
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.
The rules are simple:
- Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.
- Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
- Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other bloggers’ lists.
- Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. I think it unlikely Santa will bring me any actual books although I may receive some gift cards. If that’s the case I can purchase some books from my wishlist which is a veritable snowstorm of historical fiction. Links from each title will take you to the book description on Goodreads.
- Miss Veal and Miss Ham by Vicki Heywood – ‘At the heart of this intimate, moving and witty novel is a story of resilience, the dignity of love that cannot be spoken, and the challenges that come when the future no longer feels safe.’
- The Pretender by Jo Harkin – ‘historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from 15th century England’
- Smoke and Embers (Inspector Troy #9) by John Lawton – ‘a twisting plotline, crackling dialogue, characteristic humor, and the return of beloved characters’
- The Original by Nell Stevens – ‘There was a painting my family set on fire. It burned to ashes, and then it came back.’
- Hawthorn: A Scottish Ghost Story by Elaine Thomson – ‘For fans of Michelle Paver and Sarah Waters, the first in a haunting quartet of ghost stories set in the wilds of Scotland‘
- Greater Sins by Gabrielle Griffiths – ‘1915, the Cabrach, Aberdeenshire. An isolated Scottish community is disturbed by a strange discovery: a body in a peat bog, perfectly preserved’
- The Unrecovered by Richard Strachan – ‘Both unsettling and evocative, deeply atmospheric and brilliantly engaging The Unrecovered is an unforgettable historical debut inspired by a real life legend‘
- The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap – ‘a young medical student is lured into the underworld of body snatching in 19th-century Edinburgh … and unexpectedly falls in love’
- The Eights by Joanna Miller – ‘a captivating debut novel about sisterhood, self-determination, courage, and what it means to come of age in a world that is forever changed’
- The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek, trans. by Nick Caistor – ‘Drawing on the real-life figures and battles of the Finnish-Soviet Winter War, The Winter Warriors is a riveting, heart-pounding, utterly epic historical thriller’
Have you read any of these? Which books are on your wishlist?











I read The Resurrectionist and The Eights earlier this year and really enjoyed both of them. Santa doesn’t usually bring me many books either, but Hawthorn and The Pretender are on my wishlist as well!
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Bad Santa didn’t bring me any books either 😦 However I’ve just bought a copy of The Eights and The Pretender. I really like the sound of The Resurrectionist so will probably get that as well.
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I’ve read The Eights and Miss Veal and Miss Ham is on my TBR pile. I like the sound of The Pretender, The Original and Hawthorn too.
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I’ve just bought myself a copy of The Eights having seen it getting mentioned everywhere, and also The Pretender.
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I have not read any from your list … yet … 😊
Here is my list: https://top100booksreviews.wordpress.com/2025/12/23/top-10-tuesday-dear-santa-2/
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I would like Goodreads to be less clunky as well. It’s frustratingly slow lately.
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These are all new to me, but I love the cover for The Resurrectionist. Maybe you’ll be surprised and get a few books from your list this year! Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!
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I did Santa’s job for him and have just purchased The Eights and The Pretender!
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We do what we have to! 😉
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The Original and Hawthorne both sound excellent.
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I haven’t heard of any of these!
https://laurieisreading.com/2025/12/23/top-ten-tuesday-2025-backlist-books-final-check-in/
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I’ve been meaning to do a check-in on how many of my backlist books I’ve read this year as it was one of my goals to read more of the books I already own. I think I’ve managed a few.
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These are all new to me books! I hope you enjoy reading them when you get a chance.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/2026-releases-to-get-excited-about/
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You have a couple of interesting looking historical fiction titles on your list.
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I don’t know any of these books, but some of them sound really good! I hope you receive some of them (or gift cards).
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I received one but I knew I was going to it because I told my husband to buy it for me!
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I’ve not heard of any of these before but hopefully some or all of them will come off your wishlist soon 🙂
Heres a link to my TTT – https://justreadjessie.blog/2025/12/23/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-hope-santa-brings/
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I hope you got some on your wishlist.
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Gift cards to bookshops are the best! I hope you find some under your tree. Merry Christmas!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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I didn’t 😦 but I’ve just bought a couple that were on my list to make up for Santa’s failings
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All of these books look amazing! The Ressurectionist sounds so interesting 😊 I hope your bookish wishes come true!
If you’d like to visit, here’s my TTT: (I’ve done an older prompt since I don’t have many bookish wishes for once)
https://thebooklorefairyreads.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/top-ten-tuesday-books-on-my-winter-2025-2026-to-read-list/
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I’m glad you enjoyed Murder at the Summer Cheese Festival because the author approached me as well. I couldn’t offer to review it but I’m publishing a Q&A with her soon.
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That’s so cool! 😊
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I met Joanna Miller at an author event this year and the book sounds great! I haven’t read it yet!
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I can think of quite a few times I’ve seen an author at an event, bought their book and it’s still on my bookshelves unread!
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I enjoyed The Eights
Wishing for all your bookish dreams to come true!
Thanks for sharing your TTT list
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