When I did the first iteration of this challenge I got rid of 2 out of ten books on my TBR.
Currently, my TBR on Goodreads has 3,851 books on it. Which, distressingly, is even more than I had on my TBR at the end of part one of this challenge.
In case you didn’t see the last post, the idea behind it is to reduce the number of books on your TBR list.
As far as I can tell, this challenge was created by the writer at the literary blog, Lost in a Story, but it appears that the domain is no longer valid.
Here are the rules:
- 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?
Let’s get right to it.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Verdict: Keep
Jane Eyre is a classic that I’ve always wanted to read. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, so it’s definitely staying on my TBR.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Verdict: Keep
The Alchemist is a much-loved novel in the book community, and I’ve heard from more than one person that this book changed their life.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Verdict: Keep
This list clearly contains a lot of classics. Wuthering Heights is another keep.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Verdict: Keep
I remember attempting to read The Catcher in the Rye in high school and not loving it, but my tastes have changed in the last decade, and I want to give it another shot. I’ve heard very mixed reviews of this book.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Verdict: Keep
I promise that these Down the TBR posts will eventually get more interesting once we get out of the classics. My mother loved this book, so obviously, this is a hard keep.
Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Verdict: Keep
Technically, I read both of these books before, in my tenth grade English class, and I loved them. However, tenth grade was sixteen years ago, so I’ve forgotten so much about them.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Verdict: Keep
Once again, another classic. Keep, keep, keep.
Emma and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Verdict: Keep
I swear, eventually I’m going to get to books that I don’t want to keep on my TBR. I’m going to bypass the ten I would normally go through and just keep going until I remove something from my TBR.
I just finished Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (review coming soon) and thought it was brilliant. I can’t wait to read some of her other novels.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Verdict: Keep
The Metamorphosis sounds truly bizarre, as it’s about a man who wakes up transformed into a giant insect.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Verdict: Keep
Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions is one of my favorite books, and I can’t wait to read Vonnegut’s classic novel, Slaughter-House Five.
Marvel 1602 #1 by Neil Gaiman
Verdict: Toss it
This technically doesn’t even count as removing a book from my TBR as it’s a duplicate. This entry is only the first issue of the series, and I have the complete graphic novel as another book on my TBR.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Verdict: Keep
I bought a hardcover edition of this book from my local thrift store, and I’ve been wanting to read more contemporaries, so this one stays.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Verdict: Keep
I’ll admit that when I purchased a copy of this book that it was a cover buy. It’s hard to tell in the photo above, but the gold and blue of the cover are incredibly vibrant. After reading the synopsis, however, I’m excited to read it.
The Curious of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Verdict: Keep
I have had a copy of this book on my bookshelf for years. I no longer even remember where I got it. This is a YA mystery novel that was originally published in 2003, and I’ve heard great things about it.
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin
Verdict: Keep
While I would love to wait and read the Game of Thrones series after George R. R. Martin has finished writing the series, I imagine that’s many, many years in the future. I love high, complicated fantasy novels, so I need to stop putting this off and eventually read it.
Red Queen (Red Queen, #1) by Victoria Aveyard
Verdict: Keep
I’m intrigued by this YA fantasy novel, particularly because people are separated by their red or silver blood. It’s also a book that is rated very well, so I can’t wait to read it. I’ll probably read this book before most of the others on this list.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Verdict: Toss it
I know this is a much-beloved book, but I have zero interest in ever actually reading this series.
Kraken by China Miéville
Verdict: Keep
I’d forgotten why I had this book on my TBR until I read the first paragraph of the synopsis:
With this outrageous new novel, China Miéville has written one of the strangest, funniest, and flat-out scariest books you will read this—or any other—year. The London that comes to life in Kraken is a weird metropolis awash in secret currents of myth and magic, where criminals, police, cultists, and wizards are locked in a war to bring about—or prevent—the End of All Things.
I’m so excited about this synopsis that I went ahead and requested it from my library.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Verdict: Keep
I’ve had a copy of Water for Elephants on my Kindle for years. I love stories with a circus setting, so it’s a keeper.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Verdict: Keep
I’m shocked that I never read this book in high school or college (where I was majoring in political science with a minor in history). It’s been on my shelf for years, so I need to finally suck it up and just read it.
This process is both fascinating and hilarious. So fun to read your brief commentary on each decision. Also The Little Prince brings me fond memories and emoticon tears of joy 😭 .
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Little Fires Everywhere was one of my favourites from last year, so I’m glad to see you keep it! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it 🙂
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Game of Thrones was/is such a heavy watch/read. It is definitely one of my favorite television and book series of all time but when this season ended I was desperately looking for a fantasy book that was a bit more light-hearted and fun and one where I didn’t have to worry about all my favorite characters getting murdered. I highly recommend “The King Who Disappeared” by author Hank Quense (http://hankquense.org/wp/). This is a highly topical, satirical, fantasy quest novel that made me smile throughout. King Bohan, his wizard, and guards have been trapped in a cave by the evil Wizard, Jerado, who is now running all of the kingdoms in Gundarland. 200 years later there is an earthquake and the king who disappeared is free and ready for revenge. A lot can change in 200 years and Bohan gets himself into some pretty funny situations due to his lack of knowledge about current affairs and the world he left behind. The book has all the typical elements of a fantasy novel; wizards, elves, kings and queens but I have found that many fantasy books with villains and wizards can be very dark (ahem, like Game of Thrones!). This story has some dark elements. but the humor and satire prevail along with a lot of action and entertainment along the way. If you want something light and enjoyable after Game of Thrones definitely check out this book.
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Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll definitely check it out!! 🙂
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I try to do this about ever 6 months. I’ve noticed my habit of submitting for books in Goodreads Giveaways, new authors and genres, that I likely would read if it not won through them. Also finally figured out if I submit to multiple giveaways for the same book, it adds the book multiple times. Going through periodically and taking out the duplicates and books I did not win has helped me keep my tbr under control – only 258 right now.
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