Top Ten Tuesday: Best Films & Shows I watched in 2022

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Today’s official topic is Favorite Books of 2022. I’ve already posted about my favorites I read in 2022, so I’m doing a different spin on this week’s official one in sharing my favorite movies and shows I watched in 2022.

Best Films & Shows I watched in 2022

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

The ultimate sequel 36 years later, it’s no surprise fans new and old love this story. It absolutely lives up to the hype and delivers a high stakes adventure with some deeply emotional moments.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Both a highly anticipated sequel for its part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for the way it handles the loss of actor Chadwick Boseman, I think Wakanda Forever revives a spark for the Marvel franchise that’s been missing from its recent titles. It handles the loss of T’Challa with reverence and a respect I appreciate.

The US and the Holocaust (2022)

A PBS-aired 3 part documentary by Ken Burns, this is a series that’s difficult and sad to watch, but it does a fantastic job showing the harsh realities of our (America’s) treatment of the Jewish people and the horrors they went through under Nazi rule. It will give you empathy and perspective unlike any other story or account of WWII.

Devotion (2022)

I’m often interested in movies or series rooted in true stories. This story of pilots and brothers-in-arms during the Korean War is one I am still pondering and that I appreciate more as time passes. It is fittingly titled, as it explores devotion and loyalty of many kinds, between pilots, friends, husband and wife, and devotion to a cause or a country.

Heartland (2007 – )

I caught up with the episodes available to stream in the US, a total of 15 seasons so far, and I have to say this is the longest running series I think I have ever watched in its entirety. It’s somewhat of a modern family saga set on a cattle and horse ranch in the mountains of Alberta, Canada. I hope season 16 is available here soon!

Doctor Thorne (2016)

This miniseries is one I have long been interested in, and I finally watched it early in 2022. It’s my favorite kind of period drama that defies societal norms and tells a lovely story of sacrifice and romance.

Elvis (2022)

This biopic is one I loved. It does a great job of telling Elvis’ story, though I would recommend watchers do some Googling of the facts vs fiction of the story to see what small bits of creative license the movie takes.

Thirteen Lives (2022

Another based-on-a-true-story, this Ron Howard-directed film is a riveting story of the flooded cave rescue of the Thai soccer team back in 2018. The leading notable actors (Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell) deliver an amazing performance, as are the visuals in this feat of filming.

Honorable mentions go to All Creatures Great and Small series and Miss Scarlet and the Duke series, both on PBS. I’m a fan of each of them, and eager to see what the next seasons bring. I didn’t include them in this list because I feel their storylines are still very much ongoing. I might have to write another post about “All Creatures” because I love it dearly.

What did you share for TTT this week? What were your favorite books or films of 2022? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: 2021 Releases *Still* on my TBR

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

Today’s official topic is 2021 Releases I Was Excited to Read But Didn’t Get To. I could have placed quite a few books on this list, but I have chosen my top 10 want-to-read-soon books, all of which are on my shelves (physical or virtual!). Which of these books should I read first?!

2021 Releases *Still* on my TBR

Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy | Goodreads

The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham | Goodreads

Heart in the Highlands by Heidi Kimball | Goodreads

The Gold in These Hills by Joanne Bischof | Goodreads

Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes | Goodreads

Pudge and Prejudice by Allison Pittman | Goodreads

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams | Goodreads

Provenance by Carla Laureano | Goodreads

Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg | Goodreads

Glory Falls by Janine Rosche | Goodreads

Did you share a TTT post this week? What is still on your TBR from last year? Have you read any of these books?

Top Ten Tuesday: A Tour of the British Isles in Fiction

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

Today’s topic is “Favorite Book Settings”. I could go SO MANY directions with this topic, because setting is a very important part of story to me. A well written, immersive setting is like an armchair adventure to a place (or time) the reader has never been. I’ve decided to keep my choices to the UK and Ireland, or the British Isles as those islands are collectively known.

