Down the TBR Hole #6

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Hello Hello! How are you?

I  can’t believe that this is the 6^th edition of the Down the TBR Hole I’ve done on my blog! Even though the numbers aren’t going down very fast, it feels like its making such a big difference to my TBR and I’m actually finding books that I WANT to read. I love it when Friday comes around because it gives me an excuse to go on Goodreads and not feel guilty about all the books on my “Want to Read” shelf ahah (who am I kidding?)!

You can find my first ever Down the TBR Hole post here, this is where I outlined where this post comes from and the steps/rules to follow. I’m so glad that I stumbled upon this post thanks to Candyce from The Book Dutchesses and Fiona from Fi’s Bibliofiles because my TBR would probably be insurmountable for all of eternity. Let’s try to clear some more books off the list today!

As per usual, I will be working through the next 20 books on my Goodreads “Want to Read Shelf”. This week, you’ll notice that something has happened since my last post👀. This weekend I got bored and I decided to go in the author alphabetical order and remove all the sequels to books on my list, I think I got to D, I was still able to remove 281 sequels in only 4 alphabetical numbers, I’m really impressed but I also dread to think how many other sequels I have to remove! So, today we are starting with 4,966 books and at #64.

GOODREADS “WANT TO READ” SHELF

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

I honestly don’t know how some books get onto my TBR, and although this one seems really interesting – the author is asking us to envision the world without human beings and what would happen to the environment – things are just super crazy at the moment, so I don’t really feel like reading this any time soon. Non-fiction isn’t a genre I generally reach for anyway, and I feel like this wouldn’t be one I would pick if I fancied something out of my comfort zone!

REMOVE

The Power by Naomi Alderman

This sounds like I could potentially like this book, and I’ve read the blurb at least 5 times in the past few minutes, but I honestly can’t decide. The premise of a world like our own but where teenage girls are superior by their strength seems absolutely incredible, beautiful, poetic, you name it, but it’s just not really grabbing me at the moment. I think that I’m going to stay away from “dystopian” books for a while because I don’t think my brain could cope aha!

REMOVE

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

I don’t even have to think about this one! On the Road is my second favourite film OF ALL TIME! I adore it and have watched it at least 20 times already. My mum got the book for me a few years back and I still haven’t read it, but it’s on my priority TBR list for 2020.

KEEP

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

As you know, I’m not a massive thriller/mystery fan, I’ll gladly read a whodunnit like an Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes book, but I struggle with thriller-y types. However, I read The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins a few years ago, and I didn’t love it, but I did like her writing style. I think I have this book at home too so I’m going to try to get to it soon and hope that it’ll be good!

KEEP

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

This is another book that I don’t know how it got on my TBR, but now that I’ve read the blurb, I’m really glad it is! I love historical fiction, but I don’t often get the opportunity to read books set around the 1930s-1940s in America, and especially those that aren’t centred around WWII! The premise of this one sounds amazing, children have to look after one another when they are left alone by their parents and end up in an orphanage, that just sounds super intriguing, so I hope to get to this one really soon.

KEEP

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

You’re all going to think that I’m really strange but… when I want to read a few books from the same author, I have to start with the book that was published first, unless it really doesn’t appeal to me, and since I want to read nearly all of her books… I’m going to have to go back to book 1 aha! I know it’s strange, but I read Guillaume Musso’s books as I found them in shops and when I found out that they weren’t in the order of publication and that some characters would reappear in later books, it really bothered me, so I read them all again but in order of publication, and I have to say that it was a fab experience because I also got to see how he evolved over time! I’m going to do the same thing here, take off all her other books except the first she published and work my way through like that.

REMOVE

One of Us is Lying (#1) by Karen M. McManus

What drew me towards this book was that someone on YouTube said that it reminded them of Pretty Little Liars. PLL is one of my favourite shows, so I knew I had to check this book out. I didn’t realise that it would be a series, and now that I’ve reread the blurb, I’m really excited to get to this one soon! I think that I might even have added it to one of my challenge TBRs so I’ll have to get to it soon!

KEEP

History is All you Left Me by Adam Silvera

I read They Both Die At The End last year or the year before and I really liked it, so I immediately added all his books to my TBR, as you do. This one does seem good, so I think I’ll leave it on the list for now.

