All Good Things Come To An End

Hey all! Jamie here! It's that time...to officially turn the page on The Broke and the Bookish after 8 awesome years.

-As a reminder, Top Ten Tuesday is NOT stopping...it's going to move over to fellow TB&TB contributor Jana's blog so definitely check that out! It's been a JOY doing Top Ten Tuesday with you guys every week for all these years. Thank you for making it such a fun part of this community! I've gotten questions about what will happen about Secret Santa...it is likely that Jana and I will come back to bring it back for next year...I mean, we are still part of the community and it's such a fun event that it would be just wrong for it not be back!


Now a couple of words from myself and the other ladies....along with where you can find us around the Internet!

Jamie says...

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little teary thinking about The Broke and the Bookish coming to an end. I started this blog on a whim when I saw that book blogs were a thing and asked a few of my friends in the Goodreads College Students group that I ran if they wanted to start a book blog with me! They were enthusiastic and we spent months planning before we launched in June of 2010. This decision changed my life. I can't even BEGIN to tell you all the ways it did because this post would be ridiculously long but it was the best decision I made in my young adult life. I met some of my best friends and I really found myself in my 20's through this community and writing on my own blog in addition to this blog with these AMAZING ladies. I think about that 23/24 year old girl that started this blog and now I'm like WOW...I'm 32 now, am married, have an almost 6 month old. How life has changed! I'm grateful that I've had these ladies to share this journey with!


Where to find me: 

The Perpetual Page-Turner: In addition to blogging here, I've been blogging at my own blog, The Perpetual Page-Turner, for the past 8 years and will be continuing that. It's evolved from a book blog to more of a lifestyle blog that's heavy on the books (because that's who I am) and I'd love you to come visit me over there and stay in touch!! (Apparently people didn't know I had another blog?? I guess I'm not good at promoting myself lol)

Twitter -- I will still be tweeting @brokeandbookish as I always have (though I might change the handle name...so hard to decide..I've become rather attached to it).

Instagram: www.instagram.com/perpetualpageturner  or my personal Insta which is mostly pictures of Riley and my dog, Finn is www.instagram.com/jamielee841

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1518370-jamie-the-perpetual-page-turner

Jana says...

I've loved writing with the ladies of The Broke and the Bookish these last 8 years! I didn't even know book blogging was a thing until Jamie posed the idea to a bunch of us college students, and we jumped into this amazing project that turned into something so much bigger than I think any of us imagined. The Broke and the Bookish helped me find my love of reading again, discover genres I never thought I'd read (sci-fi and fantasy, what!?), and make lifelong friends. It made me start up my own blog, and I even went to grad school to get a degree in library science because book blogging made me realize how much I love the world of literature. Recommending books to people brings me so much joy. I never would have known any of this about myself, nor would I have made such life-changing decisions had I not thrown myself into the bookish community.

Where to find me:

That Artsy Reader Girl: Not everyone knows that Jana of TB&TB and Jana of TARG are one and the same person. lol. I started my own book blog about 7 years ago. I write lots of book reviews and put on fun events (sometimes with friends). It's also home of the Debut Author Challenge. I hope you'll come chat books me with there! 

Top Ten Tuesday's new home.

Twitter: I'm @ArtsyReaderGirl, and I'm always up for late night silliness, book chats, fangirling, cat pictures, and commiserating!

Instagram: I love posting pics of books, weather, food, and crazy life things. 

Goodreads: Here lies the longest TBR and most detailed list of shelves in the world. If I ever disappear online, someone please come look at my Goodreads and see if they all fell on me.

Lauren says...

I knew I’d love blogging with these ladies long before I jumped in... back when we were all young hoodlums (ok, maybe just me) in the College Students Goodreads group. TB&TB has given me an amazing outlet to chuck all my book love into, as well as a place to find new bookish friends. I've LOVED reading comments and finding I'm not alone when it comes to the emotional rollercoaster books tend to take me on. Readers of any written word will always have a special place in this world and I'm just happy to be one of them. It's bittersweet to say goodbye, but I'm still here, as are all the lovely TB&TB ladies. If you can't find me, I'll probably be in a corner somewhere, sniffing a book. 

If I'm not napping or watching Netflix, you can probably find me online somewhere...

