Down the TBR Hole – 13

My guilt has kicked in and told me that I can’t keep avoiding another culling of my ridiculous TBR forever, so here I am. Back again with a list of books from my Goodreads TBR that is now a whopping 1,073 books! I thought I’d make it clear again that just because it’s on my Goodreads TBR doesn’t actually mean I own copies of the book (that’d be way ridiculous even for me)! Let’s see what we can get rid of today, eh?

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Read More »

Down the TBR Hole – 12

It’s 2020 and I’m back with my first Down the TBR Hole post of the year! As of right now, my Goodreads TBR is a whopping 1,052 books and I thought I’d make it clear that just because it’s on my Goodreads TBR doesn’t actually mean all these books are on my physical or Kindle shelves (I wish I could afford to own that many books)! With that out of the way, I’m hoping to start the year off strong and boot a few more books off my list. Let’s see how I do today!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Read More »

Down the TBR Hole – 11

It’s 2020 and I’m back with my first Down the TBR Hole post of the year! As of right now, my Goodreads TBR is a whopping 1,034 books and I thought I’d make it clear that just because it’s on my Goodreads TBR, that doesn’t actually mean it’s on my physical or Kindle shelves (I wish I could afford to own that many books)! With that out of the way, I’m hoping to start the year off strong and dismiss a few more books on my list. Let’s see how I do today!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Read More »

Down the TBR Hole – 10

I’m back again with another Down the TBR Hole and I have a good feeling about this week. I think I’ll get rid of at least 2 or 3 books but I’m hoping to get rid of half my picks below! I’m now starting with a whopping 1,048 books on my Goodreads TBR! Yes, it has definitely increased since the last time I did this post and that’s because I’ve been busily adding 2020 books to my TBR. When people talk about never ending lists, it really is that, isn’t it?! But without further ado, let’s dive into it…

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Read More »

Down the TBR Hole – 09

Oh, hello. Am I really back with another Down the TBR Hole post after several weeks of purposely ignoring it? Why yes, I am 😬 It’s been a while, gentlefriends, but I’m back and since the last post where I ended with 1,005 books, I’m now starting with a whopping 1,022 books on my Goodreads TBR! Yeah, I kind of went on a mini add-spree yesterday… 😅 But let’s see how many of the 10 books I’ll say bye-bye-bye to this week! I’m hoping it’s at least one?

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Read More »

Down the TBR Hole – 08

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! My TBR currently sits at a whopping 1,005 books, which is the same number I ended this post with last week. I reviewed 10 books again this week but… I’m just gonna be up front here and let you know that I cut ZERO books out this week. NONE. NIL. ZILCH. Because I really want to read all of these books and I’m convinced that I will (eventually) read them all. It’s gonna happen! So all of these are staying 😂

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Read More »

Top 5 Saturday: Books by Unread Authors!

It’s time for another Top 5 Saturday, a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and this week’s topic is: books by unread authors you want to read. Friends, I’m loving and hating this prompt because it’s a keen reminder of all of the unread books sitting sadly on my shelves and the guilt is making itself known just a little bit right now and it’s making me feel like such an irresponsible reader! *flails dramatically under mountain of guilt* Now, with that out of the way, here are five books by unread authors that I’m hoping to read before the end of 2019! 😂

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

SYNOPSIS: How far will you go to protect your family? Will you keep their secrets? Ignore their lies? In a small town in Virginia, a group of people know each other because they’re part of a special treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may cure a range of conditions from infertility to autism. But then the chamber explodes, two people die, and it’s clear the explosion wasn’t an accident. A powerful showdown unfolds as the story moves across characters who are all maybe keeping secrets, hiding betrayals. Chapter by chapter, we shift alliances and gather evidence: Was it the careless mother of a patient? Was it the owners, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? Could it have been a protester, trying to prove the treatment isn’t safe?


