Cleaning Up My TBR: Down the TBR Hole #2

Working on this again, here's the info:

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. A Child Called "It" and The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer:

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games—games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it." Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive—dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.  

Dave Pelzer's sequel to million-copy bestseller A CHILD CALLED 'IT'

As a child, Dave Pelzer was brutally beaten and starved by his mother. The world knew nothing of his living nightmare and he had nothing and no one to turn to. But his dreams kept him alive - dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son. Finally, his horrific plight could no longer be hidden from the outside world and Dave's life radically changed.

THE LOST BOY is the harrowing, but ultimately uplifting true story of a boy's journey through the foster-care system in search of a family to love. 

The continuation of Dave Pelzer's story is a moving sequel and inspirational read for all.

 My thoughts:  

So, I really feel that at some point I need to read the first book.  I'm including these two books on my list together, because they do go together.  I hear people talk about these books all the time, and so it feels like I really do need to read it at some point.  

Verdict:  Keep book 1 on the TBR list, take the other off, and if I ever get around to reading the first one, I'll remember to read the 2nd one if I want to go on.

2. Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix:

Around her the workers were screaming out prayers and curses.... She herself was sobbing tearlessly....Her only prayer was still, "I don't want to die." 

Oh, please, God, don't let me die, she thought. I've never even had a chance to live.

Bella, newly arrived in New York from Italy, gets a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. There, along with hundreds of other immigrants, she works long hours at a grueling job under terrible conditions. Yetta, a coworker from Russia, has been crusading for a union, and when factory conditions worsen, she helps workers rise up in a strike. Wealthy Jane learns of the plight of the workers and becomes involved with their cause. 

Bella and Yetta are at work--and Jane is visiting the factory--on March 25, 1911, when a spark ignites some cloth and the building is engulfed in fire, leading to one of the worst workplace disasters ever. 

Margaret Peterson Haddix draws on extensive historical research to bring the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire to tangible life through her thrilling story of Bella, Yetta, and Jane. 

My thoughts:
I love this author, I love historical fiction, and this is an event I've always been fascinated with.

Verdict:  Keep

3. Swapping Lives by Jane Green:

The New York Times bestselling author of Falling presents a charming transatlantic take on trading places...

Being director of Poise! magazine affords Vicky Townsley a glamorous London life. She has everything she wants--except marriage, children, and a house in the country.

Amber Winslow has a stone mansion in Connecticut, two kids, and a nanny. She loves her husband and her children, but that doesn't mean she can't fantasize about a taste of something a little more...exciting.

When a single Londoner and a Connecticut mother get the chance to walk in each other's shoes for a month things are bound to get interesting. But as they quickly learn, wanting something and actually getting it are two entirely different things... 

My thoughts:
Well, at the time I put this on my list I think I had just discovered Jane Green. Also the one character, the single one, sounds a lot like me.  However, it just doesn't sound like one that I'd really get into these days, although it might be something I need to do myself to get over the fact that I'll probably always be single and childless, and that I want the marriage and kids, but may not get.

Verdict:  Toss

4. Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk:

From the master of literary mayhem and provocation, a full-frontal Triple X novel that goes where no American work of fiction has gone before

Cassie Wright, porn priestess, intends to cap her legendary career by breaking the world record for serial fornication. On camera. With six hundred men. Snuff unfolds from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600, who await their turn on camera in a very crowded green room. This wild, lethally funny, and thoroughly researched novel brings the huge yet underacknowledged presence of pornography in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction at last. Who else but Chuck Palahniuk would dare do such a thing? Who else could do it so well, so unflinchingly, and with such an incendiary (you might say) climax?   

My thoughts:  I've only read one other book by this author, but it was one that had me constantly turning pages to find out what would happen. This one sounds similar along the lines of the one I did read, so I may want to still give it a try.

Verdict:  Keep

5. Name and Address Withheld by Jane Sigaloff:

Lizzie Ford is an urban sexpert, and her hip London magazine column and radio show are bombarded with romantic casualties on a daily basis. What a relief that, after years in the dating jungle, Lizzie herself has finally leaped off the shelf into the arms of Matt Baker -- an advertising genius with enough charm to win over even Lizzie's man-cynical best friend.

