top ten tuesday: favorite 90's tv shows

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is one I couldn't pass up:  In honor of Fall TV, do a TV-themed topic! You know I love me some TV, and my love for television really developed in the 1990's, so what could be better than talking about my favorite 90's shows?

Top Ten 90's Shows I Watched in the 90's

1. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

I was completely obsessed with Lois & Clark ... as well as Dean Cain! The problem was that the show aired Sunday nights at 7, which is when we had evening church. We also didn't have a VCR during the first two seasons, so I couldn't record it. I remember once, as a 7th or 8th grader, telling my mom that I couldn't wait to be an adult so that I could choose if I was going to go to night church or not. Clearly, I had my priorities straight! 

2. Full House

Oh, how I loved Full House! Even though I'm pretty much exactly the same age as Stephanie, I always identified with D.J. (and I wished for a Steve of my own!). I can't really handle too much Full House these days, but I am loving Fuller House, and I can't wait for season two!

3. Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman

Saturday nights in our house meant Dr. Quinn. Loved, loved, loved it! It was one of the few shows that we all watched together (well, maybe Dad wasn't there ... but it's possible he was, as these were his pre-Hallmark Channel days).

4. Star Trek: The Next Generation

My dad used to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation every Saturday night after the news. As an older teen, he let me stay up and watch with him. As a younger teen, I used to watch through my barely cracked open bedroom door. This show was really my first introduction to science fiction, and I fell in love!

5. JAG

I love, love, love courtroom dramas, and JAG is probably what set that love in motion. Plus, without JAG, there'd be no NCIS, and that would be tragic.

6. Sports Night

My brother and I watched this sadly short-lived show together when we were in high school. (We actually watched lots of shows together—he was definitely my partner in crime when it came to watching TV on the sly.) I thought the show was so witty and different, and I hated when it got cancelled.

7. California Dreams

"Surf dudes with attitude ... Kinda groovy!" Most girls of my generation would probably list Saved by the Bell here. While I did enjoy that show later on, I didn't start watching the TNBC Saturday morning lineup until after Saved by the Bell ended. California Dreams was still in full swing, and I loved the mashup of teen comedy, romance, and music. I could also still sing the entire theme song for you. (If you were a fan, watch this. Thanks, Jimmy Fallon!)

8. Boy Meets World

Boy Meets World was great—it's one of the few sitcoms from my childhood that I still love to watch. I wish I could say the same about Girl Meets World.

9. Early Edition

Early Edition was such an interesting concept—every morning, a cat and a newspaper arrive outside Gary Hobson's door. The newspaper is tomorrow's newspaper, so Gary has one day to try to prevent whatever tragedies are found in the paper. This show ran for four seasons, but only the first two are on DVD, and it's not available to stream through legitimate channels. Tragic, especially considering how well Kyle Chandler has done recently.

10. Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place (aka Two Guys and a Girl)

Two Guys and a Girl introduced me to both Ryan Reynolds and Nathan Fillion. What I remember most about this show is the wild Halloween episodes. I'm no fan of Halloween, but those episodes were fantastic! Also, I just found out the series is (finally!) available on DVD. It's a little pricey, but it's now on my Amazon wish list!

Bonus: Top Five 90's Shows I Watched Later

1. Stargate: SG-1

My dad is responsible for my love of SG-1, as well. I'm not sure when I started watching, but I'm sure I was already in college. I watched most of the seasons in syndication and ended up buying the entire series on DVD. Plus, my cats are all named after SG-1 characters: Skaara (who was briefly named Ry'ac until Blendy informed me that was stupid, and now I have to agree that Skaara is a much better name), Hammond, and Isis. 

2. Friends

Friends premiered when I was in junior high, and everyone watched it. Everyone but me, that is. I watched it at first (I probably made it halfway through the first season), but then my mom caught me watching it and banned it. Being a "letter of the law" follower, I stopped watching Friends until college. (That didn't stop me from watching every other comedy on NBC—after all, Mom had only banned Friends, not Caroline in the City, Veronica's Closet, Just Shoot Me, News Radio, Jesse, or any other show that happened to be on. I definitely was an NBC girl back in the day. Now? I can't think of a single NBC show I watch!)

