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Monday, June 15, 2015

Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR (Help Me Prioritize!)





I've set up polls exactly like this for the past two years (2013, 2014) so that I could get people's input on what I should be prioritizing in my reading schedule this summer (I wish I could read them all, but unfortunately I just don't have the time!). The response that I received these past two years was so great and helpful, so of course I knew I needed to do it again. The above ten books are all ones that I have been putting off reading for what seems like FOREVER. I'm so excited to read each and every one of them, but I need your help in deciding which ones should be at the top of my priority list. Any reasonings for your choice(s) can be left in the comments below. Thanks so much!!


survey services

50 comments :

  1. OMG YOU HAVE NOT READ POISON STUDY?!??!? *dies*

    You have to. You. Just. Have To. Then we can fangirl about Valek and life will be infinitely more fun!!!

    Also Graceling & The Raven Boys. DO ITTTTT.

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    1. Aah oh no don't die! I promise I'll get to it soon... it's gotten quite a few votes already. Graceling and The Raven Boys as well :):)

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  2. I say The Night Circus. I should have placed that one on my list as well. But I might save it for winter.

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  3. I've read all but 3 books here: Mistborn, Graceling and The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Everything else I can emphatically recommend with the highest regards. Love them all! My list is pretty boring compared to everyone's today. Hmmm... ~Beth at Perpetual New Girl

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    1. Excellent! And hah, I'm sure your list isn't boring.

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  4. Pride and Prejudice is so good! Austen is timeless- her novels are witty, funny, and still so relatable. Plus, Austen is so great at writing unlikable characters and doofuses. There is a rather big doofus in P&P- and Mr. Bennet is one of my favorite literary characters of all time.
    Mallory @ The Local Muse

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    1. I know, I know. I've listened to some of her other ones on audio, just not P&P. I hope to get to it soon!

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  5. A few of these have been on my shelves for ages too. That TBR pile, it just keeps growing! I voted for The Night Circus, mostly because it's one of my all time faves. :-D These are all such great books though - not that I've read them all, but I've heard! ;-) - that I'm sure you'll enjoy them. Happy reading!

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  6. Surprise surprise!! Only one contemporary ;) I personally voted for Eleanor & Park because it's the only one I've read from your list, hehe. I think you would be really interested in reading Outlander especially because you recently went to Scotland!! I'm dying to start Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy... you have difficult choices to make!!

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    1. Heh, yup :P But to be fair, I have actually gotten to quite a few of the contemps that have been on my list in the past two years. And YES I love that it is set in Scotland!!

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  7. You have something to look forward to in "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Night Circus". :-)

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  8. So Graceling, Poison Study, and Girl of Fire and Thorns should be right up your alley...and fantasy recs are always the best anyway. :) The Night Circus is also really good, but it's a slower book that focuses on language and description, so it's something you need to be in the mood for.
    Mistborn: The Final Empire has been on my TBR list forever! It's something I know I'll love if I can just start reading it. I'm guessing the same will be true for you. But you have lots of good choices here, so it looks like your summer reading time will be well spent no matter what. :)

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    1. Yes, I figure those ones are just made for me. I think I might really enjoy the experience of The Night Circus as well though. And yes, I figure no matter what choices come out on top, I'm guaranteed to have good reads!

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  9. Clearly, I *had* to vote for the two books out of these that I've read ;) The Final Empire and The Raven Boys, since they're both all-time favorites of mine. Honestly though? ALL the rest of your choices here are also on my tbr shelf! I even own most of these (Poison Study, Outlander, Graceling, Angelfall, Fire and Thorns and Night Circus) Aaaand Eleanor and Park is on my wishlist/tbr shelf haha! Good luck picking out where to start with all the pretties Aylee xx

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    1. Heh, yup I figured! And of course I'm still up for any buddy reads you want to do!

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  10. Girl of Fire and Thons is a must and also The Night Circus which is just pure magic. I also want to read almost all of the other books on your list. I have heard good things about all of them so which ever one you go with you shouldn't be disappointed. So many books and just not enough time.

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    1. Pretty much! But yeah, I'm confident I won't be left disappointed :)

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  11. Eleanor & Park, yes. You shall pick this up...NOW.

