Mount TBR 2020 discussion

Three books a month --- I can do this

*insert rallying cry here*

January
1.Caressed by Ice/Nalini Singh 1/21/2020
2.First Grave on the Right/Darynda Jones 1/24/2020
3.The Child Finder/Rene Denfeld 1/24/2020

Rallying Cry!!



Good luck with your challenge.

1.
Title: Caressed by Ice
Author: Nalini Singh
Format owned: print book Format read: print book
Rating: **** 4-stars

Don't let the ugly cover fool you -- this is definitely my favourite in the series so far. Give me a tortured soul and I'm in. I really liked the couple as a couple too.

2.
Title: Child Finder
Author: Rene Denfeld
Format owned: eBook Format read: audiobook (library)
Rating: **** 4-stars

Another really good one (I should read the books I own more often). I really liked what the author did with fairy tale in this story. Warning though, it was A LOT darker than I thought it would be. Will definitely have to check-out the sequel.

3.
Title: First Grave on the Right
Author: Darynda Jones
Format owned: eBook Format read: print book (library)
Rating: *** 3-stars

An interesting start to a series. What a unique concept -- the Grim Reaper as a PI. This first one was a little rough (pacing, disjointedness), but I'm definitely intrigued.

February
4. The Hazel Wood/Melissa Albert 2/2/2020
5. A Darkness Absolute/Kelley Armstrong 2/6/2020
6. If We Were Villains/M.L. Rio 2/13/2020
7. The Wedding Party/Jasmine Guillory 2/14/2020
8. No Good Duke Goes Unpunished/Sarah MacLean 2/21/2020

I probably miss out on some great books because unfortunately I do judge a book by it's cover. :(

Ashley wrote: "I probably miss out on some great books because unfortunately I do judge a book by it's cover. :("

Me too! That's probably why it took me so long to pick it up.

4.
Title: The Hazel Wood
Author: Melissa Albert
Format owned: print (hardcover) Format read: audiobook (library)
Rating: **** 4-stars

This book reminded me of early Holly Black. While it was definitely young adult and had many of the predictable beats, it still surprised me in a few places. I liked the world it created. I will definitely be checking out book two in the series (The Night Country) from the library.

5.
Title: A Darkness Absolute
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Format owned: ebook Format read: audiobook (library
Rating: **** 4-stars

This book fell victim to my procrastination about reading sequels. If I don't dive in right away, I take forever to do so. I liked the first book in this series (City of the Lost) and picked up the ebook for this one when Amazon had it on sale years ago. Anyways, I ended up liking this one even more. We've met all the players, now we get to play. I am reading book three (This Fallen Prey) right now and loving it.

6.
Title: If We Were Villains
Author: M. L. Rio
Format owned: ebook Format read: audiobook (library)
Rating: ***** 5-stars

This book was amazing! M. L. Rio is now an auto-buy author (she hasn't written anything else). I read this book and was then at a loss about what to do with myself. The characters, the ending. OMG!!!

7.
Title: The Wedding Party
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Format owned: print (paperback) format read: print
Rating: *** 3-stars

Unlike the previous author, I think Jasmine Guillory is someone I will continue to read from the library. There was nothing wrong with this book. It was an okay, fluffy rom-com, good banter. I was nothing spectacular to me though. I enjoyed my time, but I doubt I'll go back and reread it.

8.
Title: No Good Duke Goes Unpunished
Author Sarah MacLean
Format owned: print (paperback) Format read: print
Rating: *** 3-stars

This is a higher 3-star rating than the previous book. I haven't read a good bodice ripper in a while and have heard great things about Sarah MacLean. This book proved those rumours correct. I definitely want to check-out more by this author.

March
9. The Flatshare/Beth O'Leary 3/20/2020

Doing good 👧

April
10. Aftermath/Chuck Wendig 4/3/2020
11. Unbelievable/Sara Shepard 4/15/2020
12. Storm Cursed/Patricia Briggs 4/18/2020

9.
Title: The Flatshare
Author: Beth O'Leary
Format owned: eBook Format read: eBook
Rating: ***** 5-stars

This is further evidence that I should really read the books I own. I loved it! It was such a sweet romance. I loved the letter-writing component and the search for Johnny White. It was so good.

Taleisin (Tales of a Bookwyrm) wrote: "9.
Title: The Flatshare
Author: Beth O'Leary
Format owned: eBook Format read: eBook
Rating: ***** 5-stars

This is further evidence that I should really read the..."
I just finished this book as well, it was so sweet! Unfortunately, it was a library book so I can't count it towards this challenge.

