As my Goodreads to-read shelf creeps closer to 500 books, I've been eyeing it with a growing feeling of apprehension. It would take forever to get through so many...and that's not counting all of the new books I hear about along the way. Thankfully I discovered Lost In A Story's series (by way of Boston Book Reader) at the beginning of the year and it sounds like a great way to trim down my TBR.
The guidelines, per Lost In A Story, are simple:
- 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?
THE BOOKS
Summerlong by Peter S. Beagle
Favorite author. Intriguing synopsis. Stunning cover. Easy KEEP.
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami
Short story collections are inevitably a mixed bag for me, even when they're written by a favorite like Ray Bradbury. I know I have 1Q84 further down on my TBR somewhere, and I'd prefer to read a novel of Murakami's before committing to short stories. PASS.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I've already seen the movie, so I'm guessing that there aren't a lot of surprises left in the book. It's so well-regarded, though, that I'd still like to read things from Death's point of view. KEEP.
Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica
I'm so very tempted since I loved Good Girl, Kubica's debut novel. But I'm going to be a good girl too and continue purging thrillers with average ratings. PASS.
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
I don't even need the four star rule for this one. The synopsis doesn't grab me, so this is another PASS.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Another thriller that I don't need to invoke the four star rule for. I was initially excited about this title when it came out, but I've had really bad luck with Ware despite her popularity. Given that plus a lot of mixed reviews makes it easy to PASS.
Alien Ocean: Anthropological Voyages in Microbial Seas by Stefan Helmreich
This is on my selection list for Roof Beam Reader's TBR Pile Challenge! Plus it still sounds interesting; it's just so dense that I haven't found the quality reading time for it yet. KEEP.
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
I wasn't a big fan of An Ember in the Ashes. I know it's super popular and I'm in the minority here, but I just never cared enough about the two main characters to find out what happened to them. PASS.
Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
I really need to read more biographies, and Alan Turing fascinated me before they turned his life into a film. KEEP.
The Ninth Life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen
Meh. Maybe it's good? The synopsis is pretty vague, the reviews are mixed, and I don't remember why or when this ended up on my TBR. PASS.
A respectable 4/10 books survived this week's cull! I'm still feeling good about my thriller purge (that sounds like a weird diet to fit into your Halloween costume...) and I'm proud to be keeping it up. Now that I've seen that gorgeous cover again I kind of want to go out and buy Summerlong. I have a Peter S. Beagle ARC that's overdue on NetGalley, though, so I need to be a good reader and review that before rushing out to get something new.
Favorite author. Intriguing synopsis. Stunning cover. Easy KEEP.
Short story collections are inevitably a mixed bag for me, even when they're written by a favorite like Ray Bradbury. I know I have 1Q84 further down on my TBR somewhere, and I'd prefer to read a novel of Murakami's before committing to short stories. PASS.
I've already seen the movie, so I'm guessing that there aren't a lot of surprises left in the book. It's so well-regarded, though, that I'd still like to read things from Death's point of view. KEEP.
I'm so very tempted since I loved Good Girl, Kubica's debut novel. But I'm going to be a good girl too and continue purging thrillers with average ratings. PASS.
I don't even need the four star rule for this one. The synopsis doesn't grab me, so this is another PASS.
Another thriller that I don't need to invoke the four star rule for. I was initially excited about this title when it came out, but I've had really bad luck with Ware despite her popularity. Given that plus a lot of mixed reviews makes it easy to PASS.
This is on my selection list for Roof Beam Reader's TBR Pile Challenge! Plus it still sounds interesting; it's just so dense that I haven't found the quality reading time for it yet. KEEP.
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa TahirI wasn't a big fan of An Ember in the Ashes. I know it's super popular and I'm in the minority here, but I just never cared enough about the two main characters to find out what happened to them. PASS.
I really need to read more biographies, and Alan Turing fascinated me before they turned his life into a film. KEEP.
Meh. Maybe it's good? The synopsis is pretty vague, the reviews are mixed, and I don't remember why or when this ended up on my TBR. PASS.
A respectable 4/10 books survived this week's cull! I'm still feeling good about my thriller purge (that sounds like a weird diet to fit into your Halloween costume...) and I'm proud to be keeping it up. Now that I've seen that gorgeous cover again I kind of want to go out and buy Summerlong. I have a Peter S. Beagle ARC that's overdue on NetGalley, though, so I need to be a good reader and review that before rushing out to get something new.
What did you think of my choices this week? Do you make an effort to read award-winning titles? Be sure to share your thoughts down below, and let me know if you're inspired to tackle your own TBR list!
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