It’s August, and time for another round of To Be Read Shelf Clean-Up. I was bad in the past month. My TBR grew in the past month, from 326 books at the beginning of July to 398 today. It doesn’t help that I bought 20 books last month, but a few of those were already on my TBR, so that’s still okay, right?
I saw this Goodreads TBR Clean-Up post at Megan’s Book Stacks and just knew I had to give it a try. Megan found it over at MegaBunnyReads.
How It Works:
- Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
- Ask Siri 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.
Books To Be Read: 398
Starting Number: 75; looks like I’m going through the books I added in December 2020
Shelf Sorted: Date Added
Book 1: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Summary from Goodreads
Everyone in Fairview knows the story.
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.
But she can’t shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon, she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn’t want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.
This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending, you’ll never expect.
Thoughts
The story sounds interesting, but is it one that I really want to read? I’ve been reading a lot of murder-y books this year (thanks, Agatha Christie!), and I’m not sure I really want to read another one. But does this mean I won’t want to read another one that maybe is a bit more of a thriller?
KEEP
Book 2: Lovely War by Julie Berry
Summary from Goodreads
It’s 1917, and World War I is at its zenith when Hazel and James first catch sight of each other at a London party. She’s a shy and talented pianist; he’s a newly minted soldier with dreams of becoming an architect. When they fall in love, it’s immediate and deep–and cut short when James is shipped off to the killing fields.
Aubrey Edwards is also headed toward the trenches. A gifted musician who’s played Carnegie Hall, he’s a member of the 15th New York Infantry, an all-African-American regiment being sent to Europe to help end the Great War. Love is the last thing on his mind. But that’s before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who’s already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.
Thirty years after these four lovers’ fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love.
Thoughts
It’s historical fiction with a twist. I think it’s the twist that has piqued my curiosity more than anything. A romance with some Greek gods as narrators, how could it not be good?
KEEP
Book 3: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
Summary on Goodreads
In December 1926, Agatha Christie went missing. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues are some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the car — strange for a frigid night. Her husband and daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away.
The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. With her trademark exploration into the shadows of history, acclaimed author Marie Benedict brings us into the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such a murky story.
What is real, and what is a mystery? What role did her unfaithful husband play, and what was he not telling investigators?
A master storyteller whose clever mind may never be matched, Agatha Christie’s untold history offers perhaps her greatest mystery of all.
Thoughts
I have wondered about the truth behind Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance. It is one of those mysteries that will never truly be solved, as those involved have since passed away. We will always be left wondering what happened. I watched a movie on Netflix last year that gave one explanation, but it was fiction, just as this book is. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to read it.
KEEP
Book 4: The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
Summary on Goodreads
On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.
She didn’t.
And then she died.
Now she’s stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge–as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.
Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly’s afterlife has been miserable.
But this year, everything is about to change. . . .
Thoughts
A Christmas Carol retelling with a twist. And it’s YA. It sounds like it could be fun. I know growing up, I was intimidated at the idea of reading A Christmas Carol, mainly because of the nature of the movies. Some versions are nightmare-inducing! But I finally decided to face my fear/intimidation and read the book. Guess what; it’s hilarious! Yes, there is a moral to the story. But I was laughing through the first chapter or so. And once the Ghost of Christmas Future arrived, I wasn’t scared for my mortal soul (like I was with many of the movies).
KEEP
Book 5: The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody
Summary on Goodreads
Ryn Gilbert’s life changed irrevocably a year ago when her best friend, Lottie, was behind the wheel of a T-boned car. Ryn has held onto many things ever since, including one text message that allows her to keep Lottie near— it has gotten to the point that she questions her own sanity and even keeps her therapist from knowing that she still sees and speaks to her friend.
Now Ryn is stuck in the Denver Airport on the night before the anniversary of Lottie’s death due to a blizzard with Xander, a boy she meets when they accidentally swap phones. The airport setting allows Ryn to open up to Xander, who is connected to her by circumstance and weighed down by his own issues.
It also allows them to interact with other unique characters, including a child prodigy and the slightly older airport workers Siri and Harvey, who throw an illicit New Year’s Eve party while helping Ryn work out problems that she has been unable to face in her own life.
Thoughts
This is a holiday story, but not a Christmas story. It’s not a romance, but I still think there’s bound to be some romance involved. It’s set in a city—okay, the airport in a city—that I have wanted to visit since I was about 13 years old. In a bit of a weird twist, I’ve actually been tempted to visit the city around the same time of year the book is set. How can I not want to read this?
KEEP
Wrap-Up
Well, it doesn’t look like I cleaned my shelf at all. I’m keeping all 5 books. I hope I don’t add another 70+ before I do this again. While I’m reading like 8-9 books a month, if I keep adding, my list will definitely never get smaller.
This was fun. I think I’ll do this once a month to see if I can actually cut any books from my TBR. Do you think this will be a successful endeavor? Probably not, but it doesn’t mean I won’t do it again.
Looking for some more ideas to read? Check out my other monthly reading wrap-ups.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one whose TBR list keeps growing, and growing, despite everything I do. If it makes you feel better, my list is even higher than yours. I need to do some serious weeding.
I love the sound of The Mystery Of Mrs. Christie! I’m going to add it to my TBR ☺
Well, this one’s a keeper! 🙂 I like this meme. And I’d heard about Christie’s disappearance, so it’s great to find a book on what might have happened — esp. one with such a lovely cover.