Top Ten Tuesday is a listicle created by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was created from a love of lists, books and creating bookish friends. Each Tuesday she assigns a new topic for others to join in with. Here is where you can learn more information about Top Ten Tuesday. Ad/Affiliate – Some of these books have affiliate links, you can read my disclaimer here.
Hello! You have probably forgotten who I am because I haven’t posted in quite a while…Sorry about that. I have been extremely busy with university, I submitted my dissertation last week. I have now got one assignment and two exams left which are still taking up a lot of my time. I’m also trying to see as many butterflies in Dorset as I can before I go back home. There is also a blog update to share, which is that I have combined my blogs. I used to have another blog called Flourish With Rose where I shared books, bucket lists and uni life posts. Instead, I have added the books and bucket list categories to this blog, and I will add some uni-life posts as well. I’ve made this decision because it was not sustainable for me to attempt two blogs, and my studies so I am hoping I will be able to post here more. I love to read in my spare time so today’s post will be part of the Top Ten Tuesday topic, 10 books randomly grabbed from my shelf.
The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch
The first book I randomly grabbed was The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch. I bought this book almost a year ago, and I have still only read one chapter. I often read one chapter and then forget to read the rest…anyone else?

Goodreads synopsis:
Evanna Lynch has long been viewed as a role model for people recovering from anorexia, as the story of her casting as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films grew to almost mythic proportions -a tale of how she faced disordered eating as a young girl, found solace in a beloved book series, and several years later landed the part of her favourite character. But that is not the whole story.
Even after recovery, there remains a conflict at the very core of her being: a bitter struggle between the familiar, anaesthetizing pursuit of perfection and the desire to fully and fearlessly embrace her creativity. In her book, Evanna confronts all the complexities and contradictions within herself and reveals how she began to conquer her self-hate while facing her fear of leaving the neatness and safety of girlhood for the unpredictable journey of being a woman. Revealing a startlingly accomplished voice, Evanna delves into the very heart of a woman’s relationship with her own body. Unwilling to let the darkness of her eating disorder eclipse her dreams, Evanna explores the pivotal moments and choices in her life that led her down the path of creativity. Taking the reader through her personal journey, she reveals how by channelling her fears of the messy, uncharted future into joyful, ambitious endeavours, she reaches toward acceptance of the wild, sensual, and unpredictable reality of womanhood.
Honest, electrifying, and inspiring, this is a story of the tragedy and the glory of growing up, of mourning girlhood and stepping into the unknown, and how that act of courage is the most liberating thing a woman can do.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
An absolute classic! This is my sister’s copy, but I have it with me at university because it is my comfort book. It’s what I read when I am feeling ill or unable to sleep. Do you have a comfort book?
Goodreads synopsis:
Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can’t wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn’t if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There’s an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school…

The Otter’s Tale by Simon Cooper
This is another book which I haven’t managed to read yet. I love otters and ordered this off World of Books a while back. I have read the first few chapters and loved it, so need to finish it!

Goodreads synopsis:
Otters hold an almost unique place in the animal kingdom of the British Isles, being one of the very few creatures that give birth once every two years. They are the most secretive yet also the most popular mammals β they are found in every county but are so rarely seen that they have been raised to mythical status.
When Simon Cooper bought an abandoned water mill that straddles a small chalk stream in southern England, little did he know that he would come to share the mill with a family of wild otters. Yet move in they did, allowing him to begin to observe them, soon immersing himself in their daily routines and movements. He developed an extraordinarily close relationship with the family, which in turn gave him a unique insight into the life of these fascinating creatures.
Cooper interweaves the personal story of the female otter, Kuschta, with the natural history of the otter in the British Isles, only recently brought back from the brink of extinction through tireless conservation efforts. Following in the footsteps of Henry Williamsonβs classic 1920s tale Tarka the Otter, readers are taken on a journey through the calendar year, learning the most intimate detail of this most beautiful of British mammals. Cooper brings these beloved animals to life in all their wondrous complexity, revealing the previously hidden secrets of their lives in this beautifully told tale of the otter.
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
The Viscount Who Loved Me is my favourite book of the Bridgerton series! I read the Bridgerton book series in relatively quick succession, and I would definitely recommend it if you haven’t read them. I read some of them on BorrowBox, but also have some on my shelf. I bought this copy from a charity shop π
Goodreads synopsis:
1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, this author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London’s most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry.
And in truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better…
βLady Whistledown’s Society Papers, April 1814
But this time, the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn’t just decided to marryβhe’s even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffieldβthe most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate is the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams…
Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbandsβand Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate is determined to protect her sisterβbut she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony’s lips touch hers, she’s suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself…

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
This is also my sister’s book haha! It is such a beautiful copy, though the writing is quite small and it is very thick. I visited Bath in March for my birthday and we went to the Jane Austen Centre for a cream tea which was magical. I have wanted to read Pride and Prejudice for a while, and I have watched the film so definitely want to read this soon.

