Reading the Top 12 Fantasy Books on Goodreads | 2020 TBR

I've slowly been sticking my toes into adult fantasy for the past few years, and lately, there have been a lot that I have wanted to read but just keep putting off for some reason or another. But mostly, because I'm intimidated by them.

Adult fantasy seems so inaccessible for me. And I think that's because I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Over half of the books I read are via audio. And like a lot of people, adult fantasy is very hard for me to grasp onto via audiobook. I'm not quite sure what it is. Something about all the fantasy names and locations and none of it seeming real I think is part of it.

But I really want to conquer my fear of adult fantasy in 2020. And I want to get back into the habit of physically reading books because it's something I really enjoy and have missed in the past year or so of mostly listening to audiobooks.

Enter, a Goodreads article. 

After a few years of consistent book buying, I have amassed a not-that-small collection of unread fantasy books. That results in me being kind of overwhelmed when I go to my shelves to pick out one that I'm interested in reading because I'm interested in all of them! So, when I logged onto Goodreads to see a list of adult fantasy that I'm very interested in reading (and I already own most of them), I figured that this would be as good a jumping-off point as any.

Now, I've already read two of these, The Hobbit and A Game of Thrones, so here are the ten adult fantasy books that I'm challenging myself to read throughout the year.

• NINTH HOUSE by Leigh Bardugo: Starting this list off with two women feels good. Adult fantasy is a genre historically dominated by men (as the rest of this list will show you) so it makes me a little happy that the two top trending fantasy books on Goodreads are ones written by women. Ninth House, in particular, I am a little hesitant about because I've heard mixed reviews. However, I do generally like Bardugo's work so I'm going in optimistic, even though I know the subject matter is dark.
• CIRCE by Madeline Miller: This one is a recommendation from a) Goodreads b) everyone on the internet and c) my sister. So this one is a definite must-read for me because once books (especially ones that aren't adaptations) go beyond the bookish internet and into mainstream culture, I know that I've got to read it, especially when it's got the older sister stamp of approval. 
• THE LAST WISH & BLOOD OF ELVES by Andrzej Sapkowski: I'm planning on starting The Last Wish in February because I just recently finished watching the show and have the bug to know more about this world and this story. If I like the first book, then I'll probably immediately jump into the second collection of short stories, Sword of Destiny.

• THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING by J.R.R. Tolkein: I knew there was going to be one classic fantasy on here that I was not excited to read, and here it is. I do own a very 80s book club edition of this series, so I was definitely planning on reading it at some point in my life. But I'm nervous to read this because I didn't grow up on any Tolkien. The movies came out when I was very young, and I remember being terrified of Gollum. And when I watched them through in college . . . I was really bored? I did start the first book years ago in high school (right after I finished reading The Hobbit) and got to the point where Frodo and Sam start their journey before I got tired of Tolkein's descriptions. Hopefully, I've matured a bit as a reader since then and can appreciate this series and its impact.
• GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett: Probably the one on this list that I'm most excited to read? I started reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld series last year (and feel very comfortable in saying that reading through that series is a lifetime goal because it's so long) and I really loved what I read. Also, I read some Gaiman last year that I really loved, so I'm excited to read the collaboration between these two. I'm really confident that I'll enjoy it because I enjoy some humor in my fantasy and Pratchett does that incredibly well. 

• AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman: I don't know a lot about this one. I did find a used copy of this for a couple bucks, so I do own it and am terrified of it because it's massive. 
• THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss: Speaking of terrified . . . this is one of the very first adult fantasy books I ever bought because I heard so much buzz about it. And it's sat on my TBR shelf for years because there's still no announcement for the third book in this trilogy and it's been something obscene like ten years since the second book was published? So part of me is terrified of reading a very large fantasy book that I might not enjoy, and then the other part of me preemptively scared of getting through books one and two and having to wait an indefinite amount of time for the third book. 
• THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman: The only book on this list that I a) have firmly DNF'd and b) do not own. I started reading this ages ago in high school because it was an almost-boyfriend's favorite book and I wanted to impress him. But, uh, I started it and did not enjoy it so I just kind of gave up on reading it. I'm going to try one more time to read this, but I will not beat myself up if I still don't enjoy it and just end up DNF'ing it again.
• THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin: Wow, am I glad this book is on here because this list is dominated, with the exception of Bardugo and Miller, by white men. And there is so much more to fantasy and so many more fantasy writers than just white people. Jemisin was the first black woman to win the Hugo award (I believe for this book, but it could be for one of her other series). This is a very highly acclaimed book, both in terms of awards and from people that have read it, so I'm excited to read it. 

