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
The House of Morgan by Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow and David Grann are in large part responsible for my renewed interest in non-fiction! I need to read his newest biography of Ulysses Grant before tackling this, but I will get to it eventually. KEEP.
Eve Out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi
I don't remember adding this to my TBR and the synopsis has me only slightly intrigued. I'm going to PASS for now, but if someone has a resoundingly positive review I would probably add it back.
Tony and Susan by Austin Wright
A thriller with a painfully mediocre rating? My decision is no mystery: PASS.
Let's Kill Uncle by Rohan O'Grady
I know that last week I mentioned Joe Hill's Horns, which was weird in a way that I liked. This book sounds weird in a way that I wouldn't like. PASS.
The Where, the Why, and the How: 75 Artists Illustrate Wondrous Mysteries of Science by Matt LaMothe, Julia Rothman, Jenny Volvovski,
Like several science books that have come up before, I don't see myself rushing out to buy and read this particular title. It does sound like something I'd like to own eventually, though, so I'm going to KEEP it on my TBR just to keep from forgetting it.
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
If there is one Stephen King novel I haven't read that I really want to, it's this one. KEEP.
Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917—A World on the Edge by Helen Rappaport
Another title whose origins on my TBR I'm not sure of. There are many other non-fiction reads I'd like to get to before this, so for now I'm going to PASS.
Universal Harvester by John Darnielle
I received an ARC of this in a subscription box that's really cool: it came with a plastic VHS case for the book to fit in! I still haven't gotten around to reading it and Darnielle's other novel, Wolf in White Van, was a mixed bag for me. I really love the synopsis though and, luckily, I've already got a copy available. KEEP.
The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch
Another 50/50 batch with 5/10 books making the cut this week. I'm noticing that sometimes an average rating makes a convenient scapegoat when I just don't feel the level of interest towards a book that I must have when I added it in the first place. I've loved books with average ratings, and hated a few with similarly mixed reviews, so it'll be interesting to see if I return to any of my tentative passes in the future!
Ron Chernow and David Grann are in large part responsible for my renewed interest in non-fiction! I need to read his newest biography of Ulysses Grant before tackling this, but I will get to it eventually. KEEP.
I don't remember adding this to my TBR and the synopsis has me only slightly intrigued. I'm going to PASS for now, but if someone has a resoundingly positive review I would probably add it back.
A thriller with a painfully mediocre rating? My decision is no mystery: PASS.
I know that last week I mentioned Joe Hill's Horns, which was weird in a way that I liked. This book sounds weird in a way that I wouldn't like. PASS.
Like several science books that have come up before, I don't see myself rushing out to buy and read this particular title. It does sound like something I'd like to own eventually, though, so I'm going to KEEP it on my TBR just to keep from forgetting it.
If there is one Stephen King novel I haven't read that I really want to, it's this one. KEEP.
Another title whose origins on my TBR I'm not sure of. There are many other non-fiction reads I'd like to get to before this, so for now I'm going to PASS.
I received an ARC of this in a subscription box that's really cool: it came with a plastic VHS case for the book to fit in! I still haven't gotten around to reading it and Darnielle's other novel, Wolf in White Van, was a mixed bag for me. I really love the synopsis though and, luckily, I've already got a copy available. KEEP.
I love the dystopian concept, but the middle reviews have me worried. This will be a tentative PASS for now.
Idaho by Emily Ruskovich
That cover! That synopsis! In this case I'm interested enough to go with my gut and overlook ratings; this one I'll KEEP.
That cover! That synopsis! In this case I'm interested enough to go with my gut and overlook ratings; this one I'll KEEP.
Another 50/50 batch with 5/10 books making the cut this week. I'm noticing that sometimes an average rating makes a convenient scapegoat when I just don't feel the level of interest towards a book that I must have when I added it in the first place. I've loved books with average ratings, and hated a few with similarly mixed reviews, so it'll be interesting to see if I return to any of my tentative passes in the future!
What did you think of my choices this week? Do you read much Stephen King? 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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