Top Ten Tuesday: Recent TBR Additions

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.


This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 
Most Recent TBR Additions

This week's topic is actually most recent additions to my bookshelf but I typically share that every week in my Sunday Post and I don't want to rehash here again. So instead I'm going to share what I've added recently to my TBR. 


THE LIFE THAT MATTERED (Life Duet #1)
Jewel E. Ann

The son of a French Olympic skier and a Malaysian fashion designer, Ronin Alexander has lived the life of a nomad, traveling the world to find his next adventure.

Life takes a dramatic turn when he meets Evelyn, a beautiful scientist who owns a bath shop in Aspen, Colorado. They defy all the rules of relationships, falling hard and quickly in love.

Their world intertwines with Evelyn’s two best friends, the Governor and his soon-to-be wife. The four become close—very close.

When tragedy strikes, things from their pasts are unveiled—unimaginable truths and the grim realization that life will never be the same.

Jewel E. Ann steps into another dimension with this mind-bending thriller, a provocative story that pushes boundaries and tests the true meaning of love.



IN FIVE YEARS
Rebecca Serle

When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.

But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.

After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.

That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.

Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.


A BEGINNING AT THE END
Mike Chen

Six years after a global pandemic wiped out most of the planet’s population, the survivors are rebuilding the country, split between self-governing cities, hippie communes and wasteland gangs.

In postapocalyptic San Francisco, former pop star Moira has created a new identity to finally escape her past—until her domineering father launches a sweeping public search to track her down. Desperate for a fresh start herself, jaded event planner Krista navigates the world on behalf of those too traumatized to go outside, determined to help everyone move on—even if they don’t want to. Rob survived the catastrophe with his daughter, Sunny, but lost his wife. When strict government rules threaten to separate parent and child, Rob needs to prove himself worthy in the city’s eyes by connecting with people again.

Krista, Moira, Rob and Sunny are brought together by circumstance, and their lives begin to twine together. But when reports of another outbreak throw the fragile society into panic, the friends are forced to finally face everything that came before—and everything they still stand to lose.

Because sometimes having one person is enough to keep the world going.


YOU WERE THERE TOO
Colleen Oakley

Acclaimed author Colleen Oakley delivers a heart-wrenching and unforgettable love story about a woman who must choose between the man she loves and the man fate has chosen for her in a novel that reminds us that the best life is one led by the heart.

Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, her loving husband, and dreams of starting a family. But she has other dreams too — unexplained, recurring ones starring the same man. Still, she doesn’t think much of them, until a relocation to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face to face with the stranger she has been dreaming about for years. And this man harbors a jaw-dropping secret of his own—he's been dreaming of her too.

Determined to understand, Mia and this not-so-stranger search for answers. But when diving into their pasts begins to unravel her life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question—what if?


THE THINGS WE CANNOT SAY
Kelly Rimmer

In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war. Just beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp she calls home, a young woman speaks her wedding vows. It’s a decision that will alter her destiny…and it’s a lie that will remain buried until the next century.

Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now fifteen and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears. Where Alina used to measure time between visits from her beloved, now she measures the spaces between hope and despair, waiting for word from Tomasz and avoiding the attentions of the soldiers who patrol her parents’ farm. But for now, even deafening silence is preferable to grief.

Slipping between Nazi-occupied Poland and the frenetic pace of modern life, Kelly Rimmer creates an emotional and finely wrought narrative that weaves together two women’s stories into a tapestry of perseverance, loyalty, love and honor. The Things We Cannot Say is an unshakable reminder of the devastation when truth is silenced…and how it can take a lifetime to find our voice before we learn to trust it.


CREDENCE
Penelope Douglas

Tiernan de Haas doesn’t care about anything anymore. The only child of a film producer and his starlet wife, she’s grown up with wealth and privilege but not love or guidance. Shipped off to boarding schools from an early age, it was still impossible to escape the loneliness and carve out a life of her own. The shadow of her parents’ fame followed her everywhere.

