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Down the TBR Hole | #4
Down the TBR Hole was originally created by Lia @ Lost in a Story
Welcome to the fourth instalment of Down the TBR Hole! It’s been exactly a month since I posted my last Down the TBR Hole and I can’t believe how much more my TBR has grown since then. It feels like fighting a never-ending battle sometimes haha.
This month I had planned on meeting some of my deadlines that I set myself in my first instalment, but unfortunately, I’ve barely been able to do any reading (let alone blogging or anything else). So far I’ve only managed to read The Snow Child, and had started The Night Circus but had to put it aside to try and deal with all of my upcoming ARCs! I’m hoping once the ARC tide calms down a little bit I’ll have more time for my wonderful backlist books 🌊
As it’s been a little while since my last post and I’m eager to get through my TBR pile as quickly as possible, today’s post contains a grand total of 31 books!
How it works:
Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 books)
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton
Added: June 28th 2017
I love the Crichton’s Jurassic Park books and loved the sound of this posthumous book (Western meets palaeontology) but re-reading the description it sounds a bit too much like privileged men drivel for me to enjoy it
Verdict: Go! ❌
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Added: July 2nd 2017
This is one that I definitely want to keep. I took human-animal relations in my third year at uni and started to become much more interested in food production and eating habits after that. I’ve owned this book since 2017 but haven’t made time for it yet!
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: May 2019
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
Added: July 7th 2017
I actually read about 40-50% of this when I first bought it and made the very silly mistake of putting it down for the moment and ended up forgetting about it. I love Carrie and I loved what I had read of the book so far so want to commit to finishing it
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: May 2019
The Wicked and the Divine: The Faust Act by various
Added: July 11th 2017
There is no alternate timeline in which this wouldn’t be a definite keep for me. I am DESPERATE to read TW&TD series and am trying to get over my graphic novel buying guilt and just buy it already
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: April 2019
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Added: July 11th 2017
I love everything about Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls and would love to own a copy for my children, but I don’t think I’m ever going to get time for this with all of my other books atm
Verdict: Go! ❌
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky
Added: July 11th 2017
Same as above, another book that I adore and want to own for my children but not one I think I can get to right now
Verdict: Go! ❌
The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Added: July 11th 2017
Kiran Millwood Hargrave is such a beautiful and poetic writer. I loved her debut The Girl of Ink and Stars and immediately added her second novel. I’m not sure if I will get time for this one but I love the sound of it so will keep it for now
Verdict: Keep for now! ✅ Deadline: June 2019
Monster Culture in the 21st Century edited by Marina Levina and Diem-Mu T. Bui
Added: July 12th 2017
Another one there’s no way I’m getting rid of! I love this book and it has some fantastic essays in it, I want to read the rest of it so bad
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: June 2019
Heartland by Lucy Hounsom
Added: September 5th 2017
I’m quite torn over keeping/discarding Heartland. I did quite enjoy Starborn, the first book in the series, but there was some very problematic blind rep right at the end. I think that maybe this is a series that I might just have to let go?
Verdict: Go?! ❓
Want by Cindy Pon
Added: September 11th 2017
I’ve heard great things about Want and I’m excited by the opportunity to read more diverse sci-fi, but this is another one I’m undecided on as the plot sounds quite similar to Marie Lu’s Legend series in some ways and I want to read different plots right now?
Verdict: Go?! ❓
Strangers Among Us edited by Susan Forest & Lucas K. Law
Added: September 24th 2017
I love the Laksa Media anthologies edited by Susan Forest & Lucas K. Law but I’m trying to steer clear of books which focus on mental health at the moment so I think I’ll put this one aside for now
Verdict: Go! ❌
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematorium by Caitlin Doughty
Added: October 9th 2017
One day, one day I will get round to this because I have owned it for so damn long now. Hopefully, my deadline will make it happen sooner rather than later!
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: May 2019
Alien Ocean: Anthropological Voyages in Microbial Seas by Stefan Helmreich
Added: October 12th 2017
I started reading this shortly after receiving it but got a little intimidated by how technical the writing was. I still really want to read it though as it’s such an interesting ethnographic topic
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: July 2019
Sounding the Limits of Life by Stefan Helmreich
Added: October 12th 2017
Another academic book which sounds super interesting but I honestly have no idea of when I would even have the time to read it so it’s going to have to go for now, especially as I added it back when I thought I would be doing an entirely different PhD!
