May 2026 Goodreads TBR Shelf Clean-Up

Howdy, y’all! It’s time for my May 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 April 2026, I had 603 books. Today, I have 609. That’s what I get for looking at upcoming releases. Will my May 2026 Goodreads TBR shelf clean-up help bring that number down any?

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 four after it for a total of 5.
• Read the synopses of the books.
• Decide: keep it or delete it?
• Discuss here.

Books To Be Read: 609

Starting Number: 268. It appears that I’m reviewing the books I added in Fall 2022.

Shelf Sorted: Date Added

Let’s get this May 2026 Goodreads TBR Shelf Clean-Up underway!

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to become the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.

Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite, wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.

My Thoughts

I’ve read two other books by Johnson and found them powerful and profound. Why should this one be any different?

KEEP

The Mystery of Watermead Manor by Jay Gill

1920s Agatha Christie-style whodunnit. Private detective Henry Fleming has been invited to attend a wedding celebration at Watermead Manor. When a guest is struck down dead in what appears to be a poisoning, every guest becomes a suspect. It’s up to Fleming to sift through the evidence and expose the lies in another baffling mystery.

My Thoughts

It’s so unfair when books are described as being like Agatha Christie reads. I love her books and her writing style. But I’ve often struggled with mysteries written now but set in the 1920s. It feels like they’re trying so hard to be part of the Golden Age of mysteries. Oh, and this is the second book in the series. We all know you don’t start a series with book two.

DELETE

Fists Raised: 10 Stories of Sports Star Activists by Karim Nedjari

What does Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time, have in common with Megan Rapinoe, the badass pink-haired female soccer player? They achieved perfection, won medals, and lived the glory. But it is above all their raised fists, when, at a time of their envied existence, they dared to sacrifice their privileges to defend a cause greater than their status of adulated champion. Rich in authentic anecdotes, this book tells the fate of those who paved the way. That of women and men who have written the political, social, or cultural history of sport by taking a stand. Fists when sports collide with social activism!

My Thoughts

As someone who loves sports, this feels like a no-brainer. But after reading through the handful of reviews, I’m not so sure.

DELETE

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children’s books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain–until he ghosts her.

Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author — her favorite fantasy author.

Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but–not when he can’t get her off his mind.

My Thoughts

A romance with bookish characters? What do you think I’m going to do with this book?

KEEP

A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase

Grace Johnson can’t escape the feeling that her life is on autopilot—until her husband announces he’s done with their marriage. Grace has a wallow in humiliation . . . or reluctantly grant her outlandish mother’s seventieth birthday wish with a road trip to Graceland. Buckle up, Elvis. We’re on our way.

Now the two are hightailing it from El Paso to Memphis, leaving a trail of sequins, false eyelashes, and difficult memories in their wake. Between spontaneous roadside stops to psychics, wig mishaps, and familiar passive-aggressive zingers, Grace is starting to better understand her Elvis-obsessed mama and their own fragile connection. She may even have another shot at love. Apparently, the King really does work in mysterious ways. But after all these years, will it ever be possible for Grace and her mom to heal the hurts of the past?

My Thoughts

I’m a sucker for road trip stories. Add in some drama, and I’m all in!

KEEP

That is my May 2026 Goodreads TBR Shelf Clean-Up. It appears to have affected my shelf a little, as I’m keeping three of the 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.