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.

Spellbinder by L.J. Smith

Her name is Blaise and she’s irresistible to boys. Her dark, smoldering beauty is an invitation to jealousy and madness. And now she’s ready for the kill. Eric Ross is the perfect catch, a star athlete who wants to be a vet. But her cousin Thea, is determined to protect this particular human boy from the girl who was born to destroy men. Blaise’s black magic is powerful. The only way Thea can fight back is to use her own white magic, to bewitch Eric herself as a bluff. But soon Thea finds herself getting too close to Eric, feeling forbidden emotions, breaking Night World laws. Falling in love. As Halloween and the Night of the Witch draw closer, can Thea save Eric–and herself–from Blaise’s vengeance?

Well, I loved L.J. Smith back in the day. The problem is now days I have really outgrown her style of writing. Yet, nostalgia. Ugh, I’m on the fence. I have this and two sequels. UNDECIDED

The Serpent’s Shadow by Mercedes Lackey

This story takes place in the London of 1909, and is based on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Lackey creates echoes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, pays affectionate homage to Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey (who plays an important role under a thin disguise), and turns the dwarves into seven animal avatars who masquerade as pets of her Eurasian heroine, Maya.

I think I’ve read a single Elemental Masters book back in the day and enjoyed it and have always wanted to read more. I have this and one other sequel in my pile. KEEP

Acorna’s Rebels by Anne McCaffrey

Acorna’s people, the Linyaari, have begun reclaiming their homeworld from the ravages of the brutal Khleevi. But the first wave of explorers has unlocked a larger mystery about the origins of the Linyaari — one that has led Aari, Acorna’s beloved lifemate, on a dangerous journey from which he may never return. Setting off on a quest to find Aari, Acorna and her friends — Captain Becker, Mac, Nadhari, and RK — are forced to crash land on the beautiful and barbaric exotic jungle world of Makahomia, home of the mysterious Temple Cats. But an evil scheme threatens to destroy the sacred felines. To save the cats, Acorna will lead a band of rebels on a journey into Makahomia’s temples and hidden sanctuaries.

Used to be a HUGE McCaffrey fan and as a result have dove into quite a few of her series over the years. I do have a problem finishing things though. This is book 6 of Acorna…and I have one other unread sequel. KEEP

The Sundering Flood by William Morris

The celebrated medievalist William Morris was among the first writers to combine supernatural elements with worldbuilding. He created the precursors of modern fantasy fiction, and both C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien acknowledged his influence on their writing. In his final novel, Morris draws upon Icelandic lore to tell a tale of two lovers, Osberne and Elfhild, separated by a broad river. When Elfhild vanishes from the riverbank, Osberne takes up his magical sword Boardcleaver and begins a desperate search. He soon finds himself battling a tyrannical king in the service of rebel knight Sir Godrick of Longshaw, but Osberne can never forget the quest for his lost love.

This is one of those super old classics that I added to my pile a long time ago when I was collecting classics. The problem is a lot of classics tend to bore me. Welp. I have this and one other William Morris book which I just don’t think I’m ever going to get to. PURGE

To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts

When Princess Anja fails to appear at her betrothal banquet, the tiny, peaceful kingdom of Sessalie is plunged into intrigue. Two warriors are charged with recovering the distraught king’s beloved daughter. Taskin, Commander of the Royal Guard, whose icy competence and impressive life-term as the Crown’s right-hand man command the kingdom’s deep-seated respect; and Mykkael, the rough-hewn newcomer who has won the post of Captain of the Garrison – a scarred veteran with a deadly record of field warfare, whose ‘interesting’ background and foreign breeding are held in contempt by court society.

As the princess’s trail vanishes outside the citadel’s gates, anxiety and tension escalate. Mykkael’s investigations lead him to a radical explanation for the mystery, but he finds himself under suspicion from the court factions. Will Commander Taskin’s famous fair-mindedness be enough to unravel the truth behind the garrison captain’s dramatic theory: that the resourceful, high-spirited princess was not taken by force, but fled the palace to escape a demonic evil?

I still want to read this one at some point! I really like what I’ve read of Janny Wurts’ writing so far, her pacing is amazing and she knows how to weave a complex tale. KEEP

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

Keep	Purge	Undecided
305	109	56

My purge and undecided piles have grown again. What do you think about my choices here? Anything you’d do differently? Leave a note in the comments, I’d love to chat!