I want to review as many of these books as possible, too. Is there one that you're particularly interested in my thoughts on? Is there one on this list that I need to read first? Or if you want to read some of these, we can totally read them together. Let me know down in the comments!

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BOOK QUIZZES PICK MY TBR | Spring TBR 2019

Since I started my bullet journal at the beginning of the year, I've been following monthly TBRs. Almost entirely because they function well in a monthly bullet journal spread. But I wanted to go back to my roots, seasonal TBRs, but this time with a twist. 

I recently started following (and loving btw, you have to check out her channel) Starlah Reads. She recently did an excellent video where she took a Penguin Teen quiz that told her "Which YA Heroine Are You?" and then she read and reviewed the book it gave her. I thought this idea was basically brilliant, and then proceeded to take the quiz for myself.

And then I took some more. Because internet quizzes are my kryptonite. And made a TBR for myself. I also know it's impossible for me to read 13 books in one month, so I'm going to read these books for the next three months. (I'm also challenging myself to review these fully on my blog as well, but don't hold me to it.)

At the end of this, I'll wrap-up my overall thoughts on the books. And who knows, I might do it again.

FROM PENGUIN TEEN

goodreads | Which YA Heroine Are You?

You're Lady Helen!
You're an old soul. In fact, you were probably even born in the wrong era. As such, you stand out in a crowd and always seem to end up with way more responsibility than you ever wanted. You might even be living a double-life as a result. Or monster hunting. Who knows.
You're cutthroat and fearless when it comes to ~evils~, but you're not afraid to put on a pretty dress and smile either. You always have the upper hand and nerves of steel to back you up.

This was one that I had on my TBR years ago when it first released but then took off in a goodreads purge because I hadn't really heard anyone talk about it. To be fair, it still sounds really interesting, even though paranormal isn't my usual genre, and the quiz kind of did a good job selling this to me because Helen sounds like a fun protagonist.

goodreads | What You Should Read Based on Your Favorite Sci-Fi Show

If you love Orphan Black, chances are you're addicted to twists, turns, and maybe a conspiracy or two. Get your fix by reading a thriller like Nemesis, which features a girl who gets murdered every two years--then comes back hours later.

This was less a quiz and more a one question pick a TV show question. I haven't heard anything about this book, I haven't heard anyone talk about or review this, but if it's anything like Orphan Black (which I haven't thought about in ages, but adored) then I don't really want to know much.

FROM EPIC READS

goodreads | Go on a Trip and We'll Tell You What to Read Next!

Looks like you're ready for a spontaneous road trip to New Orleans! Make your escape and get away by page with Mariam Sharma Hits the Road.

I haven't heard the best reviews about this, what I've heard has been pretty middle of the road, but I really love Sheba Karim as a person. I've gotten to hear her speak a couple of times, and I've been meaning to read That Thing We Call a Heart for years so I'm hoping this will force me to actually pick up one of her novels.

goodreads | Which Book Cover Matches Your Personality?

You always present your best foot forward, and often, it's to cover up for the insecurities that plague you. You shouldn't have them, though, because you're often underestimated and never fail to prove yourself. You have a secret romantic side as well, but you'd rather die than admit it.

Another one that I took off of my TBR, this time because of negative reviews, and I'm not completely thrilled to read. I don't really have a lot to say here because I don't think I'll like this. But I'm going to give it a try.

goodreads | Choose Some Bestselling Books, and We'll Tell You What to Read Next!

We hope you're already consider Kheryn Callender's totally epic love story a must-read, because the story of Nathan and Oliver James will have you smiling to yourself a ridiculous amount. And that's exactly what you--well, let's be read, what we can all--use!

