Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Today’s theme is books on my TBR that I’m avoiding reading (& why). This is a great one for me because I am always putting off reading books I actually own for one reason or another. All of the books I’m talking about today are books that are actually in my possession.
Before the Devil Breaks You
I preordered this book, which means that I’ve owned it for almost… two years now. I am a huge fan of Libba Bray, and especially her Diviners series, so I’m mostly just scared that this isn’t going to live up to the hype I’ve created in my mind. The more I put it off, though, the more scared I am to read it!
A Court of Thorns and Roses
I tell myself that I haven’t read ACoTaR because I want to finish the Throne of Glass series first, but if I’m honest, I think I haven’t read it because I’ve seen such mixed reviews for this series. It seems like people either adore it or absolutely hate it and there’s very little in between.
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit
This is another book that I’ve read really mixed reviews about. I won it in a giveaway about a year and a half ago and it’s been on and off my next-up shelf ever since. It’s actually sitting on my bedside table right now even though I know I’m probably not going to get the motivation to read it anytime soon.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love
YA contemporary romance is my favorite, but I didn’t love Goo’s The Way You Make Me Feel. I’d like to give her another chance, and this seems like a good book to try. I’m just a little nervous since I couldn’t relate with the main character of TWYMMF at all.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
I know, I know, this series is supposed to be so great. That’s what’s stopping me from reading it. I’ve built it up to be this amazing thing in my mind, and I’m so scared that it won’t live up to the hype.
Moxie
I thought Mathieu’s The Truth About Alice was a really well-written look into the realities of high school life. Moxie sounds like the kind of empowering, feminist novel I’d love, but something keeps stopping me from picking it up. I guess that, even though I’ve read so many reviews to the contrary, I’m just worried that it’ll be A Book With A Message instead of a story that holds up on its own.
On the Come Up
Like many people, I thought The Hate U Give was a powerful, incredibly well-written book. I’ve owned On the Come Up since it released at the beginning of this year, but I’ve been hesitant to pick it up because I think it’s going to be so difficult for any Angie Thomas book to live up to my expectations now.
Sawkill Girls
Fun fact: Claire Legrand is one of the librarians at my old library. I bought almost everything that she’s ever written over the course of a few months because I just couldn’t believe I was regularly in the same building as a bestselling author. I was so excited to read everything she’d ever written! And then I read Furyborn... and I didn’t like it. I know that Sawkill Girls is very different than Furyborn, but I’m still scared that I won’t enjoy it.
The Secret History
With a 4.09 average rating on Goodreads out of 251,743 ratings (at the time of writing this post, at least), it’s clear that The Secret History is a well-loved book. I’ve talked before about how I’m putting off reading this one, and someone always has to come in the comments to tell me that I should stop it and just read it. I’m just scared that I’ll be the odd one out and hate this book that everyone else loves.
When the Moon Was Ours
I bought When the Moon Was Ours quite a while ago because I love the look of Anna-Marie McLemore’s books. Then I read Wild Beauty and was really disappointed that the beautiful writing seemed to disguise the fact that there was very little plot. Now I’m very nervous about reading another of her books, even though I’ve heard (mostly) good things about this one.
Did you do your own Top Ten Tuesday post today? Feel free to leave your link in the comments and I’ll check it out! What are you putting off reading? Let’s talk in the comments!
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Totally get what you mean about creating hype in your mind! I think that’s really fair about secret history- I was really nervous about, especially cos I hadn’t been blown away by her other book- but it ended up really working out for me (I’m trying to resist the urge to just say read it 😉 ) I actually had mixed feelings about ACOTAR- I didn’t like the first one much, loved the second one, was a bit meh about the conclusion…. so yeah I guess I’m in the middle with that series 😉
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I’m happy to hear that you loved The Secret History! I just unpacked it today and kind of stared wistfully at it before just sticking it on a shelf. One of these days I’ll be in the mood to pick it up and (probably) love it. 🙂 And that’s interesting about ACOTAR! At least now I know that if I don’t love the first book, I’ll probably like the second one more!
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Interesting list – I Love the cover of Moxie thou!
