Tag: TBR pile

Down the TBR Hole #82

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

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?
My TBR pile went up again to 1064 books thanks to some really great books that I added to my wishlist.

This week’s books:

Lemprière’s Dictionary by Lawrence Norfolk – KEEP.  Years ago, I read and fell in love with John Saturnall’s Feast.  This is Norfolk’s debut novel, so while I’m not expecting it to be as great as John Saturnall’s Feast, I’m hoping it’s at least close. The Weight of Sound by Peter McDade – GO.  This is not quite what I thought it was when I added it to my wishlist back in 2017.  I’m also skeptical of a book that has nearly all 5-star reviews, but only 40 of them; it looks a little too much like the author got all of his friends and family to talk up his book. The Moral Animal by Robert Wright – KEEP.  A book about the science of morality (or the lack thereof) sounds fascinating, and I’ve read another book by Wright, The Evolution of God, that was excellent. Nonzero by Robin Wright – KEEP. Another book by Wright about Evolution and Humanity that sounds extremely interesting. Sorry Please Thank You by Charles Yu – KEEP.  This one is a collection of Science Fiction short stories all by one author, which I usually prefer to short story anthologies.  The three stories mentioned in the synopsis sound like the whole book is probably good.
My TBR pile is down one to 1063 books. Next week, most of the books are Horror ebooks I bought and haven’t looked at since adding them to my Kindle.

Down the TBR Hole #81

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

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?
My TBR pile shot up again to 1060 books thanks to finding even more books that never got added to Goodreads; this time thanks to a whole slew of ebooks I forgot I had.  With that, I think I’m done with having a goal to work towards.  Even if I were to not buy a single book for the next decade (about how long it would take me to read all of the books I currently own), that still leaves my ever-growing wish list, which now stands at 265 books.  I’m never not going to find more books I want to read.  So, no more goals (other than my annual reading goal).  Instead, I will just continue these posts until I don’t want to write them anymore.

This week’s books:

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk – GO.  As long as this has been on my wish list and as many opportunities as I’ve had to either check it out or buy it, but didn’t, I think I need to accept that I’m never going to read it. Monsterland by Michael Okon – GO.  This sounds a little too much like Jurassic Park, but with monsters, and after looking at some of the reviews, I’m not the only person to think that. Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint – KEEP.  This book was recommended to me years ago, and I own it, but still haven’t gotten around to reading it.  Considering de Lint is a “must-read” author for Fantasy fans, I’m moving this one up closer to the top of my TBR for this year. The Victorian Book of the Dead by Chris Woodyard – KEEP. It’s frustrating that I still haven’t found a physical copy of this book in any bookstore, whether new or used.  I might have no choice but to buy it on Amazon. Understanding Cemetery Symbols by Tui Snider – KEEP.  Another one I’ll have to eventually buy a physical copy of on Amazon. Grave Suspicion, Consumed, Indian Summer, and The Hand of Andulain by Aaron Mahnke – KEEP.  I grouped these 4 books together since they’re all by the same author, who is also the creator of the “Lore” podcast, and a whole bunch of other awesome stuff I enjoy.  They’re all still on my wish list because I haven’t been able to find them in paperback (except for on Amazon, of course).  I love reading Horror novels in paperback.  Perhaps because that’s how I always read Stephen King novels when I was a teenager. Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey – KEEP.  This will always be a part of my permanent collection, whether I ever finish reading it or not.  For a while, I had been trying to complete the “Walk to Mordor” challenge, and I followed along in the book as I made progress.
My TBR pile is down to 1058 books. Next week, all of the books are a mix of Fiction and Non-Fiction, and the kinds of books start to vary instead of being whole series or by the same author.

#ShelfLove 2021 – Still the Oldest Books

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

For March, the #ShelfLove Challenge participants are discussing the oldest books on our shelves.  I decided to look back to the books I had written about in 2017, and discovered that I had only read one of the books I had mentioned, and the rest are still on my TBR. The book I’ve owned the longest and still haven’t read has moved from place to place, country to country with me since 2005!

  1. The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton – This book was mentioned in an episode of Gilmore Girls.  It wasn’t an easy book to find at the time, especially since I was living in Korea, but I tracked a copy down through a used bookseller that didn’t have a problem shipping to an APO.  I was a bit obsessed with the Beat Generation and majorly obsessed with all things Gilmore Girls; otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of finding it.
  2. Memory Mambo by Achy Obejas – After my Abuelo passed away, I began finding and buying any book that might bring me a little closer to the Cuban part of my family.
  3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne – This book, and the next three, were bought free on my brand spanking new first-generation Nook right before I deployed to Iraq in 2009.
  4. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
  5. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
  6. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins – Though I started reading this one last year, I never finished it, so it deserves to stay on the list.
  7. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl – Always a fan of books about books, as soon as I saw this offered on Nook, I snatched it up.
  8. Hiking Alone by Mary Beath – I purchased this while on a road trip in 2011.  I had stopped for the night in Albuquerque, NM and when I got up the next morning, I realized my hotel was just across the street from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.
  9. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens – I bought this from a little independent bookstore and coffee shop in Utah during that same road trip.  Their largest cup was “The Hagrid” and I’ve wished that coffee and tea shops everywhere offered “Hagrid”-sized drinks ever since.
  10. The First Pillar by Roy Huff – This one is the oldest on my Want to Read list on Goodreads. Though I know there are books I have owned for far longer, this one, along with 22 others, is from when I started tracking my TBR in 2014.


Since half of these books are in storage right now and the others are ebooks, I’m probably not going to get them off my TBR this year. The only exception to that might be The First Pillar since one of the prompts for a reading challenge I’m participating in is “Oldest on TBR.”  

What are some of the oldest books on your shelf?

Down the TBR Hole #80

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

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 shot up again to 932 thanks to finding even more books on my shelves that never got added to Goodreads when I brought them home.

This week’s books:

The Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff – GO.  Meh.  Not interested.

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz – KEEP.  Need I explain myself?

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby – KEEP.  I’m a little skeptical about whether or not this will actually be interesting, but I’m willing to give it the 50-page test.

Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire – KEEP. I love fairy tale retellings, and I’ve never heard anything bad about Maguire’s writing.

Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French – KEEP.  Another one I’m not sure about but willing to give a chance.

My TBR pile is down one to 931 books. Next week’s books are all still on my wishlist.  I suppose we’ll see if I still want them.

Down the TBR Hole #79

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

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 shot up to 884 thanks to finding books on my shelves that I forgot to add to Goodreads when I brought them home.

This week’s books:

The Card Catalog by The Library of Congress – KEEP.  This is the ultimate coffee table book for library and book lovers.  I still don’t own a copy of it, but I will someday.

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith – GO.  Meh.  The synopsis doesn’t inspire me to want to pick this book up.

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury – GO.  The cover and title made this book seem so much more interesting than the synopsis does, which sounds like a stereotypical YA Romance in a Fantasy setting.  No, thank you.

Donny’s Brain by Rona Munro – GO.  Another non-inspiring synopsis.

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone – KEEP.  This book is about a teenage girl struggling with mental illness while trying to navigate high school and everything else that comes along with being a teenage girl.  It will probably be a difficult read, but I enjoy stories that don’t sugar coat that time of life.

My TBR pile is down to 881 books. Because of how up in the air everything in my life is right now, I don’t know if I’ll finish any books by next weekend, but next week’s post will be mostly made up of more free audiobooks I got during Audiobook SYNC.

Down the TBR Hole #78

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

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 went up again to 842.  Not only did I not read a single page out of a book this week, but I added more books to my wish list and discovered a couple of books on my shelves that I never added to Goodreads.

 

This week’s books:

Press Start to Play ed. by Daniel H. Wilson – KEEP.  I started reading this anthology during one of my Sci-Fi Summer reading challenges, but never finished it.  I’m hoping to get back to it this Summer.

The Proverbs of Middle Earth by David Rowe – KEEP.  This has been on my wish list for a while, but I don’t want the ebook; I would rather have a physical copy of it.  However, it’s not a book I’ve ever found a copy of in any bookstore, and I don’t often remember to order physical books online before I’ve spent all of my money at the bookstore.

Bitch Planet: President Bitch by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Taki Soma, and Valentine De Landro – KEEP.  I enjoyed the first volume of Bitch Planet, and I already own the paperback of this second volume.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs – KEEP.  I’m not usually interested in Paranormal Romance, but the synopsis doesn’t mention anything about Romance.  I’m hoping it will be light on the Romance and mostly about the Paranormal.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill – KEEP.  A story about a witch who saves children and has a swamp monster and a tiny dragon as friends?  YES, PLEASE!

