Tag: TBR

Down the TBR Hole #7

Published on by Rachelle

Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 579 books on my to-read shelf.  I took a box of books to Half Price Books to sell and, of course, I ended up buying several books with the money I got.  I decided to do 10 books again this week since all but one of them are keepers.

This week’s ten books:


The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket – KEEP.  This one is still on my wishlist, but I will eventually have it as part of my Lemony Snicket collection.

The Unauthorized Autobiography by Lemony Snicket – KEEP.  I already own this one.

Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier – KEEP.  So far I’ve loved every book Marillier has written so this one is staying on my TBR.

Beauty by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  “Beauty and the Beast” is my all-time favorite fairy tale, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about this retelling.

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  Even though this is the 1st in the “Damar” series, I was told I should read the 2nd book, The Hero and the Crown, first.  I did and really enjoyed it, so I’m keeping this one.

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  Another re-telling of “Beauty and the Beast” by the same author that I’ve heard great things about.

Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  This is a retelling of “Sleeping Beauty” and it’s been on my wishlist for what feels like forever.  I haven’t bought a copy yet because I wanted to read the other books by McKinley that I already own and “Sleeping Beauty” might be my least fave fairy tale.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley – KEEP.  I don’t know if this is a fairy tale retelling or not, but it involves vampires and I got it in a Humble Bundle so it’s not going anywhere until I read it.

The Magician’s Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia by Laura Miller – GO.  I added this to my wishlist years ago when I was still interested in getting a different perspective on “The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C.S. Lewis.  The synopsis makes it seem that this book is more about C.S. Lewis than about the series, and I’m just not interested anymore.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken – KEEP.  I get the impression from the synopsis that this is at least partly a darker version of the X-Men, and I’m always down for that.
My to-read shelf is down to 578 books.  I’ll start off next week with book #66 and I might do ten books again since it looks like I’ll probably be keeping most of them.

Down the TBR Hole #6

Published on by Rachelle

Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I skipped last week since I was participating in the 24 in 48 readathon, so I’m doing 10 books this week instead of only 5.  I currently have 575 books on my to-read shelf.  I owe the decrease almost entirely to the readathon, but also I found some books on the list that I had already removed from my collection but had forgotten to take off of Goodreads.

This week’s ten books:


The Lord of the Plains by Sarah Chapman – GO.  Meh.  I don’t know when I picked up this ebook, but I hope I didn’t pay anything for it.

Gods and Dragons – Keep.  I have no idea if any of these eight books will be any good, but I already own them, so I’m willing to give them a chance.

A Sea of Shields by Morgan Rice – GO.  I know I had to have picked this one up for free because there is no way I would have paid money for the 10th book in a series which I’ve never read.  I’m not interested in this one enough to read nine other books before finally getting to read it.

The Final Formula by Becca Andre – GO.  The synopsis makes me think this one will have me raising my eyebrows at a bunch of plot points that feel implausible, and I don’t have time for that crap.

Vigilante of Shadows by Miranda Stork – GO.  One word: Nope.
The Magic of Highland Dragons by Kella McKinnon – KEEP.  I don’t care how cheesy or romantic this book might end up being; it involves Highlanders 😉
The Rise of Mallory by Roy Huff – KEEP.  This is the 3rd book in the Everville series, so I’ll reassess whether or not to keep it after I read the 1st book.
The City of Worms by Roy Huff – KEEP.  Ditto for the 2nd book in the Everville series.
Birth of the Monster by Shane K.P. O’Neill – GO.  The synopsis says this is the prequel to The Dracula Chronicles series, but next to the title it says this is book 5.5.  Either way, I’m not interested.
Horseradish by Lemony Snicket – KEEP.  I LOVE A Series of Unfortunate Events so there’s no way I’m not reading this!
My to-read shelf is down to 570 books!  It will probably stay there for a week or two if it doesn’t grow since I already know I’ll be keeping several of the next books on the list.  I’ll start off next week with book #56.

Down the TBR Hole #5

Published on by Rachelle

Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 591 books on my to-read shelf.  The pile grew again while I was writing this post because I discovered how many other volumes of the Penny Dreadful Multipack there are, and I want to have them all.  It would have been 592, but I started reading The Ghost Ship by Diane Carey for #COYER Summer and #SciFiSummer.

