Goodreads TBR Shakedown (part 2/?)
I really meant to wait like six or at least three months to do another one of these, to see how many I could read off the chart in the interim, but then...I got over-excited and couldn't stop writing, and now I feel I simply MUST share another set o' fifty. If you missed part 1, jump to it here.
So, back to my TBR -- we'll pick up where I left off at no.81 on the full list, with books added in October 2019.
1. And Then We Ran - Katy Cannon (2017)
Road trip + teens getting married in the modern day = storylines I'm always down for! Unfortunately, I don't think this was published in the U.S., so I gotta buy it to read it. Copies start at $9 secondhand, or $13 for a new paperback.
2. Three Hours - Rosamund Lupton (2020)
An English rural-school-held-hostage-by-a-gunman story that I've been anticipating since before its release. Looks like I can get it through ILL now.
3. Next of Kin - James Tucker (2017)
I watched "The Escape Artist" and fell so in love w/ the father/son dynamic that I immediately went looking for books with a similar one. I found it perfectly in The Whisper Man, but I also came across this and while it doesn't entirely match, it does sound like a decent mystery/detective novel I could cast Mac or Flack of CSI: NY in.
4. The Disappeared - Sibel Hodges (2019)
Always down for "I thought my doctor husband died in Africa, but turns out he might be Surprise Alive months later" thrillers.
5. Coming Back Alive - Dennis J. Reader (1981)
I want to read this SO MUCH; I love stories about teen runaways trying to live off the land (hey there The Runaway's Diary), but it's impossible to get without buying, and it is Not Cheap to buy ($30+. for a used mass market paperback).
UPDATE: oh snap it's on OpenLibrary now??
update two: I was so excited I ended up reading it that night!
6. Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World - Janet E. Cameron (2013)
There is a non-zero chance I will eventually want to read about a young gay teen realizing he's in love with his presumably-straight best friend, because that is a trope I tend to like. And when that day comes, I'll be able to scoop this off my TBR.
7. No One's Home - D.M. Pulley (2019)
Oh I'm sorry, they're buying a foreclosed probably-haunted mansion?? Outta my way, I'm there as soon as I cave and get an ILL.
8. Horse of Air - Lucy Rees (1980)
Like I said w/ the Patsey Grey book, I don't add every vintage horse book I find to this list, but this one caught my eye because Welsh Cobs aren't the most common breed to feature in a horse book. A bit long for an OpenLibrary reading, but not impossible.
9. Girls of July - Alex Flinn (2019)
I WILL read this this summer! I finally got a copy in hand, now I just gotta...remember where I put it...
10. In Another Time - Caroline Leech (2018)
I still yearn for the Once Upon A Book Club box with this one, but I am very very very excited to read this historical novel regardless.
11. The Last One - Alexandra Oliva (2016)
I actually got a couple of chapters into this one before setting it aside because I wasn't quite in the mood for it. But I know that I can't resist a "outdoors reality show goes Very Wrong" premise forever. It can't disappoint me worse than Small Game!
12. Down Bayberry Lane - Helen Girvan (1955)
I have to be in exactly the right mood to enjoy this vintage teen-book treat, but it's on OpenLibrary. I'm very excited to get to it. And I don't even really know what it's about, other than the captivating 2 pages I read in an Etsy listing once where's working in an antique shop. Also a poodle appears to be involved.
13. No Room For Wild Animals - Bernhard Grzimek (1954)
Stumbled upon this nonfiction title, and now think it is just one of several interesting-sounding options from a "renowned German zoo director, zoologist, author and animal conservationist most famous for his conservation work of the Serengeti." This particular one is "an account of his adventures in the Belgian Congo and his thoughts about big game hunters, the alarming proliferation of man and the decreasing species of animals," though as I explore further, I might want to read his earlier books first instead. But we'll leave the placeholder where it is.
14. My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop - ed. Ronald Rice (2012)
Look at that subtitle, could there be a better concept for a book of essays??
[update: read this one too!]
15. The Map of Lost Memories - Kim Fay (2012)
I definitely have to be in the perfect mood for this, because I am THRILLED by the idea of a 1920s would-be museum curator battling sexism on a treasure hunt in the Orient. And...ARGH. I should have bought the Goodwill copy back then, instead of resisting because "it's at the library," because now it is no longer at the library.
