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Hello Hello! How are you all?
Iβm doing something different today! Iβve met some wonderful friends in a blogging group on Twitter, and this weekend, Candyce from The Book Dutchesses posted her Down the TBR Hole #25. I was really intrigued and Iβve decided to give it a go after the lovely Fiona over at Fiβs Bibliophiles did it too!
I thought this post would be such a good idea to try to break through my Goodreads TBR βbunkerβ and try to concentrate on the books I really want to read. When I first found Goodreads when I was a teenager, I was so enthralled by the whole thing that I ended up adding each and every book recommended to my βto read shelfβ, hence, over 5,000 books on my TBR shelf todayβ¦ Please donβt judge! So I definitely need something like this to find the rare pearls and chuck away all the boring rocks shall we say!
The Down the TBR Hole was originally created by Lost in a Story (currently unavailable) and these are the steps to follow:
- GO TO YOUR GOODREADS TO-READ SHELF.
- ORDER ON ASCENDING DATE ADDED.
- TAKE THE FIRST 5 (OR 10 OR 15 OR 20, IF YOUβRE FEELING ADVENTUROUS) BOOKS.
- READ THE SYNOPSES OF THE BOOKS.
- DECIDE: KEEP IT OR SHOULD IT GO?
- KEEP TRACK OF WHERE YOU LEFT OFF SO YOU CAN PICK UP THERE LATER
On my TBR Goodreads shelf, Iβm ashamed to say that I have a total of 5344 books, so let’s get that number down before I decide to wipe the whole thing clean and start again, you never know, there might be a really good book hiding in there somewhere, I just need to find it. Please bring me coffee and biscuits!
Most of the books on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf are books Iβve been recommended and havenβt gotten around to yet, or sequels in series I started ages ago and, as you have already guessed, havenβt gotten around to yet. I think for each of these posts Iβm going to work with 20 books because itβll hopefully get some of this stuff shifted! If Iβve got a ridiculous number of sequels for the same series and have already either kept or removed the first/second/third, Iβll go ahead and remove/keep the others directly.
Please, wish me luck, this is going to be LONG. Letβs see how many I can remove if any!
GOODREADS “WANT TO READ” SHELF
The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre
This is one of the books that I added without even looking at the synopsis or the cover/title, I think I must have read a book similar and clicked on βReaders also likedβ and gone on a Want to Read button spree. The synopsis sounds intriguing, but Iβve had it on my TBR for 6 years, and havenβt heard it mentioned once I donβt think, so I think Iβm going to remove it.
REMOVE
Me, Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Iβve had this book on my TBR since I fell in love with reading when I was about 12 years old I think. Iβve never gotten to it, but, my mum bought it for me for my birthday last month, so Iβm keeping it and hopefully, I can get to it soon!
KEEP
Half Bad (The Half Bad Trilogy #1) by Sally Green
If you know me, you know that the reason this is on my TBR is because of the word “witch” in the synopsis! Iβve read this synopsis so many times, but have never picked it up, but I do want to give it a chance, so Iβm keeping this one, but Iβll remove the other books in the series for now in case I donβt like and then I wonβt have to go purge the TBR shelf again!
KEEP
The Anatomy of Being by Shinji Moon
I have to admit, I have no idea what this one is about, or even why it is on my TBR, Iβm sure itβs another βblind add to “want to read” listβ moment I had. I have to say that I generally struggle with poetry, so I think Iβll take this off for now, until either someone recommends it to me or I stumble upon it again because I want to start reading more poetry, but preferably books Iβve heard people talking about!
REMOVE
Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop
Iβm sure this was another one of those books I added without reading the synopsis, but this is quite intriguing to me! Last year I added it to my list of series I wanted to start in my bullet journal, so I think Iβm going to give it a shot. There are loads of books in this series so Iβm removing all of the others except the first one and will add them later if I decide to continue.
KEEP
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
I donβt think I need to wonder for ten minutes about this one! Itβs a classic and this year Iβve decided to try to read more classics, and it happens to be part of my top 20 classics I want to read, so Iβm going to give it a shot, and hopefully, it wonβt disappoint!
KEEP
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
I donβt really know about this one, it is on my classics list, but the synopsis doesnβt do anything for me. Last year, we read and analysed an extract in literature class, and the only thing I can remember is something to do with a boat. I might add it again later, but right now itβs not making me want to read it.
REMOVE
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Iβve wanted to read a book by this author for quite a while now, but I honestly donβt know where to start and the synopsis is just not grabbing me, so I think that this one will have to go too! Oopsy, sorry to all the classics Iβm throwing out the window!
