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 increased again to 1122 books. I finished a few books, but I added several more to my TBR.
This week’s books:
How to Be Idle by Tom Hodgkinson – KEEP. I think having time to do nothing at least every once in a while is important. I see it as self-care. I am a bookworm after all and I love to spend lots of time reading for the sheer enjoyment of it, rather than for a productive purpose.
Welcome to the United States of Anxiety by Jen Lancaster – GO. I don’t need to be told that Anxiety is a big problem in the US.
The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb – GO. I thought this would be a stereotypical Horror story, but it sounds more like a Paranormal Romance with a dash of Horror, and I’m not interested in that.
The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan – GO. Several years ago, I thought I needed to be successful and productive to be happy. I began listening to several of the motivational speakers that were very popular, and they all mentioned this book. It wasn’t until none of what I was doing, based on the advice of these motivational speakers was making me any happier. Then I realized that searching for happiness outside of myself was never going to work.
The Miracle Equation by Hal Elrod – GO “Hal Elrod…shares his “miracle equation,” the secret to unlocking happiness, success, and your full potential.” NO, THANKS.
My want-to-read shelf is down a few books to 1118. I wasn’t sure about any of these books until suddenly, I knew I didn’t want most of them anymore. A couple of them were books I bought for a version of myself I no longer aspire to be.
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 jumped up to 1121 books. I finished a book, but I added a bunch when I went to the Columbus Book Festival this weekend.
This week’s books:
The Price of Paradise by Susan López Rubio – KEEP. I used to love Historical Fiction set in Cuba, but it’s been a long time since I last read any. I’m also skeptical about this one because it’s a love story, but I’m hoping it will be similar to one of my favorite movies, “The Lost City.” With that hope in mind, I’ll give this book a chance.
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert – GO. Based on the synopsis, I feel like the title of this book is a little misleading. I’m no longer interested in reading this one.
Hobbit Virtues by Christopher A. Snyder – KEEP. This is one of the few books related to The Hobbit that doesn’t seem to be purely academic or entirely religious. There’s nothing wrong with those books, but I’m always on the lookout for cozy and/or slightly more secular books that are all about Hobbits.
The Omega-3 Effect by William Sears, M.D. – GO. As good as this might be, though I’m sure a little outdated due to being twelve years old, I already know how important getting enough omega-3 in my diet is and have been doing so for quite a while now. I don’t need this book, so I’m going to let it go.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust – KEEP. I bought this solely based on Jenny Lawson recommending it. At some point, I will get around to reading it.
My want-to-read shelf is down a couple of books to 1119. I surprised myself a little this time, and I’ll probably surprise myself again in the next post. I’m not sure about any of the books coming up.
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 whole lot of books to 1115. I was looking for an ebook I wanted to read and discovered a whole bunch of ebooks that I had never put into Goodreads. I’m not sure how that happened since I thought I had got them all cataloged a few years ago, but at least they’re organized now.
This week’s books:
A Girl from Nowhere by James Maxwell – KEEP. Nothing in the synopsis is grabbing my attention, but it also sounds like it might be a good story overall. I’ll give it the 50-page test.
The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan – KEEP. I don’t know if I’m at all right, but I’m getting Practical Magic vibes from this one. I’m hoping it will be as good.
A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin – KEEP. The synopsis starts by comparing this book to three different excellent stories, and that always makes me skeptical. I’m still going to give it a chance, but I will not be expecting great things.
The Girl in the Tree by Şebnem İşigüzel – KEEP. I don’t know how I feel about this one. It’s not what I normally read, and many of the reviews don’t inspire me to pick this one up, but I’m not ready to let it go just yet.
The First Mrs. Rothschild by Sara Aharoni – GO. I don’t know why exactly, but I’m not interested in reading this.
My want-to-read shelf is down one to 1114 books. I’m not sure about any of these books, and I don’t think the next post will be much different.
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 several books to 1097 books. I finished a book, but bought a book and added a few others to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler – GO. Nothing in the synopsis sparked my interest and I don’t remember how I got this ebook or why.
The Dalai Lama’s Cat and The Art of Purring by David Michie – KEEP. I loved The Dalai Lama’s Cat and look forward to reading this second book.
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown – KEEP. I don’t know about this one because I’ve already read another book by Brown that focused on vulnerability and I’m questioning how much more needs to be written about the topic by the same author. I’m going to keep it for now and think on it a little more later.
Now, Then, and Everywhen by Rysa Walker – KEEP. Time Travel Science Fiction is in my wheelhouse, and even though I don’t remember how I got this book or exactly when, it’s in my TBR and I’m happy about that!
The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy – KEEP. A story involving books set in Ireland? Why, yes, I believe I will keep that, thank you very much.
My want-to-read shelf is down one to 1096 books. I’m not sure about any of the books for the next post. Not even a little bit.
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 one to 1093 books. I finished a couple of books but added a few books to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Before the Broken Star by Emily R. King – GO. The synopsis sounds like this is a YA Romance disguised as Epic Fantasy. No, thanks.
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim – KEEP. I needed this book when I got it, and I still need it now.
Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim – KEEP. I don’t know if I realized it at the time, but this is another book by Sunim. I’m going to keep it for now and decide on whether or not to let it go after I read The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down.