16. After the Curtain Call - Nancy E. Polin (2016)
I added this when my "David/Georgia Tennant, OTP!!" feels kicked into overdrive ad I was desperate for a novel version that reminded me of them/how they met. This got so close I only lasted about 5 days before I actually bought it on Kindle, which meant I read about 50 pages straight and then skimmed for the best bits. But I hope one day I'll finish it properly. The man in this one is a bit too old, as he has 2 college-age kids already, but if I pretend Georgia simply had her first kid a few years later, it works. Bonus, there's a bit of a thriller/damsel in distress angle to this.
17. Past Heaven - Laura Ward (2014)
When I dipped back into Grey's Anatomy clips so I could finally see the Riggs scenes (because Martin Henderson has the only face I could possibly imagine competing with McDreamy's; they knew what they were doing with that casting!), my need for a romance novel featuring a woman with children who slowly falls in love again after tragically losing the love of her life spiked. This looks so perfect -- even better than the Grey's version, because kind Hollywood actor/screenwriter > hotshot former Army surgeon. Pity I have to buy it to read it.
18. The Animals - Christian Kiefer (2015)
This looks so much like a literary novel that I keep being certain I'll hate it, but then I read the summary again about this man running a wildlife sanctuary for injured animals and how he just wants to get married to his current ladlylove and live a quiet life (despite the shadow of a criminal past bringing new threats), and I change my mind. May have just ordered it from the library. I'm riding high off how These Silent Woods exceeded my expectations.
update: oh, solid DNF. It is, in fact, exactly what I feared These Silent Woods would be! I was bored by the writing style in 3 pages so I started flipping ahead and oh, cool, it's gonna be depressing AF. Ain't nobody named RS got time for that.
19. My Life as a Girl - Elizabeth Mosier (1999)
Sometimes I just stumble upon books I probably wouldn't have looked at twice 20 years ago, and find myself ravenously hungry for the style of YA writing from that time period. This is one such example.
20. The How and the Why - Cynthia Hand (2019)
I keep thinking this is Again, But Better because of the split image on the cover, and I keep being surprised when I remember it's actually a dual-timeline YA about an adopted teen and the letters from her pregnant-teen bio mom 18 years earlier. It looks good, but it's very long, so I have to be in the right mindset for that kind of story.
21. St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets - Annie England Noblin (2020)
IDEK why I haven't read this yet when the cover is so pretty!
22. Little Women and Me - Lauren Baratz-Logsted (2011)
This is actually the lowest-rated book (of those with more than 8 ratings) on my entire Goodreads TBR, at a 3.02 average. But that doesn't scare me, because I still expect 4 stars and if it's not, 3 stars is still a worthwhile read and this woman hasn't let me down yet.
23. Friction - E.R. Frank (2003)
This is pretty much a representative for my long-standing determination to read every book on the Inappropriate Student/Teacher Relationships in YA list with a male teacher and female student. It's just a dynamic I enjoy, particularly in the time before they kiss (the list also includes dynamics I like even better, such as unrequited crushes and books where the relationship is only a rumor, based on circumstantial evidence due to the teacher being overly friendly/familiar. because they're NICE)
24. What I Lost - Alexandra Ballard (2017)
I have drifted away from eating disorder novels, but if one is ever going to bring me back to the fold, it's this one. I...don't really know why, it just looks attractive. It'll probably be on the TBR a long time but may eventually be deleted unread, because it's long (400 pages).
25. Under the Peaches - Shana Vanterpool (2017)
IDK what got a bee in my "need ALL the student/teacher romance!" bonnet in Feb. 2020, but I do recall that I went furiously hunting because I also wanted some happier endings than YA would allow, and this seemed like it had the least amount of explicit content paired with the most intense concentration of legitimate romance, rather than "lust at first sight." Look at this -- "Mr. Ean only wanted to help Kaelyn. Patch her up and show her she was worth so much more than she was giving herself. He didn’t mean to fall in love with a student." That is my crack, that's why we do this. (read books of this nature, I mean. not teach.)
