Longstanding TBR - 50 Books That I'm Still Excited About

Back in May, I read a really awesome post by Nessa Luna on her blog October Tune, all about the books she still wanted to read but hadn't gotten to yet. Please check out that fun post here:

 50 Books I Still Really Want to Read in My Life – october tune

I was inspired to do something similar here, and although I'm doing it a bit differently than her, I wanted to cover books that have been on my TBR for a long time that I do actually still intend to read (rather than those ones you eventually weed off every few years). If I intend to read the series, I have listed it as the series title, but if I hope to at least read 1 book from the series and go from there, I have just listed the first book for now. So, without further ado, here's my list of 50 books that I'm still excited to get to!

2019 TBR Challenge - Wrap-Up

Now that 2019 has come to a close, I want to update you all on how I did on my TBR Challenge for the year. This challenge is held by Adam @ Roof Beam Reader, and although I didn't do the best in the world this year, it's helped me out a lot.

What am I talking about? Here's the link to my original post about the challenge, which includes a list of all of the books I hoped to get through, and links to the related reviews.

Graphic Novels: The Girl From the Other Side - Book 1

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This is my first review of a graphic novel! I don't feel like you can talk about them in quite the same way as a standard print novel, so I'm going to change things up a bit.

amazon.com

What it's about:

A little girl and a dark monster are companions - but how did they become this way? The girl, Shiva, is sweet and curious - interested in the world, and waiting for her grandmother to come and take her home. "Teacher," a beast with a curse, watches over her - but the two can never touch, lest Shiva become cursed as well. How do these two coexist, separated by this affliction?

Trouble with Lichen (John Wyndham)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk.

abebooks.co.uk

What it's about:

Diana Brackley is unusual. She doesn't think about marriage or babies, and wants to go to university. She asks uncomfortable questions and seems to be able to look right through you. Upon graduating from school, she decides to become a biochemist, and soon is hired at the prestigious Darr House, owned and operated by Francis Saxover. Upon working with different strains of lichen, Diana discovers something she never could have foreseen - a lichen species with a property that, if know, will change the course of human history forever.

YA in Review: Catalyst (Laurie Halse Anderson)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. Catalyst is a companion novel to Speak, occurring in the same environment, but with an entirely different set of characters.

tpl.ca

What it's about:

Kate Malone is a straight-A student, preacher's daughter, member of the track team, and has a gorgeous, brainiac boyfriend. Yet, more than all of that, there is one thing that defines her - she belongs at MIT - she just has to wait for her acceptance letter. Yet, even though Kate might be waiting, life is still zooming forwards. After her classmate's house burns down Kate is forced to share her room with bully Teri Litch and her young brother while they rebuild. Now, Kate is dealing with classes, relationships, waiting to get into school, sharing her home, taking care of her own brother, getting noticed at cross-country meets, and helping kleptomaniac Teri. But she can handle it for a few more months...can't she?

YA in Review: The Scorch Trials (James Dashner)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however as it is part of a series, some comments may spoil portions of the plot of previous books by default. This book is the second book out of The Maze Runner series. My post about the first book can be seen here.

biblio.com

What it's about:

After the Gladers escape from the Maze, they find themselves in the company of WICKED scientists. The Gladers learn that they are not only in another phase of an experiment, but that they have caught a horrible disease called The Flare, which causes those infected to lose their minds. Yet, WICKED offers them a cure - they just have to make it through the Scorch - the deadly desert that stretches for miles, by the end of two weeks. Except there's one big catch: the Gladers aren't the only ones vying for the cure.

YA in Review: Flipped (Wendelin Van Draanen)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk.

wendelinvand.com

What it's about:

Julianna Baker flipped for Bryce Loski instantly. Bryce? Not so much. He spends the next several years trying to get away. But when the eighth grade comes around with new challenges and influences, Juli starts to see Bryce for more than just what he is on the outside - and she's not sure she likes what she sees anymore. Yet Bryce, upon being prompted to take a closer look, starts getting a funny feeling every time Juli is near.

