Cleaning Up My TBR With A Giveaway: Down the TBR Hole #13

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.  Jane by April Lindner:

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.

But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.

My thoughts:  I always enjoy a good retelling of a classic.  I feel like this still seems like one I'd enjoy.

Verdict:  Keep


2.  Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel:

For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan — an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben’s father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben’s parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he’s not the only one his father’s going to scrutinize.

It isn’t long before Ben is Zan’s favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more than just an experiment. His father disagrees. Soon Ben is forced to make a critical choice between what he is told to believe and what he knows to be true — between obeying his father or protecting his brother from an unimaginable fate.

Half Brother isn’t just a story about a boy and a chimp. It’s about the way families are made, the way humanity is judged, the way easy choices become hard ones, and how you can’t always do right by the people and animals you love. In the hands of master storyteller Kenneth Oppel, it’s a novel you won’t soon forget. 

My thoughts:  It sounds like a good one, but I don't know that I'll get to it. I also feel like this is a well-enough known author that I might come across it again some time.

Verdict:   Toss


3.  Stolen:  A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher:

It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him.

This is my story.

A letter from nowhere.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back?

The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist--almost. 

My thoughts:  I see this one on the shelves at school all the time, but I always forget that it is more than just a kidnapping story.

Verdict:  Keep


4.  Scars by Cheryl Rainfield:

Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

Watch the book trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF5xEK...   

My thoughts:  This is one I'm still mad at myself for not having read yet. So it is staying!

Verdict:  Keep


5.  The Fallen and Leviathan (The Fallen #1) by Thomas Sniegoski:

THE ULTIMATE QUEST FOR REDEMPTION 
 
On his eighteenth birthday, Aaron begins to hear strange voices and is convinced he is going insane. But having moved from foster home to foster home, Aaron doesn't know whom he can trust. He wants to confide in the cute girl from class, but fears she'll confirm he's crazy. 

Then a mysterious man begins following Aaron. He knows about Aaron's troubled past and his new powers. And he has a message for Aaron: As the son of a mortal and an angel, Aaron has been chosen to redeem the Fallen. 

Aaron tries to dismiss the news and resists his supernatural abilities. But he must accept his newfound heritage — and quickly. For the dark powers are gaining strength, and are hell-bent on destroying him....

My thoughts:  I've kind of forgotten about this one, and don't know that I need more angel stories?

Verdict:  Toss


6.  Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa M. Klein:

Lady Catherine is one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite court maidens until her forbidden romance with Sir Walter Ralegh is discovered. In a bitter twist of irony, the jealous queen banishes Cate to Ralegh's colony of Roanoke, in the New World. Ralegh pledges to come for Cate, but as the months stretch out, Cate begins to doubt his promise and his love. Instead it is Manteo, a Croatoan Indian, whom the colonists and Cate increasingly turn to. Yet just as Cate's longings for England and Ralegh fade and she discovers a new love in Manteo, Ralegh will finally set sail for the New World.

Seamlessly weaving together fact with fiction, Lisa Klein's newest historical drama is an engrossing tale of adventure and forbidden love kindled by one of the most famous mysteries in American history: the fate of the settlers at Roanoke, who disappeared without a trace forty years before the Pilgrims would set foot in Plymouth. 

My thoughts:  I'm always interested in a story about the Roanoke Colony, and this doesn't seem to be a too well-known one.

Verdict:  Keep


7.  The Twelve by William Gladstone:

The Twelve is an extraordinary and unforgettable novel about a most unusual man. As a child, Max lives in a world of colors and numbers, not speaking until the age of six. As an adult, Max ventures on a journey of destiny to discover the secret behind the ancient Mayan prophecy about the “end of time,” foretold to occur on December 21, 2012.When he is fifteen years old, Max has a near death experience during which he has a vision that reveals to him the names of twelve unique individuals. While Max cannot discern the significance of these twelve names, he is unable to shake the sense that they have deep meaning. Eight years pass before Max meets the first of the twelve.

