It’s been a few weeks since I did one of these, so thought it was time to do another one! This is one of my favourite types of posts to do, as I find it really interesting to go back and see what books I was interested in way back when, and I think getting rid of a few off the TBR really does make me feel like I’ve achieved something! So, let’s see how we do today.
RULES
Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5/10/however many books. If done again, start from where you left off.
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: should it stay or should it go?
151. The Quantity Theory of Insanity
Will Self
Genre: Literary
Published: January 1st, 1991
I’m not sure if something I read resulted in this being a recommendation, or if at the time I added this to Want to Read (December 2013) I was maybe actively looking to ‘stretch’ my reading? Either way, I find literary fiction to be really hit or miss for me, and not something I tend to really enjoy a lot.
Status: Gone
152. Haunted Legends
Edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas
Genre: Horror
Published: January 1st, 2010
Hm, I’m in two minds about this, kind of. I do like anthologies and I’ve enjoyed Datlow’s work, but recent…revelations about her, along with recent issues with some of the names involved in this, has put me on edge a fair bit. I don’t think this is a book I’d seek out, as such. I’m sure there are some good stories here, but for now, I definitely think I can find similarly themed anthologies with less…problematic folks involved.
Status: Gone
153. Poe’s Children
Edited by Peter Straub
Genre: Horror
Published: January 1st, 2008
I’m sure this is a decent anthology but nothing about this particularly grabs me. It seems like the main draw is the list of names, and there are some great names here but it’s the same old same old from every single anthology of that time (and, let’s be honest, those names persist in ‘big name anthologies’ now, too). There’s nothing here that makes me feel excited.
Status: Gone
154. The Dying of the Light: End
Jason Kristopher
Genre: Horror
Published: April 14th, 2011
Having lived through the zombie trend of the mid to late 00s/early 10s, a zombie book has to offer something really different for me to be gripped by it. I love zombies, but the military/soldier focused stories just don’t grab me, and they seem to be by far the most common type with zombie stories.
Status: Gone
155. Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection: Field Notes by Robert Twombly
Don Roff, Illustrated by Chris Lane
Genre: Horror
Published: October 1st, 2009
This, on the other hand, does feel like it does something a bit different. Presented as a biologist’s illustrated journal, unearthed by (presumably) survivors following a zombie attack. I’m intrigued!
Status: Keep
4 out of 5 gone, which feels pretty good, but also maybe a little brutal with some of the choices today. I definitely feel like I’m becoming a touch more ruthless with this, though I am coming across more names I used to really admire, and now I feel…if not negatively towards, ambivalent. I guess that’s just the way it goes with the access to social media nowadays. Never meet your heroes, and pray they stay off the internet!
Unwrapping Words 