Down the TBR Hole #2

Created by Lia @Lost in a Story

It works like this:

Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?

My Goodreads TBR currently has 854 books on it, and this post is all books I added in 2012, so I'm really looking forward to cleansing my list!

Moon Demon (Daughters of the Moon #7)

I remember my sister and I loving this series back in the day. We read all of the books my library had at the time, and I guess I just never noticed when new books came out (There's 13 apparently). I now don't remember anything about this series except that a group of girls become friend over their shared moon powers (sorta like H20: Just Add Water!).

Decision: Go

Princess Ben

This appears to be a stand-alone fantasy novel, about  Princess Ben(evolence) discovering magic and being under the control of an evil queen. The synopsis itself seems cool, but the writing preview is cringeworthy. She describes herself as not pretty because  she doesn't have big boobs and because no man could "fit his hands round [her] waist".  10 she's super skinny on the cover, and 2) so much for body diversity going hand in hand with body positivity. Ugh pass.

Decision: Go

Shatter Me

This isn't even the cover of the book anymore, that's how long it's been on my TBR. A girl who's touch is fatal, being weaponized by a government that previously imprisoned her for her ability. This series isn't finished yet, but have consistently had good ratings, and the cover with the eyes are gorgeous watercolors.

Decision: Keep 

The Lovely Bones

The story of a family devastated by the gruesome murder of a teenager, told by the teenager. This seems like a compelling read. I know I have this book somewhere on my bookshelves already, and that most of my family has already read it.  I'm not sure why I haven't gotten to it yet, but this has me itching to go pick it up!

Decision: Keep

The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials #2)

I honestly don't remember anything about The Golden Compass, and I know I've read the book and seen the movie. This book is as old as I am, so if the first book didn't immediately compile me to read the next one, I don't think anyone will unless a friend really hypes this book up for me.

Decision: Go

Fire (Graceling Realm #2)

Set in the same world, but essentially a standalone from Graceling,  I'm not sure why I haven't read this already. I own and have read both Graceling (#1) and Bitterblue (#2). A fantasy story with a medieval  setting, as well as special powers AND a badass female, this book seems to have everything I'm looking for in a book.

Decision: Keep

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)

My good friend Erika has been hyping these books since the day I met her all those years ago, and I even own a copy of this book. Shadowhunters in Victorian London?Why have I not read this book that I shelved as Want To Read in 2012? I will right after I finish Cassi Clare's The Mortal Instruments!

Decision: Keep (or Erika might kill me)

Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales #1)

I loved Holly Black's Curse Worker's series, and must have put this on the TBR as it was her only other solo work at the time. One of my friend's review says it's not a book for young reader's which makes me feel a bit better about the time I might take to read this book. While I love YA, I've definitely grown out of Middle Grade books like her Spiderwick Chronicles.

Decision: Keep

Stardust

I don't remember putting this book on my TBR list, but it's written by Neil Gaiman so it's not going anywhere. I love his writing so much, he's never let me down even with his short stories and I'm so excited for this stand-alone book about a boy retrieving a fallen star for the love of his life. Now that I'm reading the synopsis, a vaguely remember watching a film based off of this book!

Decision: Keep

Thirteen Reasons Why

I'm not sure why I ever added this book to my TBR. Maybe I never read reviews about how crappy the message is? I'm not going to read a book that basically says you can blame all of your problems on other people. I refuse to support a boring main character such as Clay, and Hannah convincing all of these people that it's their fault she committed suicide.

Decision: Definitely Go

Did I make the right decisions?? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Merrett's Choice by Ian Mitchell-Gill

Merrett’s Choice

by Ian Mitchell-Gill

Publication Date: January 26^th 2017

Publisher: FriesenPress

Find This Book: Merrett’s Choice

Rating: 4/5

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was an action-packed book! It kind of felt like the Animorphs of my childhood- a semi-large group of teens working to each other strengths to get the mission of the book done. The characters were all developed in Merrett’s Gift (which you can read my review about here) so this adventure could focus on the the current task: busting a Senator’s son out of a cult.

This book was a lot more engaging than the first one, pulling the reader into the more plot-focused action. The students and their backstories (particularly Lydia) were all established in book 1, and this novel could really hone in on their talents and their cohesiveness as a unit. The POV occasionally shifts, but primarily stays on Lydia which I loved because I feel like I become better connected to characters when I’m not switching around viewpoints as much. Lydia in particular is wicked smart and analytical- great qualities for a team leader and the analytical quality I could personally identify with. The best part of this book for me, is that while all of the planning of the operation is in front of the reader’s face the plan isn’t obvious until it’s in motion. Sometimes books tell you the plan and then give you an update on whether or not it was successful. With the way Ian Mitchell-Gill writes, I’m figuring out what Lydia’s doing as she’s doing it even though I’ve watched her strategically put pieces in place beforehand.

