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Still Life by Louise Penny

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Title: Still Life (Inspector Gamache #1)

Author: Louise Penny

Publisher: Minotaur Books 2008

Genre: Mysteries

Pages: 314

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Modern Mrs. Darcy; Seasonal TBR

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods, and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter.
Still Life introduces not only an engaging series hero in Inspector Gamache, who commands his forces---and this series---with integrity and quiet courage, but also a winning and talented new writer of traditional mysteries in the person of Louise Penny.

Okay, don’t throw anything at me, but my overwhelming feeling about this book was boredom. I was thoroughly bored. Police procedurals/murder mysteries are really not my genre. I rarely find one that I love, but do find a whole lot more that I hate. This one I didn’t hate, but I certainly didn’t love. The actual murder itself was fairly pedestrian. The characters in Three Pines weren’t that interesting to me. I definitely did not get the urge to up and move there. Inspector Gamache was okay, but he’s not Poirot. My biggest complaint is the writing. The beginning chapters are a muddled mess narration wise. We begin hearing the inner workings of one character and suddenly Penny switches to another character with little to no warning. I seriously had to back up and reread paragraphs to caught the practically non-existent transitions. Also, the writing can be overly flowery and descriptive. So many unnecessary sections thrown in. I just got really really bored with it all. At this point, I’m not sure if I will be continuing the series…

Inspector Gamache

  • #1 Still Life

  • #2 A Fatal Grace

  • #3 The Cruelest Month

  • #4 A Rule Against Murder

  • #5 The Brutal Telling

  • #6 Bury Your Dead

  • #7 A Trick of the Light

  • #8 The Beautiful Mystery

  • #9 How the Light Gets In

  • #10 The Long Way Home

  • #11 The Nature of the Beast

  • #12 A Great Reckoning

  • #13 Glass Houses

  • #14 Kingdom of the Blind

  • #15 A Better Man

  • #16 All the Devils are Here

  • #17 The Madness of Crowds

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Next up on the TBR pile:

say you'll remember.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg jujutsu16.jpg jujutsu 17.jpg jujutsu 18.jpg ne'er duke.jpg wedding people.jpg seoulmates.jpg black butler.jpg drop of corruption.jpg jujutsu 19.jpg jujutsu 20.jpg grace year.jpg jujutsu21.jpg jujutsu22.jpg jujutsu23.jpg jujutsu24.jpg jujutsu25.jpg jujutsu26.jpg jujutsu27.jpg maybe you should.jpg mayor of maxwell.jpg wicked things.jpg someone you can build.jpg somewhere beyond.jpg tales accursed.jpg
tags: Louise Penny, Unread Shelf Project, Modern Mrs. Darcy, mystery, 3 stars, Spring TBR List
categories: Book Reviews
Wednesday 05.12.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Toll by Neal Shusterman

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Title: The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 640

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Currently Reading - So Good I Didn’t Want It to End

Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?

The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll, and the Thunder.

What a ride! I was a little scared going into this book after the shocking conclusion to the second book. I should not have been scared. Right away, we’re pulled right back into the storyline following all of our favorite (or hated) characters. I was excited that we get even more Greyson in this book and the introduction to another amazing character, Jeri. I couldn’t wait to see how our beloved characters would take down Goddard’s new order and restore some type of harmony to the world. And then there was the question of the Thunderhead and it’s intentions. I loved that we got to see more inner workings from the Thunderhead. I did not guess it’s ultimate goal until after Anastasia’s first message. From then, I was so excited to see how it all ended. I loved every page of this series. A must read!

