Wishes for My TBR Pile #15: (I Don’t Know What to Place Here)

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.

I’ve decided to format this a little differently this time. Usually, I would include the summary of the book from Goodreads but I’ll leave it out from now on because it makes these posts quite long. However, I will continue to include the link to Goodreads so you can find out more if interested. The link to Goodreads is on the titles.

At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails with Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Others by Sarah Bakewell

A recent release, Bakewell’s book is about the history of existentialism. I first heard of it on Books, the Universe, and Everything, where Emily wrote a great review on it. I don’t know much about existentialism, but I’m curious and this sounds like it will be a good read.

Advertisement

Sunday Funday: Wishes for My TBR Pile #14

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.

Faith by Jody Houser (January 27, 2016)

— I discovered this in a Book Riot podcast, video, or article. I can’t recall which. It sounds like something I might enjoy.

Weekend Reads #31: Wishes for My TBR Pile #11

Weekend Reads is a weekly discussion on a variety of topics. At the end of the post, I’ll include what I plan to read on the weekend.

This time, I’m doing a Wishes for My TBR Pile post, which is a monthly post where I list and sometimes discuss the books I’ve discovered and would like to get.

Beneath Claire’s House by Corey J. Popp (September 26, 2015)

From debut author Corey J. Popp comes a young adult, supernatural thriller that will keep readers guessing until its shocking conclusion.

Sixteen-year-old Claire Young is tormented by a recurring, prophetic nightmare and visitations from gruesome, mutilated ghosts. She’s convinced the apparitions intend to harm her widowed father, but there’s little she can do locked away in Saint Thomas Psychiatric Hospital. Her situation is hopeless until a mysterious priest delivers the name of a man who may be the only one willing to help. Claire launches a daring scheme that leads her and her best friend to a former paranormal investigator.

Wishes for My TBR Pile #10: Discovery, Curiosity, and Convincing Gave Me These

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.

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

With three hit shows on television and three children at home, the uber-talented Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say NO when an unexpected invitation arrived. Hollywood party? No. Speaking engagement? No. Media appearances? No.

And there was the side-benefit of saying No for an introvert like Shonda: nothing new to fear.

Then Shonda’s sister laid down a challenge: just for one year, try to say YES to the unexpected invitations that come your way. Shonda reluctantly agreed ― and the result was nothing short of transformative. In Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes chronicles the powerful impact saying yes had on every aspect of her life ― and how we can all change our lives with one little word. Yes. (Goodreads)

I don’t consider myself a Shonda Rhimes fan. I’ve watched some of her shows and liked some episodes (Grey’s Anatomy is my comfort food) but I don’t consider myself a fan since I’m not dedicated to them. So when I first heard of this book, I didn’t intend to pick it up. However, after reading a review of it over at Brown Girl Reading, it seems like a book I should read and now I’d like to give it a try.

Wishes for My TBR Pile #9: Fantasy and Folklore

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.

Note: Since changing my web address, I realized that my posts weren’t showing in Reader. I had to re-add myself to fix that glitch so if you use Reader, please let me know if you’re able to see my posts in there. I submitted a query in the WordPress forum but haven’t received any replies on how to fix it.

Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho (September 1, 2015)

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.

But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path which will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain—and the world at large… (Goodreads)

I first watched a review of this book in a YouTube video but after reading a review over at Lady Geek Girl and Friends, I added it to my TBR list. The story seems to be a hit or miss with readers but I’d like to read it and see for myself. It explores a variety of issues that I’m curious about.

TBR Book Tag

The TBR Book Tag is going around. I caught the bug when both Analee at Book Snacks and Ayunda at Tea and Paperbacks tagged me to do it so here I am. Thanks Ayunda and Analee!

I’m glad I was tagged since I love nothing more than talking about books and since a lack of a personal laptop makes it difficult for me type for long, I thought why not do a tag instead. My TBR is an organism, and a greedy one at that. It continues to grow and grow with no thought to stop anytime soon so brace yourself.

