How do you feel about making to-be-read lists (aka TBRs)?
I’m ambivalent. On the one hand, I keep endless lists of books I want to read. I have close to 80 books on my Goodreads want-to-read shelf. I have more than I want to count on my Nook e-reader. Plus several physical shelves in my home stacked with books I haven’t read but claim to want to. Also, I have random photos of books I come across that seem interesting. And random lists scattered in various and sundry notebooks and in my “notes” app.
Bottom line: I make TBRs but refuse to organize them coherently.
All that said, I’m feeling the autumnal spirit. I have pumpkin candles. I have pumpkin donuts. I have pumpkin-themed throw pillows. I have a new heated blanket my love bought for me because I am always cold. Now I just need some chilly weather and a few spooky reads to enjoy the mood I've so lovingly cultivated.
So I made (yet another) list. This one is for books perfect for reading between now and Thanksgiving. We’ll see how I do.
“I Shall Wear Midnight” (Tiffany Aching #4) by Terry Pratchett
This is the fourth novel in Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series, which is part of his larger Discworld series but can be read on its own. At the age of nine, Tiffany discovers she is a witch, and the books explore what that means and how she grows into the role. The books are witty, gentle, kind, and just spooky enough for my taste.
“The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag” by Alan Bradley
This is the second book in Bradley’s Flavia de Luce murder mystery series. The first one impressed me no end. Clever, funny, and so well plotted. I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for with this.
This is a cozy mystery set in a New England bookstore that appears to be part of a series. I walked by this book three time at Barnes and Nobel. My rule is, if I walk by a book three time and am still interested, I get to bring it home.
“Wicked Witch Murder” (a Lucy Stone mystery) by Leslie Meier
I guess my theme this autumn is cozy mysteries. This one is also set in New England, Maine to be precise. I love the sense of community in these mysteries.
“The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner and Other Stories” by Terry Pratchett
I picked this up in Athens last summer and have yet to read it. But it has the word “witch” on the cover, and I’m in the mood for witchy stories. Plus, Pratchett’s humor makes me happy.
“Tales of Men and Ghosts” by Edith Wharton
I read a few of the stories in this collection a few years ago and ... wow. They are twisted. I had the chills and was laughing at the same time. As I think about it, anything by Edith Wharton works for the spooky month of October precisely because her works are so unsettling. The overwhelming beauty of her prose and her dark humor balance out the bleak bits.
“Death of a Macho Man” (Hamish Macbeth #12) by M. C. Beaton
As far as I can tell, Beaton has written upwards of 30 of these cozy mysteries set in the Scottish Highlands. I’m reading them in order to make sure I don’t miss a single one.
What are you planning to read this autumn? Any suggestions for me?