A Tour of the British Isles in Fiction

Scotland

Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano | Contemporary adventure and love story (with a chef!), and an exploration of the Isle of Skye. My Review

Beauty Among Ruins by J’nell Ciesielski | An estate in the idyllic Scottish Lowlands is the setting for this WWI mystery and romance. My Review

A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz | This heart-deep story begins on the Isle of Kerrera, an island in the Scottish Hebrides, during the 18th century. My Review

England

The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan | Historical romance that explores the architecture of the city — and of a relationship — in post-WWII London. My Review

The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews | Historical romance set on the coast and rambling moors of Devonshire, complete with a Dartmoor pony. My Review

Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham | A witty romance unfolds between an Appalachian single mom and an English actor, with a healthy dose of humor and a family mystery, too. My Review

The Brontë Plot by Katherine Reay | A contemporary story of self-discovery sees the heroine, Lucy, travel to England and the Brontë’s ancestral town of Haworth — with plentiful literary references! My Review

Wales

A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White | A little suspense and beautiful music combine in this WWI-era romance set mostly in Wales. My Review

Ireland

Star Rising by Janet Ferguson | This contemporary romance finds the characters in an unlikely pairing while on a tour of Ireland. Beautiful sights and comical mishaps combine with depth in this adventurous story.

As Death Draws Near by Anna Lee Huber | This enthralling historical tale finds newlywed investigators trekking from England to Dublin to solve a mystery. My Review

Did you share a TTT post this week? What is your favorite setting? Have you read any of these books?

Top Ten Tuesday: My 10 Most Recent Reads

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

Today’s topic is “My Ten Most Recent Reads”. I’m sharing 3 I’m reading now, plus the last 7 books I finished. I consider myself a slow-to-moderate reader, so my list stretches back to books I read in March.

My 10 Most Recent Reads

Currently Reading

Let It Be Me by Becky Wade | Contemporary romance meets a little family drama. I’m LOVING the depth to these characters!

Is It Any Wonder by Courtney Walsh | I’m currently enjoying the audio version of Cody and Lou’s second-chance-romance story set in idyllic Nantucket. It makes me want to plan a trip!

The Anatomist’s Wife by Anna Lee Huber | I’m rereading this one for a Facebook book group hosted by the author and I’m rediscovering why I love this well-written series. My Review on Goodreads

Latest Reads

Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey | Modern romcom meets a little bit of Mr. Rogers and a romance born of a pen pals relationship. Look for my review soon on the blog.

A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver | WWII-era London with a safecracking heroine and a properly loyal Army Major ferreting out spies. My Review

Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham | This charming, bookish love story connects generations of heroines in the present and WWI era with a little mystery spanning Appalachian and English settings. My Review

Dearest Josephine by Caroline George | This smart epistolary YA novel has a completely unique storytelling approach, making one of the characters a part of the story itself. My Review

The Indebted Earl by Erica Vetsch | Regency-era romance with a found family + a little marriage of convenience trope, this one wraps up a great series yet reads as a standalone. My Review

Love at First by Kate Clayborn | This general market romance will give you ALL THE FEELS with its beloved-and-quirky characters, a bespectacled hero, and an enemies-to-lovers trope. My Review on Goodreads

Before Time Runs Out by Amy Matayo | If you like time travel-meets-Dickensian London stories with a little adventure and romance, this story is for you! My Review

Did you share a TTT post this week? Have you read any of these books?

Top Ten Tuesday: 11 Colorful Book Covers ~ A Rainbow from my TBR

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

Today’s topic is “colorful book covers”. I’ve decided to showcase a stack from my TBR that has a rainbow of colors on the spines.

I know which of these I want to read soon. Are any of these on your shelf? Which one(s) should I move to the top of my to-be-read stack? (titles linked to Goodreads)

11 Colorful Book Covers ~ A Rainbow from my TBR

stack of 11 books with a rainbow of spines

A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano | historical romance

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert | contemporary foodie fiction +romance

Isabelle and Alexander by Rebecca Anderson | historical Regency romance with hints of North & South

The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant | contemporary romance with a bakery

Love and Other Mistakes by Jessica Kate | contemporary romcom

Mountain Laurel by Lori Benton | historical fiction

Chateau of Echoes by Siri L. Mitchell | dual-timeline romance, maybe some intrigue, and family secrets

Panning for Love by Meg Cross Wenig | romcom with a wild west reenactment

The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck | inspirational romcom & women’s fiction

London Tides and Under Scottish Stars by Carla Laureano | contemporary romance in the UK

What did you share for TTT? Have you read any of these books?

