Five Books on My TBR List

If you’re a reader you know a TBR (to be read) list is never complete. The list grows like an insatiable monster, fueled by Book Tok recommendations and lazy Sunday afternoons browsing the book store. I cannot be the only one with stacks of books invading every surface of my house from my nightstand, to the kitchen counters, to even my baby’s changing table.

If you’ve been following my reading journey, you know that I am currently tackling Sarah J. Maas’ Maasiverse. I started with the ACOTAR series and now I am making my way through the Throne of Glass (TOG) series. I just finished Queen of Shadows. After TOG I plan on reading the Crescent City series to prepare for the sixth installment of ACOTAR.

And after all of that, I can move on to other books, haha! Who knew that reading a single book about an illiterate teenager shooting a wolf would turn into a 16(+) book obsession? I sure as hell didn’t anticipate this outcome. So, what am I reading after the books of the Maasiverse? Here are five books on my TBR list I’m excited to read:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

First, I need to know why everyone is crazy about this series. I hate being the odd man out and I need to hop on the bandwagon. It’s flooded the online book world and my FYP is inundated with AI images of dragons and characters named Violet and Xaden. I need to know what the hype is all about.

Secondly, it’s about a college or something for dragon riders? To be clear, I avoid spoilers of books at all costs so I have not looked up a synopsis or anything. However, I love dragons and the idea of a potential dark academia situation is appealing to me.

The Book at War: How Reading Shaped Conflict and Conflict Shaped Reading by Andrew Pettegree

This book is not a work of fiction. I saw it at the bookstore around Christmastime and actually bought it for my dad as a present. Since then, he’s been raving about it and it sounds amazing. I actually really enjoy war literature and love reading about war literature. One of the most interesting books I read in college was The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell.

I love learning about how literature is impacted by war. Even more, I love reading works by soldiers. I find it so interesting that writing serves as some sort of therapeutic outlet during these times and the response of the soldiers just… I love it. The ability to create a beautiful piece of art (even if the subject matter is gory or disturbing) is fascinating to me.

Apparently Pettegree’s book covers a whole bunch of conflicts, too. I’m excited to learn about war and literature from around the world and throughout history.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

This is another book that I see discussed in online communities often. So, again, I’m falling victim to the bandwagon effect.

More than anything, apparently this is another story of a human girl who gets taken away to live among the faeries and I want to read something in the same ballpark as ACOTAR. Honestly, I want to compare the works and see what I think.

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Just call me the Conductor of the Bandwagon because once again, here we are! Quicksilver is another book that Book Tok has me itching to read. Apparently it’s an exciting romance with an enemies-to-lovers plot that has great banter. Cool, sign me up.

Also, apparently Quicksilver is getting a Netflix show or movie. I really prefer to read a book before watching the screen adaptation so I can properly judge the material.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

I always like to include a classic in my book rotations. To be fair, I have read this book before. However, it was a very long time ago. I vaguely remember what the story is about but I want to reread A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court with a highlighter handy.

I really want to examine Twain’s treatment of the fantasy genre with satire. I believe this work fits into the category of metafiction as it examines the genre, itself, but I want to reread it to really solidify my opinions. I only recently dipped my toes into the fantasy genre and I do find myself laughing sometimes when I think about how a modern person would fair in any of these magical societies. Twain’s work is just that and I want to reread.