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Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Things to Turn Your Frown Upside-Down
1:44 PM
In general, I'm an upbeat, positive person, even when times are rough like they are right now. However, today's TTT topic du jour—Top Ten Books That Make Me Smile—made me realize I don't read a lot of books that reflect that. I tend to shy away from funny reads. Why? Not sure. My tastes just naturally skew toward the moody, broody. The mysteries, thrillers, family sagas, and hist fic that I read most tend to be darker and heavier than your basic rom-com or contemporary story. As you can see, I'll never come up with ten books to fit the prompt, so instead, I'm going to go rogue and change up the topic a little bit and go with Top Ten Bookish Things That Make Me Smile.
As you probably know already, Top Ten Tuesday makes me smile, so join in, wontcha? It's fun and easy. Just click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Bookish Things That Make Me Smile
1. Mom—The first one isn't a thing, it's a person. My mom and her identical twin sister turned 78 today and they both make me smile. They're both retired teachers who love to read. My mom taught me to love books by example (she was always reading—even when she had to do it in a locked bathroom to get some privacy), by reading me bedtime stories, by driving me to the library and letting me check out as many books as I could carry, by encouraging me to enjoy said books (even when I stayed up way too late), and by being one of the very first followers of this blog. She's also taught me to love family history, to find joy in the journey of life (even when it's tough), to be strong through my trials, to be patient, and to have faith in a loving God. She's pretty great, I have to say. Happy birthday, Mom! P.S. I think my mom's the one making the goofy face, but I'm not totally sure ...
2. Strong, endearing leading ladies—I do have some favorites who make me smile: Jacky Faber, Veronica Speedwell, Hermione Granger, Scout Finch, Jo March, Anne Shirley, etc.
3. Punny book titles—I've come to appreciate cozy mysteries a lot more in the past few years than I ever have before. They're clean, they're upbeat, they're fun, and oh my goodness, the titles! A Tale of Two Biddies, Assaulted Caramel, Penne Dreadful, Dachsund Through the Snow, etc. Even when they're totally silly, they make me smile.
4. Book Memes—You gotta love a good nerdy meme that makes you feel seen and understood in your crazy bookwormish ways.
5. Bookish apparel—There are so many fun shirts, socks, hats, etc. that promote a love of reading. I love seeing them in the wild :)
6. Bookish Accessories—Posters, mugs, jewelry, totes, bookmarks, etc. are fun, too.
7. Knife Blocks Made out of Books—Who knew these were a thing? They make me grin and, not gonna lie, I kind of want to make one.
8. Bookish Cross-Stitch Patterns—COVID boredom has reawakened my interest in cross-stitching. I haven't made anything book-y yet, but I've purchased some fun patterns that I can't wait to work on. The one above will probably be my next stitching project.
9. Book Mail—This has been a regular thing for me since I started my blog way back in 2006, but guess what? I still smile every time I get a book in the mail, especially one I'm really excited about!
10. BBB Readers and Their Comments—Truly, hearing your thoughts on books never gets old. I smile every time I check my comments. They always make my day. Also, Napoleon Dynamite makes me smile.
So, there you go, ten bookish things (okay, nine things and one person) that make me smile. Which books and/or bookish things make you smile? I'd love to know. Leave a comment on this post (see #10) and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Labels:Top Ten Tuesday
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What beautiful points. I loved this post.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT .
I'm so glad! It was fun to put together.
DeleteThanks for coming by, Lydia!
#1 makes me smile as well! I think you got them mixed though... I think Mom is in the dark sweatshirt.
ReplyDeleteThat's entirely possible! I tried to find the post where Mom or Aunt J posted this pic and said who was whom, but I couldn't find it. Identical twins can be so confusing!
DeleteThis is such a lovely list! Your mum sounds amazing and I hope she is having a fantastic birthday! 💕🥳
ReplyDeleteShe really is a wonderful person. I've learned so much from her :) I live far away from her so I don't get to see her much, unfortunately. I hope she's enjoying her birthday, too, even if she has to do it without me!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Christine!
I love my blogging friends too. They definitely make me smile, and puns are so great. Totally underrated by some.
ReplyDeleteFor sure! It's so nice to have this community that loves books so much. Makes me smile all the time :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!