26. Good - S. Walden (2013)
This one also seemed palatable, and has a sequel if I like it. I don't think this one is exactly clean, but as it's set in high school it's still better than the "taboo is so hot" New Adult ones, so self-published YA/borderline NA is what's left.
27. Dogs, Cats, and Horses: A Resource Guide to the Literature for Young People - Catherine Strickland (1990)
This is mostly a resource for helping me find books for people who are looking for older kids' books about these animals, but it's officially on my TBR because I do want to read it cover to cover at some point, which hopefully will help stick some plot points in my head while also adding about sixty titles to my theoretical TBR.
28. Where the Stars Meet the Sea - Heida Kimball (2020)
I am mad ALL THE TIME when I see people mention The Starless Sea and excitedly think they mean this book, but no. This lovely-sounding slow burn Regency romance with a beautiful cover is much less accessible. And I want it so much more. "A broken man. A fiery young woman. Neither one's heart will come away unscathed." Also: a castle maybe??
29. Follow Your Dream - Marjorie Holmes (1961)
Looks like I'll have to buy this teen book to read it. :( I don't even remember what it's about, but based on the title and cover I assume the dream involves a career working with animals. Which, again, I Want.
30. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe - Heather Webber (2019)
Since accidentally buying The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe when I thought it was this book, my fervor to read this has cooled a little bit until I read the one I actually own -- but I think MatBC is probably better, so it shall remain on the list. Why not have TWO cozy bakery/cafe books.
31. Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading - Lucy Mangan (2018)
I find reading memoirs quite lovely in general, but double points if we share reading tastes and books in common. And, obviously, children's books are my passion, so we definitely will here! Plus I'd like to write a version of my own childhood reading memoir, someday. Just for myself.
32. Pandemic - Yvonne Ventresca (2014)
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, someone on the lost-book forums was looking for this because they said it eerily reminded them of present circumstances. I was intrigued, and happy when the title was found. I like pandemic stories in general so at some point I'll happily dig into this.
33. Fun at the Office! - Mark Cloud (2019)
This is on here mostly to remind me it exists, since this self-published picture book based on the sitcom is not available in libraries and it's WILDLY expensive now that its original print run has sold out. Print another run already! There HAS to be enough demand to justify it, based on the used-copy prices.
34. A Dog Called Valentine - Roxanne Snopek (2019)
IIRC, I found this on a friend's "dog-romance" shelf on Goodreads, the same place I found Love At First Bark when Matthew Gray Gubler's swoon-worthy turn as a vet and dog-owner on Dollface made me very "HELLO." But because the LI is an ex-cop w/ the K-9 unit, it actually reminded me of Luke/Penelope, if they'd met over a rescue dog. I'm not expecting anything amazing, just standard mass market romance, but I just splurged for an e-audiobook on ChirpBooks because I couldn't get it anywhere else without buying it. ($4)
35. Second Hand - Michael Zadoorian (2000)
This was half "quirky dude could be played by Matthew Gray Gubler in my head!" and half "OK, but a dude who owns a junk shop AND is cleaning out his late hoarder mother's house sounds fantastic regardless."
36. The Foreseeable Future - Emily Adrian (2018)
I WILL read this one come August/September! I finally own a copy and I know where it is.
37. Let Me List the Ways - Sarah White (2018)
do u know how mad I am that I've seen the book that shares this cover image -- Wildlife by Fiona Wood -- at both the library AND the dollar store, when I have NO interest in that one and SOOOOO much interest to Nell/Eric (NCIS: LA) this one?! At least I can get it via ILL.
38. Finding Felicity - Stacey Kade (2018)
She burned me bad w/ the explicit scenes in otherwise brilliant 738 Days, but that won't stop me from reading a book about the girl I totally would have been in college, had I felt compelled to lie to my mother about having friends instead of just truthfully crying about being lonely and homesick! I didn't even watch Felicity except for a few eps w/ Amy Jo Johnson, but I always loved the idea of it so I'm excited. PLUS, fingers crossed, but I think this one might be free of graphic scenes.