For hilarious pictures of my wiener dog, you can add me on Snapchat (tattooedbiblio). For more dog pictures with a sprinkle of family and books, I recommend my Instagram. For all things bookish, my Goodreads is a safe bet. And lastly, for deadpan jokes and sarcastic memes, Facebook is where it's at.

Daisy says...

I can't even begin to describe how much this blog and blogging in general has meant to me over the years! And I'm feeling pretty nostalgic and sad to see The Broke and the Bookish end, but I have to admit that it's time. I've loved being a part of this group of wonderful ladies and sharing so much with each other. When we started this I was doing my internships and now I'm a GP, married and have daughter who's almost 10 months old. CRAZY. 

Without Jamie deciding to start this I probably wouldn't have found my way into the blogging world and I'm so thankful for that! I've connected with amazing people and am part of a book club now that meets up monthly (can't imagine not having these girls in my life anymore!) and though I'm not as active in the community as I used to be, I'm very thankful for each and everyone of you that I've gotten to know over the years!

Where to find me:
Twitter | Instagram | My personal blog (that hasn't been updated in almost a year, but maybe soonish)

Julia says...

My heart hurts thinking about the end of The Broke and the Bookish. I fondly remember 8 years ago talking to everyone to figure out a name, direction, the About Me page, coding the first site… We launched the first review the day I started my first job out of college. This blog, these ladies and all you were so instrumental in keeping me sane during those crazy years of travel and figuring out adulthood. I will always cherish the time we had here – all the good reviews, all the amazing recommendations, all of the ways to read out of my comfort zone. I love you guys and I loved this. Now onto the next big adventure, once I figure out what it is. If I do anything else, I'll make sure to let Twitter and Instagram know :)

Where to find me:
Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram 

Lori says...

It has been an absolute pleasure to contribute to this blog over the years. I have met a lot of wonderful people that I call friends through book blogging. I have had great conversations about books and life with people far and wide. My TBR has grown at an exponential rate and my bookshelves overfloweth. It's been fun to see everyone transition from carefree college student through our late 20s and into our 30s. This blog and the connections I've made here have been a great comfort in the storms of my late 20s when I just didn't know which way was up. I am sad to see this blog shut down, but I can't wait to see what everyone takes on next.

Where to find me:

An Irreverent Escapade: I'm reviving my personal blog. I've missed having a space to go write about whatever. Look for posts about books, cooking, yoga, clothes, and life--basically, whatever I feel like tackling on a given day.

Twitter: CoffeeGirl217

Instagram: LLindsey217

Kimberly says...

In the time since we started The Broke and the Bookish I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree, got married, adopted a dog, and had a baby. The one constant? This blog and these incredible ladies. We were just a group of college students who wanted to talk about what we loved, who knew it would be such a big part of our lives? Because of this blog I have formed friendships, discovered amazing books, and found the community that has helped me become a better person.  I’m sad to see an end to an era, but excited to see what comes next.

Please come find me on any of these sites! 

Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

Bridget says...

Joining up with TBTB was one of the best things I ever did during my blogging life! It was such a pleasure working with these ladies. I’ve fallen off the blogging train in the past couple years, but it’s been so lovely having this great group of women to talk books with. I so appreciate all the readers for helping make this blog what it is. Thanks, TBTB, for giving me so many fun years ♥️

Top Ten New-To-Me Authors We Read In 2017

Just a reminder: Starting on January 16th Top Ten Tuesday will be moved to Jana's blog, That Artsy Reader Girl, as The Broke and the Bookish will be closing our doors (for now). 

Happy New Year! I (Jana) am so ready for 2018. This is going to be my year. I can feel it. :) Today's topic is new-to-me authors we discovered in 2017. Which authors did you discover last year? 

Jana's Picks

1. Katie Ruggle -- Her romantic suspense novels are amazing!

2. Jenn Bennett -- I read Alex, Approximately this year and it was so much fun! I can't wait to read more of her books.

3. Meagan Spooner -- Hunted was my first of her solo novels (I've read These Broken Stars that she wrote with Amie Kaufman), and I loved it a lot.

