Cleaning Up My TBR: Down the TBR Hole #4

Posted January 12, 2019 by Lisa Mandina in / 6 Comments

And even though I should have had lots of time over my Christmas break, I didn’t get anymore of these done, so here we go!

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.  The Darwin Conspiracy by John Darnton:

From the author of the bestselling Neanderthal comes this novel of gripping suspense and scientific conquest–a page-turning historical mystery that brilliantly explores the intrigue behind Darwin and his theory of evolution.It’s 1831, and aboard HMS Beagle the young Charles Darwin sets off down the English Channel for South America. More than 150 years later, two ambitious scholars pursuing their obsession with Darwin (and with each other) come across the diaries and letters of Darwin’s daughter. What they discover is a maze of violent rivalries, petty deceptions, and jealously guarded secrets, and the extraordinary story of an expedition embarked upon by two men. Only one returned–and changed history forever. 

My thoughts:
So, I read and enjoyed the book mentioned at the beginning of this synopsis.  And this sounds like an interesting retelling of what we know about Darwin, as well as probably even bringing to light some lesser known facts.  I feel like this is one I don’t want to forget that I’m interested in, and maybe some day I’ll be interested in this type of book again.

Verdict:  Keep

2.  Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis:

Emily has a tendency to live with one foot out the door. For her, the best thing about a family crisis is the excuse to cut and run. When her mother dramatically announces they’ve found a lump, Emily gladly takes a rain check on life to be by her mother’s side, leaving behind her career, her boyfriend, and those pesky, unanswerable questions about who she is and what she’s doing with her life. 

But back in her childhood bedroom, Emily realizes that she hasn’t run fast or far enough. One evening, while her mother calls everyone in her Rolodex to brief them on her medical crisis and schedule a farewell martini, Emily opens the door, quite literally, to find her past staring her in the face. How do you forge a relationship with the father who left when you were five years old? As Emily attempts to find balance on the emotional seesaw of her life, with the help of two hopeful suitors and her Park Avenue Princess sister, she takes a no-risk job as a receptionist at her father’s law firm and slowly gets to know the man she once pretended was dead. 

From the brainy, breezy writer who “writes like a professional comic” (The Onion) and is “hard to stop reading once you start” (USA Today) comes a laugh-out-loud tale that confirms you can recover from your parents, the bad habit of missed opportunities, and men who romance you with meat. When opportunity knocks, it’s time to stop running and start living.  

My thoughts:
Well, as much as I enjoyed the other book I read by this author, Girls’ Poker Night, I’m not sure this synopsis grabs me enough that I’ll search it out to read.

Verdict:  Toss

3.  The Willow Files Vol. 1 by Yvonne Navarro:

“”I like you. You’re nice, and you’re funny and you don’t smoke, and okay, werewolf, but that’s not all the time. I mean, three days out of the month I’m not much fun to he around, either.” — Willow” When Buffy the Vampire Slayer arrived in Sunnydale, she befriended a bookish, insecure girl named Willow. As a Slayerette, Will uses her computer prowess for good, hacking into electronic government files and researching obscure rituals on the Web. But Willow’s love life is severely lacking, consisting of an unfulfilled crush on her friend Xander and a short-lived fling with a deadly demon she met over the Internet.

Through her often life-threatening experiences with the Slayer, Willow gains the confidence to just be herself in the peer pressure-filled world of high school. And when her first real boyfriend, Oz, turns out to be a bit…”unusual..”.in his own right, Willow is just the girl to prove that love really is blind…and a little scary.   

My thoughts:  Okay, if you saw my review of the new book Slayer last weekend, you would have seen that I have a TON of Buffy the Vampire Slayer books.  This is one of the few I was unable to get my hands on, but am always on the lookout for.  

Verdict:  Keep

4.  Five Seasons of Angel: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Vampire:

by 

 (Editor), 

 

 (Contributor)

, 

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, 

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, 

 (Goodreads Author) (Contributor)

, 

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, 

 (Goodreads Author)(Contributor)

, 

 (Contributor)

 ,  (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),  (Goodreads Author)(Contributor),  (Contributor),  (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), (Contributor),  (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),  (Contributor),  (Contributor),  (Contributor), (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),  (Contributor),  (Contributor), (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),  (Goodreads Author) (Contributor)


Here it is, fight fans — the last rounds of the epic Buffy vs. Selke battle royale, and the conclusion of the Bad Blood story line! Collecting issues #17-19 of the hit comics series, watch as the Selke moves closer and closer to finishing off the Slayer. And Buffy has to come to grips with her dark side…literally! If that`s not enough for you, how about a gigantic fight to the finish in the middle of Downtown Sunnydale? Miss this one, and you`ll be kicking yourself later!

 

My thoughts:

Again, if you read my review, you’ll know that I wasn’t a huge fan of the comics, so this one will probably not be one I’ll need to pick up either.

 



Verdict:  Toss

 



Contributors. Ian Calcutt, Cynthia Fuchs, Amelie Hastie, Annette Hill, Mary Celeste Kearney, Elana Levine, Allison McCracken, Jason Middleton, Susan Murray, Lisa Parks 












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