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Down The TBR Hole

Down The TBR Hole #161-180

Welcome to Down the TBR Hole #161-180!  What is Down the TBR Hole?  It is where I grab 20 books from my crazy long TBR list on Goodreads and decide if I am keeping or removing the books.  Need to catch up?  Click here to go to the previous post.  As a reminder, here are the rules:

I’ve been neglecting my Goodreads account lately, which means I haven’t added too many books, but I’m starting this week off with 4,669 books.  Let’s get started!

1. Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Romance is my go-to when I need a break from all of the heavy self-help and Christian books I’ve been favoring for the last few years.  I tend to read them very quickly, so it helps when I want to clear my mind and not have to “think” too much.  This plot seems to have plenty of twists and turns and looks like an exciting read, so I am keeping this one.

 

2. One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

A standalone book, but second in the Ten Tiny Breaths series, this one follows the other sister and seems just as interesting as the first.  I go through my spurts with series.  Sometimes I love following the characters and don’t mind reading 2-3 books, and other times I hate the story didn’t finish in the first book.  But my favorite is when each novel can be standalone and follows a character individually.  I am keeping this one.

 

 

3. Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker

Still in the same series as the two books above, I don’t feel the need to have every book in this series on my TBR list.  If I love the previous two, I will add this one and read it.  With that said, I am removing this one.

 

 

4. Five Ways to Fall by K.A. Tucker

Book four in the above series.  I am removing this one and will add it back if I like the other ones enough.

 

 

5. In Her Wake by K.A. Tucker

This book looks like a prequel to book 1 in the above series.  Here are my thoughts on prequel books.  Most of the time, I don’t like them.  If I read them before book one, I feel like I know too much of the story to enjoy book one since most of the time, the author wrote the prequel afterward.  If I read it after book 1, things tend to start making sense (and this is my preference) but also feels like the author may have just thrown together a quick story from deleted scenes.  My experience has been very hit and miss with prequels.  So I am removing this one.

 

6. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Another romance that could help break up some of my more substantial reading.  I first heard about Colleen Hoover from her book Verity that was all over the internet this year.  And although I haven’t read it yet (it’s sitting on my Kindle), I heard good things about it.  I also tend to like romances that future music, so I’m keeping this one.

 

7. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Ahhh, the love story where two people think they can be friends with benefits without catching feelings.  These books tend to be very predictable. After all, they will probably fall in love.  And I always find myself yelling at one of the characters, “JUST TELL HIM/HER YOU LIKE HER/HIM ALREADY.”  But it doesn’t stop me from reading them.  I am keeping this one.

 

 

8. November 9 by Colleen Hoover

A romance book about an author? Yes, please.  Keeping this one! (If I finish this tonight, this will be posted on November 9th.  Is that a sign that I should buy and read this book???)

 

9. Confess by Colleen Hoover

Clearly, on this particular day, I was either on a Colleen Hoover kick or working off a recommendation list that had all her books.  A woman looking for a job, finds a guy, and falls in love, but he has a secret.  Can I be honest?  I hate it when someone has a secret and hides it.  It is the same as a lie in my book, and I can’t handle it.  And I will stop reading a book if this happens at times.  It’s just not something I am willing to deal with in my fictional world.  So I am removing this one.

 

10. Collide by Gail McHugh

A girl who seems to overlook the guy who has helped her through her grief and falls for the apparent bad boy.  This always makes me feel bad for the guy ignored.  I am removing this one.

 

 

11. Pulse by Gail McHugh

Welp, now that I read this plot, I know what happens in the first book.  Thank goodness I removed it or that spoiler would suck.  I am removing this one.

 

 

 

12. Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

Another romance featuring music story.  I will keep this one.

 

 

 

13. Boundaries by Henry Cloud

I touched on my thoughts on this book in a previous Down the TBR Hole post (the marriage one came up).  Someone let me borrow this book and the videos to go with, and I couldn’t get into them.  I am removing this one.

