Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf is up to 1188 books. I finished three books, but added a whole bunch more to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
I Married Wyatt Earp ed. by Glenn G. Boyer – KEEP. I saw this book in one of the gift shops in Tombstone, AZ. The price was marked up and I refuse to pay more than the cover price for a book that isn’t rare or a collectable. Though it’s still on my wishlist several years later, I still want to get it at some point.
Once Upon a Crime by P.J. Brackston – KEEP.This is a Cozy Mystery set in the world of Grimm’s Fairytales. I’m very interested!
How Can I Help You by Laura Sims – KEEP. This is one of the picks for the Nightmares from Nowhere book club.
Broken Shells by Nikita and Nathaniel Edson- KEEP. I bought this Steampunk novel from the authors at their table during the first Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Book Festival. Now that I’ve remembered it’s on my TBR, I want to read it during this year’s #SciFiSummer.
The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright – KEEP. I also found this book at the Book Festival, and though I didn’t see the author, I think she was on one of the panels. This looked like an interesting Gothic novel so I figured I would give it a try.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1188 books for now. While it probably won’t stop me from adding books to my wishlist, I’m going to severely limit how many books I buy from Amazon when I do inevitably buy some books. I recently found out how much of a cut Amazon takes from authors. The link is to an older video (6 months ago) because I couldn’t find the newer video Elizabeth Wheatley did on the subject, but I’m glad I did find the older one. Apparently several other online retailers are just as bad. Instead of giving these major companies my money, I’ll buy either from indy bookstores or directly from the author when I can.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf is up to 1185 books. I finished a few of books, but added several more to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf by L.G. Estrella – KEEP. This book sounds like dark comedic Fantasy. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano – KEEP.This was one of the picks for the Nightmares from Nowhere book club. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get back into Horror by time this year’s #RIP rolls around, but for now, I’m sticking to cozier reads.
Putting the Tea in Britain by Les Wilson – KEEP. This book is about two of my favorite subjects: Scotland and tea.
Over My Dead Body by Greg Melville- KEEP. If you know me, you know I love cemeteries. I would love to someday travel around the United States, visiting cemeteries, but this book will do for a bit of armchair travel until that someday comes around.
Tombstone by Tom Clavin – KEEP. I bought this paperback when I was getting ready for a trip with my best friend to Tombstone, Arizona several years ago, but I never got around to reading it. Now that I know a lot more about the story of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday from all of the tourist activities in Tombstone, I want to read more about them and see how much of the touristy stuff matches up with the facts. I need to be in the right mood for it, though, and that has yet to happen.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1185 books for now. I’m still trying to finish up a couple of the books I checked out from the library while dipping into books from my TBR in between. Luckily, being on vacation all of this week means I have plenty of time to read.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf is back up to 1184 books. I finished a book, but added a couple to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines – KEEP. I love Hines’ “Magic Ex Libris” series, so when I found this at Half Price Books, I had to get it.
The Places That Scare You by Pema Chödrön – KEEP.I’ve been dealing with a lot of bitterness, resentment, and anger because of everything happening in my life over the past month, and I need to read this sooner rather than later.
Naked in the Zendo by Grace Schireson – KEEP. I’m not going to lie, I mostly bought this book because of the title, but also because I think it will be an excellent and humorous book about Life and Zen.
The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg- KEEP. Up until recently, Holmberg has been one of my auto-buy authors. The only reason that has changed is because she has written so.many.books. and I can’t keep up. This is one I bought, and I will eventually get to it.
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill – KEEP. A Murder Mystery in a library? Yes, please, and thank you!
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1184 books.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf is up to 1184 books. I bought a couple of books and added a couple more to my wishlist after finishing a couple of books this past week.
This week’s books:
The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland – GO. I can’t remember where I got this book from or why I bought it, and the synopsis did not spark my interest.
Fire Watch by Connie Willis – KEEP.This book is part of the “Oxford Time Travel” series, and I’m hoping to finally get to it this year during #SciFiSummer.
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer – KEEP. I’m getting Willy Wonka vibes from the synopsis, but instead of chocolate, it involves books. I might be way off, but I’ve heard great things about this book, so I’m in.
Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill- KEEP. I’m going to give this one a chance because it was one of the picks for “Nightmares from Nowhere,” but I’m a bit skeptical.
The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett – KEEP. I’m very much looking forward to reading this book, and I’ve only put it off because I would like to get through the “Discworld” series first. I may need to change that.
My want-to-read shelf is down one book to 1183. I’ll have to finish some books and try to not add anymore to my wishlist since I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of any books in the next post.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf is up to 1180 books. I added a few more books to my wishlist after finishing a couple of books this past week.
This week’s books:
The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim – KEEP. I’m hoping to get to this one this year.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree – KEEP. Legends & Lattes is one of my all-time favorites, so I’m very much looking forward to this prequel.
Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert – KEEP. I loved the first book in Gilbert’s “Blue Ridge Library Mysteries,” and I’m hoping this first book in her “Booklover B&B Mysteries” will be just as good.
Can’t Judge a Book by its Murder by Amy Lillard- KEEP. I’m going to give this one a chance despite the synopsis sounding exactly like another bookstore-related Cozy Mystery I’ve read from another series.
The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis – KEEP. Willis has become an auto-buy author for me, and I’m looking forward to hopefully reading this or at least one of her other books I have on my TBR this #SciFiSummer.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1180 books. There is only one book for the next post that I’m not immediately sure I’ll be keeping.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf jumped back up to 1178 books. I added a couple of Cozy books to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman – KEEP. I absolutely loved the “Practical Magic” series, and since this story is book-related, I want to give it a try.
Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire – KEEP. This book about books has such a beautiful cover that I accidently bought two copies!
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik – KEEP. I will definitely be reading this second book in the Dark Academia “Scholomance” series.
Lone Women by Victor Lavalle- KEEP. This is either the second or third book pick for Jenny Lawson’s Horror book club, “Nightmares from Nowhere.” I started reading it last year during #RIP, but put it down because I want to read another book, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë first.
Unnatural Magic by C.M. Waggoner – KEEP. I read The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry already, not knowing it’s the second book in the “Unnatural Magic” series, of which this is the first. I may need to reread the second book after I read this one, but I’m not sure yet.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1178 books. There are several Cozy reads coming up on my want-to-read shelf for the next post, so I doubt I’ll be letting any of them go.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf jumped up again to 1178 books. I finished several books this past week, but I added several Cozy books to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher – KEEP. This book keeps coming up in Fantasy recommendation lists of all kinds. My hope is to get to it sooner rather than later.
Live Your Best Life by Dr. Stuart Farrimond – GO. I tried listening to this audiobook during my morning commute as part of my Miracle Morning routine, but I just couldn’t get into it, and I stopped listening. I meant to come back to it and give it another chance at some point, but every time I see it in the Chirp app, I’m reminded of how boring I thought it was.
A Book of Bosh by Edward Lear – GO. I don’t remember where I learned about this “book of nonsense”, but it’s been on my wishlist for two years, is out of print, and I haven’t bothered to try finding a copy.
Miss Peregrine’s Museum of Wonders by Ransom Riggs- KEEP. I love this world and want to read more about it.
Murder at the Bookstore by Sue Minix – KEEP. I wonder how many Cozy Mystery books have this exact same title? I also wonder how many other Cozy Mystery books have a main character who inherits a bookstore after the owner is murdered. Will this book be predictable? Oh, most certainly, but I need more predictableness in my life right now.
My want-to-read shelf is down a little bit to 1176 books. These posts are a reminder of how many great books I already have waiting for me to pick up while allowing me the chance to weed out the ones that I’m no longer interested in reading. Though I’ve been checking out a lot of books from the library lately, I have been mixing those in with the books I own so I can get my “new” book fix while slowly chipping away at my TBR. It may not look like it, but that system is working, even if the number of books on my want-to-read shelf expands more than it contracts.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf jumped up to 1175 books. While I finished a few books this past week, only one of them was from my TBR. The rest were library books that hadn’t been on my want-to-read shelf, and I added several more books to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly – KEEP. A Cozy Mystery in which the main character is a librarian and she has cats? Yes, please!
