Down the TBR Hole #133

Image: hjl

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 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.

Down the TBR Hole #132

Image: hjl

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 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.

Down the TBR Hole #131

Image: hjl

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 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.

Down the TBR Hole #130

Image: hjl

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 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.

Down the TBR Hole #129

Image: hjl

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 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.

Down the TBR Hole #128

Image: hjl

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 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.

Down the TBR Hole #127

Image: hjl

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 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.

Down the TBR Hole #126

Image: hjl

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 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.

Down the TBR Hole #125

Image: hjl

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 shelf is up a couple of books to 1143. I added a couple of audiobooks to my TBR.
This week’s books:

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher – KEEP. This sounds like a perfect book for #RIP.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy – KEEP.  I have no idea if I will enjoy this, but it is set during the French Revolution, so I’ll give it a chance.

Machine Learning by Hugh Howey – KEEP.  I loved Wool, so I’m interested to read this short story collection.

The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King – KEEP.  This might be the next book I read.  It’s a part of the “Dark Tower” series, which I need to continue sooner rather than later.

Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier – KEEP.  This is the fourth book in the “Sevenwaters” series, another one that I really need to pick up again before I completely forget what happened in the previous books.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1143 books. The next post will be a mix of physical books and ebooks I already own.

Down the TBR Hole #124

Image: hjl

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 shelf went back up to 1141 books.  I finished a book but added a few to my wishlist.
This week’s books:

Ink and Shadows by Ellery Adams – KEEP. This is the 4th book in the “Secret, Book, and Scone Society” series, of which I’ve read the first 3 books. I will probably read this one sometime before the end of the year.

The Complete Poems of Walt Whitman by Walt Whitman – GO.  I got this book to read as part of a free class that I started during the pandemic, but never finished, and now can’t even remember what the course was called or what website it was on.  I’ve never been much of a poetry reader anyway, so I’m not likely to ever get around to reading this one.

Turtle Recall by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs – KEEP.  One of my long-term reading goals is to read every “Discworld” book that Sir Pratchett ever wrote.

All I Ever Wanted by Kathy Valentine – KEEP.  A memoir by the bassist of the Go-Go’s, one of my favorite bands.  I have the audiobook since she also narrated it, and music memoirs narrated by the musician usually end up being some of my favorite books.

Donn’s Hill by Caryn Larrinaga – KEEP.  This book sounds like perfect reading during #RIP.
My want-to-read shelf is one book to 1140. The next post will be mostly physical books I already own.