This week’s five books:


The Great Darkening by R.G. Triplett – GO.  I don’t know when I picked up this ebook, but I hope I didn’t pay anything for it because I have no interest in reading it.

A Quest of Heroes by Morgan Rice – GO.  I hope I didn’t pay for this one either because the whole story is told in the synopsis and it’s the stereotypical “young man leaves his rural home in seek of glory” type of Fantasy story.  It even has a powerful sword awaiting the chosen one.  As much as I love the Arthurian legends, this book sounds like too much of a highly derivative and overly long tale that will bore me to death before I finish it.

A Tide of Shadows by Tom Bielawski – GO.  Holy Moly, I’m so glad I stopped my bad habit of one-clicking ebooks!  I hope I don’t have many more of these Fantasy stories that all sound the same in my TBR.

Penny Dreadful Multipack Vol. 3 by Robert Louis Stevenson, Eugène Sue, and Charles Collins – KEEP.  I LOVE Penny Dreadfuls, and while I’ve already read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I haven’t read the other stories in this volume.  I hope I’m able to get to them in October.

Fell’s Hollow by A.J. Abbiati – KEEP.  I’m going to hold onto this one for now since I already own it and the synopsis is interesting.  However, I’m concerned that it says “An Episodic Novel” on the cover and there’s no indication that this is a series on Goodreads.  From my understanding “episodic novels” are like tv series in that you get a small part of the story in each book.  This one is over 300 pages, though, so maybe it’s just written as episodes?
So, my to-read shelf is back up to 588 books!  Will it ever get any smaller?  I’ll be starting off next week with book #46.

Down the TBR Hole #4

Published on by Rachelle

Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 587 books on my to-read shelf.  It would have been 588, but I started reading The Circle by Dave Eggers for #COYER Summer and #SciFiSummer.

This week’s five books:


The Fall by Bethany Griffin – KEEP.  There’s no way I’m getting rid of a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.  This one is still on my wishlist, but I hope to get ahold of a copy for October.

John Saturnall’s Feast by Lawrence Norfolk – KEEP.  This one was a difficult decision.  The Goodreads synopsis had me leaning towards getting rid of it, but I already own it, and my copy is an autographed hardcover.  It’s absolutely beautiful, and the synopsis on the inside flap of the dust jacket made me place it back on my TBR shelf.

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence – GO.  Meh.  I don’t even remember why I added this book to my wishlist, but I’ve never looked for it in any bookstore while scrolling through my list and after reading the synopsis, it’s obvious why.  Bye bye uninteresting book.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – KEEP.  While the synopsis didn’t wow me, I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book, and I already own a paperback copy.

A Shadow of Lilies by R. Moses – GO.  I think I got this ebook for free, but I don’t really remember and the synopsis doesn’t spark any memories for why I own it.  I really hope I didn’t pay for it because I have no interest in reading it. Buh-bye!
So, my to-read shelf is down to 585 books and I’ll be starting off next week with book #41.

Down the TBR Hole #3

Published on by Rachelle

Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 588 books on my to-read shelf.  It would have been 2 books larger, but I’ve started reading The Mad Tinker’s Daughter by J.S. Morin and The King’s Dragon by Una McCormack; both for #COYER Summer and #SciFiSummer.

This week’s five books:


How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran – KEEP.  There’s no way I’m getting rid of this one.  Not only do I already own it in paperback, but I LOVE Caitlin Moran!

Jackaby by William Ritter – KEEP.  Another book I would never take off the list.  I also already own it, and I don’t know why I still haven’t gotten around to reading it.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab – KEEP.  I’ve considered tossing this one off my wishlist several times because A Darker Shade of Magic, while good, was not a book I loved.  Something about Schwab’s writing style that I wasn’t sure I wanted more of; however, the synopsis hooks me every time.

Sabriel by Garth Nix – KEEP.  While the synopsis doesn’t grab me the way the one for The Archived does, I’ve heard nothing but great things about this first book in the Abhorsen series, and I already own a paperback copy of it.

The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis – KEEP.  A magical map and a pirate ship?!  YES, PLEASE AND THANK YOU!
So, my to-read shelf remains at 588 books and I’ll be starting off next week with book #36.  I’m starting to wonder when my TBR pile is going to get any smaller.

