Everyone keeps doing these and they’re actually useful. I once again find myself overwhelmed by my TBR and I want to get rid of some books. I have a bunch that are sitting on my shelves and I’m not very excited about, but I also don’t want to unhaul them. So I’ve decided on another try a chapter thing to decide whether they stay or no. I’m going to do 6 books today, because I feel like more than that would just be too much. Anyway, here we go.
A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy
I read the prologue and first chapter and didn’t really like it. It basically feels like a ripoff of Three Dark Crowns (which I’m currently reading) but with vampires and fae and shapeshifters added. It’s basically about this Princess who has a specific type of magic and she has a sister who she has to fight to the death for the throne and her sister has a different type of magic. Sound familiar? Not only that, but I also didn’t like the writing. It was super info dumpy in a super annoying way. Here, it’s easier to illustrate with a quote:
Glamour, the fey ability to to cast illusions over the world and themselves made their glossy skin shine as bright as the moon. Beside them, groups of human girls [...] passed around tiny cups of ouitza, dark liquor made from the sugarcane that grew along the river.Three-story akelaes - Myrean homes built around a central courtyard [...]
And it just goes on and on and on like that for nearly a page. It’s like reading a dictionary. And then there’s a bunch of boring tropes that are in no way creatively implemented: gay best friend, best friend who’s kind of a goody two shoes and the wild and mischievous MC who gets them to loosen up, MC with super duper rare and powerful magical abilities unseen for generations. And this was just the first chapter. So yeah, this one’s going. I’m really enjoying Three Dark Crowns and I think I’ll stick to that for my fill of rival sibling queens. I realise that I just hauled this recently and now I’m unhauling it, but I have had it for a couple months. I just didn’t do a haul for a long time.
Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas
I have had a bit of a falling out with Sarah J. Mass. Used to be a huge fan, but didn’t really like her last few books. Which is why this is on the list. I’ve had it for nearly two years now, or however long it’s been since it came out and I’m never tempted to pick it up. However, after reading the first chapter, I think I will keep it for at time when I’m the mood for some dark, gritty superhero trash. It’s definitely not high quality literature, but it does capture that DC grunge. Reading the first chapter kind of felt like watching an episode of Arrow (which is the last DC show I’ve watched because I don’t have a life) in terms of atmosphere. So I want to have something like that on hand if the mood strikes.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
I was never really going to unhaul this. I just wanted to see what it was like. I’ve been avoiding it because usually John Green = romance and I really haven’t been in the mood for romance in the past 2 years really. Which is how long this has been on my shelves. I read the first chapter and it’s very John Green, philosophical teenagers and all that. I know that it’s very personal for him and that it depicts his own struggles with OCD and anxiety and thought spirals. And it’s somewhat relatable for me. While I don’t have OCD, I do have anxiety and I understand how hard it is to stop the thought spirals. Anyway, I digress. I am definitely keeping this, but I’m giving myself permission to take it off my TBR for the time being because I cannot handle reading it in my current state of mind.
The Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
anoth
I’m a bit conflicted about this. I enjoyed the first chapter. But I know this is a romance. It’s marketed as one and I’ve heard people say that it focuses much more on the romance than it does on the Korean folklore. The folklore is really the reason I would like to read this and the reason I enjoyed the first chapter is because we haven’t met the love interest yet. So I think I’m going to let this go. But I will say that the book was decently well written and it’s probably worth reading if you’re looking for a YA fantasy romance. Of course this is just based on the first chapter, so it’s not a particularly reliable recommendation.
Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen
This is another one that has been on my shelves for ages and I never reach for it. But I should because I really loved Nielsen’s Ascension trilogy and just reading the first chapter of this brought back all the things I really loved about her other series. I’m glad I did include it in this challenge because now I want to read it, so it renewed my interest in this book.
The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund
This is definitely staying as well. I can tell that it’s the type of thriller I will enjoy. You know, the kind that’s actually thrilling and keeps you on edge, not the boring type about a cop with a drinking problem, tortured past and toxic “relationships”.
A Book Nerd 