This is a blog meme created by Lia, Lost in a Story! I have seen almost everyone I follow do this so I thought I would give it a try!
“Down The TBR Hole is a meme 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.
Most of you probably know this feeling, your Goodreads TBR pile keeps growing and growing and it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. You keep adding, but you add more than you actually read. And then when you’re scrolling through your list, you realize that you have no idea what half the books are about and why you added them. Well that’s going to change!
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?”
Sounds fun, right? My TBR on Goodreads is (I think) way out of control! I have 1, 064 books on my to-be-read shelf. Yikes! When I first started Goodreads in 2012, I added books by author. So I am going to skip the first few authors because they are some of my favorites, and go right to when I started adding books at random. I think I’ll start with 10 books!
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.
A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.”
GO. I’ve had this on my TBR since 2012. I have no interest in reading this. To be honest, I added this to broaden my reading scope and to have an “interesting” conversation piece when I talk to “smart book people”. I’ve grown up a lot since then and have since decided that I do not care at all if I don’t read the “smart” books. I just like reading whatever I like reading, if that makes sense.
“Spanning a thousand years, and following the shifting fortunes of two families though the ages, this is the epic saga of Rome, the city and its people.
Weaving history, legend, and new archaeological discoveries into a spellbinding narrative, critically acclaimed novelist Steven Saylor gives new life to the drama of the city’s first thousand years — from the founding of the city by the ill-fated twins Romulus and Remus, through Rome’s astonishing ascent to become the capitol of the most powerful empire in history. Romarecounts the tragedy of the hero-traitor Coriolanus, the capture of the city by the Gauls, the invasion of Hannibal, the bitter political struggles of the patricians and plebeians, and the ultimate death of Rome’s republic with the triumph, and assassination, of Julius Caesar.
Witnessing this history, and sometimes playing key roles, are the descendents of two of Rome’s first families, the Potitius and Pinarius clans: One is the confidant of Romulus. One is born a slave and tempts a Vestal virgin to break her vows. One becomes a mass murderer. And one becomes the heir of Julius Caesar. Linking the generations is a mysterious talisman as ancient as the city itself.
Epic in every sense of the word, Roma is a panoramic historical saga and Saylor’s finest achievement to date. “
KEEP. I think this sounds super interesting and right up my ally! I love historical novels. I usually hate politics BUT I love it when it comes to Adult Fantasy books (not in YA. It’s too “I have a political agenda”) OR historical ones like this.
“When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?
Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.
An astonishingly rich re-creation of the land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn’t so wicked after all. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Gregory Maguire just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature.”
KEEP. I really liked the musical so I would like to read the book too!
“Losing everything has Lexi clinging to her daughter. Hell is determined to loosen her grip.
It’s been seven years since disaster struck her family. Lexi Solomon has held it all together since then–just barely.
But now Lexi is losing it. The husband who deserted her is back in town, wanting to see their daughter Molly. Her sister’s shameless murderer is up for parole. An unsavory old friend is demanding payment for debts that Lexi knows nothing about and can’t begin to meet.
And something else is going on–something Lexi feels but can’t explain. A dangerous shift is taking place between this reality and the next. Forces beyond her imagination are vying for control.
A rare novel that will satisfy a wide range of readers, “Never Let You Go” explores the high-stakes decisions played out in the thin spaces between heaven and earth. As the enemy’s grip tightens around Lexi, she will have to decide what’s truly worth holding on to.”
GO. I’m trying to be strict and not keep books that I maybe-might read someday.
“Kelly Jacobs has already paid the ultimate price of loving a warrior; she has the folded flag and the grateful thanks of a nation to prove it. Navy SEAL Joe “Bear” Baker can’t ask her to accept that risk again—even though he loves her. But the man responsible for her husband’s death is back; closer than either of them realize. Kelly is in danger, and Joe may not get there in time.
Uncommon Heroes: Welcome to a world where friendships go deep, loyalties stand strong, and uncommon heroes perform the toughest jobs in the world. Dee Henderson’s military romance series provides a detailed passage into the world of the military and homeland heroes, and those they love.”
GO. I just literally have no interest in this.
“A strange imprisonment…
Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.
When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, “Cannot a Beast be tamed?”
Robin McKinley’s beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple, Beauty and the Beast. “
KEEP. I am all about re-tellings! Even if this one is almost 30 years old. I can’t help but wonder if that would make it better or worse than today’s re-tellings. I suppose it would depend.
“Celebrated for their courage, vision, hospitality, and spiritual giftedness, it’s no wonder women were so important to God’s plan revealed in the Old and New Testaments. It wasn’t their natural qualities that made these women extraordinary but the power of the one true God whom they worshipped and served.
In “Twelve Extraordinary Women,” you’ll learn more than fascinating information about these women, you’ll discover-perhaps for the first time-the unmistakable chronology of God’s redemptive work in history through their lives. These women were not ancillary to His plan, they were at the very heart of it.
Some of the women you’ll come to know include:
Ruth (Ruth 1-4) Anna (Luke 2:36-38) Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42) Mary Magdalene (Matthew 27:56-61) Sarah (Genesis 11-25) Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2) The Samaritan woman (John 4 Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1-2)
You will be challenged and motivated by this poignant and personal look into the lives of some of the Bible’s most faithful women. Their struggles and temptations are the same trials faced by all believers in all ages. And the God to whom they were so committed is the same God who continues to mold and use ordinary people today.”
KEEP. I actually forgot about this book. I want to read this. 😛
“The rise of Sam Childers from violent, drug-addicted biker to a man willing to risk everything to rescue the orphans and child soldiers of Sudan
“”All my life, from birth, it’s been a fight. And it always seemed to be “”another man’s war. I always seemed to be fighting for someone else. But it always came back to me. The Word says we’re born into sin, and sin always comes back to war.” –“Sam Childers
Sam Childers has always been a fighter. Born to a violent father and a mother of great faith, his life was a contradiction. With an affinity for drugs and women, the angry young man grew into a drug-dealing biker. But that was then. Nowadays Sam–along with the cadre of Sudanese soldiers he employs–spends his time in the most dangerous parts of Sudan and Uganda rescuing the youngest victims of war, orphans and child-soldiers. His mission is simple: save the children, no matter the cost. “
GO. Another book I’m pretty sure I added to make me seem more worldly. Dear 2012 Me, Please stop adding books you think will make you seem “cooler”.
“Clayton has just been hired to author a memoir for Lucian, a demon with an extraordinary story to share. The fallen angel chronicles a life of heavenly bliss and rebellion, human creation and salvation, and God’s relentless pursuit of mankind.”
KEEP. I think it would be an interesting read. Also, I love Tosca Lee.
“Geek Love is the story of the Binewskis, a carny family whose mater- and paterfamilias set out–with the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopes–to breed their own exhibit of human oddities. There’s Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly normal Chick, whose mysterious gifts make him the family’s most precious–and dangerous–asset.
As the Binewskis take their act across the backwaters of the U.S., inspiring fanatical devotion and murderous revulsion; as its members conduct their own Machiavellian version of sibling rivalry,Geek Love throws its sulfurous light on our notions of the freakish and the normal, the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the obscene. Family values will never be the same.”
GO. It sounds weird, which is why I added it, but after reading some of the reviews it sounds WEIRD. Like, more creepy weird. I don’t do horror.
Okay, y’all this took me down to 1,060 books. It helped a little! I might continue to go through a few more pages and delete a few! This meme is kind of refreshing! It’s kinda like Mari Kondo-ing your TBR.
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