Goodreads TBR Cleanout: Books I Removed

I’ve used Goodreads to track my reading since 2019. In that time, I’ve found and read a lot of books and also shelved a lot as books I want to read at some point. Also during that time, my reading tastes have changed quite a bit and my Goodreads TBR is 132 books, some of which I no longer have any interest in. So, I’m cleaning it up. Here are the books that I have removed. I will post separately on the books that get to stay.

Just because I no longer plan to read these books does not mean they are bad or I wouldn’t enjoy them, I’m just not super interested anymore. Books are in alphabetical order by title.

• The Archived by Victoria Schwab – I loved the Darker Shades of magic series and wanted to read everything Schwab ever wrote. I have really liked some of her other work but none as much as that one and some of the older stuff wasn’t great. My library doesn’t have this one and I’m not interested enough to purchase it or otherwise find it.
• Black Tabs by VE Schwab – I don’t even know if this is a real book, it’s been years and nothing. I’ll know if she releases a new book, I don’t need this.
• Book of Night by Holly Black – I haven’t heard a single positive review and the blurb doesn’t grab my interest.
• The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson – I enjoyed the original Truly Devious trilogy but this sequel isn’t grabbing my attention anymore.
• Comeuppance Served Cold by Marion Deeds – I was initially intrigued but not enough to read it.
• Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford – No idea how I even heard about this one but I have no intention of reading it.
• The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska – I was intrigued by the blurb but the reviews aren’t great and YA fantasy standalones aren’t really my thing anymore.
• The Deep by Rivers Solomon– It’s been on my TBR since 2021 and I even got it out of the library at one point but really just because it’s short and I needed a readathon book. Even then I didn’t read it, it’s never going to happen.
• The Dragon Republic by RF Kuang – I liked The Poppy War but I didn’t love it and it’s been 2.5 years, I’d need to reread it. That’s never going to happen.
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green– I just don’t read this type of book anymore.
• Gallant by VE Schwab – I really wanted to read this, it’s new VE Schwab! But the blurb does not sound interesting and the creepy vibes are not my thing.
• Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake – Again, not my thing anymore.
• The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – Another sequel that I just never picked up. I’m never going to reread the first one so this series isn’t going to happen.
• House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas – I loved ACOTAR and was planning to read this one but the reviews of book 2 and the sheer size of these books has me totally uninterested at this point.
• Making Faces by Amy Harmon – I think this was a random add to the TBR based on a friend’s review. I am no longer intrigued.
• The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giersbrecht – I was really intrigued by this one for a long time but could not get my hands on it. I’m no longer intrigued, it just makes me frustrated.
• The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow – I hated Ten Thousand Doors of January so so much, no second chances for this author.
• Only on the Weekends by Dean Atta – I was excited to read another book by this author (he wrote The Black Flamingo) but the premise doesn’t sound great and reviews are mediocre.
• A Piece of Normal by Maddie Dawson – I love a lot of Dawson’s more recent work but haven’t liked her older stuff. This is an older one.
• Poison Study by Maria V Snyder – I’m just not interested anymore.
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – I’m not interested, I’m just not.
• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – I missed this boat on this one by a longshot, I don’t see myself ever picking it up.
• The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani – I have a friend who adores this series but otherwise I never hear about it and I don’t really have an urge to pick it up.
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi – It’s been on my TBR for over 3 years and I’ve heard mixed things, not going to read it.
• Spellmaker by Charlie Holmberg – I’ve read a lot by this author including the first book of this duology. I didn’t love it and it’s been I think 2 years so not going to keep reading.
• The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord – I don’t even know why this is on here, I’m never going to read it.
• These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong – I was initially intrigued but the more I hear, the less I want to read it.
• They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera – Another sad YA book and another one getting removed from the list since I no longer gravitate towards these.
• Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall – Another one I can’t remember why I added it and have no intention of reading.
• Veins of Gold by Charlie Holmberg – Holmberg’s earlier stories just aren’t for me, way too fairy-tale based.
• Vengeful by VE Schwab – I read Vicious in 2019 and didn’t love it. I’m never reading the sequel.
• Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour – I was recently browsing in the library and picked this up since I recognized it. The blurb does not sound at all like something I want to read, no idea why it’s on here.
• Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr – Not my thing anymore.
• The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss – It has been 2 years since I read Name of the Wind, I’m never going to continue.
• The Young Elites by Marie Lu – It’s YA and I have yet to really enjoy a book by Marie Lu, this is never getting read.

That’s it! 35 books removed from my Goodreads TBR!

I’m left with 97 books which seems reasonable, it’s about a year’s worth of reading. I like to see it under 100. Stay tuned for what’s left on the list or check out my Goodreads account.