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.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

English magicians were once the wonder of the known world, with fairy servants at their beck and call; they could command winds, mountains, and woods. But by the early 1800s they have long since lost the ability to perform magic. They can only write long, dull papers about it, while fairy servants are nothing but a fading memory.

But at Hurtfew Abbey in Yorkshire, the rich, reclusive Mr Norrell has assembled a wonderful library of lost and forgotten books from England’s magical past and regained some of the powers of England’s magicians. He goes to London and raises a beautiful young woman from the dead. Soon he is lending his help to the government in the war against Napoleon Bonaparte, creating ghostly fleets of rain-ships to confuse and alarm the French.

This book. I started it. And then I put it down and didn’t pick it up again. I think it’s a mood thing and I really want to try again because I honestly love the style of the book.  KEEP

The Thief’s Gamble by Juliet E. McKenna

Magic? It’s for the rich, the powerful…the Archmage and his elite wizards and cloud-masters.

Livak is not among them. She haunts the back taverns of the realm, careful to appear neither rich nor poor, neither tall nor short . . . neither man nor woman. Obscurity is her protection, thievery her livelihood, and gambling her weakness.

Alas, some bets are hard to resist. Particularly when they offer a chance to board a ship for Hadrumal, the fabled city of the Archmage. So Livak follows a minor wizard, Shiv, in an attempt to turn a rune or two, never dreaming that the stolen tankard she wants to sell contains the secrets of an ancient magic far more powerful, and infinitely darker, than any mortal mage’s spells.

This feels like some old school fantasy and sometimes that’s what you’re in the mood for? I’ve been wanting to read this author’s work for some time and just haven’t gotten around to it yet and this seemed like a good place to jump in so I picked these up while out at the used book shop. I have this and the two sequels. Still plan on getting to these one day. KEEP

The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

Humanity clings to life on January–a colonized planet divided between permanently frozen darkness on one side, and blazing endless sunshine on the other.

Two cities, built long ago in the meager temperate zone, serve as the last bastions of civilization–but life inside them is just as dangerous as the uninhabitable wastelands outside.

Sophie, a young student from the wrong side of Xiosphant city, is exiled into the dark after being part of a failed revolution. But she survives–with the help of a mysterious savior from beneath the ice.

Burdened with a dangerous, painful secret, Sophie and her ragtag group of exiles face the ultimate challenge–and they are running out of time.

I got this one when it came out last year and still haven’t had a chance to read it. I think the concept sounds amazing and I got to hear Charlie Jane Anders talk about the book and how she came up with some of the ideas for it at the book festival one year. I’m still looking forward to getting to this one! KEEP

Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handeland

William Shakespeare was one of history’s greatest writers, a master of words with a body of work that is truly impressive . . . some may say a little too impressive for a single man to accomplish in one lifetime. Perhaps, as many have speculated, he had assistance. Or perhaps the explanation is more . . . unusual.

Who was William Shakespeare?

Who was the Dark Lady of the Sonnets?

Why are the undead stalking the alleyways of London?

And can they be stopped?

Something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.

So brace yourself for a wild ride through twisted streets and shadowed graveyards of Elizabethan London, where you’ll discover how the Bard got his Bite. 

I am really not sure where I got this one or why? Maybe it looked interesting to me at the time. It could be a fun book I just think I’m probably not in the mood for it anymore so I’ll let it go. PURGE

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions…

This book was a gift from a book friend and I still haven’t read it yet, shame on me, I am a terrible person. 😦  Anywho, I still VERY much want to read this! I’ve heard great things about Patrick Ness. KEEP

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

One more purge this time around, even though I have a lot of keeps. Oh well, one is better than none. 😀 What do you think about my choices here? Anything you’d do differently? Leave a note in the comments, I’d love to chat!