Thursday, September 18, 2008

The TBR Pile...got one?



I think almost any reader, and that includes us authors, has a TBR pile. What is that, you ask? It's that pile of books that grows magically, almost obsessively, and basically overnight.


My husband says my pile is obscene, and in truth, it is. For chuckles and grins, Mr. Charlotte added the value of my TBR pile, and it came to nearly five hundred dollars. Um...yeah...obscene is right. He nearly swallowed his tongue and I'm sure he had an internal fit of the vapors. When the veins in his neck began pulsating and I heard his teeth grind to powder, I decided it would be too cruel to tell him that I'm expecting a new shipment of TBR any day now, to the tune of a 100 bucks. I did say, however, that that lovely pile has been the dedication of over a year of collecting. It's not like I dropped that cash in one chunk. Funny, that did not seem to induce Mr. Charlotte out of his grumpy mood.




My cup, as they say, overfloweth. But, I don't see it as a waste, because I know I'm going to read these books. I swear I am. "Fall is my reading time!" I protested. That proclamation was met with a grunt and a glare and a general expression of disbelief.

And it's the truth. There's nothing I love better in the fall than curling up with a good book and a nice blanket. And I will do so. I just need to get through deadlines, edits, and galleys for my two 09 releases, and then I'm going to park my posterior on the couch with a mug of chai latte and a snickers cany bar!




At some point in time, these books were on my 'oh my god, I have to read this book, and must pre-order it this second' list. And I still want to read all thos books. But there is one tome that I'm waiting for, and it's coming in this next shipment. I know I will stop everything to read this book. Line edits will not be touched. Supper will not be made. Hair and teeth may or may not be washed....




What is this little gem I'm waiting for, and the one book that won't make it into the TBR pile because it will be read that very day of arrival? Lisa Kleypas' Seduce me at Sunrise...




Man, I cannot tell you how stoked I am about the hero in this book. Merripen. A mysterious gypsy who has longed for the heroine forever. He's an outcast. A pariah. A dark brooding hero. Everything I adore, and I must read his story the second it is placed in my hands.




So, what book are you waiting to get your hands on, and do you have an overflowing TBR pile?

3 comments:

Kristi Cook said...

My TBR pile has gotten seriously more manageable since I bought my Kindle! My pile is now a 'virtual pile', LOL! Okay, this isn't entirely true, because I still buy lots of print books, too--especially with that evil "pre-order now!" button at Amazon (yes, I could preorder the Kindle version....but some books, I just want to hold in my two warm little hands!).

Would you believe, I've *never* read Lisa Kleypas?! Though you've made her upcoming release sound so yummy, I might have to start.

Not too long ago, I broke down and bought Loretta Chase's LORD OF SCOUNDRELS--you know, the book that *everyone* seems to include on their 'best romance EVER!' list. Well, that's because it IS (the best romance ever!). Go figure! Since then, a large chunk of my TBR pile includes her backlist titles.

Another author I'm currently glomming is Jodi Picoult, after an author friend (Laura Drewry) convinced me to read MY SISTER'S KEEPER (it was a trade-off; she agreed to read TWILIGHT). So now I'm also working my way through Picoult's backlist (and I'm happy to report that poor Laura ended up hooked on the TWILIGHT series, too). It's actually a nice, non-romance change of pace.

Other than those two authors' work, the only other books that I'm dying to read right now are my friends' upcoming releases--Amanda's DIARY OF COZETTE in Oct., Laura Drewry’s DANCING WITH THE DEVIL in Dec., Victoria Dahl's contemporary debut TALK ME DOWN in Jan., Charlotte’s ADDICTED in Feb. (even though I've already read it while it was a work-in-progress; it's just not the same as reading it as a 'real book', you know?!), Jill Sorenson's CRASH INTO ME in Feb.

Yikes....that list's already too long!

Genella deGrey said...

OK, in my haste, I combined this answer with the one before it.

Well, that's me trying to maximize my time.

I'm going to hide now.
G.

Anonymous said...

What author doesn't have a TBR pile?? Surely it's reading that moved us into the writing realm. I have been out of the circuit for about 10 years due to trying to please a very demanding husband...now ex-husband. Thankfully, I met my soul mate and he love the fact that I read and write...he's my biggest fan.

I write historical romance, vampire romance and children's books, and I combine an element of fantasy in all of them, so my TBR pile has a wide range of subject matter and authors: Sherrilyn Kenyon, Johanna Lindsey, Virginia Henley, Jude Devereaux, Bruce Coville (Unicorn Chronicles), Stephanie Meyers, R.A. Salvatore, J.K. Rowling...the list goes on. I'm trying to be conservative, so I only have about 13 or 14 books in my pile at the moment. Since my other stay-at-home business is wood working (I'm an artist), we're getting ready for an upcoming Harry Potter convention, so I haven't had much time to read, but I'm managing.

That's my two pence...
Arial ;)
www.EnchantedWoodz.com