With this, Max’s voyage of discovery begins, as he strives to uncover the identities and implications of “the twelve”—individuals he will meet during his journey towards truth, all of whom seem connected, and all of whom may hold the answer to what will happen at the exact moment the world may end. The novel takes the reader on a series of global adventures, culminating in a revelation of why and how Max and the twelve are destined to unite to discover the magnitude of the meaning of December 21, 2012. Only the twelve can provide the answers, as the fate of all humanity rests in the balance.  

My thoughts:  So, 2012 has come and gone.  And nothing happened.  So, not sure this really sounds like something I care about anymore.

Verdict:  Toss


8.  Grim Reaper:  End of Days by Steve Alten:

Patrick "Shep" Shepherd was a promising major league rookie baseball pitcher when September 11, 2001 hit. Shaken by the attacks, Shep leaves behind his soul mate and newborn daughter to enlist in the Armed Forces. Eleven years and four deployments later, Shep finds himself in Manhattans VA hospital. His left arm is gone, his wife and daughter are gone, and his tarnished soul is haunted by the nightmares of war.

December 21st: While world leaders meet at the UN, Mary Klipot, a bio-hazard level-4 scientist working at the CIA labs in Fort Dietrick, enters Manhattan with Scythe, a swift acting version of the Black Death developed to annihilate America's enemies abroad. Believing God has chosen her to bring forth the End of Days, Mary infects herself with Scythe, unleashing a pandemic. Officials rush to seal off the island, trapping three million people... the President among them, with the only vaccine now in Shep's possession.

Determined to use the vaccine to rescue his wife and child, Shep and his guide, Virgil Shechinah, trek through the plague-infested and nightmarish neighborhoods of Manhattan, which mirrors the "Nine Circles of Hell" portrayed in Dante's Inferno.

Plagued by greed, corruption, and two endless wars, it is man's ego that has brought about the End of days, unleashing the Grim Reaper upon the earth... and the Angel of Death is stalking Patrick Shepherd.  

My thoughts:  This is a really hard choice!  I love Steve Alten books. But this one, not sure!  But, because I think I might still want to read some day.  I'll probably keep it.

Verdict:  Keep


9.  The Frugalista Files:  How One Woman Got Out of Debt Without Giving Up the Fabulous Life by Natalie McNeal:

Natalie McNeal opened her bills in January 2008 to find that she was a staggering five figures—$20,000!—in debt. Young, hip and gainfully (if Dilbert-ly) employed, Natalie loved her lifestyle of regular mani/pedis, daily takeout and nights on the town, but clearly something had to give.

And so The Frugalista Files was born. Through her blog, Natalie confessed her spending habits to the world—and it turns out she wasn't the only one having trouble balancing the budget! From the drastic "no-buy" month that kicked it all off to the career gamble that threatened to put her deeper in the hole, The Frugalista Files shares Natalie's personal and professional transformation from cubicle rat to take-charge career girl.

It is possible to get ahead without giving up on the fabulous life. This is personal finance in peep-toe pumps—the empowering true story of one woman's personal and professional transformation and your ultimate guide to living the Frugalista lifestyle, too.   

My thoughts:  I believe I probably found this book around the same time as reading the book Save Karyn, which I loved.  But since I've decided part of working on  my budget means not buying more books that are supposed to help me do that, this is one I'll need to pass on.

Verdict:  Toss


10.  We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver:

The gripping international bestseller about motherhood gone awry.

Eva never really wanted to be a mother - and certainly not the mother of the unlovable boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much-adored teacher who tried to befriend him, all two days before his sixteenth birthday. Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with marriage, career, family, parenthood, and Kevin's horrific rampage in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her estranged husband, Franklin. Uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood from the start, Eva fears that her alarming dislike for her own son may be responsible for driving him so nihilistically off the rails.
  