My TBR pile remains at 842 books. I don’t know that I’ll finish any books by next weekend, so I don’t think it will be changing until the next post, which will consist mostly of free audiobooks I got during Audiobook SYNC.

Down the TBR Hole #77

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

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 went back up a little to 836.  I hauled 5 boxes of books to sell at Half Price Bookstore and used some of the money to buy a few books while I was there.  Some of them were already on my wish list, and therefore on my overall To-Read shelf, but I found a couple of books that weren’t as well.  I also added a couple of books to my wish list.

This week’s books:

 

Penny Dreadful Multipack Volumes 1 – 7 – KEEP.  I picked up the Kindle editions of all 7 volumes for a few dollars, and I will eventually read them.

Star Trek: The Next Generation series – KEEP.   I’ve read the first one in the series, and I have books 2 through 5 in paperback.  The remaining books are on my wish list.  From my count, there are 55 books in the series, and that doesn’t count all of the other one-offs and mini-series that feature the Next Generation crew.  I will probably read all of those, too, someday. TNG is my fave “Star Trek” series, after all.

The Legends of River Song by various authors – KEEP.  I love “Doctor Who”, and I love River Song even more, especially portrayed by Alex Kingston.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers – KEEP.  Apparently, this week’s post is all about the Science Fiction.  I’m ok with that.  After Fantasy, it’s one of my favorite genres.

Dust by Hugh Howey – KEEP. This is the last book in the “Silo” trilogy, which I absolutely LOVE.  Howey has become one of my auto-buy authors.  I’m looking forward to reading this during the Summer.

My TBR pile remains at 836 books, and unless I finish a book by next weekend, I don’t think it will be changing.  I became much more selective about the books I added to my TBR by this point in time (2017), and had already participated in the original #ShelfLove challenge for a couple of years.

Down the TBR Hole #76

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.

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.

It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these posts.  My TBR pile went from 665 to 831!  My goal for this year is to reduce that to 740, which shouldn’t be an issue since I’m hosting the 2021 #ShelfLove challenge.  Since I didn’t do a post last week to start off the new year, I’m going to go through 10 books this week.

This week’s books:

 

Title Wave and A Just Clause by Lorna Barrett – KEEP.  I love this Cozy Mystery series.  I finished A Fatal Chapter not too long ago, and it’s only a matter of time before I start Title Wave.

 

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova – KEEP. The Historian made it into my personal library-in-the-making, and I’ve been wanting to read this for quite some time.

 

Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle – KEEP.  The only reason I haven’t read this one yet is that I’m in the middle of several other book-related Cozy Mystery series and I don’t want to get confused.

 

The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg – KEEP.  Yet another series I love!  I still need to read The Master Magician before I get to this one, and I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet. Perhaps because it’s an ebook and I’ve been preoccupied with trying to clear my physical TBR.

 

Wonder Woman: War Bringer by Leigh Bardugo – KEEP. Wonder Woman is my fave DC comics character and Leigh Bardugo has been well-reviewed.

Hunted by Meagan Spooner – KEEP. I love “Beauty and the Beast” retellings.  It’s my favorite fairytale, and this one sounds like it will be different from the usual retellings.

City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault – GO.  I have completely lost interest in this book.  I’m pretty sure the only reason I got it was because the cover looks so interesting.  I don’t even remember ever reading the synopsis.

Disconnected by Nick M. Lloyd – GO.  Meh.  I’m pretty sure this was a freebie from somewhere.

Harry Potter’s Bookshelf by John Granger – KEEP.  While I don’t think this is an “official” book, I am interested in reading about the books and stories that inspired the “Harry Potter” series.

My TBR pile is down two to 829 books, and my next post will be mostly made up of books from series.  I will probably bundle them like I did with the “Booktown Mysteries” books at the beginning of this post.  Even if I do that, my TBR likely won’t decrease at all over the next couple of weeks unless I finish reading some books.

The 2021 #ShelfLove Challenge!

Published on by Rachelle30 Comments

Back in 2015, one of my favorite book bloggers, Terri from “Second Run Reviews” hosted the “Show Your Shelves Some Love” no book buying challenge. I recently caught up with Terri, who moved on from blogging to working in the book industry and now owns her own bookstore, Swamp Fox Bookstore! She gave me the go-ahead to host my own version of the challenge. Read on to find out the details!

Goal: Abstain from buying books or set a book buying limit – and focus on clearing your physical and virtual TBR bookshelves for the entire year.

