Update On My TBR Control Project

Hello everyone!

A few days ago I said enough is enough. The number of books I wanted to read were piling over to a humongous number of 480 which just made me terribly anxious. Every time I opened Goodreads my eyes would pop out and I would start to sweat. And so I decided to get my TBR under control and started a project 50 Days of TBR Control.

 

Seriously though, I pulled an Amy and made a complete digital tracker of the past 50 days with every book that I managed to chuck out. You can go read the announcement post linked above but basically I took 50 days to go over my TBR and seriously analyse every book on my list. The books were analysed in the following ways:

1. My interest in them
2. Goodreads reviews from trusted friends and reviewers
3. Tropes featured in the book
4. Accessibility of a copy

I had an aim to take out at least 40 books but I surprised myself by discarding a total of 128 books!!!

 

This is honestly way more than I ever expected and my TBR currently stands at 368 books, including some that were added and others that were read. Below is my compilation of every book that I took of my TBR with the explanations. Feel free to go through them but please don’t try to change my mind, this whole process was hard enough to begin with.

 

 

Day 1:

Chucked:

• Ash Princess: It’s honestly surprising to see the number of books I lose interest in…
• The Savior’s Champion: I never thought I won’t read this?? But honestly the reviews are mixed and when a book stands at 560 pages I am not taking a chance

Day 2:

Chucked:

• Half-Bad: The premise no longer sounds that interesting plus it doesn’t have super great ratings
• A Song Of Ice and Fire: I honestly don’t see myself reading it. I told myself that I would read it as a challenge and also because one of my friends fell in love with it, but who has the time?
• The Cuckoo’s Calling: Ugh I definitely don’t want to support JKR in any from of manner. I bought this book a long time back so I guess I’ll just have to donate it.
• All the Names They Used for God: I am NOT a fan of anthologies and I rarely read them. I also have no clue as to what this book is doing on my TBR
• Picture Us In The Light: This is a classic case of me not you. I picked it up, read through 20 pages and simply couldn’t get invested. Now every time I even think of picking it up I’m filled with dread. So yeah, I’m going to let it slide.

Day 3:

Chucked:

• Fire & Flood: I was super excited for this until I read the reviews and found out that it is a shitty and cringey fanfic of The Hunger Games with an annoyingly stupid mc. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s an infuriating idiotic mc so yeah, bye bye.
• The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice and Virtue: Oh what great timing! I’ve been meaning to chuck this one due to the recent twitter commotion of the author signing over poc authors’ books and her books being transphobic as well
• Small Spaces: I’m just not interested anymore

Day 4:

Chucked:

• All the Birds in the Sky: I just don’t see the appeal of this book or remember why I added it to my TBR in the first place
• Runaways Vol 1
• Vol 2
• Vol 3
• Vol 4
• Vol 5 : Looking back, I added all these just because I love Rowell. But in reality I don’t read this sort of graphic novels plus I don’t thing I’ll be able to access them easily. I’m also trying not to support her works because of her being racist.

Day 5:

Chucked:

• Six Impossible Things: the blurb is meh? Doesn’t really intrigue me
• Sweetness #9: the blurb sounds interesting but the reviews for this one are so bad, definitely gonna chuck it
• Adultolescense: This one has an insane number of bad reviews

Day 6:

Chucked:

• Beyond the Red: I’ve lost interest in the plot this book seems to explore
• My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories: I don’t like holiday stories and I usually end up disliking anthologies so this one has to go too

Day 7:

Chucked:

• A Taxonomy Of Love: I’m just not feeling the blurb anymore
• Spirits Abroad: Am I chucking off all the anthologies? Maybe. Plus this one really doesn’t strike me
• Evening Is The Whole Day: This is not the kind of genre I read and I have no idea how this book found its way onto my TBR
• A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder: Again, the book doesn’t strike me as anything special

Day 8:

Chucked:

• Save the Date: The blurb is okay but not really attractive for me so I’m going to let go of this one
• The Belles: One of my friends wrote in her review that the mc is stupid, whiny and has no intelligence which is my biggest pet peeve in books so no thank you

