ABC TBR Reading Vlog - part 1 | TBR Read Down

The TBR read down rolls on! This time we are doing some mood reading based on the alphabet
PATREON: / bookslikewhoa
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Books Mentioned (all links are affiliated):
ALL YOUR TWISTED SECRETS by Diana Urban - amzn.to/3VYXdei
"Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande - amzn.to/3xD8cQo
CHAIN-GANG ALL STARS by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah - amzn.to/3L7MlFp
THE DUKE WHO DIDN'T by Courtney Milan - amzn.to/4alXQD1
EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT by Benjamin Stevenson - amzn.to/3SPiHbP
FIVE SURVIVE by Holly Jackson - amzn.to/3HGICMO
THE GROVES OF ACADEME by Mary McCarthy - amzn.to/43WzH3e
HER MAJESTY'S ROYAL COVEN by Juno Dawson - amzn.to/3ttPohc
IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER by Julia Spence-Fleming - amzn.to/3GFfhPS
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[@amberlimbaugh]

"It's like the sentences are all words." 👀😂😂😂

[@bookslikewhoa]

😹😹

[@totakluska]

Cool concept! It must be so satisfying to finally read a book that's been on your tbr for that long 😄

[@bookslikewhoa]

it seriously is!

[@ReadingAce]

This was so much fun! I like that it allows you to pick up and talk about completely random and unrelated books. I'm looking forward to the next one!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yay, I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@asdfghjklasdfghjkl321]

The way you were talking about Chain Gang All-Stars is exactly how I felt about Babel and why I didn't like it, because yeah, like in Babel, it was too much on the nose, and more of an ideas book than actually fleshing out any of the characters to feel like real people 😅

[@bookslikewhoa]

lol see, I liked the characters in Babel so it didn't bother me, but I totes can see that comparison!

[@zobookish]

I am also really into knitting. Would you potentially round off a future video by showing some of your favourite things you've made so far?

[@bookslikewhoa]

I'm planning on doing an "everything I made this year" video at the end of the year so that will cover everything I end up making!

[@WarKitten]

Being Mortal is one of my favorites! I read it first in a social work class and it totally helped see what are of social work I wanted to go into!

[@veronikabrouckova8483]

Love this concept and looking forward to the next part!

[@arlissbunny]

This is a fabulous idea and I’m going to steal it to hack away at my TBR too. Thanks for the extra bit of motivation. As an aside, I have Everyone on This Train… too and when I first heard the premise I have to admit that my brain said, “obviously, the victim will either be an agent or a runaway hit romantasy author.” Because I’m exactly that cynical sometimes.

[@eamongilligan3262]

I relate so hard to your flashback frustration 😂 - that happens to me when I read certain books too!

[@bookslikewhoa]

lol I just want them to stick to the interesting stuff!

[@debralavoie9095]

I love this theme as a way to read down your TBR. Totally off topic, I wish you could teach to knit and sew. 😂❤

[@bookslikewhoa]

haha I am a novice for sure so def not ready to teach anyone anything! :D

[@priscilla.t.a]

Love this concept, like all your vlog ideas. I personally really love to blend mood and structured reading. I usually do this by using my mood/season to choose the books I'll read in a given month, and then I'll try my best to actually stick to the TBR for the structured part. But I love this alphabet approach as a year-long thing, especially to get through backlist stuff I never seem to actually be a in the mood for but I still want to read, if that makes sense, lol.

[@sassycatz4470]

Funny. I've done a alphabet challenge every year for the past few years, but this year, I decided to change it up. So, not doing it in 2024. I was a little more loosey-goosey in that I didn't do it in order. I just read what I wanted and began knocking off the letters as I did. When it came to "X," I used "Ex" instead. "Z" was hard, but then I decided to use the author's last name for that one. Maybe I'll return to the challenge next year. I haven't read any of the books you read, but I do have the Courtney Milan and Julia Spencer-Fleming books on my shelves. Hope to get to them soon.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yes, I'm planning on "Ex" for X because that is legit my only option :D

[@cjar8989]

Great concept and video! Works great for mood reading. ❤❤❤

[@chelsey8737]

I'd definitely love a whole series of this! I did this as a Storygraph challenge last year and it was so much fun

[@ShanReads]

Love this concept. Especially as a way to read down a TBR. Glad you had more successes then misses.

[@allgirlreview433]

Absolutely everyone needs to have a living will and a durable power of attorney in the hands of someone who knows you very well and will abide by your wishes.

[@bookslikewhoa]

10000%

[@SarahAtHeart]

This is such a fun video concept! Glad you found some books you liked.

[@antoniosimone5530]

LOVE this concept

[@ohladysamantha]

What a neat idea!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

You’re awesome and don’t worry about projects as someone who never starts them lol

[@kellyw5304]

I need do this. Great idea!

[@bookslikewhoa]

Go for it!

[@nakeychels]

I started doing this in 2020 , I believe, and I never finished the alphabet. Inspired to follow through. 🤣

[@bookslikewhoa]

lol it's not too late!

[@TheBeeesKnees]

What a fun idea and a great vlog! I’ve been in a going on 2 month reading slump so i might have to try this out as a Hail Mary 😅

[@monica_has116lentilsand2cats]

Great concept! Plus Miss Marple sighting right at the beginning! ❤ 🐾🐾 Just this weekend I read „Five Survive“ and I was thoroughly underwhelmed. Not only could I see where this was going waaay early I also didn‘t care whether it actually went there (of course it did) and what would then happen. Neither did I care for the one „shocker“ that was supposed to convey how „real/dangerous“ the situation was. Honestly, I‘m not sure why I keep reading Holly Jackson at this point. „One of us is lying“ was fabulous, IMHO - but the books (whether in that series or standalones) since then: middling to „meh“. „In the bleak midwinter“ I read when it first came out, but I cannot remember whether I liked it or not, since it pre-dates my „book keeping era“ 🙄. Must have a rummage to see if it survived all the moves, give it a dust off and see whether it‘s something I‘d like to continue with. „Being Mortal“ sounds very interesting - will have to check that out. Happy reading from tiny-town Austria, Monica 📚🐾🐾

[@hannahandherstories]

I love this project idea! And I appreciated your review of Chain-Gang All Stars. This is also an anticipated read for me, and I can love books that prioritize themes and concepts over other elements, so I wonder if mileage may vary with it.

[@RiverSlant]

Our tastes in mystery align so well that the venn diagram would be a perfect circle, and I too *hated* five survive. Would you do a top historical romance list sometime soon?

[@bookslikewhoa]

Not on my radar for the moment, but I think I have a list of historical romances I love somewhere back in the catalog :)

[@lyddie465]

love this theme, so much fun! and i found some recommendations for my mum who is a rather picky reader who has already read a lot! perfect video thank you

[@bookslikewhoa]

I'm so glad!

[@TheKandiaaird]

Friday Black is excellent. Brenyah’s first book.

[@TheKandiaaird]

And it’s short stories

[@themoosebooks]

Love this! And love that you're loving it ❤️ 🎉

[@bookslikewhoa]

I am! 🥰

[@anikamercier2651]

This is so much fun!! Love love love it!

[@bookslikewhoa]

So glad!

[@bjminton2698]

I love Julia Spencer-Fleming's series! There are only 9, so I treat myself to one every 18 months or so. The issue that I think is off-putting to you is not sordid at all - it's human. You should read more, IMHO. I just finished #6 and it was wonderful!! Back in the 90s, Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series was a favorite. (You should try her if you have not. Track of the Cat is first.) She tried the flashback style in one of that series. It was so disruptive that I read all of the 18th century chapters and then all of the current day chapters - lol. I don't think she tried that again... Thank you for the nice variety of reviews!! 🙂

[@marisagettas]

Awesome idea, Maura! That was fun 😊❤

[@bookslikewhoa]

Thank you! 🤗

[@kayhammock]

I like the idea of reading the alphabet. Thinking I might do this too. No shame here.

[@bevo98506]

I am using the same strategy. It helps with overwhelm when I have a smaller pool of books to choose from. I’ll probably skip X.

[@bookslikewhoa]

I'm using "Ex" instead but it was a struggle to find one!

[@tawnyachristensen7310]

Great idea to make progress on your TBR and still mood read! I have been wanting to read HMRC as well, and now my interest is peaked for In the Bleak Midwinter. (But maybe I'll wait til January next.)

[@bookslikewhoa]

ooo yes, it would be a great Jan read!!

[@eleanoreliz]

I had a similar experience with Chain Gang All-Stars. I wanted to like it more than I did. I found the writing really rough in the first few chapters (ETA: meaning I found the first few chapters because of the writing style, not that it was rough necessarily, but something about it leveled out further in), I would not have picked it up if I had skimmed those in a bookstore. I'm glad I did read it, but I agree it was very on the nose and heavy-handed. Although maybe that is valuable for readers who haven't engaged much with the topic of our prison system, etc.

[@torkusmarie]

Omg the urge to ignore my current TBR and immediately start this...

[@bookslikewhoa]

I meannnnnn

[@brooke5258]

I agree about The Shadow Cabinet. I hated the new POV character. So unfortunately I just treated HMRC as a standalone. There's a prequel coming out this year about the very first Coven and Queen, so I'm interested enough to give it a try.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeahhhh in my mind, that last chapter of HMRC just didn't happen and it was a standalone

[@onthesamepaige337]

I see Emily Axeford in the dome paused on your tv while you reviewed Being Mortal. I love Dimension 20 and Dropout! Have you been following all the drama with the ticket pricing for the live show at Madison Square Garden?😮

[@thefairylibrarian3282]

I love this idea! I maybe wanna do this as a challenge for myself this summer. Did i spend the duration of this video planning it out way to much? No comment 👀

[@amyaybar7894]

Very fun video.. Have you tried William Kent Kreuger's Cork O'Connor's mysteries? I just discovered them and they are gripping!

[@bookslikewhoa]

I have not, but hurrah for a new series to binge!

[@anix670]

The Juno Dawsom first book...I was so... disappointing at the end. That cliffhanger really disgusted me cos as you say, the characters I was invested in were all gone so I didn't want to continue. Such a strong start swuandered, imo.

[@brooke5258]

I've read spoilers that character returns (as expected) but it's so close to the end of book 2, another cliffhanger.

[@seanaheaney8275]

Did I clock dimension 20 in the background? 👀

[@lifewithlindsey1920]

Fun idea. Love it.

[@MeMyshelfAndI]

I thought Her Majesty's Royal Coven was pretty fun, but I also DNFd The Shadow Cabinet. It just didn't hold my attention at all.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, it was a bummer!

[@chelsey8737]

I have not and will not read Chain Gang All-Stars but I wonder if having fake history and real history mixed together with no clear delineation of which is which Is harmful to people's understanding of the prison system. I would go into a book like that assuming that everything mentioned is fake so I would miss out on any real history but I could also see the flipside where somebody realizes that one piece was real and assumes that all of it is real

[@bookslikewhoa]

Yeah, I could see that - I think his point is that some of the stuff that sounds fake is real and vice versa, but it's not clearly spelled out in the text which is which

[@giantcupofcoffee]

I DNF’d Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. The pro-trans message came in a package that was pretty racist and judgmental of women’s choices (both housewives and corporate achievers were villainized in the parts I read). It also just seemed like the author has never had a conversation with another human being. I also didn’t get why the cis women were constantly queefing and digging leggings out of camel toes? Just weird, unnecessary, a little gross, and not entirely honest depictions of how cis women interact with their own bodies and I don’t understand why a pro-trans book would go there.

[@bookslikewhoa]

huh that wasn't my reading experience, but different things hit us all differently