Arc of a Scythe:

  • #1 Scythe

  • #2 Thunderhead

  • #3 The Toll

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Next up on the TBR pile:

say you'll remember.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg jujutsu16.jpg jujutsu 17.jpg jujutsu 18.jpg ne'er duke.jpg wedding people.jpg seoulmates.jpg black butler.jpg drop of corruption.jpg jujutsu 19.jpg jujutsu 20.jpg grace year.jpg jujutsu21.jpg jujutsu22.jpg jujutsu23.jpg jujutsu24.jpg jujutsu25.jpg jujutsu26.jpg jujutsu27.jpg maybe you should.jpg mayor of maxwell.jpg wicked things.jpg someone you can build.jpg somewhere beyond.jpg tales accursed.jpg
tags: science fiction, young adult, Neal Shusterman, 5 stars, Spring TBR List, Currently Reading RC
categories: Book Reviews
Saturday 05.08.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Buy Yourself the Fucking Lilies by Tara Schuster

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Title: Buy Yourself the Fucking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There

Author: Tara Schuster

Publisher: Dial Press Trade 2020

Genre: Nonfiction - Self-help, Memoir

Pages: 352

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

By the time she was in her late twenties, Tara Schuster was a rising TV executive who had worked for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and helped launch Key & Peele to viral superstardom. By all appearances, she had mastered being a grown-up. But beneath that veneer of success, she was a chronically anxious, self-medicating mess. No one knew that her road to adulthood had been paved with depression, anxiety, and shame, owing in large part to her minimally parented upbringing. She realized she’d hit rock bottom when she drunk-dialed her therapist pleading for help.

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies is the story of Tara’s path to re-parenting herself and becoming a “ninja of self-love.” Through simple, daily rituals, Tara transformed her mind, body, and relationships, and shows how to

• fake gratitude until you actually feel gratitude
• excavate your emotional wounds and heal them with kindness
• identify your self-limiting beliefs, kick them to the curb, and start living a life you choose
• silence your inner frenemy and shield yourself from self-criticism
• carve out time each morning to start your day empowered, inspired, and ready to rule
• create a life you truly, totally f*cking LOVE

This is the book Tara wished someone had given her and it is the book many of us desperately need: a candid, hysterical, addictively readable, practical guide to growing up (no matter where you are in life) and learning to love yourself in a non-throw-up-in-your-mouth-it’s-so-cheesy way.

Hmmmm… this book is not for me, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad book. I just didn’t get a lot out of the life lessons included in the chapters.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

say you'll remember.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg jujutsu16.jpg jujutsu 17.jpg jujutsu 18.jpg ne'er duke.jpg wedding people.jpg seoulmates.jpg black butler.jpg drop of corruption.jpg jujutsu 19.jpg jujutsu 20.jpg grace year.jpg jujutsu21.jpg jujutsu22.jpg jujutsu23.jpg jujutsu24.jpg jujutsu25.jpg jujutsu26.jpg jujutsu27.jpg maybe you should.jpg mayor of maxwell.jpg wicked things.jpg someone you can build.jpg somewhere beyond.jpg tales accursed.jpg
tags: memoir, self-help, nonfiction, 3 stars, Tara Schuster, Spring TBR List
categories: Book Reviews
Wednesday 05.05.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

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Title: The Lost Apothecary

Author: Sarah Penner

Publisher: Park Row 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 298

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Seasonal TBR

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

Spoilers in my review (I can’t not rant about the spoilers)

My immediate review after finishing this book was boring. But then I started to think about it more and I moved to “I disliked that book immensely.” It employs a lot of the strategies and techniques that I hate about historical fiction and women’s fiction and does them very poorly. More specifically, here are my problems with the book:

  • I thought it was magical realism or a murder mystery or at least suspense, but nope just straight historical fiction.

  • Dual timelime - I almost never enjoy these as one of the stories is much more interesting than the other. In this case, they are both boring.

  • Modern woman is supposed to be the reader’s anchor, but I instantly disliked her. I didn’t find her relatable at all, but instead a sad sack woman who falls back into bad communication.

  • Gaslighting men - Seriously, I know how terrible men can be. Kind of sick of reading books where they are so villainous. So many in a row!