Goodreads synopsis:
Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work “her own darling child” and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, “as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print.” The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen’s radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.
Bookshop* | World of Books – paperback – cloth hardback
The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking
I love the concept of the hygge lifestyle so much and have done ever since my brother bought me the hygge cosy conversation game (highly recommend). I’ve read about half of this, but I feel like it’s the type of book you dip in and out of. I bought my copy from World of Books which is a great place for affordable second-hand books.
Goodreads synopsis:
Hygge has been described as everything from “cosines of the soul” to “the pursuit of everyday pleasures”. The Little Book of Hygge is the book we all need right now, and is guaranteed to bring warmth and comfort to you and your loved ones this winter.
Hooga? Hhyooguh? Heurgh? It is not really important how you choose to pronounce ‘hygge’. What is important is that you feel it. Whether you’re cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends, hygge is about creating an atmosphere where you can let your guard down.

Ice Cream for Breakfast by Laura Jane Williams
I have only just started reading this book, but I love it so much! Everything I read, I just think ‘YES’. It is pretty short too, so a nice book to tick off on your reading challenge.
Goodreads synopsis:
> You can own your own home and want to build a blanket fort on a bad day. Hell! On a good day, too.
> Give yourself permission to seek praise, ask for help, and have something soft snuggled against your face because you’re sad.
> You can pay your bills on time and still exclaim out loud when something is really f*cking cool, run a business and wear cat-covered thermals under your suit.
> You can take time to play, just because.
Full of spirit and un-self-conscious enthusiasm, Ice Cream for Breakfast: Child-Like Solutions to Bullsh*t Adult Problems is the permission slip all too-grown-up-for-their-own-good-but-secretly-scared-of-adulting adults need to locate their inner-child nestled deep within so that we might all relax enough to laugh harder, wonder more, and marvel at magic on the daily.

The Quarantine Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
I literally never buy books from Amazon, but I bought this one as soon as it came out because I adored The Princess Diaries series when I was growing up. I’ve only read the intro/beginning few pages, but I am hopeful that I will love it.

Goodreads synopsis:
Mia Thermopolis knows just what to do in a crisis: Rule.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, a section of the diary of Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia fell into the hands of Meg Cabot, the Princessβs royal biographer.
As reported in media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, The Mary Sue, Refinery 29, Bustle, and more, from March until June of 2020, sixteen entries of the princessβs diary were leaked onto Ms. Cabotβs blog, to the delight of over a million fans.
In these entries, titled The Coronavirus Princess Diaries, the princess recorded her most heartfelt emotions while dealing with her husbandβs quarantine after exposure to the virus; her personal (and political) battles while imposing health restrictions on her small European nation; life during lockdown (even in as idyllic a location as a palace on the Riviera); and of course, dealing with her demanding royal family, especially her grandmother.
Since then, readers have been clamoring for more chapters of Miaβs coronavirus diary . . . and here they are at last: The Quarantine Princess Diaries include not only the previously released entries (now edited and updated with new content), but two hundred more pages of entirely original, never-before-seen entries, including the princessβs worries over a possible royal affair; a showdown between Mia and GrandmΓ¨re over the latterβs intended nuptials; the eventual development and distribution of a groundbreaking intranasal vaccine for every citizen in Genovia; and, as always, a royally happy ending.
Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood
I absolutely loved The Love Hypothesis and Love On The Brain so I am hoping I will also love this book. I bought The Love Hypothesis from a charity shop for only Β£1 and read my friend’s copy of Love On The Brain in Bath. So as soon as I saw this, I had to buy it.I absolutely loved The Love Hypothesis and Love On The Brain so I am hoping I will also love this book. I bought The Love Hypothesis from a charity shop for only Β£1 and read my friend’s copy of Love On The Brain in Bath. So as soon as I saw this, I had to buy it.
Goodreads synopsis:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a collection of steamy, STEMinist novellas featuring a trio of engineers and their loves in loathingβwith a special bonus chapter!
Under One Roof
An environmental engineer discovers that scientists should never cohabitate when she finds herself stuck with the roommate from hellβa detestable big-oil lawyer who won’t leave the thermostat alone.
Stuck with You
A civil engineer and her nemesis take their rivalryβand loveβto the next level when they get stuck in a New York elevator.
Below Zero
A NASA aerospace engineer’s frozen heart melts as she lies injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station and the only person willing to undertake the dangerous rescue mission is her longtime rival.