Drums of Autumn (Diana Gabaldon)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however as it is part of a series, some comments may spoil portions of the plot of previous books by default. This book is the fourth in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. A television series is also currently out. It recently finished its fourth season, which covers the contents of this book.

dianagabaldon.com

What it's about:

From Scotland to France to Jamaica, Claire and Jamie Fraser have travelled many miles on their journey together. Now in North Carolina, another chapter of their lives is beginning. Journeying to River Run, they meet Jamie's aunt Jocasta, and then move onward to make themselves a home on the newly named Fraser's Ridge. Yet the uncolonized land presents its own challenges - along the way both new and old friends and foe are encountered which will have lasting consequences. Back in the present, Claire and Jamie's daughter Brianna learns the history behind her parent's future - and knows she has to help them in any way she knows how.

YA in Review: How I Live Now (Meg Rosoff)

This post contains mild Spoilers, although they occur not far into the book. Comments by other users may possibly contain information that further spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book was adapted into a movie in 2013 which stars Saoirse Ronan, and is an early role for Tom Holland.

penguin.com.au

What it's about:

Fifteen year old Daisy defines herself by everything she is not; She is not Elizabeth, not wanted at home, and definitely not going to eat. Sent from the United States to live on an English farm with her aunt and cousins, Daisy finds herself thrown into a very different world. Instead of her indifferent father and nasty stepmother, she is greeted by four quirky and connected cousins, and her mother's loving sister. Quickly fitting in, Daisy finds the family dynamic she didn't know she could have. Yet, just as suddenly as her idyllic farm life begins, it is shattered by the start of World War III. The enemy is as unknown as the future as everything gets thrown into chaos. But for Daisy, there is nothing more important than holding on to her newfound life.

2019 TBR Pile Challenge

Yes, I'm doing it again! Originally I had decided that there was no way I was going to do Roof Beam Reader's TBR Pile Challenge again, but when I started going through some of my books, I realized that I still have so many that I want to get through, and have for many years. Now I don't particularly mind if a book is a year or two old before I get around to reading it, but some of these I've wanted to read for about 10 years now...and I really want to finally get them off my TBR list!

So, how does this work?

Pick 12 books that have been on your TBR (to be read) list for at least a year and finish them by the end of 2019. Two alternate books can be chosen to replace any books in the challenge that are just "unfinishable". All of these books must be reviewed and linked back to the original post.  

For a full explanation of the rules for this challenge, check it out here.

Here's this year's list:

Under the Greenwood Tree (Thomas Hardy)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the final one for my 2018 TBR Challenge! I'm so incredibly happy I've made it through - I didn't think I was going to, and I nearly gave up because I was feeling so discouraged. Here's to perseverance!

biblio.com

What it's about:

The arrival of the newest schoolmistress, Fancy Day, turns the village of Mellstock on its head. First, her lovely organ playing skills cause her to replace the choir as the music for the Sunday church service. Then, her handsome features and sweet demeanor catch the attention of not one, not two, but three Mellstock residents - one of whom is none other than the choir's Dick Dewy. Under the Greenwood Tree, or The Mellstock Quire (A Rural Painting of the Dutch School), is a novel of love, of adjusting to change, and ultimately of social and moral divides.

Lady Susan (Jane Austen)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the tenth one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge. I was thinking of giving up on this challenge in favour of getting through a few things that I was more interested in, but I'm still hoping I can make it!

barnesandnoble.com

What it's about:

Lady Susan is a widow, a mother, a beauty, a liar, and a shameless flirt. Told entirely through letters, this story centers on Lady Susan's scheming to make a good match for herself and her daughter, while everyone else tries desperately to thwart her efforts. Around every corner lies deceit, persuasion, and endless familial frustration.

YA in Review: Red Queen (Victoria Aveyard)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the ninth one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge. Only three left!

harpercollins.com

What it's about:

The world is divided into two - those with red blood, the commoners, and the elite members of society who have silver blood and possess unique special abilities. Mare Barrow, a red-blooded girl is about to be sent to war, as is the law for those without skilled jobs when they reach eighteen. But Mare's skill is thievery - trying to feed her family, she steals to provide their basic necessities since her brothers are already at war. Yet one day she tries to steal from a stranger, who offers her a job in the palace instead. The stranger is the crown prince, and immersed in his world, Mare soon discovers that although she bleeds red, that she has more in common with the silvers than she ever could have predicted.