Day 9:

Chucked:

• Simply an Enigma: I think this is a self published or indie book? As much as I want to, I know there’s no way that I’ll be able to get my hands on a copy
• All The Feels: The summary is fine but I’m sort of done with these sort of comic con books? Besides, looking at the reviews, it doesn’t seem like the author lived up to the expectations.
• Three Dark Crowns: The blurb sounds SO GOOD and it makes me wanna read it but everyone keeps saying that the blurb let them down and people keep giving it 3 stars and saying it’s average so I’m going to make the hard decision of chucking it out
• 500 Words Or Less: Simply not interested anymore

Day 10:

Chucked:

• All The Crooked Saints: I don’t even know why I added this book, the blurb is too vague to gather my interest
• How To Repair A Mechanical Heart: I simply don’t want to read this anymore
• A Married Woman: Why did I add this??? Also it has some pretty average ratings
• Social Intercourse: This one doesn’t have great reviews either plus I’m super wary of books where the romance is between a person and their former bully
• Hostel Room 131: Doesn’t have great reviews either…

Day 11:

Chucked:

• The Future Of Us: I love the blurb but it has so many bad ratings plus people keep saying that it never lived up to their expectations
• Lifelike: The blurb doesn’t really get me excited plus a few of my friends have given it really bad ratings, so pass.
• White Night: I’m not much interested in the plot plus I’ve heard it’s a slow unwinding story and I’m more into fast-paced stories
• The Wangs vs The World: I did want to read this but the ratings are average or low and I’m currently trying to invest in books I know for sure will get at least a 3.5 rating from me

Day 12:

Chucked:

• The Good Girl: I sort of want to read it but the ratings are not in this book’s favor
• Brutal: The sole reason I’m removing this book is because I won’t have easy access to this one and my only option would be buying it but these days I only buy books I’ve already read or know will love
• Zenith: This one has a surprising number of one star ratings from some of my trusted friends and reviewers
• The Surface Breaks: Again, chucking it based off the ratings. I’m also not super interested in the plot

Day 13:

Chucked:

• Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking: I wanted to read this one but it has some bad reviews and it’s been said it’s extremely repetitive and I hate that in non-fiction books
• Unearthed: Eh? That’s what I feel after reading the blurb and it’s rating aren’t stellar either

Day 14

Chucked:

• Swimming Lessons: Despite it’s great rating I’m just not interested in Swimming Lessons any longer
• Sea of Strangers: A close friend with similar tastes as mine gave it a one star rating so this one’s getting chucked away
• She Felt Like Feeling Nothing: It has such low ratings plus a trusted reviewer/friend rated it poorly as well

Day 15

Chucked:

• Broken Beautiful Hearts: I’ve just lost any interest I may have had in reading this one
• Heart of Iron: I love Poshton’s contemporary novels but often I don’t like sci-fi books because I can’t keep up with them. Even the blurb of this one seems too technical for me to handle so I’m gonna give it up.
• The Queen Of Hearts: Again, I’m no longer interested in what this book has to offer

Day 16

Chucked:

• Definitions of Indefinable Things: I really don’t care. I’ve sort of got tired of YA books centered simply on relationships and characters and absolutely nothing else and this sort of seems like that
• Red Sparrow: I honestly have no idea why I added this book because it’s not the kind of book I usually read. Maybe because of the Jennifer Lawrence movie? I’ve recently realised it’s okay to go and watch movies of books you really don’t plan on ever reading.

