Tag: TBR

Top Five Wednesday: Favorite Book Covers on my TBR

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I don’t often write entire blog posts dedicated to book covers, but I couldn’t help but love this week’s Top Five Wednesday theme. I wouldn’t say I’m a reader who judges a book by its over…. but I do admit that a beautiful book cover sometimes distracts me from other books on my TBR. I’ve really been loving the illustrated book cover theme over the past few years, especially when it comes to contemporary romances. 

Today’s Top Five Wednesday is all about the top 5 books on our TBR that are especially screaming for our attention because of their covers. 

Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey – I will absolutely be reading this YA You’ve Got Mail inspired contemporary just for that synopsis alone, but I distinctly remember running to add Last Chance Books to my TBR just because its cover screamed bookishness. The books on the cover remind me so much of the Penguin Drop Caps. 

It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian – As mentioned above, I can’t help but love illustrated covers for contemporary romances like It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake. I’m also currently in a bit of a winter rut – I’m so sick of the snow and am counting down to my first beach weekend this year – so this cover screams to my current warm weather need.

What’s Not to Love by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka – This might just be my favorite Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka cover yet because I love the purple color scheme and bookshelves in the background. My absolute favorite element of the entire cover is that their other other YA books are featuring on the shelves – I can spot Time of Our Lives and If I’m Being Honest easily, and I think the female model may be holding Always Never Yours?Read More »

Popular Goodreads Romances I Haven’t Read: Romance TBR

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In honor of Valentine’s Day, this week has been Romance Week on Goodreads, where they shared a ton of romance recommendations. My favorite post of theirs this week was the 52 Most Popular Romances of the Past 3 Years. You may know that one of my 2021 reading goals is to catch up on popular contemporary romances, and this list definitely helped me figure out which books people have been reading and what I still need to read. I will put out a disclaimer to say that I know Goodreads generates most of their popular books list based on what users have been reading – I was happy to see that they did share an indie romance list curated by author Talia Hibbert. I have shared romance books that are on my TBR in a few posts

I’m glad to say that I’ve read 13 out of the 20 books I put on my contemporary romance TBR last March. I also did read 2 out of the 5 books I shared in a Top Five Wednesday about romance books back in September – 2 out of 3 that I haven’t yet read are actually on the Goodreads’ list, so I won’t be formally talking about them in this post (The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang at #2 and The Happily Ever After Playlist at #41). 

Back to the Most Popular Romances on Goodreads, I’ve read 25 out of the 52 books over the past few years. I also read 7 out of the top 10 most popular romances! While I won’t be adding all 27 of the other books on to my TBR, today I’ll be talking about some of the books I do plan on reading in the near future. The number after each book I list is its ranking on the Goodreads most popular list. 

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (#12) – From Blood and Ash has been highly recommended to me by one of my bookish friends IRL and so many people from the book blog community. I didn’t read much fantasy in 2020, so I’m excited to dive into this series – I’m probably going to hold off on reading until at least March when I’ll likely be in my post A Court of Silver Flames reading slump. 

The Friend Zone by Abbi Jimenz (#21) – I totally admit that I was previously more interested in reading the second book in The Friend Zone series, The Happily Ever After Playlist, because I’ve read so many rave reviews for that book, but I’m actually really intrigued by the synopsis upon this second time checking it out – the main character faces a medical procedure that would make it impossible for her to have children while developing feelings for a guy who would love to have a big family. Read More »

A BOOK CLUB PICK & NEW BOOKS: February 2021 TBR 

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You probably know by now that I’m a total mood TBR type of person, but there are a few books I do want to make a point to read in February. This month’s TBR focuses on a few backlist titles I finally borrowed from the library, books for review, and potentially one of my all-time most anticipated fantasy releases. As always, I plan on hopefully being able to read more than just the books on this list. I didn’t include them on the *official* list because I don’t have my own physical copies yet, but I’m also hoping to get to You Have a Match by Emma Lord – waiting for it to come in from the library – & The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon – I’m planning on buying a copy this month. 

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha – If I Had Your Face is the Bad on Paper Podcast book club pick for February. I read at least half of their book club picks in 2020 and I’m always going back to the old book club picks, so I’m excited to join in on the February read. I decided not to read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic with them in January because I wasn’t particularly in the mood for it then, but If I Had Your Face sounds like such an intriguing read. The book follows four young women in Seoul, Korea and shines light on the high beauty standards there. 

