Taming the TBR thread

[bibliomania]

Some of us in the 50 book thread are ruefully contemplating the piles of books we mean to read someday, but have never quite got round to. This is a proposal for a one-week experiment in pruning the pile:

• It can apply to books in any form (physical, e-books, audio)
• You choose seven books: each day during week, read the first 10 pages of one of them (and/or page 67 - a tip from the ever-wise PepeLePew on the 50 book thread) or equivalent, adjusting for format. If you're intrigued and keen to continue, keep the book. If you're not, then you let it go. Donate to charity, delete from your Kindle, sell online.
• It doesn't have to be 7 - set yourself whatever goal works for you.

Anyone fancy a go, starting from this coming Monday, 20th March?

Today I'm letting go of Byzantium, by Judith Herrin. I read it 15 years ago and am unlikely to get to it again.

Oh dear I'm tempted to jettison Greenlights after those reviews.

Today's book is Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas

I really enjoyed Mr Y and PopCo but I found this when I first tried it go be chicklitty and lightweight. I read 25% ish but this went back on the shelf and never came off again years ago.

Think I can safely ditch without tests.

Book 2 (Non-Fiction): Between the Stops: The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus by Sandi Toksvig. Not entirely sure why I bought this. I mean I guess I like Sandi Toksvig, but have very little desire to know more about her via a bus journey. As the lady says herself says "If none of these things appeal to you may I gently suggest that you change seats now. Life is too short to read a book that upsets you." I mean it's not upsetting me but I just can't be bothered. CHUCK

Book 2 (Fiction): We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas. I'm intrigued enough by the American Irish Catholic family set-up to want to read the rest of this. KEEP

I didn't rate We Are Not Ourselves @MamaNewtNewt

Oh man, I'm on a roll with the keeps so far!

Book 2 - The Other Mrs Walker by Mary Paulson-Ellis.
Set in Edinburgh, which is usually a plus for me because I used to live there and love the city. The first ten pages were quite atmospheric and evocative but also extremely depressing. I’ve survived Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo and not sure I’m up for another neglectful alcoholic mother just yet.
Page 67 was a lot better though so I think hopefully the alcoholic mother isn’t the main focus of the novel.
Possibly one for later then.

Great thread, thank you for starting it @bibliomania. It's inspired me to tackle my TBR, I've pulled 7 books from the shelf and have read the first 10 pages of two today. Two keepers for me: The Birthing House by Christopher Ransome and Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. The first has the potential to run out of steam but there was enough in those early years pages to make me want to give it a shot. Hamnet was a keeper almost from the first sentence. I've heard so many good reviews and I hope it won't disappoint!

I'm hoping that having a few books primed and ready to go will help speed me through the book I've currently got on the go too.

You're welcome, toomuch!

@toomuchlikemyusername I absolutely loved Hamnet it was my favourite read from 2021.

And I hated Hamnet!

Today's book is another keeper, Metazoa by Peter Godfrey-Smith. Actually it's a definite win, because I'd forgotten I'd been given it and only found it when I was checking for unread books on my shelves :)

I'm a bit late but going to start this tomorrow. I’ve now taken over the kids’ IKEA Kallax unit that used to be for their toys so I need to get my physical books under control.

I did go through my Goodreads ‘want to read but don’t currently own’ list today and got it down from 250 to 210 by knocking off books that I added years ago but no longer like the sound of.

Oooh - intrigued by the love and hate of Hamnet! I wonder what I'll think at the end of it 🤔. I'm even more ready to get started on it now!

Today’s three crime novels were better than Monday’s.
I kept 2 - Into the Night by Sarah Bailey (Aussie crime, the POV character caught my attention straight away despite being in president tense) and The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths-( I knew I wanted to read on by the end of the first page- well written, interesting premise)

One delete - Broken Angels by Graham Masterson. I wanted to like this as it’s set in Ireland but the ‘gosh and begorrah’ dialogue in chapter 1, followed by the main female detective’s desire to be shown her boyfriend’s ‘fruits’ seriously, at the start of chapter two was too much. Talk about me. Writing women! Bye Graham

I'm not part of the challenge, but I'm def going to do this when I've finished current book. Totally great idea.

Plan to join the challenge next year! Children finally old enough that I'm reading more and more in the evenings.

When I'm being good I make myself read a TBR every second book. Unfortunately I too often define that as something I just bought!

PS loved Hamnet. Book of 2021 was prob All The Light We Cannot See, but was late to that party.

I feel like I've found my tribe here.

If you’re not already on the 50 books thread @scarecrow22 you should join!

@scarecrow22 I really enjoyed All the Light.... too. Started slow and gently hooked me. I've just read Cloud Cuckoo Land by the same author. I finished it but felt disappointed at the end. The individual story lines were interesting but I didn't get that wow moment like I did with All the Light when it all came together.

Another 10 pages of a TBR read this morning. Books Lovers by Emily Henry. Heard about it on a podcast, I think it will be a bit predictable but I'll keep it for an enjoyable, easy spring/summer read.
3 down and no discards so far....

Mine for today is I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

The physical copy of this is massive so I bought it on Kindle because I knew I'd never read it in that format

I still have the physical copy so it can go

Today I am getting rid of A little history of the world by E h Gombrich

I think I picked this up when the library I worked in was sent World Book Day free books 11 years ago, not read, picked up or anything so out it goes

I have also taken off the shelf The Coffin Road by Peter May as I discovered I read it a few years ago, thank you Goodreads, and also going is The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett as I have come to a grinding halt with it nearly halfway in.

Book 3 (Non-Fiction) How to Be a Liberal by Ian Dunt. I follow Ian Dunt on Twitter and find him funny and informative but while our views often align I do find him a bit preachy so wasn’t sure I could take an entire book of him. Seems ok so far so am going to KEEP.

Book 3 (Fiction): Big Brother by Lionel Shriver I loved We Need to Talk About Kevin the first time I read it, but when I tried to re-read a year or so ago I just couldn’t get into it, also the author has said a few things I really disagree with recently, so I approached this one with trepidation. I read the first 10 pages and while it’s definitely not grabbed me I am going to give it a few more pages so it is a KEEP, for now at least.

@FiveGoMadInDorset

The Twyford Code was one of my worst books last year

Book 3 - Wake Up by Tim Pears

God, this was tedious. I couldn’t even make it to page 10. The reviews say it’s strange and unsettling and provocatively written. The main character seems to be a pathetic man who drives round and round a ring road ruminating bitterly. I found it overwritten and tiresome.

Straight onto the charity shop pile!