TBR Takedown: The Pile

~ aentee @ read at midnight

TBR Takedown is a readathon running on twitter from 20-26th of June. The challenge? To read 6 books fitting into 6 different categories.

My book hauls in the last couple of weeks have been absolutely out of control. I will opt to blame my wanton indulgence on the fact that it’s my blogoversary month. With hauling comes the responsibility to read all of the books, so I’ve decided to partake in TBR Takedown this week in an attempt manage my pile.

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I will mostly be trying to knock off library books this week. I am still extremely mortified about my previous set of fines and I cannot look at the local librarians in the eyes.

A Book Out Of My Comfort Zone: Gossip From The Forest by Sara Maitland

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Non-fiction is something I rarely ever read, but this book sounded too excellent to pass up. Sara Maitland visits the woodlands of Britain, rediscovering their intrinsic links to fairy tales we love. For each forest she wanders through, she tells us of its natural and social history – as well as how aspects of the forests guided humanity’s imagination and oral storytelling traditions. She also concludes each story with a retelling of a well-known fairy tale.

I am about two-third of the way through this one, and it has been simultaneously enchanting and fascinating! However, I do find that it is a very personal indulgent piece of writing, the author often relying on conjectures and assumptions to get her message across.

A Sequel: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

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I read The Raven Boys as soon as the book came out years ago, but never followed up with the series. I am sort of awful at continuing series, but this is one I really want to read because Ronan was by far the most intriguing of the characters for me – and he is apparently the focus of this book? Yes!

On The TBR For Over A Year: Pinball by Haruki Murakami

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Haruki Murakami’s is one of my favourite writers, I just love the rhythm of his words. I bought this a while back, possibly 8 months ago – and still have not got around to reading it. I find that I love Murakami most on cold, rainy days – and there’s been plenty of those lately so here’s my chance! I am also cheating by only reading Pinball, as there’s another novella in this collection named Wind – but I work 38 hours this week so, a girl’s gotta get creative to finish this challenge.

The First Book In A Series: Book of the Phoenix of Nnedi Okorafor

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This book is the prequel to her Who Fears Death series. I don’t know much about it aside from i) it features African myth and ii) genetic experiments and iii) a complex, flawed heroine who is a superhuman. Yup, I am sold. Plus, it’s only 230 pages so I should be able to finish this in a day!

From My Latest Book Haul: My Year of Meat by Ruth Ozeki

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I fell in love with Ruth Ozeki after reading A Tale For The Time Being, which is one of the books of my heart. This particular book focuses on a half-Japanese documentary maker as she travels to Tokyo and learns about the meat industry. Along the way, she encounters a Japanese housewife, and knowing Ruth Ozeki, weirdness will ensue. I totally miss Japan at the moment and need my fix ASAP. Like many others on this list, I got this one from my trip to the library yesterday!

I will be doing a recap of my thoughts on these books at the end of the week, since I might not review them all individually 🙂

Have you read any of these titles? Have you done read-a-thons before? What are you reading right now?

Wish me luck for it!

Published by aentee @ read at midnight

50 thoughts on “TBR Takedown: The Pile”

    1. No I don’t, they’re graphic elements from Creative Market and Freepik. But I saw that you found my graphics tutorial post so you know all my tricks now hehe.

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  4. You will certainly enjoy The Dream Thieves if you like Ronan. You get to learn soooo much about him in that book. I haven’t read The Raven King yet, but so far the Dream Thieves was my favorite. Good luck with that book binge!

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    1. The Dream Thieves was freaking amazing omg, Ronan’s character development is out of this world.

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  5. Oooh good luck! I need to get into the Raven Cycle series. I’ve been waiting for the last to release and I really have no excuse but to read them now that the last is already out.
    P.S You have a flower problem! xD

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    1. Yesss you must read it! The Ships and the characters are both so great.
      I still deny this flower problem, though T_T

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  6. Ha, good luck and happy reading! While I’m not taking part in a challenge per se, I have managed to up my reading pace after being exhausted/not reading from new job, flu, etc. Gotta try keep up somehow before my GR challenge falls behind!

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    1. I have not updated my GR in so long so I have no idea whether I am all caught up or not D: Terrible! But I hope you’re recovering well from the flu?

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  8. Good luck with your challenge! I can’t wait to read about it. 🙂
    I’ve never done a read-a-thon or a challenge, but I want to someday. I’ll probably need to get some more books for that, haha.

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    1. I just posted my wrap up for this 🙂 Thank you! And I do recommend joining a read-a-thon if you are in the mood to read lots of books!

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  12. Good luck with your challenge! I’ve been wanting to try Murakami’s books, but always intimidated with how huge it is and my friend says it’s a bit hard to read😄

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    1. I recommend starting with either Norwegian Wood (not as strange as his usual work, but has his trademark beautiful writing style) or one of his short stories collection (both The Elephant Vanishes and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman are great) – as the short stories really capture his brand of magical realism.

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    1. As you know I absolutely loved The Dream Thieves, why did I even wait so long?
      Even with this TBR Takedown I managed to NOT read Pinball lmaooo help me.

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    1. Haha I feel like I spend more time looking for books to read than actually reading XD I think you’ll enjoy Gossip From The Forest.

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    1. Murakami has such a huge backlist I feel like I’ll never finish reading them all! I really loved Book of Phoenix and My Year of Meats (though I prefer A Tale For The Time Being).

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  16. I did NOT know that Ruth Ozeki had another book, and also I love Haruki Murakami, even though I have only read the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (really good, but I forget most of it so I’ll read it again one day). And this sounds like a great readathon to get caught up on your sequels and series! Something I desperately need to do 🙂

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    1. I think if you liked A Tale For the Time Being you’ll like My Year of Meats 😀 Though I prefer Time Being because omg so perfect. Next is to conquer your read-a-thon!

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  17. I haven’t done a read-a-thon in ages. The Raven Boys series is currently on my TBR because I’ve seen so many good reviews for it. I’m currently finishing up the Beautiful series by Christina Lauren and just started A Court of Thorns and Roses. I feel like I’m so behind on all the good reads when it comes to YA.

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    1. I feel like I will never manage to catch up to all of the awesome YA, there are so many being published haha.

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  20. GOOD LUCK AND AHHHH BECAUSE THE DREAM THIEVES. *flails for only 9000 years* Yes it IS Ronan’s book ergo it is so so precious and his character development is just incredible. ‘Scuse me I cannot stop the flails. 😂 (Ronan is also my favourite of the raven boys so THERE IS THAT.) Anyway I hope you enjoy it. No pressure. 😉
    YOUR PHOTOS ARE SO PRETTY. LIKE I SAY THAT AND ABOUT YOUR GRAPHICS ALL THE TIME OMG SOMEONE SHUT ME UP BUT THEY’RE JUST SO PRETTY. Ahem.

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    1. I LOVED THE DREAM THIEVES SO MUCH. I want to just give them all a big hug omg. And Ronan is my fave now, no doubts about it. How did she write so wonderfully omg I cannot.
      AND AHHH CAIT THIS IS MAKING ME SO HAPPY BECAUSE YOUR PHOTOS = THE BEST.

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  21. Best of luck. This year is my TBR Takedown. Almost my entire GR goal consists of books I added to my list years ago! It helps that I’m also participating in a TBR Reading Challenge hosted by Evie-Bookish. 🙂
    – Krys

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    1. Good luck with your own personally TBR challenge :)! I haven’t heard of that particular challenge, good to know!

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  22. I will seize any excuse for bookish indulgences – and any other types of indulgences, tbh! Like you, I read The Raven Boys ages ago but never got around to finishing the series, so I need to read The Dream Thieves ASAP. Let’s be real though: our TBRs will probably always be out of control! 😀

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    1. For every book I finish reading, I want to read five more, it is an illness haha. I really enjoyed The Dream Thieves so I hope you can continue with the Raven Cycle!

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    1. My instagram only got ‘revitalised’ recently after a trip to the dollar store’s fake flower section XD! Thank you though ❤

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  25. Those are some of Murakami’s earliest works aren’t they? Wind /Pinball? I need to get that book toooo. He’s one of my favourites too! I have a really cute edition of Norwegian Wood and when I get home I need to remember to send you a pic of it. Just because. 🙂

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    1. Yes they’re his first books, so the writing is not as strong but it’s just as delightfully weird. And ooo yes please show me 💕

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