Since I have a giant TBR list on Goodreads, I thought it might be fun to feature a few every once in a while and talk about why I want to read them and why I haven’t yet. So I used a number generator to pick these six random books from the list.
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
I love Holly Black’s faerie books and have since I first picked up Tithe at age 14. Her faeries are just so creepy and vicious. It’s great! The Darkest Part of the Forest has been on my TBR since it came out in 2015. I’m especially intrigued by the boy in a glass coffin in the woods–it’s so “Snow White”! But every time I went to the bookstore, there was something I wanted more. And then The Cruel Prince came out and I was focused on that series. Now that I’ve read The Queen of Nothing, I think I’ll be ready to pick up a different faerie-focused story soon.
The Foundling by Stacey Halls
The Foundling is a newer addition to my TBR. Stacey Halls’ first book, The Familiars, is also on there, so I’m not even sure if I’ll like her writing. But look at that cover! It’s gorgeous! Plus I’ve heard good things. I also really enjoy and want to read more of it. I actually haven’t read much set in the 1700s, and this book sounds like it will be a good way to explore London of that period. In addition to that, based on the description, it’s very female-focused, which I love. And it sounds like it may have some things in common with other historical novels I love, such as Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
A Curse So Dark and Lonely is another book that has been on my TBR since it came out. This is a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” and I’m sure you all know how much I love retellings. This is another one that I don’t really have a reason for not picking up yet. I’ve seen it in the bookstore several times, but, again, there was always something else I wanted more. Perhaps I’ll put it on my Christmas list this year.
Ink in Water by Lacy J. Davis and Jim Kettner
This is another extremely recent addition to my TBR. Goodreads recommended it to me after I finished Lighter Than My Shadow by Katie Green. Like that book, Ink in Water is a graphic memoir about the author’s struggle with an eating disorder. As someone with an eating disorder, I like finding representations of it in literature. I won’t be picking it up any time soon because of my current mental health state. I imagine there will be triggering things in it. But once I’m in a better place, I definitely want to read it.
Bone China by Laura Purcell
I read Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions last year and absolutely fell in love! I want to read everything she’s written. Like The Silent Companions, Bone China is a historical gothic novel with two alternating story lines. This one promises folklore, superstitions, and fairies in Cornwall, which sounds perfect for me! But I’ve told myself that I need to read The Poison Thread, which is sitting on my shelf, before getting another book by Purcell.
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsey
I’m going to be honest, Picnic at Hanging Rock is mainly on my TBR because of the gorgeous photosets of both the 1975 film and the 2018 TV series. Girls in white dresses climbing around on cliffs is an A+ aesthetic! But the story also sounds like it’s right up my alley; it features an all-girls school in 1900 and mysterious disappearances. What’s not to love? Once again, I don’t have a real reason for not picking it up. There’s just always something more pressing to read. Maybe watching one of the film adaptations would get me in the mood to read it though.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
A Literary Princess 