I used to participate in Top Ten Tuesday when I first started blogging and it was a wonderful way to meet fellow bloggers! I thought with coming back from a hiatus, and a bit of a lack of inspiration on my part, participating again would be a great idea. So, every Tuesday (if the topic interests me) I’ll be sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl! Make sure to check out her page explaining everything you need to know, including future topics.
Today’s topic is supposed to be “Books I Read Because Someone Recommended Them to Me” and look, it’s a great topic, but most of the books I buy are because bloggers or bookstagram made me do it. I’m very basic, okay? You know what I also do? I never read them. I want to, I really do, but I’m just a slow reader, a procrastinator, an excuse maker. So, I’m going to flip today’s prompt and share my Top 10 Recommended-To-Me Books That I Still Haven’t Read (this is a working title, the title of this post may be different, bear with me 😆 ) Side note, it’s only 9 books instead of 10 because apparently I also suck at counting.
THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING by T.H. White
Goodreads
My husband has wanted me to read this for ages. In fact, I even have two editions of it – one mass market paperback and one large print paperback (because I complained the font was too tiny). Yet, I still have not read it. I always put it off because I think it is going to be boring, but I enjoy King Arthur movies and retellings so I really should read what is essentially the source material.
RED RISING by Pierce Brown
Goodreads
Yeahhhhh….there is quite a fandom for this, especially on bookstagram. I actually have started this one. I didn’t get very far but I remember being somewhat bored. I’m sure it gets better but it’s so long I just procrastinate on it. I considered listening to the audiobook but that narrator is a big no from me. Someone convince me to read this one because I do want to know what all the hype is about!
THRONE OF GLASS series by Sara J. Maas
Goodreads
okokokok I know, ok? I need to read this damn series. In all fairness, I have read the first book, Throne of Glass, but I never continued. At this point, I barely remember what happened, I should probably do a reread. BUT Y’ALL. I NEEEEEED to read this series. I NEED to know what the hype is. I NEED to understand the love for Chaol (which btw, why the heck is it not pronounced like COAL. I have to reread it every. single. time. to get it right).
HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark Z. Danielewski
Goodreads
I’m so sorry to my husband for never getting around to the books he recommends – but we clearly have very different genre preferences 😆 Although, he does give good recommendations, it’s just an effort for me to be in the mood for them. Like House of Leaves – which I’ve started reading manymanymanymany times. I always get past the intro, then I give up. This book is heavy and complicated but I promise I will get to it one day.
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas
Goodreads
I have a friend who has touted this as her all time favorite book ever in the world. The same month she expressed her love for it, Literberry from bookstagram held a readalong because she was convinced it was one she thoroughly enjoyed, but couldn’t remember it. I felt like it was a sign – I should read this book – but y’all, I am not good at reading classics and this book is a beast at over 1,000 pages. SAY WHAT? Yeah, I can’t say I will ever get to this one. If I do, it would be through Serial Reader and I wouldn’t finish for like 5 months.
(The books below I just don’t have enough to say about each to justify their own section.
I think the books speak for themselves for why I need to read them)
- ROAR by Cora Carmack (Goodreads) – When the most recent book in this series came out, I remember everyone freaking out on bookstagram. So I bought it, yet I still have not read it. #bookstagrammademedoit
- NEVERNIGHT by Jay Kristoff (Goodreads) – Soooo don’t hate me, but I haven’t actually enjoyed a lot of what I’ve read by Kristoff (Illuminae/Lifelike) so I have been hesitant on picking this one up because it’s longer with smaller print 😆
- HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sara J. Maas (Goodreads) – For obvious reasons.
- SERPENT & DOVE by Shelby Mahurin (Goodreads) – I have not read one negative review for this and every time I ask for book recommendations, at least one person says this one. Again, I own it, but have not gotten to it >.<
Have you read any of these? Should I put them at the top of my TBR or is it okay to keep putting them off? Any other books you want to recommend to add to my never-ending TBR list? 😆
38 Comments
Love your twist on this week’s topic! I really want to cross The Count of Monte Cristo off my TBR, too, and I’d like to give Serpent & Dove a try.
The Count is just such a hefty book. It will take me months lol Good luck if you ever get to it!
I feel the same way about The Count of Monte Crisco.
My post.
Ahh, it’s so many peoples favorites! I’ll get to it one day lol
This post made me LOL because my husband is always recommending books to me and I NEVER READ THEM. We just have really different reading tastes, you know? Poor guy. He says I take everyone else’s recommendations over his and he’s right. Ha ha.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Our poor poor husbands. lol On the flip side, I don’t think my husband would ever read any of my YA recommendations xD
Oh my gosh, you and I are so much alike! I have so many books people recommend to me, or they were the big thing in the blogging world and so I bought them, but haven’t gotten to them yet! Love this post!
Lisa Loves Literature
lol its a true problem!
I love Kristoff’s co-writes, but have yet to read any of his solo books. My daughter was blown away by the Nevernight books. She was bawling during the last one.