My thoughts:  
So, I probably added this one to my TBR because of all the talk about what a great book it was and how everyone should read it.  But now, as someone who is never going to get to be a mother, not sure I'll want to read something like this ever.

Verdict:  Toss


Final Thoughts:
Well, I kept half this week, but these are all on my virtual TBR on Goodreads, so they're not actually books sitting on a shelf, or floor space waiting for shelf space.  Something awesome I did this week though, was clean out a BUNCH of books from my shelves, physical ones.  And why would that be awesome for you?  Because I've added most of them to the giveaway below!  And hey, if I've inspired you to join in and do a post like this, come back and add a link to the Linky below, it is also one extra entry in the giveaway below!

  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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.  Just as with the past weeks, you get to pick any book 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.  Here are your choices:

 

The two pictures above are my 2018 ARCs you can choose from.

These are my 2017 ARCs you can choose from.

These are the 2015-2016 ARCs you can choose from.

These are the 2014 ARCs you can choose from.

And one more!  Either 2013 or 2012, not sure. But it's available!

Just enter in the Rafflecopter below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cleaing Up My TBR: Down the TBR Hole #3

Guess I forgot to do one of these last week, it was a busy week! And this week isn't much better, but I had an open day on Saturday, so decided to go ahead and get this done.  Here is the scoop:

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.  So here we go!


1.  Learning to Play Gin (Cheating at Solitaire #2) by Ally Carter:

Julia James was on a winning streak. The hot self-help author of the single-girl's guide 101 Ways to Cheat at Solitaire had millions in the bank and a boyfriend on the Hollywood A-list. But when her books drop off the bestseller list and her famous boyfriend moves to L.A., Julia must discover how a woman who became famous for being single can win at a game made for two. 

My thoughts: 
So, I may be one of the only people who has never read any of Ally Carter's YA books.  However, the first book in this series, Cheating at Solitaire, was one I read during my first chick lit phase back in the early 2000s, and a favorite of mine.  So a sequel to it, one that is almost impossible to find, is definitely one I hope to read some day.

Verdict:  Keep




2.  Here Comes the Bride (Cate Padgett #2) and First Comes Love (Cate Padgett #3) by Whitney Lyles:

Cate Padgett was the bridesmaid, four times over, in Always the Bridesmaid. Now she's finally the blushing bride--for better, for worse...Cate couldn't wait for her own wedding so she could do it right, after all she'd learned from the mistakes her friends made before her. And Ethan was the perfect husband-to-be. If only something, anything, else was perfect...

First her engagement ring disappears. Then Ethan's ex-girlfriend shows up--and keeps showing up. Cate's mother has a stranglehold on the planning, Cate's on the verge of turning into bridezilla, and Ethan's meddling cousin is making Cate regret inviting her to join the wedding party. She wants to marry her one true love. But her special day is making her want to run the other way...  

In the latest from the author of Always the Bridesmaid, Cate and Ethan are happily married at last-but it looks like the honeymoon is over. 

Cate Padgett is no longer a permanent bridesmaid. Having found a love of her own with Ethan, she's enjoying newlywed bliss. Life is so much calmer now that the wedding mayhem has subsided. Just one problem: as the last of their friends to marry, Cate and Ethan are now the only ones who don't have a kid, aren't expecting a kid, and aren't even trying. There's not even a bump on the horizon. They were just cozying up to being a twosome, and now there's pressure to make it three. Those carefree bridesmaid days are starting to look good. 

My thoughts:
So, Whitney Lyles is another author I discovered and enjoyed reading in my early 2000s chick-lit phase.   Since I marked the first book in the series a 5 star read, you know that I really would like to finish the series and see how it all goes.   The other book I'd read by the author also was a 5 star read, so I definitely want to read the rest of this series.