Little does Lizzie know there's more to Matt Baker than witty one-liners and bedroom eyes. Or that this innocent, seemingly anonymous note from a reader is about to catapult her into a scorching scandal, forcing Lizzie to confront some compelling home truths about life, love -- and loyalty....

My thoughts:  I have read at least one other book by this author and enjoyed it, and I feel she is not a well-known author, so I probably would still enjoy this one, and forget about it, though, if I took it off the list.

Verdict:  Keep

6. Off the Record by Jennifer O'Connell:

Jane Marlow is a true-blue good girl: plain, predictable, and perfectly responsible. But when her brother catches an episode of Music One's "Off the Record," he discovers that former pop sensation Teddy Rock is actually their childhood neighbor Theodore Brockford, and that his one-hit wonder twelve years earlier wasn't just a catchy tune that took the charts by storm-it was a song about Jane Marlow! Now Jane has a chance to live life off the record, but is she ready for the changes it brings? And even if she's willing to take the risk, is she willing to face the music? 

 My thoughts:  Another chick lit book from back when I was constantly reading them.  Another book that I don't think is well known, and still sounds like one I'd enjoy reading.  These weren't usually as steamy as the romances I'm reading these days, but I might still like this story.

Verdict:  Keep

7. True Love (and Other Lies) by Whitney Gaskell:

Travel writer Claire Spencer doesn't believe in fate, much less any part of that fairy tale, happy ending, love at first sight stuff. Especially not for Amazon-sized women like her. So when Jack, the sexy man who sits next to her on a flight from New York to London, asks her out, Claire figures there has to be a catch. Is he blind? Sleazy? On the rebound? But she decides to accept, and finds herself smitten and a little frightened at how happy she is with how fast things are moving.

While in London (on assignment for Sassy Seniors! magazine), Claire is also looking forward to seeing her best friend, Maddy, one of those impossibly gorgeous, if-I-didn't-love-her-I'd-hate-her women who's got everything in the world going for her--except that, for the first time in her trouble-free life, Maddy has just been dumped...by Jack. Claire's finally met what seems to be the perfect guy, and now the only way she can have him is by betraying her best friend. It's almost enough to make Claire believe in Fate, but if Fate does exist, it seems intent on screwing her over.  

My thoughts:  This is another from my chick-lit phase.  I did enjoy the books I've read by this author, but I think that the whole friend's ex thing messes the story up for me. 

Verdict:  Toss

8. Testing Kate by Whitney Gaskell:

No one is better than Kate Bennett at playing by the rules–because no one has quite her knack for running into bad luck. Orphaned while in college, Kate handled her loss by graduating with honors and acquiring a secure job and a dependable boyfriend. But now, with her thirtieth birthday around the corner, Kate decides it’s time to shake things up. She quits her job, breaks up with her long-term boyfriend, and U-Hauls it across the country for her first year at Tulane Law School. Too bad nothing in the Big Easy is quite so easy….

Before she knows it, Kate finds her life turned upside down by a notoriously sadistic professor, a larger-than-life new boss–and two interested men who are sure that she’s The One…. But can either of the men in her life really know Kate, when she’s just getting to know herself? In a year of self-discovery, the most important lesson Kate may learn is that to change your luck, sometimes you have to change your mind–including what you thought was your dream.  

My thoughts: I actually almost bought this one as a bargain book at my bookstore one time.  There's just something about having all those guys interested that is just too unrealistic for me I think.  Plus, a lot of the reviews say boring, and are low stars, so I probably will pass on this one as well.

Verdict:  Toss

9. Performance Anxiety by Betsy Burke:

Miranda Lyme, mezzo-soprano, is in love with the infamous -- and, okay, technically married -- conductor-composer Kurt Hancock. So what if he lives in London, and she...doesn't. Their secret rendezvous are more than enough -- for now.

Besides, Miranda's life is full and frenetic: four part-time jobs, plus singing in the opera chorus, voice lessons with Madame Klein and looking for her long-lost father. Who's got time for a full-time beau?

Miranda craves the good life and is certain that's what she'll have once Kurt officially ends his marriage and she rises to stardom. But there are glitches. Like the fact that Kurt is still technically faithful to his wife and he insists that Miranda keep their relationship a secret. He promises it won't be like this forever. Yeah, sure... The truth, when it finally arrives, is so shocking that it causes Miranda to lose her voice.

