Down the TBR Hole (19 of 24+)

Another deep theological book on this list. Huh. I’m learning a little about my own habits over the last couple of posts. Mostly, that I’m inconsistent in how I track things. No draconian cuts here, but some needed trimming. I’ll take it.

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?

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

	Confessions of an Unlikely Runner: A Guide to Racing and Obstacle Courses for the Averagely Fit and Halfway Dedicated by Dana L. Ayers Blurb: “Part Bridget Jones, part Forrest Gump, Dana Ayers chronicles her awkward mishaps and adventures in transitioning from childhood bookworm to accidental accomplished athlete. Over the last ten years, Ayers has completed a vast array of races. She runs them all while admittedly not getting much faster, much thinner, or much more disciplined—though she has managed to be on national television, split open her pants, and get electrocuted. Ayers intersperses her hilarious yet relatable struggles with insights about how and why she keeps running…A self-proclaimed ambassador of slow runners…For anyone who has considered trying a marathon, an obstacle race, or simply taking up running for the first time, Ayers is your ambassador. If she can do it, you can too.” My Thoughts: I dunno about this one. It seems like it could be a good, encouraging read—I’ve often wanted to be a runner (probably a slow-runner, like Ayers). But I don’t know if I need that kind of book. Eh, I’ll axe it, but remember it in case I find a need for this brand of inspiration. Verdict:
	The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry Blurb: “For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can’t quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world. His older brother, Rob — a young lawyer with a normal house, a normal fiancee, and an utterly normal life — hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his life’s duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other. But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world… and for once, it isn’t Charley’s doing. There’s someone else who shares his powers. It’s up to Charley and a reluctant Rob to stop them, before these characters tear apart the fabric of reality.” My Thoughts: I’ve heard nothing but good things about this (for example). It looks good, even without that. Verdict:
	Liars’ Paradox by Taylor Stevens My Thoughts: This seems like the kind of thing that Stevens excels at, probably a slow-burning, multi-layered thriller. A pair of twins, raised to be spies (or something like that) trying to find out who’s out to kill them, CIA/KGB/someone else? I’m not sure I really want to start a new series from Stevens, but I’m not sure that I don’t. Verdict: (but probably just for now)
	The Covenant of Life Opened by Samuel Rutherford My Thoughts: Samuel Rutherford. ‘Nuff said. Verdict:
	The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M.H. Boroson My Thoughts: An Urban Fantasy set in 19th Century San Francisco with a very cool magic system that doesn’t seem like something I’ve seen before? It’s exactly the kind of thing that I want to read while knowing that I’ll probably never get around to it. Verdict:
	The Black Hawks by David Wragg My Thoughts: Darkish fantasy-thriller with a sense of humor. There’s a band of mercenaries who apparently aren’t that good at their job (or maybe it’s just the protagonist), on a job none of them are enjoying, featuring a brat of a Prince. Sounds fun. I need to move this up on the priority list. Verdict:
	Lost You by Haylen Beck My Thoughts: Haylen Beck is one of those guys I’ve been wanting to read for a while now. The fact that the author (Stuart Neville) seems to have retired this pen name to focus on his own stuff again, dampens that desire a bit. The premise of this book dumps cold water on the desire. It’s probably really good, but not the kind of thing I’d enjoy and it probably made its way to this list solely so I could try Beck/Neville. Gonna Pass. Verdict:
	How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems by Randall Munroe Blurb: “For any task you might want to do, there’s a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally complex, excessive, and inadvisable that no one would ever try it. How To is a guide to the third kind of approach. It’s full of highly impractical advice for everything from landing a plane to digging a hole…As he did so brilliantly in What If?, Munroe invites us to explore the most absurd reaches of the possible. Full of clever infographics and fun illustrations, How To is a delightfully mind-bending way to better understand the science and technology underlying the things we do every day.” My Thoughts: I can only imagine that the reason I don’t own this already was budgetary. Need to address that. Verdict:
	Sixteenth Watch by Myke Cole Blurb: My Thoughts: A Space-version of the Coast Guard preventing a lunar war with China? Written by someone with Cole’s résumé to add some authenticity. Sounds very promising, right? The last couple of books that I’ve read by Cole fall more under the “I respect his craft and what he tried to do” than the “I’ve enjoyed this” column, and I’m simply not interested in that kind of investment right now. Verdict:
	Mythos by Stephen Fry My Thoughts: I listened to the audiobook at the beginning of the month, I just need to write about it. Also, this was the second time this book ended up on this list (see #13 in the series), just another edition. So, that’s easy enough, eh? Verdict: