30-Day Blogging Challenge, Day 16: My TBR Pile and Wish List

30-Day Blogging Challenge, Day 15: So... 30-Day Blogging Challenge, Day 17: Wh...

30-Day Blogging Challenge, Day 16: My TBR Pile and Wish List

Today’s topic was supposed to be “dream travel destinations,” but I already covered that (albeit very briefly) in my post on Places I’d Move To. So, instead of travel destinations, I thought I’d talk about something anybody reading this blog probably appreciates: BOOKS.

My TBR pile is huge. (I’m sure I’m not the only one.) I also have an enormous wishlist on PaperbackSwap (check out this post for more information on that wonderful site). I thought I’d take a few minutes to go through the books at the top of those two lists. (In both cases, this is only the tip of the iceberg.)

My TBR Pile
Those Girls , by Chevy Stevens

I only recently discovered Chevy Stevens. I started with Still Missing and Never Knowing. Both books are written in an interesting style, almost in second person, as the protagonist speaks to her therapist, with much of the story told almost as flashbacks. In both cases, I thought, “This can’t work.” But in both cases, it did. I was absolutely hooked from the first page to the last. I found the third book, Always Watching, significantly less enjoyable, but I still intend to read all of Chevy Stevens’s other books.

N0S4R2 , by Joe Hill

For those who don’t know, Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, and he’s following in his father’s footsteps as a master of horror. The first book I read by him was Heart-Shaped Box. I don’t remember it all that well. I didn’t necessarily love it, but I enjoyed it enough that I went and looked up all his other books. The next one I read, Horns, absolutely blew me away. Joe Hill is one of those authors who can do everything I hate, and yet still manage not only to keep my attention, but to leave me wanting more.

The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear , by Walter Moers

I honestly don’t know how I stumbled across this book, but it really intrigued me. One of the covers boasts a quote from the Washington Post that describes the book as “Equal parts J.K. Rowling, Douglas Adams, and Shel Silverstein.” The book itself is littered with funny little cartoon and drawings, and it features a band of tiny little pirates. How can anybody NOT be interested in at least checking it out?

The Last Days of Newgate , by Andrew Pepper

I have a thing for historical mysteries, when they’re well-written. I also have a thing for the “sometimes thief” character trope, so of course this book landed on my list.

Tom Picci rilli

One of my greatest regrets as an author is that I didn’t discover Tom Piccirilli’s work early enough. He lived just up the road from me, in Estes Park, and I would have loved to meet him and pick his brain. Alas, by the time I discovered his work, he was already in the end-stages of brain cancer. (Cancer sucks.)

Tom Piccirilli never bothered to confine himself to a single genre. He’s mostly known for bizarre noir-style horror, but he also wrote cozy mysteries, westerns, and some fantastic psychological thrillers. I’ve read about half of his books so far, but still have quite a few left to read. Seriously, nobody does tight point of view and vivid noir characterization like Piccirilli. He sucks me in every time.

If you’re curious, check out The Cold Spot (boasting one of the greatest opening lines of all time), Shadow Season, Dead Letters, or Every Shallow Cut.

My Wish List

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident , by Donnie Eicher, and/or Mountain of the Dead , by Keith McCloskey

I love unsolved mysteries. (Who doesn’t?) I could spend all day watching Disappeared on ID Network, or The Unexplained Files, on… whatever channel it’s on. And of all the unsolved mysteries in the world, the Dyatlov Pass Incident is one of the most fascinating. For those who don’t know this story, I’ll summarize:

In late January/early February 1959, nine college students went camping/skiing in the frozen mountains of Russia. They never returned. They were later found dead in the snow, only partially clothed. Their tent was shredded, indicating that they for some reason cut their way free rather than using the door. Some had died of hypothermia, but some of their bodies were lined up in the snow, carefully arranged in a line. One of them was missing her tongue. Even stranger: many of them had suffered massive internal injuries, but without a single evident external injury. The Soviet government subsequently classified the case as Top Secret and closed the area off for years.

Nobody has ever determined what exactly happened to the deceased students.

Intriguing, isn’t it?

The Unseen, by Katherine Webb

This is one of those books I mentioned in my PaperbackSwap post: I had it on my wishlist and received a copy after a brief wait. I kept it on my shelf for at least a year, and never read it, so I eventually posted it for trade and sent it on to another reader. Then, a few weeks ago, I picked up a copy of The Misbegotten by the same author. Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed it, so now I have The Unseen book BACK on my wishlist (I really should have read it the first time!) as well as The Night Falling.

The Woman in Cabin 10 , by Ruth Ware

This book has been everywhere lately. If you haven’t seen it on a bookshelf somewhere, you must be living under a rock. I almost bought the hardcover in an airport bookstore, but talked myself out of it. I’m waiting for the paperback.

The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton , by Edith Wharton

I love ghost stories. I love Edith Wharton. When I found out she had a whole book of them, the logical thing was to add it to my list. The thing is, my mother-on-law keeps telling me not to buy it, because she swears she owns a copy of it somewhere. One way or another, I’m getting a copy eventually.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle , by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson is one of the all-time masters of horror, best known for The Haunting of Hill House, and The Lottery. Apparently this one is currently in production as a movie, as well, so I’ll definitely want to read the book first.

I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t): Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture of Shame, by Brene Brown

I confess, this book confuses me because there seems to be three different versions, all with the same title, but with different subtitles. One of the other subtitles is “Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power”. I’m not sure if the text inside is the same or not. Either way, I’m interested.

Your Turn!

First of all, have you read any of these? If so, tell me what you thought. And let me know which books are at the top of your TBR pile. (Hint: What should be on your TBR list? How about my “best friend’s little brother” story, Making Waves? It comes out Thursday! Buy links are below.)