Jamie's Picks

4. Heidi Heilig -- I finally got around to reading Heidi's debut from 2016 and I super loved it and can't wait to read the sequel and what she's working on now! I also really love following her on twitter so just overall she's a fave of 2017!

5. Adam Silvera -- I read 2 of Adam's books this year (History Is All You Left Me & They Both Die At The End) and I am obsessed with his books! I've owned his debut since it came out and realllyyyy need to finally get to it!

Lauren's Picks

6. Gillian Flynn - I actually listened 3 of her novels in 2017... Dark Places, Gone Girl, and Sharp Objects. I think I listened to Sharp Objects first and instantly knew I had to get my hands on the others. Now I just wish there were more!

7. Mike Mullane - Granted, this guy is actually a retired astronaut, not a writer, but I really liked his book about his space life. He has a great sense of humor and showed who he really is in his book, flaws and all. If you’re in remotely interested in space flight, you’ll love his book Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut. 

8. Katherine Arden - I read her novel The Bear and the Nightingale months ago and I’m still thinking about it. It was just an amazing folklore tale that enthralled me! I can’t wait for the sequel!

Julia's Pick

9. Naomi Novik - I finally got around to reading Uprooted and it was so good! I only read a few books this year and this one would have been high on the list even if I read my wanted 50. I can't wait to explore more from Novik in the future! 

Daisy's Pick

10. Becky Albertalli: I finally got around to reading Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and it was EVERYTHING!

Which new authors did you fall in love with in 2017?

Top Ten Books We're Looking Forward to In 2018

We here at The Broke and the Bookish hope you had a very lovely Christmas yesterday (if you celebrate), and that you made memories with your loved ones! 

Just a reminder: Starting on January 16th Top Ten Tuesday will be moved to Jana's blog, That Artsy Reader Girl, as The Broke and the Bookish will be closing our doors (for now). 

We've loved blogging together for the past 8.5 years, and we've loved getting to know our fellow bloggers through this feature. Thank you for your support and friendship. We'll all still be on social media and some of us have our own blogs, so you'll still see us shouting our love of books! We'll post a more official goodbye with links and social media handles so you know where to find us, but we thought we should get the word out as soon as possible so there is no confusion.

We've got just a few days left in 2017, and then we wipe the slate clean and start over again. Can you believe it!? What books are you looking forward to in 2018? We're sharing our choices today. :) 

Jamie's Picks

1. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert -- definitely one of my most anticipated debuts

2. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton -- I feel like I have been waiting for this book since it was announced!! NEEEEED!!

3. Save The Date by Morgan Matson -- Morgan Matson is one of my all time fave authors and I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

Julia's Picks

I haven't been following the new releases like I have in previous years... so I really just want ONE of these books to come out next year... or have an official date:

4. Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss 

5. Winds of Winter by George RR Martin

Please?

Lauren's Picks

6. Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris: I loved the author’s other thrillers and I can’t wait to be on the edge of my seat reading this one!

7. Zero Day by Ezekiel Boone: This is the third book in a series about SPIDERS. Yeah. I’ve been bitten by a brown recluse spider a few times and once it was bad. As in my tissue started dying and had to be cut out. I don’t much care for spiders these days. So why am I reading about them? I have no clue. Except the plot has left me wanting more.

8. The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian: I love this author’s novels, so this is just an automatic TBR for me.

Jana's Picks

9. The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis-Graves: I love Tracey, and I can't wait for this next book of hers!

10. Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson: It just sounds amazing, ok?

- 

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

Important News:

Hello everyone! Jamie here! Before we get to today's topic....I have some NEWS that is relevant to Top Ten Tuesday. We've been doing Top Ten Tuesday since we started this blog in June 2010 and it's such a special thing for me as my little baby of an idea that grew bigger than I could have ever imagined. We have decided that, as of January 9 after our last TTT topic, that The Broke and Bookish is going to be shutting down (at least for now). I was 24 when the ladies and I got together to start this blog and now I'm a 32 year old MARRIED LADY WITH A BABY and my own blog has even taken a different direction (though still heavy on the books). And it's not just me...we've all gotten busy and life has taken us in various directions as you have probably been able to tell with our sparse posts. It's sad but I'm so grateful for doing this with these ladies for all these years. We will have a more ~formal~ goodbye post with links to social media/blogs where you can find us if you want.