 

 

14. Let’s All Be Brave by Annie F. Downs

Fear is a huge factor in my life.  Add in my obsessive need to worry about the worst-case scenario, and it’s really shocking that I have done anything with my life.  It is something I would like to overcome, so I am keeping this one.

 

 

15. First Comes Love by Emily Griffin

A contemporary fiction book about the choices in life made by the characters and their struggle with where their life is currently and if they made the right decisions.  I am keeping this one.

 

16. I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi

I had to have this book on my list because it just seemed that she was judging all of the things we judge others for in a comedic way.  I always said I was going to check out her blog since it was so popular, but I never got around to it.  Actually, let me do that now since I will want to link it anyway.  I use to follow her on IG, but I remember having to unfollow her because I didn’t agree with her opinion on something, and it was all she talked about for a while (and no, I have no clue what it was about now).  Either way, I am still interested in the book, so I am keeping it.

17. A Book of Prayer: 365 Prayers for Victorious Living by Stormie Omartian

The Pastor that married Chris and I gifted us with the military edition of Stormie Omartian books, Power of a Praying Wife and Power of a Praying Husband, for our first anniversary.  And although they probably collect more dust than they should, I enjoyed reading and highlighting mine all up.  They are pretty popular books, and I can see why.  I don’t really hear many people talk about her other books, but I am interested in reading more by her.  I am keeping this one.

 

18. Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes

I’m more wary about books like this nowadays because I’ve learned that looking for a list of things that will make me a Godly woman will get me nowhere.  But seeing that this book actually points you in the direction of first and foremost having a relationship with God and then the outcome of that relationship is your desire to be Godly makes me feel better.  I am going to keep this one on the list for now.

 

19. Breaking Intimidation: Saying “No” Without Feeling Guilty.  Be Secure Without the Approval of Man. by John Bevere

I read his Bait of Satan book, which came highly recommended by so many people, and I didn’t really like it.  I can’t pinpoint if it was just the season I was in, the fact that he was blaming offense on the person who feels the offense or if it was just a bad book.  But I said I would give him one more chance.  I think I have mastered the art of saying no pretty well, though.  So I am removing this one.

 

20. Spurgeon’s Commentary on the Bible by Charles Spurgeon

This isn’t really a book to read but more of a book I would be interested in having amongst my Bible study materials.  I hear so much about Charles Spurgeon that he is a person I want to learn more about.  For now, I am removing this from my list.

 

Final Count: Removing 9; Keeping 11

TBR Down to 4,660

I feel like it took me no time to power through these 20 books! With so many romances, this list is a little different from my usual Down the TBR Hole post.  But that goes to show you, my TBR list is so grand and covers so many different genres.  I am sure you will find plenty of books that may interest you.  Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these books.  Do you think I made a mistake? Let’s chat about it!

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases using the links included in this post.

 

Categories
Down The TBR Hole

Down the TBR Hole #141-160

Welcome to Down the TBR Hole #141-160!  What is Down the TBR Hole?  It is where I grab 20 books from my insanely long TBR list on Goodreads and decide if I am keeping or removing the books.  Need to catch up?  Click here to go to the previous post.  As a reminder, here are the rules:

I am starting with 4,668 books this week on my To Read shelf on Goodreads.  I literally just added two new books, thanks to the YouTube video I am watching in the background while typing this up.  (Edit: before I finished this post, I added another book thanks to my reading last night.  Do you see why I have to do this post every week?  My list is ridiculous!) Let’s get started.

1. The Runaway Bride: Are you living for Jesus or are you running away from Him? by Heather Lindsey

The cover of this book makes it seems like it is going to be a fiction book, but it’s not.  This is entirely the wrong thought, but man, I feel like so many people should read a book about being a Sunday only Christian.  I’ve been there, and although things are far from perfect and let’s be honest, sometimes I feel like I struggle more now, I can’t imagine how people get through Monday through Saturday without the help of Jesus.  Now, with all of that said, I no longer feel like I need a book like this.  So I am going to be removing it.

