Down the TBR Hole (14 of 24+)

I didn’t trim a lot this week, but I do think I moved a couple of books higher up on the “get to it already” list, so that’s almost as good.

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:

1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
2. Order on ascending date added.
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
6. 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?

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

	The Dime by Kathleen Kent Blurb: A NYPD Detective moves to Dallas, deals with challenges of culture shock, being “not from around here,” and misogyny, aside from the whole “law enforcement” challenge. Fish-out-of-water plus gritty crime novel. My Thoughts: I remember thinking this looked so promising when I first read about it. Still does. And, I have the hardcover sitting on my shelf. Verdict:
	Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas My Thoughts: It’s Selina Kyles’s turn in the DC YA novel series. I’d probably have fun with this, but the Batman installment has left me gun shy. Verdict:
	The Killing Season by Mason Cross Blurb: A death-row killer escapes and the FBI calls in Carter Blake to track him down before he starts a new killing spree. My Thoughts: I’ve heard an interview or two with Mason Cross talking about this series about a man who tracks down suspects/fugitives/etc. for law enforcement. Every time I hear a mention of the series I think “I’ve got to check this out.” Don’t ask me why I haven’t yet. Verdict:
	Between Me and You by Allison Winn Scotch Blurb: “When their paths first cross, Ben Livingston is a fledgling screenwriter on the brink of success; Tatum Connelly is a struggling actress tending bar in a New York City dive. They fall in love, they marry, they become parents, and they think only of the future. But as the years go by, Tatum’s stardom rises while Ben’s fades. In a marriage that bears the fallout of ambition and fame, Ben and Tatum are at a crossroads. Now all they can do is think back…” My Thoughts: This isn’t the first of her books in this series, may not be the last either. This is most likely a dynamite book, but aside from being a completist, I just don’t know if I’m up for a love on the rocks read. Verdict:
	Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari My Thoughts: Hari’s book on addiction was so good, this one on Depression will probably knock my socks off. Verdict:
	Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics is Destroying American Democracy by Jonah Goldberg My Thoughts: When I agree with Goldberg, he’s great to read. When I differ with him, I still generally enjoy it. But, I’m just tired of politics being about whatever “Them” ruining things. Give me a book that talks about finding solutions, finding a way to make things better, and I’ll be game. Give me one that just points fingers (whether the finger is pointed in the right direction or not) and I just don’t have the heart for it anymore. Verdict:
	A Study Guide for John Owen’s Communion with God by Ryan McGraw Blurb: Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum My Thoughts: Wish I would’ve had this book a couple of years ago when I read Owen’s classic. I’ve read articles/books by McGraw about Owen, this would probably be a real help. Still, I could do with a re-read. Verdict:
	Ex Libris: The Book Lovers’ Miscellany by Claire Cock-Starkey Blurb: “… a cornucopia for bibliophiles. With customary wisdom and wit, Claire Cock-Starkey presents a brief illustrated history of paper, binding, printing, and dust jackets, with a wealth of arcane facts that even the most avid book lovers may be hard-pressed to answer: Which natural pigments were used to decorate medieval bibles? Which animal is needed for the making of vellum? Curious facts are drawn from throughout the history of books and publishing, including many more recent examples, such as a short history of the comic and the story behind the massively successful Harlequin romance imprint Mills and Boon. Readers can explore the output of the most prolific writers and marvel at the youth of the youngest published authors—or lament the decisions of the publishers who rejected books that later became colossal bestsellers….” Verdict:
	No Good Deed by Kara Connolly Blurb: An Olympic-hopeful archerer gets sent back in time to medieval England and becomes a Robin Hood-figure (because what else would she do?) My Thoughts: Robin Hood + time travel? How do I say no? Verdict:
	The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott Blurb: “Seventeen-year-old Caleb Ross is adrift in the wake of the sudden disappearance of his mother more than a year ago, and is struggling to find his way out of the small Texas border town of Murfee. Chris Cherry is a newly minted sheriff’s deputy, a high school football hero who has reluctantly returned to his hometown. When skeletal remains are discovered in the surrounding badlands, the two are inexorably drawn together as their efforts to uncover Murfee’s darkest secrets lead them to the same terrifying suspect: Caleb’s father and Chris’s boss, the charismatic and feared Sheriff Standford “Judge” Ross.” My Thoughts: A Modern Western with a Crime Novel angle? This looks so good. I bought this the same day I bought The Dime, not sure why neither has been read. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 3 / 10
Total Books Removed: 77 / 240

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)