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 Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith

For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.

I received this one for review and even though it sounds like something I might like I’ve just never mustered up the interest for it, unfortunately. PURGE

The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley

From the perspective of those who live in Herot Hall, the suburb is a paradise. Picket fences divide buildings—high and gabled—and the community is entirely self-sustaining. Each house has its own fireplace, each fireplace is fitted with a container of lighter fluid, and outside—in lawns and on playgrounds—wildflowers seed themselves in neat rows. But for those who live surreptitiously along Herot Hall’s periphery, the subdivision is a fortress guarded by an intense network of gates, surveillance cameras, and motion-activated lights.

I picked this one up based on a few reviews. Having recently enjoyed her new translation of Beowulf, I’m excited to check out this retelling. KEEP

Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart

Bryony Ashley knows that Ashley Court, the grand estate, is both hell and paradise — once elegant and beautiful, yet shrouded in shadow. After the tragic death of her father, Bryony returns from abroad to find that his estate is to become the responsibility of her cousin Emory. Her family’s estate with its load of debt is no longer her worry. Still, her father’s final, dire warning about a terrible family curse haunts her days and her dreams. And there is something odd about her father’s sudden death…

I used to like Mary Stewart’s stuff back in the day and have collected quite a lot of her books as a consequence. I don’t think I’ll read this one though so I’m okay with letting it go. PURGE

Hope and Red by Jon Skovron

In a fracturing empire spread across savage seas, two young people from different cultures find common purpose. A nameless girl is the lone survivor when her village is massacred by biomancers, mystical servants of the emperor. Named after her lost village, Bleak Hope is secretly trained by a master Vinchen warrior as an instrument of vengeance. A boy becomes an orphan on the squalid streets of New Laven and is adopted by one of the most notorious women of the criminal underworld, given the name Red, and trained as a thief and con artist. When a ganglord named Deadface Drem strikes a bargain with the biomancers to consolidate and rule all the slums of New Laven, the worlds of Hope and Red come crashing together, and their unlikely alliance takes them further than either could have dreamed possible.

This is a recent addition (within the last two years). I picked this up after meeting Jon at a couple of local events. Still want to get to this one eventually. KEEP

Gaslight & Grimm: Steampunk Faerie Tales edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Once Upon a Time…ageless tales were told from one generation to the next, filled with both wonders and warnings. Tales of handsome princes and wicked queens, of good-hearted folk and evil stepmothers. Tales of danger and caution and magic…classics that still echo in our hearts and memories even to this day, told from old, cherished books or from memory at Grandma’s knee. Oh yes, tales have been told…but never quite like these. Journey with us through the pages of Gaslight and Grimm to discover timeless truths through lenses polished in the age of steam.

This also is a more recent add. Danielle is a staple at our local cons and festivals and it’s always a joy to see her and her small press has lots of fantastic books to look at and choose from. I’m always keen on picking up some whenever I go to a local event and I still do want to get to this collection. KEEP

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

Keep	Purge	Undecided
364	122	70

Yay for two more purges–progress continues! Huzzah. Anything you’d do differently? Leave a note in the comments, I’d love to chat!