  • No distinction between “voices” - We are given three first person narrators who all sound the same. If you picked a randomly passage, I would be hard pressed to guess which of the three women it was without some historical marker clue.

  • All women are obsessed with having/not having children - Big theme I’m noticing in books lately and I’m so over it. Even Eliza at 12 is obsessed with the state of womb, she just doesn’t quite know it yet.

  • So many not plausible twists and coincidences. Seriously James ingested the poison to attempt get Caroline back? And her notebook with notes about poisons falls out of her bag and opens to that page so that the police immediately see it when they come in. No fucking way. Too much.

  • Why does every modern woman in these kind of books have to be running away from something? In this case a cheating husband (who conveniently follows her and shows just how terrible he can be). Why can’t a woman just stumble upon a mystery and have a group of friends or dare I say a good partner that they share it with.

  • Caroline’s stupidity throughout annoyed me so much. Why are we keeping things from Gaynor? Other than you breaking and entering the apothecary shop, nothing is scandalous or illegal. So why the secrecy?

  • Warming tincture saved Eliza’s life in the river? WTF?

  • (The characters were so forgettable that I almost wrote the main modern character’s name as Claire multiple times.)

So incredibly disappointed in this read. I guess it will be a good one to rip to shreds during book club.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

say you'll remember.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg jujutsu16.jpg jujutsu 17.jpg jujutsu 18.jpg ne'er duke.jpg wedding people.jpg seoulmates.jpg black butler.jpg drop of corruption.jpg jujutsu 19.jpg jujutsu 20.jpg grace year.jpg jujutsu21.jpg jujutsu22.jpg jujutsu23.jpg jujutsu24.jpg jujutsu25.jpg jujutsu26.jpg jujutsu27.jpg maybe you should.jpg mayor of maxwell.jpg wicked things.jpg someone you can build.jpg somewhere beyond.jpg tales accursed.jpg
tags: historical fiction, 2 stars, Sarah Penner, Book of the Month, Spring TBR List, Unread Shelf Project, Girly Book Club
categories: Book Reviews
Tuesday 04.13.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Outlawed by Anna North

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Title: Outlawed

Author: Anna North

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2021

Genre: Fiction - Alternate History; Western

Pages: 261

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Seasonal RC

In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw.

The day of her wedding, 17 year old Ada’s life looks good; she loves her husband, and she loves working as an apprentice to her mother, a respected midwife. But after a year of marriage and no pregnancy, in a town where barren women are routinely hanged as witches, her survival depends on leaving behind everything she knows.

She joins up with the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang, a band of outlaws led by a preacher-turned-robber known to all as the Kid. Charismatic, grandiose, and mercurial, the Kid is determined to create a safe haven for outcast women. But to make this dream a reality, the Gang hatches a treacherous plan that may get them all killed. And Ada must decide whether she’s willing to risk her life for the possibility of a new kind of future for them all.

I was so excited to grab this on from Book of the Month back in January. It was a very enjoyable story, but missed the mark just a bit for me. The book was slightly slow to start, but once Ada arrived at the Hole in the Wall Gang, everything started to pick up. From there, I was reading at a decent clip to get to the end of the adventure. Ada is at times, a very sympathetic character and a very annoying character. I enjoyed many of the other characters, and wished we had learned a bit more about some of them (e.g. Lo and Newsy). The book misses the mark just a bit by getting bogged down in Ada’s obsession with having a child/getting married. In this sections, I was less likely to keep reading the book. Upon reflection, I think this is a really good feminist alternate history western. But for my 5 star read, I would turn to Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey. I love their take on a feminist western.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

say you'll remember.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg jujutsu16.jpg jujutsu 17.jpg jujutsu 18.jpg ne'er duke.jpg wedding people.jpg seoulmates.jpg black butler.jpg drop of corruption.jpg jujutsu 19.jpg jujutsu 20.jpg grace year.jpg jujutsu21.jpg jujutsu22.jpg jujutsu23.jpg jujutsu24.jpg jujutsu25.jpg jujutsu26.jpg jujutsu27.jpg maybe you should.jpg mayor of maxwell.jpg wicked things.jpg someone you can build.jpg somewhere beyond.jpg tales accursed.jpg
tags: Anna North, Book of the Month, western, historical fiction, fantasy, Spring TBR List, 4 stars
categories: Book Reviews
Tuesday 04.06.21
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Spring TBR

