My shopping-to-reading ration, however, isn't exactly great. Today, I'm going over all of my unread/DNF books in my shelves and why I bought them in the first place.
Unread Books in My Shelf
1. Lore by Alexandra Bracken
This one is technically my sister's, but they're away at college and don't have space in their dorm room, so it's mine now. I had planned to buy it, anyway, after it became massively popular and featured itself on the Top 10 books in every Goodreads email. I'm hoping to read it soon, although it's not number one on my list.
2. In Deeper Waters F. T. Lukens
Another one that isn't officially mine, but it's about gay pirates, so I desperately needed it on my shelf. Luken's debut seems like fun, doesn't it? Nothing serious or think-y, just a fluffy romance with a sprinkle of fantasy tropes to add a little spice.
3. Lovely War by Julie Berry
A beautiful book. I remember it releasing and immediately wanting a copy, but every time I went to the store, there were other books I wanted a little bit more. Eventually, I splurged on it during a four-book shop. I probably won't read it for a couple months, if then, because it seems like a very thoughtful book, and those get slightly too hard to read when school is intense.
4. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
My neighbor actually gave this one to me about a week ago. I've had my eye on it for a while, so when it was offered up, I jumped on it right away. With its long list of accolades and awards, I don't think I need to explain why I'm so excited to read it. Fun fact: when I first found this book, it was because I was considering the exact same name as a working title for a novel (I ruled that out after a quick google search).
5. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
This was a Christmas gift a few years back. My family always does a Pollyanna since there are so many of us (ten, including in-laws) and one year, the person who had me bought five or six novels from my Want to Read on Goodreads. I've already read Acevedo's The Poet X, so I'm interested to see how her voice comes through in prose.
6. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by Bryan Mealer and William Kamkwamba
I genuinely can't remember how I got this book. It might have been a gift from my Nana? Or possibly a steal from another bookshelf in my house? However I got it, it's been on my shelf for years. I'll read it someday, but it's not high on the list since it's a bit too serious and academic for my tastes.
7. The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy M. A. Larson
With its tropey, fun attitude, Pennyroyal Academy was easy to love, so when I realized there was a sequel years after finishing the first, I bought it right away, and then… nothing. It sat around, waiting to be read. Pennyroyal is like a fever dream that works, and I'm really not sure if the sequel could live up to it. I don't want its name tarnished for me.
8. Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Remember when everyone on the planet was reading this book? There were a solid two months when every reader had this in their hands, and then it fell off the face of the earth. For some reason, when everyone else was reading it, I was not, and by the time I had a copy, the world had moved on. I'll pick it up eventually.
9. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
This was actually the first Holly Black book I ever owned. I had no idea who she was, but it looked cool and I didn't recognize any of the other books at the store (oh, to be that sweet, naïve reader again). Even though I have a deep love for Folk of the Air, I haven't gotten around to read this one yet.
10. An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi
A beauty. One of my most recent buys, mostly because of the pretty cover. Don't get me wrong—it looks like a fantastic novel. Not exactly my usual genre, but amazing all the same. At some point, I'll have a realistic fiction kick and will knock this book out in a day.
11. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Probably top three most excited for in my whole shelf. Everyone who's read Lim's most recent only has good things to say about it, and I'm certain I won't be any different. From the inside cover blurb alone, I can already tell that the world building, the characters, everything will be insanely detailed.
12. Little Thieves by Margaret Owens
This was a birthday gift from my sister. Her goal was to buy me a new YA book I'd never heard of but would like—a difficult task, especially for someone less invested in YA culture. Nevertheless, she succeeded, and this relatively unknown but well-loved novel looks right up my alley.
13. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
Yoon's second novel, The Sun is Also a Star, was breathtaking and genius and an all-around genre-bender, but this one seems to focus more on being an enticing romance. When I found a signed copy of it on sale—sale!—I had no choice but to buy it. It was obviously a message from the reading gods that I needed this book in my life.
14. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Like the mainstream version of In Deeper Waters, except the queer royalty doesn't make it to the ocean, they're just gay in a palace, and honestly, I'm here for it. This one will be a relaxing and easy read, which is always nice.
15. Dune by Frank Herbert
Yes, I did buy this before the movie came out, but unlike everyone else on Earth, I never had any intention of reading it before watching Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in a desert. I'm certain it's good, but hardcore sci-fi and fantasy bore me sometimes. I need the tropes and the angsty teens to stay invested.
