Down the TBR Hole is a weekly meme hosted by Lia @Lost in a Story. Rules are:
- Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
- Order on ascending date added.
- Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
- Read the synopses of the books
- Decide: keep it or should it go?
My To Read Shelf: 1506 books
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.
Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.
As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.
His life depends on it
Remove
Excalibur by Jack Whyte
A hero is born
A sword will choose him
A sorcerer will save him
The Roman Empire is in ruins. On a tiny boat in the Irish Sea float one man and a child, helpless after war has nearly destroyed their home, the colony called Camelot.
That man is Merlyn Britannicus, cousin to the slain king Uther Pendragon. He would shed oceans of blood and sacrifice his life to defend the baby and royal heir: Arthur.
With Camelot ripped apart by warring lords and assailed by violent tribes, Merlyn must use everything in his power to protect Arthur and return him to the land in which he’ll become a hero.
Remove
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.
Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn’t leave at all.
Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.
But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….
With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.
Keep
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Marriage can be a real killer.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.
One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.
Remove
I Am A Camera by John Van Druten
With a stringently photographic eye, I am a Camera looks at life in a tawdry Berlin rooming house, circa 1930, and concerns itself with the mercurial and irresponsible moods of Sally Bowles. She is a creature of extravagent attitudes, given to parading her vices and enormously confident that she is going to take life in stride. Fond of describing herself as an “extraordinary interesting person,” she is vaguely disturbing. We watch her make frightened arrangements for an illegal operation; seize at the tinseled escape offered by a rich and worthless American playboy; and attempt to rehabilitate herself and fail ludicrously. We are caught up in the complete and almost unbearable reality of this girl. Principal confident to Sally Bowles, Christopher Isherwood serves as narrator. He is the camera eye of the title, attracted to Sally, yet dispassionate about her. Though Sally is the chief point of interest, the plight of the Jew in Germany in the early 30’s is brought within focus in a few touching scenes.
Remove
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
Dolls: red or black; capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight-for Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, it doesn’t matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three women become best friends when they are young and struggling in New York City and then climb to the top of the entertainment industry-only to find that there is no place left to go but down-into the Valley of the Dolls.
Keep
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor-husband Guy move into the Bramford, an old New York City apartment building with an onimous reputation and only elderly residents. Neighbours Roman and Minnie Castavet soon come nosing around to welcome them and, despite Rosemary’s reservations about their eccentricity and the weird noises she keeps hearing, her husband starts spending time with them. Shortly after Guy lands a plum Broadway role, Rosemary becomes pregnant and the Castavets start taking a special interest in her welfare.
As the sickened Rosemary becomes increasingly isolated, she begins to suspect that the Castavet’s circle is not what it seems
Keep
Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo
The ancients saw Death as a blazing figure on horseback, swift and merciless. Those facing the black chasm often mistook their pounding hearts for the beating of hooves.
Now, two FBI agents pursuing a killer from a centuries-old cult realize they have become his prey.
Remove
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power – the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord’s evil dominion.
Keep
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Company of the Ring is sundered. Frodo and Sam continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin – alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.
Keep
Total number of books removed: 5
My To Read Shelf: 1501 books
Have you read any of these? Do you think I should’ve kept some of the ones I removed?
Happy reading!