But the show must go on. Will it be a night to remember -- or one to utterly forget?  

My thoughts:  So, I am not really a fan of any kind of cheating romance.  And to me, that's what this is.  So, this is probably not one I'd be interested in anymore.

Verdict:  Toss

10. It's Not You, It's Me by Allison Rushby:

She's heard all the lines. Now it's time for the truth! Charlie has to keep pinching herself to believe she's leaving Australia for a trip to Europe - a generous gift from her family, who know how tough her life has been lately. 

But the last person Charlie expects to bump into on the plane is Jasper Ash, international celebrity, rock-star sex-god - and Charlie's former best friend, flatmate and... almost-lover!

It's been three years since Charlie impulsively jumped into bed with Jas, then a struggling student. But their nearly-one-night stand had just been warming up when Jas began the male "backing off" ritual, practically sprinting out the door with the classic excuse, "It's not you, it's me." Yeah, right. Everyone knows what that means - It is you! Not pretty enough, not successful enough - just not enough.

Charlie has dealt with it - and a whole lot more - but the unanswered questions still niggle. Acting on impulse once again, she invites Jas to join her own European tour! And as they share hotel rooms, play at being tourists and dodge Jas's determined groupies, it becomes clear they're both at a crossroads in life. Before they can move on, they finally have to deal with the unfinished business between them - starting with a serious conversation about that night.

Former journalist Allison Rushby lives in Brisbane, Australia, where she writes full-time, usually with her cat Violet on her lap. It's Not You It's Me is her debut novel for Red Dress Ink.  

My thoughts:  This one definitely sound like one I'd still enjoy.  Kind of a rock star romance in a way.  So....

Verdict:  Keep

Have you read any of these books?  Would you suggest I keep any of the ones I decided to toss?  Looks like I'm tossing half of the ones I featured this week.  So that's good!  

 

Cleaning Up My TBR: Down the TBR Hole #1

I just saw this awesome idea at The Life of a Book Nerd Addict, and decided it was definitely something I needed to participate in.  I love all the fun Top 10 and Stacking the Shelves memes, participate in those and Can't Wait Wednesday, when I have time.  But, this is a meme that I might actually get my TBR list on Goodreads taken care of.  I know earlier this year I decided I was going to start going through and weeding out books I either didn't think I was interested in anymore, or maybe I'd put them as TBR for a contest or something, or maybe it was by an author that I knew I'd never forget I wanted to read all their books, so it wasn't needed to be on my huge TBR list.  And I mean huge, I have over 3000 books just on my TBR list, and I've moved some to a list for free or very cheap ebooks I've downloaded, and there are almost 2000 books on there.  Now I won't cut off of that second list, they are books I actually own.  But the other TBR list on Goodreads, the one everyone has, that one I need to work on. 

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!

Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs by Michael Novacek:

Over the past six years Michael Novacek, the Provost of Science at the American Museum of Natural History, has led a team of international scientists to the Gobi Desert on the greatest dinosaur expedition of the late 20th century. 

Closed to the West since the 1920's, the remote sands of Mongolia's Gobi Desert constitute the richest fossil site in the world. In Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs, Novacek invites the reader along with his team as he recounts the day-to-day drama of field exploration and discusses the remarkable discoveries that he and his colleagues unearthed, fossil finds that have helped to reshape our understanding of the dinosaur and early mammal era. 

Interweaving the adventure of field research with chapters that bring the reader up to date on contemporary dinosaur theory and science, Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs brings the excitement of scientific discovery to life. 

My thoughts: 
Well, I love dinosaurs, and my 2nd dream job would have been to be a paleontologist.  I don't have a lot of time or the attention to read books like this these days.  However, I think this is a lesser known book, not a big name, so I don't want to forget it.  

