Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point, ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here.
My TBR does indeed need an energetic spring cleaning, because I tend to amass books as if there was no tomorrow – and the fact that they take up no space at all on the shelves, since they are ebooks, turns me into an irresponsible hoarder…
So I’ve looked at the books that have been on my TBR for a very long time and that I need to read before I forget why I added them to my TBR. In truth I DO know why I acquired them: some fellow blogger’s review piqued my interest and showed me that I might very well enjoy that particular story, so why did I not jump straight in? Because I’m too easily distracted, that’s why!
Let’s hope that I can soon make my amends to these poor “orphans” I neglected for so long – here are some of them, with the indication (barring any mistake on my part) of the date in which they were added to my TBR:
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (October 2015)
An intriguing magic system and a dangerous heist: now that Leigh Bardugo’s previous saga has been optioned for a Netflix series that will air soon, reading this book has become one of my priorities. Just the word ‘heist’ should be enough to make me dust off this one ASAP!
The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding (December 2018)
This looked like a classic fantasy quest and a very engrossing book, and probably one of the reasons I have not started it yet it’s because it’s a big tome – not that I have anything against big books, on the contrary, but I’m still on the fence about this one. For no reason at all…
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell (April 2016)
I’ve been wanting to read something by Bernard Cornwell since forever, and his historical fiction series have always looked very intriguing, but so far I have not managed to pick up this one, although the story itself is very fascinating. Probably knowing that I might find myself enmeshed in another engrossing and time-intensive series is the main reason for my continued hesitation.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (January 2017)
Many of my fellow bloggers sang high praises for Brent Weeks, which of course made me curious: what prevented me from satisfying that curiosity so far? I have no idea….
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (March 2016)
This book’s main attraction for me resided in the fact that commenters described it as “genre-defying”, given its mix of SF, Fantasy and Dystopian, and I always enjoy stories with blurred borders between genres. Moreover, it might be a good addition for the next SciFi Month this November!
Farlander by Col Buchanan (November 2011)
Another mixed SF/Fantasy offering sporting one of my favorite themes: a guild of assassins and a young apprentice learning the “trade” during perilous times. Given that this is one of the oldest additions to my TBR I will have to hurry up and… dust it off, so to speak, as soon as possible.
The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman (May 2017)
Two or three years ago I read – and enjoyed – the first book in the Invisible Library series, but never moved further than that: my fellow bloggers agree on the series’ narrative value, so I must make an extra effort to keep up with the author’s production.
The Paladin Caper by Patrick Weekes (November 2015)
The final book in the Rogues of the Republic series I enjoyed very much: a mix of Fantasy and tongue-in-cheek humor that always amused me. Honestly I have no idea why I did not finish the series, but I will have to keep this one in mind when I am in need of something delightfully funny to amuse me.
Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell (August 2018)
This author is one the most appreciated among my fellow bloggers, and I’ve been looking at this first book in the Greatcoats’ series for some time: the Four Musketeers’ vibe that I get from it should have proved irresistible, but so far I seem to have been able to ignore its siren song…
Firefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (June 2016)
The reviews I’ve read about this novel – and the others in the series – unanimously speak of a story that requires a tight focus from the reader, so I have kept procrastinating while waiting for the… perfect moment in which to let myself be carried away with it. I should keep this one in mind for the already mentioned SciFi Month this fall, as well.
It will be interesting to see, by the end of the year, how many of these books I have actually managed to read… 🙂
Space and Sorcery 
SoC is amazing! O hope you’l get to read it.
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Well, I started by moving it from my TBR to my e-reader, so I call that progress! 😉
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Ooo, now this prompt makes me think of all the sad, unopened books on my shelves 😂
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Sooner of later comes a time when we cannot stand their mournful stare anymore… 😉
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LOL that’s why I’m unhauling a bunch I’ll never read! My local library will be thrilled :p
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I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who still hasn’t read Six of Crows😬 As for All the Birds in the Sky, I loved it and highly recommend it!
