Down the TBR Hole #43

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?

Now, for the list!

Picking up from where I left off:

The Poppy War – R.F. Kuang

This book has been all over book blog sites and bookstores, with lots of rave reviews. I remember putting it on my TBR when I first saw promos for it and it sounded really amazing. It still does! It’s the first book in a series, and I believe at this point, the second book is already out, so I’m a little late to the party. But. This book is really long! And I also don’t like starting series until they’re finished. I have a feeling that this fantasy series will have a lot of world-building and minute details that would make it hard for me to pick up later, so I’d like to wait until this series is fully published before I start, that way I can read straight through.

Verdict: KEEP

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Hope Never Dies – Andrew Shaffer

This book is a spoof mystery series starring President Barak Obama and Joe Biden. I mean, when I saw it, I laughed, because it’s one of those things that you don’t see too often. I put it on my TBR because I thought it would be a fun read. I think one of my friends actually has read it and liked it. I think this is one of those books that makes for a great gag gift! I think I’d like to read it at some point, but I don’t see the need to keep it on my TBR, since I don’t think I need to read it quite as badly as some of the other books I have on here. If you’ve read it and liked it, let me know!

Verdict: GO

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The Camelot Spell – Laura Ann Gilman

This is another series that utilizes Arthurian legend. Our young hero in this one is a 14-year-old squire who, of course, is the only one who can save Camelot from a sleeping spell and he’s always wanted to become a knight of the round table. He’s joined by a stable-boy and a maidservant, and they all set out on a quest to save the kingdom. This book, in my library, is in the middle-grade fiction section, but I see on Goodreads that it’s been marked as young adult. Either way, I think this book is skewed towards a younger crowd, more middle-grade. I do like reading fantasy books that contain Arthurian legend, but I think this book sounds like a lot of other books I’ve seen before, so I’ll pass on it for now.

Verdict: GO

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A Face Like Glass – Frances Hardinge

A co-worker recommended this book to me. It’s a fantasy book that takes place underground, where people are born without having any emotions, their faces totally blank, and they have to learn them from Facesmiths. The main character, unlike the others, has been born with the ability to express emotions, so she has to wear a mask all the time…I’ll admit that this book doesn’t really appeal to me by its description and the only reason I put it on my TBR is because it was recommended to me by a co-worker. That being said, I’m sure it must have something good quality about it for her to recommend. Still, I don’t really feel the interest, so I’m setting it aside for now.

Verdict: GO

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The Silver Gate – Kristin Bailey

This is a fantasy book with a main character with a developmental disability. Wynn is believed to be a changeling, and so her mother hides her and her son away from society. The two children grow up in a loving home and believing in a place beyond the “Silver Gate” which is a fairy realm where all children are welcome. Enter the father, who want to give Wynn to the castle as a maidservant. This book sounds like it could be really great! I’ve read a few reviews and many are happy that the book includes a note about Wynn and what her disability is and that she is not a representation of all disabilities. While I think this could be an amazing story, the summary just doesn’t appeal to me anymore.

Verdict: GO

Results:

Kept: 1

Discarded: 4

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.