After I finally had cable, I caught up on all the seasons of Friends I'd missed. Friends is one of those shows that I could watch at any time—I could even jump in mid-episode and be perfectly happy!

3. Dawson's Creek

Growing up, we didn't have cable or a WB station, so Dawson's Creek wasn't really on my radar ... until the summer of 2012, which I like to call the Summer of Dawson's, when I watched all six seasons in three months. I'm currently facing a similar obsession with One Tree Hill, though no pairing on that show looks like it could possibly live up to Pacey & Joey!

4. 7th Heaven

I didn't watch this show in the early seasons because we didn't have the WB. Somehow, I caught a few episodes and fell in love—so I set up my grandma's VCR to record it each week and then swapped out the tapes when we went to visit. Desperate times and all that!

5. The West Wing

My mom watched The West Wing when it aired, and I thought it looked really boring. How wrong I was! A couple years ago, I finally watched it, and I loved it. I'm pretty sure I'll be making another pass through the series in the future.

Did you watch any of these shows? What are your favorite 90's TV shows?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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top ten tuesday: recent 5-star reads

While the majority of my book reviews fall in the 4 to 4-1/2 star range, I still give out quite a few 5-star reviews. So today's Top Ten Tuesday topic was too good for me to resist--I knew I could put it together easily! Here are my ten most recent 5-star reviews.

1. The Goodbye Bride by Denise Hunter (review)

I love virtually everything Hunter writes, and her latest, The Goodbye Bride, was no different. If you love contemporary romance, then you need to add The Goodbye Bride to your TBR pile!

2. The Hearts We Mend by Kathryn Springer (review)

Featuring older protagonists, this is a second chance at love story, and it's so, so good! It also delivers some strong spiritual lessons without seeming at all preachy. It's a book to be savored!

3. Tying the Knot by Rob Green (review)

Probably the most surprising book on this list, Tying the Knot is a premarital workbook for couples to go through together. (No, I do not have anything to announce. I was asked to review the book, so I did, and it was good.)

4. And It Was Beautiful by Kara Tippetts (review)

And It Was Beautiful is a collection of essays from the late Kara Tippetts' blog, Mundane Faithfulness. It's a great look at faith, pain, and fear in the face of death.

5. Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey (review)

This book is perfect for lovers of romantic suspense! And be sure to come back later this week to see my mom's review--it was her pick for this month's reading challenge!

6. The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen (review)

When it comes to regency romance, there's no one better than Klassen. Her latest, The Painter's Daughter, features my all-time favorite trope: the marriage of convenience.

7. The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck (review)

I've already gushed about this book a couple times, so I won't go over it all again. Just read it. Really.

8. One Enchanted Christmas by Melissa Tagg (review)

This Christmas novella is simply enchanting (see what I did there?). If you haven't yet read any of Tagg's writing, this novella will give you a wonderful introduction to her.

9. The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson (review)

This take on the Rapunzel story is full of action, adventure, and romance. It's perfect for fairy tale lovers!

10. A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert (review)

I'm so glad this book made the cut because it is a simply fantastic read! Not often do I finish a book with tears streaming down my cheeks, but that's exactly what happened with A Broken Kind of Beautiful. It will forever have a place on my bookshelf.

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top ten tuesday: books i want to read but don't own yet

This week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke & The Bookish, is a fun one: Top Ten Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet. I couldn't come up with ten when I didn't include books that I haven't released yet, so here are my top four plus a bonus "wishful thinking" pick.

A Table by the Window by Hillary Manton Lodge

I've heard so many great things about this book, and it's in my Amazon wish list, but let's be real—I have so many review books on my shelf, and then another shelf full of books I want to read if I have time, that I doubt I'll be getting this one any time soon.

Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert

I read and loved Ganshert's Wildflowers from Winter last year. I had every intention of reading the sequel as soon as it released, but life got in the way, and I just haven't gotten around to buying it. I will, though—of that I have no doubt!

Somebody Like You by Beth K. Vogt

I read Vogt's Wish You Were Here and Catch a Falling Star and loved both of them. So I'm sure I'll get to this one at some point!

