We all have those books on our TBR’s that we are just that little bit more excited for. Those books that, either based on the synopsis, previous experience with the author, or even just rave community-reviews, you expect to be 5-star reads. I’ve always been very hesitant of making a list like this one, as I really don’t want to overhype books for anyone (including myself). That being said, due to some personal circumstances I haven’t been feeling the best, and I feel a readingslump looming. To cheer myself up, I decided to look at all the great books on my TBR and create this list nonetheless. It turned out way longer than I was expecting (over 15 books), so I’ll only cover part of this list. These are six of my 5 star-TBR-predictions that I plan on reading in the (near) future.
The Muse of Nightmares – Laini Taylor Being the sequel to one of my favorite books of last year, this one couldn’t not be featured on this list. Ever since it came out last October, it’s been high up on my TBR but haven’t gotten to it yet, and am now debating on re-reading Strange the Dreamer before starting it. Although the majority of you will be familiar with this duology, a quick explanation of what I loved about Strange the Dreamer: We follow Lazlo Strange, a librarian obsessed with researching a long forgotten city, now only referred to as Weep. His strange obsession makes Lazlo the bud of many jokes, until one day, he’s recruited by a diverse group of explorers who’ve set out to find this lost city. The journey they embark on is filled with magic, incredible worlds, some of my favorite characters of all time and of course: Laini Taylors beautiful writing. If The Muse of Nightmares is anything like its predecessor, I can’t see it getting any less than a full 5 star-rating from me.
Bridges of Clay – Markus Zusak Although this novel was released to some mixed reviews, this is a case where I fully trust the author to come out with something amazing. Markus Zusak is well-known for his first bestseller The Bookthief. As a child growing up in the Netherlands I had a great interest in books concerning World War II and have read more than I can keep track of. For this reason it’s difficult for a book on the topic to stand out above the rest, yet The Bookthief did so by the sheer beauty of its writing. When I heard Zusak was writing a novel with grief and family as its central themes, I couldn’t think of anything with more potential to be a new favorite. I’ve heard people describe it as slow and “too lyrical”, but both of these aspects are not usually things that hinder my enjoyment of a book, so despite the mixed reviews, my hopes remain very high.
The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah Third on my list is another author that I trust to do great things. I loved Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and am frankly even more excited about the premise of The Great Alone. I love stories that combine beautiful, atmospheric nature-writing with an a good character exploration, and this sounds just like that. Described as: “an unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, love and loss, the fight for survival and the wildness that lives in both man and nature” this sounds straight up my alley. Not to mention this book is one of the highest rated books on my entire TBR (4.33 average on Goodreads). I really *really* hope this doesn’t let me down.
The Unseen World – Liz Moore The Unseen World is a favorite of one of my friends, whose opinion I trust when it comes to books. The story focusses on a father-daughter relationship, when the father begins to suffer from the early stages of early-onset dementia. This promises to be a well-written and emotional story and I can’t wait to have tug my heartstrings. I’m planning on reading it this month (February), so expect an update soon.
Every Heart a Doorway – Seanan McGuire A bit of an outlier, being a 170-page story, among a list of literary bricks, and probably the book I hesitated the most about putting on this list. The concept sounds amazing to me, and the avalanche of amazing reviews that buried this one upon release make me very hopeful that I will love this as well. The fact that it’s so short makes me ever more hopeful, as I can always appreciate the skill in condensing a story down to its core, cutting out 200 unnecessary pages, without losing any of the quality of the original story. My only fear is that I’ll fall in the category of people who find this “too weird/quirky”, just for the sake of being quirky. I love weirdness, as long as it serves a purpose to the story, and not simply as an attempt to be different. I really hope this one delivers.
A Wise Mans Fear – Patrick Rothfuss Being the sequel to one of my favorite books of all time, it’s not hard to imagine why it’s on this list. The only question is: why haven’t I read it yet? Yet I’m pretty sure most of you will know the answer to that question as well: I and many others with me are still (not so patiently) awaiting the announcement of book three in this trilogy. Please Patrick… Just please… I can’t wait to add another 5-star prediction to my list.
Expect an update once I’ve read these 6 books, reporting back on if my expectations were met. Let me know in a comment, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads for a book that you expect to be 5-stars. I hope to see you in my next post, and until than: happy reading.
Love Renée
