Top Ten Tuesday | Shame, Shame, Shame...

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Books That Have Been On My TBR the Longest and I Still Haven’t Read' which is basically the story of my life. So this is going to be embarrassing.

We all have them, don't we? Those books we keep telling ourselves we need to read but then, year after year, they fall by the wayside for other things. I have quite a lot of those books, in fact, so today I'm talking about the books I haven't read despite having owned my copies for quite a few years now.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini: I'm pretty sure I've owned my copy of this book since I finished my undergraduate degree, which means I've owned it since 2013 and still haven't read it. It's about time I got on that!

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: Even worse I'm fairly certain I picked my copy of this one up while I was still at uni. It's one of those books I tell myself I'm going to read and never get to, so I really do need to try and get to it soon.

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber: Like the majority of the books on this list this is another one I came across in a charity shop and picked up because, as a huge historical fiction fan, it's one of the classics of the genre that I feel like I should have read by now. I'm not as eager to pick this one up as I am the others on this list but I'd like to cross it off my TBR at some point.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: Considering I did my dissertation on women in dystopian fiction it's incredibly embarrassing that I haven't read this one yet and, sadly, I know it's still so relevant. I want to read it, I just know it's going to make me angry and upset and I need to be in the right mood for that kind of book.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly: I've owned my copy of this for a few years now and still haven't read it which is ridiculous considering it's historical fiction with a dash of dark fairy tales. So many things I love!

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke: It's the size of this book that intimidates me but my friend Natalie @ A Sea Change loved it and I'd really like to cross it off my TBR.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: Similarly, at around 1,500 pages, this book is so daunting to me. It's the one classic I'd really like to try and cross off my TBR, though.

Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman: Another one I found in a charity shop and still haven't read because I'm the worst. Sharon Kay Penman is an author I definitely need to have under my belt, though, she's so highly regarded in the realms of historical fiction.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett: My parents got me this one for my first Christmas home from university. This means I've owned my copy since 2010. Oh dear.

The Lady's Slipper by Deborah Swift: Yet another one I discovered in a charity shop and would really like to read because I had the pleasure of meeting the author while studying for my MA and she was lovely. This piece of historical fiction is actually set around the area where I went to university so it'd be lovely to revisit it in this book.

Which books made your list this week?

BIG Books on my TBR!

When I was younger I was never intimidated by big books, but I suppose 'big' is very subjective. For me, a really big book is anything that's 600 pages or more, and yet when I was younger reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was nothing, nor were the chunky latter two books in Cornelia Funke's Inkworld trilogy. Lately the biggest book I've read is the conclusion to Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles, Winter.

For some reason, as I've gotten older, I've begun to find larger books incredibly intimidating and I'm not 100% sure why. I think I've been so eager to read as much as I can in one year because there's always so much I want to read and too little time to read it all in that I've let the big books on my TBR gather dust. Well not anymore! Some books have been on my TBR for far too long, and if I could cross even one of these books off my TBR this year I'd be a very happy bunny.

My lovely friend Natalie @ A Sea Change has sung the praises of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell many times, but I still haven't read my copy despite owning it for a few years now - it has footnotes, for Heaven's sake! I've heard so many readers praise it as a masterpiece, however, so I need to read it soon.

I'm not the biggest fan of Stephen King's writing, especially when he writes about the supernatural - so far Misery is the book of his I've enjoyed most - but I adored the 2017 adaptation of IT so much that I'd really like to give the book a shot. It's just so huge...

This year will mark nine years since I bought my copy of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. Nine years. I love a good ol' revenge story and I've actually tried to read this one a couple of times and haven't been able to get into it. One of these days I need to give it another try and, if it still isn't for me, it's time to send my edition off to a more loving home.

Despite being a proud northerner and a lover of Victorian literature, I'm ashamed to admit I've yet to read any Elizabeth Gaskell. One of these days I'm going to read North and South because I love the 2004 adaptation starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe, but Wives and Daughters is the one that's really calling to me because I've heard so many good things about it. I particularly like that it features a friendship between two stepsisters at the centre of it - step-families have something of a bad reputation in fiction!

I fell in love with Italy when my friend Elena and I visited Rome in 2015, and I've since been lucky enough to visit Florence and Bologna, too. Italo Calvino has selected and retold a variety of stories in Italian Folktales - there are just so many crammed into one book that the idea of starting it makes me feel a bit nervous! I think it's a book I might have to work my way through over an extended period of time.

I've said time and time again how much I want to start Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, particularly as I'd like to watch the TV adaptation, but the series is so long and each book is so big that it seems like such a huge commitment. One of these days, though, I'd at least like to cross the first book off my TBR and see what I think of the series.

The shortest book on this list, Ken Liu's The Grace of Kings is still a fairly chunky one at just over 600 pages. I was very kindly sent this one for Christmas by Lorraine @ Insanity Sandwich and was thrilled to receive it as I'm very eager to explore more Asian and African-inspired high fantasy. This is one I'm hoping to cross off my TBR very soon!

