Book Haul: My TBR Pile

Ya know that huge stack of books (literally or figuratively, depending on the person) that you really want to read but just haven't gotten to it yet? I've got so many books I want to read—so many books, so little time, right?

I'm pretty sure I've got over a hundred books stashed in my room that I haven't read, so I'll list some of those here. Who knows? Maybe I'll have some for you to add to your TBR list! *devious grin*

The Boy Colonel by John J. Horn

The year is 1836. A mysterious young English colonel commands a crack regiment in the snowy wastes of Siberia. No one knows his history. No one knows his name. The Cossacks want him dead - but are they the only ones? It seems his worst enemy may wear an English uniform. 

The Boy Colonel strives to perform his duty, but when that duty becomes mixed he must decide which sovereign is greater - the king of England, or the God of the Bible. Treachery, intimidation, and deceit block his path. His choice of allegiance may mean the difference between life and death. Is he prepared to risk all to protect his loved ones? 

I got The Boy Colonel at a homeschool convention this spring, and I'm so excited to read it! Not to mention that this amazing cover looks even better in person!

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brien

It is the dawn of the nineteenth century; Britain is at war with Napoleon's France. Jack Aubrey, a young lieutenant in Nelson's navy, is promoted to command of H.M.S. Sophie, an old, slow brig unlikely to make his fortune. But Captain Aubrey is a brave and Gifted seaman, his thirst for adventure and victory immense. With the aid of his friend Stephen Maturin, ship's surgeon and secret intelligence agent, Aubrey and his crew engage in one thrilling battle after another, their journey culminating in a stunning clash with a might Spanish frigate against whose guns and manpower the tiny Sophie is hopelessly outmatched.

I don't even remember where I got this one. But it looked cool, and I'm curious to see what it's like!

Danger Close by William G. Boykin

Barely into his twenties and already a highly decorated military hero, Army Special Forces veteran Blake Kershaw is now going to college, studying while recuperating from wounds received in Afghanistan, and planning to re-enter the Army as an officer after graduation. But life tosses Blake a curve when his country approaches him about using his special skills to avert a terrorist plot to detonate a nuclear device in a major eastern U.S. city. To do that, he would need to become an operative deep within Al-Qaeda’s innermost circles—changing his entire identity, even his face. A true patriot, Blake makes the journey into a shadow world that leaves friends, family and, seemingly, even God far behind. But when things go terribly wrong, and his country looks set to destroy him, it is God and God’s people who intervene.

I got this one just last week in a gift shop at a restaurant we visited. It looks so cool, y'all.

The Messengers: Discovered by Lisa M. Clark

The Message worth dying for . . .

The government tells fifteen-year-old Simon Clay everything he needs to know. Except what really happened to his mom. And why no one can go out at night. And why the Darkness is so dangerous.

By day, Simon pushes against every boundary there is. And by night, secret visitors and hidden messages make him question everything his life entails.

There's a truth out there to be discovered, a truth the government will stop at nothing to stamp out. Join Simon and the Messengers as they risk their lives to protect it.

I'm not much of a fantasy/dystopian reader, so I'm a little leery of this one. It was a Christmas gift, though, and the cover is super cool, so I'll definitely have to give it a go.

Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury

Jack and Molly Campbell are enjoying and idyllic life with their four-year-old son Joey, and the close family and friends who live in their small hometown just outside Atlanta. One phone call from a social worker, however, changes everything. Joey's biological father has just been released from prison, and wants to start life over—with his son. A judge's quick decision deals a devastating blow to the Campbell family: Joey must be returned to his biological parents. In the days that follow, Jack Campbell has a desperate and dangerous thought. What if they can devise a way out? Then they could take Joey and disappear . . . like dandelion dust.

This one I got at a thrift store (slightly addicted to bargain shopping, especially for books). I've read a couple other books by Karen Kingsbury, one of them being Angels Walking, and . . . wow. Just wow. I'm definitely excited to give another Kingsbury book a try!

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.

With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family divided overnight. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.

But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom?

A graduation gift . . . ahhh, I've heard so many things about A Night Divided! And the spine is seriously so gorgeous sitting over there on my shelf . . .

Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn

Marc Royce works for the State Department on special assignments, most of them rather routine, until two CIA operatives go missing in Iraq—kidnapped by Taliban forces bent on generating chaos in the region. Two others also drop out of sight—a high-placed Iraqi civilian and an American woman providing humanitarian aid. Are the disappearances linked? Rumors circulate in a whirl of misinformation.

Marc must unravel the truth in a covert operation requiring utmost secrecy--from both the Americans and the insurgents. But even more secret than the undercover operation is the underground dialogue taking place between sworn enemies. Will the ultimate Reconciler between ancient enemies, current foes, and fanatical religious factions be heard?

I don't remember where I got this one. But it looks so goooood. And that cover!! *heart eyes*

Deep in the Heart by Gilbert Morris

They came to Texas to make their family whole. They fought for the land they'd come to love. An unforgettable saga of faith, love and loyalty that will find its place deep in your heart.
In the days when Texas was the northern edge of Mexico, when Bowie and Houston and Crockett were men and not yet legends, when the Alamo was still a scruffy mission on the banks of the San Antonio River, this unorthodox family struggled to make a wild but beautiful land their own.
This is the tale of Jerusalem Ann, who is willing to take whatever life dishes out in order to make a life for her family. It's the story of Clay, who finds himself protecting another man's family - and in love with another man's wife. It's about Jake, who loves two women and can't do right by either... and Julie, who'd rather be free than respectable... and Bowie, who can handle war but might not survive his first love. It's the story of Comanches and fiestas, hunting parties and courting parties, of battles and massacres and beautiful calm nights under a canopy of stars.
Wide as the prairies, warm as a San Antonia breeze, spiced with adventure and romance, this Texas-sized saga of faith from a beloved storyteller will quickly find its place deep in your heart.. and never let you go.

Now, I think this one's a used book store find. My sister-in-law recommended it, and I've read (and enjoyed) other books by Mr. Morris, so I'm looking forward to this one!

I've got so many other books waiting to be read, but yeah, these are a few of them. ;)

Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them? Which one looks most interesting to you?