Down the TBR Hole #25

Down The TBR Hole is a meme created by lost in a story that revolves around cleansing your TBR of all those books you’re never going to read and sort through it all to know what’s actually on there.

The rules:

• 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?

Picking up from where I left off:

1. In the Garden of Beasts – Erik Larson

One of the main reasons I put this book on my TBR, besides the critical acclaim, is that I really enjoy Larson’s writing. Normally, I don’t like to read books about WWII and the time surrounding it. It’s definitely an important topic, but I don’t generally like to read about war times. I think this book could be very fascinating, but I am trying to narrow the books on my TBR to ones that I find very compelling to me right now and right now…I pass on this.

Verdict: GO

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2. Dead Wake – Erik Larson

As you can see, I definitely was on a Erik Larson kick. I probably had just finished reading his book The Devil in the White City and was hunting for more from him.

I actually had started listening to the audiobook of this, but had to return it to the library before I was done and somehow never got back to it. I want to keep it on here, in case I do end up getting back to it.

Verdict: KEEP

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3. The Night Parade – Katheryn Tanquary

I really didn’t remember this book at all until I looked at it for this post! I have no memory of it, but it seems an interesting book.

But despite this, I don’t think I’m interested in it anymore. It could be good, but I don’t feel strongly enough about it to keep it on this list. And so, it must go!

Verdict: GO

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4. The Lightning Queen – Laura Resau

This is another one of those books that I don’t really remember coming across, but I must have liked it enough to put it on my TBR. I do find the description to be interesting, two young girls destined to be friends and the many obstacles the overcome together. I know it’s a diverse story, set in Mexico, and drawing from the real-life coming together of two cultures. This alone makes the story intriguing enough that I shall keep it on here.

Verdict: KEEP

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5. After the Woods – Kim Savage

A mystery-thriller about two girls who get attacked in the woods and the aftermath. I do like reading mystery-thrillers, though I’m always a bit suspicious of YA ones, since all the ones I’ve ready have been very hit and miss. I hope this one turns out to be good, since I’m planning on keeping it on my TBR. I would like very much to be right and enjoy it thoroughly!

Verdict: KEEP

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6. Emerald – Karen Wallace

An historical fiction YA novel about a girl trying to save Elizabeth I! Sound’s intriguing, doesn’t it? Is it bad that I kind of don’t want to read this book because the main character is named Emerald? That aside, I feel like this book could be just okay. It has an average rating and it honestly could go either way for me, but since I tend not to feel strongly about books often, I feel like this book could be like so many others of this genre and since my interest is only passing, I’ll let this one go for now.

Verdict: GO

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7. Getting Gamers: The Psychology of Video Games and Their Impact on the People Who Play Them – Jamie Madigan

I don’t know why I thought I’d ever pick this book up? I, for one thing, don’t play many video games. For another, my interest in psychology is a passing one.

This book is, I am sure, quite fascinating, but I don’t think I ever had a very strong inclination to read this book and I don’t think it needs to stay on my TBR. I think I’d rather watch TED talk on this than read a book about it.

Verdict: GO

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8. Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages – Guy Deutscher

Another language book. I do have an interest in this subject. I have always been interested in other languages – phrases that are unique to languages, like idioms, the words for certain colors in other languages. This book, I would hope, would touch on those kinds of things. But, honestly, I think this particular book doesn’t sound as interesting as some of the other language books I already have on my TBR. So I think, for now, I’ll let this particular one go.

Verdict: GO

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9. Where Futures End – Parker Peevyhouse

This book could be the best thing ever but…I can’t see myself reading a book with one of the main characters named Brixney. I mean…what even? I have a weird pet peeve (no pun intended!) about books with weird names. I know I read a lot of sci-fi and those stories have tons of characters with weird names but…I draw the line sometimes and in this case, I draw the line at Brixney. Sorry, not sorry.

Verdict: GO

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10. Vicious – V. E. Schwab

I’m sure this book needs no introduction, for it seems many, many bloggers talk about this series. I need to get in on this fandom and I have already bought this book, so it is most certainly going to stay on my TBR.

I don’t know why I have not yet read this book. My goal is to read it in the next few months. I just need to find the right time to do just that.

Verdict: KEEP

Results:

Kept: 4

Discarded: 6

Thoughts?

So, what do you think? Any books I cut that you wouldn’t? Any books that I’m keeping that aren’t worth my time? Let me know! I’d love to hear from you. See you next week for another meme post.