BUT DON'T PANIC. Top Ten Tuesday is not going away!! I'm going to hand over the reigns to our dear TBTB contributor, Jana, and she's going to host it on her blog, That Artsy Reader Girl! She has put up a schedule so you guys can still have the topics in advance past January 9th.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you thank you thank you to the people who decided to join in way back in 2010 which helped make this little idea of mine such a fun weekly blogging event and to everyone who jumped in after. I've had fun getting to know you and you've added like A MILLION books to my TBR. I love your passion and your enthusiasm and creativity and I can't wait to see where it goes when Jana takes over. It's so hard for me to let go something that has been a huge part of the past almost 8 years of my life but it's time...

We will try to make this move as smoothly as possible but could definitely use your help in spreading the word and being gentle with us as we make this change.  --- Jamie

---

Now, on to this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic! Christmas is less than a week away, so it's probably time to declare which books we hope Santa brings this year! 

Jamie's Picks

1. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: I've heard amazing things about this book and I need it nowwww.

2. What To Say Next by Julie Buxbaum: I loved Tell Me Three Things and I NEED her latest book!

Jana's Picks

3. My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella: I love Sophie, and I've heard awesome things about this new book of hers.

4. Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh: MULAN RETELLING that I want to read!!

5. The Valiant by Lesley Livingston: Gladiators!

6. Up to This Pointe by Jennifer Longo: People keep telling me to read this book about friends figuring their lives out.

7. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier: I read Heart's Blood earlier this year and really loved it, so I want to jump into this series that everyone loves!

Lori's Picks

8. Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child: I just found this one today, but it sounds so cool! Child gives some base recipes and techniques and variations. It sounds like a great book for those with some kitchen experience who are looking for no recipe recipes.

9. The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown: I love reading successful women wrote their stories. This one is supposed to be gossipy and personal. I love the magazine, so I want to read some behind the scenes stuff!

10. The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Brombauer: This is one of those seminal cookbooks that has a bit of everything and I need to add it to my collection! :)

Our Ten Favorite Books of 2017

For future TTT topics, click here.

I seriously cannot believe that the year is almost over, can you? Today we're taking some time and reflecting on all the great books we read this year. Which have been your favorites?

Jana's Picks

1. Caraval by Stephanie Garber: It's pretty magical and unique and Stephanie's writing is amazing!

2. Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco: I had NO CLUE I'd love this like I did, but suspense and swoons everywhere!

See the rest of my picks at my blog, That Artsy Reader Girl!

Jamie's Picks

3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: okay so technically I read it last year but I never formerly talked about my top reads of the year and this still is one of the best books I've read in a long time! Read it!!!

4. The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord: this book was yet another example of why she is one of my faves!!

Kimberly's Picks

5. Geekerella by Ashley Poston:I just adored this book! The characters were lovable, the geeky references delighted me and the story kept me coming back for more, despite being in my weird pregnancy brain induced reading slump.

6. Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett: This was such a fun romcom, and the references to classic movies made me want to rewatch all of my favorites all over again.

Lauren's Picks

7. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant: Science expeditions to the deep, open open to prove killer mermaids exist? YES. YES. This book exceeded my expectations and I absolutely loved it. I cannot WAIT for the sequel.

8. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: All my non bookish friends nag me when I don’t immediately jump onto a popular author bandwagon. So I purposely waiting to read a book by the author just because I’m stubborn. I shouldn’t have waited. This book was absolutely riveting, but oh so depressing. I didn’t figure out the mystery of the book until towards the end either, which is always a nice surprise!

9. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: Finally the legend of Achilles told from a brand new perspective... that of his (maybe lover) best friend, Patroclus. It’s a toss up whether Patroclus was Achilles’ lover or his bro, but this novel chooses the former. It was such an emotional ride and I was left with a few tears as I read the last pages.

10. The Genius Plague by David Walton: Any gamers out there? This plague reminded me of the plague from the game The Last of Us (amazing game, by the way). A fungus from the Amazon starts infecting people and making the more intelligent. The NSA gets involved and shit goes down. I loved the plot of this book and was so glad it delivered.

