Howdy, y’all! It’s time for my August 2026 Goodreads TBR Shelf Clean-Up. I wonder if this will help me reduce the number of books on my TBR. Who am I kidding? I’m a reader; of course, I’ll always add books. In July 2026, I had 597 books. Today, I have 590. Will my August 2026 Goodreads TBR shelf clean-up help bring that number down more?
I saw this Goodreads TBR Clean-Up post at Megan’s Book Stacks and knew I had to try it. Megan found it over at MegaBunnyReads.
Click the titles to go to Goodreads.
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 the next four for a total of 5.
- Read the synopses of the books.
- Decide: keep it or delete it?
- Discuss here.
Books To Be Read: 590
Starting Number: 202. It appears that I’m reviewing the books I added in January 2022.
Shelf Sorted: Date Added
Let’s get this August 2026 Goodreads TBR Shelf Clean-Up underway!
Suggested Reading by Dave Connis
Clara Evans is horrified when she discovers her principal’s “prohibited media” hit list. The iconic books on the list have been pulled from the library and aren’t allowed anywhere on the school’s premises. Students caught with the contraband will be sternly punished.
Many of these stories have changed Clara’s life, so she’s not going to sit back and watch while her draconian principal abuses his power. She’s going to strike back.
So Clara starts an underground library in her locker, doing a shady trade in titles like Speak and The Chocolate War. But when one of the books she loves most is connected to a tragedy she never saw coming, Clara’s forced to face her role in it.
Will she be able to make peace with her conflicting feelings, or is fighting for this noble cause too tough for her to bear?
My Thoughts
A book about banning books and the lengths people will go to spread these books? How can I not want to read it, especially given current events?
KEEP
Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra
The March sisters—reliable Meg, independent Jo, shy Beth and stylish Amy—have grown up to pursue their separate dreams. When Jo followed her ambitions to New York City, she never thought her career in journalism would come crashing down, leaving her struggling to stay afloat in a gig economy as a prep cook-slash-secret food blogger.
Meg appears to have the life she always planned—the handsome husband, the adorable toddlers, the house in a charming subdivision. But sometimes getting everything you ever wanted isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…
When their mother’s illness forces the sisters home to North Carolina for the holidays, they’ll rediscover what really matters.
One thing’s for sure—they’ll need the strength of family and the power of sisterhood to remake their lives and reimagine their dreams.
My Thoughts
I can’t remember why I added this to my TBR. But that doesn’t mean I’m not curious. I’m currently reading a Little Women retelling, and this one is completely different.
KEEP
The Dating Game by Sandy Barker
Once upon a time, twelve women joined the hottest reality TV show looking for love. Except one had a secret identity…
Abby Jones is a serious writer. Or at least she will be, one day. Right now, she spends her time writing recaps of reality television under a secret identity.
When a recap for The Stag – the must-watch dating show – goes viral, her editor thinks she should be on set, writing the drama as it happens. The good news: the next season will be filmed in Sydney. Sun, sea, and a glamorous trip abroad- this could be Abby’s big break.
The bad news: the producers don’t just want Abby to write the recaps; they want her to be on the show. Abby can’t think of anything worse than being undercover and followed around by cameras. But her career depends on it, and when she meets gorgeous producer Jack, Abby begins to wonder if this job might not be so bad after all…
My Thoughts
I’ve never watched reality dating shows. The ads are enough to give me the ick on so many levels. And Abby sounds like she has the same opinion of the genre that I do. Yet, she finds herself on the show for her career. It could be an interesting read.
KEEP
Fries and Alibis by Trixie Silvertale
A gift that’s too good to be true. A murder she didn’t commit. A barista in a latte trouble…
Mitzy Moon believes she’s an orphan, so she’s dumbstruck when a special delivery to her low-rent apartment reveals a family. But her shock turns to awe when she discovers her grandmother left her a fortune and a bookshop of rare tomes brimming with magic.
No sooner does she set foot in the quirky village of Pin Cherry Harbor to claim her inheritance than the handsome sheriff catches her standing over a corpse. Desperate to prove her innocence, she’s forced to accept help from her granny’s entitled cat and a spirit from beyond the grave.
Can Mitzy and her otherworldly helpers uncover the real killer before the long, sexy arm of the law hauls her to jail?
My Thoughts
I do love a good cozy mystery. And this is the first in the series, and it has paranormal elements. What’s not to like?
KEEP
Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower
Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you…
Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good…
My Thoughts
I know I said I love a good cozy mystery, and I really do! And if it’s set in or near a bookshop, even better. But I’m not sure I want to read this one. I’ll keep it for now, but if it pops up again, I might delete it.
KEEP
That is my August 2026 Goodreads TBR Shelf Clean-Up. It seems to have had little effect on my shelf, since I’m keeping all five books. LOL!
This was fun. I may do it now and then to help keep my shelf realistic. In the past, I had added books without giving them much thought. Will I stop doing that? Of course not! What kind of animal do you think I am?
What do you think? Have you tried something like this to manage your TBR?
Are you looking for some more ideas to read? Check out my monthly reading wrap-ups.
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I think I would have kept them all as well.