Wonderland: A Year of Britain’s Wildlife Day By Day by Brett Westwood and Stephen Moss
I borrowed this book from the library ages ago when I was younger and loved it. I never managed to quite finish it, as it isn’t really a book you read in a couple of goes, As it is a year of Britain’s wildlife, I like to read a little bit each day.

Goodreads synopsis:
From blackbirds, beavers and beetles to tawny owls, natterjack toads and lemon slugs. Every day of the year, winter or summer, in every corner of the British Isles, there’s plenty to see if you know where – and how – to look.
From encounters with the curious black redstart, which winters on our rocky coasts, to the tiny green snowdrop shoots that are the first sign that spring might be round the corner. And from the blossom-time and dawn choruses of April and May into the abundant noisiness of summer, where days start with hawker dragonflies and drowsy bumblebees and end with glow-worms and ghost moths; to autumn when in the early morning mist of London’s Richmond Park male red deer lock horns in competition for a mate.
Nature is always full of surprises – whether it’s the strange behaviour of clothes moths or the gruesome larder of the strike. Distilling two lifetimes’ knowledge, expert insight and enthusiasm, award-winning authors and passionate naturalists Brett Westwood and Stephen Moss take us through the year, day by day, sharing the unexpected delights that we can experience in our skies, beaches, rivers, fields, forests and back gardens. There are all kinds of adventures waiting on your doorstep, any day of the year, all you need is Wonderland.
Caroline β‘
The Otterβs tale sounds good.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-the-first-10-books-i-randomly-grabbed-from-my-shelf/
I love P&P and the HP books. I love that you have a comfort book π
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Haha thanks π
the quarantine princess diaries looks so fun! I read the other books a long time ago as well. love that you are including books and more topics on this blog! excited for the change & wishing you all the best.
thank you!! x
This is a fun bookish post! I have the Hygge book at home but mostly just use it for decoration as it’s so beautiful but I really need to read it!
Thank you π
Wonderful collection of books. I would love to read eh Meg Cabot book.
Yes, I can’t wait to read it!
Aw this is such a lovely idea for a post! I’ve read a few of these classics, but I’ll check out the ones I’ve not read before. Thanks for sharing Caroline x
Thank you x
Love the look of The Otter’s Tale and also Wonderland – both would be perfect for Sunday afternoon reading, particularly the latter which, as you say, is probably best dipped into now and then. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Lisa
Just got back to writing for my blog too definitely understand. I definitely need to check out The Princess Diaries itβs sounds like fun
Some really good choices there and it’s nice to know I’m not the only one with shelves of unread or part read books!
Thanks for sharing!
Definitely not!
Every time I see the Little Book of Hygge, I feel like I need it! Great selection of books!
I would definitely reccommend it!
I like the sound of all of these books (I’ve even read a few) so it’s given me some ideas to ad to my reading list. I hope everything with uni continues to go well β I remember how much work goes into so you’re doing great!
Thank you Molly!
I love the idea of just grabbing books from the shelf and there are some amazing ones in this list. Well done on the dissertation and enjoy seeing the butterflies!
Thank you π
Absolutely love the sound of ice cream for breakfast! Sounds like my type of read.X
Congrats on submitting your dissertation! I bet you feel AMAZING now that’s done, hope the rest of the year goes well π
Corinne x
Thank you, Corinne! x
Such a wonderful mix! Any Harry Potter book is a comfort read for me. Pride & Prejudice, too. I used to reread it every year, but it’s been awhile now. I still need to read Loathe to You, as well. Happy reading this week!
Thank you, you too
You’ve found some fun books to read when you get the time. Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
Thanks π
I love the cover for The Little Book of Hygge! I also really enjoyed the Loathe to Love You novellas, hope you will too!
Thank you!
You have a good mix of books on your shelf! I really want to read the Bridgerton series as I loved the Netflix series, and I’m quite intrigued by The Quarantine Princess Diaries. Also, I agree The Little Book of Hygge is great to dip in and out of.
I loved the Bridgerton series!
I never read the Princess Diaries books, but did adore the adaptations and I love how universally loved the story is. It’s just one of those feel good tales that makes the viewer or reader happy. Also… despite loving the 2005 movie (and growing up on A&E’s production) of “Pride and Prejudice,” I’ve never read the book. Maybe someday I should! Thanks so much for visiting my website last week. I appreciate this.
Yeah, I love the films too π