(Images link to Goodreads, Titles link to Amazon using Amazon Affiliate links)
Down The TBR Hole is a meme created by Lia @ Lost in a Story that revolves around cleansing your TBR of all those books you’re never going to read and sort through it all to know what’s actually on there.
It works like this:
- 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?
This is all Lillian @Mom With a Reading Problem‘s fault. She started doing this, and I couldn’t help but look at my Kindle, and all the titles that I don’t even remember what they’re about, and I just figured maybe I should start the CLEANSE. It’s about the only CLEANSE you’ll see me participate in. I’m going to be focussing entirely on my Kindle book problem at the moment, since it’s the craziest (and it’s what features most prominently in my Goodreads TBR). And I’ve decided if a book goes, then I’m deleting it from my Kindle cloud library too — GONE! Poof! JUST DO IT! My internal hoarder is screaming right now.
As of writing this post, my current Goodreads TBR shelf has 2093 books on it. No, that’s not a typo. You see why this meme might be good for me. I’ve also decided that if I get rid of the first book in a series, and I have other books in that series, I’m going to get rid of them at the same time instead of waiting until they show up.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker — Honestly, I have a feeling I’m going to keep avoiding this one because of feels, but I’d still feel like a dick if I got rid of it.
Verdict: Stays
The Cloud Roads (The Books of the Raksura #1) by Martha Wells — I’m still super attracted to that cover for some reason, but it looks like a longer series, and I’m not sure I’m captivated enough in the blurb to put in that kind of investment of time.
Verdict: Goes
Stasis (Ennek Trilogy #1) by Kim Fielding — The premise sounds interesting, and I was excited to see it was LGBT. But I don’t know…it’s just not interesting enough, you know?
Verdict: Goes
Heroes R Us by Mainak Dhar — On the good side, #ownvoices. But honestly, it just didn’t call to me.
Verdict: Goes
Siren Call (Mermaid Catcher #1) by Kimberly Llewellyn — Wow. Yeah, not capturing me now.
Verdict: Goes
Nothing Stays in Vegas (Vegas #1) by Elena Aitken — Again, nothing pulling me in now.
Verdict: Goes
Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica #1) by Beth Fantaskey — This was a hard one, b/c I always remember this title and it intrigues me…and I have some friends who really enjoyed it. I have a feeling if I’d read it back when I bought it in 2011, I would have really enjoyed it…but I think I’m going to pass.
Verdict: Goes
Hurt Machine (Moe Prager #7) by Reed Farrel Coleman — Sometimes I honestly have no idea why I one-clicked these books…it’s just not me. And it’s book *7*! That would drive me nuts.
Wait a second, apparently I had read book 6 and gave it 4 stars! What what? Ah well, I still feel like I’m always going to reach for something else.
Verdict: Goes
Happy Birthday to Me (Birthday Trilogy #1) by Brian Rowe — Eh, doesn’t pull me in. And honestly, I tried reading another book by this author and DNF’d it, so odds are good it’s not a match.
Verdict: Goes
Happy Birthday to Me Again (Birthday Trilogy #2) by Brian Rowe — Obviously no.
Verdict: Goes
I know The Color Purple is an important, classic read, but I think you could still take it off your TBR. There’s nothing that says you can’t add it back on if you want to read it later. I got my GR TBR down to 72 that way. You might actually feel free to read it more if it wasn’t on the list.