Stacey Agdern: Dispatches from the TBR pile

You know that big pile of books that taunts you? The one that grows and grows, making you ache for a rainy day so you can cuddle up with one of those books and get lost in another world for a while? That's what readers and authors call our TBR pile — To Be Read. Reviewer and bookseller Stacey Agdern had a chance to tackle hers during Superstorm Sandy. She's here now to give us the low-down on her TBR conquests …

Stacey: 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 to-be-read pile has become a mountain range.

I've read many books this year (which makes for a happy Stacey, let me tell you). But one of the groups that stands out were the infamous nine (OK. Not really nine. Nine-ish). I call them that because they were the nine books I read during Sandy, during the period in October where there was neither power nor heat in my house. And those authors, for writing those books, deserve special thanks.

Molly Harper's books contain a lovely mix of humor and paranormal, and allowed this marooned-in-a-small town girl — yes, the small town is located a mere 30 minutes north of New York City, but it is still a small town — to escape where movement wasn't possible. The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf was funny, sexy and warm. It's the story of a young woman who finds her way to a small town in Alaska and manages to get herself in the middle of many situations, including some paranormal ones.

Kieran Kramer added a little historical romance to this humorous cocktail. Which meant I wasn't just able to escape the place I was in, but the time as well. It was easy to, considering how adorable her headstrong heroine was. Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right was a fantastic tale of a young woman who manages to get herself out of multiple engagements by concocting the story of an imaginary fiancé … and what happens when the fiancé actually shows up.

Special mention goes to Susan Mallery, because during this period I managed to read not one, not two, but three of her books. The Fools Gold series is trademark Susan Mallery: humor, sarcasm and a reflection of small-town life that rings true for this small-town girl. I loved following the Hendrix triplets through their stories (Only Mine, Only Yours, Only His), in a rare break from one of my cardinal reading rules: Thou shalt not read a series back to back.

The Hendrix sisters take us to family obligation and Jennifer Ashley's amazing The Many Sins of Lord Cameron. I was captivated by the first book in this series, and this book brought back the magic I'd been searching for and gives Cameron a story (and a heroine) that does him justice.

One of the things I found myself very guilty of doing during this period, was toppling the order of my pile (yes, I do actually try to keep things in order) to read books from series I'd been anticipating. Kresley Cole's Dreams of a Dark Warrior and Jessica Andersen's Magic Unchained were the two I happily devoured in this particular category. The Pair I'd Been Waiting For grabbed on to me and didn't let go in Magic Unchained: Sven, Cara, their long-awaited reunion and their magnificently told adventure allowed me to forget what was going on around me. And the long-awaited tale of Regin and her Berserker was given the attention, story and steam it deserved by the amazing Cole.

There are many authors who have made me a happy person this year, but I can't finish off this list of books without mentioning two more: One book I read during Sandy, and the other I read immediately after. I've always been a fan of Shiloh Walker's Hunters series, and after a period where I'd read multiple books of hers that hit my reader's "sweet spot," I grabbed onto Hunter's Fall like a lifeline during the storm. Toronto's story, both of his search for his past, and for a city that was just out of my reach, did not disappoint.

Last, but definitely not least, I can't write a list like this and not talk about Victoria Dahl. Uplifting, hard-hitting on Twitter, she tells sexy stories of strong women and the men who love them. I tend to be a sucker for stories of female characters who find themselves and their strength through the course of the story. Bad Boys Do was an amazing tale of a woman who finally gets the chance to stand on her own two feet, and the adorable, sexy, kilt-wearing man who's finally able to let his guard down. I would have read this book during the storm, except for the small problem that I didn't actually have it. So I read it as soon as I got back to work (when I could purchase it …).

As I was writing this piece, I was reminded of a story I read somewhere about an author who was reminded of the power of reading when she and her mother went to a store after dealing with a natural disaster. Her intent was to purchase some essentials. When accounting for her purchases afterward, she and her mother both realized they'd bought romance novels along with their other essentials. I definitely think, courtesy of my TBR, I had mine.

Thank you, and keep reading (I know I will).

You can connect with Stacey her on her blog and Twitter (@nystacey).