What’s on my TBR?

Allow me to clarify: by ‘to be read’, I mean books and audio books I am in possession of that I am yet to read. I know some book bloggers use the term TBR for books they intend to acquire, books on their Goodreads ‘to read’ list etc. but here, I’m talking about books I could literally pick up and start today, if I were so inclined.

I’m currently reading The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury, and I just finished listening to Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) this morning on my way to work. I really enjoyed it, and it was fun to see JK trying out a different genre.

I started watching the BBC adaptation of The Casual Vacancy years ago when it was on, but I wasn’t hooked and didn’t watch the end. I haven’t read the book – if you have, was it good? Should I read it?

I recently read that the three Cormoran Strike novels are also being adapted by the BBC and will be shown later this year, so I guess I’d better read the other two sharpish! Career of Evil is the third – I didn’t realise this when I downloaded the audio book in Audible’s sale -so I’m a bit behind, but luckily the book is crafted so that you don’t need to have necessarily read the other two first.

Right! Onwards to my TBR…

Paperbacks

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I wanted to read this before the film came out so I could watch the film and compare. I didn’t get round to reading it in time, so I didn’t see the film either…  Sound logic, I’m sure. Anyway, I want to read this over the next couple of months so that as soon as the film comes on Sky Movies I can watch it.

Basically, Rachel takes the same train to work everyday and looks out at the same houses and sees the same people going about their lives. One day, one of the people she watches goes missing and Rachel becomes a witness, and then a suspect. It has an unreliable, alcoholic narrator, and the film trailer looked really dark, so I’m pretty excited about it!

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

This has been on my wishlist for a while, I bought it when I had a bit of a book binge a couple of months ago and I’m desperate to get to it.

It’s set in an exotic desert nation and has sharpshooters, mythical beasts and magic wielding djinni (genies). What’s not to love?

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

A dark Snow White retelling where the princess has magic and the huntsman and the prince are one and the same?  Yes please!

I’ve seen good and bad reviews of this one – some thought it was too dull and boring, others loved it – so I’m going to give it a chance. It sounds right up my street, I love fairy tale retellings and YA fantasy.

Once Upon a Dream (Twisted Tales) by Liz Braswell

Another fairy tale retelling, this time based on Sleeping Beauty. Liz Braswell was tasked with writing dark and twisted versions of all our favourite Disney fairy tales, for this one she took from the animated Sleeping Beauty as well as the live action Maleficent.

The key difference to the originals is that instead of waking the princess when the prince kisses her, he also falls under the spell, entering the dream world where Aurora has been trapped for years.

I’ve seen mainly bad reviews for these reimaginings, but I’m an open-minded, kind-hearted type of girl, so I’m hoping to enjoy this.

Who is Tom Ditto? by Danny Wallace

Funny story, I actually ‘acquired’ this book from a cottage I stayed at with my husband and dog. There were a few books in the TV cupboard, I didn’t think they’d miss this, presumably another visitor left it behind… Either way, it wound up coming home with me.

One of the few contemporary novels on this list, this one is written by a British filmmaker, TV presenter and comedian, so I have high hopes for a light-hearted, funny read. I need a little light between the dark sometimes.

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

I received this book in November’s Illumicrate, a bookish subscription box. This was my first Illumicrate and I am so excited for next month’s (it’s a quarterly subscription) because it is actually going to include TWO books, one which hasn’t even been released yet!

November’s also included the cutest socks from Happy Socks, a coffee cup cosy from Sparrow + Wolf, a notepad for my ‘Evil Plans’ by House of Wonderland, an Aidan candle from Meraki Candles – I believe Aidan is a character from Illuminae, but I haven’t read it yet. It smells of sandalwood and bergamot (I do love a nice cup of Earl Grey) and is absolutely delicious. There were also lots of other little bookish bits, like a bookmark and postcards, a signed book plate and cute Christmas tag.

I’m really excited to read The Diabolic, it follows Nemesis, a cyborg designed to protect a galactic Senator’s daughter, Sidonia. Having grown up side by side, they’re practically sisters, as well as cyborg and master, so when Sidonia is summoned by an evil Emperor to be a hostage, Nemesis goes in her place and must impersonate Sidonia. As a humanoid – but not human – cyborg, Nemesis shouldn’t feel, but perhaps she is more human than she seems…

 

Audio books

The Muse by Jessie Burton

I just started listening to this today on my way home from work. I haven’t read The Miniaturist, but I know it got a lot of hype when it was released. From what I’ve read on Goodreads, The Muse is even better.

Odelle is a Trinidadian woman living in 1960s London, working as a typist at an art gallery when a mysterious lost masterpiece is delivered to the gallery. The painting’s history takes us back to rural Spain in the 1930s, and another ambitious young woman with a fascinating story.

How good does that sound? I’m enjoying it already and I’m only an hour in!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Having read the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, and the Books of Faerie, I’m a pretty big Stiefvater fan. I’ve heard that The Scorpio Races and especially The Raven Cycle are absolutely fantastic, so I had to add them to my wishlist.

I thought I’d start with The Scorpio Races as it’s a standalone.

About teenagers who ride flesh-eating water horses in a deadly competition, how could I not love this book?

So, there you have it. My TBR for the next couple of months. Actually, I’m not that fast a reader, the books will take me several months to read, but the audio books will definitely be done by the end of February, when I fully intend to move onto The Raven Cycle.

What’s on your TBR for the not-too-distant future? I’d love to know!

Lyndsey

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