16. Gilded by Marissa Meyer
When I tell you I am so excited to read this book—it's just so pretty. The blood dripping from the crown and the dark royal vibes of the gold lettering—chef's kiss. Also, of course, I think Meyer is an extremely talented writer, and hopefully reading this will spur me to buy a Lunar Chronicles box set.
17. The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo
In my defense, how many Grishaverse fans have actually read this book? Sure, I think it's very cool that you can own the book Alina was a little obsessed with, but no one was reading those books for the mythology. Mostly, I own it for show. And to look at the pictures, of course. Gorgeous art.
DNF Books in My Shelf
1. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
I kept expecting this to be fantasy. That was my impression of the cover, so when I read a couple chapters, I ended up putting it down and got too busy to pick it back up. From what I read, it was interesting, so hopefully I can get back to it soon.
2. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My current read, so technically unfinished, but I'm enjoying it and don't plan on starting any other books before it's over. It's a great novel, if a bit slow and sad.
3. The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
This is a book I like going back to. You don't really have to read it all in one sitting to get a good experience, just like how you don't have to listen to more than one episode of the podcast at once. He's just such a smart person. I love reading his takes on things.
4. The Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson
It's a fun book, but I didn't have time to read it all at once, so I got bored. Somehow, it's too tropey for me. Or maybe the tropes aren't well written? I'm still trying to form my opinion. There'll probably be a review for it down the line.
5. Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily by David Levithan and Rachel Cohen
I bought all the Dash & Lily books the year the show came out. I blew through the first book and read the second one quickly, if not as fast as the first, but the third felt forced to me. I'll probably read it for Christmas in July or next Christmas.
6. The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown
Someone recommended this book to me, and I added it to my reading list then forgot about it. When I saw it on my TBR later, I was curious, so I bought it, but then the person who recommended it to me actually said that it wasn't the greatest. I started reading it and, like they said, it was fun but I wasn't obsessed.
Jeez, this list is long. Far longer than I expected, if I'm being honest. There's nothing like a long TBR to make you feel like a bad reader, am I right?
That's something else I wanted to address today. More often than not, I feel like I'm a "bad reader," which a lot of avid readers struggle with when they don't feel so avid-ish. But what does that even mean? That I don't read enough? That too much of my free time is spent on TV shows or with friends? I love the reading community I've found online and with other readers, but if there's one thing I've noticed, it's that it can have serious gatekeeping and guilting. A reminder to everyone: reading is fun. If recreational reading is making you stressed, it's not recreational reading. I know it sounds obvious, but trust me when say that you can't see the soup while you're in it. If you ever notice that you feel guilty when you look at your shelves or remember another book you haven't read yet, try to remind yourself of this: reading isn't the only thing that can make you happy, nor is it necessarily the "best." But what does that mean?
Well, I can pretty much guarantee you that you love activities other than reading. Don't feel badly about doing them! Wouldn't it be ridiculous if someone told you that you had to pick one fun thing to do for the rest of your life? It wouldn't be fun anymore! That's exactly what's happening when you guilt yourself for having fun or relaxing without a book in your hand.
We're taught from a very young age that reading is good for your brain, and it is, yes, but what we're not taught is that it's not good for your brain to be reading all of the time. It took me a very long time to see that point, and I don't think I've fully accepted it yet, but it's vital in fighting off reading guilt. My therapist recently pointed out to me that if I were to read during all of my free time, my brain would be entirely exhausted, and I wouldn't be able to handle my workload. That's something we tend to ignore, but think about all of the avid readers in your life. Did they slow down as their classes got tougher? Part of the reason people are generally less interested in reading during high school compared to middle school is that they simply don't have the brain power after their classes and homework anymore, at least in my experience. If just looking at a bookshelf makes you feel tired, you're too tired to read.
All this to say that having a TBR pile of pre-purchased books isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sorry for the tangent; I guess I thought that there was probably a reader out there who needed to hear it as much as I did. I'm hoping that next month I'll have another review for you (it's been a bit since my last one; reviews are so draining, and as I've clearly just established, I am a tired junior). Until next time, keep reading, readers. (Or don't, if you don't have enough brainpower! Don't push yourself too far! Drink lots of water and rest and find things that make you happy every day!)