Category: TBR

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I still have 566 books on my to-read shelf.

This week’s five books:

The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint – GO.  I added this one to my wish list thanks to a random friend of a friend of a friend I met at a Christmas party a few years ago.  While I definitely want to read some de Lint at some point, I think I would rather not start with book #14 of a series.  Instead, I have a collection of his short stories in an ebook and I’ve added the first book of the “Newford” series to my wish list.

The Shadow Garden by Allen Houston – KEEP.  This is the 2nd book of the “Nightfall Gardens” series, and I already own it.  I was given the 1st book, Nightfall Gardens, by the author and I enjoyed it enough to save up my free $1 credits on Amazon to buy this one (I was on a strict book buying ban at the time and could only use credits, gift cards, etc. to support my reading addiction).

Buan: Company of Heroes by Reece Bridger – KEEP.  This is another instance where I was sent the first book, Buan: The Perfect Mortals, but in this case, I loved it so much that I anxiously awaited the publishing of the 2nd book.  I don’t know how it happened that I added it to my TBR and then never got around to reading it.

Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn – GO.  Both the synopsis and the cover give me the impression that this book is ridiculously trope-filled and formulaic. No thanks.

The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson – GO.  Any synopsis that opens with something like “changed the face of fantasy fiction forever” is automatically suspect to me, especially when those words are bolded AND italicized.  The rest of the synopsis did not remove my suspicions that this book is not worth my time or money.

My to-read shelf is down to 564 books.  That’s the 3rd week in a row that I’ve made my TBR just a smidgen shorter!  Hopefully the trend will continue next weekend when I start with book #116.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I have 566 books on my to-read shelf.

This week’s five books:

Probably Monsters by Ray Cluley – KEEP.  I will eventually buy this Horror short story collection, but for now it’s staying on my wish list.

Farewell, Dorothy Parker by Ellen Meister – GO.  This one has been on my wish list for years and I always pass it up every time I’m looking for a book to buy.  I realize now that I’m just not that interested in reading it, so it goes.  Maybe some day I’ll try to find it at the library, but then again, maybe not.

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman – KEEP.  This one is an ARC I never got around to reading and reviewing because I haven’t read the first book of the series yet.  Yes, I feel guilty about that.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly – KEEP.  There’s no way I’m going to get rid of a Fantasy story involving books 🙂

My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse – KEEP.  I already own this one and it’s a fairly short read, so I’ll give it a chance sometime next year.

My to-read shelf is down one book to 565 books.  That’s 2 weeks in a row that I haven’t added any more books to the mountain!  Hopefully I’ll be able to get a couple more pulled off of the shelf by next weekend when I start with book #111.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I have 568 books on my to-read shelf, thanks to starting The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

This week’s five books:

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman – KEEP.  How could anyone get rid of a book about a library?!

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin – KEEP.  I got this paperback a couple of years ago when I realized Le Guin is one of those authors that every Fantasy fan should read.  I know I won’t get to it before the end of the year, but I’ll probably take it off the shelf early next year.

Dooms Day Book by Connie Willis – KEEP.  This was recommended to me by The Boyfriend’s Aunt.  I’ve been saving it for #SciFiSummer, but it’s ended up at the bottom of the stack both years that I’ve hosted the challenge.

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day by Matt Kepnes – GO.  I’m only taking this off of my wish list because it was published in 2013; which means it’s probably out of date.  I might try to find a copy at the library or in a used bookstore at some point, but for now, it’s off the list.

The Sons of Macha by John Lenahan – KEEP.  The only reason I haven’t read this one yet is because I found out that Lenahan has been recording the audio book, and I absolutely LOVED the audio books of the 1st two books, Shadowmagic and Prince of Hazel and Oak.  I already own the ebook, but I’m more than willing to wait for the magic of the audio.

My to-read shelf is down one book to 567 books.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get a couple more pulled off of the shelf by next week when I start with book #106.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I have 569 books on my to-read shelf, thanks to finally adding several of my audio books to the list.

This week’s five books:

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb – KEEP.  Here is yet another author in the Fantasy genre who I’ve never read.  I’ll change this at some point, especially since I already own this book.

The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth – KEEP.  This one has been on my wish list for a very long time, and I’ve never been able to find a copy in any bookstore.  I don’t know if it’s out of print or I just haven’t been lucky yet.

Chronology ed. by Curiosity Quills Press – KEEP.  This is an anthology of short stories all dealing with the theme of time.  I already own it, so I’ll keep it.

Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor – KEEP.  I love Taylor’s “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” series, and this book of 3 short stories looks to be just as interesting.  Besides, that cover is beautiful!

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black – KEEP.  I have the hardcover, and Doll Bones was OK, so I’ll give this one a chance.