Day 17

Chucked:

• Every Last Word: There’s nothing wrong with this book but I just don’t see myself picking this up anytime soon or ever?
• Calling My Name: The blurb literally gives you nothing and I don’t know why but the plot seems to be giving a very vanilla vibe to me
• The Final Six: This sounds really interesting but most of my friends have given it low or average ratings
• Four Three Two One: This is a heavy book focused on characters, relationships and emotions but I’m not looking for that
• The Miseducation of Cameron Post: oh my god I was dying to read this one!!! But after reading the trigger warnings I think it would be safer for me to not pick it up 😦

Day 18

Chucked:

• The Shadow Queen: It doesn’t sound very interesting and most of my friends have given it a very average rating

Day 19

Chucked:

• As You Like It: To clarify, I might read this for a literature course some point in my life but I refuse to add coursebooks to my TBR so for now I’m kicking it off
• Seventeen: I’m just not interested anymore
• The Worrier’s Guide To The End Of The World: I didn’t realise that this was a memoir??? I can’t stand memoirs that try exploring a general issue so yeah this is a case of it’s me not you
• The Dreamers: I’m dying as I put this book on this list because the plot sounds to good to be true but more than one of my friends have said that if you don’t like having multiple characters and their perspectives then this is not for you. I’ve never been more sad.

Day 20

Chucked:

• Shadowy Eyes: I’m not much into paranormal so I don’t know what this book is doing on my TBR in the first place but apparently it’s slow paced as well so no thank you
• The Outsider: Again, why is this book on my shelf when I don’t read horror? The blurb isn’t intriguing either so bye bye
• Color Me In: The blurb is so vague? I don’t think I’m inclined to read it any time soon
• The Girl King: quite a few of my friends have deemed it unproblematic and others have said that they were disappointed so this one will have to go as well
• Last Of Her Name: eh? Not really into the hidden and lost princess trope anymore
• Just For Clicks: It sounds like a very average read and also has lots of drama which I’m not a fan of

Day 21

Chucked:

• Ready Player One: I added this simply because of the hype but in reality I’m not that into video playing games. I read Warcross and ended of sort of skimming through those parts of the book as well so I’ll pass on this one.
• Jurassic Park: No idea what came to me when I bought this book to read it after I’ve seen the whole saga of movies. I’m just not going to waste my time on a story I already know.
• Nyxia: Not really into this anymore

Day 22

Chucked:

• The Secret Runners of New York: I am SO disappointed. I love Mathew Reily but apparently this book his highly problematic with being misogynistic, abelist and what not

Day 23

Chucked:

• Girl Gone Viral: The only reason I’m taking this book off my TBR is because I’m not into the virtual reality technology sort of books.
• Hunger: A Memoir Of (My) Body: I tend not to like memoirs especially if they are centered on the person’s life and turn repetitive which some readers have suggested it does
• What Would Beauvoir Do?: How the Greatest Feminists Would Solve Your Everyday Problems: I have no way of getting my hands on this book and I’m not so besotted with it that I’ll go ahead and buy a copy
• The Way You Make Me Feel: A trusted friend gave it a bad review and all the things she pointed out are my usual pet peeves in a book
• Fake It Till You Break It: I have four words- bad ratings from friends

Day 24

Chucked:

• Cinnamon Gardens: I’m not a very huge fan of historical fiction plus I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get my hands on this book
• Swimming In The Monsoon Sea: I’m not interested in this book anymore
• Domechild: No longer interested in reading this one

Day 25

Chucked:

• The Liar’s Weave: Again, I’ve lost interest in the plot that this book offers
• Pulp: The thought of reading this one doesn’t really fill me with excitement so I’m going to drop it
• Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon: Somehow his doesn’t seem like the best book for me

Day 26

Chucked:

• The Waning Age: meh? Not interested in this book anymore
• The Dark Half: I don’t know what this book is doing on my TBR in the first place
• I’ll Be Gone In The Dark: I don’t think I’ve ever read true crime and I don’t think I’ll ever pick this one up
• Always Never Yours: I just don’t feel attracted to this one at all, it literally sounds similar to a lot of YA books I’ve read
• Infinity Son: I love Adam Silvera but so many of my friends have given this book a low or average rating. Since this is the first in a series I might wait till the whole series is published and review whether it’s worth reading. But for now it’s a hard no from me.