So, while Epic Reads by far had the best and most varied quizzes (thank you, I appreciate it), they don't really do the best job of selling me these books. I've only glanced at reviews, and the top ones from people I trust are fairly negative, but this looks like it's about two boys falling in love and one of them is really into film?

I've seen this cover around a lot, but I never actually added it to my TBR. Another one that I'm super skeptical about but will give my best shot.

goodreads | Build a CW Show and We'll Reveal Your YA Soulmate

Elias is a fighter--he would fight for you, for your future, and for a better world. You have a social justice streak and need someone who can keep up with you.

I feel like a lot of these responses have been very middle of the road, but I'm genuinely so excited for this one! I've been meaning to read it for ages, and I actually own my own copy so I'm prepared to jump into this world. The people that love this world are completely in love with it, so I hope I love it as much as they do.

FROM BOOK RIOT

goodreads | Which Romantic YA Book Should You Read Next?

Clara's taken her prankster life too far. After a bloody incident at her prom, she and her rival are sentenced to working her father's food truck for the summer. It's not all enemies and Korean-Brazilian fusion, though--there's the cute Hamlet, who spends his days vending coffee. Watch Clara fall in love--and maybe in friend--in The Way You Make Me Feel.

I've heard such good things about this! I know it has a food truck and a Korean-Brazilian main character and a great dad. This is another one that I actually own and genuinely very excited to jump into this one.

Also, I wanna say that of the three places I took quizzes, Book Riot by far gave the best results quality-wise.

goodreads | Which Romantic YA Book Should You Read Next?

Twinkle idolizes female filmmakers and wants to make it big herself. To do so, she sets herself to creating a film for an upcoming contest. But there's also her crush on Neil--is it him sending her emails? Or is it his sort-of dorky twin brother, Sahil? Find out in From Twinkle, With Love.

I haven't heard many reviews for From Twinkle, With Love but I adored Sandhya Menon's first YA book. A lot of people weren't big fans of that, but I got to hear her speak about how Dimple got published and the inspirations and that made me like it maybe more than some people. I am very excited that the main character in this one, Twinkle, is super interested in movies and film. That's something that I love and we don't get a lot of books where main characters have varied interests.

goodreads | Which Literary Cat Are You?

Lying Cat: You are fierce and loyal. And you can always tell when someone is lying.

I kind of just took this quiz for laughs, but when I got Lying Cat from Saga, I knew I had to add it to the list. I'm in the middle of the second volume right now, so I'll be reading the third volume for this challenge.

goodreads | Plan A Thanksgiving Dinner, and We'll Give You a Book to Read

You should read All the Lives We Never Lived by Anuradha Roy! While surrounded by your family, read about a man searching for his. In India during World War II, Myshkin was known as the boy whose mother ran off with an Englishman. Now, as an adult, he tries to find out where she went and why she left.

This book gets the special honor of being the only one on this list that I've never heard of before. But it's a pretty short post-WWII historical fiction. Hopefully, I'll enjoy it.

goodreads | Which Romantic Adventure Novel Should You Read Next?

You should read An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole. Set during the American Civil War, this novel tells the story of Elle, a former slave who returns to the South to spy for the Union army. There she meets Malcolm who is also an undercover agent. When these two fall in love, they have to decide what's more important: their passion for their cause or their passion for each other.

I completely fell head over heels for Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series. I'll be honest, though, historical romance is not my thing, and this doesn't sound particularly up my alley. But if I trust anyone to do it, I trust Alyssa Cole.

goodreads | Answer 5 Questions and We'll Give You 5 Book Recommendations!

Something Heartwarming and Romantic: The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory, Save the Date by Morgan Matson, A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole, The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang, The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli.

I think, depending on how this story goes and how much I enjoy it, this might be my last Morgan Matson? It's nothing against Matson or her writing, but I think I've just outgrown her stuff. I don't love cishet people falling in love over the summer. I just don't really read many of those books anymore.

goodreads | Answer 5 Questions and We'll Give You 5 Book Recommendations!

