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 has decreased to 1146. I finished a book and removed two books from my wishlist.
This week’s books:
The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson – KEEP. I’ve enjoyed Bryson’s writing style before, and I’m strangely fascinated with language and how it has evolved over time. In another lifetime, I probably would have been an etymologist.
Selected Poems by Robert Frost – GO. I’m not a reader of Poetry. I’ve tried, and I would like to be, but when I want to sit down with a book and read for a while, it has never been a book of poems that I’ve picked up. I’ll read a poem here and there, but that’s about it. I need to let go of the reader that I think I could be someday and allow myself to be the reader that I am by making space for the books I know I’ll read.
The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon – KEEP. I loved The Shadow of the Wind, and while The Angel’s Game wasn’t quite as good, I’ve been looking forward to reading this 3rd book in “The Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series for a while.
The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport- KEEP. I was mildly obsessed with Anastasia Romanov after reading a book about her that I checked out from the library at school. It was years before the animated movie (which I’ve never seen), but I never forgot her story. I thought I was done with all that until I read the Goodreads synopsis, and I now want to read this book even more than when I originally got it. The only reason I’ve put it off for so many years is that it’s a bit of a chunkster.
Cape of Storms by Nina Berberova – KEEP. Here is another book about the Bolsheviks’ impact on Russia and its people, in this case, three Russian exiles who escape to France. This is a much shorter book in comparison to The Romanov Sisters and I don’t remember where or when I got it or if I even knew what it was about, but it was sometime prior to November 2017, when I added it to my want-to-read shelf.
My want-to-read shelf is down one to 1145 books. The next post is full of yet more physical books that I own, and I doubt I’ll be parting with any of them.
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 has gone up one to 1150. I finished a book, but a book I had preordered several months ago arrived.
This week’s books:
It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis – GO. I’m usually all for Dystopian Fiction, but I realized that it’s usually Dystopian Sci-Fi, set in a distant future or an unknown time, and I keep passing this book up because it seems a little too close. Maybe that means I *should* read it, but I don’t like to should myself.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg – KEEP. I saw the movie when I was probably too young to really understand it, and I only remember bits and pieces of it. I’ve wanted to read the book ever since I found out that it existed, and maybe after I finally read it, I’ll rewatch the movie.
Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick – KEEP. The Boyfriend got a vintage copy of this book for me, which is Dick’s first published novel, after finding it in a used bookstore. It’s the type of distant-future Dystopian Sci-Fi that I prefer.
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol- KEEP. I only bought this because it’s one of the books that Rory in “The Gilmore Girls” mentions reading. Now that I’ve read the Goodreads synopsis, I’ll keep it and give it the 50-page test.
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo – KEEP. I read this in high school, and I’ve always wanted to re-read it. It was one of my favorites, along with A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It inspired my French obsession, which lasted well into my college years.
My want-to-read shelf is back down to 1149 books. The next post is a toss-up of physical books that I’m not sure I’ll be keeping.
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 has gone down one to 1149. I finished a book, but I also bought a book.
This week’s books:
Middlemarch by George Eliot – KEEP. This is a Classic that I’ve never read before.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – KEEP. This one is a chunkster that I’ve always wanted to read.
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – KEEP. I read this when I was very young after having seen the TV movie. I think the copy I had at the time was loaned to me by my Grandma. It was my first adult Historical Fiction novel, and I remember loving the story, so I really want to read this again from a much more mature point of view.
Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore- KEEP. This is another Classic that I’ve never read.
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings – KEEP. Here is yet another Classic that I’ve never read.
My want-to-read shelf is holding steady at 1149 books. That’s not surprising since all of the above books are much older Fiction books that I have in mass-market paperback copies I bought from used bookstores. I don’t know why, but those kinds of books seem to be the ones I choose to hold onto more than any other type of book or format. The next post will be more of the same, so I probably won’t be getting rid of any books then either.
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 has gone down one to 1152.
This week’s books:
1916 by Morgan Llywelyn – KEEP. This book is set during the Irish Rebellion, a part of History that I’ve been interested in learning more about since the very brief discussion about it in an English Literature course I took in college.
Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski – GO. The synopsis on Goodreads isn’t inspiring any interest in reading this book.
The Return of the Indian, The Secret of the Indian, and The Mystery of the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks – KEEP. I never finished this series when I was a kid, only having read the first 2 books, and I re-read the first book, The Indian in the Cupboard, a few years ago.
