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 until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  My TBR pile is down to 717 books.  I weeded out a couple of books on my wish list that I knew I no longer wanted.

This week’s five books:

The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg – KEEP.  Holmberg is one of my auto-buy authors.  I absolutely loved the first 2 books in “The Paper Magician” trilogy, and I don’t understand why I haven’t read this one yet.  I need to get to it considering I have the spin-off book, The Plastic Magician, pre-ordered and it will be released in May.

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal – KEEP.  It’s dark, it has characters with strange names, and it has to do with the Grimm fairy tales.  Why is this still on my wish list instead of on my bookshelves?

Steampunk ed. by Mike Ashley – KEEP.  I already own this absolutely beautiful hardcover.  I plan on keeping it no matter how long it takes me to get around to reading it.

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice – KEEP.  After Rice’s husband passed away she made a statement that she would never write another Vampire Chronicles book and would only write religious fiction.  None of her books were huge successes and she decided to start writing about werewolves, which I’ve heard didn’t do much better.  So, when it was announced she would be returning to writing about her most famous vampire, I had mixed feelings.  My feelings weren’t helped with a re-read of the first 3 books in the original series since I’m no longer completely besotted by the characters and story the way I was when I was in my early 20s.  I’m keeping it for now since I already own it and I want to continue my re-read of the series before I make a final decision.

The Arabian Nights translated by Sir Richard F. Burton – KEEP.  The Boyfriend gave this book to me as part of a Birthday gift several years ago.  It is so beautiful that I haven’t even removed the plastic yet.  We’ve moved a couple of times since that Birthday, and I’m afraid the cover will get damaged if I take off the plastic.  Even if I never read it, it will always remain a part of my collection.
My to-read shelf remains at 717 books.  See you next Saturday when I start with book #146.