Verdict:  Keep

Rex Appeal:  The Amazing Story of Sue, the Dinosaur That Changed Science, the Law, and My Life by Peter Larson and Kristin Donnan:

When Peter Larson and his team from the Black Hills Institute discovered the world's largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton beneath a South Dakota butte in 1990, they had no idea that it would be the find of a lifetime. Sue, as the skeleton came to be known, would ultimately not only lead them to international recognition, but also pull them into a world of FBI investigations, Native American land claims, competitive paleontologists, and avaricious museum curators. This gripping story chronicles the adventures of Larson and his group, explaining the art, technology, and politics behind one of the most successful group of T-rex hunters. 

My thoughts:  
Are you seeing a trend in the first TBR books I added to Goodreads?  This whole thing with Sue was going on, or at least coming to  light to the public about the same time that I was taking these types of classes in college.  So I have always been very interested in this whole story.  I think this unique and personal take on the story  is one that I will some day still want to read.

Verdict:  Keep

Quest for the African Dinosaurs: Ancient Roots of the Modern World by Louis L. Jacobs:

Winner of the Colbert Award for the best adult book about dinosaurs

Louis Jacobs reopened paleontologists' eyes to the African continent when he uncovered a major fossil site in the hills of Malawi in the 1980s. During five digging seasons in Malawi and three in Cameroon, Jacobs found the remains of two meat-eating theropods, two herbivorous sauropods, an odd crocodile about the size of a Chihuahua, and rare early mammals. Now in paperback, Quest for the African Dinosaurs includes Jacobs' new introduction, which discusses recent developments in paleontological research in Africa.  

My thoughts:
See both book thoughts above.

Verdict:  Keep


 Feathered Dinosaurs by Christopher Sloan:

All the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago, right? Wrong. Exciting new fossil research suggests that though most of the dinosaurs did die out, flying dinosaurs didn't. They survived and changed over all those millions of years. 

My thoughts:
Well, this one is a National Geographic book, and while I know that means it will have some incredible illustrations, I believe there will be newer updated books with more up-to-date scientific facts and theories.

Verdict:  Toss


Heroes of the Holocaust:  True Stories of Rescues by Teens by Allan Zullo:

Maria Andzelm was a Catholic teenager whose family took in two Jewish men in Nazi-occupied Poland and hid them under their barn floor. She brought them food and books, but they were caught and paid a terrible price. Maria's stirring story is one of five featured in this important book of young people putting their lives on the line for others.  

My thoughts:
So, another topic I used to read tons and tons of nonfiction books about the Holocaust.  I guess I liked to cry or something.  This is a hard one, because I know it is something I'd probably be interested in. But, I don't know if I'll ever get to it.  So...

Verdict:  Toss


Loose Girl:  A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen:

For everyone who was that girl. 
For everyone who knew that girl. 
For everyone who wondered who that girl was.

Kerry Cohen is eleven years old when she recognizes the power of her body in the leer of a grown man. Her parents are recently divorced and it doesn't take long before their lassitude and Kerry's desire to stand out--to be memorable in some way--combine to lead her down a path she knows she shouldn't take. Kerry wanted attention. She wanted love. But not really understanding what love was, not really knowing how to get it, she reached for sex instead.

Loose Girl is Kerry Cohen's captivating memoir about her descent into promiscuity and how she gradually found her way toward real intimacy. The story of addiction--not just to sex, but to male attention--Loose Girl is also the story of a young girl who came to believe that boys and men could give her life meaning. It didn't matter who he was. It was their movement that mattered, their being together. And for a while, that was enough.

From the early rush of exploration to the day she learned to quiet the desperation and allow herself to love and be loved, Kerry's story is never less than riveting. In rich and immediate detail, Loose Girl re-creates what it feels like to be in that desperate moment, when a girl tries to control a boy by handing over her body, when the touch of that boy seems to offer proof of something, but ultimately delivers little more than emptiness.

Kerry Cohen's journey from that hopeless place to her current confident and fulfilled existence is a cautionary tale and a revelation for girls young and old. The unforgettable memoir of one young woman who desperately wanted to matter, Loose Girl will speak to countless others with its compassion, understanding, and love.  

My thoughts:
This one speaks to me for personal reasons.   Both for knowing people, and for feeling my own issues with some of it during my college years.  I still feel like I want to read this at some point, and so I will probably leave it on my list for a future read at some point.

Verdict:  Keep

Quirkyalone:  A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics by Sasha Cagen:

A funny, upbeat, inspiring guide for all those singles who identify with enjoying their unique lifestyles while waiting for the right romance to come along. A celebration of the discerning singles everywhere–the quirkyalone!

