Top Ten Tuesday: Buzzwords or phrases that make me want to read (or avoid) a book

 

This week's theme for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is "Buzzwords or phrases that make me want to read or avoid a book." I thought I'd list them in one list because I couldn't think of ten each. So here they are, want to read and/or avoid! I know if I see this in the tagline I will either love it or lump it, lol. 

Happy reading y'all!

1. Cozy- Read it for sure! I love anything listed as cozy, especially mysteries.

2. Pirates or the Caribbean- Read! Anything with these vibes or just the beach in general will get me every time.

3. Baking or cooking- Avoid....It isn't that I don't like recipes or baking or cooking per se but not in the book I'm reading. It just isn't how I want to spend my reading time.

4. Fantasy- Avoid....I do not like anything fantasy based including Harry Potter books. Even as a child, I preferred stories that really happened or could have.

5. Egypt or pyramids- definite read! I am such a sucker for this location that I have read some truly awful books because I was hoping for that Egyptian feel.

6. Mysteries, clues- read....you almost don't have to say anything else to get me to at least check out the book. I love all things mysteries.

7. Dogs- avoid...okay dog lovers don't kill me! I just am not a dog person so any story with this as the focus is not going to be on my list.

8. Cats- read....hence the reason I love any book with cats as the focus. I have three at home that I love dearly.

9. Enemies to lovers- avoid...I don't like romance books in general but this particular trope annoys me. I think because most of the time you see it coming a mile away.

10. Based on a true story- read...whether it's history or mystery based I love books that include characters who were real or could have been. I also love knowing the setting is realistic.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Case of the Christie Curse by Kelly Oliver (The Detection Club Book Three)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Case of the Christie Curse, by Kelly Oliver. I am almost finished with her other series, Fiona Figg Mysteries. I really like them and so I eventually want to read these books too. Her writing is funny and engaging and although the premise of this series is very different I'm willing to give them a try. This third book is the latest coming out this month.

It is set in Mesopotamia which hooks me right away and involves famous digs and famous characters like Dorothy Sayers and Max Mallowan. It should be a lot of fun!

Historical Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries

February 21, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Mesopotamia, 1930: 

When Agatha Christie invites fellow members of the Detection Club to witness the famous excavations at the ruins of Ur, Dorothy L. Sayers, her quick-witted assistant Eliza Baker, and Theo Sharp expect ancient wonders not fresh corpses.

But when an archaeologist is found dead in the sand, whispers of a deadly curse sweep through the camp. Eliza suspects something far more dangerous than superstition. Amid glittering artifacts and fragile alliances, every guest harbors the Woolleys, whose marriage is shadowed by tragedy; a journalist hungry for scandal; even academic Max Mallowan, whose loyalties are not what they seem.

As theft, forgery, and coded messages surface, the line between archaeology and espionage blurs. And when Eliza and Theo find themselves in danger, they not only must face the truth about the murder, but also the truths they’ve long denied about each other. Can they uncover the killer before the desert claims another victim? Or will this dig unearth secrets too dangerous to survive?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books For Armchair Travelers

 

This week's theme for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is "Books For Armchair Travelers." I love this topic! Nearly all of my favorite fiction revolves around books set in special locations, usually places I haven't visited yet. It was hard to choose my favorites but I've tried to list ones that do a good job of really making you feel like you are there. 

I don't read much in the way of modern fiction so these stories are historical. But they still do a great job of describing culture and atmosphere of the setting. Here is my list...happy reading y'all!

The link will take you to Goodreads if you want to know more about the book.

1. Crocodile On the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

 

2. Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie

3. Gracelin O'Malley by Ann Moore

4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

5. Trouble in Nuala by Harriet Steel

6. Murder in an Irish Castle by Verity Bright

7. A Fatal Encounter in Tuscany by Vivian Conroy

8. The Land Beyond the Sea by Sharon Kay Penman

9. Of Lands High and Low by Martha Keyes

10. Poldark by Winston Graham

Stacking the Shelves #87

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Happy reading y'all!

Murder in Manhattan by Verity Bright

Free with Kindle Unlimited

I'm currently finishing up Book 13 in this series and Lady Eleanor is on her way to New York solving murders on a cruise ship. This picks up when they get to New York. I own most of these already but there are still a few I don't have. 

The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance by Paul Strathern

Free with Hoopla

This probably isn't a book I'll read cover to cover line by line but I am interested in the family dynamics and their power struggles. I want to skim through the parts that I want to know about and it looked like something readable. They were definitely not boring!

The Hands of Time by Irina Shapiro (The Hands of Time Book One)

Free with Kindle Unlimited

This cover is beautiful and this is the first book in the series so I'm going to add it to my library and give it a try. I know I've seen other books by this author that are more mystery based. This one is historical fiction and time travel....a woman has to choose between a love from her time or the past. 

Happy Valentines Day 2026!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day celebrating in your own way. I plan to cook some nice things for my son and husband and enjoy the rain headed our way. And of course, read. Happy Valentines Day to all my blogger friends and fellow readers out there!