39. Bright Side - Kim Holden (2014)
To be clear, the plain orange cover of the original paperback is HIDEOUS and feels actively cruel to slap on such a beautiful story. The 2022 edition is better, but the Spanish-language one is where it's at. (Spanish also gets the more melodious title Raio del Sol, and is actually the one that caught my eye in the first place, so that's the version I actually put on my TBR. not least so I wouldn't sour with curdled rage from seeing the orange) Anyway, I'm drawn partly to the story and partly to how the town where it takes place is practically in my backyard. It definitely doesn't have a college IRL, even a community one, but it'd be fun to imagine it does! The area is not unlike the rural MN college I actually went to, come to think of it.
40. How The Light Gets In - Katy Upperman (2019)
This shares a cover image iwth Just Visiting, and hmmm. At the time I thought this one sounded better (no one's describing it as "sex positive" in its reviews, for one) and was excited to be able to enjoy this cover image on a cooler story, but now I'm like, hold up. I like the "returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian" and "a summer of home renovations" aspects, not sure about the...apparently seeing her little sister's ghost. Then again, it's also SwoonReads, which I like, plus every year there are fewer and fewer YA contemporaries that appeal to me, so might be good to keep a 2019 rep in my back pocket.
41. Head On! - Jack W. Thomas (1983)
This is hard to find, but honestly, it sounds so infamously/notoriouisly trashy -- I heard of it via this post-- that I am curious! We are secretly delighted by an ultra-gritty ~edgy~ 80s teen read.
42. The Last Summer of Us - Maggie Harcourt (2015)
Summer YA road trip! But make it BRITISH?? (in Wales, specifically! even better) I was automatically on board for the road trip aspect, but add in that setting and now I'm intrigued, 'cause like, how do you do that even. Alas, it looks like another one that was not published in the U.S. I don't want it enough right now to buy it, though at least it isn't very expensive. Hm. A $5 "very good" copy on eBay right now...maybe I should jump on it?
43. Sweet Dandelion - Micalea Smeltzer (2020)
Ooh, a new entry in the emotion-focused self-published student/teacher realm. Honestly, it's very long (600 pages), and I'm doubtful it needs to be; I'm not thrilled about the quality of writing either, but...I can't say no to a "counselor is drawn to Help and Protect withdrawn student, and then.....Feelings" (feelings that are OK because she's actually the age of a college freshman, just repeating a year).
44. Smothered - Autumn Chiklis (2018)
This caught my eye because I feel like there just AREN'T that many stories about new college graduates immediately moving back home (like me!). Happily, I found a copy at the dollar store. For whenever I'm finally in the right mood.
45. Star Gazer - Chris Platt (2011)
I keep starting to read this short little novel (144 pages) on OpenLibrary and getting immediately overwhelmed by how much I love the mere idea of a preteen rescuing a black draft horse from the kill buyer at auction without her mother's knowledge until it's too late (via Methods that involve minor trickery, since obviously minors cannot actually make such purchses). Also, I JUST noticed that she's the author of a middle school favorite of mine, Willow King!
46. The Vandals of Treason House - Nancy Veglahn (1974)
OK, hear me out: yes the kids vandalized it, but then they started to clean and fix it up as their community-service punishment, so this ACTUALLY becomes a book about a cool old mansion and its interesting architecture, contents and history, which they fight to save from being torn down (wait, why did anyone care if they vandalized it then...? I'll have to read it to find out I guess). Anyway, love that!
47. Strange Weather in Tokyo - Hiromi Kawakami (2001)
Odds are dropping on how likely it is I'll read this -- I'm not really interested in the setting -- but the idea of a student/teacher romance actually happening, years after the student graduates so no one can say boo? I've wanted that for years. But I'm very hesitant that there's a 30-year age difference, and that the man is now in his 70s.
48. Coming Home to Holly Close Farm - Julie Houston (2019)
"Their great-grandmother, Madge - now in her early nineties - reveals she has a house, Holly Close Farm, mysteriously abandoned over sixty years ago, and persuades the sisters to project manage its renovation." BOOM SOLD. But not to me, because it wasn't published in the U.S. and it's a bit pricey. Still, I never tire of fixing-up-an-old-house stories and British settings aren't as common as U.S. ones, so might as well keep it on deck.
49. Monarch Manor - Maureen Leurck (2019)
Preparing her late grandmother's house for an estate sale? Poring through old documents? Finding old mysteries? YEAH!!
