Organising My Goodreads #12

I usually spend far too long deliberating over which books to keep and which to remove, but today’s selection was surprisingly easy. It may be my quickest written post to date.

Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

I wanted to love this series, mermaid books and The Little Mermaid retellings are some of my favourites, but the first book was boring. It took me way too long to get through and I found I just didn’t care about any of the characters, or what was going on.

This is a very easy remove.

Verdict: remove

Synopsis: Runa will not let her twin sister die. Alia traded her voice to the Sea Witch for a shot at happiness with a prince who doesn’t love her. And his rejection will literally kill her—unless Runa intervenes.

Under the sea, Evie craves her own freedom—but liberation from her role as Sea Witch will require an exchange she may not be willing to make. With their hearts’ desires at odds, what will Runa and Evie be willing to sacrifice to save their worlds?

Told from alternating perspectives, this epic fairy tale retelling is a romantic and heart-wrenching story about the complications of sisterhood, the uncompromising nature of magic, and the cost of redemption.

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

This must be from my phase of adding every single mermaid-related book to my to be read. A phase that was stupid because I never read any of them. Once again this is a very easy remove as I have no intention of ever reading this.

Verdict: remove

Synopsis: Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.

Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.

In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

This sounds really bad, but I can’t remember if I just got rid of this book. I’ve recently done a huge sort out of my physical books and I don’t know whether or not I kept this one. For this reason alone, I think A Discovery of Witches needs to be removed from my Goodreads. It’s not a good sign if I can’t remember whether or not I still own a copy.

Verdict: remove

Synopsis: Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare & various authors

This is the only Shadowhunter Chronicles book I haven’t read so far. It’s been sitting on my bookshelf for an embarrassingly long time and I really do need to get around it. I’m not a huge fan of short stories so I’ve been putting it off for years, but I do want to know more about Simon becoming a Shadowhunter. I’m going to make sure I read it before the end of the year, if I don’t, I’ll get rid of it.

Verdict: keep

Synopsis: Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. But the events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn’t sure who he is anymore. He knows he was friends with Clary, and that he convinced the total goddess Isabelle Lightwood to go out with him…but he doesn’t know how. And when Clary and Isabelle look at him, expecting him to be a man he doesn’t remember…Simon can’t take it.

So when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon-hunting, determined to find himself again. His new self. Whomever this new Simon might be.

But the Academy is a Shadowhunter institution, which means it has some problems. Like the fact that non-Shadowhunter students have to live in the basement. And that differences—like being a former vampire—are greatly looked down upon. At least Simon is trained in weaponry—even if it’s only from hours of playing D&D.