Down the TBR Hole

To be read (TBR) 

to•be•read /toō/bē/rēd/ (verb, future perfect)

1. A wishful listing of future books to be read

2. A current interest in future engagement

3. A play on the metaphoric "down the rabbit hole"  - an allusion to Alice in Wonderland that connotes entering into the unknown, the chaotic and the sometimes deranged black hole of psychedelic experiences

Finding books for the TBR list

There are many different ways to find books to populate a TBR list:

• Goodreads recommendations from friends
• Email announcements from book pushers like Brightly, BookBub, Net Galley, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss
• Book excerpts provided by some of publishers

This month, I am going with Buzz Books, offered by Publishers Marketplace. It provides excerpts of upcoming books, and this particular one is just for young adult new books. I get this by Net Galley, but this is also free on Kindle at Amazon. Since I am a blogger for Net Galley, though, Buzz Books allows me to read the excerpt, and then request it if I want to read the whole book. If I get around to reading the Buzz Books as soon as it comes out, everything is available, but I am late to the game this season so I may add some books to my TBR here, but I won't be able to get it from Net Galley as it is already archived. 

TBR adds 

The House of One Thousand Eyes by Michelle Barker

What grabbed me: a paragraph

Lena reached for her uncle and hugged him goodbye for another week, memorizing his arms and the smell of  him -- tobacco, vanilla, ink. She held him so tightly she imagined breaking him in half and taking part of him home. 

Out now.  Review here

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
What grabbed me:  the cover, the setting, the intrigue, and the description

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel seizes his help on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history--but only if they can stay alive.

Out January 15, 2019, but the review is here.

The Girl in the Locked Room Mary Downing Hahn
 What grabbed me: the excerpt, the cover, the author

I am a sucker for a good ghost story told from the point of view of two unreliable narrators (the ghost herself who does not know that she is a ghost) and the young protagonist. I am also familiar with the author who likes to write about mystery and the supernatural. I have already read Closed for the Season and All the Lovely Bad Ones. 

Out now which means that it was already archived on Net Galley so I have to find other ways to get a hold of the book. I tried getting my local library to buy it but it does not show up as an option right now.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

What grabbed me: the summary - seriously, sci fi AND retelling of the Mahabrahata. This is a must read. Plus, how cool is this cover?

Out now but Sky Pony Press did not give it to Net Galley and really, they probably did not feel like they needed to, so this is another I am putting on my TBR and now I have to ask my library to buy this.

Ignite the Stars Maura Milan
What grabbed me: the action in the first chapter grabbed me despite the issue I had with the protagonist's name Ia Cōcha. You know, like Lee Iacocca - Ford and Chrysler auto exec who brought the Mustang back? If it's purposeful, why? If it is coincidental, why?

Out now and no longer available on Net Galley but I recommended it to my local public library so you're welcome.

Girls of Paper and Fire Natacha Ngan

What grabbed me: one paragraph

Our kingdom believes words have power. That the characters of our language can bless or curse a life. Inside the pendant is a single character. One word that we believe will reveal a person's true destiny. 

Out November 6 2018 (on request)
Seriously, though, look at the kinds of books that I read. This is a possible ladder from the Wrath and the Dawn series or Empress of All Seasons which ironically is coming out on the same day.