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

I passed on this one when the review invite came along, as I knew I was going to have a very busy summer. Every time I see a recommendation (and it's often), I regret that decision. I'll be getting this soon.

Bonus Pick:

The next Raleigh Harmon mystery (sequel to The Stars Shine Bright) by Sibella Giorello

I feel like I've been waiting forever for the next Raleigh Harmon mystery. In reality, it's only been two years. I've heard there's a sequel in the works, and I sincerely hope that's true—I really need a Raleigh-Jack kiss!

What do you think? Should I run out and buy any of these right now? What books would be on your list? Let me know in the comments, and then stop by the original post and check out other bloggers' picks!

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top ten tuesday: books i'm not sure i want to read

Obviously, I missed the "Tuesday" part of Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke & The Bookish—I worked about 12 hours on Tuesday because it was our back-to-school night at the school I work at. But I knew I still wanted to participate in this week's topic, so here's my Top Ten Tuesday ... on Wednesday.

This week's topic is Top Ten Books I'm Not Sure I Want To Read (books you may have bought but aren't sure if you are into it anymore, books you wanted to read but heard mixed things about, hyped books you aren't sure about—basically any book that has you going, "TO READ OR NOT TO READ?").

I decided to go with books that I already own but haven't read yet ... and might not ever. I own way more than 10 books that I haven't read, but these were the first to come to mind.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
I bought Divergent about two years ago—after I heard there would be a film version. I loved The Hunger Games trilogy, and people kept saying that if you loved The Hunger Games, then you'd love Divergent. I didn't read it right away, but I always intended to read it before watching the film. Then my sister told me that she couldn't stand Tris in the book, and she thought it was kind of dumb. Now that I've seen (and loved!) the film, I don't see any reason to go back and read the book. The jury's still out on whether I'll read Insurgent and Allegiant before those films release.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Honestly, I'm not sure why I own this book. I bought it on a whim, but I don't really want to read it. I haven't seen the movie, either, and I'm not sure I want to. Hearing that my one sister sobbed her way through the book and the non-crying sister teared up at the movie makes me think I'd be an utter mess. I like happy things, you know?

Matched, Crossed, and Reached by Ally Condie
After I powered through the whole Hunger Games trilogy in like four days, I was looking for something similar to read. I saw an ad for Matched in Entertainment Weekly and bought it immediately. And then it sat on my shelf ... and it's still sitting there. It's been read, but not by me. My coworker's daughter borrowed the series (yes, I bought the other two books as they released, even though I hadn't yet read Matched), and her apathy toward them after she finished them made me even less inclined to read them.

Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury 
This novel wraps up the Baxter series, most of which I adored ... and I might not ever read it. 1. I've heard it's sad. 2. I'm still mad about Bailey/Brandon/Cody in the Bailey Flanigan series.

Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas 
I've heard fabulous things about this biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I bought it on sale, and I felt very intellectual when I did. Chances are, I'll never read even one page.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I bought Crime and Punishment for a world lit class in college. Then it turned out that the non-western lit class I took at community college transferred in as world lit, and I was able to drop the class. I kept the book—because, you know, it makes me look cultured and stuff. I'm not really a classic lit kind of girl, though, so I doubt I'll ever read it.

Naked Heat and Heat Rises by Richard Castle
I'm a huge fan of the TV crime dramedy Castle, so when I heard the Nikki Heat books that factor into the plot would really exist, I was on board. I bought and read Heat Rises, and while I enjoyed it, crime novels aren't really my thing ... which is why the next two books in the series, though purchased, have gone unread. I do think if I ever opened them, I'd enjoy them. We'll see!





There's my list. Do you agree? Disagree? Want to talk me into reading one or more of the above? Let me know in the comments! And if you've made your own list, be sure to link up here.

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top ten tuesday: books i'd give to readers who have never read christian ya fiction

It's another Top Ten Tuesday courtesy of The Broke & The Bookish! Last week was my first time to participate, and I had so much fun that I decided to do it again. (See last week's here.) This week's topic is Top Ten Books I'd Give To Readers Who Have Never Read __________. I decided to fill in the blank with Christian YA Fiction.

