Tag: Down the TBR Hole

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is up a couple of books to 1190. I finished a few books, but I added several more to my wishlist.

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This week’s books:

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson – KEEP. This is a Classic, and since I saw the movie before I found out that it was a book, I definitely want to read it.

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs – GO. I got this ebook when I was desperate for anything that might be Cozy, even though Women’s Literary Fiction is not really my thing most of the time. I’m pretty sure I got the ebook for free or at a very low price, so I’m going to let this one go.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – KEEP. One of my Boyfriend’s Aunts recommended this book while we were visiting for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. Then, while we were waiting for our flight back home, I found a copy of the book sitting in the magazine rack of the airport’s bookstore. It was the only copy in the store, and I saw that as fate. I still haven’t gotten around to reading it, but I hope to change that this year.

The Death of a Beekeeper by Lars Gustafsson – KEEP. This is a bibliotherapy recommendation for living with chronic pain. Given what is going on in my life right now, I need to read this short book sooner rather than later.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson – KEEP.  This is one of Jenny Lawson’s picks for her monthly book club “Nightmares from Nowhere”. I recently got into Dark Academia with the “Scholomance” series by Naomi Novik, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

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My want-to-read shelf is down one book to 1189. I’ll probably be doing a lot more reading than usual for a while since I’m much more limited in my physical activities. With any luck, I’ll be doing my reading outside in the sun so I’m not cooped up in the house all the time.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is up a few books to 1188. I finished a couple of books, but I added several to my wishlist.

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This week’s books:

The Portable Door by Tom Holt – KEEP. This is supposed to be comedic Fantasy and the synopsis sounds interesting enough for me to give it a chance.

Just an Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson – KEEP. I love Shirley Jackson so when I came across this collection of her short stories, I had to get it.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall – KEEP. I don’t remember who recommended this book, but I’ve got nothing to lose by checking it out from the library.

Five Children and It by E. Nesbit – KEEP. This is another book that I don’t remember who recommended it, and it is also available at the library.

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery – KEEP.  I vaguely remember reading this book when I was very young and would read anything by Montgomery after I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables. However, I can’t remember any of the details, and I want to reread it.

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My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1188 books for now. My reading has picked up again, so I’m hoping to start seeing that number decline soon.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is up a couple of books to 1186. I finished a couple of books, but I also discovered that several books were missing from my TBR.

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This week’s books:

Njuta by Niki Brantmark – KEEP. First there was “Hygge,” then “Lagom.” After that, I learned about “Lillordag.” Now, I want to read about “Njuta.”

The Black House by Peter May – KEEP. This is a Scottish crime novel. Since I’m more into Cozy Mysteries, I’m not sure I will like it. However, it’s set in Scotland, so I’m still interested.

The Paris Secret by Karen Swan – GO. I used to be just as obsessed with any book set in France as I am with books set in Scotland, but this really doesn’t seem to be anything I will enjoy reading. I don’t even know why I got it in the first place.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum – KEEP. I feel like everyone has already read this book. I bought it because I loved living in South Korea, and I would like to take an armchair trip back there since it will probably be a very long time before I’m able to go back in real life.

Murder at the Book Club by Betsy Reavley – KEEP.  I’m skeptical about this Cozy Mystery because there are only two books in the series, and both were published in 2018. I’ll give it the 50 page test.

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My want-to-read shelf is down one to 1185 books. It has been quite a while since I’ve decided to let go of a book. I’m not sure my want-to-read list is going to get any shorter for a while since I haven’t been reading much lately.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is down a few books to 1184. I finished several books this past week thanks to the weather keeping me indoors instead of out in my garden.

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This week’s books:

The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane – KEEP. I supposedly own a physical copy of this book, but I don’t remember buying it or where it is on my bookshelves. I’m still interested in reading it, though, so it’s staying on my want-to-read list.

Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White – KEEP. This is supposed to be a slower approach to decluttering, and while I’ve decluttered my home multiple times over the years with more traditional strategies, whenever I read a decluttering book, I’m inspired to let go of even more stuff.

Midsummer by Deborah Blake – KEEP. I like the “Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials” series of books because they help me reconnect to the seasons in a meaningful way while also providing a bit of history. I hope to get to this one before the end of the month so that I have some time to plan any of the traditions I want to try.

Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien – KEEP. I got this so that I would have several of the stories covered in an at-your-own-pace class I signed up for several years ago. Now that I’m getting the hang of screen-free days, I’ll probably get back into studying Tolkien’s work.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame – KEEP.  I somehow made it through my entire childhood without reading this book! This is another one I’m hoping to get to this month.

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My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1184 books. I was feeling a bit stressed from work last week and checked out a couple more books from the library, but I’m balancing those with books from my own TBR, so I’m hoping that number will continue to go down.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is up down several books to 1187. I finished several books this past week while I was stuck at home thanks to my back, and then I read a couple more books over the weekend.

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This week’s books:

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk – KEEP. I’m a bit skeptical about this one, but because it is definitely in my wheel house, I’m going to give it a chance.

Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davison – KEEP. This is another first-in-series Cozy Mystery, but it’s set during 1915 in London.

Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell – KEEP. This is the second book by a Scottish bookstore owner, and I recently moved it from my wishlist to my physical TBR, though I don’t remember where I finally found it.

Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan- KEEP. I never seem to be able to find enough good Christmas-related books when I want them, so I snatched this audiobook up as soon as I saw it.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – KEEP.  I got this as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago before I knew that EVERYONE was reading and raving about “The Empyrean” series. I’m moving it up my TBR so I can finally find out what the hype is all about.

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My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1187 books. I only have one library book checked out right now while I get through my current reads, so I’m hoping that number will continue to drop.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

---

My want-to-read shelf is up one book to 1194. I finished several books this past week, but all but one were library books that weren’t already on my want-to-read shelf, and I discovered some more books to add to my wishlist.

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This week’s books:

The Book of Death by Jack Treby – KEEP. The synopsis makes me think this might be a Cursed Object story involving a book, and I’m very interested.

Steeped to Death by Gretchen Rue – KEEP. I’m trying to venture further into Cozy Mysteries, and since this one involves a tea shop and witchcraft, I figured I would give it a shot. It’s also a newer series with only three books so far, but the most recent one was published in September of last year, and seems to be popular.

Fated by Benedict Jacka – KEEP. This is supposed to be an Urban Fantasy involving mages in London and they’re possibly also spies? I’m not sure, but it sounded different enough when I first came across it that I got the audiobook.

The Familiar by Jesse Leigh Bardugo- KEEP. Historical Fantasy involving a vampire and set in Spain? Jenny Lawson loved it? Yes, please, and thank you very much!

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden – KEEP.  I absolutely loved the “Winternight” trilogy and the first book in the “Small Spaces” series, so Arden is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. Since this story is Historical Fiction and involves the supernatural, I didn’t even hesitate. I’m also bumping it up my TBR for #RIP.

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My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1194 books. However, that might change today or tomorrow. I’m in the middle of a flare-up with my back and following doctor’s orders to rest for two days. I will likely finish at least a couple of physical books and an audiobook so I might be down a couple of books in the next post.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is up a few books to 1193. I only finished one book this past week, but added several more to my wishlist, and I bought a couple of books.

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This week’s books:

The Unhappy Medium by T.J. Brown – KEEP. This is supposed to be a darkly humorous story about a skeptic who can see the ghost of a former colleague. I greatly enjoy dark humor, especially about anything supernatural, so I bought the audiobook without hesitation.

The Family Plot by Cherie Priest – KEEP. I’ve read Boneshaker and The Toll, and liked both of them enough to want to give this book a try.

Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid – KEEP. The synopsis had me at “gothic horror retelling”, and then it really had me at “fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente.”

The Saga of the Volsungs translated by Jesse L. Byock- KEEP. I’m keeping this for now since I’m still interested in reading it at some point, but frankly, this might be an “aspirational me” kind of book.

The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly – KEEP.  This is the first book in the “Haunted Bookshop” Cozy Mystery series, and I got the audiobook on sale through Chirp. I’m always looking for new-to-me Cozy Mystery series having to do with books, so buying this one was a no-brainer.

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My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1193 books. I have two books on my TBR that I want to get to before the end of the month, but other than that, I’m still catching up on all of the library books I checked out. I have stopped checking out anymore books from the library until I finish the ones I’ve got, but I do still have three books on hold. I won’t be getting one of those books anytime soon, though, as I’m 1702 in line!

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is up one book to 1189. I finished three books, but added several more to my wishlist.

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This week’s books:

Darling by Mercedes M. Yardley – KEEP. This is yet another book I found while I was at the Columbus Book Festival. It sounds like the perfect book for #RIP.

Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan – KEEP. Shanahan’s The Fatburn Fix was the book that finally helped me clean up what I eat, which led to me feeling better both physically and mentally. While I have fallen off the wagon thanks to dealing with large amounts of stress over the past couple of months, I’m hoping to get back to what I learned in that book while adding new information from this book.

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle – KEEP. This is one of the picks for the Nightmares from Nowhere book club. I’m a bit skeptical because Tingle’s earlier books are way out there weird, but if Jenny Lawson says it’s great, I’ll give it a chance.

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence- KEEP. The synopsis is extremely vague about the plot of this book to the point that I don’t know what it’s about beyond having something to do with at least one book and a library. I’m willing to find out, though.

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte – KEEP.  This book is about Dinosaurs, obviously, and it has a bunch of full-color illustrations. Are you kidding?! Who would ever think I wouldn’t want to keep this one?!

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My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1189 books. I recently switched over to StoryGraph, but I’m keeping Goodreads specifically for these posts. I’ve found that, unlike everything else with StoryGraph, it’s easier to use Goodreads for going book by book through my want-to-read shelf. The day that changes will be the day I delete my Goodreads account.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is up to 1188 books. I finished three books, but added a whole bunch more to my wishlist.

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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.

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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.

How it works:

• Go to your Goodreads want-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?

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My want-to-read shelf is up to 1185 books. I finished a few of books, but added several more to my wishlist.

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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.

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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.