Breakfast with Socrates by Robert Rowland Smith- KEEP. The Goodreads synopsis says that the author applies different philosophical ideas to the everyday, mundane activities of life. I think this will be a fun and interesting book.
Wideacre by Philippa Gregory – GO. Another non-inspiring synopsis. I think I’ll stick to Gregory’s later novels.
My want-to-read shelf is now down to 1150 books. I honestly didn’t think I’d get rid of any books this week, but instead, I got rid of two! The next post will be filled with 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 has gone up one to 1154. I finished several books since my last post, but also added several to my wish list.
This week’s books:
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson – KEEP. I’ve enjoyed other books by Bryson, so I’ll give this one a chance.
Was Superman a Spy? by Brian Cronin – KEEP? The Goodreads synopsis says this is all about the crazy and bizarre stories that have been told over the years about popular comic books, many of which are true. I’m willing to give it the 50-page test.
I Don’t Care About Your Band by Julie Klausner – KEEP. I may have outgrown this book. I’ve owned it for over a decade, and it had been on my wishlist for several years before I got around to buying it. However, I’m still going to give it a chance because it’s a memoir, and even though it speaks to a much “younger” version of me, I will probably be able to relate to it through my past experiences.
Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend- KEEP. Middle-Grade Fantasy is one of my favorite genres to read, and the only reason I haven’t read this one yet is that I was focusing on finishing as many books as I could, and the length of this one (461 pages) meant it always got moved to the bottom of the stack.
Dryland by Sara Jaffe – GO. I got this one through a book box subscription many years ago, and I’m just not interested. I’m sure it’s a wonderful story, but out of all of the books I could read, I know I will never pick this one up and say, “I HAVE to read this!”
My want-to-read shelf and my TBR are back down to 1153 books. The next post will again be all physical books that I own, and most of them look like keepers.
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 has grown quite a bitsince my last post. It currently stands at 1154. I’ve added a lot of books to my TBR, but also to my wish list.
This week’s books:
The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma – KEEP. Time Travel and Literary Classics? Yes, Please!
These Restless Heads by James Branch Cabell – GO. Goodreads doesn’t have a synopsis, but luckily the one review did. This book is a Non-Fiction account of the author’s life during the 1920s in Richmond, Virginia. I have the ebook, but I have no idea where or why I got it. It was probably a freebie, but regardless, I have no interest in reading it.
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill – KEEP. After reading Heart-Shaped Box, I’m definitely going to give this short-story collection a try.
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy- KEEP. This is by the same author that wrote Tess of the D’Urbervilles, which I gave 4 stars, so I’m willing to give this one a chance.
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan – KEEP. This book is considered a Classic and involves music, so I will definitely read this one.
My want-to-read shelf and my TBR are down one to 1153 books. The next post will be all physical books that I own, and all but one look like keepers. We’ll see.
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 TBR pile decreased a bit to 1094, thanks to finishing several books over the past couple of weeks since my last post.
This week’s books:
On Beauty by Zadie Smith – GO. I remember getting this book years ago in one of the first subscription boxes I ever signed up for, but I don’t remember what it was called. I do know that I cancelled that subscription not too long into it because all of the books were Literary Fiction. I’ve rarely ever enjoyed that genre, and as much as I would love to be the kind of person who reads Zadie Smith and discuss it intelligently, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am just not that person.
Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower by Stephen King – KEEP. Considering it is my goal to eventually (finally) finish this series, there is no way I will be getting rid of these books until they’ve been read.
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey – KEEP. This is a “must read” series for lovers of Fantasy, so I will at the very least read the first book to see if it’s a series I want to continue.
The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller- KEEP. This is yet another book I got for free from a friend getting rid of a bunch of his old books. The synopsis is a little vague, but I’m going to give it a try.
The Diviners by Libba Bray – KEEP. I’ve enjoyed Bray’s “Gemma Doyle” series so far, so I picked this book up several years back when I was at the Texas Book Festival. It’s a 1920’s New York Supernatural Murder Mystery and that appeals to me.
My TBR pile is down one to 1093 books. The next post will be yet more physical books I own, but there’s a random ebook in there, so we’ll see if anything shakes loose.
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 TBR pile went up a few books to 1101, thanks to finding a couple of books I own that somehow never got added to Goodreads. I also added a couple of books to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
All the Other Things I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek: The Next Generation by Dave Marinaccio – KEEP. This is yet another book I got from a friend who was getting rid of a bunch of books and let me dig through them.