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Romances with HEART in the Title (Valentine’s Freebie)

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

Today’s topic is a Valentine’s Day Freebie! With all the talk of romance lately on the web, I’ve decided to feature 10 romances with “heart” in the title. Some of these I have read and LOVED, and some are still on my TBR. (titles linked to Goodreads)

10 Romances with HEART in the Title

Paper Hearts by Courtney Walsh | Review

Where Two Hearts Meet by Liz Johnson | Review

A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz | Review

A Heart Revealed by Josi S. Kilpack | Review

My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge: Laurel’s Dream by Pepper Basham | Review

The Bound Heart by Dawn Crandall | Review

The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof | Review

From my TBR

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Change of Heart by Courtney Walsh | This one just re-released with a new cover!

The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

What did you share for TTT? Have you read any of these books? Do you have more recommendations with “heart” in the title?

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated 2021 Movies & Shows

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

Today’s official topic is “most anticipated releases for the first half of 2021”. I’m spinning the topic a bit to cover stories on the big and small screen I’m highly anticipating this year! Some of these were slated for 2020 release, so I’m extra excited to *finally* see them released.

Most Anticipated 2021 Movies & Shows

Top Gun: Maverick This sequel is almost 35 years in the making! I’m all about the nostalgia and anticipated soundtrack of this one.

No Time to Die This James Bond film is Daniel Craig’s last — and I have a feeling it’s going to be my favorite with him. I’m always entertained by the Bond titles but I really liked the story direction of the last one, Spectre, so I’m excited to see how they continue with some of those elements in this one!

Respect Jennifer Hudson as The Queen of Soul.

Black Widow FINALLY we get Scarlett Johansson’s character’s origin story. I hope there’s a nod to Budapest.

Death on the Nile The next Hercule Poirot remake, this highly anticipated period drama/mystery is slated for a late 2021 release. It will (hopefully) be here before we know it!

Dune The classic sci-fi with a fabulous cast. Though I know very little about the story, I am very excited for a new space adventure!

Finding You This Ireland-set romance is adapted from a novel by Jenny B. Jones!!! Hooray! Now, to read it before I watch it…

Luca Disney & Pixar + an Italian setting. I’m in!

On the small screen:

All Creatures Great and Small this promising PBS-Masterpiece slated series follows a veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke A Victorian mystery with a female lead. ALL things I love!

Your turn! Did you participate in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday? Are any of these shows on your must-watch list? What books are you anticipating this year?

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Fav Illustrated Covers

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

Today’s topic is a COVER FREEBIE! There are so many options to choose from — historical covers with beautiful heroines, fun fonts, covers that illustrate the setting, a color scheme, etc. I picked favorite Landscape Covers recently! Today, I picked my very favorite illustrated covers in the Inspy/Christian Fiction genre. 

10 Favorite Illustrated Covers

Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett

A Lesson in Love and Murder by Rachel McMillan

A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay

Like a Winter Snow by Lindsay Harrel

Then There Was You by Kara Isaac

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

Book Nerds and Boyfriends collection by Sarah Monzon

Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility by Hillary Manton Lodge

Which one of these is your favorite? How did you take on the COVER topic today? Drop your links for TTT in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Best On-Screen Rom-Com Couples

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

The official topic this week is a love freebie because YAY Valentine’s Day and all things hearts and chocolate!!!! I’ve decided to highlight some of my favorite couples from TV and film formats, particularly from romantic comedies.

In no particular order…

10 Best On-Screen Rom-Com Couples

Shane and Oliver from the Signed, Sealed, Delivered Hallmark movie series

#Sholiver fans have been waiting FOREVER for them to be a “couple”, but it’s been worth the relationship growth and character building. Ah!

Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox from You’ve Got Mail (1998)

These two are a modern classic couple. From arguing over Pride and Prejudice to friendship over coffee, I love the journey of their relationship.

Lucy and Jack from While You Were Sleeping (1995)

The humor in this story is just so realistic. My favorite aspect of this story is how Lucy learns the dream she idealized is not the reality she really wants.