Down the TBR Hole #2

Published on by Rachelle

Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 588 books on my to-read shelf.  Yes, that’s right, the mountain got bigger.  However, it was because I finally added some books that I own.  It would have been one book larger, but I moved a book to Currently Reading, The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick.

This week’s five books:


The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee – KEEP.  As I mentioned in last week’s “Down the TBR Hole”, I love books about books.  Though I’ve had this one on my TBR and wishlist for a long time, it’s only because I prefer to buy books about books in either paperback or hardback.  I avoid buying them as ebooks if I can, but I haven’t found a physical copy of this one yet.

Leave Me Alone, I’m Reading by Maureen Corrigan – KEEP.  This one is a keeper for the same reason as the one above.

Sixpence House by Paul Collins – KEEP.  I already own this, and there is no way I’m not reading it.

Ruined By Reading by Lynne Sharon Schwartz – KEEP.  Again, I hope to own a physical copy of this one someday.

Book By Book by Michael Dirda – KEEP.  This is another one that I already own, but, unfortunately, it’s an ebook.  I think I gave up on the idea of finding a physical copy.  Regardless, I’m definitely going to read it.
So, my to-read shelf remains at 588 books and I’ll be starting off next week with book #31.

Down the TBR Hole #1

Published on by Rachelle

Image: hjl

I saw one of BrenhinesBooks Down the TBR Hole posts and thought, “What a neat idea!”  It was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 584 books on my to-read shelf, but I’m sure there are several books I already own that haven’t made it onto the list yet, and I know several of the books I’ve stacked on Litsy aren’t on my Goodreads.  So, the mountain may get larger before it diminishes.

This week’s five books:


Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor – KEEP.  This is a definite keeper since I’ve read and loved the first two books.
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen – KEEP. I already own this as an ebook and the synopsis is still interesting enough to not send it to the archive unread.
The First Pillar by Roy Huff – KEEP.  This is another one I already own as an ebook and am still interested in reading at some point.
Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale – KEEP.  I’m very much a Whovian, and David Tennant is one of my fave Doctors.
The Slitheen Excursion by Simon Guerrier – KEEP.  See above.  Enough said.
I’m not even going to list the next 5 books because they are all Doctor Who, and I’m keeping them.  It’s the same with the next 15 on the list.  Apparently, I went a little Doctor Who crazy on Goodreads when I discovered there were books 🙂 So, my to-read shelf remains at 584 books and I’ll be starting off next week with book #26.

#ShelfLove – My Oldest Books

Published on by Rachelle

shelf_love_2017_250x250

For March and April, the Show Your Shelves Some Love Challenge participants are discussing the oldest books on our shelves.  I knew I had some books on my shelf that had been there for several years, but I was a little shocked when I realized 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. “Skin Trade” by Laurell K. Hamilton – I bought the hardcover when it first came out in 2009.  I was only a book or two behind in the series at the time.  Now there are 25 in the series (“Skin Trade” is #17), with the 26th due out in June of this year.  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do!
    Jess is disappointed in me.
  4. “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.
  5. “Madame Bovary” by Gustave Flaubert
  6. “The Hunchback of Notre” Dame by Victor Hugo
  7. “The Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins 
  8. “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.
  9. “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.
  10. “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.


It is now a goal of mine to clear these off my TBR this year.  What are some of the oldest books on your shelf?

#ShelfLove: Mid-Year Check-In

Published on by Rachelle8 Comments

Shelf Love Challenge 2016

A lot has changed in my life since I started this year’s Show Your Shelves Some Love challenge.  I got a full-time job.  I moved to a new apartment.  I began to truly focus on my health.  With all of those changes, I’ve come to realize quite a bit about myself that I didn’t previously know, and books have become an even more important part of my life as a result.

For instance, I realized I have to work for the sake of my mental health, not just my bank account, but I also have to have a job or at least be doing or working towards doing something I’m passionate about.  After I was offered the job, I was so excited to finally be working full-time again, but the excitement quickly wore off because my job is 1) not challenging and 2) has nothing to do with books.  So, my game plan has changed a little bit.  It’s no longer “I want to eventually go to grad school to become a librarian.”  It’s now “I’m taking the steps to go to grad school as soon as possible.”

