I am running out of space for books. I live in a small house anyway, but the shelves I have are crammed. I'm talking books shoved haphazardly in any direction they can fit. I sort by genre but the genres are starting to bleed together. It's a whole mess of something like 700 books or more. And I've had enough!
The other day I went through my YA shelves (a big built-in unit in my living room) and took down the ones I knew I wasn't going to read (or reread, in some cases.) The total ended up being 44! 44 books off my shelf, instant space! But I couldn't just stop there. Oh no, I wanted to Try Something.
I've seen creators on YouTube do the try-a-chapter challenges to help they figure out which book to read next. I know for certain my next like, 5 reads, so I don't need help in that department. However, I do need to make room. So I took down a stack of 10 to read the first chapter from. If I like the first chapter, I'll keep it. If I don't like it, onto the unhaul pile it goes. Oh, one more thing? I have to read the kept books within the next 9 months, or they're gone too.
First of all, sincerest apologies for the mess that is this photo. I snapped it for my friends and forgot to take a blog-worthy picture later. The books have been donated so I can't just reform the stack.
Kept
The Cage by Megan Shepard. I decided to keep this one for a number of reasons. 1) It's signed and personalized. 2) The opening chapter was just intriguing enough to make me need more. The MC served time for manslaughter, so I have to know what's up with that.
Gilt by Katherine Longshore. I love historical fiction set in this era, so it's weird that I even had this on the pile. But I've had it since release day and still have no read it. I'm keeping it because it's well-written, but the time has come to get it done already.
Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson. This one is against my better judgment, but hello, I love werewolf stories. I just do. I'm also intrigued by the potential conflict of Claire becoming a werewolf while her father is a scientist trying to capture and/or cure them.
Acid by Emma Pass. This opens with an attempted sexual assualt (the guy gets literally nowhere, the MC kicks his ass instead) and it's kind of a dystopian. Both of those things aren't what I'm usually into but something about this is enticing. I like the writing style and I like Jenna, so I will be keeping this for now.
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao. I LOVE Xifeng. I love bad girls and hello, the whole premise of this book is Xifeng is the Baddest Bitch. I can't wait to read more. I loved it instantly.
Acid by Emma Pass. This opens with an attempted sexual assualt (the guy gets literally nowhere, the MC kicks his ass instead) and it's kind of a dystopian. Both of those things aren't what I'm usually into but something about this is enticing. I like the writing style and I like Jenna, so I will be keeping this for now.
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao. I LOVE Xifeng. I love bad girls and hello, the whole premise of this book is Xifeng is the Baddest Bitch. I can't wait to read more. I loved it instantly.
Tossed
Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass. I was the least excited about this book, so I'm not surprised here. I think I've outgrown this subgenre anyway, but the writing itself was dated and the voice was cringe-worthy.
Fateful by Claudia Gray. I couldn't even get through the first chapter, so that's a big old nope from me. I'm not sure I've ever read anything from this author and actually enjoyed it, so while the premise is promising, I don't think I'm missing out on much.
Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster. This one just kind of tosses you into the lives of the character with very little introduction. I didn't understand what was happening on the page right from the start. Plus, it's a dystopian, so I'm kind of over that genre anyway.
Compulsion by Martina Boone. At first I was going to keep this, but I wasn't sure. I am intrigued by the main character's powers, but the more I thought about it, the more I just knew it wouldn't be for me. I don't love big sprawling mansion stories and I really just never enjoy books where a character is going to live with their long lost, never before even heard of, family. Maybe this is good but it's not for me.
Winterson by S. Jae-Jones. I've been really interested in this for a while, since the romance seems exacty up my alley. But when I finally sat down to read this first chapter, I don't know. It was kind of a letdown. Kind of boring. And I just don't have time for boring.
Compulsion by Martina Boone. At first I was going to keep this, but I wasn't sure. I am intrigued by the main character's powers, but the more I thought about it, the more I just knew it wouldn't be for me. I don't love big sprawling mansion stories and I really just never enjoy books where a character is going to live with their long lost, never before even heard of, family. Maybe this is good but it's not for me.
Winterson by S. Jae-Jones. I've been really interested in this for a while, since the romance seems exacty up my alley. But when I finally sat down to read this first chapter, I don't know. It was kind of a letdown. Kind of boring. And I just don't have time for boring.
I've been dying to try something like this after seeing Booksandlala do something like it in her BookTube videos. You have inspired me! Thanks for sharing your process and thoughts on why you kept some and tossed others.
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