I was so pumped when this was on the list of books? I'd heard buzz about this for years and just never picked it up. I was never incredibly interested in it, but I thought it sounded intriguing enough. I'm excited to see what I think of this graphic novel.

It's a lot of books. It's ambitious, especially for me, but I'm looking forward to this project. Please tell me down in the comments if you've read any of these, and which ones you think I should prioritize.

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February TBR | blackathon, contemporary-a-thon

Usually, I'm not a monthly TBR person, but seeing as February is basically one giant readathon with Blackathon, Contemporary-A-Thon, and Feminist Lit February all being this month, I thought I'd share what I'm wanting to read this month.

The only book that's not really for a readathon, though it could count for Feminist Lit Feb, is my random TBR read for the month: GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE by Natasha Ngan. I am currently reading this and really enjoying it. It very much evokes the imagery of the first Selection book or the parts of The Hunger Games that take place in the Capitol. It has pretty standard writing, but I'm very here for all the Asian-inspired fantasies and this one has a F/F romance. I haven't gotten to that part yet, but honestly, the anticipating is killing me.

BLACKATHON

(announcement video)

• Saga, vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan: I read the first volume of this at the end of January, and I now completely understand the hype for this series. I have the first book out from the library, which I think collects the first two or three TPBs. So, I might end up reading the third as well.
• Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay and Ta-Nehisi Coates: I've been meaning to read this for a long time, mainly for the authorship. But after loving the Black Panther movie, I'm definitely interested in trying the comics.
• Becoming by Michelle Obama: I finally got this back from the library! And just in time for Black History Month. I was loving this book when I had to return it, and now I also have the audiobook out from Overdrive, which is narrated by the former First Lady herself. I'm about a fourth of the way through, and I'm loving it. There's so much about her life that I can't relate to, but the way she speaks about her ambitions and expectations for herself hits real close with me. 
• The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton: This was a book I wasn't sure I would ever read until I won a copy of this in a giveaway and found the audiobook from my library. This is a Selection-esk story from what I've heard where people, our main character included, are "Belles" that have the ability to control beauty, which is a precious commodity in this world. Not sure if I'm going to enjoy this, but I want to give it a shot.

CONTEMPORARY-A-THON

(announcement video)

• The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory: While I did quite enjoy it, I wasn't the biggest fan of The Wedding Date. Carlos, however, I was a giant fan of, and he's the love interest in this sequel. I've been meaning to read this since it came out, but part of me wanted to save it for this readathon. Also, the premise is something that really intrigues me, because I've thought about it more than once: the novel starts when Nik and her boyfriend are at a baseball game, and he decides to surprise propose to her. The catch: she doesn't say yes, and the reaction is negative. Enter Carlos, my favorite person ever.
• Sadie by Courtney Summers: I don't know anything about this. At this point, I've forgotten the premise, and I've kind of refused to listen to people talk about this book. The only thing I know is that literally everyone loves it. I'm probably going to continue my audible subscription for at least one more month (my free trial literally ends the day before the readathon starts, so I'll probably grab this on the first day and then cancel my subscription) so that I can grab this one because I've heard the audiobook is amazing.
• Giant Days, vol. 9 by John Allison: If you don't know, now you know that this is my favorite comic series of all time. I can't believe I have read one series for nine volumes, it's insanity. I've got the single issues of this all lined up to read, I've missed reading this series lately so I'm exicted to get back into it.
• Waves by Ingrid Chabbert: This is an eARC that I've actually already read, but haven't rated or reviewed because I was super unsure about it. It's one of those books that is very well-crafted and beautiful and, from what I can tell, an experience close to the author's own, but I did not enjoy it when I first read it. So, I'm hoping that maybe time and space and a reread will let me enjoy this one more. 

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Guessing My Next Favorite Book | Five Star Predictions (1)

Hello all! Welcome to my first five-star prediction post! If you're unfamiliar with the concept, this is a post where I look through my physical, owned TBR books and guess based on reviews, synopses, author, etc. which ones I think will be five-star reads. This has recently made the rounds on the BookTube community (I've made a playlist of some of my favorites). I absolutely love the idea and wanted to bring it to my blog. It's a great way for me to get excited about reading books that I already own instead of constantly pining over books that I don't own or books that I have from the library. 