The Farm by Joanne Ramos

SYNOPSIS: Nestled in the Hudson Valley is a sumptuous retreat boasting every amenity: organic meals, private fitness trainers, daily massages—and all of it for free. In fact, you get paid big money—more than you’ve ever dreamed of—to spend a few seasons in this luxurious locale. The catch? For nine months, you belong to the Farm. You cannot leave the grounds; your every move is monitored. Your former life will seem a world away as you dedicate yourself to the all-consuming task of producing the perfect baby for your überwealthy clients. Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines and a struggling single mother, is thrilled to make it through the highly competitive Host selection process at the Farm. But now pregnant, fragile, consumed with worry for her own young daughter’s well-being, Jane grows desperate to reconnect with her life outside. Yet she cannot leave the Farm or she will lose the life-changing fee she’ll receive on delivery—or worse.


Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

SYNOPSIS: Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago. Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?


How to Make Friends With the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

SYNOPSIS: Here is what happens when your mother dies.
It’s the brightest day of summer and it’s dark outside. It’s dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart.
That’s how it feels for Tiger. It’s always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger’s mother dies. And now it’s Tiger, alone.
Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.


Birthday by Meredith Russo

SYNOPSIS: Two kids, Morgan and Eric, are bonded for life after being born on the same day at the same time. We meet them once a year on their shared birthday as they grow and change: as Eric figures out who he is and how he fits into the world, and as Morgan makes the difficult choice to live as her true self. Over the years, they will drift apart, come together, fight, make up, and break up—and ultimately, realize how inextricably they are a part of each other.

Are any of these books on your own list? What books by unread authors would you have on your list? Any of them to be read before 2019 ends?

Down the TBR Hole – 07

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! My TBR is currently sits at a whopping 1,011 books because I added some books to my list after last week’s culling 😅 I’ll be reviewing 10 books again today and I’m hoping to find it easier to cut more out!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. I bought this book earlier this year because I thought for sure it’d be my jam but now I’m not so sure anymore… I’m gonna try it since I already have it. I hope my first thought was right! 🤞

Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges #2) by Stephen King. I sped through Mr. Mercedes and absolutely loved it, so I was really keen to get my hands on Finders Keepers. So far I’ve tried reading it twice and both times I’ve put it down with the intention of ‘picking it up later’. Third time’s the charm, I guess? But if it’s still not working for me, it’ll definitely go in the bye pile!

The Quiet Game (Penn Cage #1) by Greg Iles. After reading his Natchez Burning trilogy, I’m convinced that I need to read the rest of Iles’ books — especially involving Penn Cage! 😍

The Glass Magician (The Paper Magician #2) by Charlie N. Holmberg. I remember loving The Paper Magician so much and don’t know why I didn’t continue with the series right then. I have this on my Kindle library though and I’m still keen to check it out!

Verdict: Bye-bye-bye!

Notorious (Max Revere #1) by Allison Brennan. Just doesn’t appeal to me so much anymore. Didn’t even recall ever seeing this book before LOL

Austenland (Austenland #1) by Shannon Hale. I LOVED this movie so naturally thought I wanted to read the book. The reviews scream a big fat NO — especially Emer’s review (and the shelves she chose for this) on Goodreads, which is plain gold and had me dead 🤣

Ten Things I’ve Learnt About Love by Sarah Butler. Reading this synopsis just doesn’t appeal to me at all anymore…

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. This sounds interesting but I’ve had multiple times to pick it up in stores and I never do… So I think I’m taking that as a sign to say bye-bye-bye?

The Master Magician (The Paper Magician #3) by Charlie N. Holmberg. I’m only removing this one because I haven’t read the second book yet (which I decided to keep!). I read the first book AGES ago but remember loving it, so this’ll probably come back if I love the sequel!

City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg. It was really hard for me to decide on this one but I’ve chosen to remove it for now. The synopsis is interesting but not so much that I’m sure I’ll read it ASAP. So, bye-bye-bye for now!

bluepanda

BAM BABY! I let 6/10 books go this week bringing my TBR tally to 1,005 books. Still a lot but we’re making progress by removing 60% of the list this week, right?! 😃 Again, I think I’m pretty satisfied with my decisions; perhaps more so this week than I was last week!

Top 5 Saturday: Books with a Survival Theme!

