Down the TBR Hole was originally created over at Lost in a Story, and is a super fun (and simultaneously productive) tag to help you whittle away at those never-ending TBRs! (By the way, you can click on the covers to go to the Goodreads listings!)
It works like this:
- Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
- Order on ascending date added.
- Take the first 5 (or 10 or 15 or 20, if you’re feeling adventurous) books
- Read the synopses of the books
- Decide: keep it or should it go?
- Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week!
Current “to-read” shelf: 966 titles
BOOKS 461-465:
Still Life with Tornado by A. S. King – added 03.16.17
I think I might’ve added this because of Please Ignore Vera Dietz, which I enjoyed at the time, but in hindsight, don’t think I’d enjoy now.
The Invention of Murder by Judith Flanders – added 03.17.17
100% only a cover add.
Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland & Michael Miller – added 03.17.17
YA sci-fi is tough for me as it is, and this sounds really run-of-the-mill.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – added 03.19.17
I have tried so hard to like Neil’s writing, but I’ve failed to enjoy it, every damn time. I’ve DNFed this book twice already, and I think it’s time to let it go.
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover – added 03.19.17
I just picked this book up earlier this year, and it sounds so good!
BOOKS 466-470:
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North – added 03.19.17
Man… this book is so popular on booktube and Goodreads, that I want to be interested in it, but I’m just… not. 🙁
No One Cares About Crazy People by Ron Powers – added 03.20.17
First of all, a lot of you already know this, but I am not super here for stories about mental illness written by parents of people who actually struggle(d) with said illness. It often comes across as really exploitative, to the point where I rarely give these books a chance anymore. Second, the blurb literally goes ahead and tells you that one of the author’s sons (who the book was written about) committed suicide, which makes this sound so dismal I don’t want to touch it.
Tinder by Sally Gardner – added 03.21.17
I love dark fantasy and horror graphic novels, and the cover of this really caught my eye for some reason.
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova – added 03.21.17
I know this one is really polarizing, but I have an ebook of it that I’d like to give a chance!
House of Penance by Peter J. Tomasi – added 03.22.17
I added this because I love stories related to the infamous Winchester house, but the art for this one doesn’t seem like my taste, and that’s frequently a big deal-breaker for me. Plus, I’ve heard there are many blaring historical inaccuracies in this story.
BOOKS 471-475:
Moonshot by Hope Nicholson – added 03.23.17
I don’t get to read a lot of work by indigenous authors, so I added this based on that fact, but I tend to usually strongly dislike anthologies in graphic novel form (especially when they’re as short as this one). Besides that, I’ve looked before and I can never find it at any of the libraries in my system, and it’s currently listing at over $100 used on Amazon, so there’s no easy way for me to get my hands on it.
The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz – added 03.23.17
I learned long ago that, when it comes to Koontz’s books, I really only like the ones that are more horror than thriller, and this is marketed as mystery/suspense, so I don’t think I’ll enjoy it at all.
The Bones of the Past by Craig A. Munro – added 03.26.17
Cover add.
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye – added 03.26.17
I only added this because of booktube recommendations, but it’s not up my alley at all. A twist on Jane Eyre? I’ll pass.
American Witches by Susan Fair – added 03.26.17
I added this because I love historical accounts of witches and how they’ve been mistreated throughout the years, but reviews say the tragic bits are told in a satirical or downright comedic light, which is gross, in my opinion, and also not what I’m looking for.
BOOKS 476-480:
The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King – added 03.26.17
I originally got this for free from Amazon’s First Reads program because I love “tournament” stories, but never got around to reading it. Now that its sequels have come out, I keep seeing a lot of good reviews!
The Last Lynching by Anthony S. Pitch – added 03.26.17
While 244 pages of nonfiction about a lynching in Georgia sounds like important information, it also sounds like the sort of thing that would put me into such a mess of a mental state. I already know how heartbreaking this story is, and I don’t think I can handle reading it again. 🙁
Kojiki by Keith Yatsuhashi – added 03.26.17
I honestly try not to take ratings into account too often, as quite a few of my faves have GR averages around the 3.5-ish mark, but… 3.12 is a little low for me to take a risk on, plus the top review has excerpts pointing to major Not Like Other Girls syndrome with the love interest.
Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tonya Bolden – added 03.26.17
This is a hist-fic story about a Civil War incident that took place not far from where I live, and it sounds tragic and important.
Ensnared by Rita Stradling – added 03.26.17
Sometimes you just have to reach a point where you say, “Yes, I do already have enough Beauty and the Beast retellings on my TBR.”
BOOKS 481-485:
Twisted True Tales from Science: Medical Mayhem by Stephanie Bearce – added 03.26.17
I’m such a sucker for weird nonfiction shit like this… and I almost kept it, until I glanced at the reviews and found scans of incredibly racist comics from the book. Nope.
