sprite’s tbr list
TBR = to be read; a never-ending list or stack of books intended to be read immediately but ultimately set aside for indeterminate lengths of time
Sprite’s physical stack may be currently short but her written list is longer than her 5’2” stature!
Often, I experience days when I feel ambitious enough to tackle cleaning up my TBR on Goodreads. Then, there are moments I think I will eventually accrue the time to get through all of the books on that list so they absolutely must stay. MUST. How foolish I am in those moments despite knowing not a single one of us on earth is guaranteed our next five minutes of life. This is the testament to hope; adding to a list that screams there will be time, if not today or tomorrow, then eventually. I persist.
TBR stacks quickly take over every spare space.
Lately, I’ve even encroached on my guest bedroom bedside table. Although I designed my house to include seven reading nooks, I did not fully consider where my TBR stacks would live. Nor did I consider they may take over the spaces if I don’t plan for my avid reading obsession.
Why share this conundrum with you? It’s spring in the mountains, which means winter fiercely demonstrates its force. The trails are often inaccessible or too treacherous to attempt due to snow melt and mud. In essence, mud season begins. While awaiting better conditions and allowing the trails to recover, my reading prowess surges.
Of course, I want to share my adventures with you and that includes the adventures of the mind through the act of reading. So while I forego recent tales of outdoor excursions, I hope you will gain something; a new lease on your internal life?, ideas for your own TBR?, what I dunno. But here we go. Enjoy!
Just finished reading list:
An Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harper
Heartwood by Amity Gaige
Would I recommend these three books I recently completed? Yes, yes I would. I’m not merely recommending An Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg because I selected it for my book group to read. The novel portrays life in Wyoming, trending toward foreboding until the twist at the end. Overall, an interesting book. I can’t wait to watch the movie with Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman too!
As for I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harper, it is thought provoking and worth discussion. Although science fiction grates on my reading nerves and I felt this short novella could have been 50 pages shorter, the existential questions raised are worth ruminating on.
Finally, Heartwood by Amity Gaige, the page turner. Suspenseful. Poetic. Cathartic. The author based this version on a missing Appalachian Trail hiker so while there are similarities, this version is a very fictionalized account. For the audience that loves my tales on thru-hiking experiences, this one’s for you!
currently reading:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
The Apple and The Pearl by Rym Kechacha
Demon Copperhead is a retelling of David Copperfield set in Appalachia Virginia. It is lengthy, exceedingly so, and taking me a long time to wade through. Although well written and interesting, the editor should have chopped this book in half and the exact message would not have been lost. I appreciate the rich life I have after reading the first half of this book though, which is the main point. To understand how privileged we are in life. However, after this attempt I don’t think I’ll offer Kingsolver a third chance. I’m simply not a fan.
Next, I’ve barely started the mystery/suspense Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. I read mysteries as palate cleansers between dense books, mostly of the nonfiction variety but Demon Copperhead counts in this case. The simple writing attracts me and the intrigue keeps me occupied.
I picked up The Apple and The Pearl by Rym Kechacha joking that it happens to be my autobiography. So far it’s meh. The plot of a mystical traveling ballet run by a crow catches the inquisitive minds though so maybe it will pick up for me. The author danced ballet; therefore, the terminology and life in a dance company runs accurate.
Top 5 to read next:
Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray
Little Big Man by Thomas Berger
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, & Murder by David Grann
The Wager; A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, & Murder by David Grann is my book group selection for next month and will actually be the first book on this list I open to read. Meanwhile, I requested both The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page from my library on the Libby app for my Kindle, which means I’m at the mercy of others completing them first. Each are about an 8-10 week wait.
The other two on this list, Little Big Man by Thomas Berger and Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray have been awaiting my eyes for months now. Here’s to hoping one can be completed during April and the other in May! I’ve been reading slowly these days. I’m not sure why. Possibly because I’ve been reading books worth savoring.
Now, my turn for questions! I have oh so many. What books did you just finish reading? What are you currently reading? What is next on your list? And which of those would you recommend/liked/detested/have feelings thoughts words about?
What times of year do you find yourself reading more often? Or less? What types of books do you read in the spring? Want to discuss any of the books I wrote about in this post? Or any other books you want to discuss?
Told ya! I love discussing books. Which is why I hope even if you don’t or you don’t even read, you still gained a takeaway from this deviating post. Next week, back to adventures on trails. I promise ;-) If you do though, let me know. I’d love to share books and intel. Until then stay wild, especially in book choices!