- 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?
1. All Through My Town by Jean Reidy:
Bread is baking
School bus honks its horn
Who are the people in your neighborhood? Perfect for the pre-K set, this adorable rhyming text takes a walking tour of your community. The fresh modern art of Leo Timmers features hidden details and a perennial theme reminiscent of Richard Scarry. Little ones will beg to re-read again as they discover the characters who repeat throughout the art in this sweet and vibrant story.
My thoughts:
Absolutely no idea why this is on my list?
Verdict: Toss
2. Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach:
Like all of Roach’s books, Gulp is as much about human beings as it is about human bodies.
My thoughts:
I really know that I need to read something by this author. Just not sure if this is the one I'll start with. Or if I need to keep her books on my list since she is such a well-known author.
Verdict: Toss
3. Grace Lost by M. Lauryl Lewis:
(Intended for mature audiences due to language, graphic horror, and sexual content)
Hmm, I'll probably skip this one.
Verdict: Toss
4. Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board by Zoe Aarsen:
Prior to junior year, McKenna was known in her small town as the girl whose twin sister died in a tragic house fire, and she’s overjoyed at the prospect of redefining her identity. She has a date to the Homecoming dance with Olivia’s handsome older brother, and a good chance of being elected to student council. For the first time since McKenna’s parents divorced, things are looking up.
But everything changes the night of Olivia’s Sweet Sixteen sleepover birthday party. Hannah, the shy, mysterious new girl in town, suggests that the girls play a scary game called Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, during which Hannah makes up elaborate stories about the future ways in which beautiful Olivia, brassy Candace, and athletic Mischa will die. The game unsettles McKenna because she’s already escaped death once in her life, but she doesn’t want to ruin her friends’ fun. It’s only a game, she reminds herself.
But it doesn’t seem like a harmless game a week later when Olivia dies unexpectedly in a violent car crash, exactly as Hannah predicted. And something begins haunting McKenna’s bedroom at night, leaving her clues that all seem to point to Hannah. McKenna enlists the help of her cute next-door neighbor Trey in finding out exactly what kind of curse Hannah has put on all of the popular girls in the junior class.
As Hannah rises to popularity and seemingly steps into the life Olivia left unfinished, McKenna and Trey know they only have a limited amount of time to bring an end to Hannah’s game before more lives are lost.
My thoughts:
So I picked the updated cover, as you can see it was made into a movie just recently on Hulu. Still sounds like I might enjoy it, and since I don't have Hulu, maybe I should keep the book here?
Verdict: Keep for now
5. Furry Friends Forevermore by Gary Kurz:
Will our pets look and act the same in heaven as they did in life? Will the reunion last for eternity or only for a precious few fleeting moments?
While coping with the loss of a cherished pet, solace can be found in knowing that one day we'll meet our furry friends in heaven. But how can the idea of eternity with our devoted companions provide comfort if we don't understand what that future will look like? Drawing on Scripture, Gary Kurz helps grieving people understand the mystery of death, painting a pragmatic, yet comforting portrait of the reunion we will have with God and our animal confidants in heaven.
Uplifting, compassionate and wise, Furry Friends Forevermore transforms grief to hope, allowing pet lovers to take comfort in the knowledge that we will indeed meet our cherished best friends once more.
Praise for Gary Kurz and Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates
"Wonderful, inspiring and comforting. . .a must read if you want to know that without a doubt you will see your pets in heaven." --Mary Buddemeyer-Porter, author of Will I See Fido in Heaven?
"A great comfort to me and all I am associated with." --Terry Hickey, Founder, Halton/Peel Pet Loss Support Group
My thoughts:
It's extremely possible I added this to my TBR about the time I lost my sweet Sydney, my first dog that was all mine, raised from a puppy. Don't know that I need to read and be sad though.
