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?

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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

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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.

Ten Bookish Settings We'd Love to Visit

For future TTT topics, click here.

For today's topic we're gushing about all the amazing places books have transported us to, as well as bookish places in general that we'd love to visit. Which bookish settings would you like to visit?

Jana's Picks:

1. The Snow Crystal Ski Resort from Sarah Morgan's O'Neil Brothers trilogy is beautiful and cozy and isolated! There's luxury cabins and lots of snow. It just sounds so romantic and picturesque.

2. Hogwarts from Harry Potter. Well duh!

3. Narnia from The Chronicles of Narnia because duh!

4. Dracula's castle from Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco because it sounds creepy and beautiful.

5. Caraval from Caraval by Stephanie Garber because it sounds pretty magical.

6. The Frost from Kate Avery Ellison's Frost series because I love the cold and the snow, and it sounds beautiful

7. The glittering undersea world of Marin from Vanessa Garden's Submerged Sun trilogy because it's underwater!

8. The Night Court from Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Mist and Fury because of all the reasons.

Julia's Picks:

9. Trinity College Library in Dublin: This place looks gorgeous and has some of the oldest books on display. Not only is it literally bookish, the architecture makes it seem like it could be the settings to any good historical fiction novel.

10. Hyde Park in London: I read a lot of historical romances, and I love big parks. I have been here before, but it was only for a quick bike ride. I'd love to go back and have the time to explore the place correctly... along with some old houses so I can picture things properly as i read.

Top Ten Books On Our Winter TBRs

For future TTT topics, click here.

Winter is coming (or if you live on the other side of the world, summer is coming!)! What's on your to-be-read list this season? We're showing you a few of the titles we're most excited about. Which ones should we get to first? Which ones should we not bother with at all?

Lori's Picks

1.  The Revolution of Marina M. by Janet Fitch: I bought this one for myself to celebrate finishing my last semester of law school. I cannot wait to dive in!

2.  Private Citizens by Tony Tulathimutte: I just stumbled across this one day while browsing on Amazon. It sounds pretty interesting.

Julia's Pick

3. La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust, #1) by Philip Pullman: I meant to reread all of His Dark Materials before reading this new foray into the land of daemons, but I just cant wait. I am so excited that the Book of Dust is actually coming out... and part one is already out! I must read this... and soon.

Jana's Picks

4. Winter of Ice and Iron by Rachel Neumeier: I love reading wintry books this time of year, and this fantasy sounds amazing!

5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling: I'm having fun reading this series for the first time ever, and I can't wait to continue!

6. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: I've been so excited to read this book, and it's wintry too! It seems like the perfect book to snuggle up under a blanket with.

Lauren's Picks

7. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: I might’ve gotten a head start on this one. Don’t judge! 😇 I love Greek Mythology and am excited to read another version of this amazing story. When the

8. When the English Fall by David Williams: Y'all know I can’t contain myself around anything dystopian. And here pops up a dystopian novel involving An Amish community... hells yes I can’t wait!

9. The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden: I read the first book in this series and adored it. The storytelling was amazing and made me want to believe in real, actual magic. I can’t wait to get into this sequel!

10. Into the Drowing Deep by Mira Grant: I love everything by Mira Grant and I was lucky enough to get an ebook copy from NetGalley! *squeals*

What are you hoping to read this winter?

A Cocktail and a Conversation: Thanksgiving Edition

We have so much to be thankful for this year. Seriously. Some of us had kids. We have great partners. Some of us got new jobs. We got new houses. We're graduating. We're healthy.

But of course we are thankful for all of that!

So this year at Broke and Bookish, we decided to break with tradition and divulge our silliest, most off the wall things that we are thankful for.

Bridget says: I am thankful that we will be on Long Island for Thanksgiving this year, which means I will get to partake in real pizza, which my life is currently lacking. (No, we don’t eat pizza FOR Thanksgiving. But I wouldn’t complain if we did.)

Daisy says: I'm thankful for Zoey the Zebra, a toy that endlessly entertains my daughter and makes her dance, which is the best thing ever. I'm also thankful for the existence of sushi, since I can eat it again now.

Julia says: I am thankful over the air digital receivers so that I will be able to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while not having cable. Also for free XM for the weekend so while I am driving around Ohio to hit up all the family gatherings, it will be with a great variety of music.

Jana says: I’m so thankful for cozy blankets because they make me unbelievably happy. If I’m sad or not feeling well, I curl up with one. I love being surrounded by soft things, so I own way too many blankets.

Lori says: I am so thankful for hot toddies. Bourbon. Little bit of honey. A hot drink on a cold night. I think the citrus will help prevent me from getting scurvy this winter. And I'm thankful for fuzzy socks. I could live in them!

Kimberly says: I'm grateful to have a dog to help clean up the floors after my nieces and nephews have picked through their Thanksgiving meal.


What off the wall things are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

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.