Welcome to my new monthly TBR cleanup! If there's one thing I think all readers can agree on, it's that our TBRs are always getting out of hand. I discovered this meme over at Read Bake Create, and it was originally created by Megabunny Reads.
How it works:
- Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
- Use a random number generator to pick a number between 1 and however many books are on the list.
- Go to that book and look at it and the 4 after it, for a total of 5.
- Read the synopses of the books.
- Decide: keep it or should it go?
- Discuss here.
At the time of this writing, there are 316 books on my Goodreads "Want to Read" list (alas, it has grown by eight books since last month's cleanup). The random number generator I used gave me the number 29. This puts me in the section of books that I added in June 2024. Let's see how many of these books are keepers! (All covers are linked to Goodreads.)
1. Wild and Crooked, by Leah Thomas
About This Book:
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Year: 2019
"Critically acclaimed author Leah Thomas blends a small-town setting with the secrets of a long-ago crime, in a compelling novel about breaking free from the past." (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
I first saw this on AJ's blog and it intrigued me. Plus, I mean, look at that cover! Gorgeous!
Verdict: KEEP
2. Romanov, by Nadine Brandes
About This Book:
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Release Year: 2019
"Anastasia 'Nastya' Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them, and he’s hunted Romanov before. Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are to either release the spell and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya has only dabbled in magic, but it doesn’t frighten her half as much as her growing attraction to Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her. That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.." (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
Okay, once again, gorgeous cover. But apart from that, mixing Anastasia (a historical character who's already a darling of fictional retellings) with magic? I'm sold.
Verdict: KEEP
3. Mortal Queens, by Victoria McCombs
About This Book:
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Year 2024
"Each year on the center island, one girl is chosen to be the next Mortal Queen of the idolized fae. The mortals praise these lucky girls, but their daughters are never seen again. The fae realm is eternal night, where disputes are settled by chess matches, power is acquired through the most devious kinds of trickery, and seven illusive kings roam. The fae hide their faces behind masks and guard their glass hearts to keep them from shattering. But beyond the veil of this luxurious paradise, a dark secret simmers, for their Queens have disappeared. When aspiring artist Althea is selected, she is desperate to avoid the same mysterious fate. With no one to trust, she conceals messages in paintings and receives anonymous replies from a stranger who slowly reveals the tale of a girl who outwitted the fae. Only if she is clever enough will Althea survive the fate of the Mortal Queens. As long as the king who cannot love does not claim her first." (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
I don't even remember where I found this. The blurb sounds intriguing, but what really caught my eye was that it's been tagged as Christian Fiction on Goodreads. I'm always happy to find another Christian fantasy author!
Verdict: KEEP
4. The Book of Doors, by Gareth Brown
About This Book:
Genre: Magical Realism
Release Year: 2024
"If you could open a door to anywhere, where would you go? In New York City, bookseller Cassie Andrews is living an unassuming life when she is given a gift by a favourite customer. It's a book—an unusual book, full of strange writing and mysterious drawings. And at the very front there is a handwritten message to Cassie, telling her that this is the Book of Doors, and that any door is every door. What Cassie is about to discover is that the Book of Doors is a special book that bestows an extraordinary powers on whoever possesses it, and soon she and her best friend Izzy are exploring all that the Book of Doors can do, swept away from their quiet lives by the possibilities of travelling to anywhere they want. But the Book of Doors is not the only magical book in the world. There are other books that can do wondrous and dreadful things when wielded by dangerous and ruthless individuals—individuals who crave what Cassie now possesses. Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is, it seems, Drummond Fox. He is a man fleeing his own demons—a man with his own secret library of magical books that he has hidden away in the shadows for safekeeping. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all... Because some doors should never be opened.." (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
Again, stunning cover! Also a very intriguing blurb, soooo ...
Verdict: KEEP
5. The Bandit Queens, by Parini Shroff
About This Book:
Genre: Fiction
Release Year: 2023
"Geeta's no-good husband disappeared five years ago. She didn't kill him, but everyone thinks she did--no matter how much she protests. But she soon discovers that being known as a 'self-made' widow has some surprising perks. No one messes with her, no one threatens her, and no one tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It's even been good for her business; no one wants to risk getting on her bad side by not buying her jewelry. Freedom must look good on Geeta, because other women in the village have started asking for her help to get rid of their own no-good husbands...but not all of them are asking nicely. Now that Geeta's fearsome reputation has become a double-edged sword, she must decide how far to go to protect it, along with the life she's built. Because even the best-laid plans of would-be widows tend to go awry.." (From Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
This sounds like a great book with lots of potential for both humor and deeper reflections on life.
What a coincidence! I just thought of you and your TBR Clean Up posts today: I went through my local library’s website and my various Libby libraries, and any books I could find on neither I removed. I think it was a total of 5 books! You are an inspiration :)
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