For these posts, I've provided goodreads links and (when applicable) reviews that made me want to pick up the book originally or a review that made me think I'd enjoy the book. I don't know how often I'll do these posts, but I'm thinking of doing a wrap-up after I read each of these books and telling you what I thought of the book and whether or not it became a new favorite. Today, I'll be sharing six books from my TBR shelf that I think will be new favorite reads.

goodreads | Connor O'Brien's review

This is the first book in an adult science fiction/fantasy trilogy that I haven't heard much about but what I have heard has been absolutely phenomenal. This won the Hugo Award in 2016, so clearly people like it. Additionally, this is a fantasy book that's written by a woman of color, which is basically a rarity in the genre, so I'm hopeful that this won't be your average interesting world-sexist characters pitfall that many fantasy books are prey to.

I don't know too much about the world. There is a magic system, and it has something to do with preventing earthquakes? (Don't hold me to that.) But, in this world, instead of four seasons there are five seasons. And that fifth season always brings a certain apocalyptic aspect (i.e. acid rain). This book starts at the beginning of that fifth season.

I've heard this has complex, amazing female characters, which is a breath of fresh air for fantasy. I'm so excited to pick this up.

goodreads | Ava's review

I won an ARC of this book, and I still haven't read it. *hides face in hands* But, I've been putting it off because I think I'll really like it and then want to read all of McLemore's backlist.

If you don't know this about me, I'm a Spanish major. I've read a lot of short stories and poems and a few books in Spanish and from Hispanic authors. They're always among my favorites. The writing is lyrical, often there is a magical realism element, and there's usually a strong family influence.

In addition to having all of those things, the main character in Wild Beauty is bisexual, which makes my little heart sing.

goodreads | Max's review

In a similar vein, this is book that has been translated from Spanish and into English. This one, however, is the first book in a trilogy that takes place in Barcelona, Spain during the 1940s. I have had this book on my shelf for years, and it's one of the only books I'll ever say that I'm ashamed I haven't read.

So this a book about books. It follows a boy who goes into a bookshop and gets one book by this author. After finishing the book, he searches for other works by this author only to find that someone has been destroying all of his works.

I'm excited to read this book, but I know that I need to be in a specific mindset to read this one. It's also one that I'd love to reread in Spanish after finishing the English translation just to see how they differ. (Because I'm a nerd.)

goodreads

There's no specific review or person that's made me really want to read this. I just want to read it because it's Leigh Bardugo. I haven't finished the Shadow and Bone trilogy, so realistically, it'll be a while before I can get to this book.

This is a collection of fairy tales and stories that exist within the Grisha world. These are stories that the characters would know and are referenced in the text. It's almost like The Tales of Beedle the Bard, but better because it's Leigh Bardugo and there are some stunning illustrations in this.

goodreads | Joce's review

Everyone loved Ng's previous book Everything I Never Told You when it released a few years back, and so when it was announced that she was releasing a new book, even people who hadn't read her first novel (AKA: me) were excited about this release.

I got this through my Book of the Month subscription because I knew that I needed to read it. Immediately after its release, it got countless rave reviews, got picked up for Reece Witherspoon's book club, and Ng even went onto Seth Meyer's late night show to promote the book. I don't know too much about this apart from that it takes place in a suburban town called Shaker Heights. This is one of those books that I don't want to know much about before going into it because I feel like it'll be best discovered whilst reading.

goodreads

A book that stays at no.1 on the New York Times young adult bestseller list for 30+ weeks is there for a reason, and I think it's bound to be a favorite. At this point, most everyone in the book sphere has at least heard about, if not read, this book already. I feel like I'm one of the only people that hasn't read this book yet, and I'm experiencing major FOMO.

As far as a five-star read goes, I'm really hoping this sticks that rating. Everyone has absolutely loved this book, even if they didn't give it a full five stars. I want this to be a five-star so badly, so here's to hoping that it is.

Have you read any of these books? Which one should I pick up first? (I feel like most of you will say THUG.) Tell me all your thoughts down in the comments!

