Top Ten Tuesday: My Husband Picks My TBR (with bonus picks from my toddler)

I used to participate in Top Ten Tuesday when I first started blogging and it was a wonderful way to meet fellow bloggers! I thought with coming back from a hiatus, and a bit of a lack of inspiration on my part, participating again would be a great idea. So, every Tuesday (if the topic interests me) I’ll be sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl! Make sure to check out her page explaining everything you need to know, including future topics. 

This weeks topic is supposed to be about going to your bookshelf, closing your eyes, and picking 10 random books. I know where most of the books are on my shelf, and I have four shelves split between a two-story home. It felt a bit like I’d be cheating if I picked them. So, I thought I’d mix it up and recruit my husband to avoid any “cheating” 😆

Here is the task I gave him: Pick 10 random books from my shelves for whatever reason. The only books that were off limits were Lord of the Rings and King Arthur (our Easton Press collection). I also let him know if I already read any of them, so they’d truly be TBR books. So, here are the 10 books he chose and why he chose them!

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TALES OF NORSE MYTHOLOGY
by Hélène A. Guerber

His reason: “It’s the prettiest Norse mythology book we own.”
(He’s not wrong)

Goodreads
Scandinavians of the Viking Age explored the mysteries of life through their sagas. Folklorist Helene Adeline Guerber brings to life the gods and goddesses, giants and dwarves, and warriors and monsters of these stories in Tales of Norse Mythology. Ranging from the comic to the tragic, these leghends tell of passion, love, friendship, pride, courage, strength, loyalty, and betrayal.

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PARIAH
by Dan Abnett

His reason: “I know you want to read it.”
(Well, shucks, thank you. *I also think it’s because its Warhammer but, you know, I’ll take it)

Goodreads
In the city of Queen Mab, nothing is quite as it seems. Pariah, spy, and Inquisitorial agent, Alizebeth Bequin is all of these things and yet none of them. An enigma, even to herself, she is caught up in a mystery that will take her into unimaginable peril…

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ARIADNE
by Jennifer Saint

His reason: “Because Ariadne.”
(He really likes mythology)

Goodreads
Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid’s stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice.

When Theseus, the Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved younger sister she leaves behind?

Hypnotic, propulsive, and utterly transporting, Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne forges a new epic, one that puts the forgotten women of Greek mythology back at the heart of the story, as they strive for a better world.

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MALICE
by John Gwyne

His reason: “A sword, obviously.”
(He’s a simple man to please)

Goodreads
A black sun is rising …

Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors under King Brenin’s rule, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.

The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed shields in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars.

High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Some are skeptical, fighting their own border skirmishes against pirates and giants. But prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind’s hopes and dreams will fall to dust.

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THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING
by T.H. White

His reason: I know it’s a good book.
(He cheated here a bit. Although it’s not part of the Easton Press King Arthur series, it is a King Arthur book. I’ll let it slide, especially since he’s been trying to get me to read this book for years)

Goodreads
T.H White′s masterful retelling of the Arthurian legend is an abiding classic. Here all five volumes that make up the story are published in one volume, as White himself always wished. Exquisite comedy offsets the tragedy of Arthur′s personal doom as White brings to life the major British epic of all time with brilliance, grandeur, warmth and charm.

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OF BLOOD AND FIRE
by Ryan Cahill

His reason: “The title sounds cool.”

Goodreads
Born in fire. Tempered in blood.

Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the south squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North.

In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving—a test of courage and skill that not all survive.

But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries.

There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold.

He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will.

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THE COLOR OF DRAGONS
by R.A. Salvatore and Erika Lewis

His reason: “I like dragons.”
(He also forgot we bought two copies of this book so we could buddy read it since R.A. Salvatore is a co-author. Maybe now we’ll actually read it together)

Goodreads
Magic needs a spark.

And Maggie’s powers are especially fickle. With no one to help her learn to control her magic, the life debt that she owes stretches eternally over her head, with no way to repay it.

Until she meets Griffin, the king’s champion infamous for hunting down the draignochs that plague their kingdom.

Neither has any idea of the destiny that they both carry, or that their meeting will set off a chain of events that will alter every aspect of the life they know—and all of history thereafter.

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VIOLET MADE OF THORNS
by Gina Chen

His reason: “The colors are pretty.”

Goodreads
A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.

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THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK
by Adrienne Young

His reason: “I like the ocean.”
(I’d like to add that he also said once he saw the cover, he liked it, so that solidified his decision)

Goodreads
The new gut-wrenching epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

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HORUS RISING
by Dan Abnett

His reason: “It’s warhammer.”

Goodreads
After thousands of years of expansion and conquest, the human Imperium is at its height. His dream for humanity accomplished, the Emperor hands over the reins of power to his Warmaster, Horus, and heads back to Terra. But is Horus strong enough to control his fellow commanders and continue the Emperor’s grand design, or will such incredible power corrupt him?

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Bonus: Our son saw my husband choosing books and asked if he could pick some for me too. So, here are two that he randomly chose and his reasoning for choosing them, courtesy of a three-year-old 😆

THE GREY KNIGHTS OMNIBUS
by Ben Counter

His reason: “That guy looks cool.”

Goodreads
Great omnibus edition collects three novels in a popular series.   Author Ben Counter is one of the Black Library’s most popular SF authors.   Stories featuring Space Marines, genetically-engineered warriors of the far future, are BL’s strongest-selling titles.

(I know this summary sucks, but it was the one available on GR and I’m too lazy to find the summary of each individual book included in this omnibus.)

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HALO: THE FALL OF REACH
by Eric Nylund

His reason: “It’s Master Chief.” 
(A good enough reason for me)

Goodreads
As the bloody Human-Covenant War rages on Halo, the fate of humankind may rest with one warrior, the lone SPARTAN survivor of another legendary battle… the desperate, take-no-prisoners struggle that led humanity to Halo–the fall of the planet Reach. Now, brought to life for the first time, here is the full story of that glorious, doomed conflict.

While the brutal Covenant juggernaut sweeps inexorably through space, intent on wiping out humankind, only one stronghold remains–the planet Reach. Practically on Earth’s doorstep, it is the last military fortress to defy the onslaught. But the personnel here have another, higher priority: to prevent the Covenant from discovering the location of Earth.

Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers seem to have little chance against the Covenant, but Reach holds a closely guarded secret. It is the training ground for the very first “super soldiers.” Code-named SPARTANs, these highly advanced warriors, specially bioengineered and technologically augmented, are the best in the universe–quiet, professional, and deadly.

Now, as the ferocious Covenant attack begins, a handful of SPARTANs stand ready to wage ultimate war. They will kill, they will be destroyed, but they will never surrender. And at least one of them–the SPARTAN known as Master Chief–will live to fight another day on a mysterious and ancient, artificial world called Halo…

Have you read any of these? Should I put any of them on my immediate TBR? Any that caught your eye?

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