Ten TBR Books I’m Avoiding Reading, and Why

September 10, 2019 Top Ten Tuesday 8

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. The meme was originally the brainchild of The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books.

Books On My TBR I’ve Been Avoiding

  • Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness. I’ve had this since I went to hear the author speak last fall, and got my copy signed. I was really excited to read it, and then I encountered some reviews that were less than enthusiastic. But I think enough time has gone by that I will be able to approach it without too many expectations either way, so I plan to read it this fall.
  • The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy. This is an ARC, so I really should read it… but when I dipped into it, I just wasn’t hooked. Neither of the main characters appealed to me. That may have been simply where I was (emotionally) at the time, so I’ll give it another shot.
  • Circe by Madeline Miller. For some reason, I’ve been a little intimidated by this book. Perhaps it’s because I feel that I should be more familiar with the original myths and source material before I read it. But I’m sure other people have enjoyed it without knowing every detail of Circe’s story beforehand.
  • The Girl with the Dragon Heart by Stephanie Burgis. I’ve been hesitating for fear it won’t live up to Burgis’s wonderful Dragon with the Chocolate Heart. But honestly, I’ve never read a bad book by Ms. Burgis, so what am I waiting for?
  • Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman. Full disclosure: I started this one, and bogged down partway through… probably it was the right book at the wrong time. I don’t know why I haven’t gone back to finish it, but I intend to.
  • Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Like Time’s Convert, I’ve had this since I went to hear Novik speak when the book first came out. She’s marvelous, and the novel sounds marvelous too. You know, I really should avoid reviews for books I want to read. A few “disappointed” reviewers made me leery of starting Spinning Silver, for fear of being disappointed myself… which is honestly pretty silly, when I think about it.
  • Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. Honestly, I’m afraid it won’t live up to the hype… or the cover. Also, I heard that it’s the first in a series, and the longer I put it off, the less time I’ll have to wait for the next book. But I really do want to read it.
  • Dragon’s Code by Gigi McCaffrey. This is the first time that Anne McCaffrey’s daughter has gotten to play in the Pern sandbox. Frankly, I never really warmed to son Todd McCaffrey’s books set in the same world; I felt they didn’t stay quite true to the feel and vision of the series. But I’m willing to give this one a try. The main reason I haven’t is that I borrowed it from the library and had to return it before I had a chance to read it… and I just haven’t gotten ’round to borrowing it again.
  • Aunt Dimity and the Heart of Gold by Nancy Atherton. I would have read this already, but there are still 12 people ahead of me on the library hold list. So I’ll just have to wait some more.
  • The Lemon Sisters by Jill Shalvis. This sounded so good when I requested it, and I really like Shalvis’s books, so there’s no good reason for me to put it off. But for some reason, I just haven’t been in the mood for a contemporary romance featuring sisters. I will get to it soon, I promise.

What have you been avoiding on your TBR list?

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8 Responses to “Ten TBR Books I’m Avoiding Reading, and Why”

  2. Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits

    I’ve been putting off Spinning Silver because of those same reviews, I suspect. I will be reading it (or at least attempting to) though, because it does sound good.

    I’m curious about the new Pern book. I read one book co-authored by Todd McCaffrey, and decided that Pern was over. I’ve since re-read the originals, but have never tried another of the new Pern stories. I might have to give Gigi a try too, though.
    Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits recently posted…Writing WIP Wednesday ~ getting back on trackMy Profile

  3. Anne - Books of My Heart

    I loved, loved Spinning Silver and The Lemon Sisters. I listened to both on audio which often helps me with fantasy stories. I am also going to read The Orchid Throne and have had it for awhile. But I’ve been in a mystery thriller mood not a fantasy mood so I’m being careful. Good luck!
    Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…Warrior’s Curse by Cara BristolMy Profile

  5. Sam@wlabb

    I liked The Lemon Sisters. I always jump on any Shalvis book. She makes me happy. I liked exploration of this family dynamic, and it was a twofer romance.