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TOP TEN TUESDAY: Ten Books From My Netgalley Queue

- Meg 12 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly discussion hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl (and formerly hosted by The Broke and the Bookish), and this week’s topic is a free-for-all! Today I’m going to be featuring ten books in my Netgalley queue that I want to read ASAP because either 1) I’ve been really excited about them forever and 2) some I’ve had on this list for a while and need to get to reading and reviewing in a timely manner. I want to get back to that 80% mark by the end of the year, I want to clear out some of those titles that have been in my Netgalley queue for literal years, and I want to read the fun new stuff instead of feeling guilty that I’ve had these things waiting for reviews for so long.

I read a lot on my Kindle on my vacation this month and reading that much on it made me realize how much I enjoyed the ease and convenience of it, especially while in bed! Plus I can take my Kindle with me everywhere in my purse and I was able to sneak in some good reading in the downtime between stops. Anyway, let’s get on with that list! I’m hoping that choosing ten books to read from my queue will help serve as a Netgalley TBR as well!

  • The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso :: I think this entire trilogy has been released by now, and some bookstagram friends have enjoyed it!
  • In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle :: I love what I’ve read of his so far (and I’m a new Beagle reader), so I definitely need to finish this.
  • The Red-Stained Wings by Elizabeth Bear :: I loved the first book of this series, and I really want to know where she takes the story in the sequel.
  • The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas :: I love anything about time travel.
  • The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin :: Berkley puts out some amazing historical fiction, and I’ve never been disappointed.
  • Bethlehem by Karen Kelly :: I love the Gilded Era, and this is set close to where I used to live!
  • Burn by James Patrick Kelly :: I read and taught a short story of his for my science fiction course, and I’ve been wanting to read more of his work!
  • Meet Me in the Future by Kameron Hurley :: Hurley is an auto-buy/-read author for me, and I’ve loved everything I’ve read of hers.
  • The Grace Year by Kim Liggett :: It’s touted as something in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale, and it sounds weirdly interesting to me.
  • The Duke is but a Dream by Anna Bennett :: I’m enjoying more and more of my forays into romance, especially regency romance.

Are any of these on your TBR/Netgalley queue? Which have you read so far and have enjoyed?

TOP TEN TUESDAY :: WHAT MAKES A MUST-READ?

- Meg

Every week, The Broke and the Bookish hosts a top ten list with a bookish theme, and this week’s theme is Ten Things That Make You Instantly Want to Read a Book! I feel like I read across a variety of genres and reading levels, but I am also always drawn to specific things, too.

  1. An amazing cover. This probably is a no-brainer for me because I’m always attracted to shiny things. For the most part, a really fantastic looking cover is often the first and major initial draw to a book. With so many books out there to read, I am more likely to reach for an amazing cover before anything else. I also tend to buy editions with prettier covers even if it’s a little bit more money because I know it’ll look nice on my shelves and I’ll enjoy reading it a little bit more with a nicer cover!
  2. Complex, well-written villains. I don’t like my villains to be evil for evil’s sake. I want them to have as much depth as the “hero,” and I want to feel for them. Characters that toe the line between good and bad and live in that morally grey area are my favorite.
  3. Complex, well-written characters in general. I want for female, male, and non-binary characters to be well developed and as well rounded and not forced into a stereotypical, list-checked box.
  4. Space travel and alien cultures. If I’m reading a story about characters in space, I want the main characters to be at least slightly alien, and I want the main characters to explore alien cultures. Give me all of the weird stuff!
  5. Fairy tale, folklore, and mythological retellings. Especially Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast retellings, and I wish there were more retellings of Rapunzel and the Little Mermaid, too. I like retellings even more if they subvert the familiar stories, too.
  6. Historical fiction. I feel like I grew up on historical fiction. After reading series like Dear America and The Royal Diaries, I just consumed whatever the local libraries had. I’m really partial stories set in the Regency era, Wars of the Roses, Victorian + Edwardian eras, WWI, early America, ancient Egypt, and ancient Greece.
  7. London. Honestly, if it’s set in London, I’ll most likely gobble it up. It’s one of my favorite cities, and I miss it so much.
  8. Castles and the Gothic. Give me all the things set in ancient, spooky castles, and throw a few thunderstorms, a full moon, a lot of rain, subversion, and a woman out of her time, and I’ll be the happiest.
  9. Epistolary. I love stories and narratives created entirely through letters sent between characters. Even if it’s more modern with text messages and emails and social media posts.
  10. Libraries and author histories. Lately, I feel like there are a lot of books out being released that are set in libraries or revolving around libraries, or even about the (fictional) histories of books and authors. I love fictional accounts of famous authors’ lives, and I feel like it better fits this subheading than historical fiction!

What things make you want to read a book?