I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Title: I Capture the Castle

Author: Dodie Smith

Publisher: 1948

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Pages: 408

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf RC - August (Chosen By Friends)

I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"-- and the heart of the reader-- in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.

I was gifted this book during a Christmas exchange as the person who gave it told me that it was her favorite book. Somehow I had never actually read this one. After finishing, I feel very meh about this one. I found Cassandra to be at times so very naive and at other times too old for her age. I was intrigued by the book in the first half, but then the neighbors show up and Cassandra becomes a completely different person. I was not a fan of the personality switch. She become such a whiny girl and treated her family so badly. I got to the end of the book and felt very meh about this one. After thinking about it a bit more, I might have loved this book at aged 15, but as a 40 year old woman, I’m not quite a huge fan.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Title: Parable of the Sower (Earthed #1)

Author: Octavia E. Butler

Publisher: 1993

Genre: Scifi

Pages: 345

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf Project; Read Shelf RC - September (A Book that Represents the Reader You Want to Be)

Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others.

When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.

We choose this book for my sci-fi and fantasy bookclub after a few difficult books. Ooops! Looks like we picked another difficult book. I had previous read Kindred and was really interested to read other Butler works. I completely understand why she wrote that book. I am more confused about why she wrote this book. Right away we are hit with a very depressing story featuring a young woman who survives and creates a religion. And somehow we have to contend with a very detached style of writing. We never really see Laura truly get horrified by the events in the story. On the other side, I did definitely have visceral and a dramatic reaction to the events. I even took a break after the big events right in the middle of the book. I picked it back up and finally finished the story and immediately just sat back and took a minute. It was a rough story full of graphic events. After thinking, I was impressed with Butler’s skill at creating an entire world that feels so prescient to today’s world. I see the importance of this book. But ultimately, I have a huge issue with the religion piece of this book. I’m still struggling with Laura’s push to create a new religion. The presumption that religion is a good thing stopped me and almost made me stop reading this book. I will be attending an online book discussion on Sunday. Really looking forward to hearing what everyone thought about the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

Title: The Happily Ever After Playlist (The Friend Zone #2)

Author: Abby Jimenez

Publisher: Forever 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 401

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy; Fall TBR

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can't seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a "take me home" look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker's owner reaches out. He's a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.
Well, Sloan's not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can't deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There's no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

I didn’t absolutely love the first book in this series. Kristen just wasn’t my favorite character, but I really loved Sloan. So it was really nice to read Sloan’s story after the terrible tragedy from the first book. Right away, I was suck into the story and fell for Sloan and especially Jason. I absolutely adored Sloan and Jason’s growing relationship. And then they hit some pretty big obstacles. If I was reading any other style of book, I would have been really concerned. As this was a contemporary romance, everything ended up just right and Sloan and Jason got their happily ever after. So don’t been too sad in the middle of the book, everything will turn out okay.

The Friend Zone

• #1 The Friend Zone

• #2 The Happily Ever After Playlist

• #3 Life’s Too Short

Next up on the TBR pile:

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Title: Code Name Hélène

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: Anchor 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 496

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Modern Mrs. Darcy

In 1936 Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Marseille who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name.

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène follows Nancy's transformation from journalist into one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, known for her ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and her ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces. But with power comes notoriety, and no matter how careful Nancy is to protect her identity, the risk of exposure is great—for herself and for those she loves.