Love your list and what you came up with! My TTT is: https://www.musingsofasassybookishmama.com/2020/07/top-ten-tuesday-books-that-make-me-smile.html
ReplyDeleteThanks! Sometimes these lists are so tough to put together. This one was a cinch.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
"Knife Blocks Made Out of Books"? Boy do I have mixed emotions about that one...what do they do, "gut" the books first? That part makes me cringe...LOL.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. I get you. Like RS says below, the symbolism behind the thing is a little disturbing. You'll be glad to know the makers of these knife blocks keep the pages intact, although they do glue the covers together to make the thing more stable. As long as you clean and dry your knives well, they wouldn't hurt the poor books :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!
I love your take on this week's themes, especially because some of my own favorite bookish things made your list :D
ReplyDeleteHere's my Top Ten Tuesday post.
I'm so glad! I love bookish things (and people).
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Natalie!
I mostly read dark books too, so this week’s topic was difficult. Book mail has been keeping me going during this pandemic. I can’t go to the books, so the books have to come to me. I love getting packages.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Right? It's like Christmas all the time. I get especially excited when I receive a highly-anticipated book from a publisher. An awesome book that I didn't have to pay for? Yes, please!
DeleteThanks for coming by, A.J.!
It is always interesting to see your take on the top ten Susan. I didn't participate this week, because I had no idea where to start. I wish I had your creative mind.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. Thanks! Some of these topics are really tough, so I have to twist them to suit myself :) I'm glad you enjoy my creativity.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Carla!
Great post! I also didn't know Knife Blocks Made out of Books was a thing. Ha! You learn something new every day. (Napoleon Dynamite makes me smile, too!)
ReplyDeleteRight? A picture of one came up somewhere the other day and it made me smile. And, yeah, you can't go wrong with Napoleon Dynamite :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Lectrice!
Fantastic list! I do love getting book mail.
ReplyDeleteIt's the best kind of mail! Whether they're books I buy from an online bookstore or books I get free from the publisher, book mail always makes me happy.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Helen!
Number 7: when you're not subtle about your book-murdering ways. (I kid, since I would rather see people repurpose books this way than have them thrown in the trash, but...the imagery of tying books up and stabbing them is really something.)
ReplyDelete(...also I have a new story idea about a serial killer who either steals books from his victims and displays them this way as tropies, or goes really extra and finds a book title that includes the person's name to represent them. Come and get it, crime shows!)
I do love number 8. I completely forgot how much I used to love cross-stitching in elementary school, and that pattern looks adorable.
Oh, RS, your comments always make me smile! Your story idea actually reminds me of EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS by Peter Swanson. Have you read it? You might like it :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, RS!
Love your twist on the prompt this week! And how sweet is that. Happy birthday to your mom and her twin! I totally agree with the punny book titles, too! They're so corny, but I love them SO MUCH. Actually, just puns in general. They always get me.
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT post.
I'm just very impressed with what cozy mystery publishers (authors?) come up with for titles. Sometimes they're groan-worthy, but sometimes they're super clever.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Sammie!
Great hermione gif - perfect for a book blog
ReplyDeleteIt's my favorite of her! She's such a fun character - I relate to her a little too well. Ha ha.
DeleteThanks for coming by, Anna!
I'm actually surprised that I'm not trying to make knitting patterns out of books myself! That would definitely make me smile. I love your take on the TTT!
ReplyDeleteYou should! There are all kinds of books/reading cross-stitch patterns. I've got at least five, but I want them ALL :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Mari!
Oooh I love the spin you've put on this topic! I absolutely love bookish memes and gifs too and that knife block thing is awesome - I had no idea they existed!
ReplyDeleteBookish memes always make me laugh because I relate to them so well. They also remind me that I'm not alone in my book obsession, which is comforting. Ha ha.
DeleteThanks for coming by, Sabrina!
I love that you included your mom and aunt in this! I think it's really sweet that your love for reading was so fully nourished by her. (Happy birthday to them!) And yes to the book memes! They're seriously so hilarious when I see them. I've never seen the book knife block before! That's really cool!
ReplyDeleteIt really was. And I know my aunt did the same for my cousins. My Dad is a reader, too, although not as much. Still, they had a fair amount of books in the house, which made it easy to find things to read. I've tried to do the same for my kids, but only one of the four is really bookworm-y, darn it!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Rayna!
