Down the TBR Hole (4 of 24+)

What’s the fourth round of this going to look like?

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books.
Decide: keep it or should it go?
Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

I didn’t expect that I’d be as wordy as I have been in the first three posts, but this installment being as succinct as it ended up being really was unexpected. I can’t imagine that will continue in the future, concise ain’t how I roll…

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love & Karaoke by Rob Sheffield Blurb: A follow-up to Love Is a Mix Tape, which crushed me, Sheffield’s account of falling in love and his wife’s death through mix tapes. This is about him moving on via karaoke. My Thoughts: There’s no reason for me to have jumped on this 7 years ago. Shame on me. Verdict: Gotta get on it.
	The Iggy Chronicles, Volume One by Spencer Quinn Blurb: It’s a short story where Chet’s neighbor and pal, Iggy, is the hero. My Thoughts: I wasn’t crazy about the two Chet & Bernie shorts that I’ve read, but they weren’t bad. I should probably just do it. Besides, Iggy’s fun. Verdict:
	Wounded Prey by Sean Lynch Blurb: A retired cop gets one more chance at the serial killer he couldn’t put away years before. My Thoughts: I don’t remember how this popped up on my radar back in ’13, looks okay, but I read enough like this already, without remembering what originally drew this to me, I’ll probably just let it go. Verdict:
	Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories by Various Authors Blurb: This was released back for the 50th anniversary with one story per doctor, each by a different author. My Thoughts: I really dig some of these authors and seeing them take on The Doctor still sounds like fun. Verdict: Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
	The Dark of Deep Below by Patrick Rothfuss My Thoughts: I’ve been trying to get my hands on this since I read the first Princess and Mr. Whiffle, it’s just hard to find (and pricey). But still, it’d be a blast to read. Verdict:
	The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner My Thoughts: In the short story I read about D. D. Warren, I really liked her. I like her character in the first two novels, but we spent far too much time with Bobby Dodge in both of those. If I knew he wasn’t around, I’d probably have read this by now. Verdict: I’ll delete it, but may end up revising that decision later.
	Love is a Canoe by Ben Schrank Blurb: The author of a classic self-help guide to love and relationships, Peter Herman has won the hearts of romantics and cynics alike. But decades have passed since Marriage Is a Canoe was published and a recently widowed Peter begins to question his own advice. Much to his chagrin, he receives a call from Stella Petrovic, an ambitious young editor in New York City who forces him to reconsider his life’s work, not to mention the full force of his delusions. The book’s fiftieth anniversary is approaching, and Petrovic has devised a contest to promote the new edition. The prize? The chance for the winning couple—a pair of outwardly happy Brooklynites named Emily and Eli—to save their relationship by spending a weekend with the reclusive author. If Peter is going to help the contest’s winners, he must discover what he meant when he wrote Marriage Is a Canoe—and also find a way for himself to love again… Verdict: I’d probably like it, but at this point…eh, I’ve got enough on my plate.
	Judgment Calls by Alafair Burke Blurb: Burke’s debut about a prosecutor on a mission who uncovers a lot more than she bargained for. Verdict: Same as the above–Burke’s a sold writer, this is probably good. But I just don’t have the time, nixing this bugs me more than the rest.
	The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom Blurb: Israel Armstrong is a passionate soul, lured to Ireland by the promise of an exciting new career. Alas, the job that awaits him is not quite what he had in mind. Still, Israel is not one to dwell on disappointment, as he prepares to drive a mobile library around a small, damp Irish town. After all, the scenery is lovely, the people are charming—but where are the books? The rolling library’s 15,000 volumes have mysteriously gone missing, and it’s up to Israel to discover who would steal them . . . and why. And perhaps, after that, he will tackle other bizarre and perplexing local mysteries—like, where does one go to find a proper cappuccino and a decent newspaper? Verdict: Seems charming, I guess? I’m sure this is a fun read, I wish I had a clue what put it on my radar.
	Phoenix Island by John Dixon Blurb: No phones. No television. No internet. No escape. When his defense of a helpless classmate lands sixteen-year-old boxing champion Carl Freeman in real trouble – a two-year sentence at an isolated boot camp for orphans – he’s determined to tough it out, earn a clean record, and get on with his life. Then kids start to die. Realizing Phoenix Island is actually a mercenary training facility turning “throwaway children” into super soldiers, Carl risks everything to save his friends and stop a madman bent on global destruction. Verdict: Say what?