50. Trapped - Amanda Lance (2016)
Into The Storm (see prev. TBR shakedown post) but make it sadder and more serious.
And yet, this only takes us to August 2020. You can really see the pace of book additions escalating...
So, back to my TBR -- we'll pick up where I left off at no.81 on the full list, with books added in October 2019.
1. And Then We Ran - Katy Cannon (2017)
Road trip + teens getting married in the modern day = storylines I'm always down for! Unfortunately, I don't think this was published in the U.S., so I gotta buy it to read it. Copies start at $9 secondhand, or $13 for a new paperback.
2. Three Hours - Rosamund Lupton (2020)
An English rural-school-held-hostage-by-a-gunman story that I've been anticipating since before its release. Looks like I can get it through ILL now.
3. Next of Kin - James Tucker (2017)
I watched "The Escape Artist" and fell so in love w/ the father/son dynamic that I immediately went looking for books with a similar one. I found it perfectly in The Whisper Man, but I also came across this and while it doesn't entirely match, it does sound like a decent mystery/detective novel I could cast Mac or Flack of CSI: NY in.
4. The Disappeared - Sibel Hodges (2019)
Always down for "I thought my doctor husband died in Africa, but turns out he might be Surprise Alive months later" thrillers.
5. Coming Back Alive - Dennis J. Reader (1981)
I want to read this SO MUCH; I love stories about teen runaways trying to live off the land (hey there The Runaway's Diary), but it's impossible to get without buying, and it is Not Cheap to buy ($30+. for a used mass market paperback).
UPDATE: oh snap it's on OpenLibrary now??
update two: I was so excited I ended up reading it that night!
6. Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World - Janet E. Cameron (2013)
There is a non-zero chance I will eventually want to read about a young gay teen realizing he's in love with his presumably-straight best friend, because that is a trope I tend to like. And when that day comes, I'll be able to scoop this off my TBR.
7. No One's Home - D.M. Pulley (2019)
Oh I'm sorry, they're buying a foreclosed probably-haunted mansion?? Outta my way, I'm there as soon as I cave and get an ILL.
8. Horse of Air - Lucy Rees (1980)
Like I said w/ the Patsey Grey book, I don't add every vintage horse book I find to this list, but this one caught my eye because Welsh Cobs aren't the most common breed to feature in a horse book. A bit long for an OpenLibrary reading, but not impossible.
9. Girls of July - Alex Flinn (2019)
I WILL read this this summer! I finally got a copy in hand, now I just gotta...remember where I put it...
10. In Another Time - Caroline Leech (2018)
I still yearn for the Once Upon A Book Club box with this one, but I am very very very excited to read this historical novel regardless.
11. The Last One - Alexandra Oliva (2016)
I actually got a couple of chapters into this one before setting it aside because I wasn't quite in the mood for it. But I know that I can't resist a "outdoors reality show goes Very Wrong" premise forever. It can't disappoint me worse than Small Game!
12. Down Bayberry Lane - Helen Girvan (1955)
I have to be in exactly the right mood to enjoy this vintage teen-book treat, but it's on OpenLibrary. I'm very excited to get to it. And I don't even really know what it's about, other than the captivating 2 pages I read in an Etsy listing once where's working in an antique shop. Also a poodle appears to be involved.
13. No Room For Wild Animals - Bernhard Grzimek (1954)
Stumbled upon this nonfiction title, and now think it is just one of several interesting-sounding options from a "renowned German zoo director, zoologist, author and animal conservationist most famous for his conservation work of the Serengeti." This particular one is "an account of his adventures in the Belgian Congo and his thoughts about big game hunters, the alarming proliferation of man and the decreasing species of animals," though as I explore further, I might want to read his earlier books first instead. But we'll leave the placeholder where it is.
14. My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop - ed. Ronald Rice (2012)
Look at that subtitle, could there be a better concept for a book of essays??
[update: read this one too!]
15. The Map of Lost Memories - Kim Fay (2012)
I definitely have to be in the perfect mood for this, because I am THRILLED by the idea of a 1920s would-be museum curator battling sexism on a treasure hunt in the Orient. And...ARGH. I should have bought the Goodwill copy back then, instead of resisting because "it's at the library," because now it is no longer at the library.
