Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on and/or purchase from some links, I make a portion of the sale. This helps keep Bitch Bookshelf running.
This week’s theme is “Spring Cleaning Freebie”. I decided to take this one to visit my to-read shelf on Goodreads and to remove ten books that don’t appeal to me anymore. I sorted my list by date added (ascending) so I could remove books that have been sitting on my to-read shelf for too dang long. That felt like spring cleaning to me! Here are the books I chose to remove using that method.
By Your Side by Kasie West
The summary, from Amazon:
An irresistible story from Kasie West that explores the timeless question: What do you do when you fall for the person you least expect?
When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her.
Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.
Only he doesn’t come. No one does.
Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye.
As he and Autumn at first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?
Reason for removal: While the premise of this one is cute, my Goodreads friends all gave it meh or just plain bad reviews. I don’t want to waste my time on this one when I know there are solid YA romances out there.
The Boyfriend Whisperer by Linda Budzinski
The summary, from Goodreads:
As President and CEO of Boyfriend Whisperer Enterprises, Lexi Malloy is Grand View High School’s undercover Cupid. One problem: She’s stuck in the friend zone with her own dream crush, Chris Broder. She and Chris have been best friends since the third grade, and he doesn’t even seem to realize she’s a member of the opposite sex.
When pretty, flirty cheerleader Lindsay LaRouche hires Lexi to whisper Chris, she has to decide whether to place her commitment to her company—and Chris’s happiness—before her own heart’s desires.
Reason for removal: I must have been on a YA romance kick when I added this one. It doesn’t sound remotely up my alley anymore.
After removing the first two books, I found I was scrolling for a while through a bunch of books that still looked good. I changed my method to sorting by lowest rating from the Goodreads community.
Charming by Mette Bach
The summary, from Amazon:
Seventeen-year-old Char has studied music, but didn’t think of it as a future until she posted a video of herself singing and it went viral. So now, instead of going to queer youth events or taking part in the Gay Lesbian Alliance, Char spends her time figuring out how to get enough online fame to fuel a singing career. When one of her videos is bombarded with vicious online comments she is pleased to find an app that offers support and encouragement to people who are being bullied online.
Using the handle Charming, Char gets to know the creator and moderator of the app, who calls herself Cinders. Cinders inspires Char to reconsider her obsession with having the ideal online presence and concentrate on who she really is. But when Cinders turns out to be Ash, a shy girl who goes to the same school, Char must find a way to show Ash how much she means to her.
With a modern female version of Prince Charming as the main character, Charming expands the story of the fairy-tale prince to one of a teen girl who learns the true nature of fame and love.
Reason for removal: I remember doubting I was ever going to get to this when I added it. I do want to note though that a lot of the negative reviews kind of seem to be missing this point… This is a hi-lo (high interest, lower reading level) YA novel, so it might read at what many consider a middle grade level. I think that’s why I wanted to give it a chance, because I really want there to be more hi-lo YA and adult novels. Not everyone reads at the same “level” but still deserves to read stories about their age group.
Cinders by Mette Bach
Seventeen-year-old Ash has been living with her mother in her mother’s boyfriend’s house, along with his daughter Mimi and son Noah. When Ash’s mother dies, Ash stays so she can attend a high school with a top coding program. But her stepsiblings take advantage of Ash’s precarious living situation, with Mimi posting embarrassing pictures of Ash online and Noah making her do his homework. Ash’s only solace is the social media app she has developed to support people who are being bullied online.
Using the handle Cinders, Ash starts chatting online with a girl who calls herself Charming. They become close, without ever meeting in person. When Ash finds out that Charming is Char, an aspiring singer who goes to her school, she admires her courage in identifying herself as a lesbian and singing about it. Char helps Ash see her own strength in not letting her situation cause her to be bitter, but instead using it to reach out to help others. For the first time since her mother died, Ash feels like someone sees that she is special and is there for her.
With a modern version of Cinderella as the main character, Cinders tells the story of a teen girl who overcomes adversity and bullying with kindness and compassion.
Reason for removal: See note for the last book! These two are companion novels.
And then I stopped again, because some of these low-rated books I knew for a fact were “good” – because friends spoke so highly of them. I needed another method to my madness. I went with the Random setting!
Subconscious Mind Power: How to Use the Hidden Power of Your Subconscious Mind by James Thompson
The summary, from Amazon:
Are you interested in discovering the secret to dramatically improving and transforming your life faster than you ever imagined possible? If you are, this is the book for you!
In “Subconscious Mind Power”, you’ll learn a step-by-step process to tap into the hidden power of your subconscious mind to transform your life.
“Subconscious Mind Power” is a short book that’s easy to read, but it’s incredibly powerful and life-changing. Topics covered in “Subconscious Mind Power” include:
* What is the subconscious mind?
* How the subconscious mind works
* The difference between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind
* How the conscious mind and the subconscious mind interact
* The hidden power of the subconscious mind
* A step-by-step process to tap into the power of your subconscious mind to transform your lifeYou deserve the best, and “Subconscious Mind Power” will show you how to achieve the life you desire faster than you ever imagined possible.
Reason for removal: My first thought when I saw this on the list was, “Was I okay when I added this??” However, the summary did appeal. I delved into the reviews and saw it really just seems to be a teaser for the author’s newsletter… (Believable. It’s free on Kindle.) So I’ll pass.
Full Bloom: The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keeffe by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp
The summary, from Amazon:
“The definitive life of O’Keeffe.” ―Hilton Kramer, Los Angeles Times
Georgia O’Keefe (1887?-1986) was one of the most successful American artists of the twentieth century: her arresting paintings of enormous, intimately rendered flowers, desert landscapes, and stark white cow skulls are seminal works of modern art. But behind O’Keeffe’s bold work and celebrity was a woman misunderstood by even her most ardent admirers. This large, finely balanced biography offers an astonishingly honest portrayal of a life shrouded in myth. 16 pages of b/w illustrations, 32 pages of color.
Reason for removal: I like O’Keeffe’s art, but I don’t know if I like it enough to read an entire book about her…
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger
The summary, from Amazon:
A modern classic with issues that will be relevant always.
Marcy Lewis is bored by school, she knows she’s never going to be thin, and she is dead sure she’ll never have a date. Life at home isn’t great either, since her father bosses her and her mother around. Then along comes Ms. Finney, an English teacher who’ll try anything in the classroom and actually treats kids like human beings. Now that she’s found a teacher who sees Marcy as more than a name on an attendance sheet, Marcy realizes her life could mean something. When Ms. Finney is suspended, Marcy knows she’s got to take a stand. But is this new independence worth the price she’ll pay at school and at home?
Reason for removal: I don’t think I ever read this one as a kid, which is probably why I added it, but this seems to be one of those debatable classics from the reviews. It seems to resonate more with folks who read it in the ’70s, ’80s, and maybe ’90s than it does with kids today. So I suppose I may not even have enjoyed it as a kid had I read it then.
Honestly, am I just bad at spring cleaning? My random list even failed me. I went for one final method: ascending title. Why? Just because.
Not linking: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Reason for removal: I loved the one essay I read by this author, so I was really sad to find out she supported J. K. Rowling’s TERF ass recently. I might still read some of essays on feminism if I can for free, but I’m going to take her novels off my TBR list for now. I had planned to read this one in 2021 before I heard the news, too…
Not linking: Bad Bad Bad by K Webster
Reason for removal: It just doesn’t appeal anymore, and it looks like it’s not available anymore anyway.
Not linking: Birthday by Meredith Russo
Reason for removal: This one makes me sad too, because I loved If I Was Your Girl, but there have been assault allegations for this author and I’m just not here for that…
