always be a musical I love. The music is fantastic, and I love the characters. I don’t even remember how I found it, I was just a young theater kid and fell in love with the music and the story.
2- Amelie
Amelie is a newer musical that not many people know about. I never got the opportunity to see it, but I was a huge fan of the cast recording. Amelie as a character was what drew me to the piece in the first place, and I just fell in love with the story. Amelie and Nino have such a sweet story, and I love them.
3- Beetlejuice
This was a musical I saw just before the world shut down in 2020. I saw the movie after the musical, and enjoyed that as well. The music in Beetlejuice is a lot of fun, and I believe it’s different, but goes well with the more pop sounds of musicals today. Part of what I love about Beetlejuice as well is the story. I enjoy the slightly spooky vibes of Beetlejuice, even though I’m not a fan of the genre. My favorite characters are Lydia and Barbara.
4- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Not many people know of this musical, but I love it so much. It’s based on 70 pages in War & Peace. I attempted to read the book, but it wasn’t for me. If a musical could be described as Indie, it would be this one. The songs are across a wide variety of genres, and the music is wild if you’re new to the musical. I also love the story, and how many characters are in the show.
5- Waitress
I’ve never seen the musical, but Waitress is one of those musicals that will never leave my mind. I’ve seen it twice, and I loved it both times. Sara Bareilles wrote the music, so that was my one of the draws at first. I love the actress who originated the role of Jenna, so day one, I was listening to the cast recording because of that. I love the characters, the story, and the music.
6- Hadestown
Hadestown has been writing the award season high these last few years. I have been a fan since the start, even though I haven’t seen the musical on stage yet. I love the music, and the take on Greek Myth. This is another musical that could be described as Indie because of the music and the vibes.
7- Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
I’ve been rereading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, I just finished book 2, so this musical has been getting a lot of plays lately. It tells the story of the first book in a fun and unique way. The music is fun, and you can tell the team that created the musical has a love for the source material.
8- & Juliet
Jukebox musicals have been taking over the Broadway stage these last few years, and this one is just a vibe. The story follows Juliet of Shakespeare’s fame, taking back her life. It takes place after the story of Romeo and Juliet ends. I love the take on Romeo and Juliet and how much fun the music is.
9- Falsettos
This musical is heavy. I got into the musical when the revival happened, and I’ve gone through phases where I listen to the musical a lot, and just skip the songs when it comes shuffle because I’m not in the mood. I love the music, the story, and what the show as a whole does for the queer community. I just love the characters and the story even though it makes you feel all the emotions.
10- Into the Woods
This is my favorite Sondheim musical and has been in rotation again since the cast recording came out last fall. I love the fairy tale vibes, but the mature story and the music. I also love how it weaves all three stories you follow in the musical together. I’m also helping out with a local junior production soon.
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/. Our love of books brought together this weekly meme and the book blogging community together. Jana will post a topic each week, and we readers will make a list based on that topic. We also have the option of going our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for the topic that week. This week, our topic is Animals, submitted by Rachel @https://www.livingonthesunnyside.com/. We could go in a lot of different directions with this prompt. I am highlighting my favorite books that feature animals. Books are separated by genre.
Children’s
1-Curious George by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey
2- Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
3-The Story of Babar (Babar # 1) by Jean de Brunhoff
4-What Do You See, Spot? By Eric Hill
5- Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
Middle Grade
6- Amelia Gray is Almost Okay by Jessica Brody-MC has a dog named Biscuit
7- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
8- It Happened on Saturday-MC rides horses
9- Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Adult
10-The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman-MC has a cat named Phil.
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/. This meme is based on out love of lists, and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make out list based on those prompts. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for the prompt that week. This week, our topic is Indies, and I want to talk about Indie books I want to read. For this list, I used: https://www.yabookscentral.com/category/books/ya-fiction-indie and https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/indie-books to make my list this week.
The Books
1- Scorpionfish by Natalie Bakopoulos-Literary Fiction
2-Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller-Literary Fiction
3-The Silver Eclipse: Akkron by Kristy Dixon-YA Fantasy
4-Your Dream for Me by Ailson Schaffir -YA Contemporary
5-Hearts We Leave Behind: A Novel by Myriana Merkovic- Literary Fiction
6-A Walk Between Raindrops by Amalia Jahn-YA Contemporary
7-Katie Watson and the Painter’s Plot (Katie Watson Mysteries in Time Book 1) by Mez Blume- Middle-Grade
8-Making Friends With Monsters by Sandra L Rostirolla-Middle-Grade
9-Jester by Brielle D. Porter-YA Fantasy
10-Behind the Label by Lorna Schultz Nicholson-YA Contemporary
Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. This weekly meme was born out of a love of lists and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make our list based on that prompt. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for the prompt. This week our prompt is Spring TBR. I’m going to talk about books I want to read in April-June. Books by age category.
Middle-Grade
1- The Vanderbeekers and The Hidden Garden by Karina Yan Glaser
2- Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. Our love of lists inspired this meme and brought the book blogging community together. Jana will post a list each week, and we readers will make our list based on that prompt. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we’re not feeling the topic that week. This week, our topic is Bookish People I would Like to Meet. I went with a combination of authors and book characters.
Authors
1- Becky Albertalli (Author of The Creekwood Universe, What If It’s US Dulogy with Adam Silvera, and Yes, No Maybe So with Alisa Saeed)
2- Leigh Bardugo (Author of The Grisha Verse, the Hell Bent Series, and Wonderwoman: Warbringer )
3- The Cast of Critical Role (Authors of the Vox Machina Comics, and Novels)
4- Ashley Herring Blake (Author of The Bright Falls Series )
5- Emma Lord (Author of Tweet Cute, You Have A Match, When You Get the Chance and Begin Again)
Bookish Characters I want to meet
6- Gideon from Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir- She’s so sassy and so much fun. Gideon is the opposite of me in many ways, but I really think we could have fun together.
7- Claudia from Foolish Hearts by Emma Lord- We could bond over Shakespeare and the love of online gaming. I think we could have a lot of fun together.
8- Annabeth Chase from the Percy Jackson Universe by Rick Riordan- Annabeth is the daughter of Athena, and if I were to meet any of the characters from this series it would be one of the kids of Athena or Demeter.
9- Margot from Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur- I’m currently reading this, and Margot is a lot of fun as a character. I would love to talk about astrology with her.
10- April from Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade-I read this earlier this year, and I had a lot in common with April. I would with to talk with April about fanfics, and our love of fandom and cosplay.
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. l. This meme is based on our love of lists and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will post our list based on those prompts. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have ideas for that week. This week, our topic is a genre freebie. I decided to go with YA Contemporary Romance.
1- Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
2- Reggie and Deiliah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant
3- Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe
4- When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
5- Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
6- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
7- 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
8- Geekerella by Ashley Poston
9- Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks
Paiges of Novels 