#Project14Lists: Books I Don’t Want to Read Anymore

It’s Day 3 of Project 14 List and wow, we’re still going strong and I’m still baffled with how I’m managing. Kidding aside, Project 14 Lists is an event created by Shealea from That Bookshelf Bitch. During the event, book bloggers are tasked to come up with creative bookish/blogging list ideas, and on each day, write a list and post it on their respective blogs.

*badly whistles* I didn’t exactly state that all of these lists will be positive. It’s okay to a negative nelly once in a while, and I like to think of this as a cleanse of some sort. A part of ones growth as a reader is having a change in taste or preference. Maybe you like this book one day then you just don’t. There are time where it you have to let go of some of the books that you clearly don’t see yourself reading anymore. I reflect this line of thinking when I update my socials. For 2 years now, I’m on a constant purge on Goodreads because I don’t want to kid myself when it comes to my TBR. With the recent addition of many (AND I MEAN MANY) books by diverse authors on my TBR, I decided to prioritize those and let go of some of the books that have lingered since the dawn of my account. Yes, I meant those some books that I would have loved back in circa 2012, but realized that it’s just not up to my liking anymore. It’s more of a mix, really. Let’s get onto the list.

Disclaimer: If a book you love is listed down below, please know that I don’t hold any grudge against the book itself or the author. I just purely lost any interest in reading these titles. I’m still open to adding these books again, but it will probably take a lot of energy to convince me to do so. I am also still considering some of the other works of the authors mentioned below. Finally, as a respect to the authors and the book itself, I won’t be linking these titles to their respective Goodreads page.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Why I removed it on my TBR: I tried reading it twice and what I read had me nodding, “Yes, yes, carry on.” But my brain just shut down one day and said, “The writing is a bit too lyrical, right?”. I was little bit concerned when the first line did not manage to hook me in. Petty, I know. It dawned on me that I might have fallen for the hype. Everyone’s always asking who I like best between Gansey, Adam, and oh-for-flip’s sake who knows? Maybe one day I’ll get what all the hype is about with this series, but I’m really not counting on it since I have so many issues with committing myself to a series and this one has 4 under its bracket. (Also no joke and I am generally curious: are there no other ominous birds besides a raven and a crow?)

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Why I removed it on my TBR: The journey with this series is like a love-hate relationship. One minute, I want to go for it. The next minute, I keep on asking myself exactly why do I want to read it. The book itself is genuinely interesting, but it falls on the spectrum of “Yes, I will save this book from a fire” to “Yes, I’m going to throw this book off a cliff.” There’s a lot of back-and-forth happening, but I ultimately decided to let go and focus my energy somewhere else. It also features a trope that I’m not really a fan of (foreshadowing??). Asides that, it’s a series. Hello commitment issues, my old friend.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Why I removed it on my TBR: A lot of people say this is not your regular book about beauty queens and I agree. I’ve been meaning to dive into a book written by Libba Bray for so long now. My curiosity peaked when I realized that it had footnotes, but I can’t just keep a book just because I want to read the extra details printed at the bottom, right? Right now, it’s wishful thinking that maybe – JUST MAYBE, I can finally understand the dark humor and the satire contained within its pages. It really sounds great and it features a diverse cast as well, but this is tea and I want hot chocolate. (No euphemisms intended, just really craving chocolate.)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Why I removed it on my TBR: It’s not like I dropped this book like a hot potato or anything, but my suspicions were confirmed when I watched a book review about it by Lily C. Reads on booktube. My mind was already contradicting Anna when I read the first few chapters when she was complaining about moving to Paris. Let’s just say that early on, I wanted to tell Anna to stop with the nonsense and actually think for a second. If she loves film so much, then why on earth was she whining that she’s actually at the birthplace of cinema? People would kill to trade places with her and bask in the glory of the history of where it all started. I’m just… luckily I let this story go before it ended up in some sort of chute. (Semi-kidding.)

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

Why I removed it on my TBR: I was really hyped for this book because I’m a simple girl. I see Frozen in the pitch of a certain retelling and I jump like the trash I am. Throw in a gorgeous cover in the mix, and it’s like I’m being called out. It had so much potential and the hype was real. Unfortunately with the lack of stellar reviews from close friends and fellow bloggers, I had to withdraw myself from attempting to read this and reconsider if I actually want to read it for what it offers. Yes, I have partially read Dorothy Must Die but I purged it from my TBR earlier in the year.

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Why I removed it on my TBR: *gasp* THE HORROR. Before you throw your sticks or deadly weapons at me, let me explain. This had all the boxes for a great contemporary read, and it is uncommon knowledge here on the blog that I am a sucker for it. What’s not to like about this book? Especially if it features road trips, playlists, and a cute guy? It sounds so simple and yes, I might like it and this is the only book on this list that has a 50% chance of getting back into my TBR for the next… well I don’t know but it’s going back and I just don’t know when. However, it’s not the book. It’s me, and I don’t feel like reading it with a mindset bitter with heterosexual relationships. Let’s carry on!

Flame In The Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Why I removed it on my TBR: There’s a little bit of conflict with this book. On one hand, I want some feudal Japanese Mulan action. On the other hand, I have the fear of being disappointed. I have zero patience for books that start slow, and it’s that one factor that people don’t seem to like about it. But the main issue that I have with this one is that the common pattern points to a direction where people don’t really see it as a Mulan retelling. I’m conflicted, not to mention wary of any YA book set in Japan because I love it the country too much that I set the bar high. So as to not disappoint myself, I decided to prioritize The Wrath and the Dawn instead to ease myself in Renee Ahdieh’s writing style. Not totally closing the door on this novel, but there’s still a lot to weigh.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Why I removed it on my TBR: I did my best for this one, but my best was not good enough. I tried getting into it not once, twice, or thrice. I gave this series FOUR chances before finally deciding to remove it completely on my TBR. Sure, the staggering reviews for the sequel momentarily made me keep it for the meantime but I felt like it was holding me back from trying other tomes. Another probable cause, and this is definitely a black sheep moment, I found the writing style and the pacing to be a little bit dragging. Plus, the tale it was loosely based on has already been done SO. MANY. FREAKIN. TIMES. For the meantime, I will respectfully admire people who love stories about fae in a distance. That’s one fandom on the horizon and whose train I may not be able to fully go on board yet.

*cricket noises* That’s about it, friends. Again, no hard feelings if you loved and liked some or most of the books on this list. I think it’s much more painful to hold onto something you can’t commit to rather than something you know you’ll absolutely love. (Eew, was that a cheesy line or something? Ugh, self no.) These are not the only books that I let go of in 2018, but these are definitely the ones with the most ~issue~ behind it. As of the moment, I have 260 books on my Goodreads TBR that I am hoping to narrow down in 2019. Nothing like a book purge towards the end of the year. Hopefully tomorrow’s list is a bit more jolly.

How about you guys? What books have you decided to remove from your TBR? Do you also do an annual book purge when things get too out of hand? How do you sleep at night knowing your towering TBR is looming over your head?