It’s time for another Top 5 Saturday, a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and this week’s topic is: books with a survival theme. So it’s been a hot minute since I participated in a top five saturday post because I’ve either been too busy on the weekend or I’ve just been too mentally drained to feel inspired, but I’m glad to be back this week. That said, I’ve pretty much drawn a blank for this week’s prompt because do I even have any books with survival themes on my TBR or read list? Then again, ‘survival theme’ has a pretty broad scope and can be interpreted in a few ways: actual survival from the elements/nature or survival of a trying situations. So I’m going to do my best with that for my list of five books that I want to read one day!

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
I’ve not read the book or seen the movie (with Reese Witherspoon!) but I’ve heard some pretty amazing reviews about this book. It’s definitely one I’m keen to check out!

The Stand by Stephen King
This is a story about those who survived after a worldwide plague killed off 99% of the population. I have no doubt that this post-apocalyptic story is going to be creepy AF (I mean just look at that cover?) and we all know how I am with creepy books. But it just sounds too good to not try!

The Revenant by Michael Punke
I really enjoyed the movie when it came out and have been interested in the book ever since. It sounds like a brutal story about survival and revenge after being left to die in the Rocky Mountains!

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman & Megan Spooner
I haven’t had this one sitting on my tbr for too long but I’ve been wanting to read another book by Kaufman for a while now! This is about survival in space with a bit of romance thrown in!

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
This one is very obviously a different kind of survival story but it’s very much a survival story. I’m super keen to read it as I’ve heard so many great things; I just really hope it lives up to all the hype!

Have you read any of my ‘survival themed’ book picks? Any recs on which one to start first and any more recs to add to my list?!
Come let me know in the comments and let’s chat! 😂

Down the TBR Hole – 06

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! My TBR is currently sits at a whopping 1,013 books. I’ll be reviewing 10 books again today and I’m hoping that maybe this week I’ll be cutting out more than one book!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. I’m a bit torn about whether I want to read this or not but it seems that a lot of my book loving friends love it, so I think it’s a keeper?

The Outlander Series (Outlander 1-7) by Diana Gabaldon. Okay, it’s ambitious to ‘keep’ all seven books on my list, but I do want to give this series a go because it’s so popular and seems like one I’ll enjoy? They’re all just slightly huge…!

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I honestly don’t even know why I haven’t read this one yet because it sounds 1000% like my kind of book.

Go Set a Watchman (To Kill a Mockingbird #2) by Harper Lee. I basically bought this the minute it came out and haven’t touched it since 😳 I’ve heard so many sad reviews about this and honestly, if I didn’t spend good money on it I’d probably say bye-bye-bye to it! But I’ll give it a chance.

The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1) by N.K. Jemisin. I’ve heard amazing things about this and I have a feeling I’ll really enjoy it!

Verdict: Bye-bye-bye!

Marley and Me: life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan. This movie had me feeling a hot mess but… I really don’t think I’m going to ever read the book! I shouldn’t be keeping this on my TBR just because of the pupperoni on the cover, right?!

A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri. Argh, this one was so difficult to decide on. It sounds pretty interesting but… I also don’t know when, if ever, I will pick it up. So bye for now!

One Day by David Nicholls. This was a tough decision because I loved the movie and it had me bawling like the biggest baby ever, but I tried reading the book once, twice, three times and my strayed every single time. I have no idea why. Maybe the movie is too much in my head so when it doesn’t match up I get a little miffed? I’m sorry to say bye-bye-bye!

The Royal We (Royal We #1) by Heather Cocks. I don’t think I’m really a fan of the ‘royal’ trope? Reading this synopsis didn’t appeal to me so much anymore so away it goes!

Marrow by Tarryn Fisher. Although there’s something about this cover I adore, I have one Tarryn Fisher book on my Kindle shelf and I want to read it first before deciding whether to read more. This one seems interesting but let’s see!

bluepanda

WOO! I said bye-bye-bye to 5/10 books this week bringing my TBR tally to 1,008 books. Still a lot but we’re making progress with at least removing a few, right?! 😃 Some of these were a little tough to decide on since they do still sound interesting but I just don’t know when I’ll ever pick them up, which pretty much means never? LOL I gotta be real with myself; I already got an insanely overflowing actual TBR on my Kindle and physical shelves. I think I’m happy with my decisions!

Have you read any of these books? Would these make your keep list or would you say bye-bye-bye to them? Let’s chat!