The Intimidating TBR Tag!

Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog! 

So real talk, this week I've had a migraine most days and I have been struggling to do anything other than sleep and read. So I wanted to do something easy for this week's post: hence, a tag. I decided to go with the Intimidating TBR tag because next month I'm going to focus on only reading books on my physical TBR and not from the library (of course, if holds come through then I'll read those, but I won't be going through the stacks and picking out new books). So hopefully my TBR will go down quite a bit. But until then, I've got plenty of books to choose from for this tag. 

So, let's get into it!

---

1. A book on your TBR pile that you haven't finished.

So I don't tend to leave books unfinished, just because it bothers me going through the months and still have a book on my "Currently Reading" Shelf on Goodreads, so I'll just say what I'm currently reading. Yesterday I started Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I'm only 86 pages in so I don't really have an opinion on it yet, but I am intrigued. The last book that took me longer than a month to finish was Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, and I hated it. So I guess that goes to show that, typically, if it's taking me a hot minute to finish a book, then I probably don't like it much. 

2. A book you just haven't had the time to read.

So many? Can I say all of them? Ha, it's so weird but since the majority of the books I read I get from the library, I have to prioritize those first since I only have them for two weeks at a time. So naturally the books on my physical TBR take a backseat. A book I haven't had the time to read...I'll go with Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. I know that this book will make me cry so I have to make the time on a day where that won't ruin everything. 

3. A book you haven't read because it's a sequel.

Okay, confession time. I nearly always buy the sequels of books I haven't read yet. But Ally, I hear you say, how do you know you'll like the book enough to own the sequels? A good and valid question. The answer is, I don't. But it's just one of those things. On the chance I'll really like the first book, I want to have the sequels nearby so I can immediately go to the next one. Otherwise, I might go years without finishing the series. So I have a lot of sequels that I haven't read yet. But one that will probably induce the most outrage is Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor. Yes, I still haven't read this series. I'll get to it eventually, I promise!

4. A book you haven't read because it's brand new.

The last book I bought is Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, but I plan on reading it this month, if Kafka doesn't take up the rest of it. 

5. A book by an author you read previously but didn't really like.

I don't typically buy books from authors that I didn't enjoy, mostly because I don't want to have to go through that again. So usually if I'm iffy about an author, I try their other books through the library first. However, I do have Lore by Alexandra Bracken. I didn't really like The Darkest Minds by her, and under normal circumstances I wouldn't have this book, but it came in a book box so I didn't really get to choose it. I figure I might as well read the book first before deciding to donate it, in case I actually do like it. 

6. A book on your TBR pile that you're just not in the mood to read.

So here's the thing: I am one hundred percent a mood reader. I don't understand how people can set a TBR at the beginning of the month, and actually keep to it. Every time I've done so, the TBR has completely imploded by the first book. So if I'm not in the mood to read any of the books on my TBR, then I won't read them. It's as simple as that. Therefore, I'm not sure I have an actual answer for this question. I guess I could say Hold Still by Nina LaCour, because it deals heavily with suicide and I really have to be in the right mindset to read about that. 

7. A book on your TBR pile that you haven't read because it's enormous.

This one is easy. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It's definitely the longest book I have on my physical TBR at the moment. I'm not opposed to reading tomes, in fact I quite like it, but something about this book just turns me off. I know I'll read it one day, I just have no idea when that day will be. 

8. A book on your TBR that you bought because of the cover.

I try my absolute hardest not to buy books based on the cover alone, but there is always an exception to the rule, I suppose. My last cover buy was The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec. It's so freaking beautiful! And then of course I read the synopsis and was immediately satisfied with my purchase. In case you're unaware, The Witch's Heart is the story of Loki's wife in Norse mythology. So, sold. 

9. The book on your TBR that you find the most intimidating.

This is a no-brainer for me. It's absolutely A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Aka the most depressing book of all time, according to everyone who has ever read it. Like Hold Still, I definitely have to be in the right mindset to read it, and I have no idea when I'll actually be ready. I'm actually terrified of this book, but I also really want to know why it destroys everyone who opens it. So, it's a bit of a catch-22 for me. It'll happen eventually. 

---

Okay, that's the end of the tag! What's the most intimidating book on your TBR? Let me know in the comments, or tweet at me @AllyEmReads. 

Until next time!