Time for another round up of books from my TBR to go through! Each week I’ll be going over a selection from my physical unread books and deciding what to keep and what to purge. There will be a third option–undecided–which I might ask for your input on why you think I should keep or purge that title from my list. You can also check out my full TBR pile here.

The Labyrinth’s Archivist by Day Al-Mohamed

Walking the Labyrinth and visiting hundreds of other worlds; seeing so many new and wonderful things – that is the provenance of the travelers and traders, the adventurers and heroes. Azulea has never left her home city, let alone the world. Her city, is at the nexus of many worlds with its very own “Hall of Gates” and her family are the Archivists. They are the mapmakers and the tellers of tales. They capture information on all of the byways, passages and secrets of the Labyrinth. Gifted with a perfect memory, Azulea can recall every story she ever heard from the walkers between worlds. She remembers every trick to opening stubborn gates, and the dangers and delights of hundreds of worlds. But Azulea will never be a part of her family’s legacy. She cannot make the fabled maps of the Archivists because she is blind.

The Archivist’s “Residence” is a waystation among worlds. It is safe, comfortable and with all food and amenities provided. In exchange, of course, for stories of their adventures and information about the Labyrinth, which will then be transcribed for posterity and added to the Great Archive. But now, someone has come to the Residence and is killing off Archivists using strange and unusual poisons from unique worlds whose histories are lost in the darkest, dustiest corners of the Great Archive. As Archivists die, one by one, Azulea is in a race to find out who the killer is and why they are killing the Archivists, before they decide she is too big a threat to leave alive.

This is a recent add so definitely still want to hold on to this one. It’s short as well so should be a quick read. Just have to…you know…get to it. KEEP

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

Just got this one last year, haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet though. I’m so behind on books. *crying* KEEP

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Andrew “Ender” Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.

But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender’s two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military’s purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine’s abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.

Why do I have SO many books in my TBR that I have no desire to read?? I think I just thought as a fan of the genre there are books I should read so I bought them? UGH. PURGE

Ancestral Hungers by Scott Baker

Somewhere in contemporary Illinois…

David Bathory returns to his ancestral estate after the death of his father, the head of his family. David is the direct male heir to a birthright he has tried to deny: the lineage of Dracula–which means control over the entire family of vampires. Since his sinsiter uncle wishes to gain the vampire throne (and rule David as well), David is forced with two choices: either claim his birthright at the cost of his immortal soul, or suffer the immediate torments of hell. It’s hell one way or the other.

 

I have zero recollection of picking this book up. Seriously. When did I get this? Either way, it’s vampires. It could be interesting. But the reviews aren’t good. Hmmm. But vamps. I’m torn. UNDECIDED

The Sharing Knife:  Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold

 

 

Fawn and necromancer-patroller husband Dag seek solutions to the perilous split between their peoples, joined by her brother Whit, two novice patrollers, a flatboat captain searching for her vanished father and fiancé, a shrewd backwoods hunter, and a farmer boy unintentionally beguiled by Dag’s growing magery.

 

I read the first two of this a long time ago (although I don’t remember much about book two?) and I’ve always meant to continue the series. Maybe one day. I’ll hold onto this for now. KEEP

That’s all for now! This brings my total count to:

Keep	Purge	Undecided
185	61	34

Still some more progress this week, I’m impressed with myself. The longer this goes on the more I don’t mind purging either. What do you think about my choices here? Anything you’d do differently? Leave a note in the comments, I’d love to chat!