Day 27

Chucked:

• I’m Afraid Of Men: I didn’t know this was non-fiction or I wouldn’t have put it on my list
• Normal People: This is so critically acclaimed but I don’t think it’s my kind of book, something I would be interested in
• The Last Avatar: I have no idea how I’m going to get my hands on this one so it’s no use to keep it here
• The Gutter Prayer: I’m no longer interested in this one

Day 28

Chucked:

• Gay Icons of India: Okay so this one released so quietly and there was no promotion? And so few people have read it much less reviewed which makes me supremely suspicious so I’m taking it off my list
• Golden Boy: Um the blurb is so short and hasn’t really persuaded me so I’m letting it go
• The Zoya Factor: This is just not my kind of book so for once I’m going to watch the movie rather than read the book

Day 29

Chucked:

• Lie With Me: Just not interested anymore
• Until the Lions: Echoes from Mahabharata: I swear I’ve been adding books on my TBR in my sleep

Day 30

Chucked:

• Shakesqueer: I added this one without having been through even half of Shakespeare’s works so joke’s on me
• Unhistorical Shakespeare: Again, I made the same mistake
• By Any Means Necessary: Just not interested anymore

Day 31

Chucked:

• Grown-Up Pose: This one doesn’t really have great ratings and I’m not sure if the plot interests me as much as before

Day 32

Chucked:

• Bringing Down The Duke: I’m just not interested anymore
• Transformation: Again, not interested
• The Mortal Immoral: Why do I keep adding books that I don’t want to read?

Day 33

Chucked:

• Mathilda: this is a different kind of Mathilda and well I’m not interested
• A People’s History of Heaven: Okay this sounds really great and I added it on a friend’s recommendation but I don’t see myself reading it because it’s not the kind of book I usually read

Day 34

Chucked: none

Day 35

Chucked:

• The Devourers: I don’t think I’ll be able to access this book so I’ll pass
• Magic for Liars: I’m not as interested as I was before and some of the negative interviews highlight tropes that I don’t like reading about
• An Accident of Stars: I have no idea why this is even on my TBR

Day 36

Chucked:

• The Casual Vacancy: not supporting JKR anymore
• Tales of Mystery and Imagination: umm I don’t know why I bought a second-hand copy, I’m never gonna read it

Day 37

Chucked:

• Mix Tape: Not interested anymore
• Diamond City: Everyone is giving it average or low ratings so I’m going to drop this one

Day 38

Chucked:

• Queen of Coin and Whispers: I was excited for this but a lot of my friends have given it low and average ratings and I think someone said it’s either trash or problematic, I have a bad memory. So yeah, I’m removing this from my TBR.

Day 39

Chucked:

• You Beneath Your Skin: I don’t think I’ll be able to get my hands on a copy
• A Year Of Wednesdays: I’ve only heard of this book once from my friend and I don’t think I’ll be able to access a copy since it’s not very popular

Day 40, 41, 42, 43

Chucked: None

Day 44

Chucked:

• The Midnight Lie: simply don’t want to start a series when I’ll have to wait for the series to be out for at least two more years

Day 45

Chucked:

• Oasis: Most of my friends have given this low ratings or straight up DNFed
• The God Game: I’m honestly not interested in reading about virtual reality and video games and I only added this because of the hype

Day 46

Chucked:

• The Other You: I’m not sure if I’ll be able to access a copy of this one

Day 47

Chucked:

• The Wolf of Oren-Yaro: I know I’m going to be yelled at by a lot of people for this but I added it because so many of my friends loved it. Despite that the blurb doesn’t excite me and I know I’ll end up not picking it up.
• Beneath The Rising: I’m honestly not that interested plus I usually run away from books that remind me too much of the doomed reality of our world…

Day 48

Chucked:

• What I Want You To See: I just don’t think I’ll be able to find this book anywhere near me and I really don’t want to support Amazon, even if it’s available on Amazon India

Day 49

Chucked:

• Missing: A Novel: I just added it because my professor wrote this one but it’s not really the kind of book I read
• How I Became A Tree: Again, same reasoning as the previous one

Day 50

Chucked:

• Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World: Apparently this book is extremely white and acephobic and maybe transphobic too and that’s the last thing I need

 

How do you keep your TBR under control?

Do you have any bad things to say about the books I chucked?

How do you add books to your TBR? Do you closely inspect them or add anything that sounds nice?