The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis – added 03.26.17
I feel like I added this because I was intrigued by the dystopian/thriller/horror mash-up it supposedly covers, but it sounds kinda boring, honestly.
Legend by Marie Lu – added 03.26.17
I think this might actually be on my must read list for the year!
The Young Elites by Marie Lu – added 03.26.17
I’ve collected a little stack of Marie Lu books to read that I already own, so I’ll pass on this series until I check out her other work.
The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova – added 03.26.17
I’m planning on starting this later this month, actually!
BOOKS 486-490:
The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel – added 03.26.17
I only added this because people kept recommending it, but I’ve never had any interest in reading it.
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen – added 03.26.17
I love Sarah Dessen, and I pre-ordered this and everything, so I can’t possibly come up with a good excuse for why I haven’t read it yet.
Because You Love to Hate Me edited by Ameriie – added 03.26.17
Most of my friends found this anthology to be “meh” at best, but I hear it has a few gems that make it worth the trouble!
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore – added 03.26.17
I think “Anna-Marie McLemore” is all I really need to say.
Forsaken by J. D. Barker – added 03.26.17
Naaah… I’m sorry, but this sounds cheesy.
REMOVAL PERCENTAGE THIS WEEK: 67%
(Dayuuuum…)
DO YOU THINK I SHOULD HAVE REMOVED (OR NOT REMOVED) ANY OF THESE TITLES? IF SO, COMMENT BELOW AND TELL ME WHY!
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Wow you did a great job during this one!! Kept some great books. I need to keep a down the tbr hole in mind
Thank you so much! It was a good week for this post, I think!
Doesn’t it feel great to clean up your TBR like this? A few times a year I do “5 books 50 pages”, where over the course of a weekend I read the 1st 50 pages of 5 books that are in my TBR, and decide by pg 50 if I’m going to continue reading, or do a guilt-free DNF.
Yes, it really does! That is such a cool idea – I’ve never heard of that before and I LOVE it! I might have to steal it some time!
I’m glad you’re keeping Labyrinth Lost, I hear good things about it. And I just couldn’t get into Shadow Run, so I can’t blame you for that!
Thank you, Tammy! I have high hopes for Labyrinth! I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one not super sold on the idea of Shadow Run, though!
That’s tidying up your TBR quite a bit! I like the Tinder cover too… Not sure why 😉
Thank you! Haha I’m glad it’s not just me – I think it’s really neat!
I hope you enjoy Legend, Destiny! I wasn’t necessarily blown away by it, but thought it was fun read! Have you read any other books by Marie Lu before?
Thank you, Kelly! So far, the only other book of hers that I’ve read has been Warcross, which I totally loved (can’t wait for the sequel!), but I’d also read a short story from her that I was pretty fond of in Slasher Girls & Monster Boys!
I really enjoyed Warcross as well! That one might be my favorite Marie Lu book as of yet! Ooh, I haven’t heard of Slasher Girls and Monster Boys, but I’ll look into it! ?
OMG, do you like horror? Because if you do, even a tiny bit, I highly recommend it! It’s an anthology of horror stories from super popular YA authors and there are some true GEMS in there. Like, if you like Jay Kristoff, he has a super creepy (yet slightly funny?) one in there. Kendare Blake also has a REALLY good one with a great “message”.
That sounds amazing! I’ve never read a horror book before (I’ve been meaning to, but have been too much of a sissy to read one yet!), but I will definitely consider reading that! ❤️
:O Whaaaaat! Oh, you gotta try it! I think Slasher Girls would be a good intro because none of the stories are TOO creepy, except – imo, anyways – the Alice in Wonderland retelling from Carrie Ryan, I think it’s titled “In the Forest Dark and Deep”? That one actually creeped me out a little bit, so maybe read that one in the middle of the day if you’re nervous, haha! 🙂 I hope you check it out! If you do, let me know what you think!
Ooh, okay, I’ll be wary of that one! I’ll probably read all of these stories in the morning or midday, when the sun drowns out all the demons lurking in the shadows! Haha
Bahaha there you go! Smart thinking. 😉
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I’ve read Legend and I absolutely loved it!
Ohhh, yay! Have you read anything else by Marie Lu? I’ve only read Warcross and a short story by her!
I have not. She is a new author to me but I have heard many good things about her and her work!
She’s pretty new for me, too! I loved Warcross, and I own a few more of her books now, so I should get a move on!
I wonder if I would like Warcross. I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about it.
can’t lie and say i’m not brokenhearted that you removed The Ocean at the End of the Lane…………….but i’ll try to understand
I’M SORRY 🙁 I tried so hard with his writing but I just don’t know if I can do it! The only book I’m DETERMINED to get through of his is The Graveyard Book because… well, first of all, it’s actually on my shelf, and second, IT’S ADORABLE?
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