Young Adult (YA) fiction is all the rage with The Hunger Games, Divergent, Twilight, and The Fault in Our Stars all topping bestseller lists and spawning successful movies. But what about Christian YA? I work at a Christian school, and while I've often seen students (mainly girls) grasping the aforementioned books in the hallway, very rarely do I see a student with a Christian YA novel. I have nothing against the novels I mentioned (save Twilight. I hate Twilight.), but I wish the girls at my school would give some Christian YA a chance. Here are the books that I'd recommend:

Anomaly, Luminary, and Revolutionary by Krista McGee
Fans of The Hunger Games will love this trilogy, which takes place decades following a nuclear war in what used to be the United States. The plot twists and turns its way through one adventure after another, and Thalli is a heroine readers will cheer for. I also love the focus on the Designer, who Thalli first learns of while she's waiting to die. Sometimes, the faith element in Christian novels can seem forced, but here it perfectly weaves into the plot. I can't recommend these books highly enough! (See my reviews: Anomaly, Luminary, and Revolutionary.)

Angel Eyes, Broken Wings, and Dark Halo by Shannon Dittemore
When I read Angel Eyes, I called it a cross between Twilight and Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness. This series expertly combines teen romance and the supernatural to create a thoroughly captivating Young Adult series. I've recommended this series to numerous girls at my school who are Twilight fans. (See my reviews: Angel Eyes, Broken Wings, Dark Halo.)

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones
The only novel on this list that doesn't involve sci-fi, the supernatural, or anything else "weird," There You'll Find Me is a love story firmly grounded in reality. While the book is about finding yourself, finding love, and finding God, it also deals with bullying and eating disorders. It's a fantastic book for girls who are looking for a serious, romantic read. Plus, there's that cover. Isn't it spectacular? (See my review. Also check out Jones' Save the Date—it's not YA, but it's so, so good!) 

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
I suppose this is somewhat of a cheat, as I haven't exactly finished reading Waterfall yet. I actually started reading it last week, and then I had to put it down to read some books that I need to review soon. But so far, I'm loving this time travel novel, and I know Bergren's books are always excellent, so I guess I can recommend it without having finished it :-)

Crazy Dangerous and Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan
So far, all of these have been books geared more toward girls. (Not that boys couldn't or wouldn't read them, but they seem more female oriented.) Teen boys—and some girls—will love these books by Andrew Klavan. Both feature male protagonists, and they are thrill rides from beginning to end. I loved them! (See my reviews: Crazy Dangerous, Nightmare City.)

Now it's your turn! Do you have any books to add to my list? What 10 books would you recommend to readers haven't tried _____? Tell me in the comments, or publish your own list and link up here.

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top ten tuesday: authors i own the most books from

The blog has been silent lately, mainly because I just got back from a week in Indiana, where my sister married the love of her life. (Trust me, a post is forthcoming.) While on said "vacation," I read a total of 1-1/2 books. That's it! It was nice to have a break, and now I'm ready to jump back into my normal insane reading schedule :-) I'll have a slew of reviews in the next several weeks, but for now, I thought it would be fun to do something different.

I've never done one of these weekly memes before, but several bloggers I follow have started doing Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke & The Bookish, and I thought it looked like fun! I'm sure I won't be doing these all the time, but if a Top Ten Tuesday catches my eye, then I'll jump in.

This week's topic is Ten Authors I Own The Most Books From. Since I didn't really feel like going through my bookshelves and Kindle to count everything, this is just an estimate. I'm very confident in the top five, but the rest are guesses :-) I thought it might be fun to give you a glimpse at my bookshelves as we go along. (If the pictures are too small, click on them, and they'll get bigger.)

This is just the 1st shelf—the shelf below
is about half full of Kingsbury books!