Verdict: Go! ❌
New Worlds, New Animals edited by R. J Hoage and William A. Deiss
Added: October 12th 2017
This book was incredibly interesting and useful for my dissertation and I would love to own a copy to peruse at my own leisure but again, not sure if I’m going to have time for it anytime soon so it’s going to go
Verdict: Go! ❌
Zooland: The Institution of Captivity by Irus Braverman
Added: October 12th 2017
I’m sure you can see a theme emerging by now (and there’s a few more on the way)… tbh I think the solution to this would be to just make an entire GR account for my academic TBR… *strokes chin*
Verdict: Go! ❌
Added: October 12th 2017
This would have been a key text for my masters/PhD if I had done the original course I had planned on doing, but it isn’t relevant for my research right now. Onto the academic TBR it goes 😂
Verdict: Go! ❌
Anthrozoology: Embracing Co-Existence in the Anthropocene edited by Michael Charles Tobias and Jane Gray Morrison
Added: October 12th 2017
I’m just running out of things to say right now.
Verdict: Go! ❌
Cosmic Powers edited by John Joseph Adams
Added: October 27th 2017
I added this purely based on there being some Becky Chambers in it and I was getting antsy waiting for Record of a Spaceborn Few. I think it’s unlikely I’ll ever read this and there’s lots of more Becky Chambers to look forward to
Verdict: Go! ❌
Record of A Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
Added: October 27th 2017
There’s really no question about whether this is staying or not, it’s just here to shame me for not having read it the moment by beautiful pre-ordered copy arrived.
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: May 2019
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Added: December 4th 2017
The film adaptation of this was so beautiful and powerful, it made me immediately want to read the book especially if I can get a copy of the illustrated version
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: June 2019
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith
Added: December 12th 2017
I am so excited to read this book and am so grateful to Lauren for gifting this to me at Christmas! Now I just need my deadline to help me get round to reading it!
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: May 2019
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Added: December 12th 2017
Another I’m quite undecided on. I did enjoy Caraval when I first read it but it also didn’t blow me away? I’ve heard that Legendary is a lot better than the first book but I don’t know if I care enough to keep it on my TBR?
Verdict: Go?! ❓
Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Added: December 12th 2017
I was excited to read this and even more so when I realized one of the authors was Amie Kaufman. However, the book has received quite a lukewarm response from reviewers and the plot doesn’t capture my interest anymore
Verdict: Go! ❌
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
Added: December 12th 2017
I removed the Gentleman’s Guide in my last instalment so it makes sense to remove the sequel as well. I was initially in love with the idea of this but I don’t really want to read a series about fancy aristocrats
Verdict: Go! ❌
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Added: December 12th 2017
I was all over Dread Nation when it was first announced – that cover and plot is everything – but following Justina Ireland’s conduct on Twitter over the past year I’m not sure if she’s the kind of author I want to support, regardless of how good the book might/might not be
Verdict: Go?! ❓
All Out: The No Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell
Added: December 12th 2017
I love the sound of All Out and it has received excellent reviews from other bloggers but, again, I don’t see myself having time for this when I have so many other books I’m more excited by
Verdict: Go! ❌
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
Added: December 12th 2017
I was so slow to catch the Lauren James hype but after seeing her on two panels and meeting her to get my book signed I am definitely on it now. I can’t wait to read this (or her new book!)
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: June 2019
Feeder by Patrick Weekes
Added: December 12th 2017
I added this one purely on how awesome the blurb on GR sounded and became even more excited to read it when I realized that Patrick Weekes was one of the writer’s for Mass Effect
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: July 2019
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
Added: December 20th 2017
Don’t ask me why I haven’t read this yet, especially as I’ve owned a copy of the book since July 2018! I need to get my butt into gear and actually finish reading this series
Verdict: Keep! ✅ Deadline: June 2019
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Added: December 21st 2017
I did try and read Ancillary Justice last year but couldn’t get into it for some reason. I’d like to give it another shot as I’ve heard great things about Ann Leckie’s writing and she seems to be a sci-fi “must read” author that I should at least try
Verdict: Keep for now! ✅ Deadline: July 2019
Stats
Keep with deadline: 12/31 Go: 13/31 Undecided(Go?): 4/31
Stats pre-#4 purge: 219 Stats post-#4 purge: 207
I’ve been having a really bad day today where I haven’t been able to get much done so this list had made me feel so productive and much happier! I’m looking forward to actually being able to set aside time to read my backlist books and hope the time will come soon (plz stop me requesting any more ARCs!)
Drop me a comment and let me know your thoughts on my undecided books to help me decide whether they should stay or go!
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