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes – Based on my 2021 reading goals, I’m going to try to read at least 1 backlist contemporary romance each month. This month I went with Evvie Drake Start Overs because I’ve heard that this is such a heartfelt and soothing read. As a huge fan of sports mixed in romance (hello Bromance Book Club), I’m also interested in the professional baseball player love interest. Read More »

Recent TBR Additions: Winter 2021 Edition

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Last year, I shared a few recent TBR additions posts and I want to keep up the trend more frequently in 2021 – maybe I’ll share  each season! I love these blog posts because it’s fun to share my recent reading cravings and also got feedback from you if you’ve read the book or have similar recommendations. I’m not the type of reader whose goal it is to get their TBR down to single digits or 0. I actually enjoy knowing that there’s always books I’m looking forward to reading one day.

shine your icy crown (you are your own fairy tale #2) by amanda lovelace – I absolutely loved the first collection in amanda lovelace’s you are your own fairy tale poetry series, break your glass sippers, in 2020 – so much so that I can’t believe I didn’t realize the second installment is coming out next week until I was generously given a copy for review by the publisher!! I cannot wait to dive into shine your icy crown on a cozy weekend day ASAP. shine your icy crown comes out on January 26. 

Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst – I discovered Jennifer Probst’s Our Italian Summer through Emily Henry’s Instagram last week. I recently read The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany, and I’m so ready to once again dive into the Italian setting. The book follows three generations of women as they embark on a summer vacation to trace their family roots in Italy. Read More »

Holiday TBR: 2020 Edition

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Trust me when I say that Michael Bublé’s Christmas album is most definitely playing on my Spotify right now as I write this holiday TBR. I usually save my holiday reading and watching for November & December anyway, but I think we could all use some early holiday cheer this year, to say the least. 

I haven’t dug too deeply into holiday TV and movies just yet – I did watch the first episode of the current season of Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network and Holidate on Netflix. I’ll probably share more of my thoughts on the latter in my November wrap up, but this movie wasn’t as Christmas-y as I thought it would be (which I guess makes me feel less guilty for watching a Christmas movie already during the first week in November). It was also unfortunately on the ‘stupid comedy’ side of cheesy Christmas movies. At this rate, I should probably do a post on upcoming holiday movies coming out this year, but I’m actually not too excited about this year’s new release lineup? I’m most looking forward to the second season of Sugar Rush Christmas on Netflix, and I will be checking out the second Princess Switch movie and Dash & Lily. Knowing me, I will check out more of Netflix’s Christmas movies and a cable one or two, but I have a feeling I’ll be relying on some old favorites this year. 

Back to the books, I’ll be sharing the holiday-inspired reads I’ll be reading in November and December! 

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren – I am so excited that one of everyone’s favorite contemporary romance authors, Christina Lauren, have come out with their first holiday romance! I’m having trouble tracking down physical copy from my county library, but I do have a e-copy on hold from the Libby that I should be getting access to later in November or early December. 

Royal Holiday (The Wedding Date #4) by Jasmine Guillory – Yes, I will be continuing to read The Wedding Date companion series out or order, but it is 110% worth it because this fourth installment is holiday-inspired! I admit that I haven’t read too much of the synopsis, other than the fact that it takes place in England, but it really  doesn’t matter because I’m just looking forward to checking out Jasmine Guillory’s holiday take on this world. I’ll likely end up reading The Wedding Party (book #3) before I read Royal Holiday, aka the perfect excuse for a series binge-read!Read More »

Getting Rid of Books on my Goodreads TBR #1

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I don’t know why, but one of my favorite types of blog posts to read are ones dedicated to taking books off your to-be-read pile or Goodreads want-to-read shelf. Goodreads is really the only way that I’ve tracked books on my TBR. Yes, I always live in fear of the books on my shelf mysteriously being deleted, but I’ve never been good about keeping track of the books I want to read in another way.

I do not care about how many books are on my Goodreads TBR – I accepted a long time ago that my TBR list will probably never break 80 books (let’s be even more honest, 100) because I’m always adding books on to my list. However, on Sunday morning when I was putting books on hold from the library and using Goodreads to do so, I realized that 95% of the time when I go to check out books from the library, I’m scrolling all the way down to the books I’ve most recently added…and not the books that have been on my TBR for months or even years! While yes, we all know that we tend to get more excited about new releases or books that have recently gotten rave reviews from friends, I am someone who will read books I’ve had on my TBR for quite some time. 

