You know those books that you absolutely meant to get to and have been seriously looking forward to reading, yet somehow manage to...erm...never...actually...get to? *nervous laughter* Yeah...me neither?
Okay, okay, obviously I know what I'm talking about. In fact, you could argue that I've been the queen of doing this, especially in the past decade. (And, trust me, I cannot believe I just said "the past decade!)
See, in the past decade I joined the online book community and become a book blogger and, boy, let me tell ya, my TBR has exploded! Before my life as a member of the online book community, I was a pro at getting to books, probably because I had no way of finding new books other than seeing them on a literal shelf and taking an interest in them. But in the digital age, I've been bombarded by a wealth of information on the newest titles and flooded by the general bookish fandom community's excitement over various new titles. This has lead to me having a stockpile of books that I really, really want to get to but which, for one reason or another, I just...don't. To be quite honest, it's a bit of a pain, even if it definitely is one of the biggest #FirstWorldProblems I could complain about.
Anyhoo, as I mentioned, there are a lot of books from the past decade that I've been meaning to get to, dying to get to (!), but have somehow managed not to. So, here's a look at the ten titles that are at the top of that list (in no particular order).
✎ Published: 2019
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: I've been a big fan of Leigh Bardugo's since she published the Shadow and Bone trilogy, so of course I want to read all of her books, including her adult books! Bardugo's characters have always read as more adult, so I'm excited to see what she does with characters who are actually adults. Plus Ninth House is also fantasy dark academia, which really gets me interested!
✎ Published: 2018
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: I loved most of the Throne of Glass series, despite its glaring flaws, so naturally I just have to see how it all ends! This entire series has been such a wild ride and I cannot believe I am this close to the finish line. Tbh, I'm excited to finish off this series, but also a little nervous as I feel like I might've outgrown this series based on my experience with Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn and that makes me sad. Basically, I've got a lot of bittersweet feeling surrounding this book.
✎ Published: 2017
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy is one of my all-time favorite series, so I guess it's pretty strange (pun absolutely intended) that I have yet to read Strange The Dreamer. Truth be told, I read about a third of the book and set it down, partially to savor it and partially because I had anxious worries that I might dislike it. But everyone raves about it! And it seems so incredibly magical!! Agh! Bottom line is I've got to finish to this one!
✎ Published: 2018
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: Okay, so this book got a lot of hype. I mean, it was a featured read on Jimmy Fallon for christ's sake! But even before that, this book had hype. A YA West African inspired high fantasy, Children of Blood and Bone garnered a lot of attention for being one of the first of its kind. I'm not specifically West African, but I am Black American, and I'm excited to see people like me in a high fantasy book!
✎ Published: 2017
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: Do I really need to tell you why I would want to read this book? A groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind debut, Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give almost immediately became a modern classic. Even the non-readers I know have at least heard of this book and how important it is. The book tells the story of Starr Carter, a teen girl who becomes entangled with the #BlackLivesMatter movement when her friend is shot and killed by police right in front of her. I've held off on reading this one because as a Black woman the subject matter struck really close to home, but I do want to get to it soon!
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
✎ Published: 2016
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: I'm not gonna lie, booktuber Piera Forde has me super hyped for this book given her recent web-series adaptation of parts of it! But beyond that, this book has a massively dedicated fanbase and any book that garners that much love will have me a least a little interested. Plus, Nevernight is about a revenge-fueled young woman attending a school for assassins-in-training! And apparently it's a bloody good time (pun 100% intended)!
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
✎ Published: 2015
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: This book gives me major forest goddess vibes and I am digging it! The sheer amount of praise I've heard for Uprooted has my interest seriously piqued. Weirdly enough, I feel like I simultaneously know a lot about this book, but also like I don't actually know much at all? What I do know is that there's a wizard who steals away "remarkable" young women to his tower and no one thinks the main character is at risk of being chosen, but then (of course) she ends up being chosen. What else happens, I can't say, but I look forward to finding out!
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
✎ Published: 2014
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: Honestly this is another book that Piera Forde got me excited for, as it's another series she just absolutely gushes about. I know it's sci fi with a hint of dystopian and involves a caste system on Mars and a brewing revolution. And apparently it's super intense and super complex? I believe the author, Pierce Brown, has a political science background, so I'm interested to see if that comes out in his writing. Tbh, I'm a little intimidated by the possible complexity of this book, but that's also what has me intrigued. Guess I'll just have to take the plunge and see how it goes!