REMOVE
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
This one is actually on my TBR for a funny reason. I used to really like the band called Of Mice & Men, so what did I do, I added the book to my TBR even though there is no relation between the two! My music tastes have changed, and I actually no longer find the synopsis for this book appealing, so I think itβs going to be removed too.
REMOVE
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Can you see a theme here? 5 years ago it would seem I wanted to read all the classicsβ¦ However, this one, I like! The context is one that really interests me, the Reign of Terror around the time of the French Revolution, and Iβve also chosen this book for the prompt βA book with a great first lineβ for my 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge, so this one is staying on the list.
KEEP
Atonement by Ian McEwan
This one I added because I saw the film and absolutely adored it! The synopsis does intrigue me and I know I already like the story, however, after 5 years I still havenβt picked it up and I still remember the film vividly, so I donβt really feel the need to actually read this one, I might one day, but right now I feel like it would just be a waste of time, and I havenβt heard anyone speak about it for a very long time.
REMOVE
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Back on the classics bandwagon we go, it would seem. The synopsis doesnβt really grab me, but I do know that Iβve wanted to read it for what seems like eons, and the reviews and ratings on Goodreads are quite high. I think for this one I might try to find it cheap on Kindle and then if I like it Iβll buy a paperback version because this is a very, very, very, very long one, but I do want to give it a chance. Feel free to tell me Iβm crazy.
KEEP
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Another annoying thing I do on Goodreads is to add every single book by an author Iβve read or want to read so I end up with 20 books by a person Iβll probably never get to. I read the synopsis and although my head goes βoohβ, at the same time I think, βnahβ, so I think this one will have to go for the time being, I might add it one day if I keep hearing about it or itβs recommended to me, but right now itβs gathering dust on the virtual bookshelves.
REMOVE
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Iβve wanted to read this one for so, so long and this year, Iβve finally decided to put it on my TBR as part of the Popsugar Reading Challenge, so hopefully, Iβll finally be able to read it in 2020!
KEEP
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Throughout my entire secondary school education, I did drama, and from the minute I started, Iβve wanted to read William Shakespeare. My two last years of drama studies involved us playing Macbeth and I really enjoyed it, so even though last year I read King Richard III and didnβt like it, I want to give Romeo and Juliet a chance!
KEEP
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
I never actually saw the film, but as soon as I found out that it was a book I added it to my TBR, and I have to say that the synopsis does make me want to read it, so Iβm willing to leave it on my TBR for a little while longer and hopefully, I can get to this one soon!
KEEP
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I saw the film a very long time ago and the synopsis sounds exactly like what I saw, it didnβt really stay with me, I donβt know how it ended although Iβm sure I watched it until the end, and I donβt really think I want to bother with the book, so this one is going to have to go!
REMOVE
One Flew Over the Cuckooβs Nest by Ken Kesey
Another classic I added for the sake of it, I honestly donβt know why I do this to myself, I love making lists and adding books and a million other things to unending lists and then I end up with 5000 things to sort through. After reading the synopsis, this sounds like a bit of a faff and one of those mad books that only a few people understand, (sorry if you like this one, lol) so I think Iβm going to get rid of this one.
REMOVE
The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge #1) by Ken Follett
I remember that my mum recommended this book to me, actually, she just recommended Ken Follett in general, so I obviously added every single one of his books to my shelves. But this synopsis sounds really, really interesting, I adore historical fiction and this seems right up my alley, itβs also giving me some Da Vinci Code vibes so Iβm expecting to really like this one. Iβm going to remove the other books in the series, and any other book I have by him on my shelves, and only add them later if I decide to continue or like his writing style and want to read more from him. I honestly canβt believe how many Ken Follett books I had added to the “Want to Read” shelf, no wonder it was out of control.
KEEP
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Iβd forgotten what this book was about until I started reading the synopsis and then didnβt need to anymore. This book sounds really cool and Iβm definitely keeping it on my list!
KEEP
Out of 20 books, I got rid of 9 and after removing the sequels and other books by the same authors, Iβm now down to 5317, which I feel is quite good for a first little clean-out. I obviously have a long way to go but my TBR shelf is feeling a little less overwhelming than it did at the start of the evening! I really enjoyed doing this because I feel like Iβm closer to finding some really good books and not wasting my time with average ones! Iβm currently on #11 on my “Want to Read” shelf.
Hopefully, in the coming weeks, Iβll be able to do more posts like this and by the end of the year I should be down to an βultimateβ TBR and then I can finally focus on some awesome books! Tell me about books that have been gathering dust on your shelves!
Thatβs all for now, I hope you enjoyed reading this post, see you soon,
Ellie xx
Great start! It’s fun seeing more people do these posts now π
Yes! It’s so fun! Thank you!
I couldn’t finish Life of Pi. It was so boring!
I’m glad I decided to remove it then ahah!
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