Top Ten Tuesday – Spring Cleaning My TBR
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is a Spring Cleaning Freebie (for example, books you’re planning to get rid of for whatever reason, books you’d like to clean off your TBR by either reading them or deciding you’re not interested, books that feel fresh and clean to you after winter is over, etc.). I decided to focus on book that I have taken off my TBR so far this year. I guess that’s technically “winter cleaning” but whatever.
As most who follow me know, one of my big goals for the year is to read more of the books I own and another is to finish up (or at least make some progress) on some series that have been lingering on my TBR for years. I’ve gotten off to a pretty good start on these two goals. I’ve read 19 books from my bookshelves and 5 of those are books from series I’ve been way behind on. Not only have I read a lot of my own books, but I’ve also made some hard decisions regarding some series have been lingering on my shelves for years now and decided to purge them from my TBR. It was hard because my heart is telling me that I’ve invested time in the series and should continue, but the more practical side of me says that if I haven’t read book 2 five years after reading book 1, I’m just not that into it and need to move on. In most cases, I can’t even remember the basic premise of the series or the names of any characters and just don’t have any interest in re-reading the first book to re-familiarize myself with it.
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Spring Cleaning My TBR
What I Read
1. THE ROSE & THE DAGGER by Renee Ahdieh
2. DARKDAWN by Jay Kristoff
3. A COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT by Sarah J. Maas
4. A REAPER AT THE GATES by Sabaa Tahir
5. THE TOLL by Neal Shusterman
What I Purged
6. GOLDEN SON by Pierce Brown
7. BLOOD OF A THOUSAND STARS by Rhoda Belleza
8. THE INFINITE SEA by Rick Yancey
9. EVER THE BRAVE by Erin Summerill
10. LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater
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Oh, you might be making a mistake purging Golden Son!!!
Jonetta (Ejaygirl) | Blue Mood Café recently posted…Dead Heat by Allison Brennan @Allison_Brennan @MacmillanAudio
I may have to rethink that one. I really did enjoy the first book. Maybe if I ever have time to re-read it, I’ll keep going.
I agree with most of the ones you purged! I had no desire to continue after reading Red Rising, The 5th Wave, or Shiver!
I’m glad I’m not alone!
That is an excellent policy, I think. Someone else will enjoy them, I’m sure.
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz recently posted…A Clean Sweep
Right? Not every book is for every reader.
I never got past Golden Sun, and as much as I loved the first two books, I was never motivated to catch up with the rest of the series. Sometimes you just have to let it go to make room for books you’re more interested in😁
Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy recently posted…THE SECOND BELL by Gabriela Houston – Blog Tour Review
Exactly!
Good for you for catching up on so many books you’ve been meaning to read!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-about-fresh-starts/
Lydia recently posted…Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: My Greatest Weakness
Thanks!
I still need to read A Court of Frost and Starlight and The Toll, but I have to catch up on the previous books in the series first.
Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #306
The Toll is so good!
I love the ACTOR series! Here is my post-https://paigesofbook.blogspot.com/2021/03/top-ten-tuesday-spring-tbr-part-1-apri.html.
I’ve enjoyed that series too. The new one is awesome too.
I’m the same way! I’m stuck in the middle of numerous series where I can’t remember who’s who or what’s what. I don’t want to have to re-read books just to move on with the series, but I also hate to abandon them when I’ve invested so much time in them. *Sigh* Good for you for going ahead and purging the ones that aren’t working for you anymore.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Susan (Bloggin’ ’bout Books) recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Who Has Time to Clean When There’s Reading to Be Done?
It’s so hard to give up on them, but I’m trying to be more of a realist about the fact that I’m pretty obviously never going to make them a priority.
Darkdawn and The Toll are on my TBR! I’ve heard great things about the Red Rising saga, but I’ve yet to read the books myself.
Crystal recently posted…The Magical Book Drawing: Spring Cleaning My TBR
The Toll is fantastic!
I agree with The Infinite Sea, I reread The 5th Wave last year and decided that the whole series could go to the charity shop. I don’t know about Golden Son, I loved Red Rising but I need to finish the series.
Heather @ RandomRedheadedRamblings recently posted…Book Review | Goldilocks by Laura Lam
Good to know I’m making the right choice about The Infinite Sea.
Great list! I haven’t read The 5th Wave but I’ve seen enough people talk about that series to know you’ve probably made a good decision by purging it from your shelves.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Keep or Yeet?
Good to know!
I’m the same way with series that have dragged on for me too long- if I haven’t read the sequel after five years lol I’m probably not going to! The Stiefvater books look interesting to me, but maybe it’s just those covers. I’ve always liked ’em!
Blood of a Thousand Stars is pretty.
Greg recently posted…Dystopia Playlist #7
Right! LOL.
Hmmm, not sure about the books you purged, as I have read none of them. I have heard great things about the Brown series, but you can’t read them all, right?
Sam@wlabb recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Spring Cleaning
Exactly! And I’ve been reading less and Less YA fantasy anyway so I just don’t see myself going back to it.
Oooh! Awesome list!!! I need to read the Scythe series!
Ronyell (a.k.a Rabbitearsblog) recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #85: Top 10 Books on my Spring TBR (or it’s Spring Cleaning Time)!
I loved that series so much!
I think life is too short to be spent on books that don’t hold your interest.
I agree!
Reading more off my existing shelves is one of my goals this year too but it sounds like you’re off to a much better start than I am! 😂 I haven’t read any of the books that you’ve purged although I do have Stiefvater’s series on my shelf (and that I bought on a whim last year when I saw it on sale but still haven’t touched!!!). You made a very sensible decision purging them and wish I could do the same with many of my unfinished series! LOL
Dini @ dinipandareads recently posted…#TopTenTuesday: Cutting Down That Backlist!
I still have plenty of others that I should probably purge for the same reason but can’t seem to part ways with, lol.
I hard a hard time giving up on series, too. Even if it’s been years since I started the series… I feel a sense of obligation. No matter that if I had really enjoyed the series I would have continued it long before now! LOL I unhauled The Infinite Sea, too. I liked the first book but didn’t feel led to continue.
Tanya @ Girl Plus Books recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Spring Cleaning the Kindle | 10 Books Buried in My Kindle That I Want to Read
Yes, I totally feel that sense of obligation! Even the ones I’m saying I’m going to unhaul are still sitting in the floor next to my chair, like I’m still thinking about whether to really give up on them.
I loved The Toll and Darkdawn and thought they were both great endings to the trilogies!
Kyla @ Kyla’s Library recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – New Beginnings
I agree. I was very satisfied with both endings. 🙂
I never finished Red Rising and didn’t continue The Fifth Wave or Shiver series either, so I can only agree with you there!
Glad to know I’m not alone!