Hello, everyone! It feels like it’s been such a long time, no talk — I took a break from blogging these last few weeks. Though I’ve appreciated the time to unwind and reprioritize a bit, I found that I’ve really missed connecting with everyone on here! I may be jumping back into it too quickly and wind up pulling back for a little while longer, but I’m here for the moment. 🙂 And I thought this was such an apt prompt for my predicament because a lot of why I withdrew is simply because I have not been reading all the books I’ve been talking about for months and months…
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.
1. The Shattered Castle (Ascendance, #5) by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I bought a copy of this series’ latest installment back when it first came out–back in 2021–but never got around to reading it. I think I did start it but didn’t get very far which is somewhat surprising to me as I very rarely buy books new but this one was one of them! I absolutely adored the initial trilogy growing up and was so excited to hear it was getting more installments. Alas, I still have yet to finish it!
2. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I had The Bell Jar on my TBR list for a very, very long time before finally adding it to my physical TBR this past fall. Having wanted to read it for so long, I’m surprised I still have to pick it up just yet.
3. King of Scars (King of Scars, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Given that I pushed my way through the Shadow and Bone trilogy (which I had really low hopes for with the second book though I quite enjoyed the last one) to familiarize myself with the characters centered in the King of Scars duology, I still have yet to move into the next part of the Grishaverse. I do think there’s a decent likelihood I’ll get to it sooner than not but I won’t definitively say that because that almost guarantees that I won’t…
4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Hunger Games, #0) by Suzanne Collins

If you’ve followed me for several months, you’ve surely seen me talk about several books repeatedly and about how much I want to read them but haven’t — this is one of those. I’ve had the audiobook on hold on the Libby app but I’ve extended my hold countless times because I’ve been so bogged down in other reads. That being said, like King of Scars, I’m having slightly higher hopes lately but will skirt saying that explicitly.
5. The Idiot by Elif Batuman

I ordered a copy of The Idiot a few months back when I was getting a copy of Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk so I could honestly qualify for free shipping. I was very excited for both but my attention went to Fight Club first meaning I still have yet to start this one. I’m looking forward to getting to it eventually, though!
6. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

I’m trying to keep this list a little fresh rather than just my same regurgitated picks but I really was (and still am!) really looking forward to reading this one but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. It looks so good and I’ve heard good things so there’s nothing keeping me from it other than my generally encroaching TBR.
7. Babel by R.F. Kuang

I was really excited to finally add Babel to my physical TBR a few months back but my shelves are so overflowing with books that I tucked it in such a place that I forget I even have it! This is probably a good thing, though, as it keeps me focused on books I’ve had for much longer first.
8. All’s Well by Mona Awad

This one differs from the list a little bit as I’ve actually read almost to the three quarter mark of this book. However, I read it via eBook before setting it aside for about a year. I got a physical copy with the idea of finishing it there but still have yet to do that.
9. Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley

Hopefully this is the last time I mentioned this book without having finished it! I’m happy to report I’ve actually started it fairly recently but I feel it’s very worth adding to this list because it was a rare instance of me actually preordering a book and subsequently taking a lot longer than I’d hoped to get to it. From what I’ve read so far, it seems like a fun, engaging one!
10. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

I actually just got a copy of this book a few days ago but I’ve been wanting to read it for so long that I feel it’s fair to put here since I didn’t immediately start it. It’s probably going to end up waiting a little ways down my “up next” list but I’m very excited about finally having it! I also got to have a nice chat with the man ringing it up at the used bookstore I picked it up from about Neil Gaiman, Doctor Who, and other such little nerdy bits. Good times!
Have you read any of the books on this list? Did you like them? Why, or why not? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!
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The Bell Jar and Good Omens were both very good reads!
I still need to read Babel, too.
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That’s really good to hear! Definitely makes me want to hurry up and start them. 🙂 Happy reading!
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There are some great books on here! I loved King of Scars and how it continued the Grishaverse from the Six of Crows duology. The Bell Jar has been one of those classics that’s been loitering on my TBR for far too long as well!
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I’m really hoping to get to King of Scars soon — I’m always in the mood for the Grishaverse, so there’s no real excuse, haha! And we’ll get to The Bell Jar, eventually I’m sure! Happy reading. 🙂
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Babel was great. All’s Well remains one of the wildest books I’ve ever read, and I want to reread it because some of the moments have not left my mind in years. Here is my post https://paigesofnovels.com/2024/05/28/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-had-to-buy-grab-were-gifted-but-havent-read-yet/
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Definitely looking forward to starting Babel! And Mona Awad seems so unmatched in her writing — her stories can be so bizarre (in a good way!) that rereads feel almost required. Happy reading!
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I really enjoyed Babel. It’s a more studious read, I think! I have heard wonderful things about Good Omens! I hope you get to these and enjoy them.
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I’ve definitely gotten that impression from what I’ve heard of Babel! I’ve been saving it for a time I can dedicate a lot of my attention to it. 🙂 Good Omens seems like it will be such a fun read. Happy reading!
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It’s a great book to annotate if you happen to do that from time to time! I used so many tabs. haha
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I’ve started to get into annotating more recently so thank you for mentioning that! I’ll definitely keep that in mind. 🙂
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You’re welcome! Enjoy 🙂
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The Bell Jar and House of Hollow are both so good! I hope you enjoy them.
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Thank you! I’m definitely looking forward to hopefully starting them soon! Happy reading. 🙂
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I binge read the Jennifer Nielsen series a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought it would. I’m behind now, though. I hope you enjoy all these when you get to them!
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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Thanks! And, yes, it’s such a fun series! I used to read the books aloud to my brothers when they were younger, so I have a lot of good memories tied up with them. Happy reading. 🙂
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I almost included House of Hollow on my list. That cover was too lovely to resist!
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It really is so gorgeous! Hopefully, we can get to it soon. 🙂 Happy reading!
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