Tompkin’s School for the Extraordinarily Talented by Tabi Slick – GO. This book was given to me as a random gift, but I’m really not interested in reading it.
Ralph: Coffee, Jazz & Poetry by Ralph Alfonso – KEEP. I don’t remember where I found this one, but I got it because I used to be obsessed with anything related to the Beatniks. I’m not obsessed anymore, but I’m still interested.
To the Last Man I Slept with and All the Jerks Just Like Him by Gwendolyn Zepeda- GO. The synopsis doesn’t match up with what I thought this book was. I was expecting Fiction, maybe short stories, and definitely humor, but it’s more like a mix of personal essays and poetry with some bits of short fiction thrown in.
Memory Mambo by Achy Obejas – GO. I used to read anything and everything I could find about what it’s like growing up as a Cuban-American, since I’m part Cuban; however, it wasn’t long before I figured out that none of those books ever came close to my experience and just made me feel even more like an outsider than the characters often feel.
My TBR pile is down to 1098 books. The next post will be more physical books I own, and if I get rid of any of them, I’ll be surprised.
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 TBR pile dropped to 1099, thanks to finsihing several books during #BoutofBooks and this past week. I also removed a few books from my wishlist that I was no longer interested in reading.
This week’s books:
The Beast is an Animal by Peternelle van Arsdale – GO. I don’t remember where or when I got this book, or even why I bought it. Perhaps it came in one of the subscription boxes I used to get. Regardless, I’m not interested in reading it.
Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley, and Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery – KEEP. I grouped these three together as one since they’re the remaining books in the “Anne of Green Gables” series, which I’ve been slowly re-reading over the past few years. They will be moved into my permanent collection once I’ve finished them, along with the rest of the books in the series.
Arms from the Sea by Rich Shapero – GO. I picked this one up for free at the Texas Book Festival so many years ago, back when I didn’t bother with reading the blurb to see if I even wanted to read it as long as it was a free book. I’m glad I don’t do that anymore. There’s no need to have books I never plan on reading on my shelves.
Borne by Jeff Vandermeer – KEEP. I didn’t love Annhilation, and didn’t bother getting the second book in the “Southern Reach” series for that reason, but I got this book in a book swap meetup before I had read Annhilation. Though I’m hesitant, I’m going to give this one the 50 page test.
The Metaphysics of Star Trek by Richard Hanley – KEEP. I got this one for free from a friend who was getting rid of a bunch of books. It’s a bit old, having been published in the late 90’s, but well after “Star Trek: The Next Generation” so I’m willing to see what the author has to say, if only for the reminisence of one of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi series.
My TBR pile is down a couple of books at 1096 books. The next few posts will be more of the physical books I own, and though I had predicted not getting rid of any of them in the last post, I’m now not so sure about that after getting rid of 2 books this week. There just might be a few more that get tossed.
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 TBR pile went up a couple of books to 1117, despite me finishing several books since my last “Down the TBR Hole” post. Of course, I keep finding more books to add to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse – KEEP. I came across this book in a Half Price Books store when I was still living in Austin. I’m a sucker for stories taking place in France, especially when they involve mythology, so I bought it without any clue as to whether or not it would be any good.
Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran – KEEP. I love Moran and everything I’ve read of hers so far, so buying this was a no-brainer.
The Hunger Games and Philosophy ed. by George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud, – KEEP. “The Hunger Games” is one of my all-time favorite trilogies, and the 3rd book, especially, helped me process a lot of my experiences in the Army. I don’t know if this book will do the same, but I am interested to read about the books from a philosophical perspective.
The Essential World of Darkness ed. by Stewart Wieck and Anna Branscome – KEEP. I took this book out of a box of books a friend was getting rid of, but had no idea it was an anthology of stories set in the world of a popular RPG series I have never played. The Boyfriend says I’ll probably still enjoy it, so I’m going to give it a shot.
Revenge of the Star Survivors by Michael Mershel – KEEP. I picked this up at the Texas Book Festival several years ago after attending one of the panel events that the author was on. It sounded like the perfect Middle-Grade-beginning-of-the-school-year book for me.
My TBR pile is holding steady at 1117 books. After scrolling down the list a bit, I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of any of my books in the next few posts, but who knows, maybe there’s a surprise waiting for all of us somewhere in there.