My to-read shelf is stuck at 569 books.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get a couple more pulled off of the shelf and read by next week when I start with book #101.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I have 565 books on my to-read shelf, and that’s only because I started reading Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris.  Why is it that every time I make some head way on the TBR mountain I end up adding more books to it?  At this rate, I don’t think I’ll ever be saying “This is the final ‘Down the TBR Hole’ post.”  I’m not sure if I’m OK with that or not.

This week’s five books:

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander – KEEP.  This is the start of another one of those classic Fantasy series that “everyone” says is a must-read.  I’ll keep it on my wish list for now.

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper – KEEP.  A Middle-grade Fantasy involving Arthurian legend?  Yeah, I’ll keep this one on my wish list, thank you.

The Fall by Garth Nix – GO.  I own the paperback of Sabriel, but I haven’t read it yet; which is why this book has been lingering on my wish list for several years.  I’m going to remove it for now.  Though I’ve heard nothing but great things about his writing, I would rather wait until I read Sabriel to decide if I want to get more of Nix’s books.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart – GO.  I added this one to my wish list solely based on the title.  I didn’t even read the synopsis.  Now that I have, I know this is definitely not the book for me.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – KEEP.  I managed to survive the audio book of Anna Karenina, so I think I can make it through this beast as well.  I have the ebook, but I may have to get the audio book.

 

My to-read shelf is down to 563 books.  I’m sure it won’t stay that way for long!  I’ll start off next week with book #96.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I have 566 books on my to-read shelf, despite participating in Bout of Books.  Also, due to the readathon, I didn’t do a Down the TBR Hole post last weekend, so I’ll being going through 10 books this time.

This week’s ten books:

Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook – KEEP.  There’s no way I would ever get rid of a mash up of Alice in Wonderland and zombies!  I’m hoping to get around to this one during #RIPXII.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker – KEEP.  I already own this one too, and I’ve been wanting to read it for awhile because I’ve been told that the protagonists become friends with no romance developing.  That sounds like a nice change from the usual.

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews – KEEP.  I’m not much of a fan of most Urban Fantasy, only because there’s usually more Romance than Fantasy, but I’ve heard great things about this series and I got the ebook for free a couple years ago.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson – KEEP.  I own this in paperback, and I’ve been told it is essential reading for any Fantasy fan.  So far, it has sat on my shelf because I get the impression it’s of the Epic variety, and I haven’t been in the mood for that in a while.

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie – GO.  This seemed so interesting when I first added it to my wish list.  Now?  Not so much.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – KEEP.  I will tackle this beast of a book someday!  I’ve seen the mini-series based on it and loved it, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this even more.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay – KEEP.  I’ve been meaning to read this ever since I saw Gay’s Ted Talk a few years ago.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot – KEEP.  I love fun books about cats, and this one supposedly inspired the musical “Cats”.

Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris – KEEP.  I got hooked on memoirs after listening to the audiobook of The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer.  I have the hardcover of this one and I will get to it at some point.

Get in Trouble by Kelly Link – KEEP.  This is a short-story collection that is supposed to be dark.  I’ll keep it on my wish list for now.

My to-read shelf is back down to 565 books.  I’ll start off next week with book #91.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 566 books on my to-read shelf.  I culled several books towards the bottom of the list while I was looking through them for something to read after a somewhat bad day.

This week’s five books:

Foreign Correspondences by Lesley Krueger – KEEP.  I love travel writing and I already own this in ebook format.

The Thickety: A Path Begins by J.A. White – KEEP.  I already own this one too, and there’s no way I would get rid of what sounds like an awesome Middle-Grade Fantasy story.

How to Catch a Bogle by Catherine Jinks – KEEP.  This is another Middle-Grade book I already own and don’t have plans of getting rid of anytime soon.

Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines – KEEP.  I own this in paperback, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about it and the author.  I might take it off the shelf to read next month.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige – GO.  This seemed so interesting before there was a ridiculous number of other stories which turn the supposedly “good guys” into bad.  No thanks.

 

My to-read shelf is down to 565 books.  I’ll start off next week with book #81.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 576 books on my to-read shelf.  I cleared out a few books towards the end of the list that I was no longer interested in reading.

This week’s ten books:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman – KEEP.  Why have I not read this book yet?!  A friend of mine gave it to me as a Birthday present a couple years ago, and it’s still sitting on the shelf.  I need to fix that.

The Shelf by Phyllis Rose – KEEP.  I bought this about a year ago, and haven’t managed to get to it yet, despite how much I love reading books about books.

The Library Book by various authors – KEEP.  This is a collection of essays and has been on my wishlist for what feels like forever.  I’ve never found a physical copy of it, and I don’t want to settle for the ebook.

The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell – KEEP.  This is another book that has been on my wishlist for a long time because I haven’t been able to find a physical copy of it.

