Cleaning Up My TBR With a Giveaway (US Only) - Down the TBR Hole #34

This meme was started by Lost in a Story.  Here is how it works:

• 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?

Because I have so many to do, I'm going to try to do this weekly, and do 10 at a time. 


1.   Foretold:  14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction:

Have you ever been tempted to look into the future? To challenge predictions? To question fate

It's human nature to wonder about life's twists and turns. But is the future already written - or do you have the power to alter it?

From fantastical prophecies to predictions of how the future will transpire, Foretold is a collection of stories about our universal fascination with life's unknowns and of what is yet to come as interpreted by fourteen of young adult fiction's brightest stars.
 
My thoughts:
A lot of great authors in this one, but I'm not always good about getting around to anthologies.

Verdict:  Toss



2.  Beg for Mercy by Shannon Dermott:

Everyone dreams of that first kiss. Of that magic moment when your lips finally meet those of that special person you’ve waited your whole life for. A little awkward, a little scary, a little hot and every bit amazing. We speculate that the whole world will shake and time will just stop. No one, however, ever imagines that kiss to bring Death himself knocking.

Sixteen year old Mercy Moore's life just got more complicated. The kiss that originally could have meant she would finally have a boyfriend now was the kiss that could have very nearly ended his life. A small detail her mother conveniently never told her will take her life for an abrupt u-turn. Dating, no love, was now completely and utterly impossible. And the boy well, that boy would never be the same.

But life, however cruel, goes on. Far too soon for her taste, Mercy finds herself at a senior party with the elite students of her school and her best friend. And of all things, playing a stupid game that could very well mean the death of someone in that small room. If it were not for her best friend, the hottest guys in school, and a small need to fit in, she may have been able to escape the disaster that was to come. Her worst nightmare, her personal curse, her very life, only gets dangerously worse.

My thoughts: 
Sounds familiar.  Probably not anything new.

Verdict:Toss



3.  Bookmarked:  Teen Essays on Life and Literature from Tolkien to Twilight by Ann Camacho:

In more than 50 essays, young people from a wide range of backgrounds reflect on how words from literature connect with and influence their lives, goals, and personal philosophies. The essays explore topics including suffering the death of a parent, facing a life-threatening illness, letting go of perfectionism, making friends, realizing goals, and grappling with questions of faith and sexuality. Books cited range from The Grapes of Wrath and The Great Gatsby to Twilight and Lord of the Rings. Each essay includes a brief biographical sketch letting the reader know where the essay writer is today.

Teachers, guidance counselors, and parents working with teens on personal essays— including for college applications—will find that the book presents a varied, intriguing group of essays to use as samples, models, and inspiration. Teachers of literature, writing, and language arts classes can also use these essays as a way to help teens explore literature—and their own responses to it—through writing. Following each essay are questions to prompt conversation, writing, and deeper consideration of the issues raised. The back matter includes tips and ideas for teachers and teens on how to use the book, including ways to use it as a jumping-off point for creating personal essays.

 

My thoughts:  
Sounds like a great book for teachers.  But probably not something I need now.

Verdict: Toss



4.  Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum:

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

My thoughts:
I really liked book 1, and need to remember to read on in this series!

Verdict:  Keep

5.   Barely Alive by Bonnie R. Paulson:

In twelve weeks, seventeen-year-old Paul Ledger will be dead. At least he hopes so.

Paul is trapped in the worst cult the United States has ever seen. Infected with a zombie virus, symptoms culminate in a dead body but thriving mind over a course of twelve weeks. If he doesn’t earn the final death he longs for, he’ll be chained in a basement facility, moaning for human flesh for eternity.

Sent out to kidnap girls for food, toys, or whatever the boss wants, Paul nabs Heather McCain. He’s not a fan of humans as a general rule, but even his graying skin and insatiable hunger for her flesh don’t stop her from reaching out to him. Give him the second chance he doesn’t know he needs.

Overcome by his cravings, Paul bites her delectable skin. Amazingly, she doesn’t develop the zombie-like side effects. When the boss discovers Heather’s immunity, he gives Paul an ultimatum – deliver up Heather and her family to continue the research or watch as Paul’s brother suffers the zombie fate.

Paul has a chance to endure his short zombie existence knowing his brother is safe. But he’ll have to sacrifice Heather to do it.

My thoughts:
Sounds really weird.  But probably not something I'd ever get around to.

Verdict:  Toss



6.  Arranged by Catherine McKenzie:

Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, good friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share it with, however, she just can't seem to get it right.

After yet another relationship ends, Anne comes across a business card for what she thinks is a dating service, and she pockets it just in case. When her best friend, Sarah, announces she's engaged, Anne can't help feeling envious. On an impulse, she decides to give the service a try because maybe she could use a little assistance in finding the right man. But Anne soon discovers the company isn't a dating service; it's an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. She initially rejects the idea, but the more she thinks about it -- and the company's success rate -- the more it appeals to her. After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world, so why wouldn't it work for her?

A few months later, Anne is travelling to a Mexican resort, where in one short weekend she will meet and marry Jack. And against all odds, it seems to be working out -- until Anne learns that Jack, and the company that arranged their marriage, are not what they seem at all. 

My thoughts:
Hmm, this one sounds like it could be really good!  So I may have to try it at some time.


