Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is Books with Nature on the Cover (flowers, trees, landscapes, animals, etc.).

Hello Readers! I hope you’re all well. I’ve been doing more reading—mostly outside—so that’s been nice. I’m super excited about all the books on my tbr this month. AND super excited that Emily Henry’s next novel will be available today! I have a feeling I’ll be making my first trip to a physical bookstore in over a year very soon…maybe today. 😉

When I saw today’s prompt, I knew I wanted to focus on something specific—because I love a good challenge. I was scrolling through my books on Goodreads and noticed a plethora of palm trees on my To-Read shelf, so that’s what I went with. I’ll be sharing three books I’ve read and seven from my TBR (to-be-read).

1

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin

Claire is only seven years old when her college-age sister, Alison, disappears on the last night of their family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X…

Saint X is the book that inspired my topic choice today. I read this one last year and enjoyed it—although, it’s less thriller and more of a literary novel, so I think it gets more mixed reviews. I was invited by the publisher to help promote the paperback release by placing a copy of Saint X in my local Little Free Library on May 27th, so if you’ve had this one on your tbr, maybe pay a visit to your nearest LFL on that date to see if you can catch one! (Fingers crossed that this is a promotional technique that sticks around post-Covid 19.)

Paperback release 5/25/21
Goodreads
My Review

2

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The repercussions of an illicit affair unfold in this short story by bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid.

This short story has stuck with me, so it must have been good. 😉

Goodreads

3

Sinner (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3.5) by Maggie Stiefvater

Cole St. Clair has come to California for one reason: to get Isabel Culpeper back…

From my Goodreads review: “Werewolves are so 2008, you say? Not when Maggie Stiefvater is penning the tale. She could make dirt fascinating. Her way with words is indulging and refreshing. It was nice revisiting old friends, and getting some closure for Cole and Isabel.”

Goodreads

4

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

This coming-of-age debut novel explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy black teenager whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots. 

You might have to look closely to catch the palm trees on this cover. I’m excited to pick up this 2020 release that everyone seems to have read but me.

Goodreads

5

Ever After Always (Bergman Brothers, #3) by Chloe Liese

Buckle up for an emotional journey of hijinks, heartache, and a hot slow-burn in this marriage-in-crisis romance about going the distance to make love last. 

I haven’t even read the first two Bergman Brother books, but I just KNOW I’m going to love this series because so many of you have recommended it.

Goodreads

6

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

A hilariously quirky novel that is equal parts murder mystery, rom-com, and a celebration of mothers and daughters as well as a deep dive into Chinese-Indonesian culture, by debut author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

So many readers seem to love this one, and it sounds like so much fun.

Goodreads

7

Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams

The New York Times bestselling author of A Certain Age transports readers to sunny Florida in this lush and enthralling historical novel—an enchanting blend of love, suspense, betrayal, and redemption set among the rumrunners and scoundrels of Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach.

This book by Williams seems to have the most mixed reviews, but it continues to survive my TBR cleanings because I’m such a fan of all her other novels. Maybe someday I’ll get to it.

Goodreads

8

What Happens in Paradise (Paradise, #2) by Elin Hilderbrand

Spend your winter on sunlit shores in the New York Times bestselling follow-up to Winter in Paradise, where secret lives and new loves emerge under the bright Caribbean sky.

I have yet to read the first book in this series, but so far I’ve been a fan of Hilderbrand. This one sounds like a nice escape.

Goodreads

9

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

Another Reid book to make my list. This one is on my shelf, waiting to be read.

Goodreads

10

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez—her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.

Another historical fiction novel, but this seems to be one that most readers have enjoyed. From what I understand, it’s a follow-up to Next Year in Havana, but works as a stand-alone, as well.

Goodreads

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Can you think of a book cover with palm trees that I haven’t included? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!