Down the TBR Hole was originally created by Lia @ Lost in a Story
Hey friendies, welcome back to our normal Down the TBR Hole service. Last time, we took a little diversion from the usual format of Down the TBR Hole to use the KonMarie method on my physical book shelves. ICYMI you can find the post here! It turned out to be a super successful way to sort through all of my books and my house (and bookshelves) feel a lot nicer. I’ve also been making some progress on my first Down the TBR Hole deadlines which I’ll be sharing in a progress post soon.
For now though, let’s crack on with our normal service and keep tackling that pesky Goodreads shelf.
How it works:
- Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
- Order on ascending date added.
- Take the first 5 (or 10 books)
- Read the synopses of the books
- Decide: keep it or should it go?
A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole
Added: December 31st 2017
I keep forgetting that I have this book on my TBR yet every time I read back over the blurb I immediately want to pick it up. I’m hoping this will be one that setting a deadline for will nudge me in the direction of finally reading it.
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Deadline: June 2019
Six of Crows by Leigh Burdugo
Added: January 1st 2018
SoC was definitely a hype addition to my TBR as a result of seeing so many book bloggers talking about it. Tbh though, I have no interest in reading it so it’s time to say goodbye.
Verdict: Go! ❌
A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
Added: January 2nd 2019
This one ended up being added to my TBR during my phase when I was adding all the sequel books to my TBR. However, it’s not helpful to have my list clogged up with sequel books when I haven’t read the previous book yet so this is going for now.
Verdict: Go! ❌
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Added: January 2nd 2018
This. freaking. book. I read the other books when I first got the set for in 2017 but Insurgent was so awful I couldn’t bring myself to finish the series off. I’m determined to not let this series triumph over me though. I will finish it!
Verdict: Keep for now! ✅
Deadline: June 2019
Firestorm by Lucy Hounsom
Added: January 2nd 2018
As we can see, this is another book in a series I added during my ‘must add all books in a series to my TBR’ phase. I also decided to remove the previous book from my TBR for now and not read anymore of the series, as I explain in an earlier post.
Verdict: Go! ❌
Prodigy by Marie Lu
Added: January 2nd 2018
Prodigy is definitely a case of the curse of the second book. I sped through Legend, ordered Prodigy so I could read it as soon as I finished Legend and then proceeded to never get round to it. Definitely a good one for a deadline.
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Deadline: July 2019
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
Added: January 7th 2018
I don’t have particularly strong motivations for wanting to read this book and whilst it has some stellar reviews there are also reviewers who have highlighted problematic aspects (rape, suicide) of it so I think given all of those considerations I’m going to let it go
Verdict: Go! ❌
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Added: January 26th 2018
I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Binti but would still love to read more of Nnedi Okorafor’s work. This is a definite keep for me, I just need to actually read it.
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Deadline: July 2019
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Added: January 31st 2018
I remember auto-adding this as soon as I saw that the protagonist was a Haitian woman who immigrate’s to the US. It sounds like a really interesting book with important rep that I would love to make time for soon.
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Deadline: August 2019
We Go Forward by Alison Evans
Added: February 7th 2018
I don’t remember anything about this book or why I even added it. Looking at friends/authors I follow who have talked about this book, I think I must have added it for the queer rep but I don’t really have any interest in picking it up right now.
Verdict: Go! ❌
Bodies of Water by V.H Leslie
Added: February 14th 2018
I’m still really interested in reading this. I’m always interested in reading more gothic horror historical fiction that looks at the dark side of scientific history and this is rated really highly be one of my fellow history degree friends.
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Deadline: August 2019
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
Added: February 20th 2018
I’m sure it will come as a surprise to precisely no one when I say this one is a definite keep…
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Deadline: May 2019
The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley
Added: February 20th 2018
My local library ran a blind book date in 2018 and the prequel to this, Skullsworn, was the book I got which I absolutely loved. This is a series I still want to get stuck into because I want to know more about the world and the story
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Deadline: July 2019
The Providence of Fire by Brian Staveley
Added: February 20th 2018
The second book of the series….
Verdict: Go! ❌
The Last Mortal by Brian Staveley
Added: February 20th 2019
Third book of the series… you can see how my TBR got so quickly clogged up with series!
Verdict: Go! ❌
SPQR by Mary Beard
Added: February 20th 2018
Although this a book I would love to read because it’s supposed to be a fantastically written account of Ancient Rome, I find it hard to detach books from the authors and I have a bit of a distaste for Mary Beard…
Verdict: Keep for now! ✅
Deadline: August 2019
Why Look at Animals? by John Berger
Added: February 20th 2018
This is when I start to feel a bit guilty about books I get bought for birthday/christmas that end up not getting read… I got this for my birthday last year and even though its only 112 pages I still haven’t read it!!!!
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Deadline: May 2019
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
Added: February 20th 2018
I read a few excerpts of The Second Sex in the second year of my degree and would love to own my own copy of the book. Waterstones has a beautiful hardback edition which I’m hoping to get for my birthday.
Verdict: Keep! ✅
Trans Britain: Our Journey from the Shadows edited by Christine Burns
Added: February 21st 2018
I’m going to remove this not because I don’t want to read it but because I’ve technically almost finished it. I just have a few chapters left in the final section!
Verdict: Go! ❌
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Added: February 21st 2018
I have almost 0 motivation to read ACOMAF but seeing as I own the book I feel like I should make some effort to actually read it before getting rid of it…
Verdict: Keep for now! ✅
Deadline: May 2019
Stats
Keep: 1/20 (10%)
Keep with deadline: 11/20 (60%)
Go: 8/20 (40%)
Stats pre-#5 purge: 203
Stats post-#5 purge: 195
As always, let me know your opinions about the books I’ve decided to keep and the ones I’m letting go of. Have you read any of them or found some new additions to your TBR’s?
Red Rocket Panda 
I had mixed feelings about Binti too, but I absolutely loved Akata Witch. (I had a biiit more mixed feelings on Akata Warrior, but still good.)
And yeah, I have similar feelings about Six of Crows. I liked it, but it just didn’t live up to the hype for me, and now that it’s been months I barely remember it? So it didn’t really leave a mark. I’m about to read Crooked Kingdom though, so we’ll see if it changes my mind.
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Yes, I’ve seen more people rate Akata Witch highly than Binti which I’m hoping is a good sign. I still want to read the rest of the Binti series but aren’t as desperate to read them now I’ve read the first one.
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I agree. I read the first one, and it was okay, but not as spectacular as I expected? I’ve seen the trilogy was published in one book, so maybe I’ll buy that.
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I finally got to Six of Crows last week and absolutely loved it. If you like ensembles/found family/heists, you might want to reconsider that one. 🙂 Wrath and the Dawn I think is an okay skip, I read it a few years ago and thought it was fine, but not mind-blowing. Emperor’s Blades is really high on my own TBR, looking forward to reading myself!
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I like books like that but they’re not my favourite so I think I’m content with skipping it (for now!) I can always revisit it as I know my local library has a copy that I can always pick up if the mood takes me.
Yessss, fingers crossed we both enjoy Emperor’s Blades. I was so impressed with the prequel.
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I keep forgetting I have A Conspiracy of Stars on my TBR too and I don’t know why because it sounds wonderful, I want to get to it soon! I’m so happy you plan on reading Akata Witch and American Street, I adore those books ❤️
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It took me FOREVER to read Six of Crows, but I am actually glad that I finally did get around to it this year. I really loved Allegiant. I didn’t like A Court of Mist and Fury as much as the first book. I’ll probably not continue with the rest of the series.
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