It’s time for a new round of Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ shelf and do a bit of cleaning up. If you want to see the full description of what this post is all about, check out my first round HERE.
Hello, reader!
I may have recently gone on a book adding spree on Goodreads, so I think it’s time for another round of Down the TBR Hole before my ‘Want to Read’ shelf gets too ridiculous 😂 I don’t know what happened… I was just poking around Goodreads and, the next thing you know, my TBR grew from 712 books to 717 books! Which, to be fair, isn’t terrible, but it’ll definitely get out of hand soon if I don’t trim some older books off. Gotta keep that TBR fresh and, conceivably, manageable.
Ya know… if I read a book a day, every single day, for the next few years. Totally doable.
The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare
Ha, I don’t even remembering adding this book to my TBR. Seeming as I removed the one other Cassandra Clare book on my ‘Want to Read’ shelf, I see no reason why I should keep this one around. After all, I probably wouldn’t have much idea of what was going on, even if it’s the start of a new series in the same Shadowhunters world.
Verdict: Remove
The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye
Okay… on the surface, this book sounds like it could be interesting. A woman running from a shady past in the 1920s and ending up at Oregon hotel that has secrets of its own. But then I realized that the main character is white… in a hotel completely populated by Black people… and I get the feeling there’s gonna be a heavy dose of ‘white savor’ syndrome in this story. No thank you.
Verdict: Remove
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
This science fiction about a creature found after the end of the world has always intrigued me. It seems like it’s going to be a dark tale with intrigue and lots of secrets. That’s the kind of sci-fi that is absolutely my kind of thing! I’ve only read a short story by this author before, but I enjoyed what I read. I’m certainly eager to read a full length novel with his writing. Also, I love this weird cover!
Verdict: Keep
Empress by Karen Miller
I went back and forth on this one. The premise certainly sounds interesting. This book features a woman who escapes slavery and forges her own way in the world. Then I started poking through the reviews and feel a bit more hesitant. I’m not a person who will hate a book just because the main character is unlikeable. The reviews seem to hint, though, that there’s nothing about the MC that makes you want to keep reading the story. But maybe I would like it? I’m intrigued enough to let it stay.
Verdict: Keep
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
This book gets an instant point for having on of my top-tier tropes: bookish themes! I love a book that is somehow centered around books and this certainly fits the bill. Our main character receives a book of fairytales from her long-thought dead grandma. Inside is a clue that she might not be as dead as previously believed. This sounds completely charming, so I think I’ll keep it!
Verdict: Keep
Kerri McBookNerd 