Random Shelf Pull, No. 1
A look at eight unread books I already own...
» “A house that has a library in it has a soul.” —Plato
I mean…do I need to do much of a preamble here…you get it, right? I have a lot of unread but owned books…here are some that I randomly pulled from my shelf that I fully intend to read…one day.
Celine by Peter Heller
Why I have it: I think this got added to my shelf way back when I still listened to Anne Bogel’s podcast. That’s really the root, stem, and full blossom of what I remember about it finding a home with me.
What it’s about: Celine, a private investigator, is hired to find a missing photographer in Yellowstone National Park. The case becomes dangerous as Celine and her partner uncover a web of mystery and sorrow.
My thoughts: So, it sounds appealing to me even at this moment. I just did a cursory check and it appears to be in past tense (that’s hurdle one for me quite often…present tense is generally not my bag). I don’t love a paperback and for some reason, that’s the copy I have…not sure why. But nevertheless, it’ll read just fine.
Upside / Downside: I’ve never read Peter Heller…so that’s kind of neutral. It’s an older book (pub’d in 2017), so that’s on the upside for me — not fighting mental space to read it among a crowd of others. (I suffer from the opposite of FOMO….) I’m not really seeing any downsides to this one.
The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
Why I have it: I honestly have no idea. I know I was drawn to the cover, but before reading a synopsis, nothing is ringing any bells.
What it’s about: Annika, who prefers solitude, reunites with Jonathan after ten years. She questions if he will want to see her again after what happened that drove them apart.
My thoughts: I haven’t the slightest notion why I have it. Seriously, maybe it was a quick grab because of my participation in the Greater Charlotte Book Crawl one year. Some chapters seem to be in present tense…first person, present tense…ugh. I’m not sure about this one, especially since it’s also labeled a romance. Also it’s a paperback.
Upside / Downside: Upside is that I have no emotional or mental attachment to trying this one, so if fate decides it’s a quick DNF, then I’m cool with that.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Why I have it: Well, this one had a cover that was moderately appealing, and it was a Book of the Month Club selection. So, I’m sure I picked whatever seemed best of the bunch for me…but it definitely is on the shelf packed with other unread BOTM picks.
What it’s about: Beatriz marries Don Rodolfo for security after her father’s execution and home’s destruction following the overthrow of the Mexican government. However, her new home, Hacienda San Isidro, is haunted, and she finds no help from the locals. Padre Andrés, a priest and a witch, becomes her ally, but even he may not be enough to battle the darkness.
My thoughts: I’m not sure about this one. I was trying, if I remember correctly, to follow up Mexican Gothic (which was pretty “mid” for me) with an improved take on a mashing up a traditional gothic novel set in Mexico. Looks to be in past tense, so that’s a plus already.
Upside / Downside: I don’t have to wait for seasonal reading because I don’t bother with that, so that’s an upside for it. But, downside is I generally don’t do well with gothic books…they annoy me very early on, so I’ll have to clear my head of that thinking before I dive in.
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
Why I have it: Oh, this is easy. It’s a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice.
What it’s about: Liz and Jane, magazine writer and yoga instructor, return to their Cincinnati home to help their family after their father’s health scare. They find their sisters in disarray and their mother focused on marrying them off. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Jane meets Chip Bingley, a handsome doctor from a reality TV show, while Liz encounters his less charming friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy.
My thoughts: I think, if I remember correctly, this is a love it or hate it book, regardless of whether or not you love P&P, which I do. (Looks to be in past tense, which I assumed, but man, I did not want Sittenfeld to have pulled a fast one on me.)
Upside / Downside: It’s a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice — that’s both the upside and the potential downside.
Breach by W. L. Goodwater
Why I have it: This one I know. Somewhat. This fella was on my TBR when it was nearing 1000 books long, and I sampled this to see if I wanted to read it or just nix it entirely from my reading life. As you can see, I liked it and decided to buy a copy…and shelve it, apparently.
What it’s about: A magical Berlin Wall, erected after World War II, is failing, threatening to ignite World War III. Amidst a crisis of refugees and soldiers, spies from both sides converge on Berlin to investigate the breach.
My thoughts: I do love me an alternate history novel…and this one has magic in it to boot. And I do remember really liking the sample. (Past tense, check.)
Upside / Downside: Upside is easy, this is a seemingly interesting premise and one that seems like it’s right up my alley. The downside is that it boasts as part of a series and the second book published in 2019…I am not really interested in starting another "‘maybe never” series.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Why I have it: This one is easy, too. I loved Durst’s series, The Queens of Renthia, and a well-written cozy fantasy novel looks too adorable to resist.
What it’s about: Kiela, a librarian, flees to her childhood home with her assistant Caz after a revolution destroys the library. To make ends meet, she uses magic to grow berries and opens a secret spellshop, all while dealing with a persistent neighbor.
My thoughts: I am a bit hesitant because the book’s blurb literally says, “Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic…” and if that’s true, that is not going to work for me. I am not a Hallmark person.
Upside / Downside: Truly, upside is that I find another book by an author I already like. The downside is that this just came out last year, and the second book in this series comes out next month. So it’ll be in lots of places and that’s hard for me to push past.
The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
Why I have it: For real, I have no idea. I assume it’s because I saw it on some list when I was looking for epic family dramas or epic historical fiction. (I do love that the copy I have just has a big ol’ author’s picture on the back cover and not a single blurb from a fellow author.) This also stuck around from the great TBR purge last year, so I also got a hardcopy to read. Clearly, I had some fanciful notion in mind that I’d read them sooner rather than later.
What it’s about: The novel follows the extended family of Victor “Pug” Henry, a Naval Officer, from 1939 to 1941. The narrative includes excerpts from a book by German general Armin von Roon, providing a German perspective on the war.
My thoughts: I’m not sure…I’ll have to be in the mood for a HUGE WWII novel, but if it made it through the purge, then I sampled it and liked it. I vaguely remember that.
Upside / Downside: Okay, this one is easy…downside is that it will take a while to get through…this doorstop is almost 900 pages. Upside is that it is really highly rated and acclaimed — AND it was published in 1971…so I could read it happily in my bubble of solitude.
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Why I have it: I do remember this one. A former host of the NYT Book Review podcast talked about this one and it sounded intriguing, but I have owned this one for YEARS and have been hemmed in by echoes of people saying it’s not worth it. This seems to be a love it or don’t book.
What it’s about: Alice, whose mother is stolen by a supernatural figure, must ally with classmate Ellery Finch to retrieve her. To do so, Alice ventures into the Hazel Wood and the world where her grandmother’s tales began.
My thoughts: I am so unsure about this one, just on instinct, and I’ve had it for several years and just haven’t been inclined to pick it up.
Upside / Downside: I have no clue. I’m so oddly ambivalent on this. Upside is that I can clear a book off my shelf and downside is I might not even finish it.
Alrighty, guys and gals and all the people…let me know in the comments if you know anything about any of these — or if you share my plight of owning too many unread books.
Happy reading!
—C.
New to your sub, and I love this format. I also ran across some Peter Heller recs recently but also haven’t read him. Maybe it’s time to take the plunge - right after I finish Woodworking, which I am loving.
I have Celine and Winds of War on my unread shelves too! I recently picked up Winds at a used bookstore because one of the older members of my book club whose taste I trust highly recommended it. It's definitely a chonker though!