 

2. The Pressure Trap: Breaking Free from the Pressures of Society to Become Who God Called You To Be by Heather Lindsey

I may need to actually buy this book and read it now because I feel like this has been my issue for the past few months.  With that said, I am keeping it.

 

3. Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist

I actually own this book and feel like it has been recommended to me a bunch of times.   This is probably a book that I should have read when I was experiencing burnout.  Both when I was traditionally working and when I had my own business.  I do believe this is something that I could still struggle with, so I am keeping it.

4. One Minute Business Woman’s Devotional by Mike Murdock

Obviously, the cover shows how dated this book is, but it was recommended on one of my business lists.  It would be interesting if someone were able to update this based on today’s business world.  Because I feel like it may be dated and this isn’t my current season, I am removing it.

 

5. The Perfect Find by Tia Williams

This seems like a quick, quirky little romance that I wouldn’t mind reading in between my self-improvement books.  Those books can sometimes be a bit heavy, so reading about a woman who is working on a second chance in her career with a side of romance sounds like it would be the break I need.  I am keeping it.

 

6. You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis Chan & Lisa Chan

I will say this with every marriage book on my list. Marriage is hard, and therefore I am keeping this book.  I absolutely love Francis Chan (check out my resource page on him) and have already read a few of his books.  So a book on biblical marriage is a no brainer for me to keep.  I also had this downloaded on Hoopla, but I had read quite a few Francis Chan books by this point and wanted to switch it up.

7. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Ellie Claire

So here is some honesty.  I love buying these journals.  Yet I have not finished one at all.  I barely do them.  One of the goals I want to set for this year to help improve the health of my spiritual life is to add these types of devotionals for me to do each day.  But I do have a ton and don’t need to buy anymore until they are done.  So I will be removing this one.

8. The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy J. Keller

Like I mentioned with the marriage book above, marriage is hard, so I will be keeping this one.  I need to read a book on marriage each month.  I’ll probably add this to my list of goals soon.

 

9. Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for Your Heart by Kyle Idleman

I added this book because I was going through a season where I was allowing some pretty good and Christian things to become idols in my life.  Like going to church each week, serving at church, people, etc. I struggled with seeing these things as idols until I realized that anything that is taking God’s place in my life is an idol.  So I am keeping this one.

 

10. Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide by Linda Babcock

There are certain topics that to understand them truly, we need to read the most up to date information.  So while this is still a significant issue in today’s workforce, I would want to read a book a little more recent.  So I am going to remove this one.

 

11. The Career Code: Must-Know Rules for a Strategic, Stylish, and Self-Made Career by Hillary Kerr & Katherine Power

I love a good women’s empowerment and success story.  And I am so thankful that these women are willing to share what worked and didn’t work for them.  This book is apart of a series, and I would like to read them all.  So I am keeping this one.

 

12. Wild and Free: A Hope-Filled Anthem for the Woman Who Feels She is Both Too Much and Never Enough by Jess Connolly

I bounce between feeling like I am doing too much and that I’m not enough to do the things I want to do.  It’s a struggle, and I’ve realized that the more I don’t take care of my mental health, the more I struggle.  I own a copy of this book, and I look forward to reading it.  So I am keeping it.

13. How to Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living by Rob Bell

One verse that has made me realize that I deserve so much more in life is John 10:10b (CSB) “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” This tells me that Jesus gives me an abundant life.  I should be living my life that way.  So because of that, I am keeping this book.

 

 

14. May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein

This is probably one of those books I need to read during my Year of Healthy while I am working on building better habits.  Anything that helps with unlimited happiness is something I need to look into.  I am keeping this one.

15. Adventures for Your Soul: 21 Ways to Transform Your Habits and Reach Your Full Potential by Shannon Kaiser

Another book I should look into reading this year.  I think I tried to listen to the audiobook version, and I prefer to have my self-improvement books in ebook or physical book form because I love taking notes and highlighting.  But I am keeping this one.