Another one I've had on my list for a few years now, as a historical fiction fan I'm ashamed to admit I've yet to read any Sharon Kay Penman. Here Be Dragons is a novelisation of Joan, Lady of Wales (also known by her Welsh name, Siwan) who was the illegitimate daughter of King John and was married to the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great (or Llywelyn ap Iorwerth). I've been fascinated by her ever since I learned about her which is particularly frustrating because so little about her is actually known. This is another one I'd like to cross off my list sooner rather than later!

Are you intimidated by big books? Which larger books would you like to cross off your TBR?

Top Ten Tuesday | My Winter TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR' - hooray for themed TBRs which, if you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know I love! 

I love reading books set in cold landscapes during the winter, such as Hannah Kent's Burial Rites and Stef Penney's The Tenderness of Wolves, but I also love trying to tackle high fantasy and fat, epic novels that I can totally escape to in the winter, when the nights are dark and the candles are lit.

The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin: I'm half way through The Obelisk Gate at the moment but my reading year's been so poor I've accidentally left it despite having pre-ordered, and now also owning, a copy of The Stone Sky. I'd love to get this trilogy finished because I really enjoyed The Fifth Season and I want to know where this story's going!

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb: Frankly it's criminal that I haven't read any Robin Hobb and I've owned my copy of Assassin's Apprentice for a while now, so it's about time I got to it. I'm looking forward to (hopefully) enjoying a long series in which I can follow one character from childhood through to adulthood.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: My lovely friend Natalie @ A Sea Change really enjoyed this book and it sounds like a lot of fun - I'm all for a heist story, and I liked Bardugo's story in Summer Days and Summer Nights so I'm interested in reading one of her novels.

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence: I tried reading this one earlier this year and, sadly, couldn't get into it, but I want to give it another chance. I've heard such wonderful things about Lawrence as a fantasy writer and I'm always drawn to stories set in nunneries so I'm hoping to, if not love, then at least like this one the second time around.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke: Natalie @ A Sea Change also loves this one and I still haven't read it because it's such a beast, but I think it'd be the ideal book to curl up with over winter and experience.

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu: I don't know why I didn't realise it sooner, but over the past year or so I've really begun to notice just how European the high fantasy I'm familiar with is. I'd like to discover more Asian and African-inspired fantasy realms and this series sounds very intriguing - I've heard very good things thus far!

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: This is one of my favourite books of all time and I haven't reread it yet this year, so I think it'll be fun to curl up with it over Christmas. I love Maia so much.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: I've been meaning to start this series for a few years now, but there are almost ten books in the series now and each one is huge. So many people I know love this series, however, and I'd really like to watch the TV adaptation - I just want to read the book(s) first!

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis: Another chunky book and one that I think at least begins around Christmas time, so it's a fitting read for the winter. This is about a history student who time travels back to the Middle Ages during the outbreak of the Black Death, only to get stuck there. I've heard it's amazing so I'm looking forward to picking it up (hopefully) soon!

Which books made your list this week?

16 Books I Want to Read in 2016

There are some books I'm always talking about wanting to read, and yet I never get to them. I don't know if it's because they fall to the wayside of newer releases or I'm hesitant to pick them up after waiting so long to read them in the first place, or perhaps a mix of the two, but in 2016 there are some books I'm determined to get to.

These are two classic feminist texts I'm ashamed to say I haven't read yet, and two books Mallory @ The Local Muse is always recommending to me. Now I'm taking part in The Women's Classic Literature Event I have even more reason to read them, and I want to get to them soon. I haven't read any Sylvia Plath yet, so The Bell Jar is a must, and so far the only Margaret Atwood book I've read is The Penelopiad; I'd really like to read Alias Grace, too, but I have to cross The Handmaid's Tale off my TBR!

I'm sure most of you know by now how much I love Sarah Waters, and now I only have two of her six published novels left to read - until she releases her next book! The Night Watch is told backwards, which should be interesting to read, and as The Paying Guests is a bit of a chunker I'm looking forward to diving into it.

Somehow I still haven't read The Raven Boys, and with the final book in this series, The Raven King, coming out in 2016, I think it's about time I got to it! I also still haven't got to Station Eleven despite buying it in January, and I really need to read it as it's one of my friend Elena's favourite books.

I've read sections of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and I've seen the BBC mini series of North and South, so I'm familiar with both stories, but I want to read them both. I'm a big fan of Anne Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell, so I can get to both of these in 2016 I'll be a happy bunny!

Among Others and The Shadow of the Wind are two of those books I'm always hearing fantastic things about, and yet despite owning both of them I still haven't read them. Both of them are books about books, so I'm very excited to cross them off my TBR!

I've heard a lot of great things about Americanah, and I'm eager to read some of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's fiction after I read We Should All Be Feminists earlier this year. I'm hoping to find a copy of Reading Lolita in Tehran under the Christmas tree, because it sounds fantastic.

The Crimson Petal and the White and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell are two beasts in the historical fiction world, and though they both intimidate me they're both books I want to read. I've heard nothing but good things about The Crimson Petal and the White, and I love my historical fiction with a dash of magic. Hopefully I can get to both of these!