But this Sunday I realized that no matter for how long I’ve convinced myself, there are just some books on my TBR I’m never going to get to. Maybe someday I will, but I want to get rid of the sense of pressure I feel when I see them on my list. For today’s post, I’ll be sharing some of the books I removed from my TBR. I didn’t include all of the books I removed , but I took about 15 off!

The One We Fell in Love With by Paige Toon – Paige Toon’s The One We Fell in Love With had been on my TBR since October 2016. At some point, this book was a Zoella Book Club pick, and I want to say that’s how it ended up on my TBR. However, since Paige Toon is a British author, her books are difficult to find in the US both bookstore and library wise. I’m also not the biggest fan of the ‘two-to-three women find out they’ve been dating or in love with the same guy’ trope. 

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan – If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you’ll know that Rick Riordan’s The Sword of Summer has been on so many of my ‘ I’ll read this eventually lists.’ I always felt pressured to read this one because so many people love Rick Riordan, and I actually have a personalized copy generously gifted from a friend. However, I’ve really begun to realize that I am just not a middle grade fan (if I do pick up a MG, its synopsis absolutely has to grab my interest), and I’ve never been super in love with Rick Riordan’s books. It’s definitely a ‘it’s not the book, it’s me’ thing, being that again I’m not a hue MG reader, not super into mythology, and I wish I had read Percy Jackson for the first time when I was younger vs. checking them out for the first time in high school largely because of BookTube. 

When We Caught Fire by Anna Godbersen – I added When We Caught Fire on to my TBR originally because I was absolutely obsessed with Anna Godbersen’s Luxe and Bright Young Things series when I was in middle school.  There are definitely other series from my childhood I want to reread more, but I actually want to reread The Luxe series and see how they hold up? This huge sense of nostalgia overtook me when I saw two years ago that she was coming out with a new book, When We Caught Fire. Read More »

Recent TBR Additions: October 2020

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Last week, I officially hit my unofficial goal of reading 100 books in 2020! I’m not sure if I’ll pass my 2019 reading total of 127 books, but regardless, I am so happy about how much I have read this year, given that the world has been a mess and I’ve been going to school throughout all of it.

One of the reasons why I’ve been able to read 100+ books per year for the past 3 years is likely because I’m always adding books to my to-be-read pile. I haven’t done a TBR additions post since May, & today I’ll be sharing some books I’ve added to my TBR over the past few weeks.

Party of Two (The Wedding Date #5) by Jasmine Guillory

As a contemporary romance reader, I feel that it’s time for meto finally dive into a Jasmine Guillory novel. I know Party of Two is the fifth companion book in The Wedding Date series, and I should probably read one of the other books first, but I’m too intrigued by this installment’s political synopsis (a lawyer starts dating a high-profile politician). If you’ve read these books, let me know if I should read the first four companion books firs

Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu 

You likely know that I am more than willing to read ANY book about a wedding, and I am so intrigued by Diksha Basu’s Destination Wedding. The main character and her best friend travel to India for her cousin’s weeklong wedding, with plenty of family drama and relationship drama in store. 

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as Told to Me) Story  by Bess Kalb 

I’ve been doing a mini deep dive into non-fiction and memoirs in 2020, and the next memoir on my list is Bess’ Kalb’s Nobody Will Tell You This But Me. The book follows Bess Kalb’s relationship with her grandmother and four generations of women in their family. The novel is told in her grandmother’s voice. I’ll likely borrow this one as physical copy from the library, but I’m thinking about reading it as an audiobook. Read More »

August 2020 TBR ft. ARC August

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I go in spurts of sharing my monthly to-be-read piles, mainly because I’m such a big mood reader and I tend to read more than what I list on my published TBRs – including this August TBR. I have a few books on hold from the library, so what I actually read will largely revolve around what books I’m able to get. I already have a few books out from the library that I need or want to finish – although my library is actually extending due dates past the usual 2 week deadline. With the fall publishing season right around the corner, I also have a few books that I need to read for review. I am really excited to be once again participating in ARC August, an annual readathon hosted by Octavia and Shelley of Read. Sleep. Repeat. This TBR will be split into my ‘regular’ TBR and my TBR for ARC August. 