KEEP

The Lies of Locke Lamora (#1) by Scott Lynch

This is staying on my list, no doubt about it! I feel like this series became “a thing” a few years ago and ever since, I’ve heard people speak about it constantly, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about, I’m just aware that it’s quite long though, so I might need to read it during a long weekend or a holiday!

KEEP

Whatever You Love by Louise Doughty

I would usually be inclined to read books like this one, where someone you love has died and you want to take revenge, but right now it isn’t really drawing me in, so I’m going to take it off and maybe add it back later.

REMOVE

First & Then by Emma Mills

I added this book to my TBR after I read This Adventure Ends by her and really enjoyed it; but now that I’ve read the blurb, I’m not as interested in this one as her other books, I’m going to concentrate on the others first and maybe come back to this one later.

REMOVE

The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn

I have a feeling that this book is something similar to Reconstructing Amelia, I read that a few years ago and although I did enjoy it, it’s not exactly my cup of tea and it did drag a little. I don’t really read this type of contemporary mystery book, so I think I might take it off the list and come back to it later if it takes my fancy!

REMOVE

The V Girl: A Coming of Age Story by Mya Robarts

I don’t know how this got on my TBR either, but it actually seems quite interesting. I do like the odd dystopian novel, however, this is giving me The Handmaid’s Tale vibes, and I didn’t really love that. The blurb is quite vague and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone speak about it. Although I do enjoy some hard-hitting books, this theme is a bit strange to me, to think that sexual slavery is legal and that the main character tries to lose her virginity before troops take it from her by force just doesn’t sit right with me and I think that I would struggle to read it, so I might take it off the list for now.

REMOVE

The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello

I’m still not a fan of thrillers and still have no idea how come I have so many on my TBR. The blurb really doesn’t attract me, I gave up reading it after the first paragraph. The premise of women googling people in their neighbourhood for hot gossip and coming across something either scandalous or criminal seems a bit boring to me and I’m not really bothered about reading this book, I’m sure there are loads of other really good thrillers out there.

REMOVE

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

I’ve got this book at home and have been meaning to read it for such a long time. My mum read it last year and told me it was really sad but also really good and I think it’s based on a true story. I love reading about WWII, that could seem quite a weird thing to say, but I find that some of the best stories of survival, resilience, love, and friendship were written or are about this period, so I love reading as many as I can. This book is on two of my challenge TBRs I think, so I should be able to get to it as soon as I get back to France.

KEEP

Me Before You (#1) by Jojo Moyes

I’ve got quite a few of her books on my “Want to Read” shelf, if not all of them, but as I have already explained, I like reading books in the order of publication. So I’ve checked which one that was and removed all the other books by her. Hopefully, I’ll get to this one after all the others!

REMOVE

The World Without Us by Mireille Juchau

I apparently have a thing about books with the same title, but in this case, neither really floats my boat, the blurb is really short and it doesn’t make me want to read this book at all, so this is an easy choice to make.

REMOVE

A Year in Provence (#1) by Peter Mayle

This is going to be another easy choice. This book and the 2 other books in the Provence series were some of my dad’s favourite books, it took him such a long time to read them, but I remember that he adored them and I’ve wanted to read them for a really long time!

KEEP

Beartown (#1) by Fredrick Backman

I was originally going to remove this one from my list and only add it after I’ve read the other books by this author, but I’ve wanted to read this book for so long that I think I’m going to make an exception. I’ve never read a book about sports, but I do really like books where communities come together through something and come out stronger on the other side, so I’m really looking forward to getting to this one soon.

KEEP

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I honestly feel like I’ve had this book on my TBR since it came out 3 years ago, but never actually rated it high enough to purchase. I’ve really felt like reading something like this lately though, and Matthew from Fallen Figs Book Blog was offering to send some of his books to people to boost their mood, I saw that this was one of them so I couldn’t pass up the chance to get my hands on this book. I feel like this could be a nice summer read so I’m excited to get to it in a few months!

KEEP

I have finally made a dent in this “Want to Read Shelf”!! Today’s purge was really good and I was able to remove a load of books that were just sitting there gathering metaphorical dust and I wasn’t even aware of half of them anyway. I’m also really glad that I was reminded of some really awesome books I need to get to in the future! Out of the 20 books I’ve gone through this week, I removed 10 books and a load of sequels or books by the same authors. I’m now down to 4,920 books and currently on #73. I’m hoping to get even more books off next week, I feel like I’m on a roll now!

That’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed this post! How many books do you have on your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf? See you soon, stay safe,

Ellie xx