I'm drawn to the melancholic and moody as well! I liked your take on this week's prompt!
ReplyDeleteMe, too. I'm not sure why either, it's just that way I'm wired, apparently! I do like funny books as well, so I guess I just need to seek them out more.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
Great take on this week's topic! I love a good bookish meme, and punny book titles! So much fun! Thanks for visiting Long and Short Reviews. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm always surprised and delighted by the creativity of meme makers and title creators. Some cozy mystery titles are just SO clever.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Poinsettia!
I love your take on this week's theme. I too am a huge fan of strong leading ladies.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thank God for mom's who foster a love of books!
It's always fun to "meet" a new heroine who's smart, capable, brave, AND funny. I love reading books starring that kind of character.
DeleteYes, I love bookish moms! They're the best.
Thanks for coming by!
Punny book titles are my favorite! And I love some good book themed home decor. Love what you did with the prompt :)
ReplyDeleteRight? They always make me smile, even when they're seriously groan-worthy.
DeleteI love book-themed home decor and have a fair amount of it in case, you know, people can't tell by the THOUSANDS OF BOOKS ALL OVER MY HOUSE that I'm a book lover :)
Thanks for stopping by, Resa!
My mom's birthday was yesterday, too! She's 72. She also makes me smile. Great spin on the topic, I love your list.
ReplyDeleteAwww, happy birthday to your mom! Moms are the best, aren't they?
DeleteTHanks for coming by, Cheri!
I don't get many book packages anymore but when I do I get quite excited! Enjoyed your spin on this week's list!
ReplyDeleteMe too! It's like Christmas :) My kids stopped getting excited about UPS ringing the doorbell a long time ago because they know "it's just books." LOL.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Marg!
1 - I like anyone who inspires people to read, your mother sounds like a sweet person and she has a twin, even better.
ReplyDelete2- We need strong ladies, yes, but I also think strong men as well, like physically strong, because someone has to carry our books.
3 - I love it when they play with the titles. There was a series that uses song titles but changes them. Love cozy mysteries.
4 - I love all memes, book related and not.
5 & 6 - I don't actually have any bookish apparel but I really like bookish things but not candles - I don't think they're good for reading, the scent would drive me nuts.
7 - I didn't know there is such a thing. I'm pretty sure someone will come up with even more outrageous stuff but we will probably buy them.
8 - I like the ones with messages or quotes from books.
9 - I like having books deliver to me, oh yes, definitely better than carrying a bunch of books home.
10 - Comments makes me smile too, I'm sure all bloggers love them.
Have a lovely day.
My mom is a lovely person. So is my aunt. You know how twins sometimes try to be as different from each other as possible? My mom and hers aren't like that. They're both retired teachers; they both love to quilt, read, do family history, and talk; they have the same number of children (6); etc., etc. They're so much alike, it's funny!
DeleteHa ha. You're right - we do need strong men to carry our books around! Better than a tote bag. Ha ha.
Thanks for stopping by, Lissa. I always love reading your comments :)
Totally love your take on this theme :) and if I had given it some thought, would have ended up with something like this ... so thank you for the inspiration for a future post..
ReplyDeleteAnd while I don't cross-stitch (but bookish art does appeal) and didn't know about book knife blocks, I am totally with you on all of your choices!!
Thanks! This was a fun post to write. It didn't take long to come up with my list, but if I think about the subject more, I could definitely come up with more bookish things I love. Maybe I'll have to do a follow-up post.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
Ooh, I love your take on this topic! I agree with all of it :D And happy (belated) birthday to your mom!
ReplyDeleteThanks! This was a fun topic for me :) I really struggle with some of them. Once I put my own spin on this week's topic, it was a cinch!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, An!
I love your take on this week's theme. I am a lover of all bookish merchandise and have to really watch myself before clicking on the buy button :)
ReplyDeleteRight? I'm always tempted by bookish merch :)
DeleteThanks for coming by, Lisa!
I love this list! Especially how you included your mom.
ReplyDeleteOoooh, I so love how you changed this to bookish things that make you smile! I always get giddy over bookish accessories, especially socks, t-shirts, and mugs! I'm actually wearing a Nancy Drew litographs shirt right now as I write this! :)
ReplyDelete