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October Currently Reading + #Spookathon TBR

Currently Reading is a monthly feature on my blog, where I catch you up on the books that I'm currently reading (or at least attempting to read). Usually this goes up on the second or third Friday of every month, but it's going up on a Saturday this month because I got swamped with school.

This month's currently reading is going to be a bit different because there are some upcoming readathons that I wanted to talk about since this week is actually my fall break so I'll have more than thirty minutes a day that I can read.

CURRENTLY READING + READBYZOEATHON TBR

• DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES: This is my current audiobook. I am about halfway through it since it's only around five hours long. This is the sequel to Every Heart a Doorway, which I read recently and liked but didn't love as much as everyone else because it was a book that circled around the idea of portal fantasy without any actual portal fantasy. This is everything that I wanted the previous book in this series to be. This is a portal fantasy (aka my favorite subgenre of anything ever) that tells the story of Jack and Jill, two twin sisters that we meet in the first book. It's creepy and atmospheric and an absolutely delightful look at gender roles.
• THE POWER: I mentioned this book in my last post, and I have now officially started it. I'm about 100 pages into this, and it's so intriguing. The basic premise of this that suddenly young girls start developing an electric-esk power that can inflict others with pain--even death--with a flick of their fingers. Suddenly, women have the power and men lose control. It's told from four perspectives of people around the world as this phenomenon grows. I'm really liking this one, and I want to finish it ASAP. 
• PELUDA: This is a poetry book that I got approved for on Netgalley. This is from a spoken-word poet that I absolutely love, Melissa Lozada-Olivia. It's funny and personal and self-deprecating. I'm going to try and finish this today. 
• MARCH, BOOK THREE: I keep telling myself that I'm going to read this, and I keep putting it off because I know that this last volume will have the heaviest material. If I don't at least start this during Zoe's 24-hr readathon, you all have permission to send me annoying gifs on Twitter.

SPOOKATHON TBR

(announcement video)

• FULL DARK, NO STARS: I picked this up for a few reasons. This fits with the challenges read a book with a spooky word in the title (dark) and read a book with orange on the cover. I also wanted to read this because one of the novellas in this collection, "1922", is being released or was just recently released on Netflix, and I really want to watch it because I refuse ro watch It until it releases on DVD so that I can watch it from the comfort of my own home.
• MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS: Another movie that's releasing soon, this doesn't really fit any of the challenges, but I want to read it. I've never read a Christie book before, and I want to read this before the movie releases in November.
• BIRD BOX: I recently read and loved Josh Malerman's A House at the Bottom of a Lake, which is a short but incredibly atmospheric and gripping story. The story was brilliant, so I want to read more of his books. This is the most popular one; I hear people rave about this constantly. I know almost nothing about it, but I think it takes place completely in the dark or the characters are blindfolded? Something like that. It sounds eerie and atmospheric, and I adore Malerman's writing. 
• HORRORSTOR: This is another book that I don't know much about. (It's the best wat to go into thriller/mystery books, okay?) This I think would qualify for the read a thriller challenge. I could probably also count this as read a book about a childhood fear because I was terrified of everything as a child. Among the countless fears was getting trapped in a store overnight, like getting left behind in a store and being locked up there for the night. I don't know, few of my fears made sense. But I believe this is following IKEA-type employees who volunteer for a graveyard shift at the store. Why? Because they're in a horror novel.

What are you guys reading this weekend? Are any of you planning on joining in on Spookathon? If you've read any of the books on my TBR, please tell me what you thought of them down in the comments!

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Books I Want to Read This Fall | 2017 TBR

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to share lists (because we love them) about books and bookish things.

lol @ me for ever thinking I'm going to read all of these books in the first three months of my junior year of college. But it's not a post on my blog if I don't set goals that I ultimately won't meet.

On with the show!

