One of my reading goals for 2022 is to reread from my own shelves, with the intention of pruning some books (making room for more, of course!). I want my home library to be filled with books I absolutely love and would read again, so if there's a book there that would be a better fit with another reader, it's better for me to donate it. Here are the results from my first two rereads!
Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills (2017)
My first reread of 2022! I first picked up this book in 2018 and looking back at my review, I see that I really enjoyed it. In this story, Claudia finds herself reluctantly working with Iris, a fellow classmate, on the school play, and they end up growing really close as friends. Claudia also gets to know Gideon, who is one of the play leads. I liked Mills' books because they felt so relatable, but I've found myself moving away from YA books in recent years because I just can't connect as much to the characters anymore. While I still enjoyed the story, I found myself relating more to Claudia's older sister, who is expecting her first baby and anxious about what type of mother she'll be.
Verdict: Although I like this story and contemplated keeping this just for the beautiful cover alone, this book should find a new home. Donate!
I shelved this book on Goodreads back in late 2015, before I was giving a star rating to pretty much every book I read, so, given that I don't remember anything about this book, I can't even tell you if I enjoyed it! I guess I must have, because it's been on my shelves for almost 7 years? I think it's a bit love story, a bit mystery, and a bit magical. I tried reading it again recently, but couldn't get into the writing; I DNFed it pretty quickly.
Verdict: I don't remember anything about this book and couldn't get through a reread - donate!
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That's really my goal too: To have books on my shelves that I can fangirl about. Last year I threw out 60 that I would never read, or re-read and I'm sure more will follow, since I'm going to move.
ReplyDeleteMoving is a great excuse to prune those shelves!
DeleteGood luck with your project! I'm slowly doing the same thing. I'm not rereading the books, but if I can't remember why I kept them, they're going to new homes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aj! Haha, that was pretty much me with the second book up there!
DeleteI am such a big fan of Emma Mills books. I did reread one last year, but I did the audio. I don't think I have actually done a reread of a book/ebook. Glad you still liked it though.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sam! It's a cute story, but I can definitely see how my tastes have changed over the years.
DeleteRereading is a great way to prune your shelves. I reread a lot, but getting rid of anything that I have only read once and can't see reading again sounds like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely helps to make room for more books, haha!
DeleteI'm the same way- I kind of want to own just the very favorites. I remember seeing Hearts around.
ReplyDeleteRight? Not much sense in keeping a book I'm not in love with.
DeleteThat's a clever way to make the tough task of donating books easier. Unless the book is memorable then there is no reason to keep unless you have many bookshelves in your home.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mia! Exactly, and I don't have a ton of shelf space!
DeleteI really need to start going through my shelves and make room for some of those piles of books on the floor. I love your method and you have inspired me to get started!
ReplyDeleteAww, yay, Lori! Let me know how you make out!
DeleteIsn’t it interesting how our tastes change? I always look back at my earlier reviews and i wonder why i picked up certain titles !
ReplyDeleteYes, totally!!
DeleteI love the idea of re-reading to prune shelves. I know my tastes have changed a bit over the years and books I initially loved don't resonate as much with me now. I haven't pulled the trigger on actually donating many yet but have at least pulled a few from my shelves and boxed them up to make room for more books, lol.
ReplyDeleteHaha, that's a start! I had a couple big piles sitting on my office floor, and finally found a way to donate them, so I took it!
DeleteI always say I want to reread more often but then I rarely make it a priority. Kudos to you for actually doing it... and then passing those along that you don't want to keep.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tanya! It's something I really enjoy doing, so I wanted to make sure I made time for it!
DeleteLove the idea of re-reading to prune your shelves! Tastes indeed do change - I've also found myself moving a little away from YA books lately and I'd probably not enjoy some of those older reads as much if I reread them today.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way!
DeleteI find rereading to be such a delight! I bet you are already learning a lot about how your taste in books has changed.
ReplyDeleteI really am! It's interesting to see.
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