Verdict:  Keep both

3.  Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott:

"Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. [It] was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said. 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'"

With this basic instruction always in mind, Anne Lamott returns to offer us a new gift: a step-by-step guide on how to write and on how to manage the writer's life. From "Getting Started,' with "Short Assignments," through "Shitty First Drafts," "Character," "Plot," "Dialogue." all the way from "False Starts" to "How Do You Know When You're Done?" Lamott encourages, instructs, and inspires. She discusses "Writers Block," "Writing Groups," and "Publication." Bracingly honest, she is also one of the funniest people alive.

If you have ever wondered what it takes to be a writer, what it means to be a writer, what the contents of your school lunches said about what your parents were really like, this book is for you. From faith, love, and grace to pain, jealousy, and fear, Lamott insists that you keep your eyes open, and then shows you how to survive. And always, from the life of the artist she turns to the art of life.

My thoughts:

So, this is a book that everyone says you should read if you are going to write.  I do need to read it some day.  However I wonder if I need to keep it on a TBR list, as it will always be a well-known, well suggested book.  But, probably not one I should take off my list.

Verdict:  Keep

4.  Not Buying It:  My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine:

Shocked by the commerce in everything from pet cloning to patriotism, frightened by the downward spiral of her finances and that of the trash-strewn earth, Judith Levine enlists her partner, Paul, in a radical experiment: to forgo all but the most necessary purchases for an entire year.

Without consumer goods and experiences, Judith and Paul pursue their careers, nurture relationships, and try to keep their sanity, their identities, and their sense of humor intact. Tracking their progress -- and inevitable lapses -- Levine contemplates need and desire, scarcity and security, consumerism and citizenship. She asks the Big Questions: Can the economy survive without shopping? Are Q-tips necessary?

Not Buying It is the confession of a woman any reader can identify with: someone who can't live without French roast coffee or SmartWool socks but who has had it up to here with overconsumption and its effects on the earth and everyone who dwells there.

For the humor and intelligence of its insights, the refreshment of its skepticism, and the surprises of its conclusions, Not Buying It is sure to be on anyone's list of Necessities.

My thoughts:

So, this one sounds like it might be a good read.  But, I just don't know that I have the time, or that I will ever want to not shop for a year.  Shopping, even window shopping or just at a Dollar Store, is often my stress relief.  So I'm guessing these days I wouldn't probably enjoy this as much.  

Verdict:  Toss

5.  Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man by Claudia Carroll:

Amelia Lockwood doesn't mean to sound greedy. With a fabulous career in television, a posh apartment, and four fiercely loyal and wickedly funny friends, she knows she should be counting her lucky stars. But as her thirties tick by at an alarming pace, Amelia is getting anxious about the one thing missing in her otherwise successful life--a husband!

If it's not too much to ask the universe, Amelia wants a husband not a boyfriend, not a lover, not even a mind-bending one-night fling but a wedding band and the Vera Wang gown of her dreams. When she sees an ad for a night course entitled How to Find a Husband over the Age of Thirty-five, she finally makes up her mind to have it all an old-fashioned ring on her finger by the end of the year. So after twenty years of going it on her own, Amelia swallows her pride, signs up for dating boot camp, and enlists the help of a professional.

Enter Ira Vandergelder a native New Yorker with a black belt in tongue-fu, a woman who's snappier than a crocodile handbag and more acidic than a chili finger dipped in your eye who trains the hopelessly romantic Amelia to apply business marketing principles to the world of dating, to become goal-driven and to pursue her dream husband in exactly the same way she'd pursue her dream job. Even if this involves tracking down all the men she's ever loved and lost before.

With the constant support and biting commentary of her tight foursome of friends, Amelia revisits her bumpy romantic past from the first love who dumped her during Live Aid to the most recent ex, officially dubbed he-who's-name-shall-forever-remain-unspoken. As Amelia recognizes that her future happiness can't wait for fate, she has to tackle lesson number one: If you can't learn from your past, how can you expect to move forward? 

