Hey book nerds!

I am back with Part 2 of Cleaning out my GoodReads TBR! I also started a companion series on my YouTube channel, which I’ll leave at the bottom of this page. We left off with The Chronicles of Chrestomanci. Let’s sort through the next 10!

Added: September 26, 2012

Dragon’s Bait tells the story of a girl named Alys, who is accused of witchcraft by an ambitious family who wants the land her father’s shop sits on. Although she is not a witch, they stake her on the hill for a dragon to feast on. The dragon arrives and it might be the perfect ally.

At 196 pages, this would be a super quick read and it would probably be a fun read. Vivian Vande Velde writes stand-alone books that bridge the gap between middle grade and young adult. I really enjoyed several of her other books, and it would be a lot of fun to see if this follows that.

Verdict: Keep, probably won’t buy it though.

Added: September 26, 2012

Sybel, an heiress to mighty wizards, is secluded in her fortress surrounded by magical creatures she has summoned through her magic: Cyrin the boar, the dragon Gyld, Gules the Lion, Ter the falcon, and Moriah, the cat. She is only missing one fantastical creature from her menagerie and this is what has been occupying her time. That is until one day when a soldier arrives with a mysterious child and Sybel is forced to interact with the world of man.

This sounds amazing and it has a cat that shares my name, so I feel like I should read it just for that.

Verdict: Keep

Added: September 26, 2012

And past Mariah strikes again with the sequel and not the first book. Just a second, while I have to do more research….

SO…this is a cluster. This book, and the trilogy it is part of is part of the larger Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. The suggested reading order of these books, by the author, is publication order which means starting with an entirely different book, Dragonflight.

I’m going to start there.

Verdict: Replace with Dragonflight and follow the publication order

Added: September 26, 2012

This is book 2 in a series. Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?

This is the second book in The Dalemark Quartet. The first book is called Cart and Cwidder, which tells the story of the Undying, four young people from various points of times , and Moril, who inherits his father’s prized instrument, a Cwidder which belonged to one of the undying.

Verdict: Replace with the FIRST BOOK in the quartet. I’m not salty.

Added: September 20, 2012

This tells the story of Auron, a rare scaleless gray dragon born high in a cave. Shortly after his birth, he witnesses the death of his parents at the hands of dwarves and is forced to mature on his own. As he ventures out to find more of his kind, Auron is confronted with dangers and finding friendship in the most unlikely of places.

Verdict: Sounds interesting, Keep.

Note: E.E. Knight also wrote the Vampire Planet series, which sounds terrifying and amazing. Might check that out too.

Added: September 20, 2012

In 1860, a biologist and explorer, Arthur Denison, and his son, Will, set out on a sea voyage and are shipwrecked. They wash ashore on an island called Dinotopia where humans and dinosaurs live side by side. The two will embark on separate paths to explore this magnificent new place.

I love dinosaurs, ridiculously much. I saw the miniseries when I was younger and was obsessed. I really want to read this series and then passes it on to my younger sister.

Verdict: Keep.

Added: September 20, 2012

A children’s classic. This tells the story of a young boy who is raised on stories of Witches, but not the witches on Halloween. These are cunning and disguised creatures who hate children and will do everything they can to get rid of them.

I saw the movie a few years ago and enjoyed it. I would like to read childhood classics and pass them on to my younger sister.

Verdict: Keep.

Added: September 20, 2012

This tells the story of Renofer, who is trying to thwart the plans of his evil brother so he can become a master goldsmith.

I don’t really think I would enjoy this at this point in my life. I find myself not enjoying historical fiction at this point and I don’t want to rate something poorly just because I didn’t read it at the right time. For this reason, I’m going to remove it from my shelf.

Verdict: Take off the shelf.

Added: September 26, 2012

Peter Pan tells the story of a young boy who refuses to grow up and the Darling children who are swept off to Neverland. This a classic that is over 100 years old at this point.

Note: There are several racial stereotypes and some problematic content in this book. I am keeping it on my shelf and will include this in any review.

Verdict: Keep, with a note.

Added: September 26, 2012

Mary Poppins tells the story of a magical nanny who comes into the lives of the Banks family by the East Wind. Their lives are changed forever by the various adventures that she takes the children on.

Note: There is some problematic content in this book. It is not like the Disney movie. I am keeping on my shelf with this in mind and will include this in any review that I do.

Verdict: Keep, with a note.

I’m leaving any books on mythology or translations of sagas off this list, because I’m going to read them anyways and I want to focus on the metric ton of novels and non-fiction I have on this list. The good news? That wraps up page 1 on GoodReads! VICTORY!!

I hope you all enjoyed this. See you all on Friday!