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

Good ole Goodreads. That website is a godsend. I just wish they would update it a little. Whenever I spy a book that I’m interested in, I add it to Goodreads. I used to write them down in a book but Goodreads is better because I can carry it around in my pocket (on my phone).

Wishes for My TBR Pile #6: A Mixture of Contemporary and Classic

I am mighty overdue for a Wishes for My TBR post. I wasn’t going to do one at first because I’ve acquired many books due to discovering Book Outlet, but I’ve changed my mind.

My TBR pile is ever growing and I hardly place limits on it. Some people have bookshelves dedicated to their TBR piles, others, like me, have a digital list. I simply add books to my Goodreads “to-read” list and name it TBR pile. There are currently over 500 books on that list, some of which I’ve already read but have forgotten what they’re about. Will I ever whittle it down? I doubt it. Will I stop adding books to catch up? Nope. If I’m at a bookstore with a coupon in hand intent on purchasing a book, that’s the list I refer to. So it will stay as it is, growing larger and larger until it hits Goodread’s limit, whatever that is. The only pruning I’ll probably ever do is to remove a book that I’m no longer interested in reading. Anyways, let’s move on to the recent additions.

— Well, some aren’t recently added so let’s just describe them as recent mental additions. Hehe.

Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes (February 23, 2016)

Charmingly murderous antihero Joe continues his twisted quest for the perfect love in this thrilling follow-up to the “deeply dark yet mesmerizing” You (Booklist). When Joe follows the woman he wants to marry to the West Coast, he never imagines that his obsession will lead him to such tragedy…

Wishes for My TBR Pile: 5 Books for Thoughts and Motivation

I began getting antsy about my Barnes & Noble coupons a few days ago since I hadn’t gotten any since the year began. But last Thursday I came home to a wonderful surprise—coupons for books! I was elated though my joy quickly soured some when I recalled that part of my Lent commitment is to not purchase any books (or shoes).

This might be an easy feat for some but for those like me who LOVE to purchase books (and shoes), it’s torture. I’ve been tempted many times since the beginning of Lent to purchase a book and barely resisted doing so. Especially since this is my birthday month, which makes it easy for me to punch loopholes into my commitment: “Obviously I should be able to purchase presents for myself despite Lent,” I’ve often thought followed by, “Why am I even doing this? I’m not even Catholic.” Luckily the coupons will expire after the Lent period so I’ll have ample time to purchase a few books. So in April when Lent is over, I’ll treat myself to one of these as a birthday gift:

Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (April 6, 2015)

Mary Norris has spent more than three decades in the New Yorker’s copy department, maintaining its celebrated high standards. Now she brings her vast experience, good cheer, and finely sharpened pencils to help the rest of us in a boisterous language book as full of life as it is of practical advice.

Between You & Me features Norris’s laugh-out-loud descriptions of some of the most common and vexing problems in spelling, punctuation, and usage….and her clear explanations of how to handle them. Down-to-earth and always open-minded, she draws on examples from Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, Henry James, and the Lord’s Prayer, as well as from The Honeymooners, The Simpsons, David Foster Wallace, and Gillian Flynn. 

I can’t recall where I first read about this book—it must have been in a Shelf Awareness newsletter—but I immediately added it to my TBR list. I enjoy reading books on writing and Norris’ book promises to be a thrill. Also, it comes out just in time for the end of Lent and my coupon’s expiration date.

Another reason why I’m getting this book is because I would like to work as a copy editor. I just began training as one and it has improved my writing, though I still make mistakes. I’ve found that it’s easier to edit the works of others than my own, though it helps if I return to what I’ve written after some time has passed to edit. But I’m usually too impatient to wait.

Related articles:

A short feature on Shelf Awareness

And an entertaining article by Norris in the New Yorker (If the book is like this, I will definitely enjoy it.)

Speaking of books on writing and grammar that aren’t a bore, see Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace by Joseph M. Williams.