16. After the Curtain Call - Nancy E. Polin (2016)
I added this when my "David/Georgia Tennant, OTP!!" feels kicked into overdrive ad I was desperate for a novel version that reminded me of them/how they met. This got so close I only lasted about 5 days before I actually bought it on Kindle, which meant I read about 50 pages straight and then skimmed for the best bits. But I hope one day I'll finish it properly. The man in this one is a bit too old, as he has 2 college-age kids already, but if I pretend Georgia simply had her first kid a few years later, it works. Bonus, there's a bit of a thriller/damsel in distress angle to this.
17. Past Heaven - Laura Ward (2014)
When I dipped back into Grey's Anatomy clips so I could finally see the Riggs scenes (because Martin Henderson has the only face I could possibly imagine competing with McDreamy's; they knew what they were doing with that casting!), my need for a romance novel featuring a woman with children who slowly falls in love again after tragically losing the love of her life spiked. This looks so perfect -- even better than the Grey's version, because kind Hollywood actor/screenwriter > hotshot former Army surgeon. Pity I have to buy it to read it.
18. The Animals - Christian Kiefer (2015)
This looks so much like a literary novel that I keep being certain I'll hate it, but then I read the summary again about this man running a wildlife sanctuary for injured animals and how he just wants to get married to his current ladlylove and live a quiet life (despite the shadow of a criminal past bringing new threats), and I change my mind. May have just ordered it from the library. I'm riding high off how These Silent Woods exceeded my expectations.
update: oh, solid DNF. It is, in fact, exactly what I feared These Silent Woods would be! I was bored by the writing style in 3 pages so I started flipping ahead and oh, cool, it's gonna be depressing AF. Ain't nobody named RS got time for that.
19. My Life as a Girl - Elizabeth Mosier (1999)
Sometimes I just stumble upon books I probably wouldn't have looked at twice 20 years ago, and find myself ravenously hungry for the style of YA writing from that time period. This is one such example.
20. The How and the Why - Cynthia Hand (2019)
I keep thinking this is Again, But Better because of the split image on the cover, and I keep being surprised when I remember it's actually a dual-timeline YA about an adopted teen and the letters from her pregnant-teen bio mom 18 years earlier. It looks good, but it's very long, so I have to be in the right mindset for that kind of story.
21. St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets - Annie England Noblin (2020)
IDEK why I haven't read this yet when the cover is so pretty!
22. Little Women and Me - Lauren Baratz-Logsted (2011)
This is actually the lowest-rated book (of those with more than 8 ratings) on my entire Goodreads TBR, at a 3.02 average. But that doesn't scare me, because I still expect 4 stars and if it's not, 3 stars is still a worthwhile read and this woman hasn't let me down yet.
23. Friction - E.R. Frank (2003)
This is pretty much a representative for my long-standing determination to read every book on the Inappropriate Student/Teacher Relationships in YA list with a male teacher and female student. It's just a dynamic I enjoy, particularly in the time before they kiss (the list also includes dynamics I like even better, such as unrequited crushes and books where the relationship is only a rumor, based on circumstantial evidence due to the teacher being overly friendly/familiar. because they're NICE)
24. What I Lost - Alexandra Ballard (2017)
I have drifted away from eating disorder novels, but if one is ever going to bring me back to the fold, it's this one. I...don't really know why, it just looks attractive. It'll probably be on the TBR a long time but may eventually be deleted unread, because it's long (400 pages).
25. Under the Peaches - Shana Vanterpool (2017)
IDK what got a bee in my "need ALL the student/teacher romance!" bonnet in Feb. 2020, but I do recall that I went furiously hunting because I also wanted some happier endings than YA would allow, and this seemed like it had the least amount of explicit content paired with the most intense concentration of legitimate romance, rather than "lust at first sight." Look at this -- "Mr. Ean only wanted to help Kaelyn. Patch her up and show her she was worth so much more than she was giving herself. He didn’t mean to fall in love with a student." That is my crack, that's why we do this. (read books of this nature, I mean. not teach.)
26. Good - S. Walden (2013)
This one also seemed palatable, and has a sequel if I like it. I don't think this one is exactly clean, but as it's set in high school it's still better than the "taboo is so hot" New Adult ones, so self-published YA/borderline NA is what's left.
