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 shelf is down to 1118 books. I finished and started several books this week.
This week’s books:
Dear Theo by Vincent Van Gogh – KEEP. Van Gogh is my favorite artist and this book contains his letters to his brother, which I think will be much more telling about his life than any biography.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune – KEEP. I have heard nothing but rave reviews for this book!
Tools for Slow Living by Agata Toromanoff – GO. This seems to be more of a design/style book than anything else and its overall rating on Goodreads is 2.73 with no written reviews. I bought it (along with the next two books) as an impulse during a trip to Half Price Books when stores were starting to open back up during the pandemic.
Stop Saying You’re Fine by Mel Robbins – GO. I got into Mel Robbins for a while after reading a later book of hers, The 5 Second Rule. This book seems to be all of the same information. I don’t need to reread about how not hitting the snooze button changed her life.
Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin – KEEP. While this book might not have any new insights than what I’ve gotten from other similar books, I’m willing to give it a chance.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1116 books and I’m now only 3 physical books away from my TBR goal for the year. That’s much more doable than 5 books with less than a month to go. The next post will have more of the physical books I own and likely be the last post for 2023.
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 shelf is down to 1122 books. I finished and started several books over the past couple of weeks.
This week’s books:
Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis – KEEP. I’ll be reading this ebook this month as a part of a reading challenge I’m participating in on Litsy.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman – KEEP. I have this one in both ebook and audiobook so I can read along to Gaiman’s narration.
The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling – KEEP. My Best Friend read this in one day and loved it, so I’m looking forward to reading it.
The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book by Kate Milford – KEEP. I love the “Greenglass House” series, of which this is the 5th and most recent book.
Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff – KEEP. I bought this when I needed it, but never got around to reading it. I’m going to keep it for now, since Winter is a difficult time for me, especially around February.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1122 books. The next post will be mostly physical Non-Fiction books I already own.
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 shelf is down to 1129 books. I finished and started several books over the past couple of weeks.
This week’s books:
Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth – KEEP. I like that this story looks at what happens to the heroes after they’re done doing heroic things.
The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre – KEEP. I absolutely love wolves, and I enjoy reading about them.
I Touched a Cat and I Liked It by Anna Blandford – KEEP. I love reading about cats even more than wolves, and I especially enjoy cat humor.
Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae – KEEP. I’ve had this Scottish Cozy Mystery on my TBR for quite a while, and I’m planning to finally read it sometime this month.
Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by J.K. Rowling – KEEP. This is the third book in the “Pottermore Presents” trilogy, of which I’ve already read books one and two.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1129 books. The next post will be mostly books I already own that I’m planning on reading this Winter and am unlikely to be getting rid of any time soon.
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 shelf is still at 1132 books. Though I finished a book, I also added one to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker – KEEP. I bought this after Jenny Lawson recommended it, though I can’t remember if it was a video she did about her bookshelves or if it was in one of the emails about the Fantastic Strangelings book club; maybe both?
Midnight Horr Show by Ben Lathrop – KEEP. The synopsis is vague about the plot, but descriptive of what kind of book this is – Gothic Horror. I’m willing to find out if it’s worth my time.
Halloween Fiend by C.V. Hunt – KEEP. I’m willing to give this one a chance, but I’m very skeptical, mostly because how do you sacrifice a person in the town every single night and not run out of people?! It’s only 112 pages, so I guess I’ll find out.
Hail Mary by Andy Weir – KEEP. I’ve been putting off reading this one because I’m afraid it won’t be as good as The Martian, which I LOVED. I need to get past that and just accept that it might not be, and that’s ok.
Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin – KEEP. I bought this because I liked The Happiness Project and my aspirational self is someone who will read self-improvement books like this and put the knowledge I get from them to use. Sometimes, my true self and my aspirational self are the same, and since ebooks don’t take up physical shelf space, I will keep this one for now for those reasons only.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1132 books. The next post will be more of the ebooks and physical books I already own.
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 shelf is still at 1132 books. Though I finished a lot of books this past week, I also added a lot to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
True Grit by Charles Portis – KEEP. I don’t usually read Westerns, but this one sounds intriguing.
The Unbound by Victoria Schwab – KEEP. This is the 2nd book in the “Archived” series, and I will probably have to reread the 1st book to jog my memory, but I’m okay with that because the 3rd book hasn’t been published yet. I’ll probably wait until there’s a release date.
If It Bleeds by Stephen King – KEEP. I knew this was a sequel, but I couldn’t remember to which book. It turns out it’s the sequel to The Outsider along with 3 other unrelated short stories.
Once: A Belmouth Tale by David J. Thacker – KEEP. This one is still on my wishlist because I’m on the fence about it. It was recommended in a podcast that I now can’t remember, but it’s also self-published. I know that sometimes self-published books become some of the best I’ve read, but more often than not, they end up on my DNF list. The ebook is well under $5, so I might get it at some point, but I’m not in any hurry.
A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry – KEEP. This is an alternate-history fantasy story, and I think I will greatly enjoy it.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1132 books. The next post will be a mix of ebooks and physical books I already own.