16. The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte

I’m a little torn about this book.  A life planning tool sounds like something right up my ally.  But it seems like this book may be borderline mystic, and those types of books can some times conflict with my faith, and I prefer not to read them.  So I will keep this one and give it a try.  I can always mark it as DNF (did not finish).

 

17. Healthy Happy Sexy: Ayurveda Wisdom for Modern Women by Katie Silcox

The first thing I needed to do was google Ayurveda.  I needed to make sure this wasn’t anything that was going to go against my faith.  I was stumped at first because the first articles that pop up are WebMD, National Institutes of Health, and Johns Hopkins. But when I dig deeper, I see that it has its origins with Hindu gods and is based on holistic healing. I can get down with Holistic healing, but I’m not about to open the door for any other “gods” to have any access to my mind, body, and spirit.  So I will be removing this one.

18. Miracles Now: 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose by Gabrielle Bernstein

I stress and worry way too much to be as blessed as I am.  It’s definitely something I want to work on this year. I also like the fact that these are small tidbits of info and practices for someone with only a minute or two.  I am keeping this one.

 

19. 100 Ways to Love Your Husband: A Life-Long Journey of Learning to Love by Lisa Jacobson

Again…marriage=hard.   Any book that I can read that can help me be a better wife, help me understand my husband more, help me love him more, I am all for reading.  I am keeping this one.

 

20. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

I read the plot of this book, and my first thought was awww in such a sad way.  Have I ever shared how randomly emotional I am?  I cry very frequently when things get sad in a book, tv show, movie, or with a random thought.  And it’s usually boohoo crying.  It’s terrible but I chalk it up to feeling deeply.  I feel like this book will make me do just that.  So I am keeping it.

 

Final Count: Removing 5; Keeping 15

TBR Down to 4,663

Have you read any of these books?  Think I made a mistake removing one?  Leave me a comment below and let’s chat.

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases using the links included in this post.

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Book Review Faith Book Review Family Book Review

Mini Book Review: The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay

Title: The Printed Letter Bookshop 

Author: Katherine Reay

Genre: Christian Fiction/Romance

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Rating: Related imageRelated imageRelated image

The Printed Letter Bookshop was a cute story about hard times, friendships, and what a bookshop means to the community.  Madeline doesn’t grow up with her aunt outside of a few visits here and there thanks to a family riff, but she has pretty fond memories of the bookshop.  She is completely taken by surprise when she finds out that the aunt who she shares her name with left her the bookshop and her house after passing away.  Madeline has to battle her conscience of why she didn’t visit her aunt when she was sick all thanks to a childhood belief that she later found out was misrepresented.  Needing a change in her life after being passed over for partner at her law firm for her ex-boyfriend, she decides to move into her aunt’s house and give running the bookshop a chance…to get it primed to sell.

Janet and Claire are employees at the Bookshop for Madeline’s aunt and were close friends while she was sick.  Janet is a bitter woman who has cheated and gone through a divorce and is now suffering the consequences of her choices.  It’s everyone’s fault but her own.  Claire is a previous stay at home mom, who is just looking for a little escape.  But at the expensive of her relationships at home, she is struggling to hold on to her identity while raising teenagers who want nothing to do with her.  Both Janet and Claire are trying to do their best to show Madeline that even though the Bookshop is failing, it can be turned around and saved.

Throw in a potential love story with a gardener who has his own career shift and Madeline is the queen of projecting her issues with where she should be in life and failures onto him, blocking her blessings.  I felt like most of the book didn’t have a point outside of giving extended background information.  75% of the book was laying the foundation for the climax of the story that was easy to predict.  It was nice how friendship pulled the ladies together, and everyone had the chance to learn their lessons. I’m giving this quick, cute story about a bookshop 3-stars.

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases using the links included in this post.