• SIEGE AND STORM: I read Shadow and Bone last year, and for who knows what reason got about halfway through this book before just putting it back on the shelf and forgetting about it. Even though I've read the Six of Crows duology already (and I'm fairly certain that I know how this trilogy ends), I really want to read these last two books because I'm so excited for Language of Thorns to release is just (!) one (!!) week (!!!).
• JANE, UNLIMITED: I've never read any Kristin Cashore, but her Graceling series has always sounded so intriguing. I've heard fantastic things about her writing, and my dear friend Emma lent me her ARC of this so I need to read it ASAP.
• THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE: The running theme of this list is "I haven't read anything from this author, but I hear endless raving about them" and that's also the case for this book. I've had this on my shelf since it was released and it's about damn time I got around to reading it.
• THE DIVINERS: Fall seems like the perfect time to read this book because a) it's got a really spooky, paranormal vibe and b) the third book is releasing this season so if I like it, I can continue on with the series.
• WONDER: Literally everyone that I know that's read this book has loved it. I currently have it out from my library and desperately want to read this before the movie comes out.

• WILD BEAUTY: Another ARC that I have yet to get to but am incredibly excited to read. This is written by a Latina author with Latina main characters and it's magical realism. It's so many of my favorite things in one book. Also, look at that cover and tell me you don't want to read it.
• LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE: (see also: The Rest of Us Just Live Here) I just got this book from my Book of the Month box for September. I have zero idea what this is about, and that's how I want to go into this book.
• LOST STARS: I am a nerd. I love Star Wars. I need things to distract me from what will probably be the death of Rey's character development that will happen in Episode VIII. I loved Bloodline by Claudia Gray, and this audiobook is available through my library's overdrive.
• THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: I've been interested in this book since it released. A book about the underground railroad where it's an actual railway with trains? Sign me up. Also, it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, so I have high expectations.
• ARTEMIS: Even though I've heard some mixed things about this, I'm still really excited to dive into my early copy of Andy Weir's newest book. I absolutely loved The Martian, so I'm really anticipating reading his newest book that's set on the moon. 

These are the main ten books that I'm hoping to get to this fall. Of course, there are also a lot of comics and graphic novels/memoirs that I need to read as well, but I wanted to just stick with novels for this list because I like setting unrealistic expectations for myself.

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Hosted by Read at Midnight | Art by Read Think Ponder | August 13th through September 10th | Info

So, Aentee kept teasing these gorgeous graphics on her Twitter, so when this was finally posted in full, I was immediately drafting my TBR. I don't think I'm going to read all these books. This is the month (30 days over two months, whatever) that I'm moving back to school and starting my junior year, so #stress. I also tried to include as many ARCs and big books and books that I own for this challenge in a half-hearted attempt to join in multiple readathons.

MY MAYBE TBR

(Because I am notoriously terrible at sticking to a TBR pile.)

I flip-flopped between Mage and Knight for ages, but I ended up settling on MAGE because it aligned better with the ARCs that I have as well as some of my top priority TBR books. Also, magic and fantasy is 80% of what I want to read always.

        

Mage Path:

• A book with a one-word title: Artemis by Andy Weir
• A book that contains magic: Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLemore (this is magical realism, so I won't really be sure until I read it how much actual magic is in it so this may change to Power & Magic: The Queer Witch Comic Anthology)
• A book based on mythology: The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
• A book set in a different world: Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo
• The first book in a series: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

      

    

Side Quests:

• Potions - a book concocted by 2+ authors: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
• Multiplayer - buddy read a book: I have not planned anything for this, and let's be real, the amount of books I'm assuming I'll read in the first month of school is laughable already.
• Grind - a 500+ page book: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
• Time Warp - a book set in either the past or the future: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee
• Open World - read whatever you want: this will be whatever I manage to read that's not one of these books
• Respawn - read a book you previously DNFed: (okay, so I might cheat a bit on this one because when I DNF books, they're done for good, so I might use a book I started and just never finished? is that cheating?) tentatively, this is Cress by Marissa Meyer, but it's looking like this won't actually happen
• Expansion - read a companion novel or short story: This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman & Megan Spooner
• Mini-Game - read a graphic novel, novella, or poem collection: I'm assuming this includes comics as well? Either way, this will probably be March, book three by John Lewis
• Animal Companion - book referencing an animal on the cover: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Are you going to try and participate in this? What path are you choosing? What books are you wanting to read? Tell me down in comments!

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