So like I said, the plot of this book is about infiltrating a cult. It deals with the CIA/FBI’s previous attempts at breaking up cults and seems very well researched. The location of this cult’s base, the physical work and lack of sleep, the leader’s personality, and the shady behind-the-scenes activities felt like watching a fascinating documentary. Sure their leader intentionally misquotes religious texts to manipulate his followers, and has a criminal record, but this novel also captured the nuance of the cult followers finding a place they feel like they belong. I loved this balance and element of reality. All in all it was a quick and exciting read, and while you would get character backgrounds by reading the first book you definitely don’t need to read Merrett’s Gift to thoroughly enjoy Merrett’s Choice!

Down the TBR Hole #1

Hi everyone! I've seen a lot of blogs do this and I figured my TBR definitely needed to be lightened. This meme was created by Lia @Lost in a Story

It works like this:

Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?

My Goodreads TBR currently has 866 books on it, and some of them are ancient, so I'm really looking forward to cleansing my list!

Fablehaven

A hidden refuge for magical creatures where chaos breaks out sounds right up my alley, but it's a Children's/Middle Grade series that's 5 books long, and I think the window for me to enjoy it has long closed.

Decision: Go

The Magician (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2)

I remember thoroughly enjoying the first book of this series. That being said, I read the first book of this series in 6th grade and don't remember anything about it. Another middle grade book, but this time about elemental magic.

Decision: Go

Poison Study

This is a fantasy series about a murderer who's punishment is to be a poison taster. Full of poison, magic, and rebellion, this 6 book series just got it's conclusion published in 2017. It's got a 4.15 average star rating on Goodreads and most of my friends have given it 5 stars... and if I wanted to, I could sit and read all 6 this week.

Decision: Keep

Magyk (Septimus Heap #1)

This long 7 book series has been read by most of my friends back in the 2011-2013 era with a spattering of different ratings. This also apparently has a second series which is a trilogy. That's a lot of books to commit two with a 10 year old protagonist, buuuut it's supposedly a fantasy book told  with a lot of humor reminiscent of  tradition British storytelling.

Decision: Go

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1)

This is an Urban Paranormal Romance book (looks to be either New Adult or Adult) with what appears to be a love triangle as well. Our MC is a coyote shifter, and many of the folks around her are what go bump in the night. No one I know has read it recently so I'd have no one to talk about it with- I think I've moved past the paranormal romance section of my life.

Decision: Go

Nobody's Princess

Just reading this synopsis got me giddy again! A mythological fiction about Helen of Sparta before she became the famous Helen of Troy everyone loves to hate? Sign me UP! I'm just as obsessed with Greek Mythology as I was when I shelved this book, maybe even more know that I've read most of the famous Greek Tragedies (multiple including Troy).

Decision: Keep

Unearthly

Another Paranormal Romance (this time YA like most of my reads), this 3 book series stars a nephilim (half angel/half human) who just finds out she's has angel dna in her. It looks like another love triangle between a guy who means 'following the rules' and a guy that means 'following her heart'. I don't have the energy for another one of these fate v love paranormal books.

Decision: Go

Goddess of the Sea (Goddess Summoning #1)

I'm not really sure what originally drew me to this series because the covers aren't really my thing and it doesn't look YA. A 25 year old drinking too much invokes a spell that brings her to an ancient time full of magic (and puts her into the body of a mermaid named Undine). Looks like another triangle between a land boy and a merman.  

Decision: Go

Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker #1)

My buddy Erika didn't give this book a stellar review and was already on the fence about it. The MC finds out the the far world exists and that she's the only one who can exist in both worlds (Fae and Human). Fae political shenanigans ensue I'd imagine. Like 30 of my friends shelved it as to-read in the early 2010's and never read it either.

Decision: Go

The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1)

I believe this was recommended to me because I enjoyed the Pendragon series, but I'm not 100% sure. The Rangers sound like a fantasy battalion (no magic though) that protect the people from war before the war ever reaches their homeland. Uncle Rick says there is more telling than showing in this book so I'm skeptical.

Decision: Go

Did I make the right decisions?? Let me know in the comments!