No Walls and the Recurring Dream by Ani DiFranco – KEEP. I have loved Ani’s music since seeing her at my very first concert when I was 17. I still have the concert ticket. Her lyrics kept me going at a very rough and dark time in my life.
The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith – KEEP. I’m skeptical. This one will get the 50-page test.
My want-to-read shelf is back to 1092 books. I’m not 100% certain, but I might not be letting go of any books in the next post.
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 holding steady at 1092 books. I finished a book but added a book to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
A Well-Read Woman by Kate Stewart – KEEP. This biography of a Librarian who survived Nazi Germany sounds more than worth my time to read despite not having a clue who Ruth Rappaport was.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven – KEEP. I only bought this book (along with the next two) because it was a new “format” I hoped would become more common back when I lived in California and walked or took public transport everywhere. It’s unabridged but about the size of a cellphone. I could put it in my back pocket, or throw it in my backpack without it taking up much space or adding a lot of weight. However, more often than not, I listened to audiobooks or read ebooks in the Kindle app on my phone, so I didn’t need to carry around a “mini book”. Oh well, I still want to read this one at some point.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart – KEEP. I don’t usually read suspense thrillers, but at one point in my life, I had never read cozy mysteries and now they’re my go-to “guilty” pleasure, and right now I feel like I need a form of escapism more than anything else. This book might be the next one I pick up.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri – KEEP. I read this classic children’s novel when I was around 11, and all I remember is the grandfather and Heidi eating a lot of bread and goat cheese. I want to reread this because there is a whole lot more to the story!
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson – KEEP. I don’t know if I’ll enjoy this book, but it might be fun, and I have always wanted to learn more about the universe and the field of Science that studies it.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1092 books. At a glance, I’m not sure about any of the books in the next post.
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 holding steady at 1094 books. I finished a book but added a book to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
The Snow Gypsy by Lindsay Jayne Ashford – KEEP. This historical fiction book is set after WWII in Spain, and as with many of the previous WWII stories I’ve decided to keep on my TBR, I’m keeping this one because the setting is completely different from any of the others I’ve read.
Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady – GO. I have no interest in adoption memoirs.
The Fever King by Victoria Lee – GO. A YA post-apocalyptic fantasy romance?! That’s just too much for my brain.
Opal by Maggie Stiefvater – KEEP. The “Raven Cycle” series is probably my favorite in the YA genre and the series that made me fall in love with Stiefvater’s work.
Beyond the Shadow of Night by Ray Kingfisher – KEEP. Here is yet another WWII novel set in a country I’ve not read about before. I’m beginning to think I could do an around-the-world reading challenge with the WWII stories on my TBR alone.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1092 books. I’m not sure I’ll be getting rid of any books in the next post, but we shall 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 shelf is up several books to 1096. I finished a book but bought a few ebooks.
This week’s books:
Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb – KEEP. I think this might be a good Readers Imbibing Peril book.
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – GO. I thought this book was about using checklists to improve productivity or better organize daily life, but I didn’t get that impression from the synopsis. It seems to be more of an ode to the checklist, which I am not interested in.
The River Widow by Ann Howard Creel – GO. I was interested in this historical fiction novel until the last couple of sentences of the synopsis when the main character develops feelings for a man who might lead to her losing her daughter. No, thank you.
The Road Beyond Ruin by Gemma Liviero – KEEP. This historical fiction novel is set just after WWII, and that’s just different enough from the hundreds of WWII stories to interest me.
The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint – KEEP. A Fantasy story all about cats?! Why have I not read this book yet?!
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1094 books. I’m sure I’ll let go of at least one book in the next post.
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 1096. I finished a couple of books and got rid of a got rid of a couple as well.
This week’s books:
The Tenth Island by Diana Marcum – GO. I’ve already read Eat, Pray, Love and Under the Tuscan Sun. I don’t need another “White Woman Traveling and Finding Love” story.
Beautiful Exiles by Meg Waite Clayton – GO. I’m not interested in the love affair of two famous people. I’ve never cared about that sort of thing.
Whisper Me This by Kerry Anne King – GO. This is another one of those books that I don’t know how I got it or why I decided to get it. I hope it was free.
Stray by Tanya Marquardt – KEEP. Now this is a memoir I’m interested in reading. The reviews aren’t all that good, though, so it might be a dud. I’ll give it a chance.
The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker – KEEP. Yet another Historical Fiction book set during WWII. However, there’s a mention of the “Red Orchestra,” which I’ve never heard of before, so I’m interested in potentially learning about a new perspective.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1093 books. I’ll probably let go of at least one book in the next post.
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 several books to 1103. I finished an audiobook but bought a few ebooks this past week.
This week’s books:
The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan – GO. I don’t understand what this story is about and I think it’s probably full of Magical Realism, which I can’t stand.
The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen – GO. The synopsis was easier to understand than the one for The Gray House, but I’m just not feeling it.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – KEEP. Whoever wrote the synopsis for this book needs to learn how to edit and use paragraphs, but I’m going to assume it wasn’t the author and give this book a chance.
Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson – GO. Why do I own this book?! How did I get this book?! Did I willingly pay for this book?!
Without a Country by Ayşe Kulin – KEEP. Last week I chose to keep Kulin’s other book I own, Last Train to Istanbul. I’ll keep this one as well, in case the other book is good enough for me to want to read more by her.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1100 books. Like this week, I’ll probably let go of more than just one book in the next post, too.