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Let's see how I did with my Winter TBR (2/10): Oooofff… what a terrible showing for winter. Hoping the spring goes better.

  1. The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas ✓

  2. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

  3. Friends without Benefits by Penny Reid

  4. Kate Chopin by Emily Toth

  5. The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara ✓

  6. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

  7. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

  8. Well Met by Jen DeLuca

  9. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

  10. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Spring TBR:

  1. Circe and Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Circe is a reread for GBC, but I haven’t read Song of Achilles yet.

  2. Two More Her Royal Spyness Novels by Rhys Bowen - Cozy mysteries are perfect for this very uncertain time. Hoping to read two this season.

  3. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson - Really excited to read this one! and I even won a copy in a giveaway.

  4. All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace - BOTM selection and UnRead Shelf

  5. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin - Gift from a friend

  6. Uprooted by Naomi Novik - Seriously been on my shelf for too long…

  7. The Beautiful and the Danmed by F. Scott Fitzgerald - A classic I’ve had for too long.

  8. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry - Another gift book

  9. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran - Put off for too long.

  10. A Nonfiction Library Find - I love discovering random interesting nonfiction at the library.

Next up on the TBR pile:

say you'll remember.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg jujutsu16.jpg jujutsu 17.jpg jujutsu 18.jpg ne'er duke.jpg wedding people.jpg seoulmates.jpg black butler.jpg drop of corruption.jpg jujutsu 19.jpg jujutsu 20.jpg grace year.jpg jujutsu21.jpg jujutsu22.jpg jujutsu23.jpg jujutsu24.jpg jujutsu25.jpg jujutsu26.jpg jujutsu27.jpg maybe you should.jpg mayor of maxwell.jpg wicked things.jpg someone you can build.jpg somewhere beyond.jpg tales accursed.jpg
tags: Spring TBR List
categories: Books
Friday 03.20.20
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Spring TBR

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Let's see how I did with my Winter TBR (5/10): Only 50% completion, but I did knock off some books that have been on my TBR for awhile now. And I hope to get to the others soon for my UnRead Shelf Project…

  1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

  2. In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

  3. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton ✓

  4. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

  5. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han ✓

  6. Zorro by Isabel Allende ✓

  7. Chronicles of St. Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor ✓

  8. Ghostland by Colin Dickey

  9. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

  10. Eruption by Steve Olson ✓

Spring TBR:

  1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (own) — One of those library sale steals that has been languishing on my stacks even though I really wanted to read it when I bought it.

  2. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (own) — I was gifted this a few months back and really want to dive in.

  3. Booknotes by Brian Lamb (own) — Love my random U.S. History based books. Need to read this one from my bookshelves.

  4. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch — A buzzy book I really need to read.

  5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness — I want to watch the television series, but need to read the books first…

  6. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix — I need to inject more horror into my reading life. I usually really enjoy it.

  7. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Stephen Brusatte — A new nonfiction book I really want to read.

  8. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman — I’ve heard so many great things about this one. Need to read.

  9. Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerry Maniscalco — I started this series and I really enjoyed the first book. I should pick up the second book.