Verdict:  Keep




7.  The Monster's Muse by Bradford Tatum:

Hollywood in the golden age of horror. "The Phantom of the Opera". "Dracula". "Frankenstein", defining gems of the gothic genre. But do you know who was the real muse behind these paragons of terror? Would you believe it was a ten year-old girl from war-defeated Germany?

The Monster’s Muse tells the incredible story of Maddy Ulm and her rise from the complicated shadows of Berlin’s first experiments with Expressionist cinema to the glamorous deserts of Hollywood. For Maddy has a secret. A secret that has given her unparalleled insight into the soul of cinematic horror. A secret that has a terrible price as well.

My thoughts:  
Hmm, this one sounds like it could be a good one.  But I just don't know if I'd ever get to it.

Verdict: Toss


 8.  We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee:

When Benjamin Mee decided to uproot his family and move them to an unlikely new home—a dilapidated zoo where more than 200 exotic animals would be their new neighbors—his friends and colleagues thought he was crazy. Mee’s dream was to refurbish the zoo and run it as a family business. The grand reopening was scheduled for spring, but there was much work to be done and none of it easy for the novice zookeepers. Tigers broke loose, money was tight, the staff grew skeptical, and family tensions reached a boiling point. Then tragedy struck. Katherine, Ben’s wife, had a recurrence of a brain tumor, forcing Benjamin and his two young children to face the heartbreak of illness and the devastating loss of a wife and mother. But inspired by the memory of Katherine and the healing power of the incredible family of animals they had grown to love; Benjamin and his kids resolved to move forward, and today the zoo is a thriving success.

My thoughts:
The movie was good, of course I'm a big Matt Damon fan, so there's that.  Don't know that I need to read the book now.


Verdict: Toss


9.  Galdoni by Cheree Alsop:

“This is the Arena, and here we live to die.” These are the words carved into a holding cell where genetically-altered gladiators, the winged humans called Galdoni, are trained to fight. Kale, rescued by three high school students and nursed back from the brink of death, is given the chance to experience life as a human. When he is captured, he has to use what he learned in the world outside the Academy in order to free the other Galdoni and return to the human girl he loves.

Dark and exciting, Galdoni pushes the boundaries of love in a world of violence.
 
My thoughts:
Nah, nothing new here.  Probably added in a phase of reading angel stories

Verdict:  Toss


10.  Replay by Robin Brande:

I DIED. For forty-two seconds I died.

They were operating on me—why isn’t important anymore—and it was a simple surgery, everyone said so. My dad didn’t even take off work.

Breathing, breathing, not.

I can picture it. The “oh, no,” the scurrying around, the paddles on my chest, thwump. Clear! Thwump. Beep beep, beep beep, she’s back.

Everything back to normal.

THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING.

**
Cara Campbell thought she had it made: star athlete, popular student, winner. But when she dies during surgery, she sees something she knows no one would ever believe. The doctors manage to revive her, but what happened during those 42 seconds of death has changed everything.

Now Cara is having a hard time adjusting to her former life. None of her friends or accomplishments matter anymore. What does matter is the face she saw as she came rushing back into her body. That face belongs to David Mayer, a brainy outcast who dislikes Cara even more than she does him.

As Cara sorts through the ramifications of her near-death experience, and struggles to overcome her fear of telling everyone what really happened, she discovers a path she never realized lay ahead of her.

And as Cara is about to learn, there are no coincidences.

My thoughts:
Hmm. This one sounds like it could be interesting.  But, who knows when or if I'll get to it, and where I'll get it from.

Verdict: Toss



Final Thoughts:
I'm tossing them all this week!  Wow!  

Once again you can see that I may have dropped some, but you can also see how many I've added during the week as well because I'm also pointing out how many books are on my Want to Read list on Goodreads each week.  This week, after taking these 10 off, I have 3,153 books listed now, and last week I ended with 3,162. As my unpacking continues, I'm finding books to get rid of, not to mention a few that I'm reading now were on my Want to Read list, and so they've come off as well since I've read them or am reading them currently.  I also moved a few from the list to my TBR owned list on Goodreads because I own them.

Have you read any of these?  Would you suggest I keep any I'm tossing?  And if you're inspired to do this on your blog, please feel free to join in and share a link in the comments, since it will also get you an extra entry into my giveaway at the bottom of this post.      
 

Giveaway:
Once again this is a US only giveaway, unless you are International and see a book here you really want and would be willing to pay for the difference in the shipping through Paypal or some other way.  You get to pick any two books from the pictures below, as long as they don't get traded away, or picked by last week's winner, and I will pick a surprise book from the piles to add to your choice.  As I mentioned above, unpacking is finding a lot of books to get rid of, so you have even more to pick from this week!  Here are your choices:   

2018 ARCs:

2017 ARCs:

I'm continuing to add in my early 2019 ARCs now.  You can pick one of your two choices from the picture below, the other book you pick needs to come from the pictures above.  

And here are the older ones I've cleaned out as I unpack:

2010-2013 ARCs:

2014 ARCs:

2015-2016 ARCs:

Once again I'm going to let you pick two, along with me throwing in a surprise third book!  Just enter the Rafflecopter below.   Disclaimer:  Unfortunately, while I've only had it happen once, I'm going to have to make a statement like other giveaways I've seen on blogs that I am not responsible for lost mail.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway