Dispatches from the TBR pile: Going off the rails

I've long since stopped trying to stay atop of my to-be-read pile. As a reviewer, bookseller and all-around book lover, it's long since eclipsed normal proportions. And I'm OK with that. These are the stories of what it's like when your TBR pile has become a mountain range.

After two months of attempting to confine my reading to a specific theme, my brain rebelled in a spectacular fashion. Because, of course, in the end, what's the point of having a TBR pile the size of mine if you can't really explore it?

I started, after all, with the best of intensions. I was going to start my RITA shortlist catch-up. Every year, I do my best to read through as many of the RITA nominees as I can. Especially when they're books by authors I adore or authors I've meant to read but haven't gotten around to trying.

And I did pretty well. There was Wedded in Scandal, a delicious historical by Jade Lee, a woman who's written and excelled at more subgenres of romance than I can think of; About Last Night, a wonderful contemporary by Ruthie Knox, which I identified with as someone who commutes regularly to a large urban center; Pushing the Limits, an amazing YA by Katie McGarry, which a colleague of mine (who is never wrong about her YA picks) had recommended ages ago.

Then there was Firelight, a blazingly awesome historical paranormal by Kristen Callihan; Barefoot in the Sand, a contemporary that went perfectly with being outside on a sunny day, by Roxanne St. Claire; How to Woo a Reluctant Lady, a brilliant historical with a heroine I could (gasp!) identify with, by Sabrina Jeffries; Lucky in Love, a great contemporary that hit all my sweet spots, by Jill Shalvis, and then … well. Disaster.

I started something and was enjoying it. Until I wasn't. A new subgenre by an author I'd read before, and it just didn't resonate with me. Great idea, but it didn't work for me to the point where I had to put the book down. That's where things went off the rails. I wasn't sure what to read next. The other books in the group didn't interest me.

And then I remembered the size of my TBR pile. I was bound to have something in the pile to read. Because the best way to cope with a book that doesn't resonate is to find something that does. And, oh boy, did I!

I found two different books, one after the other, that contained elements capable of cleansing my reading palate. Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson and Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson are both urban fantasies with romantic elements written in the first-person POV. One is about the chain of events that's kicked off when the first and only female werewolf (naturally born) changes for the first time. The other is about how a female wizard deals with life and her missing mentor in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. Both are series openers that I'm looking forward to continuing.

And now? What am I reading now? Well, I'm back on the rails, having just finished another, chocolate-filled contemporary by Jill Shalvis, called At Last.

Enjoy your month. And always remember to keep reading. I know I will. : )

Stacey Agdern, as she said, is a reviewer, bookseller and all-around book lover who also does occasional posts for HEA about her massive TBR pile. You can connect with her on her blog and Twitter (@nystacey).