Tackling My TBR: October 2019

Wednesday, October 09, 2019

Tackling My TBR is a monthly post, where I share my reading plans for the upcoming month. The concept of a TBR Jar is not a new one. I’ve seen it used in various ways throughout the bookish community. My jar will be a little different. The goal is to read the older books on my to-read pile. Thus, instead of putting individual book titles on a small sheet of paper to place in the jar, I wrote a month and a year on each. Each month, I intend to pull three sheets of paper from my jar which will dictate which three books I will read. The dates on the paper correspond with the date I added those books to my Goodreads account. Some months will have over 20 books to choose from, when others may have only one. From Goodreads, I’ll choose the three books from the three different monthly hauls. And if I cannot complete the book within the month, it will be unhauled (with the exception of one pass each month).



In September, I tackled books from my April 2015, December 2017, and March 2018 book hauls. I am so happy that I finally read Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. It’s been on my shelf for so long and classics are not something I usually read. It was okay, I actually prefer Pride and Prejudice but I’m one step closer to finish her complete works. I didn’t get around to The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin but I plan on reading the final book in the series by the end of the year. Looking back, I was supposed to read The Book Jumper by Mechtild Glaser but I ended up reading The Forgotten Book, also by her, instead. That was a solid Pride and Prejudice retelling with a twist.

From the jar, I picked from the November 2016, January 2013, and December 2011 book hauls. From there I chose the following books:


Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi: So, this may come as a shock but I never continued in the Shatter Me series after the first book. I adored the first book back when it first came out so I purchased the second and even the third but never got around to it. Hopefully, this month is the time to finally read what happens next.

Baby Proof by Emily Giffin: I’m debating whether or not to just unhaul all of my Giffin books because I didn’t love the last book I read from her, Love the One You’re With. I’ll try to give this one a go but after reading the synopsis, I’m not sure why I ever picked it up in the first place. It’s about a couple who decide they don’t want to have kids early on and then as time goes on, one of them changes their mind.

The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise: At first, this one reminded me of the movie, Pixel Perfect, but now I’m not so sure. Audrey builds an app to win a contest, using the scandals of her high school to inspire some of her app’s content. The synopsis is rather vague but it sounds like it might be good.

Spookathon

I enjoy reading spooky books in October so having a readathon to go with it is just icing on the cake. Spookathon is hosted by BooksandLala. Here’s the announcement for the readathon. It takes place between October 14th to the 20th. I couldn’t be more excited about this! Here’s the books and challenges I hope to complete:


read a book with a spooky word in the title:
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige: I read Dorothy Must Die last month and absolutely loved it. I’ve been looking for a way to slip the sequel in somewhere. And wicked is definitely a spooky word.

something you wouldn't normally read:
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood: I used to read quite a bit of witch books but in recent years, I’m just not that into them anymore. However, I still have a few left on my shelf, Born Wicked being one of them.

read a thriller:
Deadly Little Lessons by Laurie Faria Stolarz: I know, I know. This isn’t a thriller, it’s more like a mystery with some creepy vibes. I rarely read actual thrillers, it’s just not a genre I gravitate towards. Plus, whenever I decide to read bestselling thrillers like The Girl on the Train and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, they turn out to be books that just aren’t for me.


read a book with red on the cover:
Blackbird by Anna Carey: I’m still in the middle of her first series, Eve. This one I know very little about and have heard readers talk about even less than her other books. It’s got red on the cover, that’s all I know.

read a book with a spooky setting:
Maximum Ride Forever by James Patterson: Isn’t the apocalypse a spooky setting? I also needed this book to be on a set tbr because I would not be reading it otherwise. I’m so done with this series—it had a solid ending in the last book but insists on another whole book to conclude the series.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski: House of Leaves can actually overlap quite a few challenges. I started this book five years ago, got about 50 pages in and then had to put it down due to homework and other responsibilities. This book isn’t your average book—it’s an experience that readers get fully immersed in. It’s astounding. I want to take my time with it, which is why I’m starting it earlier than the readathon. With over 700 pages, it’s not the most ideal book for a readathon either but if I get it finished this month, I’ll be so happy!

What are you reading this month?

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