    Our TTT

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    1. LOL. Well, it is in the lead currently, so I likely will :)

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  12. Poison Study has been on my TBR pile for a while now :D
    Haniya,
    booknauthors.blogspot.com

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  13. I'm all for Graceling, Raven Boys and Rae Carson. I think you won't be disappointed with Graceling, and especially with the sequel, Fire. If you enjoy audiobooks at all, try Graceling in audio format. It's full cast audio and it's brilliant. I really loved it.

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    1. Hmm, that's interesting. I'll think about that!

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  14. My votes went for:
    Poison study - not only because I loved it, but I also think you will really like it. Strong heroin, great romance and interesting plot.
    Graceling - kick-ass girl, (I liked Fire better though).
    The raven boys - I think this is something for you :) It features a strong cast.
    Angelfall - bloody, dark and gritty. If you are in the mood for it, it will blow you away. Also a strong heroin and a fantastic sister-sister relationship.
    The girl of fire and thorns - YES TO THE YES.

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    1. Excellent! I'm happy to have friends that know me so well and know what I would like to read :):) Thank you so much for the recs!

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  15. Great list! I haven't read Fangirl yet, but I do hope to get to Attachments by Rainbow Rowell this summer.

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  16. I'm also planning on reading The Night Circus this summer! Fits in with the circus phase I started going through last year.

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  17. YAY :D Awesome list Aylee. <3 I have only read four of these books. But GRACELING! That is my best book of forever book, hih :) You must must must read it. <3 Also love The Raven Boys to pieces :D And Eleanor & Park. <3 Really liked The Girl of Fire and Thorns too :) Happy reading sweet girl. <3 Hope you'll get the chance to read a lot of these :)

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    1. Thanks, Carina :) I hope to get to a lot of them soon too :)

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  18. I loved the romance and premise of Poison Study

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  19. I have only read Pride and Prejudice and Eleanor and Park, I recommend E & P.
    It's such a lovely read :D

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  20. 1) P&P: This book is just so amazing and if your a fan of any of the films then I'm pretty sure you'll love the book. Austen's writing style, while difficult at first, is really funny and enjoyable. It's totally a must read!

    2) Fire and Thorns series: I read this at the beginning of the year and it's now one of my favorite high fantasy series. The world building and the characters and the believability is so great!

    3) Night Circus: I read it a few years ago and remember being in awe of it, but it is a bit slow and difficult to get into which is why I haven't read it since.

    4) The Raven Boys: I'm a general fan of Maggie Stiefvater and the series is enjoyable... but I'm kind of on the fence about it. It's still worth reading, but I'm waiting to read the last book before I decide whether or not I really like it.

    You got some great books to choose from. Enjoy the reading!

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    1. Aww, thank you so much for this comment, Christina!! So helpful.

      1) I have a good feeling I'll like P&P because I've listened to some Austen in the past and enjoyed it!

      2) So good to hear :)

      3) I can see that... I also think I will like it overall though.

      4) Hmm, that's probably an uncommon opinion. I'll have to see. I absolutely love Maggie's writing though, so I have high hopes!

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  21. Okay, I chose Eleanor and Park that's because I ALSO need to read it, and more by this author, but I've owned E&P for awhile now. haha I've only read Attachments by her but I really loved it.

    I also would say The Raven Boys because I hear good things and I want to read those books too.

    So yeah, I haven't read anything on your list yet so I don't have first-hand thoughts.

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    1. Heh, I have only read Fangirl by Rainbow, but man I adored that one! But yeah, I understand you're coming from the point of view of someone who hasn't read any of them yet. I still really appreciate your opinion though!

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  22. What a list, Alyee! You got some of my favorites on here. I still have to read Raven Boys too. Now I think I'll just wait until book 4 comes out and do a reading binge.

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  23. I'm behind on The Raven Cycle, Angelfall and Fire and Thorns series, but I've loved the first book in each series so far. I liked Graceling and Pride and Prejudice, thought Poison Study was okay, and didn't like Eleanor & Park.

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  24. I've been putting off a lot of books for way too long too... I might have to do something like this to figure out what I should read next, too! Sadly, I've only read two books on this list -- yikes. ><

    2. Poison Study: I've heard so many great things about this book! I love how classy the title sounds, and based on what everyone's said about it, I think you should definitely read this soon, and then review it so I know what you think, heheh.