Verdict: Toss
6. Thorn Abbey by Nancy Ohlin:
Becca was the perfect girlfriend: smart, gorgeous, and loved by everyone at New England’s premier boarding school, Thorn Abbey. But Becca’s dead. And her boyfriend, Max, can’t get over his loss.
Then Tess transfers to Thorn Abbey. She’s shy, insecure, and ordinary—everything that Becca wasn’t. And despite her roommate’s warnings, she falls for brooding Max.
Now Max finally has a reason to move on. Except it won’t be easy. Because Becca may be gone, but she’s not quite ready to let him go…
My thoughts:
If you know me, you know I love retellings like this. And since I've never read Rebecca, that actually makes me more intrigued to read it. Plus I kind of like the cover.
Verdict: Keep
7. My Darrling by Krystal M.:
To me, he was the love of my life.
My obsession.
My Darrling, as I called him.
This is a story about unconditional love in its rawest—and possibly sickest—form. A story that forces you to face the dark and the beautiful sides of forbidden love.
My thoughts:
Doesn't grab me anymore.
Verdict: Toss
8. Letting Ana Go by Anonymous:
She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn’t do anything to make a change.
But there was one thing she could control completely: how much she ate. The less she ate, the better—stronger—she felt.
But it’s a dangerous game, and there is such a thing as going too far…
Her innermost thoughts and feelings are chronicled in the diary she left behind.
My thoughts:
Now, when I was a teenager, Go Ask Alice was one of the most interesting books I'd ever read. And I know this is the same type of book, so as a teenager it would probably get me. These days I'll stick to finding the true diaries/memoirs.
Verdict: Toss
9. Towering by Alex Flinn:
Mama, who isn't my mother, has kept me hidden away for many years. My only companions, besides Mama, are my books—great adventures, mysteries, and romances that I long to make my reality. But I know that no one will come to save me—my life is not a fairy tale after all.
Well, at least no one has come so far. Recently, my hair has started to grow rapidly and it's now long enough to reach the bottom of the tower from my window. I've also had the strangest dreams of a beautiful green-eyed man.
When Mama isn't around, I plan my escape, even if it's just for a little while. There's something—maybe someone—waiting for me out there and it won't find me if I'm trapped here Towering above it all.
My thoughts:
This is an author that I like her fairy tell retellings, so I'll still want to read!
Verdict: Keep
10. Parallel by Lauren Miller:
Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.
With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.
My thoughts:
Nothing too original
Verdict: Toss
11. September Girls by Bennett Madison:
Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's different from the others. Just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he's going to get her back, he'll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here.
My thoughts:
So, this is one I've wanted to read for a long time. I followed this author on Twitter when I first joined a long time ago, so I kind of still want to read it, even if the synopsis is kind of vague.
Verdict: Keep
12. Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn:
A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.
Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.
My thoughts:
I don't know, if I haven't gotten around to this one by now, I may never get to it.
Verdict: Toss
13. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare:
This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit populate the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.
Originally released one-by-one as e-only short stories by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan, this compilation presents all ten together in print for the first time and includes a never-before-seen eleventh tale, as well as new illustrated material.
My thoughts:
I will have to read this at some point.
Verdict: Keep
14. Emma vs. the Tech Guy by Lia Fairchild:
Then Guy Walker enters my office. Sexy, sweet, and super popular, the new tech guy is taking our office by storm. Sure, I notice him. But I won't risk him derailing every strategy I have in place. If he gets too close, he might discover my secrets, and that could ruin my career and turn my life upside down.
This hilarious chick lit book will pull you into its world and leave you loving its fun, witty characters.
My thoughts:
This sounds like it is still fun, I need to see if I can find it!
Verdict: Keep
15. Teardrop by Lauren Kate:
Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean. And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense. Can everything you love be washed away?
My thoughts:
I really liked the Fallen series by this author. I probably need to read this one as well.
