Bookworms are known for their massive TBR piles of course. So it’s logical to think that some books just slide under the radar. Here are some books I really want to read that have been on my TBR for a really long time…
1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder’s brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it “a matter of national security,” but Cinder suspects it’s more serious than he’s letting on.
Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder’s intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that’s been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter’s illness, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an “honor” that no one has survived.
But it doesn’t take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.
So this book has been on my TBR since April 2014. Yep you heard me right…2014. It’s been recommended to me so many times and I swore I’d read it at the beginning of the year, but clearly I still haven’t…
2. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman
Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.
The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.
This is a book that I hear about all the time. Even though it came out a good while ago. I really want to start reading more sci-fi because I feel like I neglect it majorly. I could probably count the amount of sci-fi books I’ve read on one hand. So yeah, I NEED to read this. P.s – the cover is gorgeous!
3. Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”, she speaks many languages – not all of them human – and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
I feel like basically everyone has read this book and I swear I’ve been meaning to. It’s caught my attention again recently though because of Laini Taylor’s new release ‘Strange the dreamer’. Everyone has been raving about that one so I’m sure this one will be amazing as well!
4. The Diviners by Libba Bray
Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.
Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.
Ok. I know exactly why I haven’t read this one. It’s because I’m a coward. I have an irrational fear of big books, and boy is this a big book. It sounds like something I’d really love though so I will overcome my fear, I swear.
5. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
I don’t even want to think about how long I’ve had Cinder lying on my shelves for, probably since about 2014 as well! Every year I swear I’m going to read it and it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t even know what’s stopping me! Hopefully this will be the year!
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Exactly! I’ve heard amazing thing about it so I don’t know why I keep putting it off. I really do want to read it soon!
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I loved Cinder and the rest of the series, as well. I loved These Broken Stars, too, but still debating if I want to read the rest of the series!
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Yeah these broken stars is a bit of a strange one for me because I’ve heard the most amazing things about it but I’m not 100% sure it’s a book I’d enjoy. I really want to get to Cinder soon though because everyone keeps telling me how great it is and that the series gets better as it goes on!
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Ohhh, Cinder! I loved this book and the whole series, I really hope you will finally be able to get around to reading it sometime soon, and love it as much as I did! 🙂
Also, I haven’t read Shadow and Bone, or any books by Leigh either, you are not alone in this….someday we will, right? 😛
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Everyone keeps telling me how amazing cinder and the rest of the series is so I don’t know what’s putting me off. I think it’s started to become a bit intimidating because it’s been on my TBR for so long! OMG LEIGH BARDUGO! Honestly all her books sound so amazing but it’s the same kind of issue as Cinder
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Ah, it took me a long while to read Cinder as well, but it was worth it! I ended up seriously binging the series and falling in love with it! So worth it! I also read These Broken Stars a couple years ago and LOVED IT. I haven’t read the other two books in the series because I can’t finish a series for my life, though. XD I also loved the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy and The Diviners (even though I’m stuck in the middle of the sequel OH MY GOD). I read Shadow and Bone and thought it was meh, but you might like it better than me!
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See this is what everyone’s been telling me! I’ve heard the most amazing things about it so I really need to get to it as soon as I can. I’m kind of on the fence about these broken stars because I’ve heard it’s so amazing but I’m just not feeling the motivation to read it at all. I’m dying to read the diviners though, it”s just sooooo big!
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All of these books for me too lol!! But some of my very worst ones consist of Six of Crows, A Darker Shade of Magic, and A Court of Thorns and Roses 😬😬
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I also haven’t read any of the books you just mentioned! I was hoping to get a lot of reading done this summer but now I’m working it’s probably not going to happen 😦
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AGH you MUST read Cinder! One of my favorite series. ❤ I know that the Goodreads group YA Book Bloggers (run by a few bloggers you may know) is hosting a buddy read of Cinder in July, if you'd like to check that out! And I really need to read The Diviners haha! I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and it was okay — but I ended up DNFing the last book. I'm not sure if I want to read These Broken Stars??? I mean, I've heard good things about it, but I remember reading the first part of it and not being drawn into the story. And AGH I haven't read Shadow and Bone either! Six of Crows though… ❤ ❤ ❤
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Oh I wish I could participate in that but I’m so busy with work at the minute I know I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’ve heard so many amazing things about that whole series, I really don’t know why I keep putting it off. Yeah these broken stars is one I’m kind of on the fence about. I’ve also heard good things but i’m just not sure if it’s a book I’ll enjoy. Oh god six of crows is one I really want to read but I want to read shadow and bone first and work my forwards ❤
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UM EXCUSE ME. READ CINDER. AND DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. AND ALL OF THE BOOKS ON THIS LIST?
Aughhhh I need to read all the popular contemporaries: All The Bright Places, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, ETC ETC.
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I know I know. Cinder sounds so amazing, I really don’t know why I haven’t read it yet, I do want to asap though. Daughter of smoke and bone I think I’ll have to be in the right mood for because I’m not a massive fantasy reader. I haven’t read any of those either!
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GAHHHHHHH exactly! YOU NEED TO READ CINDER. That’s true, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is super high fantasy and just gahhhh the writing is magical!
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OMG CINDER AND THESE BROKEN STARS! They’re two of my favorite books, so I hope you end up reading them and liking them as much as I did. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous post! ❤
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Oh really! That gives me a bit more motivation to read these broken stars because I have been kind of on the fence about it ❤
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Oh jeez, I need to make a post like this as well! There’s WAY too many books that have been on my shelves for years!
And omg pleaaassseee read Shadow and Bone! I binge-read the entire series in a week, it was that good! 😍
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I know! I need to read it so bad. Everyone tells me how amazing it is, I really don’t know why I keep putting it off :(! I need to read six of crows by her as well cause I’ve heard even more amazing things about that one!
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I haven’t read Six of Crows either but I’m hoping to do that soon! I just love the entire Grisha universe!
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I wouldn’t feel too bad about not reading some of these. We all have some books that lurk on our TBR for far longer than we hope. I would recommend Cinder. I know there are a few issues to be had with it but it’s a really good book and an addictive series (which I actually haven’t finished yet… oops?). I also recommend the Laini Taylor series as well. It’s brilliant, one of my favourite reads and it surprised me as I wasn’t expecting much. Don’t be intimidated by The Diviners, either. It is a good book if long. It takes a little while to get going but it’s so good. I liked the second book a bit less but it was still a very enjoyable read.
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Yes I think Cinders one that I really need to get to soon, so many people have told me that they love the whole series!
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Hey Kirsty! I’ve nominated you for the Liebster award! (Sorry if you’ve already done it!)
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Wow, that’s a good list of books – you’re going to have a fun time. I hope you enjoy These Broken Stars and Daughter of Smoke and Bone!
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