a) My last bookish post was August last year. SHAME ON ME. (This is not counting the Songkeeper blog tour because technically that wasn't me writing the post, it was Gillian.)
b) This year I have read a total of *drumroll please* ten books. *cries forever* IT'S SO SAD AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME ANYMORE.
*cough cough* Anyways. Screaming in caps over (actually they keep going in a bit, but shhh that's in another three paragraphs) this post is actually going to be all about me and the books I want to read but my reading-slumped brain doesn't seem to want to take the time to pick up.
Basically, this year I've been busy with writing projects, music, critiquing, school work and general life stuff. Which equals out to not very much reading time at all. (I've actually almost read more critiquing novels than published/just-for-fun novels...but that's sort of cool, because I love critiquing and helping writers improve their works.)
Anyways. I have a bunch of books just sitting around that I desperately want to read. But at the same time I don't? I'm not even sure how that works, so don't question the inner workings of my strange mind. I'm pretty certain that the ten books I have read probably have something to do with my problem, though. I read four books that I rated four stars out of five. AND six five-out-of-five stars.
(YES WOW BE IMPRESSED. AND THEN GO READ THE BOOKS) (And you can check out which books these were right along this handy dandy link)
So with all that epicness it's a little hard for most other books to live up to the standard. And every book I try just seems to slog down and drag me into the abyss of Khazad dûm. And now I'm just worried that it'll keep happening and all these books that I desperately want to read, just won't be as good as I expect.
So without any further ado and in no particular order:
-the titles and authors link to the goodreads page-
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
This one is sitting on my sister's bookshelf and I know it'll be great. Buuut something doesn't want me to read it. AND I DON'T KNOW WHYYYY. I love all the Tales of Goldstone Wood that I've read so far (Veiled Rose was one of the ten I read this year, and I cried so many times. It was amazing.) so I'm fairly well convinced that this one will be no different.
HeartlessMarissa Meyer
a) Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles are great. AND WHAT IF THIS ISN'T AS GOOD???
b) apparently this is heartbreaking so I'm tossing up between choosing to murder my feels or avoid this book.
Reckless (Mirrorworld #1)Cornelia Funke
Alright I'm going to be honest with you. A lot of what is keeping me from this book is the cover. Weird looking eyeball with random marks (tree branches?) around it?? Uhm...excuuuse me, but is that supposed to make me want to pick up the book? Because it doesn't. It makes it look weird.
(But my copy for book two actually has a really super cool cover, so I've got to read this one just so I can read the one with the cool cover as well.)
The Brethren Rise (The Dream of Hope)
C. D. HulenThis one is actually high on my priorities list. Because I know the author from the OYAN forum and hey would you look at that, a free copy of the book. Such a wonderful opportunity. But I desperately don't want it to have a self-published feel to it, and typos and mistakes and all that dreaded horror. BUT I KNOW IT WON'T.
But I must say that I do rather like that cover. It's pretty darn cool.
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1)Brandon Sanderson
Okay I admit, part of what's stopping me from reading this is because it's so. insanely. long. I know it's good and that I'll like it. But it's so long and what if it's not as epic and fast paced and can't-put-it-down as I want it to be??
And even worse, what if that happens and I get stuck right in the middle of the thousand-page novel and have to somehow drag myself through the rest? *cries*
Treachery Against The House Of FairwinDaeus Lamb
(Very sadly this book isn't actually on goodreads. But his other one is, so you can go check that out instead.)
GUESS WHAT. This was also a free book. And I sort of know Daeus from Kingdom Pen forum/video panels. So when there was an offer of his book for free I couldn't resist and jumped right in instantly. (Hint: If you offer me a free book I will take it. I will take it right away.)
But half I just haven't gotten to it yet, and half high expectations that might let me down and I don't want that to happen. I want it to be a good book.
(But on that note you can all get this ebook for FREE if you hop over to Daeus' website)
Fallen Star (Tales of Goldstone Wood #8)Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Aaand another of these wonderful books. It's got to be great. So...why don't I want to read it? I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE.
It sounds like such an intreiging story, and I've read Veiled Rose which has this character in it and I honestly want to know her story so bad. So what - I ask - is wrong with my brain?
DreamlanderK. M. Weiland
Here's another one that I know is pretty long. And also, I read Storming last year and goodness was it amazing. (5 gajillion stars for that one.) But this one. Will it be as good? Should I be expecting better or slightly less good? I can't decide. Hence it's been taunting me just out of reach.
A Question of Honor (Questions of War #1)Jesseca Wheaton
I actually got given a free (yes, another free ebook for Jane xD) e-copy of this in exchange for my review AND I HAVEN'T MANAGED TO GET TO IT YET. And I feel awful about it. Such shame. And I really really want to read it too. I'm probably most likely getting to this one next after my current read. (Insignia, if you were curious)
Steelheart (Reckoners #1)
Brandon Sanderson
Aaand I'm finishing up with another Brandon Sanderson book. Because why not. This one I don't have any good reasons for why I'm not reading it yet. Other than that I'm busy, basically. >.<
And all these things are seeming to come down to one problem: "What if it's not as good as I think it will be?" But no matter how much I tell myself that it's ridiculous and I know that they'll be good, I just. can't. read. *sighs*
Such is the attack of the reading slump.
I keep comparing myself to last year when I read 27 books in January. But that said, last year I hadn't written two entire novel drafts in the first four months, finished a trilogy, and started on editing book one of said trilogy...When I think of it that way, I don't actually mind so much.
Are there any books that you have just sitting around that you haven't gotten to read yet?