Dodger by Terry Pratchett – KEEP. I’m keeping this book on my wishlist because it’s by Sir Terry Pratchett, but I’m not going to buy it until after I finally get around to reading Oliver Twist.
Monster’s Bones by David K. Randall – KEEP. Anyone who knows me knows that I love Dinosaurs! On my Birthday, I visited COSI and got to see their exhibit dedicated to T. Rex. I learned a little bit about the man who discovered the first T. Rex, and this book goes more into the details about that story as well as the other people involved.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett- KEEP. Not only is this one of the books Jenny Lawson selected for the Fantastic Strangelings book club, but it also shows up on every Cozy Fantasy book recommendation list I’ve come across.
The Binding by Bridget Collins – KEEP. A book-related Fantasy set in an alternate 19th century England? I’m intrigued.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1175 books. If you’ve read my most recent “Building the Book Fort” post, you’ll know that times have been rough for me. Through all of it, I’ve been sticking to my #ShelfLove goal of limiting how many books I buy. Instead of binging on new books from the bookstore, I’ve been soothing myself with books from the library and taking any Cozy book recommendations sent my way. While I know my want-to-read shelf will eventually go down, for now, I’m more concerned with how I’m coping than the number of books I own or have on my wishlist.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf still at 1163 books. I finished a couple of books this past week, but I got a couple of free audiobooks. I’m ok with breaking even for now.
This week’s books:
Lute by Jennifer Thorne – KEEP. All of this week’s books are picks for the Fantastic Strangelings book club. I’m looking forward to reading this #RIP worthy book.
The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh – GO. While I generally have a lot of faith in the books Jenny Lawson selects for her book club, I’m really not into Contemporary Fiction. I also think that if I were to read this book, I would need it to be in audiobook format. Otherwise, I would constantly be stumbling over names, which would take me out of the story.
Florida Woman by Deb Rogers – KEEP. I have a feeling this one is going to be extremely strange and I will find myself saying, “WTF did I just read?!” by the end of it. I am totally onboard with that.
Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky- KEEP. I think this might end up being just as mind-bending as Florida Woman. I’ll give it a chance.
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel – KEEP. I’m not sure I will enjoy this one, but it is a Fantasy novel, so I’m going to give it a try.
My want-to-read shelf is down one book to 1162. It’s been quite a while since I’ve let go of a book. If I can get myself to read or get rid of more books than I add to my wishlist, I just might be able to keep my want-to-read shelf moving in a downward direction. We shall see.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
My want-to-read shelf has skyrocketed up to 1163 books. I finished several books this week, but I discovered Meg’s Tea Room on Instagram and she has tons of Cozy Fantasy recommendations that I added to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon – KEEP. Here is another first book in a Cozy Mystery series involving the owner of a bookstore. It seems to be quite popular with 16 books, multiple short stories, and the 17th book expected to be published sometime this year.
Mortal Monarchs by Suzie Edge – KEEP. I think this might have been a recommendation by Jenny Lawson, but my memory is fuzzy on that. Regardless, it sounds like a morbidly fun read.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean – KEEP. Now this one I know is one of Jenny Lawson’s recommendations since it’s one of her picks for the Fantastic Strangelings book club. It is one of my goals this year to get caught up with the book club, even though I recently canceled my membership to cut down on expenses.
Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman- KEEP. This is another of the books picked for the Fantastic Strangelings book club, and though I don’t think it’s going to be my thing, I’m going to give it a try.
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth – KEEP. Here is another book pick for the Fantastic Strangelings book club. Again, I’m not sure it’s going to be my thing, but it is Horror, and I trust Jenny Lawson’s recommendations 99% of the time.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1163 books. I said in the last post that I probably need to stay off of social media for awhile because I keep seeing books that I then add to my wishlist. I added more than 20 books in the past week alone, mostly thanks to Bookstagram. Last month, I began limiting my scrolling to 15 minutes a day, and while that is certainly keeping me from wasting hours of time, it apparently isn’t helping me keep my want-to-read shelf under control. I might do a month-long social media ban in February, but I’m not sure about that yet.