Challenge Dates: January 1st – December 31st, 2021

THE GUIDELINES:

  • Abstain from spending money on books for one calendar year or set a book buying limit (whether that’s monetary or the number of books you may buy).
  • Gift cards are OK as well as any Audible credits you already have in your account.
  • Encourage other challenge participants via blog comments and social media.
  • Participate in the monthly discussion posts. The link-up is on the #ShelfLove challenge 2021 page.
  • Library books do not count for this challenge. This challenge is only for books you already own.
  • Netgalley, Edelweiss, or other ARC books can count for this because you have the book, so read it!
  • Read books that are in your personal library that were obtained before January 1, 2021.
  • Yes, there will be a giveaway. Read the #ShelfLove challenge 2021 page for the giveaway details!

NO BOOK BUYING CHALLENGE STEP 1: SELECT YOUR GOAL

  • 1-10 books: shake hands with your shelves
  • 11-20 books: pat your shelves on the back
  • 21-30 books: give your shelves a warm friendly hug
  • 31-40 books: regular date night with your shelves
  • 41-50 books: your shelves are now your BFF
  • 51+ books: your shelves and you are going steady – I’m choosing this goal because my reading goal for 2021 will be more than 50 books.  I’m a member of the Fantastic Strangelings book club, so I am allowing myself to continue my subscription. These books, plus whatever books I check out from the library should be more than enough, but the key is to stay away from the book stores!

NO BOOK BUYING CHALLENGE STEP 2: Link-Up

  • Create a sign-up post that includes your chosen goal on your blog or any social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Litsy, etc.).
  • Don’t forget to use the challenge hashtag #ShelfLove.
  • Go to the #ShelfLove challenge 2021 page to link your post and enter into the giveaway!

NO BOOK BUYING CHALLENGE STEP 3: Monthly Discussion Posts(Optional)

  • December 2020/January 2021: I’m joining in the #ShelfLove Challenge 2021! Tell us your goals for the challenge this year.  Will you be going on an all-out book buying ban or are you setting a book buying limit? Share pictures of your TBR piles or link up to your GoodReads Shelves.
  • February: Free books! Where do you get free books?
  • March: The TBR pile. Tell us about the books that have been on your shelves the longest.
  • April: May I?! Tell us about one book you want to buy this year and give your best “sales pitch” for why you should be able to buy it.
  • May: Organizing the shelves! How do you organize your books? Alphabetical by title or author, by color, genre, or some other way?
  • June: Mid-year check-in post. How are you doing with the challenge? Look back at your January post and let us know how you are doing.  Share an updated picture or list of your TBR pile.
  • July: Dear Author. Show some love to the authors of your favorite books.
  • August: The perils of book hoarding! What are your pros and cons of owning a lot of books?
  • September: Library Love! Tell us about your local library.
  • October: Best bookish gifts! What are the best book-related gifts you’ve received?
  • November: Thankfulness. Are you thankful for taking on the #ShelfLove challenge? Do you have a greater appreciation for the books you own or for wherever you get free books?
  • December:  End of the year check-in post. Look back at your June and January posts and let us know how you did this year.  Share an updated picture or list of your TBR pile. Would you do the challenge again in 2022?

I can’t wait to read all y’all’s sign-up and discussion posts throughout the year!

Down the TBR Hole #75

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.

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.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done one of these posts.  My TBR pile was down to 655 books, but between December of last year and now, it has gone up to 666.  If I remember correctly, my goal for last year was 650, which might have happened, but obviously isn’t the case now, despite having already read 33 books this year.

This week’s books:

Skeen’s Leap by Jo Clayton – KEEP.  The synopsis had me at “gritty space adventure.”  This book sounds like a perfect addition to my Sci-Fi Summer TBR.

The Shore of Women by Pamela Sargent- KEEP. I’m going to give this one the 50 page test only because it is considered a classic of Feminist Science Fiction.

Unexpected Stories by Octavia Butler – KEEP.  This one will also get the 50 page test, but because it’s Octavia Butler.

Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand – KEEP.  This one sounds like the kind of Horror that is right up my alley.

The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene – GO. This story sounds like nothing but a Romance that happens to take place in France during WWII.  No, thanks.

My TBR pile is down one to 665 books, and my next post will be mostly Cozy Mysteries.  If my TBR decreases at all over the next couple of weeks, it will be from finishing books.