Down the TBR Hole (27 of 29+)

I only managed to cut one book last week–I managed to do a little better this week. I also managed to confuse myself a bit by some of these selections making it to my “To Read” list in the first place. It’s like I don’t know me. Let’s get into it shall we?

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)

	Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread by Michiko Kakutani, Dana Tanamachi (Illustrator) Blurb: “Pulitzer Prize–winning literary critic Michiko Kakutani shares 100 personal, thought-provoking essays about books that have mattered to her and that help illuminate the world we live in today—with beautiful illustrations throughout.” My Thoughts: This is the second or third book called Ex Libris that I’ve talked about in this series, the subtitle is the key, I guess. Sounds like it could be something I could get into, but the publisher’s site goes on to say that readers “will discover novels and memoirs by some of the most gifted writers working today; favorite classics worth reading or rereading; and nonfiction works, both old and new, that illuminate our social and political landscape and some of today’s most pressing issues.” It loses me there. I just don’t see me wanting to do more than argue with half of it. Verdict:
	Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream – and Why It Matters by Helen Smith, PhD. Blurb: “American society has become anti-male. Men are sensing the backlash and are consciously and unconsciously going “on strike.” They are dropping out of college, leaving the workforce and avoiding marriage and fatherhood at alarming rates…men aren’t dropping out because they are stuck in arrested development. They are instead acting rationally in response to the lack of incentives society offers them to be responsible fathers, husbands and providers. In addition, men are going on strike, either consciously or unconsciously, because they do not want to be injured by the myriad of laws, attitudes and hostility against them for the crime of happening to be male in the twenty-first century.” My Thoughts: A reviewer I typically trust spoke favorably about this last year, so I put it on the list. Reading the description now, I don’t see the appeal. However true that premise might partially be, I can’t imagine this book is all that helpful. Verdict:
	Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill Blurb: “The Greeks invented everything from Western warfare to mystical prayer, from logic to statecraft. Their achievements in art and philosophy are widely celebrated while others are unknown or underappreciated. In Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, Thomas Cahill explores their legacy, good and bad.” My Thoughts: I loved Cahill’s How the Irisih Saved Civilization (longer ago than I care to admit). I bet his take on Greek civilization from The Bronze Age through AD 310 is fascinating. Verdict:
	Geek Ink: The World’s Smartest Tattoos for Rebels, Nerds, Scientists, and Intellectuals by Emanuele Pagani Blurb: “This tattoo inspiration sourcebook and ultimate coffee table book presents mind-blowing tattoos on themes from science fiction and fantasy, as well as a wide range of topics across science, mathematics, literature, fine art, cult cinema, and philosophy.” My Thoughts: Sounds like fun to flip through, but I just don’t see me shelling out the bucks for it. Also, it doesn’t appear to be available in the States. So, you know… Verdict:
	The Shootist by Glendon Swarthout Blurb: “The Shootist is John Bernard Books, a gunfighter at the turn of the twentieth century who must confront the greatest Shootist of all: Death. Most men would end their days in bed or take their own lives, but a gunfighter has a third option, one that Books decides to exercise…As word spreads that the famous assassin has incurable cancer, an assortment of human vultures gathers to feast on the corpse—among them a gambler, a rustler, a clergyman, an undertaker, an old love, a reporter, even an admiring teenager. What follows is the last courageous act in Books’s own legend.” My Thoughts: My father made me watch the movie a few times as a kid, I saw the book mentioned somewhere and had to give it a shot. Verdict:
	Shane by Jack Schaefer Blurb: “The Starrett family’s life forever changes when a man named Shane rides out of the great glowing West and up to their farm in 1889. Young Bob Starrett is entranced by this stoic stranger who brings a new energy to his family. Shane stays on as a farmhand, but his past remains a mystery. Many folks in their small Wyoming valley are suspicious of Shane, and make it known that he is not welcome. But dangerous as Shane may seem, he is a staunch friend to the Starretts—and when a powerful neighboring rancher tries to drive them out of their homestead, Shane becomes entangled in the deadly feud.” My Thoughts: I’m not a big Western reader. But there are some things that seem essential. It’s also pretty short, which helps. Between this and The Shootist, I wonder what I was doing that put classic Westerns on my radar (maybe something involving True Grit, I remember doing some reading about that last year). Verdict:
	A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones Blurb: “AllvSunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind thatstarts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven)…Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior.” My Thoughts: I had more fun with the series debut last year than I expected, the only reason I haven’t read this yet is that it’s not out. Verdict:
	The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction by Neil Gaiman (obviously) Blurb: “An outstanding array—52 pieces in all—of selected fiction from the multiple-award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, introduced with a foreword by Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James Spanning Gaiman’s career to date, The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction is a captivating collection from one of the world’s most beloved writers.” My Thoughts: Just not feeling it. My guess is that this collection would be very frustrating–every time I’d start to get into whatever world he’d be playing in, the story would be over. Verdict:
	Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Blurb: “Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.” My Thoughts: Based on the publication date, my kids (and, by extension, I) should have been all over this. Somehow, we missed it. Looks like it could be a fun ride…Another one Bookstooge made look appealing Verdict:
	Evolving Vegan: Deliciously Diverse Recipes from North America’s Best Plant-Based Eateries—for Anyone Who Loves Food by Mena Massoud Blurb: This “cookbook celebrates both flavors and stories from a wide array of plant-based eateries all across North America, proving that a plant-friendly diet is truly accessible to all!…Containing recipes from many different countries and cultures, and including helpful tips for lifelong vegans or flexitarians looking to expand their repertoire of vegan dishes, Evolving Vegan takes you on a food-based road trip to explore the vibrancy of veganism across North America.” My Thoughts: I’m trying to get closer to a Plant-Based Whole Food diet, looks like I should be able to get a few things out of this. Verdict: