Hello, sweet peas!
Sometimes I’m kinda annoyed with my own greed. It is true that books don’t usually get old or spoil like a carton of milk forgotten at the back of the fridge but there is still a feeling of annoyance in me because there are books that I didn’t really need to buy. I just wanted them. And now? They are still unread.
Some of these books I might have to sell unread because they have been on my tbr for such a long time that they don’t fit my tastes anymore today. And isn’t that aggravating? I could have saved that money and spent it on other things. Games, food, dinner out with my family. (Not at the moment obviously but maybe five years prior? Because there are definitely book that I bought that long ago and that I didn’t read in all this time.) Some others are newer but that just shows that I haven’t really learned (and maybe never will.)
For this very reason I’m gonna take a look at the books that I really, really had to have and that are now still somehow rotting (metaphorically, of course) on my shelf.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?
When did I buy the book?
According to Amazon I got in in 2019.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
I sometimes have trouble getting into V.E. Schab’s books. They sound great in theory but I usually have trouble adapting.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
When did I buy the book?
According to my data I bought it in 2020.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
Heck if I know. I heard it’s the Hufflepuffiest of all the Hufflepuff books, which means to me it’s insanely cute and cozy so it can only be my fault.
Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow and her friends have survived their first year as proud scholars of the elite Wundrous Society, helped bring down the nefarious Ghastly Market, and proven themselves loyal to Unit 919. Now Morrigan faces a new, exciting challenge: to master the mysterious Wretched Arts, and control the power that threatens to consume her. But a strange and frightening illness has taken hold of Nevermoor, turning infected Wunimals into mindless, vicious Unnimals on the hunt. As victims of the Hollowpox multiply, panic spreads. And with the city she loves in a state of fear, Morrigan quickly realizes it’s up to her to find a cure for the Hollowpox, even if it will put her – and everyone in Nevermoor – in more danger than she ever imagined.
When did I buy the book?
I bought it right after it came out because I was so excited for it….yeah.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
If I’m being honest here, I’m not really sure anymore what happened in the second book. I feel like maybe I should read the other two books again so I’m on track again.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies. A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down. And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw. The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.
When did I buy the book?
Christmas 2020.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
This is the only book I don’t really know why I wanted it at all. I know it’s fairly popular and stuff but I’m not sure if I’m gonna read it, so there was no reason at all to buy it. I’m kind of mad at the waste of money to be honest.
LifeL1k3 by Jay Kristoff

It’s just another day on the Scrap: lose the last of your credits at the WarDome, dodge the gangs and religious fanatics, discover you can destroy electronics with your mind, stumble upon the deadliest robot ever built When Eve finds the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend and her robotic sidekick in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, battle cyborg assassins, and scour abandoned megacities to save the ones she loves and learn the dark secrets of her past.
When did I buy the book?
Autumn 2020.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
To be honest, I’m a little scared of Jay Kristoff’s books. I like the ones he writes with Amy Kaufmann well enough but I’m a little unsure of the ones he writes alone so I’m a little wary of starting this one. Totally good explanation.
Lost Boy by Christina Henry

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter’s idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite…
When did I buy the book?
In June 2020. While I’m not so keen on the source material, I still love a good Peter Pan retelling.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
I feel like me expectations of Christina Henry’s books are impossibly big. I have never read a book she wrote but in my head they are dark and amazing and I’m worried that I’ve already blown this book so much out of proportions that it cannot be good enough, no matter how amazing it is.
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain. Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.
When did I buy the book?
August 2020.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
I feel like I need to be in the right mood for science fiction. While I love the idea of the story, I have yet to get to the point where I really have to pick it up.
Tristan Strong punches a hole in the sky by Kwame Mbalia

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it — is that a doll? — and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?
When did I buy the book?
I mean…I have it on my shelf. I just don’t have a record for since when it’s there. Oops.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
Haha. Ha. Haaaaa….good question, really. I have spent a lot of time convincing my friends from the bookclub to read it with me and it when it was time, they read it and I didn’t?
The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

A future chieftain.
Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.
A fugitive prince.
When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.
A too-cunning bodyguard.
Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?
When did I buy the book?
I think I bought it Autumn 2019? Everybody talked about it. It sounded really cool. I thought it would be a YA novel that won’t disappoint me.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
I have actually started that book once. The trouble was that I had problems reading it, the writing style, the dialogs. Maybe I need time getting used to it but I barely made it past the first chapter.
Return to Roar by Jenny McLachlan

Twins Arthur and Rose can’t wait to go back to Roar, the fantasy world they get to through their grandad’s attic. Roar is a land of dragons, mermaids, unicorns, ninja wizards and where anything they can imagine can be real. But when they return there’s no time for exploring, because a message arrives from their scarecrow enemy, Crowky.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
The Box would always contain the things that scared the twins most – and if Crowky gets hold of it, Roar could be in more danger than ever. Soon they find themselves on another thrilling adventure, accompanied by old friends and new faces and seeing parts of Roar they’d almost forgotten. But will they get to the box before Crowky does? And if it opens, what will they see?
When did I buy the book?
I bought it right when it came out in August 2020. I was so excited for it after loving the first book.
Why haven’t I read it yet?
Because….because? I really don’t know. It even was on my Possibilty Pile last month and I didn’t manage to even pick it up.
To kill a kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever. The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?
When did I buy the book?
I already bought it in 2019, I think. I loved the idea of a dark and brooding and bloody Little Mermaid retelling. I mean, it sounds great, doesn’t it?
Why haven’t I read it yet?
You know, maybe I just have too much choice? My tbr is so big and this one just isn’t on my radar right now.
What do you think of my list? Do you know any of the books? Any of them that you want to throw at my head for me to read immediately? Any way you can convince me to read your favourite of the list?
I’ve owned Legendborn for a long time too. I have no idea why I haven’t read it yet! I recently got around to House in the Cerulean Sea though and I wish I hadn’t waited so long! It was a lovely read. Hope you get to these soon!
Thank you, Louise!
I have heard that House in the Cerulean Sea is supposed to be super cute. I’m kinda waiting for it to jump at me though, you know?
I feel like this title is attacking me personally 😭😭😭
Sounds like somebody has neglected their tbr. 😏
The house in the Cerulean Sea is on my TBR, and I’ve heard nothing but fantastic things about it. I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet. Hope you enjoy these if you ever get to them. 🙂
I really wanna read it too but I’m still waiting to be in the right mood, I guess? Also, I still haven’t figured out what kind of genre, or rather for what agegroup that book is?
I hope you’ll enjoy it too once you get to it. 🙂
I feel extremely called out by the title of this post. xD The House in the Cerulean Sea is 100% the Hufflepuffiest of all the Hufflepuff. 😉 I’ve read it twice, and I wouldn’t even mind re-reading it again already lol. I think you’ll really enjoy it whenever you decide to pick it up! Maybe when you need something a bit uplifting to read?
Apparently a lot of people do. lol
I still have to read some of my eArcs (curse the idea that I should be able to decide myself what books I request and how many) but maybe after that?
*looks at overflowing calendar of eARCs sitting on my desk* Yeeeeah, about that. Listen, leaving me in charge of requesting books is a horrible idea. xD
I’ve only read The House in the Cerulean Sea, and I really love it! Legendborn is also on my physical tbr
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