And when they suddenly pass away, she knows she should be devastated. But has anything really changed? She’s always been alone, hasn’t she?

Jake Van der Berg, her father’s stepbrother and her only living relative, assumes guardianship of Tiernan who is still two months shy of eighteen. Sent to live with him and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb, in the mountains of Colorado, Tiernan soon learns that these men now have a say in what she chooses to care and not care about anymore. As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work and survive in the remote woods far away from the rest of the world, she slowly finds her place among them.

And as a part of them.

She also realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one else is watching.

One of them has her.

The other one wants her.

But he…

He’s going to keep her.


YES NO MAYBE SO
Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.


THE LAST TRAIN TO LONDON
Meg Waite Clayton

In 1936, the Nazi are little more than loud, brutish bores to fifteen-year old Stephan Neuman, the son of a wealthy and influential Jewish family and budding playwright whose playground extends from Vienna’s streets to its intricate underground tunnels. Stephan’s best friend and companion is the brilliant Žofie-Helene, a Christian girl whose mother edits a progressive, anti-Nazi newspaper. But the two adolescents’ carefree innocence is shattered when the Nazis’ take control.

There is hope in the darkness, though. Truus Wijsmuller, a member of the Dutch resistance, risks her life smuggling Jewish children out of Nazi Germany to the nations that will take them. It is a mission that becomes even more dangerous after the Anschluss—Hitler’s annexation of Austria—as, across Europe, countries close their borders to the growing number of refugees desperate to escape.

Tante Truus, as she is known, is determined to save as many children as she can. After Britain passes a measure to take in at-risk child refugees from the German Reich, she dares to approach Adolf Eichmann, the man who would later help devise the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question,” in a race against time to bring children like Stephan, his young brother Walter, and Žofie-Helene on a perilous journey to an uncertain future abroad.


THE AFFAIR
J.L. Berg

There are some paths in your life you’re never meant to take.
Yet, by some twist of fate, you find yourself on the forbidden road all the same.


Those are the words I stumble upon when I unearth a hidden journal that once belonged to my grandmother.

A hidden journal that details a heartbreaking affair with her husband’s brother. It’s a family secret I’m unprepared to deal with, especially when my own life begins to parallel hers.

Sawyer Gallagher was never on my radar. The moment I met his younger brother, I was taken. Done for. Love-drunk.

But, some things aren't meant to last and at the age of thirty-three, I find myself divorced, penniless and living with my parents. When Sawyer stops by our family’s antique store, asking for a job, I figure: Why the heck not? Life can’t get much worse.

It doesn’t take long to realize just how different the Gallagher brothers are. Sawyer is kind, supportive, and, oh, did I mention sexy as hell?

In a small town like ours, I can’t help but ask myself…
Can I fall for my former brother-in-law?
Or is this just history repeating itself?
 


RUNAWAY ROAD
Devney Perry

Londyn McCormack didn’t have a typical childhood. She ran away from home at sixteen, escaping parents more interested in drugs than their daughter. She doesn’t have loving siblings or an adorable pet. Her only family is the five other runaway kids who shared her junkyard home.

Life pulled them all in separate directions, taking her to Boston. For a short time, she thought she’d found something permanent. But after a devastating divorce, she’s running away again, this time to find a lost friend.
She’s driving across the country in her convertible. As a teenager, the rusty car was her shelter. As an adult, it’s her ride to freedom.

Except one flat tire derails her trip. Her life collides with Brooks Cohen. They walked away from the first crash. The second might destroy them both.
 



Are any of these on your TBR?
What's your most recent TBR addition?


40 comments

  1. Mike Chen impressed me so much with Here and Now and Then. I totally need to get this new one.

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    1. I've yet to read Here and Now and Then but it seems like I can't go wrong no matter which one I start with.

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  2. I want to read Runaway Road. I will not be reading Credence. Only because a friend read it and told me to leave it in the KU library. I guess the first half is a little slow and then things get really messed up. I would be interested in your thoughts on it, though!