    4. Pride & Prejudice: FINALLY, SOMEONE WHO HASN'T READ THIS CLASSIC YET. xD My friend gifted me this book years ago (it's her favorite of all time), but I've been putting it off for a long time, mostly because the print in my edition is hella small and I'm afraid I'll find it too boring to continue. But I guess it's called one of the greatest love stories for a reason... I'll just have to find the time to sit down and get through it someday.

    6. The Raven Boys: Ahhh, I love The Raven Boys so much! Okay, I read it a while back and can hardly remember much, but I remember really liking the complexity, the beauty, and the originality of the plot. And don't even get me started on the characters. They're just amazing. The Dream Thieves was even better and the subtle romance -killed- me. Sill waiting for the time when I have enough money to buy all three books at once, hehe. So yes. You have to read this. Like, now! :D

    7. Angelfall: I think I must be the only person who didn't love Angelfall as much as everyone else did. I mean, sure, it was interesting, and Penryn was badass, but I didn't see what was so special about it? And I didn't find Raffe as swoon-worthy as others, too...

    10. The Night Circus: I've heard some pretty mixed stuff about this one. It seems like the kind of book you either hate or love, but apparently the writing and imagery is GORGEOUS. Not sure if I'll ever read it, but it does sound magical.

    Great list, Aylee! Good luck with your reading list!

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  25. I've read most of these. My vote is def for The Raven Boys, you may just want to keep reading the next two in the series.

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  26. I feel like people have been pushing Mistborn on me for so long now haha - I definitely have to read that some day, I just don't know when I'll get to it. I have read six of the books on your list, so I'm feeling pretty good right now lol. Your list looks great, and I hope you enjoy all the books!

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    1. Heh, yup me too. And I'm def excited to read it, I'm really am, but there are just SO MANY series I need to get to, not just that one.

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  27. I say that you HAVE to read Graceling because we are friends and I misnamed my dog after the heroine. What more do you need, Aylee? That is all, I assure you.

    Ooh! I hope you read P&P! So good, and I've been wanting to reread it sometime. I'm on a bit of a Pride and Prejudice whirl at the moment, watching the old BBC adaptation and Death Comes to Pemberley and Lost in Austen. Next up, the 2008 movie! Basically everything it gets adapted into is such fun.
    I'm going away for two weeks at the beginning of July so I should totally get a hand on what I should read, as a priority. xx

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    1. haha, I think it is so cute that you misspelled you dog's name after the Graceling protag, Romi :) I don't know, I think I might like the name Kasta better than Katsa anyways.

      And I've seen many a P&P adaptation so it's pretty silly I haven't actually read the real thing yet! I'm looking forward to it and then I look forward to delving into my favourite P&P adaptations with a greater appreciation :)

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  28. I am proud to say that I have read SIX of the books on your list! I feel like giving myself a big pat on the back for that one. I know from your Instagram that Eleanor and Park was the one that won out. I hope you enjoy it more than I did. It's a pretty fast read. I didn't know that Outlander was on your TBR- I love that a book that is so not your genre is something you are curious about and willing to give a try.

    Happy Reading, Aylee!

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    1. Heh, you deserve a pat because almost the entire list is fantasy! And I am the one that claims to be the fantasy fan? Bah, you're really the one. I think I will enjoy Outlander because I pretty much enjoy all things Scottish!

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  29. Ah, ha! I am seeing this post now, but I already saw on your Instagram that you're reading Eleanor and Park since that was the most voted. I haven't read the book yet, but I've heard nothing but great stuff about it. I can't wait to see what your thoughts about it are. The other books on your pile are also very interesting. I hope you get to them soon andend up loving them. Happy reading!

    Sarika @ The Readdicts

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  30. I've only read four of the books on your list (Poison Study, Graceling, The Night Circus and Eleanor & Park), but I've wanted to read The Final Empire for ages. Of the ones I've read, I loved Poison Study and Graceling the most so they got my vote - it's such a great idea to have people vote to help you prioritise. Smart thinking!

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  31. I sucked at the poll and picked like 8 books lol mostly because basically all of these are on my never-ending TBR pile too! R x

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  32. All of the ones I've read on this list, I have LOVED!!!! :D I picked The Night Circus first because I think it's a book you'd really enjoy!!! I listened to the audiobook for it, and Jim Dale did such an amazing job reading it!!!! :D

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  33. The Raven Boys all the way! And after that Angelfall because I hear it's amazing. or read whatever you are in the mood in (:

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