27. Dogs, Cats, and Horses: A Resource Guide to the Literature for Young People - Catherine Strickland (1990)
This is mostly a resource for helping me find books for people who are looking for older kids' books about these animals, but it's officially on my TBR because I do want to read it cover to cover at some point, which hopefully will help stick some plot points in my head while also adding about sixty titles to my theoretical TBR.
28. Where the Stars Meet the Sea - Heida Kimball (2020)
I am mad ALL THE TIME when I see people mention The Starless Sea and excitedly think they mean this book, but no. This lovely-sounding slow burn Regency romance with a beautiful cover is much less accessible. And I want it so much more. "A broken man. A fiery young woman. Neither one's heart will come away unscathed." Also: a castle maybe??
29. Follow Your Dream - Marjorie Holmes (1961)
Looks like I'll have to buy this teen book to read it. :( I don't even remember what it's about, but based on the title and cover I assume the dream involves a career working with animals. Which, again, I Want.
30. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe - Heather Webber (2019)
Since accidentally buying The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe when I thought it was this book, my fervor to read this has cooled a little bit until I read the one I actually own -- but I think MatBC is probably better, so it shall remain on the list. Why not have TWO cozy bakery/cafe books.
31. Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading - Lucy Mangan (2018)
I find reading memoirs quite lovely in general, but double points if we share reading tastes and books in common. And, obviously, children's books are my passion, so we definitely will here! Plus I'd like to write a version of my own childhood reading memoir, someday. Just for myself.
32. Pandemic - Yvonne Ventresca (2014)
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, someone on the lost-book forums was looking for this because they said it eerily reminded them of present circumstances. I was intrigued, and happy when the title was found. I like pandemic stories in general so at some point I'll happily dig into this.
33. Fun at the Office! - Mark Cloud (2019)
This is on here mostly to remind me it exists, since this self-published picture book based on the sitcom is not available in libraries and it's WILDLY expensive now that its original print run has sold out. Print another run already! There HAS to be enough demand to justify it, based on the used-copy prices.
34. A Dog Called Valentine - Roxanne Snopek (2019)
IIRC, I found this on a friend's "dog-romance" shelf on Goodreads, the same place I found Love At First Bark when Matthew Gray Gubler's swoon-worthy turn as a vet and dog-owner on Dollface made me very "HELLO." But because the LI is an ex-cop w/ the K-9 unit, it actually reminded me of Luke/Penelope, if they'd met over a rescue dog. I'm not expecting anything amazing, just standard mass market romance, but I just splurged for an e-audiobook on ChirpBooks because I couldn't get it anywhere else without buying it. ($4)
35. Second Hand - Michael Zadoorian (2000)
This was half "quirky dude could be played by Matthew Gray Gubler in my head!" and half "OK, but a dude who owns a junk shop AND is cleaning out his late hoarder mother's house sounds fantastic regardless."
36. The Foreseeable Future - Emily Adrian (2018)
I WILL read this one come August/September! I finally own a copy and I know where it is.
37. Let Me List the Ways - Sarah White (2018)
do u know how mad I am that I've seen the book that shares this cover image -- Wildlife by Fiona Wood -- at both the library AND the dollar store, when I have NO interest in that one and SOOOOO much interest to Nell/Eric (NCIS: LA) this one?! At least I can get it via ILL.
38. Finding Felicity - Stacey Kade (2018)
She burned me bad w/ the explicit scenes in otherwise brilliant 738 Days, but that won't stop me from reading a book about the girl I totally would have been in college, had I felt compelled to lie to my mother about having friends instead of just truthfully crying about being lonely and homesick! I didn't even watch Felicity except for a few eps w/ Amy Jo Johnson, but I always loved the idea of it so I'm excited. PLUS, fingers crossed, but I think this one might be free of graphic scenes.
39. Bright Side - Kim Holden (2014)
To be clear, the plain orange cover of the original paperback is HIDEOUS and feels actively cruel to slap on such a beautiful story. The 2022 edition is better, but the Spanish-language one is where it's at. (Spanish also gets the more melodious title Raio del Sol, and is actually the one that caught my eye in the first place, so that's the version I actually put on my TBR. not least so I wouldn't sour with curdled rage from seeing the orange) Anyway, I'm drawn partly to the story and partly to how the town where it takes place is practically in my backyard. It definitely doesn't have a college IRL, even a community one, but it'd be fun to imagine it does! The area is not unlike the rural MN college I actually went to, come to think of it.