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Me too!
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I’m actually reading The Secret History now! I can understand why you’ve been holding off on it. For me, it definitely is a book you have to be in the mood for (but I am a very moody reader). I read a lot of fantasy and it’s working wonderful as a palette cleanser for me right now. Definitely read it when you’re ready for it. 🙂
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I’m happy to hear that! I never used to be a mood reader, but I definitely am now. I’m hoping I’ll be in the mood for it soon!
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I also didn’t like Furyborn. That’s crazy that you went to the same library that Legrand worked at! I know a lot of authors are librarians, too, but that’s such a cool tidbit!
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I was so shocked when I found out! She’s super nice, too. 🙂
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Interesting list !!! I understand what you mean by ACOTAR.. it’s pretty polarizing… my favorite is only the second book but I found the series to be just ok as a whole.
I was pretty disappointed by Furyborn too and have been holding off on reading the sequel…
I hope you do decide to read some of these and enjoy them 😊😊😊
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I kind of just want to read ACOTAR to see once and for all what I think about it! And I don’t think I’ll read the sequel to Furyborn, honestly. I do have a bunch of her other books, though, so I’ll definitely be giving her another try one of these days. 🙂
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Haha I actually do want to know what you’ll think of ACOTAR 😜😜😜 And I’ve really not felt interested in any other books of Claire Legrand, so I’m still on the fence if I should try Kingsbane… but there are so many others I want to read more 😂😂😂
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Valid reasons! Hopefully one day you’ll get around to reading and enjoying them!
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Thank you!
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I always have a tough time giving an author a second chance- so I get that reasoning!
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I’m just crossing my fingers for a better reading experience the second time around. 🙂
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My fingers are crossed for you
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Fun tag. I have books I have put off reading for so long. Mixed reviews is a big one. I have so many books to read and never enough time, so I have to really be committed to a book to read it. Thanks for your thoughts.
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Some of the books I’m putting off are Stolen by Kelley Armstrong, Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco,To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo, A Gatherinf of Shadows by V.E Schwab, Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout etc.
I’d love ACOTAR if it weren’t for one character. Nesta kinda ruined the series for me and the third book had too much action for me.
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The only one of those I’ve read is A Gathering of Shadows. To Kill a Kingdom is on my list to read someday.
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I am sorry that you didn’t like Furyborn but I loved Sawkill Girls and wanted to read Furyborn because of it. Also I totally get your reluctance about The Secret History because I was the same but I absolutely loved it once I actually read it so maybe it could be the same for you as well?
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I’m really happy to hear that you loved Sawkill Girls! And I hope so! I’ve heard so many great things about The Secret History. 🙂
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I can totally relate to you about worrying about being the odd one out when it comes to hyped books. There are three books, that immediately come to mind, that everybody seems to love so I want to see what they’re like but I’m terrified of being the one person who doesn’t like them 😅 I’m kind of relieved to see that I’m not the only one with those sort of fears. Although I obviously also hope that you get to read all of these sometime and that they live up to the hype.
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You’re definitely not the only one with those fears! And thank you! I hope that you like those three books too if you get the chance to read them.
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Thank you (:
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Again, never heard of any of these books, probably because I’m not a big YA or fantasy reader. Moxie does sound interesting, though – although I might just be saying that because Amy Pohler reviewed it, and liked it, and I love her. As far as books I’m putting off reading, most are biographies I’ve bought, including one by Pohler herself. I’m also putting off reading the rest of the Maze Runner series, which I bought ages ago, probably because I have a short attention span and the novelty of the unusual plot wore off. I put off reading Joshilyn Jackson’s Never Have I Ever for a while, too, but I’ve made a start on that.
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I read Yes Please a few years ago and liked it a lot! I’d definitely recommend picking it up if you’re a fan of hers. And that happens to me with a lot of series if I don’t read all the books right away. There are so many series that I stopped in the middle of because they just weren’t holding my intrest anymore.
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Yeah I’ve been doing that of late. I’ll get interested in a book or TV show then if it gets a bit slow or I get busy and have to catch up I don’t bother.
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