Library & Owned Books TBR

The Heir Affair ( The Royal We #2) by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan – After rereading The Royal We last week, I couldn’t wait any longer to read the sequel and I decided to checkout a digital copy from the library. I’ve had a hold for a physical copy of The Heir Affair for over a month now, but I think my country library system is a little behind on receiving new releases. I’m currently reading this one & loving it so far – if my physical copy does come in soon enough, I’ll probably transition to the digital to physical copy… but let’s be honest, I’ll probably will be finished reading it by then!

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare – I hauled The Duchess Deal in last’s month library haul, so I won’t go into too much detail. I do plan on reading this one ASAP, although it’s not due until September. I took a little break from romance in the second half of July, but I know I’ll be ready to jump back in ASAP.

The Worst Man by Mia Sosa – The Worst Man was also part of my July library haul, but I know once I’m really back into the romance reading mood, this will be one of the first books I pick up!

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover – After really enjoying Verity last month, I’ve decided to give Colleen Hoover’s another go, starting with Regretting You. So many of my friends have loved this one and it seems like a really great blend of YA and adult romance. Read More »

Recent TBR Additions: May 2020 Edition

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Blame it on my wish for the public library to open soon and dream of being able to put ALL the books on hold, but my TBR has been getting even bigger during stay-at-home. I feel like I do have it under control or am at least finding a balance, since I’m reading everything that haven’t yet read on my bookshelves and broke out the iPad to read some e-books. Listed below are the most recent books I’ve added to my TBR.

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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix –  I’ve been in the mood lately to mix up my contemporary reading game, which includes a supernatural thriller that follows a Southern women’s book club convinced that their new neighbor is a vampire. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires found my way on to my TBR because its Bad on Paper’s May book club pick. I’m not sure if I’ll read it before the end of May, but I’d love to read it this summer.

 

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The Guest List by Lucy Foley –  The Guest List was an April Book of the Month pick – it seemed like everyone I follow on Instagram chose this or Beach Read (which is the book I ultimately went with). This thriller is set at a wedding off the coast of Ireland, where a wedding guest turns up dead.

 

 

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The Idea of You by Robinne Lee – Blame this TBR choice on Bad on Paper too – can you tell I’ve been listening to so many of their episodes on my daily walks? The Idea of You is one of their go-to recommendations, but I’ve seen it hyped up in many other bookish circles. It’s often described as One Direction fan fiction, following a thirty-nine year old mother who begins a relationship with a member of a popular boy band.

 

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My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren – My Favorite Half-Night Stand is one of the two adult standalone Christina Lauren books I have left to read! The other is Dating You / Hating You – I’ll probably pick that up or Beautiful Bastard before their next 2020 release. Not important, I sort’ve wish My Favorite Half-Night Stand got a cover re-design to match the rest of their beautiful rom-com covers.

 

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Contemporary Romance TBR

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Since about mid-2019, adult contemporary romance has been the genre I’ve been craving the most. I absolutely fly through most books in this genre, yet I find myself unsuccessfully attempting to take my time reading them because I want to enjoy them as long as possible. Everyone knows I love binge-reading series, but I’ve been trying not to binge-read the books in the series so I know I always have a book to look forward to.

Since I’ve been practically adding more contemporary romances to my TBR whenever I’m scrolling through Goodreads, today I’ll be sharing which adult & new adult contemporary romances I plan on reading (hopefully soon). I’ve divided this TBR by released books and 2020 releases still to come.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca – I’ve decided that on my next bookstore trip (or whenever I get a Barnes & Noble coupon) I’ll be buying Jen DeLuca. I’ve heard so many great things about this ren-faire inspired romance from many contemporary-loving bloggers. There will be also be two more books set in the Well Met world, Well Played (September 29) and Well Matched (2021).

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher – Not the Girl You Marry has received some mixed reviews, but I read its synopsis while strolling through the romance section in the bookstore and still added it to my TBR. I haven’t read a book set in the city in a while, and I love how the female protagonist, Hannah, is an event planner.

Roomies by Christina Lauren – I could probably dedicate a whole TBR to Christina Lauren books (actually, that’s not a bad future post idea…). Roomies received a ton of love and attention when it first came out in 2017, and I think it’s time for me to see what the hype is about.

Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec & Andi Arndt – What the main character does in Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words honestly sounds like something I would do. After being fired from her job as a kindergarten teacher, Heidi starts a podcast reading the steamy scenes from romance novels and finds way more success than she could have imagined.

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