Our book club selection for November and a return to WWII historical fiction. Overall, I am burnt out on the subgenere, but this volume was a good addition. We get a semi-biographical story of Nancy Wake and her adventures within the French Resistance. We jump back and forth through her timeline understanding where she is now (the present) and how she got there (the past). We see her navigate tough positions and become a very independent thinker. We see she make friends and lose friends. Unlike many other books, the dual timeline was done well and did not annoy me. It probably helped that it’s one person’s timeline and not a modern and historical split like usual. Nancy is such a strong character that she carries the book for me. I was constantly intrigued by how she got into the position that she’s in in 1944. The pacing is a bit uneven. I sped through the first 60 pages and then it lagged for awhile. The book is almost 500 pages long.  There are two very graphic scenes fairly close together that caused me to put the book down for a few days. I definitely could not power through the graphic torture scenes without a bit of a breather. But once I moved past that section, I was back into the story until the end. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Title: A Spindle Splintered (Fractured Fables #1)

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Publisher: Tordotcom 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 126

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Seasonal TBR

It's Zinnia Gray's twenty-first birthday, which is extra-special because it's the last birthday she'll ever have. When she was young, an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition. Not much is known about her illness, just that no-one has lived past twenty-one.

Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia's last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate.

Loved this meta fairy tale where Zinnia falls into her favorite story, Sleeping Story. We get multiple pop culture references along Zinnia’s path to her own story. This book is very short, but fast-paced and fun. I loved seeing her interact with the other fairy tale characters. The twist at the end made the book worth it.

Fractured Fables

• #1 A Spindle Splintered

• #2 A Mirror Mended

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Title: Bird Box

Author: Josh Malerman

Publisher: Ecco 2014

Genre: Horror

Pages: 305

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror; Seasonal TBR

Something is out there . . . 

Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.

Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children’s trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster?

Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey—a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside—and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?

I’ve been meaning to pick this one up for years now and I finally got around to it this month. Right away we are plunged into the uncertainty of Malorie’s world without sight. We start to piece together the story between the past and the present in alternating chapters. We slowly learn how Malorie ended up in the situation she is in. The tension just builds and builds and builds. Just like Malerman’s other works, we are treated to his use of atmosphere to create the main horrors of the stories. I loved the unknowns within this novel. I loved finding out what happened to all the other people in the house. I loved seeing Malorie struggle with her own decisions. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. It felt too neat and tidy after all that tension. I’m not debating about reading the second book in the series and/or watching the movie version.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

Title: Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women #3)

Author: Evie Dunmore

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 426

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Seasonal TBR

London banking heiress Hattie Greenfield wanted just three things in life:
1. Acclaim as an artist.
2. A noble cause.
3. Marriage to a young lord who puts the gentle in gentleman.

Why then does this Oxford scholar find herself at the altar with the darkly attractive financier Lucian Blackstone, whose murky past and ruthless business practices strike fear in the hearts of Britain's peerage? Trust Hattie to take an invigorating little adventure too far. Now she's stuck with a churlish Scot who just might be the end of her ambitions....

When the daughter of his business rival all but falls into his lap, Lucian sees opportunity. As a self-made man, he has vast wealth but holds little power, and Hattie might be the key to finally setting long-harbored political plans in motion. Driven by an old desire for revenge, he has no room for his new wife's apprehensions or romantic notions, bewitching as he finds her.

But a sudden journey to Scotland paints everything in a different light. Hattie slowly sees the real Lucian and realizes she could win everything--as long as she is prepared to lose her heart.

I started this book loving the characters and the premise. I was so very into the storyline until about 40% of the way through. It started to get very repetitive for me and I really started to lose interest. My main issue is how Lucian continues to treat Hattie even after they are married, and especially after they have sex. I get the enemies to lovers trope. I get the one bed trope. My issue is fundamentally how he treats her. He’s okay with having sex with her, but cannot have a simple conversation without becoming antagonistic and condescending. I just could not take it. Sure, Hattie is a bit spoiled, but she consistently shows so much compassion for people that it was hard to have Lucian treat her like a child. The dichotomy did me in. I just could not root for their relationship at all. I had high hopes at the end that the big decision would stick, but then we get him showing up all ready to profess his love. I just couldn’t buy it. very disappointed in how this one worked out. It didn’t get my all the warm and fuzzies that I want from my historical romances.

