Down the TBR Hole #50

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Hello Hello! How are you?

I can’t believe I have now done 50 posts in the Down the TBR Hole series, it is crazy! I have made a big impact on my TBR list on Goodreads, so I’m really happy about that and looking forward to the next 50. I hope I won’t need to do hundreds to get this TBR in order though aha!

This week has been a bit (very) meeh and very busy if I’m honest, but I am glad that it is Friday. It’s coming up to the end of my spring break, which I don’t know where it went, and I still haven’t been able to work on my thesis because of all the other university assignment they keep piling on *eye roll*. Anyway, I hope you all had a good week?

You know the drill: if you’ve never read any of my Down the TBR Hole posts before but you want to find out why I started and what rules to follow to do your own TBR list purge on your Goodreads, head over to the first edition of this post to find out more!

I’m starting off today’s post with a total of 3,701 books on my Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf, so I did just a tiny bit of damage since last week. I’ll be making my way through the next 20 books on this shelf, starting at #436.

GOODREADS “WANT TO READ SHELF”

Gilded (#1 Gilded) by Christina Farley

This is a YA fantasy/mythology and I don’t know why, but right from the start of the synopsis it just didn’t grasp me. It should because I love YA fantasy, especially series, and it does sound good, I think maybe I just don’t like how the synopsis is written and it, unfortunately, doesn’t make me want to pick up the book, so I will have to let this one go.

REMOVE

Scintillate (#1 The Light Key Trilogy) by Tracy Clark

This is another YA fantasy trilogy that I haven’t heard about before. Although I hate the cover, I absolutely love the sound of this blurb. The start of the blurb was a little bit boring, but the last piece definitely won me over. This sounds like it will be a really unique and fast-paced fantasy that I really want to pick up soon!

KEEP

The Lilith Scroll (#1 The Lilith Scroll) by B.L. Marsh

This is obviously the week of unknown-to-me fantasy series, this time it is a paranormal one and I just really hate the cover for starters. I don’t really understand the blurb, to be honest as it’s a bit all over the place but I kind of got the gist of the story and I don’t think I would enjoy this one, so it’s an easy choice for me.

REMOVE

Landry Park (#1 Landry Park) by Bethany Hagen

This is a YA dystopia blurbed as “Downton Abbey meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal” which made my eyebrows rise ahah. I don’t really know about this one. I love Downtown Abbey and The Selection – well what I’ve read of that last one so far – but the blurb just isn’t really pulling me in. I know I have a load of other dystopias on my TBR already, so I’ll focus on those.

REMOVE

All That Glows (#1 All That Glows) by Ryan Graudin

Another unknown-to-me YA fantasy with a cover I’m not a fan of… I don’t like the sound of the blurb to be honest and it was written in a really jarring way that took me a long time to read and understand what I was reading. I think it’s the kind of book I would have picked up a few years ago, but it just doesn’t take my fancy right now.

REMOVE

#scandal by Sarah Ockler

What is it with these ugly covers? Urgh. This is a YA contemporary, which doesn’t bode well for me. The first paragraph of the blurb was just so boring and not the kind of read that I usually read – or ever read – so I don’t even think I can finish reading the blurb. I can tell it’s a book I’ll not like, so I’ll get rid of it.

REMOVE

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Oh yay, finally a book I have heard about and I think one I do want to read. This is a YA fantasy, magical realism story that I always thought was YA contemporary, so this is a nice surprise. I don’t really understand what this book is about, but, it sounds like the kind of weird read that I really enjoy, and I have heard rave reviews about this book in the past, so I will give it a shot.

KEEP

Fates (#1 Fates) by Lanie Bross

Back to unknown-to-me and not very nice covers YA fantasy mythology, aha, I think I have now learned to not keep hitting “Want to Read” without checking the blurb. Ohhhhh, now this actually sounds like I could like it. It is blurbed “Perfect for fans of Jennifer Armentrout, Julie Kagawa, Rachel Vincent, and Sarah J. Maas, and for girls who love all things pretty, romantic and inspirational.” And while the last bit doesn’t do much for me, the authors do, because I like some of them, so I will give it a chance.

KEEP

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

This is an author I’ve heard about a lot and I think I have quite a few books by them on my TBR, but I have to admit, I haven’t the slightest clue what they are about. This is YA contemporary romance and having read the blurb, I would have read and most likely loved this book a few years ago, but I don’t read much YA contemporary anymore, so I will let this one go.