When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning – KEEP.  A book about books and WWII?  Yes, please!

The Uncanny Valley by Gregory Miller – KEEP.  I’m putting this towards the top of the list of books I want to read in October.

Turn of the Tide by Margaret Skea – KEEP.  If I judged this book solely on the cover, I probably would have gotten rid of it.  However, the story is based on real life events in Scotland during the 16th century, so there’s no way I’m getting rid of it.

Ren of Atikala by David Adams – KEEP.  This one sounds too fun to get rid of and I got it for free.

The Princess of Dhagabad by Anna Kashina – GO.  A story about a Princess who seduces her slave?  No thanks, even if it is supposed to be based on The Arabian Nights.

The Librarian: Little Boy Lost by Alexandra Bracken – KEEP.  I would never get rid of a book about a magical library.

My to-read shelf is down to 575 books.  I’ll start off next week with book #76 and I might do ten books yet again since it looks like I’ll probably be keeping most of them.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 579 books on my to-read shelf.  I took a box of books to Half Price Books to sell and, of course, I ended up buying several books with the money I got.  I decided to do 10 books again this week since all but one of them are keepers.

This week’s ten books:

The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket – KEEP.  This one is still on my wishlist, but I will eventually have it as part of my Lemony Snicket collection.

The Unauthorized Autobiography by Lemony Snicket – KEEP.  I already own this one.

Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier – KEEP.  So far I’ve loved every book Marillier has written so this one is staying on my TBR.

Beauty by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  “Beauty and the Beast” is my all-time favorite fairy tale, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about this retelling.

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  Even though this is the 1st in the “Damar” series, I was told I should read the 2nd book, The Hero and the Crown, first.  I did and really enjoyed it, so I’m keeping this one.

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  Another re-telling of “Beauty and the Beast” by the same author that I’ve heard great things about.

Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  This is a retelling of “Sleeping Beauty” and it’s been on my wishlist for what feels like forever.  I haven’t bought a copy yet because I wanted to read the other books by McKinley that I already own and “Sleeping Beauty” might be my least fave fairy tale.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  I don’t know if this is a fairy tale retelling or not, but it involves vampires and I got it in a Humble Bundle so it’s not going anywhere until I read it.

The Magician’s Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia by Laura Miller – GO.  I added this to my wishlist years ago when I was still interested in getting a different perspective on “The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C.S. Lewis.  The synopsis makes it seem that this book is more about C.S. Lewis than about the series, and I’m just not interested anymore.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken – KEEP.  I get the impression from the synopsis that this is at least partly a darker version of the X-Men, and I’m always down for that.

My to-read shelf is down to 578 books.  I’ll start off next week with book #66 and I might do ten books again since it looks like I’ll probably be keeping most of them.

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• 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?

I will be repeating this process every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I skipped last week since I was participating in the 24 in 48 readathon, so I’m doing 10 books this week instead of only 5.  I currently have 575 books on my to-read shelf.  I owe the decrease almost entirely to the readathon, but also I found some books on the list that I had already removed from my collection but had forgotten to take off of Goodreads.

This week’s ten books:

The Lord of the Plains by Sarah Chapman – GO.  Meh.  I don’t know when I picked up this ebook, but I hope I didn’t pay anything for it.

Gods and Dragons – Keep.  I have no idea if any of these eight books will be any good, but I already own them, so I’m willing to give them a chance.

A Sea of Shields by Morgan Rice – GO.  I know I had to have picked this one up for free because there is no way I would have paid money for the 10th book in a series which I’ve never read.  I’m not interested in this one enough to read nine other books before finally getting to read it.

The Final Formula by Becca Andre – GO.  The synopsis makes me think this one will have me raising my eyebrows at a bunch of plot points that feel implausible, and I don’t have time for that crap.

Vigilante of Shadows by Miranda Stork – GO.  One word: Nope.

The Magic of Highland Dragons by Kella McKinnon – KEEP.  I don’t care how cheesy or romantic this book might end up being; it involves Highlanders 😉

The Rise of Mallory by Roy Huff – KEEP.  This is the 3rd book in the Everville series, so I’ll reassess whether or not to keep it after I read the 1st book.

The City of Worms by Roy Huff – KEEP.  Ditto for the 2nd book in the Everville series.

Birth of the Monster by Shane K.P. O’Neill – GO.  The synopsis says this is the prequel to The Dracula Chronicles series, but next to the title it says this is book 5.5.  Either way, I’m not interested.

Horseradish by Lemony Snicket – KEEP.  I LOVE A Series of Unfortunate Events so there’s no way I’m not reading this!

My to-read shelf is down to 570 books!  It will probably stay there for a week or two if it doesn’t grow since I already know I’ll be keeping several of the next books on the list.  I’ll start off next week with book #56.