YA in Review: The Maze Runner (James Dashner)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the eighth one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge. I'm getting there!

chapters.indigo.ca

What it's about:

Thomas wakes up suddenly in a box, being transported underground, and has absolutely no memory of how he got there or his life before that very moment. The only thing he remembers is his name. When he finally sees the surface, an area know as the Glade, he meets a group of boys who all have a similar story. He learns that each has their own role to contribute, from farmers to cooks, and the elite group of maze runners who explore the labyrinth surrounding the Glade - trying to discover the secrets to help them get free. But Thomas is different - he gets the feeling that he's been here before, and unlike the others, knows he needs to explore the maze, no matter the dangers. And when only days later the first and only girl arrives, they know that nothing they have come to rely on will ever be the same again.

YA in Review: A Monster Calls (Patrick Ness)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the sixth one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge. I'm finally getting through them at a decent pace, which is making me feel so much better. There's a chance in heck I could actually finish now.

booktopia.com.au

What it's about:

Conor is dealing with a problem - a really big problem. His mother is very ill and has to go in for treatment once again, he's being bullied at school, and, worst of all, he is having the nightmare of all nightmares. But all of those things Conor can face - he has to. Until one day the yew tree from behind his house lifts up its roots and comes walking. As time passes and Conor's problems get worse and worse, the tree shares with him three important tales of when he has come walking before. But for this, he demands one story from Conor in return - the story of truth that he cannot face.

YA in Review: The Kiss of Deception (Mary E. Pearson)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the fifth one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge.

chapters.indigo.ca

What it's about:

When Princess Arabella Celestine Idris Jezelia of Morrighan (known affectionately as Lia) is forcefully betrothed to the Prince of Dalbreck, she demands to at least meet him before their wedding day. When this request is denied, Lia, afraid to be trapped in a loveless marriage like her parents, flees with the help of her maid and friend Pauline. But this event has offended Dalbreck and is treason against her father, the King of Morrighan, so Lia must stay hidden to protect both herself and her maid. Working as a tavern maid, Lia learns to enjoy her new life...until it all gets turned upside down by the appearance of two strangers - a disguised prince, and a careful assassin.

One Day (David Nicholls)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the fourth one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge.

isbnsearch.org

What it's about:

Emma Mayhew and Dexter Morley, although schoolmates who have seen each other around, meet properly one day - graduation day, July 15th, and everything changes. For some inexplicable reason the two connect and become fast friends, but they couldn't be more different. Over the next twenty years, through good and bad, they are Em and Dex, Dex and Em - no matter what their futures hold. This novel looks at their journey once a year on the anniversary of their meeting.

The Illustrated Man (Ray Bradbury)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the third one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge.

simonandschuster.com

What it's about:

The Illustrated Man is a collection of short stories centered around the tales told by a man's tattoos. This illustrated man is an outcast, never staying in one place for long. His elaborate body art is his curse - each story shifts and changes every day, and he sees them depict the future of those involved, no matter how horrible. Each tale in the collection relates to a different tattoo.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard (J.K. Rowling)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is second that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge, so I am definitely on better track than I was last month.

bloomsbury.com

What it's about:

In J. K. Rowling's wizarding world, Beedle the Bard is our version of the Brothers Grimm, or Hans Christian Anderson. This book is a collection of magical fairytales that witches and wizards have grown up with, alongside a commentary from former headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore. This collections contains both stories Harry Potter fans know (Tale of the Three Brothers) and new ones to enjoy.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is actually the first one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge, so I have to pick up the pace big time!

mitchalbom.com

What it's about:

Eddie heroically dies in a tragic accident and is immediately swept off to heaven. Yet the afterlife isn't the luxurious paradise he imagined. Eddie meets five people whose lives his actions have impacted, or who have impacted his - whether knowingly or not. Each has a lesson to share with him to explain the events of his life. Reflecting on his past experiences, each lesson move him through the stages of his new existence.