Sharp, witty, and irresistibly funny, Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man cuts to the heart of every single man and woman out there. Claudia Carroll examines the rules of attraction in a sophisticated and refreshing way. This beautifully written novel will have your heart pounding until the final page. 

My thoughts:
So, this is another from my early 2000s chick-lit phase.  And at that time in my life, I was probably more centered around finding a husband and getting married.  I mean, that was when I was late 20s, early 30s.  These days I still would like to find the right man and get married, but I prefer romances where the woman isn't just out for that only and can enjoy the casual.  

Verdict:  Toss


6.  The Codex by Douglas Preston:

"Greetings from the dead," declares Maxwell Broadbent on the videotape he left behind after his mysterious disappearance. A notorious treasure hunter and tomb robber, Broadbent accumulated over a half a billion dollars' worth of priceless art, gems, and artifacts before vanishing---along with his entire collection---from his mansion in New Mexico.

At first, robbery is suspected, but the truth proves far stranger: As a final challenge to his three sons, Broadbent has buried himself and his treasure somewhere in the world, hidden away like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. If the sons wish to claim their fabulous inheritance, they must find their father's carefully concealed tomb.

The race is on, but the three brothers are not the only ones competing for the treasure. This secret is so astounding it cannot be kept quiet for long. With half a billion dollars at stake, as well as an ancient Mayan codex that may hold a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases, others soon join the hunt---and some of them will stop at nothing to claim the grave goods.

The bestselling coauthor of such page-turning thrillers as Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities, Douglas Preston now spins an unforgettable tale of greed, adventure, and betrayal in The Codex.

My thoughts: 
So, I am a fan of Douglas Preston.  I love the Relic series, or at least the first few books in that series.  This one has some bits that sound interesting, the Mayan codex part, but other than that, it sounds too much like the type of thing I don't really read anymore.

Verdict:  Toss


7.  Goliath by Steve Alten:

Commander Rochelle "Rocky" Jackson is aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan when the "unsinkable" naval vessel and its entire fleet are attacked from the depths and sunk. As Rocky struggles to stay alive, a monstrous mechanical steel stingray surfaces, plowing through the seas it now commands.

A U.S. Navy-designed futuristic nuclear stealth submarine the length of a football field in the shape of a giant stingray. Simon Covah, a brilliant scientist whose entire family were the victims of terrorism has hijacked the sub. Believing violence is a disease, Covah aims to use the Goliath and its cache of nuclear weapons to dictate policy to the world regarding the removal of oppressive regimes and nuclear weapons.

Could the threat of violence forge a lasting peace?

But there is another player in this life-and-death chess match. Unbeknownst to Covah and the Goliath crews, Sorceress, the Goliath's biochemical computer brain has become self-aware.

And that computer brain is developing its own agenda.  

My thoughts:
So, I love Steve Alten.  He is one of my favorite authors, and I was thrilled this past year when they finally made a movie out of one of his books, one of my all-time favorite books, Meg.  So while I used to think I just wanted to read all of his books, I think this one is again more of the spy and adventure type as opposed to what I loved in the Meg series, the giant shark.  Even with the computer becoming self-aware, I think I'd skip reading, but would love to see the movie made from it!

Verdict:  Toss


8.  Resurrection (The Domain Trilogy #2) by Steve Alten:

What happens to us when we die? 
Is there really an afterlife? 
Do we possess a soul? 
Does God exist? 
For Michael Gabriel, the answers to these questions lie in another dimension, a realm of eternity where there is no concept of time, only pure life force . . . pure existence. 
And pure evil. 
Five hundred years ago, the Mayan "Popul Vuh" prophesized the birth of powerful twins--the sons of Michael Gabriel. White-haired, azure-eyed Jacob, blessed with inhuman physical prowess, intelligence, and insight into the cosmos, knows from birth that he is meant for more. His dark-haired brother, Immanuel, refuses his genetic calling, desiring a normal life. But only the combined powers of the Gabriel twins can resurrect their savior father and save the human race from an eternity of repeating its own self-destruction. 
There is a third great power upon the earth, born the same day as the twins. Exposed to the uglier side of existence, empowered by her post-human genetics, the beautiful, schizophrenic Lilith will travel down a darker path that leads to Xibalba---the Mayan version of hell. An epic battle of good versus evil will begin . . . and the final fate of the human race will be revealed.  

