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 several books to 1105. I finished and started a few books this past week.
This week’s books:
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 1 by Diana Wynne Jones – KEEP. Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favorite Fantasy authors, and I just love books full of cats.
The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish – KEEP. I remember seeing this on Jenny Lawson’s bookshelves at some point and thought it sounded interesting.
The Gutsy Girl by Caroline Paul – GO. I’m not the intended audience of this book. While that has never stopped me from reading something I want to read, this book is truly written for young girls, and I’m going to let it go so that it hopefully finds its way into the hands of a girl who needs it.
Alice Takes Back Wonderland by David D. Hammons – GO. I have a gut feeling I won’t enjoy this book. Maybe someone else will.
The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier – KEEP. This one sounds bizarre and I’m not sure I will enjoy it, but I’m willing to give it a chance.
My want-to-read shelf is down a couple more books to 1103. The next post will have yet more of the physical books I 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 several books to 1112. I finished and started a lot of books since my last post in December.
This week’s books:
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan – GO. The Boyfriend gave this to me after deciding he was no longer interested in reading it, and I’m no longer interested either.
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl – KEEP. I read The Dante Club well over a decade ago and greatly enjoyed it. That fact is the only reason I’m willing to give this one a chance after seeing such low ratings for it on Goodreads.
We Have No Idea by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson – GO. I want to be the kind of person who wants to read this book, but I’m accepting that I, at least not at this time, am not.
The Nirvana Threads by Rachel Tremblay – KEEP. I have a feeling I will either love this book and not be able to put it down or I will despise it and stop reading within a couple of pages.
The Many-Colored Land by Julian May – KEEP. I loved Jack the Bodiless and, based on that, the Boyfriend said I will probably enjoy this one as well, even though they’re very different stories but related in a weird wibbly wobbly timey wimey sort of way. Perhaps I’ll finally get around to reading it during this year’s #SciFiSummer reading challenge.
My want-to-read shelf is down a couple more books to 1110. The next post will have more of the physical books I 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 up a couple of books to 1118. I finished and started several books this week but added some to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë – KEEP. It’s a goal of mine to read all of the books written by the Brontë sisters.
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – KEEP. I will also read all of Dickens’ novels at some point since he is one of my all-time favorite authors.
Warcross by Marie Lu – KEEP. I’ve had this book for quite a while and have heard it’s one of the best YA Sci-Fi books out there. Perhaps I’ll finally pick it up during next year’s #SciFiSummer reading challenge.
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab – KEEP. I have loved most everything Schwab has published, so I’m looking forward to getting around to this one before long.
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty – GO. This book sounds amazing, and that’s exactly what many reviews say; it sounds great but is extremely slow and they put it down to read other books. I don’t have time for that.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1117 books. The next post won’t be until after Christmas, but it will have more of the physical books I 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 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.