Top Ten Books We're Thankful For

For future TTT topics, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers in the USA! I (Jana) hope you all have a wonderful day with your families, eating lots of good food. This week's topic is books we're thankful for. Which books have touched your heart and left you feeling SO thankful that it was written?

Jana's Pick

1. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard: This book seriously changed my life. It's the kind of book that encourages you to take the bull by the horns and go with it. I just felt so refreshed by the end, like I had been the one to go on a whirlwind trip that changed my life. It prompted me to make amazing goals: to travel more, to practice my art more, to be spontaneous, to let my hair down and not worry what other people think, to look to the future, to develop other talents, to conquer fears, and to enjoy my life more. I ended up going on a whirlwind trip just like Bria did, and I cam home a completely changed person.

Kimberly's Pick

2. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: No matter how many books I read I always come back to this series. I'm so grateful for what it has taught me and the joy it brings me! It's the first thing I ever read to my daughter, I was still in the hospital after my c-section when I started.

Jamie's Picks

3. Just One Day by Gayle Forman: this book really resonated with me at where I was in my life and inspired me to make some big changes in my life. I will always be thankful to Gayle for writing this.

4. Twilight: Yep...I'm one of those people who fell in love with YA because of Twilight and I'm so thankful I took a chance on it even though I thought it sounded terrible.

5. The Wonder Weeks: lol I'm thankful for this book (and the app) as a new mom because it helps me be patient with Riley when she is going through a developmental leap which tend to be hard on babies. It helps make sense of things plus helps me know what she is working on!

Lori's Picks

6. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein: These poems first started my love of language. My dad would read them to me at night. It was always so much fun.

7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: This is one of the first classics I ever read, which definitely got me thinking about the genre as a whole. It also first got me thinking about law school.

8. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion: Didion. OMG! I love her. I can't keep away from these essays and her other collection, The White Album. Her commentary on her times is so astute. And oddly widely applicable to today. Very inspirational to me in my writing.

9. Public Enemies by Bryan Burrough: This book got me thinking about becoming a history major. It's really interesting and an extremely accessible history of five criminal groups at large at the same time during the Depression.

10.  East of Eden by John Steinbeck: In terms of storytelling and retellings...this one is tops. I can't get over it. Steinbeck was truly a master.

8th Annual Broke & Bookish Secret Santa

Well hello! It's that time. Time for our annual Secret Santa (I know, I know..Halloween hasn't even happened yet). THE 8th ANNUAL BROKE AND BOOKISH SECRET SANTA OMG.

So, I guess I'll just get to what you reaaaaally care about -- signups! But before we get started, three things:

1. Please only sign up if you are truly interested and are committed to sending off a package (on time). No seriously, stop and think before you sign up. Can you commit to this? Will you have time and money for it? We have only had a few problems each year (and some got resolved) but I'd like to not have to spend my time chasing people down -- seriously.  It's a bummer for the person who doesn't get a package and a bummer for me to have to hunt you down for months after. And guess what....you don't get to sit with us anymore. I keep track of that stuff and no Secret Santa cheer for you if you are Naughty Santa.


2. In all the years past, I've always gotten all pairings done within 48 hours. I (Jamie) currently have a 3 month old and I was debating whether or not Secret Santa was even going to happen this year because it is a HUGE undertaking for me and it literally takes me 2 full days to do the pairings. SO this year....please be patient...the pairings will likely trickle out in a few days, with the help of Jana this year, rather than the marathon session I normally do. I hope you can understand! Also, please be gentle if it takes me a little bit to answer emails. BE THOROUGH IN YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE so I don't have a ton of people emailing me asking specific questions to be relayed. I probably will not have much time to go back and forth to ask about specific likes and dislikes as I did in the future (unless it's really important). Please utilize the hashtag to ask questions in hopes your person answers or use their person of contact. 


3. A word for people outside of the US/Canada who want to participate: if you are outside of US and Canada just know I can't guarantee that you will get somewhere even remotely close to you. I try to work it geographically for you (and I work realllyy hard at it) but it all depends on who signs up and where they are from. That said we typically have a decent number of signups from England and Australia and a bunch in Europe. The past two years, as a courtesy, I made a note on this post, that I updated daily, wherein I listed the countries of people who had signed up so you would know where you could potentially send to. So, just be aware, if you sign up and are outside of the US/Canada...I will try my best to pair you with someone close-ish for shipping...but no guarantees. Last year I had some people not realize how much shipping costs would be, so if you are unsure, do a quick check with the countries that I list to see how much it might be.