  10. Another romance series (own) — I have so many sitting on my shelves. Just need to pick one to start.

Next up on the TBR pile:

say you'll remember.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg jujutsu16.jpg jujutsu 17.jpg jujutsu 18.jpg ne'er duke.jpg wedding people.jpg seoulmates.jpg black butler.jpg drop of corruption.jpg jujutsu 19.jpg jujutsu 20.jpg grace year.jpg jujutsu21.jpg jujutsu22.jpg jujutsu23.jpg jujutsu24.jpg jujutsu25.jpg jujutsu26.jpg jujutsu27.jpg maybe you should.jpg mayor of maxwell.jpg wicked things.jpg someone you can build.jpg somewhere beyond.jpg tales accursed.jpg
tags: Spring TBR List
categories: Books
Tuesday 03.19.19
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Top Ten Tuesday -- Spring TBR

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

How it works:

I assign each Tuesday a topic and then post my top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join me and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

Let's see how I did with my Winter TBR pile: 6 out of 10 books reads. I will take it! 

  1. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon ✓
  2. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman ✓
  3. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran ✓
  4. No Time Like the Past by Jodi Taylor ✓
  5. Tales from the 1001 Nights by Richard Burton ✓
  6. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh ✓
  7. Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
  8. A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom
  9. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
  10. Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Spring TBR:

  1. A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell -- Really want to read the newest Witchcraft Mystery book. Love these cozy mysteries.
  2. Rest of the Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh -- I've read the two prequels, now I would like to read the six main books. Would love to enjoy these and free up room on shelves.
  3. Another romance series -- Really any series that's currently sitting in my unread piles.
  4. Out of Africa by Isak Denison -- One of those classics that's been on my TBR list for a very long time.
  5. The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan -- A nonfiction pick I've been really excited to read.
  6. The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie -- Random read from my unread shelves.
  7. Two Chronicles of St. Mary's books by Jodi Taylor -- Love this series! Haven't read a volume for awhile now. Really want to get this moving again.
  8. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff -- Keeps popping up on podcasts and blogs I follow. Guess I really need to read this soon.
  9. Solaris by Stansilaw Lem -- Classic science fiction that I would like to get to.
  10. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay -- Another big podcast and blog recommendation.

Next up on the TBR pile:

say you'll remember.jpg jujutsu13.jpg jujutsu14.jpg jujutsu15.jpg jujutsu16.jpg jujutsu 17.jpg jujutsu 18.jpg ne'er duke.jpg wedding people.jpg seoulmates.jpg black butler.jpg drop of corruption.jpg jujutsu 19.jpg jujutsu 20.jpg grace year.jpg jujutsu21.jpg jujutsu22.jpg jujutsu23.jpg jujutsu24.jpg jujutsu25.jpg jujutsu26.jpg jujutsu27.jpg maybe you should.jpg mayor of maxwell.jpg wicked things.jpg someone you can build.jpg somewhere beyond.jpg tales accursed.jpg
tags: Top Ten Tuesday, Spring TBR List
categories: Books
Tuesday 03.20.18
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Top Ten Tuesday -- Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

  1. The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett -- I need to get back on the Discworld train.
  2. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor -- Really loving the Chronicles of St. Mary's series. I have the next book, just need to start it.
  3. The Golden Prince by Rebecca Dean -- As part of the Read Your Book Shelf Challenge. I started strong, but haven't began March's selection.
  4. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah -- Our May book club selection. I'm really excited to read (or perhaps listen) to this one.
  5. 1984 by George Orwell -- Feeling like it's time for a reread.
  6. Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan -- I can't believe I have never read this one.
  7. One Woman, One Vote by Marjorie Wheeler -- I need to read about a successful social movement.
  8. Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman -- Another classical reread that I need to get to soon.
  9. Another Comic -- I got off my track with this challenge. Need more comics in my life.
  10. A Classic -- I haven't even started this reading challenge. I need to get it going.
tags: Spring TBR List, Top Ten Tuesday
categories: Books
Tuesday 03.14.17
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Top Ten Tuesday -- Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Spring TBR: I have a nice mix of books on this list. Lots of volumes that I've been meaning to read for awhile now. Here's hoping I get to them this quarter!