1. Karen Kingsbury—There was a time when I bought each and every Kingsbury book as soon as it released. That all ended with Loving, the last book in the Bailey Flanigan series. I began reading, then I flipped to the end to find out who Bailey chose in the end: Cody or Brandon. The result was what I feared. I put the book down and haven't read another Kingsbury book since. I know it's ridiculous, but I spent so much time (and money) invested in Bailey's journey, and I just can't get over the way it ended. (Full disclosure: At one point in the series, I wanted Kingsbury to end it exactly as she did, but then things changed, and I felt betrayed as a reader.) I do have two Kingsbury books that I haven't read yet, including Coming Home, which wraps up the Baxter series. I should really read them ... someday.

I just counted, and I have 44 Karen Kingsbury books. Goodness!

Lori Wick & Dee Henderson. For
a while, I kept all my Wick books.
Recently, though, I decided to just
keep my favorites and try to sell
the rest. So if you're in the market for
cheap Lori Wick books, check out
my half.com shop!

2. Lori Wick—From 7th grade until I discovered Karen Kingsbury in college, Lori Wick was my favorite author. I loaned out Sophie's Heart so many times that it's practically falling apart, and I've still read it more times than any other book. Fun fact: Wick is the only author on this list that I've seen in person. Her son attended the same college as I did, and one Sunday morning I turned around in church and saw her about six rows back!

3. Susan May Warren—I liked the first few Warren books I read, but I didn't love them. Then I read Sons of Thunder. I was hooked, and now I read everything she writes. I just finished When I Fall in Love, and I absolutely could not put it down. (Review coming next week.) I can't wait for the next in the series!

It doesn't look like many books, but
The Chronicles of Narnia and The
Essential C.S. Lewis both contain
several books.

4. C.S. Lewis—Lewis is the only author on the list whose fiction and non-fiction I own. Of course The Chronicles of Narnia is a favorite; I also love Mere Christianity and Till We Have Faces.

I've loaned out several Dekker books. They go
(of course) where the gaps are. If you're interested
in the book flowers, you can see how I
made them here.

5. Ted Dekker—My friend Jodi gave me Green, my first Ted Dekker novel, about 10 years ago. After devouring the Circle trilogy (now a quartet), I moved on to his other novels. Some I loved (Skin, Immanuel's Veins), some I loathed (Boneman's Daughters). I haven't read any of his newer novels ... or even all of the novels that are on this shelf!

The end of Susan May Warren &
most of my Robin Jones Gunn.

6. Robin Jones Gunn—What Christian teenage girl in the 90's didn't love the Christy Miller series? I got into the game a bit late—Book 8, Starry Night, is the first book I read in the series. Then in high school, I started reading the Glenbrooke series, and I own all eight books. Most recently, I read the Katie Weldon series and was surprised at how much I liked Katie, as I didn't really enjoy her in the Christy Miller series. I also have a couple Robin Jones Gunn books on my to be read shelf.

I have two types of bookshelves:
those that hold books I want to
display, and those that hold books
I keep for sentimental reasons. This
shelf holds the latter.

7. Lisa T. Bergren—I first came across Lisa T. Bergren in high school. My high school library had the Full Circle series, and reading Refuge made me really, really want to visit Montana! I didn't read any more of her books for a long time, but I recently reviewed the Grand Tour series and loved it. I also have a few books from her River of Time series on my Kindle ... must make time to read them! (Hello, it's YA and time travel. Of course I'm going to love it!)

The end of Karen Kingsbury, a few Denise Hunter,
and the beginning of Susan May Warren. I've
loaned out a ton of my Hunter and Warren books.

8. Denise Hunter—Hunter is, hands down, my favorite romance writer. I got started with her Nantucket series, and I've read practically everything she's written since. The Convenient Groom is one of my all-time favorite books, but I haven't reviewed it. I should probably read it again and remedy that!

The Austen shrine.

9. Jane Austen—Is it OK to admit that the only Jane Austen book I've ever read is Pride & Prejudice, and even then, I skipped some in the middle? But I display the books prominently, right beside the film adaptations of her novels. (My favorite? The BBC production of Emma.)

10. Dee Henderson—Henderson's O'Malley series remains is one of my all-time favorites. I also read some of her True Devotion series and enjoyed them. I haven't read any of her recent novels—I've read some negative reviews, and I don't want to spend money on books I may not like.

So there's my list. What about you? Leave your top ten in the comments, or leave a link to your own top ten post.

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