Well, last week I wasn’t immensely successful at cleaning up my TBR list, and then I went and added a few more books this week so now I have a total of 499, up 4 from where I ended last week. *sigh* No matter, I shall forge ahead. Once again I’ve pulled up the random number generator and set it to 499 and now we’re off on an adventure!

234

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Synopsis excerpt from goodreads: “Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world. How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho? … Living with a secret isn’t easy, though, and Ben’s resolve begins to crumble . . . especially when he realizes that he isn’t the only person in Trout with secrets.”

Back when I was taking a YA lit class in 2013 for my library degree, I read my first Chris Crutcher book, Whale Talk. Honestly, I don’t remember it, but I gave it a 4. And evidently I added this book to my To-Read list then. Truly, though, I don’t read as much YA as I used to and I don’t see myself picking this one up, so I’m going to remove it.

• REMOVE

109

Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators by William Stolzenburg

Synopsis excerpt from goodreads: “A provocative look at how the disappearance of the world’s great predators has upset the delicate balance of the environment, and what their disappearance portends for the future, by an acclaimed science journalist.”

I’m a bit torn on this one. First of all, I went through a big eco-warrior book phase and, frankly, they tend to scare me more than any horror novel ever could, and they make me extremely sad. However, this one has incredible reviews and I’m not one to shy away from things simply because they make me uncomfortable as long as they are important. I think I’ll keep this one.

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391

The Bear by Andrew Krivak

Synopsis from goodreads: “In an Eden-like future, a girl and her father live close to the land in the shadow of a lone mountain. They own a few remnants of civilization: some books, a pane of glass, a set of flint and steel, a comb. The father teaches his daughter how to fish and hunt and the secrets of the seasons and the stars. He is preparing her for an adulthood in harmony with nature, for they are the last of humankind. But when the girl finds herself alone in an unknown landscape, it is a bear that will lead her back home through a vast wilderness that offers the greatest lessons of all, if she can learn to listen. A cautionary tale of human fragility, of love and loss, The Bear is a stunning tribute to the beauty of nature’s dominion.”

So I recall stumbling across this book once and considering it for my book club selection but I was honestly afraid of liking it too much and then being offended when everyone else hated it, so I passed. Basically the synopsis of this could read, “Amy, Andrew wrote a book for you and you should read it.” It checks all my boxes. Reviewers say it’s beautifully and lyrically written literary fiction, post apocalyptic, people at one with nature, etc. So I’m going to keep this one.

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266

MaddAddam (MaddAddam #3) by Margaret Atwood

Synopsis from goodreads: “A man-made plague has swept the earth, but a small group survives, along with the green-eyed Crakers – a gentle species bio-engineered to replace humans. Toby, onetime member of the Gods Gardeners and expert in mushrooms and bees, is still in love with street-smart Zeb, who has an interesting past. The Crakers’ reluctant prophet, Snowman-the-Jimmy, is hallucinating; Amanda is in shock from a Painballer attack; and Ivory Bill yearns for the provocative Swift Fox, who is flirting with Zeb. Meanwhile, giant Pigoons and malevolent Painballers threaten to attack.”

Well, hell. Here’s the problem. This is the 3rd book in a series. I read the first, Oryx and Crake, but I remember literally nothing about it. So, basically, I need to go back to the beginning and read that one again and then 2 and THEN this book. At this precise moment, that seems like more than I want to commit to, but it’s Margaret Atwood. I can’t kick out Margaret Atwood. I’m not a monster. She can stay.

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252

Twilite: A Parody by Sue Knott

Synopsis from goodreads: “This parody skewers the best-selling novel about the sparkly undead. Whether you’re a “Twilight” lover or hater, you’ll find TwiLITE totally “amazing” (the word used most frequently in the scores of reviews generated on scribd). The scribd preview garnered a 5-star rating and rave reviews including: “I love Twilight. But I swear I think I almost love this even more.” “This was hilarious!” “boi i luv this book!! amazing” “TwiLITE A Parody” is a true parody, following Stephenie’s book non-event by non-event, exposing the ridiculous every step of the way. Our stars are Edward Sullen and Bella Swoon, and boy is she clumsy. Edward, of course, has the face that launched 300 pages of gushing prose. (Can we call it prose if it made us want to vomit?) If you haven’t already read “Twilight,” you’ll just say, “Hunh?” after reading this parody. So, go waste valuable hours reading that amazingly light 498-page tome so you can laugh your butt off over “TwiLITE A Parody!” This 4th edition is 25% longer than previous editions. That’s 24.9% more laughs.”

Frankly, I’m here for this. I like the idea, but I’m just not really feeling the whole Twilight thing anymore, though I typically do agree with its overall ridiculousness, especially all the hype over what I see as nothing but an emotionally abusive boyfriend and sheer tragic misrendering of the classic vampire trope. But I’m simply not interested at this point. Remove away…

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