Verdict: Keep
16. eloves me eloves me not by L.A. Johannesson:
With keyboard at the ready, she turns to technology for help, hoping online dating will finally deliver the man of her dreams.
eloves me, eloves me not is a contemporary romantic comedy that follows Kayte’s online dating adventures while focusing on the relationships of four main characters, each with their unique views on love: Kayte is the ever-hopeful romantic, Roman the consummate bachelor, Thomas is newly and skeptically single and Chloe is already living happily ever after.
Join Kayte as she meets a series of cyber-suitors and learns what she will and won’t do in the name of love. See if you can you predict where Kayte will end up and with whom.
My thoughts:
As much as I like the cover of this one, it has been done and redone, and done by some authors I love, so I will probably not need to go back and find this one.
Verdict: Toss
17. Above by Mackie Burt:
When 17 year-old Callie’s life is suddenly cut short, she “wakes up” ABOVE, and soon discovers it’s not exactly what she expected. Still reeling from the fact that she is, in fact, no longer living, Callie learns that she’s also part of a select group of recently-passed teens fated to become Guardians.
Not only does Callie have to go to Guardian school, her dead grandmother happens to be the headmistress and the curriculum includes revisiting every mistake she’s ever made. And since no one seems to want to give her a straight answer about anything -- including the mysterious empty room next to hers -- Callie comes to realize that life ABOVE is even more confusing than the life she just left behind.
Callie must come to terms with her Watched resisting her guidance, her feelings for Logan, a boy she’s drawn to but who withholds from her, and the knowledge that she is a target for the evil that exists ABOVE. But her hardest lesson will be to understand that she has as much to give as she has to learn. Callie must choose to acknowledge and accept her gifts, embrace her fate, and become a Guardian who can make a difference that will impact the worlds below, ABOVE and beyond.
My thoughts:
Doesn't sound like anything that original.
Verdict: Toss
18. Isabella, Star of the Story by Jennifer Fosberry:
An everyday visit to the library becomes an unexpected adventure through the pages of classic children's book favorites! Like Goldilocks, Isabella searches for a book that is juuust right.
Should she host a silly tea party in Wonderland with the Mad Hatter? Take a Technicolor trip through Oz with the Cowardly Lion? Or have a swashbuckling good time with the Lost Boys?
Join Isabella as she imagines herself in the starring role of these beloved stories and discovers the extraordinary power of reading. Anything is possible between the pages of a good book!
My thoughts:
It's a picture book, so not really me. But I can see why I added it in case I ended up being an elementary librarian.
Verdict: Toss
19. The Chick Flick Project by Courtney Elliott:
My thoughts:
Eh, probably not that original.
Verdict: Toss
20. A Ghost Hunter's Guide to the Most Haunted Houses in America by Terrance Zepke:
Winchester House...where the owner had a seance room and communed with spirits nightly.
Loretta Lynn Plantation...home of country music superstar Loretta Lynn and several restless spirits.
Amityville House...is it haunted or a hoax?
Whaley House...officially certified "haunted" by the U.S. government!
...and much more!
My thoughts:
So many books with all this info, as well as the internet these days.
Verdict: Toss
Final Thoughts:
Keeping seven again this week.
Have you read any of these? Would you suggest I keep any I'm tossing? And if you're inspired to do this on your blog, please feel free to join in and share a link in the comments, since it will also get you an extra entry into my giveaway at the bottom of this post.
Giveaway:
Once again this is a US only giveaway, unless you are International and see a book here you really want and would be willing to pay for the difference in the shipping through Paypal or some other way. You get to pick any two books from the pictures below, as long as they don't get traded away, or picked by last week's winner, and I will pick a surprise book from the piles to add to your choice. As I mentioned above, unpacking is finding a lot of books to get rid of, so you have even more to pick from this week! Here are your choices:
2018 ARCs:
I'm continuing to add in my 2019 ARCs now. You can pick one of your two choices from the picture below, the other book you pick needs to come from the pictures above.
a Rafflecopter giveaway