10.
Title: Star Wars: Aftermath
Author: Chuck Wendig
Format owned: print (hardcover) Format read: print (hardcover)
Rating: ***

This book really surprised me. It took me months to read the first 100 pages and a week to read the rest -- and now I want to continue in the series.

11.
Title: Unbelievable
Author: Sara Shepard
Format owned: print (paperback) Format read: audiobook (library)
Rating: **

I am officially done with this series. I love the TV show, but the books just don't work for me. None of the characters are really redeemable, the friendship (which is the heart of the show) isn't there, my favourite character doesn't exist.

12.
Title: Storm Cursed
Author: Patricia Briggs
Format owned: print (hardcover) format read: print (hardcover)
Rating: ****

Why do I do this to myself. I LOVE this series! I know that, so why do I not pick up these books immediately?! I pre-order them.

May
13. Come, Tell Me How You Live/Agatha Christie Mallowan 5/13/2020
14. The Ten Thousand Doors of January/Alix E. Harrow 5/15/2020
15. The Dark and Deadly Pool/Joan Lowery Nixon 5/22/2020
16. Mine to Possess/Nalini Singh 5/28/2020
17. Hostage to Pleasure/Nalini Singh 5/31/2020

13.
Title: Come, Tell Me How You Live
Author: Agatha Christie Mallowan (yes, THAT Agatha Christie)
Format owned: print (paperback) format read: print (paperback)
Rating: *** 3-stars

This is an account of the author's adventures accompanying her husband on archaeological digs in Syria, Turkey and Iraq in the 1930s. She wrote it in response to constant questions. I found it interesting and enjoyable. However, keep in mind that this book was written in the 1930s by a white middle-class British woman. While she is more cosmopolitan than many, some of her terminology and attitudes reflect her time.

14.
Title: Ten Thousand Doors of January
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Format owned: eBook Format read: audiobook (library)
Rating: **** 4-stars

This book was a surprise. I picked up the audiobook looking for a light fluffy fantasy. It wasn't that ... it was better. I loved following January on her adventures. January felt 17 -- at times she was mature for her age at times really not. The last scene in this book is one of the best endings I've read in a while.

15.
Title: Dark and Deadly Pool
Author: Joan Lowery Nixon
Format owned: eBook Format read: eBook
Rating: *** 3-stars

This book was pure nostalgia. It had been a favourite when I was about 10 years old. I can totally see why! Fran was one of my first book boyfriends and I totally get it. That said, at 40 it's not quite to my taste.

June

18. The Cardigans/Cole McCade 6/1/2020
19.Emergency Contact/Mary H.K. Choi 6/15/2020
20. Sex, Lies, and Online Dating/Rachel Gibson 6/28/2020

16 & 17
Titles: Mine to Possess -- Hostage to Pleasure
Author: Nalini Singh
Format owned: print (paperback) Format read: print (paperback)
Ratings: *** .5 3.5-stars

Another couple of solid instalments in the Psy-Changeling Series. These two very much flowed together. These books introduced a couple of characters and I can't wait for their books.

18.
Title: The Cardigans
Author: Cole McCade
Format owned: eBook Format read: eBook
Rating: ***** 5-stars

Yet another book I'm kicking myself for not reading sooner. It is the start of the Criminal Intentions mystery series. I'm obsessed! I binged through the first seven books in June. If you like police procedurals and wish they were more diverse, this is the series for you. The mysteries are good, but the characters are fabulous!

19.
Title: Emergency Contact
Author: Mary H. K. Choi
Format owned: eBook Format read: audiobook (library)
Rating: ***.5 3.5-stars

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. It was cute. I was actually kind of disappointed it turned into a romance at the end.

20.
Title: Sex, Lies and Online Dating
Author: Rachel Gibson
Format owned: print (paperback) Format read: print (paperback)
Rating: **.5 2.5-stars

I have owned this book for over a decade -- it turned out to be a disappointing read. The plot reminded me a lot of "Getting Rid of Bradley" by Jennifer Crusie and I liked that book better. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything special (in my opinion).

Okay, so July was a bust -- 26 books and not one of them was off the TBR mountain. Ack!

August

21. Peter Darling/Austin Chant 8/1/2020
22. The Gutter Prayer/Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan 8/13/2020
23. Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels/Sarah Wendell 8/13/2020
24. Sorcery of Thorns/Margaret Rogerson 8/20/2020

September
25. Tricks for Free/Seanan McGuire 9/2/2020
26. Vicious/V.E. Schwab 9/19/2020