Happy Wednesday, everyone! It’s been a little while since I did one of these posts, but I thought it was time for a TBR declutter. You can read the others here!
This was started by Lia @ Lost in a Story and is a good way to organize your Goodreads to-read list!
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
- Read the synopses of the books
- Decide: keep it or should it go?
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.
So I had never planned on reading this, but then AGES ago, some blogger said it was her favourite book by Stephanie Perkins so I added it to my TBR. Honestly, it sounds cute and it has pretty good reviews. So I think it’ll stay for now, but it’s not a priority.
Verdict: keep
There’s someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Makani Young thought she’d left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She’s found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn’t far behind.
Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.
I remember there was a ton of hype for this when it was first released, and then a bunch of people were let down by it. It seems like everyone is saying it’s like a cheesy slasher movie, which aren’t really my thing. Soooooo bye
Verdict: remove
Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss
They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three. Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison. Today her time has run out.
This is confusing because it has high ratings but all the reviews are negative. Tbh it just doesn’t sound like something I’d be interested in any more.
Verdict: remove
Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land
How far does the apple really fall from the tree?
Milly’s mother is a serial killer. Though Milly loves her mother, the only way to make her stop is to turn her in to the police. Milly is given a fresh start: a new identity, a home with an affluent foster family, and a spot at an exclusive private school.
But Milly has secrets, and life at her new home becomes complicated. As her mother’s trial looms, with Milly as the star witness, Milly starts to wonder how much of her is nature, how much of her is nurture, and whether she is doomed to turn out like her mother after all.
When tensions rise and Milly feels trapped by her shiny new life, she has to decide: Will she be good? Or is she bad? She is, after all, her mother’s daughter.
Hmmm this sounds really interesting, but thrillers never seem to work for me. This has fairly high ratings from people I trust, though, so maybe it’ll stay for now.
Verdict: keep
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
Another thriller with mediocre ratings but a lot of hype. The setting of a cruise sounds interesting, so maybe I’ll give it a try? Idk if any of you have read this, let me know!
Verdict: keep
Total
Keep: 3
Delete: 2
Added to “read soon or remove”: 0
Total kept: 37
Total deleted: 15
Okay so not bad, all things considered! Removing two is pretty good! But anyway, have you read any of these books? Which should I prioritise? Let me know!
Ally xx
You will DEF not like There’s Someone Inside Your House if you don’t like cheesy slashers, so removing that is a good decision. I felt meh about Good Me, Bad Me but am not sure if that’s a popular opinion or not.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooh good to know! Glad you’ve validated my choice to remove it.
Good to know about Good Me, Bad Me as well! I tend to go into thrillers with low expectations, so I’ll keep it in mind for this one too
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read The Woman in Cabin 10, and it was an enjoyable read (as long as you can get past the weird attack on the MC at the beginning that seems to have no purpose at all). It was a popcorn thriller though, fast-paced and easy to get caught up in, but not really something that sticks with you. (At least, it didn’t stick with me.) It was fun while I was reading it, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will definitely adjust my expectations for The Woman in Cabin 10! I generally go into thrillers with low expectations because they never really work for me, so honestly as long as it’s entertaining, that’ll likely be enough for me
LikeLike
Then you should be fine! I wasn’t sure at first — I didn’t consider DNFing because the book had been recommended to me by my grandma — but once Lo got on board the ship the entertainment factor kicked up and I enjoyed it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Isla is my favourite of the Perkins trio, I think. What I particularly enjoyed about it was that there isn’t any cheating!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooh good to know! I will definitely have to try it soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person