40. How The Light Gets In - Katy Upperman (2019)
This shares a cover image iwth Just Visiting, and hmmm. At the time I thought this one sounded better (no one's describing it as "sex positive" in its reviews, for one) and was excited to be able to enjoy this cover image on a cooler story, but now I'm like, hold up. I like the "returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian" and "a summer of home renovations" aspects, not sure about the...apparently seeing her little sister's ghost. Then again, it's also SwoonReads, which I like, plus every year there are fewer and fewer YA contemporaries that appeal to me, so might be good to keep a 2019 rep in my back pocket.
41. Head On! - Jack W. Thomas (1983)
This is hard to find, but honestly, it sounds so infamously/notoriouisly trashy -- I heard of it via this post-- that I am curious! We are secretly delighted by an ultra-gritty ~edgy~ 80s teen read.
42. The Last Summer of Us - Maggie Harcourt (2015)
Summer YA road trip! But make it BRITISH?? (in Wales, specifically! even better) I was automatically on board for the road trip aspect, but add in that setting and now I'm intrigued, 'cause like, how do you do that even. Alas, it looks like another one that was not published in the U.S. I don't want it enough right now to buy it, though at least it isn't very expensive. Hm. A $5 "very good" copy on eBay right now...maybe I should jump on it?
43. Sweet Dandelion - Micalea Smeltzer (2020)
Ooh, a new entry in the emotion-focused self-published student/teacher realm. Honestly, it's very long (600 pages), and I'm doubtful it needs to be; I'm not thrilled about the quality of writing either, but...I can't say no to a "counselor is drawn to Help and Protect withdrawn student, and then.....Feelings" (feelings that are OK because she's actually the age of a college freshman, just repeating a year).
44. Smothered - Autumn Chiklis (2018)
This caught my eye because I feel like there just AREN'T that many stories about new college graduates immediately moving back home (like me!). Happily, I found a copy at the dollar store. For whenever I'm finally in the right mood.
45. Star Gazer - Chris Platt (2011)
I keep starting to read this short little novel (144 pages) on OpenLibrary and getting immediately overwhelmed by how much I love the mere idea of a preteen rescuing a black draft horse from the kill buyer at auction without her mother's knowledge until it's too late (via Methods that involve minor trickery, since obviously minors cannot actually make such purchses). Also, I JUST noticed that she's the author of a middle school favorite of mine, Willow King!
46. The Vandals of Treason House - Nancy Veglahn (1974)
OK, hear me out: yes the kids vandalized it, but then they started to clean and fix it up as their community-service punishment, so this ACTUALLY becomes a book about a cool old mansion and its interesting architecture, contents and history, which they fight to save from being torn down (wait, why did anyone care if they vandalized it then...? I'll have to read it to find out I guess). Anyway, love that!
47. Strange Weather in Tokyo - Hiromi Kawakami (2001)
Odds are dropping on how likely it is I'll read this -- I'm not really interested in the setting -- but the idea of a student/teacher romance actually happening, years after the student graduates so no one can say boo? I've wanted that for years. But I'm very hesitant that there's a 30-year age difference, and that the man is now in his 70s.
48. Coming Home to Holly Close Farm - Julie Houston (2019)
"Their great-grandmother, Madge - now in her early nineties - reveals she has a house, Holly Close Farm, mysteriously abandoned over sixty years ago, and persuades the sisters to project manage its renovation." BOOM SOLD. But not to me, because it wasn't published in the U.S. and it's a bit pricey. Still, I never tire of fixing-up-an-old-house stories and British settings aren't as common as U.S. ones, so might as well keep it on deck.
49. Monarch Manor - Maureen Leurck (2019)
Preparing her late grandmother's house for an estate sale? Poring through old documents? Finding old mysteries? YEAH!!
50. Trapped - Amanda Lance (2016)
Into The Storm (see prev. TBR shakedown post) but make it sadder and more serious.
And yet, this only takes us to August 2020. You can really see the pace of book additions escalating...