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 shelf is down to 1132 books. I finished 4 books this week, mostly thanks to Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon.
This week’s books:
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown – KEEP. I bought the ebook when I was participating in a professional development group at my job at the time. For one reason or another, I never finished reading it, but I would like to give it another go at some point.
High Lonesome Sound by Jaye Wells – KEEP. The synopsis makes it seem like this is just the kind of Horror I love!
How to Succeed in Evil by Patrick E. McLean – KEEP. I will buy and read any book by McLean, even if it takes me a while to get around to it.
Seeing Things by Sonora Taylor – KEEP. This one has been on my wishlist for a while, but I’ve never come across it in any bookstores. I’ll probably order it at some point because it sounds like the kind of Horror I would have loved to read during the Summer when I was a teen.
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert – KEEP. I think it’s safe to say this is Dark Fantasy, and I’m all for it.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1132 books. The next post will be more Horror books I already own.
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 shelf is back up to 1138 books. I added a book to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow – KEEP. I want to read about an alien who loves pop music!
Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus – KEEP. I’m not sure about this one. It’s Science Fiction, but it’s also Horror. I’m going to try it out next year when #SciFiSummer and #RIP overlap.
The History of The Hobbit by John D. Rateliff – KEEP. I will buy and read almost any book related to The Hobbit.
Recursion by Blake Crouch – GO. I bought this during the pandemic when the independent bookstores in my area were starting to open back up. I remember not wanting to leave the store without buying anything, but I couldn’t find anything I REALLY wanted to read. There was also a bit of a line of people waiting to come into the store. Those aren’t the best reasons to buy any book, but that’s what happened, and I can let this one go now.
The Horror Club by Mark Morris – KEEP. The original title of this book is Toady. I’m not sure why it was changed; probably for marketing purposes. I had it on my wishlist under the original title for a long time but wasn’t able to find it anywhere until I found out about the title change.
My want-to-read shelf is back down one book to 1137. The next post will be mostly Horror books I already own.
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 shelf is down to 1138 books. I’ve been reading a lot and not buying any books.
This week’s books:
The First City by Joe Hart – KEEP. This is the last book in “The Dominion” trilogy, and I would like to read it during next year’s #SciFiSummer.
Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown – GO. I bought this when I was struggling greatly with my mental health and had read one of the author’s other books, which helped me quite a bit. I’m sure it would be helpful to someone and that’s why I’m letting it go; otherwise, it will continue to sit on my shelf unread. If I need it at some point, I can always buy another copy.
Outpost by Dan Richards – KEEP. I don’t know when I’ll finally get around to reading this or if I’ll enjoy it, but I’m sure I’ll want to do a bit of armchair traveling at some point, maybe even this Winter.
The Salt Path by Raynor Winn – KEEP. This book had been on my wishlist for years and I finally decided to buy the ebook.
Silence: In the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge – KEEP. I love silence, especially after a long day at work, and I think reading this book will provide a bit of quiet hygge.
My want-to-read shelf is down one book to 1137. The next post will be more of the physical books I already own.
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 shelf is still sitting at 1142 books.
This week’s books:
The Devil’s Bible by Dana Chamblee Carpenter – KEEP. I loved Bohemian Gospel, and I’m going to end up having to buy this book online at some point because I have never come across it in any of my bookstore hunts.
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman – KEEP. The “Practical Magic” series is one of my favorites, and I especially enjoy reading them during Autumn. I will probably read this one sometime this month.
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson – KEEP. I think I’m going to finally read this one before the end of the year.
Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game by Chris Grabenstein – KEEP. This is the fourth book in the “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” series. They’re fun and light Middle-Grade books full of book-related puzzles.
Boundary Lines by Melissa F. Olson – KEEP. This is the second book in the “Boundary Magic” series and the only reason I haven’t read it yet is because it’s an ebook, and I’ve been focused on reading my physical books.
My want-to-read shelf is holding steady at 1142 books. The next post will be a mix of genres and formats of books I already own.
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 shelf went back up to 1142 books. I finished a book but bought a couple of audiobooks.
This week’s books:
Disciples of Blood by Reece Bridger – KEEP. This is the second book in the “Buan” series, and it’s been so long since I read the first book that I’ll probably have to reread it before I read this one. I do remember that I enjoyed The Perfect Mortals so much I gave it 5 stars, but I don’t remember much more than that.
The Mad Apprentice by Django Wexler – KEEP. This is the second book in “The Forbidden Library” series, and I absolutely loved the first book.
Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld – KEEP. This is the third book in the “Midnighters” series. I haven’t read the second book, yet, so I’ll keep this one on my wishlist for now.
The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley – KEEP. This is the second book in “The Scottish” series. As far as I can tell, the stories aren’t related beyond being set in Scotland, so I’m not sure why they’re a series. The first book, The Winter Sea, helped me get through a bit of “Droughtlander.” I’m hoping this one will be just as good.
City of Thirst by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis – KEEP. This is the second book in the “Map to Everywhere” series and another one in which I will probably have to reread the first book to jog my memory.
My want-to-read shelf is holding steady at 1142 books. The next post will be more books from various series that I have already started.