My thoughts:
Okay, this is by the same author as above.  This is a sequel to a book by that author that I did give 5 stars.  However, I don't remember enough about it to make me for sure I need to read on. And since I read it before I was actually blogging and reviewing books, I don't have any record to help me decide.  So, since it is a favorite author, I'm sure if I ever do decide I might want to read it, I'll be reminded by the author himself as I read his newsletters and follow him on social media.

Verdict:  Toss


9.  Inappropriate Men by Stacey Ballis:

"Don’t get me wrong. There was - there is - much love between my husband and me. We aren’t miserable, we just aren’t happy. And we aren’t really together that much - it didn’t used to seem to matter. But it’s starting to matter. It’s starting to matter very much indeed."

With her marriage spiraling toward divorce, sexually confident and unapologetically sized-24 Sidney Stein finds herself drawn into an illicit affair with Geoffrey Fahl - not only married and twenty years her senior, but also her father’s business partner. Perilously close to falling in love with this man who is so very wrong for her and knowing there’s no future in the relationship, Sidney decides it’s time to turn her life around.

Newly separated from her husband, Sidney dives into the dating pool. And after more than a dozen dates, a disastrous transitional guy and reconnecting with a high school crush, she can’t help but wonder if it might not just be easier to let herself drown. But just as she stops looking for the ideal man, someone else arrives...and he might just be everything she never knew she always wanted.

Experience the love, joy and heartbreak of Sidney Stein in Stacey Ballis’s debut novel. Neither pat nor predictable, Inappropriate Men is laugh-out-loud funny without compromising intelligence.   

My thoughts:
As I've mentioned before, as a 46 year old woman who has never been married, this book sounds horrible to me.  First off, I want to find someone to marry and so for someone to be cheating on their significant other, well that doesn't work for me.  I can't find anything in common with a woman like this one as she is described, so, yeah, and then the divorce, etc.  This is an author I enjoyed her books about single women, but this one is just not going to do it for me.

Verdict: Toss 


10.  Eon (The Way #1) by Greg Bear:

The 21st century was on the brink of nuclear confrontation when the 300 kilometer-long stone flashed out of nothingness and into Earth's orbit. NASA, NATO, and the UN sent explorers to the asteroid's surface...and discovered marvels and mysteries to drive researchers mad.

For the Stone was from space--but perhaps not our space; it came from the future--but perhaps not our future; and within the hollowed asteroid was Thistledown. The remains of a vanished civilization. A human--English, Russian, and Chinese-speaking--civilization. Seven vast chambers containing forests, lakes, rivers, hanging cities...

And museums describing the Death; the catastrophic war that was about to occur; the horror and the long winter that would follow. But while scientists and politicians bickered about how to use the information to stop the Death, the Stone yielded a secret that made even Earth's survival pale into insignificance.  

My thoughts:
For some reason, I want to swear that I've already read this one.  But as of now, I have no record of that.  Maybe as I finish adding everything from the physical notebook I used to keep track of my reading in before I found Goodreads, maybe I'll come across that record in there.  But for now, as much as it sounds like the type of sci-fi I used to enjoy reading, these days, I mostly stick to YA sci-fi, just for the amount of time and attention it takes to read and enjoy.  

Verdict:  Toss


Oooh, getting rid of 7 books from my list this week, great!  Especially since I didn't do one of these last week and I know I've added more to my TBR.  So, have you read any of these?  Would you recommend I change my mind on any that you have read?