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
Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich by Norman Ohler
Berlin Syndrome by Melanie Joosten
This was turned into an excellent and dark movie that I saw at last year's local film festival. As much as I liked the adaptation, I'm not particularly hankering to read the source material. PASS.
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
I added this purely because it was long-listed for the Booker Prize, but the synopsis has me feeling "meh". PASS.
Texas Ranger: The Epic Life of Frank Hamer, the Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde by John Boessenecker
This might be a couple slots back in the line of biographies I want to read, but it got great coverage in the local paper when it was published two years ago. My dad also owns a copy, so it's easy to borrow and an obvious KEEP.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
I really, really need to read this finally. Plus I already own a copy, so definitely KEEP.
One Hand Clapping by Anthony Burgess
Burgess is another author whose work I would like to read in its entirety. I already own this particular title, so it's an easy KEEP.
The Devil & Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness & Obsession by David Grann
I adore David Grann. His two full-length books, The Lost City of Z and Killers of the Flower Moon, are both impeccable works of non-fiction that I recommend to everyone I can. This collection of short-form essays is a must-buy for me! KEEP.
The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts
I love popular science books, but this one hits close enough to my course of study in school that I'm not inclined to pick it up. Once you've read the actual textbook, it's hard to summon the energy to read the anecdotal version. PASS.
The Impossible Fairy Tale by Han Yujoo
A middle-of-the-road batch of books this time, with 5/10 making the cut. This particular round reminds me that I resolved to read more non-fiction books this year and have, so far, failed at that spectacularly. This is partly because many of the non-fiction titles I already own are quite long, so I hesitate to reach for something with a longer time commitment. Starting this blog has also informed my reading habits, though, and I've been sticking with the fantasy and science fiction titles that I enjoy discussing with my friends! It may be a little late in the year to make up all of the ground I wanted to cover with my non-fiction reading, but maybe before 2019 rolls around I can at least lessen the gap a little bit...
A friend recommended this to me and I must admit, the title and premise are provocative. I believe there's been some criticism of it over the past year, though, so I'll KEEP it and just wait to dive in until I can get a better idea of the full context.
This was turned into an excellent and dark movie that I saw at last year's local film festival. As much as I liked the adaptation, I'm not particularly hankering to read the source material. PASS.
I added this purely because it was long-listed for the Booker Prize, but the synopsis has me feeling "meh". PASS.
This might be a couple slots back in the line of biographies I want to read, but it got great coverage in the local paper when it was published two years ago. My dad also owns a copy, so it's easy to borrow and an obvious KEEP.
I really, really need to read this finally. Plus I already own a copy, so definitely KEEP.
Burgess is another author whose work I would like to read in its entirety. I already own this particular title, so it's an easy KEEP.
I adore David Grann. His two full-length books, The Lost City of Z and Killers of the Flower Moon, are both impeccable works of non-fiction that I recommend to everyone I can. This collection of short-form essays is a must-buy for me! KEEP.
I love popular science books, but this one hits close enough to my course of study in school that I'm not inclined to pick it up. Once you've read the actual textbook, it's hard to summon the energy to read the anecdotal version. PASS.
The cover for this novel is stunning, but it sounds like the sort of weird narrative that I tend not to enjoy in books and films. I'm going with my gut and deciding to PASS.
Void Star by Zachary Mason
The summary for this sounds quite...frenetic. To the point of being convoluted, actually, which isn't a good sign for a blurb meant to introduce and sell a book. PASS.
The summary for this sounds quite...frenetic. To the point of being convoluted, actually, which isn't a good sign for a blurb meant to introduce and sell a book. PASS.
A middle-of-the-road batch of books this time, with 5/10 making the cut. This particular round reminds me that I resolved to read more non-fiction books this year and have, so far, failed at that spectacularly. This is partly because many of the non-fiction titles I already own are quite long, so I hesitate to reach for something with a longer time commitment. Starting this blog has also informed my reading habits, though, and I've been sticking with the fantasy and science fiction titles that I enjoy discussing with my friends! It may be a little late in the year to make up all of the ground I wanted to cover with my non-fiction reading, but maybe before 2019 rolls around I can at least lessen the gap a little bit...
Do you read much non-fiction? 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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