A League of Extraordinary Women

• #1 Bringing Down the Duke

• #2 A Rogue of One’s Own

• #3 Portrait of a Scotsman

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Title: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories

Author: Angela Carter

Publisher:

Genre: Horror

Pages: 176

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual; Seasonal TBR

In The Bloody Chamber , Carter's famous collection of deeply unsettling stories inspired by fairy tales, a Beauty is turned into a Beast and Little Red Riding's grandmother is stoned to death as a witch; a young music student is swept off her feet in Paris by a middle-aged aristocrat and transported to his ancestral abode to re-enact the story of Bluebeard against a sumptuous fin de siècle background; a British soldier on a cycling holiday in Transylvania in the summer of 1914 finds himself the guest of an alluring female vampire. By contrast, in Wise Children, Carter's last novel), the comic, the bawdy and the life-enhancing prevail. An irrepressible elderly lady recalls the many colorful decades she and her sister spent as vaudeville performers - a tale as full of twins and mistaken identities as any plot of Shakespeare's. The early collection, Fireworks , reveals Carter taking her first forays into the fantastic writing that was to become her unforgettable legacy. The Everyman's Library omnibus gathers the best of Angela Carter in one astonishing volume.

I finally read this collection of short stories! And really, it’s a gem of the horror genre. We get a collection of stories that take classic fairy tales and turn them on their heads. The horror is subtle at times, but that makes it all the more terrifying. “The Bloody Chamber” is of course the story of Bluebeard, but we get such tension and buildup to the reveal that it makes it seem like a completely new story. I loved the vampire story as a new viewpoint on the undead in a crumbling mansion. Over and over, I was awed at the atmosphere and tension that Carter created within each short story. I really felt like I was right in the story experiencing the horror first hand. Beautiful and horrific collection!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. 2016

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 561

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

When you can’t beat the odds, change the game.

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets—a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Oh yes! I was hoping for an action packed end to the story of these six misfits. And we got one. I feel even more for Kaz as he tries to rescue Inej and make the various parties pay for their crimes. I loved attempting to figure out his plan before it was fully revealed. I loved how he connected even more with many of the characters, specifically Wylan, love them together! Beyond Kaz, we finally get to see the other characters come into their own power and identity. There are plenty of heartfelt moments throughout the book that keep me emotionally connected through the various action sequences. I am so in love with the this duology. And we get a tantalizing appearance from Nikolai that should lead into his duology. It’s on my list for later this year! I am sad to leave Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias, but it was a good ending.

Six of Crows:

• #1 Six of Crows

• #2 Crooked Kingdom

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall TBR

Fall TBR: A mix of older books and new releases for this fall. All the spooky books are on tap for October and the others will probably be read for November…

1. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

2. Girls Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare

   • The Wallflower Wager

   • The Bride Bet

3. The Woods are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins

4. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

5. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

6. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

7. The Guide by Peter Heller

8. Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

9. Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

10. A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

11. The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

12. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kristin Bakis

13. Underground Airplines by Ben Winters

14. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

15. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

16. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

17. Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

19. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

20. A Court of Throne sand Roses by Sarah J. Maas

21. The Witches by Stacy Schiff

22. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

23. The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

24. Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian

25. Rereads

    • Sunshine by Robin McKinley

    • The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
      

Summer TBR: Let’s see how I did on my Summer TBR. I managed to read 12/25. I lost the plot a bit… but I did read some ones that I was looking forward to.

1. Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood

2. Troy by Stephen Fry

3. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain ✓

4. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers ✓

5. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid ✓

6. For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten ✓

7. The Guide by Peter Heller

8. Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson ✓

9. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

10. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

11. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley ✓

12. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry ✓

13. Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019 ✓

14. Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw Series by Michelle Hodkin

    • The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)

    • The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #1)

    • The Reckoning of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #2)

15. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

16. Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May ✓

17. Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer

18. The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks ✓

19. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ✓

20. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

21. Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens

    • The Untamed Bride

    • The Elusive Bride

    • The Brazen Bride

    • The Reckless Bride

22. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

    • The Thousandth Floor

    • The Dazzling Heights

23. Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel

24. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

25. A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark ✓

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall TBR

8/10 complete this season! Amazing Work! Let's see how I did with my Summer TBR:

1. Another Romance Series - Maiden Lane by Elizabeth Hoyt in progress

2. Three Book of the Month Books ✓

   • The Paris Hours by Alex George

   • Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

   • The End of October by Lawrence Wright

3. Two Her Royal Spyness Books ✓

   • On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen

   • Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

4. Two Nonfiction Books ✓

   • Pandemic 1918 by Catharine Arnold

   • A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

5. Two Carryover Books from Spring

6. A Historical Fiction - Conjure Women by Afia Atakora ✓

7. A Fairy Tale - Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke ✓

8. Four Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Picks ✓

   • Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

   • I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos

   • Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

   • Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

9. A Horror Book - Home Before Dark by Riley Sager ✓

10. Two YA Books ✓

    • A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

    • A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Fall TBR: I really want to clear off all my Book of the Month selections from my shelves. Currently, I have 11 BOTM selections unread on my shelves. I need to read at least 10 this season.

1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

2. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

3. One Day in December by Josie Silver

4. In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

5. Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

6. The Buried by Peter Hessler

7. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

8. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

9. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

10. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall TBR

Ummm… oops! I completely forgot about my Fall TBR post until last night. Even though it’s a bit late, I’m moving forward and posting this season’s TBR.

Let's see how I did with my Summer TBR (3/10): Very slightly better than Summer’s TBR, but not a great showing.

1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

2. Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi

3. Booknotes by Brian Lamb - Done!

4. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - Done!

5. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

6. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Stephan Brusatte

7. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

8. Columbine by Dave Cullen - Done!

9. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

10. Two Her Royal Spyness volumes

Fall TBR: Going for some of the books that I’m hoping to finish by the end of the year!

1. Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen

2. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

3. Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

4. The Witches by Stacy Schiff

5. Feed by MT Anderson

6. The Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis

7. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

8. The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

9. Craft a Life You Love by Amy Tangerine

10. The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall TBR Pile

Today I'm sharing my Fall TBR pile. Come October, I always feel the need to reevaluate my reading goals for the year. What books did I really want to read at the start of 2016 that have somehow fallen off my TBR pile? There's always a few.

1. Rat Queens Vol 3
2. Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger
3. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
4. Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
5. 2-3 Fairytale retellings (maybe library selections)
6. Paper Towns by John Green
7. Bossypants by Tina Fey
8. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
9. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
10. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Top Ten Tuesday -- Fall 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!

Fall TBR: My fall TBR list always focuses on the last books that I definitely want to read before the end of the year. There are some books on here that have languished on the shelf for years.  I really need to get these off and read!

1. Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
2. The Awakening by Kate Chopin (reread)
3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (reread so I can finally watch the show)
4. Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan
5. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
7. Siddartha by Herman Hesse
8. Divergent by Veronica Roth
9. Looking for Alaska by John Green
10. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Summer TBR Recap (4/10):

1. Back to the Classics
2. Rereading
3. Series -- Locke and Key #6 √
4. Well Rounded Reader (self help, art/design, home) -- Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon √
5. Movie -- Casino Royale by Ian Fleming √
6. Random ebook freebie
7. Ebook
8. Presidents -- Washington by Ron Chernow √
9. 21st Century Women Authors
10. Nonfiction Adventure

Top Ten Tuesday -- Fall 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!

