Here we are again, with another attempt to get rid of some of those books on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf. Last time, I removed all 5 books I looked at, so it’ll be interested to see how many I get rid of today. This is the 70th time I’ve done this, so after today I’ll have looked at a total of 350 books! The next book on the list is number 158, so I’ve so far removed 192 books! I’m very happy with that – I’d have been happy with half, but this is even better. So, let’s see how we get on 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?
158. The Zona
Nathan Yocum
Genre: Sci-Fi – Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopia
Published: February 15th, 2012
I’m not a fan of blurbs that don’t have a focus. Okay, this is a post-apocalyptic/dystopian society…but what sort of characters do we have? What kind of plot is involved? Is this just about people surviving, or people travelling, or looking for something? This blurb doesn’t tell me much other than this book sounds a lot like similar books within the same genre.
Status: Gone
159. What Came After
Sam Winston
Genre: Sci-Fi – Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopia
Published: October 1st, 2011
This sounds like it could be an interesting take on the idea of an apocalypse, but some of it…might just be a little outdated now? By that I mean…I think some writers in the late 00s/early 10s were writing about things that now are reminiscent of the last few years, but where they saw a possible collapse of society, what we’re living through is a bit different, and some of it might veer a bit too close to reality it becomes depressing. Sorry, What Came After, I don’t think I’ll be able to pick up a book like this for a long while.
Status: Gone
160. Xombies
Walter Greatshell
Genre: Sci-Fi – Zombies
Published: February 23rd, 2004
Nothing about this grabs me – it sounds like a standard zombie story, though trying too hard maybe to be ‘on the surface unique’? It just doesn’t sound like an interesting premise.
Status: Gone
161. Circus of the Dead
Seth Blackburn
Genre: Sci-Fi – Zombies
Published: October 17th, 2011
This one at least has a bit of an interesting premise, and I’m intrigued by it – especially as it’s very short, at only 32 pages, and still available. I actually might check this one out.
Status: Keep
162. Divided Kingdom by Rupert Thomson
Genre: Sci-Fi – Dystopia
Published: January 1st, 2005
I feel similarly to this as What Came After, above, especially as it’s about the UK’s “inexorable decline into consumerism, turpitude, racism, and violence”. Little too close to home now!
Status: Gone
So that’s four more books gone…and a whole lot more to go! Still, I’m really happy with the progress I’m making on this, and I’m hopeful that at least next year I can look into actually getting and reading some of the oldest books on my TBR! The want to read is (gradually) coming down, and from looking slightly ahead, at least I’m moving away from zombies a bit with the next few books.
Unwrapping Words 
Plenty of Dystopia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was just so much of it back then, and I’m finding a lot of what I would have liked about it then is likely what’s putting me off now
LikeLiked by 1 person