Wishes for My TBR Pile #19: Why the Odd Name?

Wishes for My TBR Pile is a monthly post where I list and sometimes discuss the books I’ve discovered and would like to get and read.

I usually publish these posts at the end of every month, but I got off track last year. Though I didn’t publish one in January, I plan to upload a Wishes for My TBR Pile post every month going forward.

I just realize how odd the title of these posts is: Wishes for My TBR Pile. I have several TBRs. The largest is my to-read list on Goodreads, where I add every book I have a slight interest in reading. Every now and then, I weed out the ones I’m no longer curious about or would like to read. I count the unread books on my bookshelves as my TBR pile, which is what these posts refer to. The books I list here are books I’d really like to purchase and set on my shelves and probably read. Lol!

I’m just being honest. I often buy books I’m excited about and forget to read them. Lately, I’ve started visiting the library, which is helpful in making me read books I’m interested in. After all, if I borrow a book and return it to the library unread, I will be angry with myself for wasting my own time, though no money was spent. Ironically, this doesn’t happen with books I’ve bought and left languishing on my shelves unread for years.

Anyway, here are the books I added to my Goodreads TBR list and wish to add to my TBR pile, since my last post:

The White Hart by Nancy Springer

This is an old fantasy novel that was first published in 1979. I forgot who told me about it or what about it interested me, but I assume the dragon was part of the reason why I added it to my TBR. The synopsis on Goodreads doesn’t really state what this book is about, but these buzz words caught my attention: “Old Ones” (I guess beings so old they don’t even have names. I like that), “Book of Suns” (sounds like an era in the story; sounds interesting).

Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly

A young-adult fantasy novel about a teenage girl whose adopted mom is a wicked witch. Camellia doesn’t want to be like her mother, but when her mom sets loose a demon in their city, Camellia may have to cast spells to capture him. This one sounds fun and I’m always interested in stories about witches. Plus, I like the cover.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker, illus. by Jon Klassen

A children’s story about a fox and a boy during a war (synopsis didn’t say which war). It seems like a sweet story and it was very popular after its publication last year. I’ll borrow this from the library, if I see it on my next visit.

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg

As the title suggests, this is a nonfiction book about poor Whites in America. The book was published last year, but it’s this 2014 article that appeared in The Huffington Post, which I read last year, that made me interested in it. I’m curious to see what the book has to say about classism in America.

The Goat’s Tale by P.J. Hetherhouse

A fantasy novel inspired by Celtic mythology, Arthurian legend, and astrology. 😀 It sounds awesome!! I discovered it in a review on Cover to Cover, where Liz gave it a glowing review and rated it 5 stars, which was helpful, but I was pretty much sold on the Celtic mythology and astrology.

The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker

Seems to be a fantasy novel about a retired assassin who agrees to be the master of a caravan travelling from an inland city to a seaside one. I don’t know what made me add it to my TBR, but the synopsis mentions bloodthirsty “Children of the Sun” and I’m always curious about creatures associated with the sun so that’s probably why I added the book.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

A young-adult fantasy novel about a boy magician-in-training who gets in over his head when he summons a djinni to help him avenge a magician who publicly humiliated him. I often see this book cover around, so much so that it feels familiar and I can’t tell if I’ve read the book before or not.

The Liszts by Kyo Maclear, illus. by Júlia Sardà

A children’s picture book about a family that loves making lists…? That’s what I got from the synopsis. It’s the bright, bold illustrations on the cover that caught my attention and made me add it to my TBR. I first saw it in a YouTube video and since then, it’s been haunting me in every book store I visit.

The Blazing Star by Imani Josey

I learned of this recently published book in an author interview on Naz’s Read Diverse Books blog. The cover caught my eye. It’s a young-adult fantasy novel about Portia and her twin sister who’re transported to ancient Egypt when Portia touched a scarab beetle during her history class. It sounds interesting, but I placed it on my TBR because it made me think of this young-adult fantasy book I read and enjoyed as a teen — Blossom Culp and the Sleep of Death by Richard Peck.

Assassin’s Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden

I wanted more Assassin’s Creed after watching the movie (released last year), but I didn’t want to play the games — I suck at video games, — so I was excited to learn that there are books based in the Assassin’s Creed universe. I believe Renaissance is the first book. It has received mixed reviews, so I’ll borrow it from the library and see how it goes.

Klaus by Grant Morrison, illus. by Dan Mora

When I saw the cover of this, my immediate thoughts were “Badass santa? I must read it!” I discovered this comic in an Unbound Worlds post on sci-fi/fantasy books for Christmas. The story draws on Viking and Serbian lore to tell the tale of Santa Claus’s origin. Super cool! However, the sentence that made me immediately add this book to my TBR was this (from the Unbound Worlds post):

And really, who doesn’t love a Santa who crafts all of his toys during an extended drug trip brought about by a hallucinogenic stew?

Aahhaaa!! Sounds like it will be a crazy read! 😀

Here by Richard McGuire (illus.)

A graphic novel that tells the story of a corner of a room and its inhabitants. I discovered this in a YouTube video and immediately placed it on my TBR. I believe the story and structure of the graphic novel will be very different from any I’ve since tried.