REMOVE

Nearly Gone (#1 Nearly Boswell) by Elle Cosimano

This is another unknown-to-me and I-really-hate-the-cover YA mystery/thriller, so it seems like it’s a bit of a mixed bag this week! But ohhhhh, my love for mysteries with serial killers has dragged me in, the blurb sounds really good once you get past the first lines and I’ll try to imagine it doesn’t have that cover because I think I might really enjoy it!

KEEP

Biggest Flirts (#1 Superlatives) by Jennifer Echols

I really don’t like covers with actual people on and this is an example of that, so I am already not the biggest fan. And again, it’s YA contemporary romance, that I’ve not heard of before. The blurb does nothing for me and I don’t even think I would have read it way back when, when I did like YA contemporaries, so this is definitely going off my list.

REMOVE

The Ring and the Crown (#1 The Ring and the Crown) by Melissa de la Cruz

I’m pretty sure I have heard of this author before but never read anything by them, and I haven’t heard of this book which is a YA fantasy historical fiction story and series. Still not a fan of the cover. There are quite a few names in the synopsis and I am very confused as to who is who and who is doing what and why, I just don’t really want to find out if I’m honest.

REMOVE

The Princess in Black (#1 The Princess in Black) by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and  LeUyen Pham

I have never heard of this book before but it is a children’s fantasy story that looks kind of cute. And it does sound cute too, but I don’t often read children’s books. I love middle-grade, but for some reason, I don’t often fancy books aimed at younger readers, so I’ll take this off the list now but keep it in mind if that changes.

REMOVE

Phantom Wolf (#1 Phantom Wolf) by Kia Carrington-Russell

Another unknown-to-me YA fantasy paranormal romance and once again, I hate the cover, urgh, please send help. I can only make my way through the first paragraph of this blurb because it sounds really weird and definitely not something I think I want to read, so this is an easy choice, not my cup of tea.

REMOVE

Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick and Jackson Pearce

This is a YA historical fiction that I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard about before, and I hate to admit it, but I don’t really like this cover either… I suppose it does sound interesting and it is set in Russia, and I think has something to do with the Romanov family, which I would usually want to read about, but I’m just not captivated by this synopsis, so I’ll let it go.

REMOVE

Atlantia by Ally Condie

I don’t think I’ve seen this book before, but the author’s name rings a bell. This is a YA fantasy dystopia which sounds like it is based on the story/myth of Atlantis. Again, just one of those books that don’t seem to be doing anything for me, so I won’t bother reading it, I don’t think I would be the biggest fan.

REMOVE

No One Else Can Have You (#1 No One Else Can Have You) by Kathleen Hale

Oh look, another unknown-to-me book and another cover that I really don’t like (I want to hide ahah). But this is YA mystery, a genre I’ve been getting into more lately, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. It sounds both interesting and kind of a little bit boring so this is a bit of a dilemma for me. Having read the blurb a second time, I think I am going to keep it in mind, but take it off the list for now so I can concentrate on other YA mysteries first.

REMOVE

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

This is the first YA science fiction of this week and it’s the first in quite a while I think. I have definitely heard of Shannon Hale, but never read any books by this author. Again, this is a book that I would have picked up a few years ago, but the blurb is just not taking my fancy right now. I want to get into more science fiction, but I already have a little list prepared for when I feel like it, so I’ll just stick to those for now.

REMOVE

Wanted – Dead or In Love by Kym Brunner

This is an unknown-to-me YA paranormal that is kind of scaring me a little. And guess what? I don’t like the cover! Oh, this sounds kind of interesting. The main characters awaken the spirits of Bonnie and Clyde and are possessed by them. Although I’m not sure that it is a book for me, so I’ll take it off the shelf.

REMOVE

Pointe by Brandy Colbert

And the final book on this list for this week is another unknown-to-me book which is a YA contemporary mystery that looks like it will have something to do with ballet, which is not one of the things I enjoy, to be honest. It sounds like this has something to do with a kidnap that happened and secrets. I don’t know, I don’t think I like the sound of it, so this is an easy choice to end this post!

REMOVE

Well, that was a really weird and “interesting” list this week with a load of books that I would never have even noticed if they weren’t already on my TBR shelf. I am glad I have stopped adding books without checking blurbs, hopefully, I’ll stop doing so much damage to my Goodreads in the future ahah.

So, out of the 20 books that I went through today, I was able to remove a total of 16 books, which is a victory! I’m really proud of the progress I made today. My Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf is now down to a total of 3,684 books, and I’ll be starting next week at #440.

That’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed reading this post, see you soon, stay safe,

Ellie xx