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
✎ Published: 2015
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: I've made several attempts to get through this one, all to no avail. But I love all of the other books in Leigh Bardugo's interlocking Grishaverse series and everyone says that Six of Crows and its sequel, Crooked Kingdom, are her best works. And I've got a massive case of FOMO. *deep sigh* Basically, I just wanna sit with the cool kids, y'all.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
✎ Published: 2015
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: This book seems absolutely magical and I just adore so many of the quotes I've seen pulled from it! I can't imagine that once I get into it I'd dislike it. So what's the problem, then? The problem is that I've started the audiobook several times and can't seem to make it past the first few chapters due to the fact that the narrator does an absolutely dreadful job. I've been holding out hope that the audiobook might get a remake with a new narrator, but the prospect is looking bleak for now. I may just have to push through the narration with this one because I feel completely certain that if I do, I'll love the book!
So there you have it: the top 10 books published in the past decade that I just have to get to. Whew! Looks like I've got some exciting books to get to in my TBR! I better get working'! But in the meantime I want to hear from you...
TTYL,
Lila
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: Do I really need to tell you why I would want to read this book? A groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind debut, Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give almost immediately became a modern classic. Even the non-readers I know have at least heard of this book and how important it is. The book tells the story of Starr Carter, a teen girl who becomes entangled with the #BlackLivesMatter movement when her friend is shot and killed by police right in front of her. I've held off on reading this one because as a Black woman the subject matter struck really close to home, but I do want to get to it soon!
✎ Published: 2016
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: I'm not gonna lie, booktuber Piera Forde has me super hyped for this book given her recent web-series adaptation of parts of it! But beyond that, this book has a massively dedicated fanbase and any book that garners that much love will have me a least a little interested. Plus, Nevernight is about a revenge-fueled young woman attending a school for assassins-in-training! And apparently it's a bloody good time (pun 100% intended)!
✎ Published: 2015
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: This book gives me major forest goddess vibes and I am digging it! The sheer amount of praise I've heard for Uprooted has my interest seriously piqued. Weirdly enough, I feel like I simultaneously know a lot about this book, but also like I don't actually know much at all? What I do know is that there's a wizard who steals away "remarkable" young women to his tower and no one thinks the main character is at risk of being chosen, but then (of course) she ends up being chosen. What else happens, I can't say, but I look forward to finding out!
✎ Published: 2014
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: Honestly this is another book that Piera Forde got me excited for, as it's another series she just absolutely gushes about. I know it's sci fi with a hint of dystopian and involves a caste system on Mars and a brewing revolution. And apparently it's super intense and super complex? I believe the author, Pierce Brown, has a political science background, so I'm interested to see if that comes out in his writing. Tbh, I'm a little intimidated by the possible complexity of this book, but that's also what has me intrigued. Guess I'll just have to take the plunge and see how it goes!
✎ Published: 2015
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: I've made several attempts to get through this one, all to no avail. But I love all of the other books in Leigh Bardugo's interlocking Grishaverse series and everyone says that Six of Crows and its sequel, Crooked Kingdom, are her best works. And I've got a massive case of FOMO. *deep sigh* Basically, I just wanna sit with the cool kids, y'all.
✎ Published: 2015
❥ Why I Need To Get To This Book: This book seems absolutely magical and I just adore so many of the quotes I've seen pulled from it! I can't imagine that once I get into it I'd dislike it. So what's the problem, then? The problem is that I've started the audiobook several times and can't seem to make it past the first few chapters due to the fact that the narrator does an absolutely dreadful job. I've been holding out hope that the audiobook might get a remake with a new narrator, but the prospect is looking bleak for now. I may just have to push through the narration with this one because I feel completely certain that if I do, I'll love the book!
So there you have it: the top 10 books published in the past decade that I just have to get to. Whew! Looks like I've got some exciting books to get to in my TBR! I better get working'! But in the meantime I want to hear from you...
T E L L M E A L L A B O U T I T
- How many books do you own that you've been dying to get to but somehow never do?
- What are some books from the past decade that are still on your TBRs?
- Do you have a plan to get to the backlist books on your TBR in the next few years?
TTYL,
Lila
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