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Oh, good to know! I’ve heard very positive comments about Anders’ works and I feel a bit guilty for not having read anything yet… 🙂
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Nice list, I should make a “top 100” version 😉 De Castell, Cornwell and Bardugo would likely be there as well… I’m most likely to read a book someone recommend if I start immediately. If it gets on a list, it’s likely to stay there for years… until someone recommends it again, then I realize I was supposed to read it. And either start reading, or move it around my various lists 😉
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The “problem” with e-books is that they take up no space, gather no dust, and so on, so I keep hoarding them, only to have them “disappear” under the new entries… I should try to focus more on my backlist, but I am so easily swayed by those shiny new recommendations… 😀
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A number of these are on my TBR, as well, and several I’ve picked up at least as ebooks. Just need to make the time. One thing I’ve been “trying” to do is finish series I started so I don’t feel as guilty starting new ones, and like you I’ve still not read The Paladin Caper. Good luck getting through some of these. But you might also want to take a look over here, I have a stack of shiny new soon to be released books just waiting to be read. You know you want to try one! 🙂
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Ah, but you’re really trying to undermine all my good intentions! 😀
Finishing series is becoming something of a struggle lately, because most of the new entries are part of a series: it looks as if stand-alone books are becoming an endangered species!
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Oof, I never clear out my TBR, though I think I should. There’s just such a finality to taking something off though, and who knows when a particular mood will strike and there may be a perfect book to scratch the itch. 😀 I really should dust off my shelves and bump some back up the priority list!
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Problem is, those priority lists never remain unchanged… All that is takes is to see a new, shiny upcoming book to spoil all our carefully crafted plans! 😀
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Can I recommend against Black Prism by Brent Weeks? The first book is ok if you’re into that sort of detailed magic system fantasy, but I’ve not seen a single person speak well of the series ending. I had two books out of 5 left to go and I’ve been talked out of them.
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Oh, that’s good to know! Something was keeping me back from starting that series, and I always tend to listen to what I call my “book vibes”, so I will keep your recommendation in mind. Thanks! 🙂
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Traitor’s Blade is a must read! I loved that series so much!! And after reading your list I have discovered some interesting new (for me) titles too. Now I have to check them out!!
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So, my spring cleaning has turned into your spring hoarding? I’ve been a bad girl, indeed! 😀 😀 😀
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That is exactly what happened!! You are bad and I am without hope!!! 😉
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Resistance is futile! 😀 😀 😀
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Gorgeous post!! This is a great idea and you’ve made me add the ember mage to my tbr, it sounds beautiful. I also read recently six of crows and really enjoyed it. Here was my go at this weeks ttt 🙂 https://hundredsandthousandsofbooks.blog/2021/03/09/ttt-9-3-21-cleaning-up-my-goodreads-wtr-pile/
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I guess I will have to start with Six of Crows, because there are far too many enthusiastic comments on this one for me to ignore the “nudges” any more 😉
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I also have All The Birds in the Sky in my digital TBR, really hope to get to it one day.
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Meanwhile, she’s written another one, so I must see for myself what kind of author she is! 🙂
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I’ve been wanting to read those Bernard Cornwell books for a while too. I realised a little while ago that I actually prefer low magic fantasy (and probably even zero magic fantasy) and gritty historical fiction is possibly more my thing than fantasy? Which feels weird to say cos I’ve read fantasy my whole life, but I’m definitely excited about getting more into historical fiction. There’s a book called Dissolution that’s been recommended to me set in Tudor England during the dissolution of the monasteries. I’m also looking forward to reading Master and Commander and Cornwell’s Sharpe series if I like his writing. Maybe now I’m 31 I’ve just reached prime ‘dad fiction’ age haha.
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Magic is indeed the kind of element that must be dosed very carefully in a fantasy setting, and I agree with you that less of it does improve the story (Abercrombie and Martin are the two examples that come readily to mind), and historical fiction does have its undeniable appeal, because I see it as a way of learning about history without the “weight” that burdened it when we were studying it in school – or at least that’s how it works with me.
I have taken a look at Dissolution and it looks intriguing: for now I will add it to my “wanted” list… 🙂
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Well, I’ve added All the Birds to my wishlist – which keeps expanding uncontrollably.
I also need to go back to the Invisible Library series and the Patrick Weekes books – I was enjoying both so like you I have no idea why I didn’t complete them – well, probably a new shiny book grabbed my attention.
Lynn 😀
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Those shiny new arrivals are so very distracting, aren’t they? I keep promising myself to try and be blind and deaf to their allure, but I keep failing miserably…. 😉
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