Similarly, No Name and The Count of Monte Cristo are both GIANT classics. I've been telling myself I'm going to read The Count of Monte Cristo for far too long, I really need to cross it off my TBR, and I only discovered No Name this year but I love Wilkie Collins and I think it sounds brilliant. These classics both deal with revenge, and I love me a good revenge story every once in a while.

So those are some of the books I'd like to read in 2016. Are there any books you're determined to cross off your TBR next year?

Top Ten Tuesday | My TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is a FREEBIE! So I decided to talk about ten books on my TBR I'd really like to read soon.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke: This book is a bit of a beast - my edition is so heavy, it's like a brick - and I've owned it for a while now, but I'd like to read it soon because the BBC have adapted it for TV and it looks so cool. I'd like to try and read the book before I watch it, though!

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: One of the things I've realised recently is that I'm not actually the biggest fan of high fantasy. I can watch it, but reading it I just get so bamboozled by all the different names and just the idea of an entire different world. I'm dumb, and I love fantasy that's in our world. I want to get back into high fantasy, though, and I've heard some amazing things about The Goblin Emperor.

This Strange Way of Dying by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Silvia Moreno-Garcia's debut novel, Signal to Noise, is my favourite book of 2015 so far, and now has a firm spot amongst my favourite books of all time. This Strange Way of Dying is her first collection of short stories, and I'm dying to read more of her stuff - plus isn't that cover stunning?

The Sundial by Shirley Jackson: So far I've read The Haunting of Hill House, The Lottery, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle and loved them all. Shirley Jackson has quickly become one of my favourite authors - she's definitely my favourite horror writer - and The Sundial sounds fantastic. I've been getting really into modern classics recently, particularly modern classics written by women, and Shirley Jackson's gotten me really into southern gothic stories. I'm looking forward to this one!

This Book is Gay by James Dawson: This is a piece of non-fiction I've seen around on Booktube a lot recently. James Dawson's a YA author, and this book talks about what it's like to grow up as LGBT+. I think this book will be really interesting.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout: I've heard this is one of those really addictive YA series that's bordering on the ridiculous, and I'm totally ready for a guilty pleasure kind of read.

Denton Little's Deathdate by Lance Rubin: I saw Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight review this book about a month ago, and the premise just really intrigued me. It's been a while since I read any YA and this sounds fun despite the rather dark premise!

Rat Queens, Vol.2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch: I'm so excited for this! I pre-ordered my copy and I'm hoping it'll here at the end of this month.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab: I've owned this since February, heard nothing but amazing things about it, and yet I still haven't read it yet. What the hell's wrong with me?

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland: I love this series, and I want to read more of it. If you're a fan of urban fantasy or you want to read a series with a really original take on zombies, I recommend picking up these books!

What did you guys talk about this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Books I'd Read if I Had a Book Club

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Ten Books I'd Love To Read With My Book Club/If I Had A Book Club'. Sadly, I don't have a book club; my local library has one that meets each month, but it's at 2:00 on a Wednesday and I work 9-5 Monday-Friday. Oh well!

I was thinking of theming this post, but instead I decided to go for the ten books I'd most love to talk about with other people. I've decided to split my list into books I'd love to reread, and books I haven't read yet. So, without further ado, here are my top ten!

Books I'd Reread

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman: One of my all time favourite books. There are so many things in this book to discuss, and I'd love to hear what other people had to say about it.

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu: Again, this is another favourite and another book in which there's a lot to talk about. This classic is just fascinating.

Feed by Mira Grant: Haha, I think we should just assume that this book is going to pop up on the majority of my TTT posts from now on. Honestly the main reason I'd want to read this for a book club is to make even more people read it because it's amazing and I love it.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins: Probably my favourite classic. There. I said it. Again, there's a lot to talk about in this novel. It's quite dense, yes, but if you stick with it it's so worth it.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman: I just think this book would be a lot of fun to read with other people, and, again, there's a lot to talk about here!

Books I'd Read for the First Time

Among Others by Jo Walton: I've heard a lot of wonderful things about this book, and something about it makes me think it'd be a great book club read.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: I need to read this book (I promise I'll get to it this year, Mallory!) and I might read it sooner if I had to read it for a book club. Plus I think there'd be a lot to discuss.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: I think a book about books would be a great choice for a reading group, and I've heard brilliant things about this book! Plus I like book clubs that include books that were not originally written in English.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: I feel like this is a classic I have to read before I die, but I'm not all that interested by it. The premise doesn't put me off (I know that probably sounds weird, but I'm more frightened by supernatural creatures than I am by creepy people) although I'm sure reading it would certainly make me uncomfortable, and I think it'd be a really interesting book to discuss with other people.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke: This book is such a beast. My copy's like a brick, I swear to God it should be one of the murder weapons in Cluedo. A book's size usually doesn't put me off, but this one is the exception. A book club might finally make me crack this baby open!

Which books made your list this week?