The year is coming to an end!!!!  And I have so many books yet to read!  I decided to focus this list on some of the challenges I can complete. Here are my top 10:

1. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- I keep putting this book off.  Don't know why because I absolutely loved The Shadow of the Wind. (Completes Sub-Genre Challenge, Dusty Bookshelf Challenge)
2. Children of Men by P.D. James -- Another book that's been sitting around forever. (Helps complete Dystopia Challenge and Book to Movie Challenge, Dusty Bookshelf Challenge)
3. 1984 by George Orwell -- A classic that I haven't read in many many years. (Helps complete Dystopia Challenge, Dusty Bookshelf Challenge)
4. The Road by Cormac McCarthy -- I've heard mixed reviews about this book.  Hope I like it!  (Helps complete Dystopia Challenge, Monthly Key Word Challenge, Book to Movie Challenge)
5. Billionaire Wins the Game -- Some fluffy romance to even out the heavy reads. (Helps complete Romance Challenge, Monthly Key Word Challenge, Ebook Challenge)
6. Her Ladyship's Companion by Evangeline Collins -- Another fluffy romance.  This one's been hanging out for awhile now. (Helps complete Romance Challenge, Dusty Bookshelf Challenge))
7. The Sandman Vol. 11 and 12 -- Really love this series.  I want to finish the main series this year. (Helps complete Neil Gaiman Challenge, Seriously Seres Challenge)
8. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman -- Been loving the Gaiman lately.  Hope to finish out the challenge strong. (Helps complete Neil Gaiman Challenge, Blogger Recommendations Challenge)
9. Locke and Key Vol. 6 -- Waiting and waiting for this volume to make it to the library.  I may have to wait until I go back to Indiana and get it from that library on my mom's card. Must read the conclusion! (Completes Graphic Novel Challenge)
10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas -- Carry over from my Summer TBR.  Still really want to read this one, it just keeps getting overlooked... (Helps complete Classics Challenge, Blogger Recommendations Challenge, Book to Movie Challenge)

Summer TBR Recap (4/10): Didn't do a very good job with my summer TBR.  Oh well!  I did read a ton this summer and knocked out a ton of reading challenge spots.

1. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
2. Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin -- Decided I didn't like the author that much. Sold at HPB
3. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir -- Moved to 2014
4. Collapse by Jared Diamond -- Moved to 2014
5. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray -- Still hope for read for 2013
6. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
7. Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason
8. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas -- Carried over to Fall TBR
9. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
10. Wicked by Gregory Maguire -- Still hope to read for 2013

Top Ten Tuesday -- Fall TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!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!

My Fall TBR list is really my "I need to read to finish my reading challenges" books.  So really this should be a my Fall TBR categories and number of books.  Some of these are already sitting on my TBR shelf and others are definitely not going to get read...  So sad!  I'm sure some of these will end up on my Winter TBR list.

1. Zombie (7) -- Rhiannon Frater's As the World Dies trilogy; Feed and Deadline by Mira Grant; Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux

2. Fantasy (2) -- The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming

3. Romance (3) -- The Maiden's Hand and At the Queen's Summons by Susan Wiggs; P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern

4. Fairy Tales (5) - A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn; Mythology by Edith Hamilton; The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison; The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

5. Historical Fiction (6) -- The Girl from Junchow and The Jewel of St. Petersburg by Kate Furnivall; The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees;

6. Shakespeare (5) - As You Like It; King Lear; Pericles; Cymbeline; Othello

7. Science Fiction (3) - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep? by Philip K. Dick; Snow Crash By Neal Stephensob

8. Outlander series (5)

9. HP (1)

10. Classics (5) -- A Wrinkle in Time by L'Engle; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson; Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes

11. Lots of nonfiction (too many to list)

Summer TBR Recap -- more than half, but not great progress

1. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
4. Mythology by Edith Hamilton (started)
5. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
6. Neptune’s Sun by Rick Riordan (started)
7. The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman
8. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
9. A Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray 
10. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead 
11. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
12. Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi
13. Fairy tale retellings
14. Lots of romance from Susan Wiggs, Nora Roberts, Julia London, Paula Quinn and others
15. Finish the Semi-Charmed Summer Challenge