Countries outside of US/Canada/UK that people have signed up from so far: Italy, Russia, New Zealand, China, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic,  France, Belgium (updated 11/9)


4. I'm capping it at 400 participants this year because I honestly can't commit to doing more than that!

Things You Need To Do

1. Send an email to TBTBSecretSanta (at) gmail (dot) com answering the following questions BEFORE November 10th  with the answers to the following questions: 

*BEFORE November 10th means 11:59pm EST on the 10th though if they slip in the wee hours of the morning while I'm sleeping I'm okay but please don't yell at me when you are past the deadline any later when I'm pairing and I say no...I have extended it too many times in the past but with 400+ participants last year I have to shut it down sometime, sorry)

1. Full Name & Address
2. Blog URL/Twitter username/Youtube channel/Instagram username/ (any social media that will be helpful for your person to get to know you)
3. List 10-15 books you'd like to read or a link to a wishlist (please mix it up with older and new releases -- aka maybe things that aren't just available in hardcover right now). DO NOT ASK FOR ARCS please. If your SS wants to throw some in there because they saw it on your Goodreads wishlist or something that's fine but once we had someone ask for mostly ARCs and not everyone has access to an ARC fairy. Also, make sure your Goodreads profile or Amazon wishlist is public at least for the time this runs. Double check that your links work if you are viewing them LOGGED OUT.
4. Genres you read the most:
5. List of your bookish preferences (a few fave authors,  things you WILL NOT READ, does not prefer used books, prefer hardback or paperback, if you are okay with them not getting you something on your wishlist if they think you will like it etc.)
6. Please give a few things you like or things about yourself (to help with your goodie). See below for examples in the guidelines.
   * Suggestions for things to add that could be helpful to tell your Secret Santa for the little gift: general info about yourself, if you celebrate Christmas, hobbies you have, your passions, music you love, things you will not eat/are allergic to,  smells or flavors you do not like, shows you watch/favorite movies, things you collect, any fandoms you are part of, if would love something native to where your Secret Santa lives, coffee/tea you like, favorite colors, foods you love, your style/aesthetic, favorite animals, things you are obsessed with, etc. etc. Also maybe if you have an e-reader and would be willing to get ebooks or a gift card.  Just really anything relevant to your interests that could help them.
    
7. Would you be able to send internationally if needed? Please answer with:
   
   A. Yes, I can.
   B. No, I cannot.
   C. Would prefer not to but will if needed
   
   (if you are outside of US and Canada just know I can't guarantee that you will get somewhere even remotely close to you. I try to work it geographically for you but it all depends on who signs up and where they are from. You can check in here where I will be updating this post to see which countries are represented if you are unsure. 
8.  Are you:
   a) Under 18
   b) Over 18
9. Have you participated in this Secret Santa before or is this your first time?
10. Please choose what "level" of package you will be sending out (I will be pairing people with similar answers so please understand by choosing an answer I'm expecting that to be what you send out ):
    a) 1 book and a small gift/candy
    b) 1-2 books and a couple goodies
    c) 2+ books and goodies
11. Is there somebody that your Secret Santa could contact if they have a question for you? Please ask that person before you put their twitter handle or email address here. I get a LOT of emails to me trying to figure out specific things (ie: what's their favorite color? What GoT character is their fave? Do they have this Funko pop?) to make a great package for their Secret Santa so this might be a little less work for me to be the middleman going back and forth and asking the questions and supplying the answers.
12. Any questions, comments or additional things your Secret Santa should know?
    

2. When you receive your Secret Santa match: go play Santa and buy your prezzies -- please read the guidelines below. Send it out no later than December 15th (perhaps earlier if you are sending internationally). The earlier the better as the mail is always slow during the holiday season.  IF SOMETHING COMES UP PLEASE EMAIL ME. Communication is super for me.