I haven’t read any of his solo stuff lol but omgggg your daughter’s reaction makes me want to pick it up! Ugh…someday lol
I was very new to blogging when I read Throne of Glass, I think I’d only been doing it like a month at that point, so I had no idea how big it was when I read it! I still need to read House of Earth and Blood, but obviously it’s going to be a big time commitment.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2020/10/20/top-ten-tuesday-286/
Yes HOEAB is a chunky book. I’m considering switching to audio so I don’t feel as intimidated lol
I’m probably going to read it the same way, I found Kingdom of Ash so much easier to finish once I made the switch to audio, so I may as well do the audio the whole way through this time.
I LOVED Crescent city even more than TOG tbh! Yay to getting back into blogging after a hiatus though, me too!
Oooooooh That’s good to know! Maybe I should start with Crescent City because, as of now, there’s only one of them and not 394820398 books lol
I enjoyed Throne of Glass and have started Crescent City but switching to audio. I own Red Rising and I started it but got busy. When I own something it’s harder to get to it.
I might switch to audio for Crescent City because it’s a thick book lol Is it harder to get to it because you know it will always be there? If so, that totally makes sense. I should use my library so there’s some pressure but then I’m like NO I don’t want to read it if there is a deadline lol
Oh, I definitely recommend continuing with the Throne of Glass series, as well as House of Earth and Blood! I also really enjoyed Serpent and Dove. I have to admit I also started and then stopped Red Rising, as I just couldn’t get into it… Maybe I should try again and see if it goes better the second time 🙂
It seems like there are a lot of people who started Red Rising and just didn’t like it! That’s so interesting to me because there’s like 2 groups of people on opposite ends of the spectrum – people either LOVE it or DNF it lol
You don’t suck! I’ve done the same and bought books recommended to have not read them yet. I am actually reading one like that now — a couple years later. You’ll get to them.
Eventually, all the books will be read 😉 That’s what I tell myself lol
I’ve read the Throne of Glass series. My dd liked House of Leaves, but I’ve never read it. I buy a lot of books when they’re at Amazon for $1.99 (one year on Cyber Monday I spend over $75 on cheap Kindle books, LOL) but there’s so many I haven’t read!
The Count of Monte Cristo looks good, but I’m currently reading an unabridged copy of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (that is a monster at ~3600 pages) so I don’t think I’ll go for anything else huge until I’m done with that. I’m not reading Gibbon exclusively, I usually read that book for about 30 minutes a day.
HAHA I’m the same but I have Kindle Unlimited so oh gosh, I just add everything to a wishlist and never read them >.< Oops. Also, oh my...I don't think I could read a book at 3600 pages no matter what it is about lol. I would alwayyyys put it off. Good luck!
I own The Once and Future King, Red Rising, Nevernight and Serpent and Dove too and haven’t read them either. Pretty much all the books I buy are because I saw them on blogs too, but the only problem is I now have way more books than I can read any time soon, and I keep getting more recommendations!
I hope you enjoy all of these books when you get around to reading them!
Oh gosh same! I’ve been going crazy with book buying lately. My shelves are overflowing lol
GIIIIRRRLLLLL I’ll buddy read OAFK with you if you want, cause 100% same, I’ve had it on my shelf forever and never even tried to read it tbh. It’s a little daunting lol and I always just skip right over it. Same with Red Rising tho, I have all three (is there only three?) and I’ve never read them either LOL. BUT I HAVE READ THRONE OF GLASS (except the last two), so that kinda counts. I’ve also heard really good things about the last four, but alas…
HAHAH OKAY! Matt even says he’ll read it with me to encourage me yet I still put it off lol. Get Evan in and we’ve got a whole book club going hahaha
I’m no help with Red Rising… after reading the first chapter, I decided to un-haul it. I think maybe it was really popular when it first came out, but there are better series available now?? Just my thoughts. Love the twist!
I have only read the first chapter…several times…maybe I should unhaul it too. BUT I WANT TO KNOW hahaha I totally get what you’re saying though. There are several books that I don’t think I would love if I were to reread them today
I’m the same way with recommendations and did the same twist for my TTT post lol! I haven’t read any of these though I have heard that House of Leaves is quite a challenging book to get into
From what I read of House of Leaves, I can definitely understand that! There’s footnotes. Anything with footnotes intimidates me (Nevernight also has footnotes haha).
I tried Red Rising but I didn’t think I get to the halfway point lol. It was boring and too… sci-fi for my taste haha.
Ok yes! I have read the first chapter like 4 times and I just never get into it enough to continue so I keep putting it off lol
It felt like everyone was pressuring me to read House of Leaves until I finally did, so I get the pressure there!
Ahhh so you think it’s good then? I really should get to it lol
It’s definitely unique. I always hate saying I didn’t like it, but I do think it was hyped up in such a way that I was expecting something different. Actually, I wouldn’t mind checking it out again just to see.
I’ve only read Throne of Glass, Red Rising, and Nevernight from your list. I really enjoyed all three of them, although I say that but have yet to finish either series. Guess I suck too, haha!
hahaha >.< I have a problem of starting series and never finishing - even duologies!