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    1. I'm getting the feeling that Credence is one of those books that is going to evoke a love it or hate it response. It's been quite a while since I read a dark/taboo romance so I'm ready to dive in and see what happens. :)

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  3. Looks like a nice mix of books. I'm always adding things to my TBR on Goodreads. haha

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  4. I've been seeing lots of good things about Credence! I'm generally wary about Penelope Douglas because of the mess that was Bully but I may make an exception for this one. 🙂

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    1. I've been thinking that Birthday Girl would be my first by Penelope Douglas (because I'm convinced I will love it) but now I'm thinking Credence might come first.

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  5. I just reviewed A Beginning at the End today and I LOVED it. It was a 5/5 read for me. I hope you love it and I really do need to check out his first one.

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    1. Oh wow, that's awesome to hear, Barb! Now I'm even more excited for it!

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  6. Credence and Yes No Maybe So are both on my TBR. Credence only popped up on my radar this week.

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    1. Credence is getting a lot of attention. I've seen some in-depth reviews on Booktube and think it'll work for me but the reviews are really divided!

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  7. TBR sharing is far more fun anyway. I admit, there's only a couple on here I'd heard of before but there's a couple I feel like I should have heard of. Credence sounds totally crazy and I want to read, but I've got to wait for the right mood otherwise I'll absolutely hate it.

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    1. Hi Becky! *waves wildly* Good to see you again!
      There doesn't seem to be a lot of middle ground with Credence. The reviews I've seen have been one extreme or the other. Love it or hate it. Hopefully I will love it!

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  8. Tanya I think that my TBR just exploded!!!! In five years seems so intriguing! And I love all your historical books above! Now Credence....maybe go read my review if you haven't already to know if this REALLY is your jam as it's a hate or love one!

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    1. Like I mentioned on your review post, I think Credence is one of those love it or hate it books - with no middle ground. We'll see which side I fall on!

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  9. I've heard good things about A Beginning at the End! Hope it lives up to it for you. The Life That Mattered sounds like a really interesting read, too.

    Here's my TTT post.

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  10. A Beginning at the End is one that I really want to read. I hope you enjoy all of these!

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    1. I heard awesome things about Chen's first book and the synopsis of this new one sounds great!

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  11. Great minds, Tanya. We both spun the topic the same way. *high five* I am shocked that I have none of these on my TBR, but I like how diverse the selection is.

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    1. I noticed that! *high fives you right back* Several of these have me ridiculously excited. :)

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  12. In Five Years sounds so, so good!

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  13. Yes No, Maybe So is one I'm really excited for. I've read You Were There Too and really enjoyed that one.

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  14. Credence sounds really interesting! Runaway Road too. I need to read more Devney Perry. Great list here, Tanya!

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    1. I'm so excited to (finally!) read some Devney Perry this year.

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  15. Some interesting titles here! I'm really intrigued by In Five Years.

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  16. I need to read a book by Jewel! And I'm so adding that Devney book to my list!

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    1. I see so many people rave about Jewel E. Ann so I really want to give her a try!

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  17. The affair caught my eye from your list of books. Not sure what it is but I love a good affair story from time to time. I added it to my tbr. I hope you love all your new goodies <3

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    1. The Affair sounds like it will be super juicy. A hidden diary... an affair with the husband's brother... look out! :)

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  18. I’ve seen In Five Years and You were There Too around but never took the time to actually read what its about until now. And they are now on my TBR list so thank you, Tanya.
    I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
    Muah �� Helena

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    1. Both of them have synopses that really grabbed me. Hopefully they'll both be winners!

      P.S. I've tried to visit your blog several times and each time my pc froze up and I had to do a full restart. Sorry I cannot visit and comment.

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  19. So many people rave about Mike Chen---I definitely need to read him at some point. I also really want to read Yes No Maybe So.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. I'm really excited for Becky Albertalli's latest collaboration.

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