3. After you send off your package, please email TBTBSecretSanta (at) gmail (dot) com letting us know you sent it off WITH DELIVERY CONFIRMATION/TRACKING). Email us again when you receive your package. (Unless there are questions, I will not be responding to these emails due to time but will filing them away). If you have not received your package by January 1st please then email us and I will attempt to contact your Secret Santa. Please understand I will try my damndest to work it out but there is only so much I can do in the event someone decides to be naughty. Karma is a biotch though..maybe they'll get their toes run over by Santa's sleigh.

4. FOR EXTRA FUN: We are going to use the hashtag #TBTBSanta again on Twitter & Instagram for this event! We'd love to hear and see through pictures and tweets your entire process -- maybe a sneak peek of your Secret Santa skills in action (a picture of something you are sending, the wrapped picture, the box) and we'd LOVE to see your goodies as you get them!

SOME VERY IMPORTANT GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS

1. Books can be new or used. Use your discretion as far as used books go but please be kind and don't send something you wouldn't want to receive. They should be in VERY good condition -- like you can't even tell if it was read.


2. When I say "goodies" I do not mean free swag or promotional items. If you want to add that kind of stuff in AFTER you also put in some thoughtful and kind goodies that you thought your person would love...I'm all about that! But when it says books + goodies...the goodies should not JUST be stuff anyone could have picked up at a convention or something.


3. Be thoughtful: 99% of the time the gifts are really sweet and thoughtful and what you would expect but occasionally someone just throws random crap in a box and ships it off to fulfill their end. Don't be that guy. Gifts should be wrapped and there should absolutely be some sort of note in it. Please do not ship directly from Amazon or elsewhere to them (unless you talk to me first...in the past there have been issues that I totally understand where this needed to be the case).

* If you aren't sure what kinds of things to add for goodies peruse the #TBTBsanta thread on Twitter or Instagram to see pictures of packages from last year. Lots of good ideas that will probably help you!

 * If you are from outside the US or Canada, be aware that you might have to send internationally due to the fact that there are significantly more US participants and I may not be able to pair you up with someone closer.


* Be sure to thank your Secret Santa when you receive your package via social media or reach out to me for their email!


* Feel free to grab the button to put on your sidebar or make your own!

Please ask any questions in the comments!!

Top Ten Unique Book Titles

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If you are an avid reader you probably have seen trends in book titles -- The blah blah's daughter or the blah blah's wife or if you are into YA lots of fantasy type titles that seem to blend in together...lots of fire and blood and ash and so many other things that aren't coming to me right now but I know that I find myself getting the titles all confused. 

So this week's topic is an ode to all the unique book titles out there! 



Jamie's Picks:

1.  Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore: I mean, pretty unique right? The book itself is very unique and unlike anything I've ever read in general so the title was definitely a good indicator of that!

2. Turtles All The Way Down by John Green: I have not yet cracked into this one but immediately I thought the title was catchy and intriguing and unique! 

3. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee: Another one I haven't had a chance to read yet since giving birth but it's high on my TBR.

4. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera: If I didn't already know I loved his books the title alone would make me pick this one up! I'm currently reading it right now and I'm like DO THEY BOTH REALLY DIE AT THE END MUST FIND OUT.


Jana's Picks:

5. How to Fight Islamist Terror from the Missionary Position by Tabish Khair: I'm kind of dying of laughter over this one!!

6. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente: Super unique, right? All the words!

7. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison: I had never heard of this one, but it sounds super intriguing.

8. Comfort Me With Apples by Peter De Vries: I must know what this is about.


Lauren's Picks:

9.  The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden 

10.  The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall 

11.  Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton

 Have you read any of these? Which titles do you think are particularly unique? 

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Top Ten Books On Our Fall TBR List

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Are you are excited for fall? I (Jana) am! I'm looking forward to cool weather, sweaters, changing leaves, and cozy blankets! I'm also excited about the books coming out this fall. Here are some of the ones we're looking forward to.

Jamie's Picks 

1. Forest of A Thousand Lanterns by Julie Dao: This YA fantasy sounds AWESOME! Definitely on my list for the fall!

2.  There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins: I'm sooo excited for Steph's newest! I mean, it's horror and it's quite a departure from her adorable contemporary series but I TRUST HER. She's a huge horror geek and knows her stuff plus I just tend to trust my favorite authors.  Jana seconds this pick!

