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?
My TBR pile went up a couple of books to 1117, despite me finishing several books since my last “Down the TBR Hole” post. Of course, I keep finding more books to add to my wishlist. This week’s books:
My TBR pile is holding steady at 1117 books. After scrolling down the list a bit, I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of any of my books in the next few posts, but who knows, maybe there’s a surprise waiting for all of us somewhere in there.
Road Trips, Head Trips, and Other Car-Crazed Writings ed. by Jean Lindamood Jennings – KEEP. I love road trips and books about them.
An Introduction to Women’s Writing ed. 
Through Time by Andrew Cartmel – KEEP. This was another “Doctor Who” book I got in a giveaway.
Wonder Woman Psychology ed. by Travis Langley – KEEP. I usually get the “[Insert fandom here] and Philosophy” books, but I didn’t see one for “Wonder Woman.” Instead, I found this on the shelf at the bookstore, and I’m interested to see my favorite DC comic book character through the lens of psychology.
Dinosaur Highway by Laurie E. Jasinski – KEEP. I LOVE Dinosaurs, and one of the biggest events every semester during my time in the Texas State University Geology Club was to go to a very small Natural History museum to help clean their portion of the dinosaur tracks and the surrounding area of debris. The tracks we worked on were only viewable to regular visitors from a boardwalk, so it felt extra special to be able to get up close and personal with the tracks without having to be someone with letters after my name. I bought this book in the museum’s gift shop during one of those trips so that I could learn more about the tracks and the history of the area.
Extracted 
Enemy by K. Eason – GO. I’m not feelin’ this Fantasy novel, either.
Golden Age by James Maxwell – GO. The synopsis for this book sounds like this is a Fantasy world ripped off from Ancient cultures. While a lot of Fantasy borrows elements from the real world, both past and present, this one sounds wholly unoriginal.
Fan Phenomena: Doctor Who ed. by Paul Booth – KEEP. I won a physical copy of this book, along with another one I’ll be taking a look at in the next post, from a blog giveaway years ago. I’m still very much interested in reading it, and it will probably inspire me to re-watch “Doctor Who” for the third time.
Lost in Arcadia by Sean Gandert – GO. This story seems to be an exaggeration of current events set in the near future, and I’m tired of the real world as it is. I’ll pass on this one.
The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King – GO. An orphan who is constantly ill is picked by a tyrant to be one of his courtesans or wives if she wins in battle against his current courtesans and wives?! Is it just me, or does that not make any sense at all?!
Hannah: The Ugly Teapot by Fred Holmes – KEEP. I’m skeptical, but it is a Middle-Grade Fantasy, and I LOVE a good Middle-Grade Fantasy. I’ll give it a shot.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan – KEEP. I’ve never read a WWII story from the perspective of an Italian. This one also happens to be based on a true story and isn’t just Historical Fiction.
Scar Tissue by Scott Wiener – GO. This literally has one review on Goodreads, and it’s only a star rating at that. It is also self-published. I’m not going to waste my time with a book that has been out in the world since 2017 and no one has been willing to review it.
Song of Edmon by Adam Burch – GO. The planet in this story is called Tao and is split between Daysiders and Nightsiders. I’m assuming the author got this idea from the Taoist symbol and concept of Yin and Yang, and that’s just a little too on the nose for my tastes.
Secondborn by Amy A. Bartol – KEEP. I have a sneaking feeling this book is going to turn out to be a disappointment, but the first part of the synopsis sounds amazing. I can’t pass up the possibility that it won’t end up as just another DNF, especially since I already own the ebook.
Woodwalker by Emily B. Martin – KEEP. I have no idea if this will be worth reading, but I like the cover, the title, and the synopsis, so I’m keeping it.
The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte by Ruth Hull Chatlien – KEEP. I only got this because it’s about a real woman in history, who while perhaps didn’t do much that was historically significant, still led an interesting life worth reading about. And, really, we need more books about history from the perspective of women. Hopefully, this one will be good.
The Silver Music Box by Mina Baites – KEEP. I’m getting a little bit tired of Historical Fiction about WWII, but this one looks like it might be different, so I’ll give it a try.
The Vampyre ed. by John William Polidori – KEEP. The page for this book on Goodreads has no synopsis, but I think this is a short story anthology. I’m pretty sure I got this ebook for free years before I finally got around to adding it to my TBR on Goodreads, so I’ll give it a chance.
Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock – GO. It turns out this is a satire and critique of my favorite Romance Era authors, so no, thank you, but I’ll pass.
Mark of Fire by Richard Phillips – GO. I’m really getting tired of the “Girl with magical powers that she must master to save her world” trope. Goodbye!
Collected Works by Algernon Blackwood – KEEP. This huge collection contains more than 80 short stories and 10 novels by Algernon Blackwood, famous for his ghost stories. I’ve had the ebook for years and never seem to get around to it, but I know I will at some point. I’ll keep it for now.
The Weight of Sound by Peter McDade – GO. This is not quite what I thought it was when I added it to my wishlist back in 2017. I’m also skeptical of a book that has nearly all 5-star reviews, but only 40 of them; it looks a little too much like the author got all of his friends and family to talk up his book.
The Moral Animal by Robert Wright – KEEP. A book about the science of morality (or the lack thereof) sounds fascinating, and I’ve read another book by Wright, The Evolution of God, that was excellent.
Nonzero by Robin Wright – KEEP. Another book by Wright about Evolution and Humanity that sounds extremely interesting.
Sorry Please Thank You by Charles Yu – KEEP. This one is a collection of Science Fiction short stories all by one author, which I usually prefer to short story anthologies. The three stories mentioned in the synopsis sound like the whole book is probably good.
Monsterland by Michael Okon – GO. This sounds a little too much like Jurassic Park, but with monsters, and after looking at some of the reviews, I’m not the only person to think that.
Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint – KEEP. This book was recommended to me years ago, and I own it, but still haven’t gotten around to reading it. Considering de Lint is a “must-read” author for Fantasy fans, I’m moving this one up closer to the top of my TBR for this year.
The Victorian Book of the Dead by Chris Woodyard – KEEP. It’s frustrating that I still haven’t found a physical copy of this book in any bookstore, whether new or used. I might have no choice but to buy it on Amazon.
Understanding Cemetery Symbols by Tui Snider – KEEP. Another one I’ll have to eventually buy a physical copy of on Amazon.
Grave Suspicion, Consumed, Indian Summer, and The Hand of Andulain by Aaron Mahnke – KEEP. I grouped these 4 books together since they’re all by the same author, who is also the creator of the 
Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey – KEEP. This will always be a part of my permanent collection, whether I ever finish reading it or not. For a while, I had been trying to complete the 