There was a time when a single woman over 25 was called an old maid. Mothers fretted these unfortunate creatures might be condemned to a committing a crime of tragic proportions: living a life of eternal spinsterhood. Fortunately, in the 21st century, tv shows like Sex and the City affirm that it's more than ok – it's cool to be single. Sasha Cagen has coined the term that defines the lonely romantic who prefers her (or his) own company to that of a less desirable counterpart. Defining "singledom as a natural resting state" for quirkyalones, Cagen's guide is the best kind of self–empowerment: incisive, savvy, hilarious. Equal parts self–help and hilarious pop culture, QuirkyAlone is self–empowerment for the wise people of the world. Including quizzes, lists, it's not–your–average–relationship–book.   

My thoughts:
While this one still is me, alone and single and never not been single at the age of 46, I just never seem to get into singles books.  No matter how inspirational they are supposed to be, or help me not be alone, or empower me, whatever.  

Verdict:  Toss

Strange Attractors by William Sleator:

Recent high school graduate Max is looking forward to his visit to Mercury Labs, an honor for top science students, when his mother tells him he's already been there--yesterday. Then Eve, the daughter of the Lab's top scientist, Dr. Sylvan, calls Max and asks him to return what he took from the Lab. But Max doesn't remember anything at all, and discovers that there are two Eves and two Dr. Sylvans. Which ones are real and which are imposters? What does Dr. Sylvan's work on the chaotic bifurcation graph have to do with time travel?  

My thoughts:
I've never been disappointed in this author, and since there will not be any more books by him, I want to at some point in my life. read them all. So, goofy, outdated cover or not, I know that I will enjoy the story, and that it will be a fun, easy read.

Verdict:  Keep


The Spirit House by William Sleator:

A foreign exchange student comes to live with Julie’s family for a year—setting off a frightening chain of events  

Julie isn’t thrilled about her parents’ decision to sponsor a foreign exchange student from Thailand. Not only is the stranger going to live with them for a year, but Julie is convinced he’ll be a nerd and will embarrass her at school. But when a tall, handsome, super-cool guy named Bia arrives, Julie is suddenly the envy of all her girlfriends.
 
Dominic, Julie’s 11-year-old brother, is also thrilled to have Bia around the house. So to make the guest feel at home in America, Dominic builds a traditional Thai spirit house in the backyard. Overnight, Bia seems to undergo a major personality change. He’s mean and spiteful and lies about everything. He also seems terrified of something . . . or someone. Has Dominic’s construction somehow invoked a vengeful spirit? Is Bia the bearer of luck so bad it could harm Julie and her family?  

My thoughts:
As you can see, this one got an updated cover, looks like they did a reprint or republish in 2015.  Other than that, same reasoning as above, in that I still want to read everything by this author.

Verdict:  Keep

Dangerous Wishes by William Sleator:

Three years of bad luck have passed since Dom's sister lost a valuable jade necklace on her way to Thailand. When his family travels there, he is determined to recover the necklace and appease the vengeful spirit. When Dom meets Lek, an English-speaking Thai his age, he thinks he's got the solution. But Lek has something with supernatural owers, too -- powers that can be deadly. "Riveting. Vintage Sleator."-- "The Horn Book"  

My thoughts:
Again, I will read all this author's books.  Some day.

Verdict:  Keep








Boltzmon! by William Sleator:

A boltzmon, remnant of a black hole, materializes in eleven-year-old Chris's bedroom and transports him to a parallel world, where he encounters the bitter woman his overbearing older sister will become, after his death, if he cannot convince her to change.  

My thoughts:  Don't know if you caught it, but this is actually the 11th book I've included in this post, even though it is a 5-10 book meme.  Since the next one on the list was by the same author as the last ones, I figured I'd go ahead and include it this time, so that the next time I do this meme I'll be starting with something different instead of including something almost the exact same as another post.  So, all the same reasons as above.

Verdict:  Keep






Have you read any of these books?  Would you suggest that I keep any of the ones I thought I'd toss?  Let me know what you think of this post.  I cleared 3 books off of my list, that's a good start, right?