Down The TBR Hole #7

Hello everyone! How are we all doing?

I definitely have a problem with Goodreads. For some reason books just seem to be appearing my ‘Want to Read’ folder?!? When I last did one of these cleanup posts in August I was left with 495 books, and yet my Goodreads now says I have 523 books on the list? How rude!

In all seriousness though, it’s because there are just so many good books being released these days! ❤ However, I know that since adding some of my books in 2016 my tastes may have changed, so it’s always good to go in and do a bit of a clean 🙂 So I’m back with another Down the TBR Hole post!

 

This meme is created by Lia at Lost in a Story. For those who don’t know what Down the TBR Hole is, Lia has provided a wonderful explanation:

Most of you probably know this feeling. Your Goodreads TBR pile keeps growing and growing and it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. You keep adding, but you add more than you actually read. And then when you’re scrolling through your list, you realize that you have no idea what half the books are about and why you added them. Well, that’s going to change!

Essentially it is all about cleansing your TBR list on Goodreads. All you have to do is:

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?

**

I’m a stickler for order, so I am going to start where I left off on my last post. Let’s get right to it!

 

~Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent (Date added: 27th July 2016)

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she’s too busy trying to actually survive. Her town’s population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she’ll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie’s sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can’t survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

 

Verdict: KEEP? This books is actually right on the borderline for me. On one hand I do like stories about demons and exorcists, they are always right up my street. But on the other hand the story seems a bit predictable and I feel like it might be a bit cliché? I’ve decided to keep it for now, but it is certainly not one I’m itching to pick up right away so I may get rid of it in the future.

 

~Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown (Date added: 27th July 2016)

Synopsis: Joanna Gordon has been out and proud for years, but when her popular radio evangelist father remarries and decides to move all three of them from Atlanta to the more conservative Rome, Georgia, he asks Jo to do the impossible: to lie low for the rest of her senior year. And Jo reluctantly agrees.

Although it is (mostly) much easier for Jo to fit in as a straight girl, things get complicated when she meets Mary Carlson, the oh-so-tempting sister of her new friend at school. But Jo couldn’t possibly think of breaking her promise to her dad. Even if she’s starting to fall for the girl. Even if there’s a chance Mary Carlson might be interested in her, too. Right?

 

Verdict: KEEP. Okay, so this is a similar situation to my above decision on Stars Never Rise. I remember adding this to my ‘Want to Read’ list because the cover is super cute haha! Looking again at the synopsis I’m not super excited about it and the reviews are really mixed for this one, but I’m also really nosy so I’m still tempted to give it a try and make my own mind up on it. I’m keeping it on the list for now, but I may change my mind in the future!

 

~The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury (Date added: 27th July 2016)

Synopsis: She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world…

When Aladdin discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn’t seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra’s very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. 

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

 

Verdict: KEEP. Yessss- this one is definitely a keeper! Aladdin/Arabian Nights is one of my favourite tales and so a retelling is 100% up my street. If written well the story for The Forbidden Wish could my amazing, so I can’t wait to give it a try (I just need to get my hands on a copy first) ❤

 

~Writing in the Sand by Helen Brandon (Date added: 27th July 2016)

Synopsis: “Amy! Wait till you hear this…”
I hold my breath.

“What?” I say.

“Last night someone left a baby on our doorstep.” My heart stops. This is it, I think. Now what do I do?

Sixteen-year-old Amy is used to keeping secrets – about her mum’s illness, her irresponsible sister and her ex-boyfriend. Amy is her mum’s sole carer and every day is filled with tiny battles to achieve the simplest things, from cooking a meal to keeping the house clean, especially when social services come round. No matter how difficult stuff gets, Amy doesn’t want anything to change. But then a shocking discovery turns everything upside-down.

When a newborn baby is left on her best friend’s doorstep, it becomes the talk of the town, and only Amy holds the key to the baby’s identity. Now she has two choices: tell the truth, or live a lie forever.

 

Verdict: GO. Although this is probably a decent, easy read, I don’t think this is for me any more. I can already predict what the story and secrets are about, and it’s not something I am really anticipating reading. I’ll take it off the list for now 🙂

 

~Children of Icarus by Caighlan Smith (Date added: 28th July 2016)

Synopsis: It is Clara who is desperate to enter the labyrinth and it is Clara who is bright, strong, and fearless enough to take on any challenge. It is no surprise when she is chosen. But so is the girl who has always lived in her shadow. Together they enter. Within minutes, they are torn apart forever. Now the girl who has never left the city walls must fight to survive in a living nightmare, where one false turn with who to trust means a certain dead end.”

 

Verdict: GO. I’m so conflicted! If I’m judging on first impressions the cover and title are both right up my street. The blurb itself gives NOTHING away so I have no idea whether the book is something I’ll like or not. But I can see it has a fair few negative reviews on Goodreads, so in an attempt to make an effort with this TBR clean-up I’ll be ruthless and get rid of it. It’s certainly not a book I’m itching to read this very second, so I can always re-add it to the list if I change my mind (haha).

****

So, after this instalment of Down the TBR Hole, I cleared out…. 2 books. It certainly isn’t a lot considering the huge number of books on my ‘Want to Read’ list, but I feel happy that I’m making some progress on the older titles. Although I did get rid of 2 books this post was also helpful in showing me which ones are also borderline TBR titles, compared to ones which I am still really excited to read. I’ve kept them on the list for now, but it’s a good exercise so I know to revisit them in the future.

Have you done a TBR clear out recently? Was it successful? Let me know in the comments~