  1. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
  2. Paper Towns by John Green
  3. Bossypants by Tina Fey
  4. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
  5. The Bostonians by Henry James
  6. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
  7. The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa
  8. The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman
  9. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
  10. Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Usually I add my previous season's TBR list and progress down here. Somehow I completely missed the Winter TBR post. How exactly did I do that? I have no idea. Oh well. Guess we get to start fresh this spring.

tags: Spring TBR List
categories: Books
Tuesday 03.15.16
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Top Ten Tuesday -- Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Spring TBR:

  1. Insurgent and Allegiant by Veronica Roth -- Been meaning to read the sequels after I really enjoyed Divergent. Plus, I want to see the Insurgent movie this summer.
  2. Yes Please by Amy Poehler -- Been on my list since it came out. We're reading this for April book club so I better finish it!
  3. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon -- Reread Outlander, now I need to get moving with the rest of the series.
  4. Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice -- Reread as part of my perpetual Anne Rice challenge.
  5. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- Want to finish out the series as it stands right now.
  6. 2 historical romances -- My guilty pleasure escape genre. I just started a new series last month and hope to finish it out this spring.
  7. 3 nonfiction books -- Besides Yes Please, I want to get some more nonfiction books in my reading rotation.

Winter TBR Recap (5/10): Not the best showing, but a few of those books were pretty long.

  1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien √
  2. Divergent by Veronica Roth √
  3. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin √
  4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon √
  5. Looking for Alaska by John Green
  6. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
  7. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
  8. The Diviners by Libba Bray
  9. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
  10. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn √
tags: Spring TBR List, Top Ten Tuesday
categories: Books
Tuesday 03.17.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Top Ten Tuesday -- Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Spring TBR:

  1. Sherlock Holmes story
  2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
  3. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  4. Locke and Key #6: Alpha and Omega
  5. Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk
  6. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  7. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
  8. Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
  9. Looking for Alaska by John Green
  10. Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon

Winter TBR Recap: 8/10 red ain't bad!  I think it's my best showing yet.

  1. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
  2. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
  3. Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest
  4. Sandition by Jane Austen
  5. Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
  6. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
  7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
  8. Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein
  9. In the Company of Secrets by Judith Miller
  10. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
tags: Spring TBR List, Top Ten Tuesday
categories: Books
Tuesday 03.18.14
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Top Ten Tuesday -- Spring TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

I love these weeks.  They help remind of those "must-read" books I somehow put off.  This quarter, I'm going with a ton of books I have lying around they have been put off and put off...

1. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin -- The second book in the Fire and Ice series.  I'm saving this one for my plane ride back to Indiana at the end of the month.  Can't wait!

2. The Postman by David Brinn -- The next science fiction book that J wants me to read.

3. Chicago Fire trilogy by Susan Wiggs -- A fluffy romance trilogy to tide me over this spring.

4. Lost and Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire -- I read these years ago.  I've been wanting to reread them for awhile.

5. The Host by Stephenie Meyer -- Another reread.  I want to finish it before the movie releases.

6. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern -- Been on my list for ages.  I really want to get it read and rewatch the movie for comparison.

7. Gale Force, Cape Storm, and Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine -- The last three books of the Weather Warden series.  I've enjoyed it so far, just need to finish it.

8. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond -- Years ago, I made it about halfway through before losing momentum.  I really want to finish this one.

9. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain -- A classic that's been on my list for years.

10. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa -- I received a copy a few months ago.  This spring I want to finally read it.

Winter TBR Recap (7/10) -- not a bad result at all

  1. The Magician King by Lev Grossman
  2. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan 
  3. Mythology by Edith Hamilton
  4. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
  5. The Firemaster's Mistress by Dickason
  6. Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes
  7. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
  8. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
  9. The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
  10. Rest of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series
tags: Spring TBR List, Top Ten Tuesday
categories: Books
Tuesday 03.12.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 
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