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My TBR shelf before I moved.

That doesn’t have much to do with #ShelfLove, other than the obvious (books, of course), but my recent move to a bigger, but very differently configured, apartment made me greatly appreciative of this challenge’s existence and the lovely women hosting it.  I’ve discussed many times before how my book collection has caused quite a few problems when it comes to moving.  There’s the back-breaking weight, the cost of packing materials, and then the process of unpacking and reorganizing.  Ok, that last one is kind of fun.  Alright, a lot of fun.

2015-10-24 13.24.02 (2)
Only 2 of my book boxes before I moved. The other 5 or 6 were in storage.

 

For the first time in nearly seven years, I finally cut down my collection and moved to a place big enough to have all of my books in one place and easily accessible.  No longer do I have to drive out to my storage unit and dig through boxes to find that *one* book I want to read or loan to the Boyfriend.  Granted, not all of those books are on shelves, thanks to my shelves still being in storage until we have the money and time to shut down the storage unit for good, but all my pretty lovelies are READily available 😉 and that makes me a happy gal.

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My TBR shelf now. Though it doesn’t appear to be any different, it really is.

Though the main purpose of this challenge is to read the books we already own, and I’m definitely doing that, it has also made me rethink the books I choose to keep.  I was holding onto a lot of books I knew I would probably never read, but the pressure to read them because I bought them was causing me unnecessary stress.  I finally decided to take them to the used bookstore.  I thought letting go of these unread books would be difficult, but I didn’t shed any tears, and those books are better off in the hands of someone who will actually read them.  So far, I’ve made over $50 off those books and I’ve got another box that is halfway full.  Since my job hasn’t made me rich, that extra money means that I could afford to buy myself some exercise clothes that actually fit and are cute and comfortable so I’m more likely to get off the couch.

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The remaining books after the purge.

What does concentrating on my health have to do with #ShelfLove?  It means I’m reading more.  Not only am I setting aside time every night to read as a form of self-care, I’m also reading while I exercise.  Whether I’m reading a book on my Kindle while I’m on the treadmill or listening to an audiobook while I’m walking during my breaks at work, I’m getting through my books much faster than I did last year.  I’m already at the halfway point of my goal of reading 51 books off my TBR pile.  Last year I was about five books behind.  Of course, I was still in college and taking Summer courses to finish my degree faster, but I wasn’t making as much time for exercise, either, and there’s nothing I’d rather do more while I sweat than read.

Overall, the changes in my life have improved my relationship with books and reading.  I didn’t believe that was possible, especially since I was sure my new job, moving, and exercising more would all cost me valuable reading time.  Instead, the opposite has happened, and maybe this challenge has something to do with that.  Perhaps my determination to stick with it has made me come up with workable solutions.  All I know is that before #ShelfLove, and before I started blogging, I was barely getting through half the books I now read in a year, despite owning double the number of books I own today.

24 Hour Take Control TBR Readathon!

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment
Take Control TBR Pile Read-a-thon
*Edited to correct the fact that the readathon isn’t until next Saturday…Sorry for any confusion.

Kimberly over at Caffeinated Book Reviewer is hosting the #TakeControlThon as part of the March Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge.  Anyone can participate, though, so if you haven’t heard about it yet, you should join in!  The only real rule is to read books from your TBR that were published before March 1st of this year.

I’ve known about this readathon for about a month, but my life got busy, and I completely forgot about it until I looked at my calendar late last night.  So, I don’t have a pile of books already stacked and ready to go yet.  I’m winging it for now.  However, I do know that my 1st book will be An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon since I was already in the middle of reading that before I got sidetracked by other books.  When I get to the point where I need a break, I’ll randomly pull a book off my shelf.  Or, maybe I’ll have my book life back in working order by next Saturday and will have a TBR list to add to my kick-off post.

I will also try to stay up as long as possible during the readathon, but I know I won’t be doing the entire 24 hours.  There is supposed to be a Twitter chat and some challenges, but I don’t know when or what, so I may or may not participate in those.  However, I will be posting an update or two.  Again, I’m winging it.

Are you participating in the #TakeControlThon?