Ellen and Nicholas Arden from Move Over, Darling (1963)

We can’t talk about romantic comedies without mentioning THIS classic. 1. It manages plenty of romantic tension even between a married couple. 2. James Garner. 3. The hilarity of the derailed “honeymoon”.

Kate and Leopold from Kate & Leopold (2001)

A time-travel romance with humor and spunk, Meg and Hugh have the best chemistry.

Anna and Declan from Leap Year (2010)

Ireland. Sheep. Tradition. Road trip. An adorable Amy Adams. Plus a little dry humor and Matthew Goode with an IRISH accent. Need I say more?

Ellen and Roy from The Irresistible Blueberry Farm (2016) Hallmark

While I’ve only seen this once, I vividly remember how endearing and laugh-out-loud funny it was throughout. Especially that meet-cute and subsequent fallout. 🙂

Jack and Gwendolyn AND Cecily and Algy from The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

You knew I’d squeeze a period drama onto this list, right? 😉 This play-turned-cinematic fun piece just gets funnier upon every rewatch. Mistaken identity and a town-country separation prove hilarious and fateful for this delightful cast.

Toula and Ian from My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Culture shock and a vibrant family make this film one-of-a-kind. And, the quotable lines are ENDLESS. “Put some Windex on it.”

That’s it for today! Did you participate in this week’s TTT? What are YOU favorite rom-coms?

Top Ten Tuesday: True History in Fiction

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Tuesday at The Green Mockingbird

Today’s topic is a “Back to School” Freebie! I’m taking a suggested idea of Books to Complement a History Lesson and turning it into a list of true history in fiction. I enjoy historical fiction — especially when I’m learning something new through story. I am allowing myself to go a *little* over 10 books (I’m listing 18 books in total). I hope you find a new era or event you’re interested in learning more about!

Wait, that’s a true story? True History in Fiction

Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund

Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund

1520s The early Protestant Reformation and the true-life romance between the prominent protestant reformation starter Martin Luther and former Catholic nun Katharina von Bora.

The Sound of Diamonds

The “Steadfast Love” series by Rachelle Rea Cobb

The Sound of Diamonds | The Sound of Silver | The Sound of Emeralds

1566 A Catholic girl’s changing perspective in Protestant Reformation-Era England.

the-mark-of-the-king-by-jocelyn-green

The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green

1719-22 Early French settlement of New Orleans and the Louisiana area.

Woods Edge

The “Pathfinders” duology by Lori Benton

The Wood’s Edge | A Flight of Arrows

1757-1777 New York settlement and Native American involvement in Revolutionary War.

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A Moonbow Night by Laura Frantz

1777 Kentucky wilderness during the early American frontier– plus a little of Daniel Boone’s personal influence on its settlement.

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

1787 The “State of Franklin” dispute in the Appalachians and western North Carolina.

With You Always by Jody Hedlund

With You Always by Jody Hedlund

1857 The “orphan train” era, including working conditions and an inside look at poverty in immigrant communities of NYC.

Sentinels-of-Andersonville

The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot

1864 Andersonville prison in Georgia and its conditions toward the end of the Civil War.

The Thorn Bearer

The “Penned in Time” series by Pepper D. Basham

The Thorn Bearer | The Thorn Keeper | The Thorn Healer

1910s WWI England and post-war America, including the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, events on the England homefront, and a German internment camp in the Appalachians.

High as the Heavens

High as the Heavens by Kate Breslin

1917 WWI Belgium, with secret spy networks and methods (the heroine was inspired by 3 different real women).

maggie bright

Maggie Bright by Tracy Groot

1940 England and Dunkirk, France during the WWII evacuation event.

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

1940s WWII Auschwitz and the role of Jewish musicians/artists in concentration camps.

With Love, Wherever You Are

With Love, Wherever You Are by Dandi Daley Mackall

1941-45 America and Europe, late WWII conditions from a nurse and doctor’s perspectives. Fun fact: The couple in this story is based on the real-life parents of the author and includes much of their real-life correspondence during the war.

As always, thank you for reading!

What did you pick for this back-to-school week? Have you read any of the books on my list? What is your favorite era/setting for historical fiction? Do share in the comments!