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 Giver by Lois Lowry
The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community.
I don’t know how I haven’t read this one–I guess I was out of the age bracket when it came out so I missed out. I think I’d like to check it out because I like the specific genre, but also I’m not sure I really want to spend time on this book. Hmm. UNDECIDED
The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny
His name is Charles Render, and he is a psychoanalyst, and a mechanic of dreams. A Shaper. In a warm womb of metal, his patients dream their neuroses, while Render, intricately connected to their brains, dreams with them, makes delicate adjustments, and ultimately explains and heals. Her name is Eileen Shallot, a resident in psychiatry. She wants desperately to become a Shaper, though she has been blind from birth. Together, they will explore the depths of the human mind — and the terrors that lurk therein.
This is an award winning book and yet I’m not sure about it. What I’ve read from Zelazny I’ve loved but it’s also been years ago and I’m not sure if I’ll get to this one. UNDECIDED
The Dolphin’s Bell by Anne McCaffrey
A tale of the second crossing. When the original colonists find that the Southern Continent is too geologically unstable, they need to find a way to transport the growing colony and its possessions to the Northern Continent. Working with the intelligent dolphins who helped to colonize Pern with humans is key if they are to be successful…
I haven’t read any Pern books in years–or any McCaffrey at all, really. Yet, I really keep hanging on to these because of nostalgia reasons–Pern was one of the first SFF series that really hooked me back in the day. I have this and four other unread Pern books. KEEP
A Sorcerer and a Gentleman by Elizabeth Willey
Centuries ago, the wizard Prospero was cut out of the imperial succession by his brother Avril. In the intervening years Prospero has found his own land and people to rule, but he has not given up his claim to the throne. Now, finally, he is going to war.
I have this second book to the series and book three. I got these in a huge free book haul and they looked really intriguing so I’ve been hanging on to them. (I also ordered the first book–it may be here before this post goes up!) KEEP
Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip
Ombria is a place heaped with history — and secrets. There is a buried city beneath it inhabited by ghosts, accessible only through magical passages and long-forgotten doorways. When the Prince of Ombria dies suddenly, his wicked great-aunt Domina Pearl seizes power by becoming regent to the prince’s young son, Kyel. Minutes after the prince’s death, Domina kicks Lydea, the prince’s longtime mistress, out into the streets to die. But she is saved by a strange girl named Mag, a supposed waxling created by a powerful sorceress who lives underneath the city. With the help of Mag and the prince’s bastard nephew, a strange, silver-eyed man obsessed with drawing, Lydea tries to save Kyel and somehow defeat Domina.
At this point I’m just posting the McKillip books to show off the covers because I’m definitely keeping all of my McKillip. 🙂 KEEP
That’s all for now! This brings my total count to:
| Keep | Purge | Undecided |
| 343 | 117 | 63 |
Well, there is a lot of keeps this time around, haha. But at least two more added to the undecided pile. I’m still making progress. What do you think about my choices here? Anything you’d do differently? Leave a note in the comments, I’d love to chat!
Way Too Fantasy 
When you’re undecided and it’s a teenage book (the so called YA), throw it out. There is a disproportionate amount of time dedicated on review forums to that kind of literature.
Well, I do enjoy YA now and then and I don’t really dictate my reading based on what other reviewers are doing.
My reading is based upon what reviewers recommend, since I’m way too busy to sieve through the tsunami the publishing world is releasing. Sadly enough, most of the five star reviews are about teenage books. I do read some of them, but sometimes I feel like for some different kind of protagonist than the LGTB teenage genius.
most ya books actually aren’t about the lgbtqiap+ community, and i’m not sure if you mean it in a bad way, but queer representation is so important. if most of the reviews you see are in the ya genre, then you’re looking in the wrong place. there are lots of book bloggers (that talk about books in the adult genre) out there.
Well, there are a lot of folks who concentrate on YA books for review blogs, but there are folks out there that read mostly Adult SFF, I’d recommend trying to find more of those folks to follow as you’ll probably get better recommendations that way. 🙂
I’ve only heard of The Giver on this list (and read it when I was in middle school but can’t remember much of it 🙈) but so many of these sound really interesting! Especially Ombria in the Shadow! I would’ve probably kept all of these too if they were on my TBR 😂
I always recommend checking out McKillip, especially if you like prose because hers is wonderful. 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever read The Giver, although I saw the movie. Hmm. I think I’d be undecided on that one too.
I haven’t seen the movie (and by all accounts I’ve seen, the movie is a poor adaptation), but the book is one of my favorites growing up, and learning that there are sequels (of unknown quality) makes me want to revisit the book and read the sequels for the first time.
You should do it!
Yeah, I also saw the movie for that one. Another reason to leave me unsure about it lol.
I love this feature! What a good idea. 😀 It’s such a great idea to solicit opinions to help you decide what to keep. I haven’t read any on your list but the giver has maintained sales for as long as I’ve been a bookseller so it has to have some redeeming qualities (plus it’s short). 🙂
Thanks! Yeah, I think that’s why I’m on the fence about it. It is popular enough to have had that staying power all these years. Thanks for your thoughts!
Well the Giver is a pretty short book, so if you listen to the audiobook, it should go by pretty quickly. The pace is slow though. Last time I read it was years ago. It’s a good read, so I’d recommend it.
Thanks. I think I’m almost convinced just to go ahead and give that one a try. 🙂
I should read The Giver – I really feel like I should. reading your purge posts is adding to my TBR. LOL
Lynn 😀
LOL. Whoops? Totally unintended consequences haha.