Top Ten Tuesday – Books on My TBR I’ve Been Avoiding
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Books on My TBR I’ve Been Avoiding and Why. There are three main reasons why I’ll avoid a book that is on my TBR, even if I already own a copy: 1) I’m worried it won’t live up to the hype, 2) it’s a later book in a series that I really don’t want to end, or 3) It’s a book from an author that my luck has been hit or miss with.
Each of the books below fall into these categories, with most of them being books I worry won’t live up to the hype (King of Scars, A Curse So Dark and Lonely, and Aurora Rising to name a few, and also Nine Perfect Strangers, which doesn’t seem to be living up to the hype for anyone). Finale and Escaping from Houdini are books from series that I just don’t want to end so in my mind, I’m prolonging the series by avoiding them, lol. And finally, there are the disappointing experiences with authors that have me a little gunshy about reading more of their books (Seanan McGuire).
I’m sure I’ll eventually read most of these. I just have to work myself up to actually getting started.
10 Books on My TBR I’ve Been Avoiding
1. KING OF SCARS by Leigh Bardugo
2. A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY by Brigid Kemmerer
3. AURORA RISING by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
4. FINALE by Stephanie Garber
5. ESCAPING FROM HOUDINI by Kerri Maniscalco
6. CIRCE by Madeline Miller
7. NINE PERFECT STRANGERS by Liane Moriarty
8. A COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT by Sarah J. Maas
9. FLAME IN THE MIST by Renée Ahdieh
10. EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan McGuire
* * * * *
What are some books you have on your TBR but have been avoiding?
I am on the hype wagon too — if it’s overboard, I will avoid. Sometimes I get lucky and I miss the hype lol Oh, yes an hit and miss author is one I will think long and hard about if I want to devote time to their books.
I’m the same way about hyped books. I really want to read them but I always fear they can’t possibly live up to all of the hype so I avoid them for as long as possible.
I find it strange that so many of us have Circe and Song of Achilles sitting on our shelves, unread. What is going on?
That is interesting. I did finally read Song of Achilles earlier this year but had avoided it for ages.
Circe and Nine Perfect Strangers both made my list for basically the same reasons!
LOL!
I haven’t read King of Scars yet either.
My TTT.
I definitely plan to read it at some point. I’m just amazed at myself that it has been out for so many months now and I still haven’t touched it.
Am I the only person who really enjoyed Nine Perfect Strangers? LOL I tend to put off books that are really long (450+ pages is borderline too long for me), so unless it’s something spectacular, I just keep putting it off.
Oh cool, I’m actually really glad to hear you enjoyed Nine Perfect Strangers. I was so disappointed to see so many mixed reviews for it, but I hate to skip one of her books.
Aurora Rising was fun, but it was nowhere near as good as The Illuminae Files, if you’ve read that series.
That’s what I’ve heard, which has definitely contributed to my avoidance of it.
This is a great TTT list. Hype is what definitely puts me off reading many of the books on my shelves, despite being super excited to get them on there in the first place 😂I’m so silly. I totally get what you mean though with your reasonings, even if I’m one that also hypes some of these series, like ACSDAL and Aurora! I hope you do enjoy these when you get to them though 😊
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Thanks, I hope so too!
I have yet to read the rest of the books in Seanan McGuire’s series but Every Heart a Doorway was a wonderful read. I hope you enjoy it when you get to reading it 🙂
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I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed that book. Hopefully I will too when I finally work myself up to reading it.
Some readers seemed to find fault with A Court of Frost and Starlight, saying nothing really happened, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Kind of a bridge between the original three books and the continuation. I enjoyed that glimpse at the characters that I’d come to love.
I’m glad to hear that. I think I would probably enjoy it too.
I’ve also been avoiding Finale I think, though I’m honestly not sure why! I even pre-ordered it (which isn’t the most common thing for me to do, haha), so the reason that I haven’t read it yet is beyond me. I’m also nervous to read Nine Perfect Strangers! I really want to like it, but I’ve heard so many mixed things. Aurora Rising definitely didn’t live up to my expectations unfortunately, but I feel like I’m one of the only ones who thinks that, so I hope you have better luck with it when you read it! 🙂
I’ve heard a few people say that about Aurora Rising. I feel like the bar is just set so high because of The Illuminae Files.
Great post.
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Thanks!
Same here with Nine Perfect strangers. I might even just skip that one, to be honest. I’m not sold on the new Kristoff/ Kaufman series either, although Circe I do want to try.
I’m torn. I don’t want to skip it but I’m afraid to actually read it, lol.
Finale made my list for the same exact reason. I do that a lot with series I love. I have been avoiding Nine Perfect Strangers, because I don’t want to ruin my love for Moriarty with a meh book.
Same here on Moriarty. That would just be so disappointing.
I haven;t read any of these though most are on my TBR as well.. I’ve especially avoiding Circe.
Same here, because of all the hype.
I’m the person who gets or buys books and then doesn’t read them for years. I don’t purposely avoid them, unless they are really long – then I often don’t know when I’ll have to time to truly focus. LOL Other than that, I just get distracted by all these other things I have to read, so I’m trying to read more of the books I actually own. Escaping from Houdini isn’t my favorite in the series, but I’m SO excited to read Capturing the Devil.
-Lauren
I hear you. I feel like I’m always distracted by the newest books coming out.
I loved Every Heart A Doorway and Aurora Rising both on audio. I too have Nine Perfect Strangers to listen too yet. I am sure I will enjoy it, and have no idea what I am waiting for!
Good to know. I might try all of those on audio then.
I can definitely relate to not wanting to finish series because you (subconsciously) don’t want them to end. It’s a real problem!
I’m glad I’m not the only one it’s a problem for.
I’m avoiding a couple of these two! Namely Circe and Nine Perfect Reasons. Like all things in life that I avoid, I don’t think I have an actual valid reason for doing so! But! It’s fine! Haha! I hope you get to some of these in the future and that you enjoy them. If not, I hope you joyfully purge them from your TBR and find something even better.
Thanks, I hope so too!
Every Heart a Doorway disappointed me, but I hear the sequels are better. Ha ha. 📚
Good to know!
haha I’ve been avoiding all of these books too (except Flame in the mist which I’m happy I read because I loved it) ! So funny I don’t even know why I’m avoiding them! I DNF EVERY HEART A DOORWAY but I want to give it another try
I really need to go ahead and read Flame in the Mist. I have no idea what I’m even waiting for.