3. Dear Martin by Nic Stone: I've been pining for this one since I heard about it (like when the deal was announced) and I follow the author on Twitter and she is wonderful so this one is very high on my priority list for Fall! 

Jana's Picks 

4. Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco: I really enjoyed Stalking Jack the Ripper, and am excited for another creepy read for Halloween time!

5. Renegades by Marissa Meyer: Another Marissa Meyer book! I'm not even totally remember what it's about right now, but I'm super excited!

6. This Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis: I love thrillers, and this one sounds awesome!


Lauren's Picks 

7. The Lying Game by Ruth Ware: I loved Ruth's first novel, In A Dark, Dark Wood, and I liked her second, The Woman in Cabin 10, as well. So of course I've got to read what ever is next!

8. Borne by Jeff VanderMeer: I enjoyed the first book & maybe half of the second book from Jeff's Southern Reach Trilogy, but I felt like the longer it went on, the less interested I became. This novel (so far) appears to be a standalone, so I figured I'd give him another chance. :)

9. Machine Learning by Hugh Howey: I think everyone knows by now how much I love everything by Hugh Howey, so yeah... I'm excited for this.

10. Artemis by Andy Weir: I absolutely loved The Martian, and this novel is set on the moon! Let's go, guys!

What are you hoping to read this fall?

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Ten Books We Struggled to Get Through (Or Didn't Get Through at All!)

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This week we're talking about the books we struggled with in some way. 

Jana's Picks

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - *dodges tomatoes* Wait! Listen! I tried so hard to read this as a kid the year it came out (I was 11 then) and I found it in my school's Scholastic book fair. The second book hadn't even been released yet, I had heard nothing about it, and I just thought the cover was cool. So I tried to read it, made it a few pages, and donated it to a local charity. Fast forward about 18 years. It was an assigned reading in my YA lit class during grad school, so I had to go re-buy it for way more than I paid at that book fair... and I LOVED it. So magical and sweet! So, a happy ending.

2. The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye - I loved The Crown's Game, so this breaks my heart more than it does anyone else's. It was almost a DNF for me. The story went in the worst possible direction, and the magic was gone for me. :(

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Don't get me wrong. I loved this book. But it took me two years to read it because I didn't want to get too attached and cry too much. Basically, I was Joey and put the book in the freezer. A lot. And for your viewing pleasure... 

Jamie's Picks

4. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender: SOO I tried to listen to this via audio on my commute and I just could not get into it AT ALL. I really struggled to stay engaged with it which normally I am really into audios on my commute to make me forget how horrible it is. Should I try this again with a physical book?? 

5.  Preacher by Garth Ennis: I had heard good things about this comic series and then I heard that AMC was making it a tv show so I tried to pick it up...once in 2015 and then again right before the show was premiering and I could NOT get into it. SAD. I still haven't watched the show yet. TOO MANY SHOWS TO WATCH.

Lauren's Picks

 
6. Feed by M.T. Anderson: I wanted to DNF this one so bad, but I just had to finish it. I am not a completist by any means, but I don't know... with this book, I just felt obligated. I was just plain bored. It had such a promising plot and I can't get enough of anything remotely dystopian, but this one just missed the mark for me. 

7. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson: Unless you've read this book yourself, you're probably not going to believe me. BUT... damn it was awful. It was like a kid writing a horror book. I couldn't finish it. There's just no way. The writing was all over the place, there were was not a continuous flow of what was actually taking place in the house, and once again... I was bored. Oh well... there's plenty of other horror novels out there that are just waiting to scare the heck out of me!

8. Lucifer's Flood by Linda Rios Brook: This one only received one star from me, but it honestly might be my fault. I think I set my expectations way to high for this one. It could've been so much more, quite literally celestial, but it just fell flat.  

Julia's Picks

9.  A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin: This book was painfully long to get through. After all of the excitement of Storm of Swords, then getting to a book where half of my favorite characters were not there? Brutal. It literally took me two years to read this book.

10. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett: I saw this book on so many lists when I was big into reading and doing challenges. It had a solid summary, but for some reason when I started reading I just couldn't connect. Like at all. I had to just give up and stop. 

Which books have you really struggled to get through or completely given up on?

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