How do you get yourself out of a reading slump?
(I need the cure please. xD)
Aww *pats your head* Reading slumps are nasty things. (I'm kinda in one too... although it's more of a "I have no books on the reading list, how did this happen" sort of reading slump...)
ReplyDeleteHmm- with a large bunch of books, my suggestion with for a cure would have to be: Just 'eeni meeni miny mo' it :D ...And if you're not sure about the one you ended up with; just eliminate it and repeat the process until you have your desired choice, or you've run out of options ;P (And then just force yourself to sit down and read it ^-^)
We'll have to have a reading party together. *nods* And see if we can save ourselves. :)
DeleteHumm yess I could try that. We'll see. Although writing this blog post did make me even more excited about reading them than I was before so maybe I shall - when I next get time to read.
Don't be ashamed of not doing a bookish post in forever, because I haven't even done one yet and I still call myself a bookworm xD And I haven't read any of Anne Elisabeth Stengl's novels yet. I'm so behind on reading the awesome books XP
ReplyDeleteHm...I would set aside like five minutes a day to read if I were you. Just close your eyes, pick up a book (or your ebook), and read whatever comes out. Five minutes. Then, before you know it, you're reading again! I guess it's like overcoming writers' block XP (did I just create a new idea? readers' block?)
audrey caylin
Haha, but you should definitely do one. They're amazingly fun. *nods enthusiastically* YOU NEED TO READ THEM. THEY'RE SOOO GOOD. *flails* At this stage Veiled Rose is the book that has made me cry and laugh aloud the most. ever. It basically murdered all my feels, so that was cool. XD
DeleteOOh yess that sounds brilliant! I shall definitely be doing this. *bounces up and down* I can't wait. :D (oh yes yes 'readers block' xP)
RE-READ SOMETHING, PRILL xD. It's one of the best ways to get out of a reading slump. And also TELL ME what you think of Reckless if you read it - because I LOVED Inkheart (same author) ... but I also can't seem to pick up Reckless, haha xD.
ReplyDelete~ Savannah @ Scattered Scribblings
OKAY THEN XD *notes that down*
DeleteOoh yes I definitely shall. Perhaps I'll do a review blog post? We'll see. I still can't get past that cover image though. XP
*WHAPS YOUR BRAIN* BEHAVE. XD Seriously though you need to read some of these... also I need to read some of these...
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU. I hope it'll listen. XD Yes I dooo. *groans* I really hope to get some time and motivation to do so sometime sooner rather than later...
DeleteI haven't read any of those either...so same boat! XD
ReplyDeleteYeet well you should read them too. XD
DeleteI don't know a cure for a reading slump. *sobs* I just keep trying books until one of them FINALLY grabs my interest. xD
ReplyDeleteSTEELHEART. HEARTLESS. DRAGONWITCH. YOU NEED TO READ THOSE THREE ESPECIALLY. I feel you with the Way of the Kings. A lot of my friends looooved it, but... eh? I think I rated it four stars, but looking back I should've rated it like 2.5-3. It was good... just... long. And I was only interested in a couple of the many POVs. :P
READ ALL THE THINGS, JANE! And then tell me what you think of them. xD
katie grace
a writer's faith
*sobs with you* I'LL KEEP ON TRYING THEN. *glares determinedly at bookshelf*
DeleteYES YES I REALLY REALLY WANT TOOO. Actually I feel more inspired to after writing this post and seeing how ridiculous all my fears are. :P
It just looks sooo long. My sister loved it, and she read out quite a few sections that I really enjoyed too. But every time I look at the book my motivation just melts in fear. xD
I will!! I'll get there eventually. :D
HOW DO YOU GET SO MANY FREE BOOKS?
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought I might read some Melissa Meyer - since so many bloggers rave about the Lunar Chronicles. So I read Heartless. Apparently it is, in fact, neither the first book nor the best one to start on?? My recommendation: avoid this book AND murder your feels (just for good measure??) (Of course if you've read and loved Lunar Chronicles, you probably should read it. Murdering your feels will, in that case, be required.)
Jem Jones
I DON'T EVEN KNOW?? Everyone just seems to like asking me to review read for them, and I don't argue. XP
DeleteOoh but you should definitely read the Lunar Chronicles. </3 I loved them. OKAY, I'll remember that for if I ever get to reading it. XD
Those books all sound AWESOME!!!!! XD
ReplyDeleteI should totally look them up. :-)
Um, I do not usually get reading slump, but when I do, I read Sherlock Holmes. I don't know why it helps, but it does. ;-)
Yeah... I have a few 700-800 page sci-fi and fantasy novels sitting on my shelf that I need to read, but I have been reading The Count of Monte Cristo (which I just finished!!!), so I haven't picked them up yet. :-Z
YES YOU SHOULD. *pushes you toward the internet or goodreads or whatever* They're all great books. (I'm pretty sure...I haven't read them yet though soo. XD)
DeleteOh cool. *goes to find my sherlock holmes books*
Eep yes when they get to that length I get a bit daunted, to be honest. xP But when I get to them I usually enjoy myself. OOH YES! The Count of Monte Cristo! How did you like it??
Oh, I LOVED IT!!! I wasn't sure I was going to, but when I got to about the last 20 chapters I couldn't put it down!!! XD
DeleteI am going to try and find some of those books at a bookstore or online somewhere. I'm excited!!! :-D
Yes, they are long books. :-Z
Yass that's great to hear. Good job you for getting around to reading good classics like that. :D
DeleteEep yes yes do. And then tell me how you like them!!
Aw, thanks. :-)
DeleteOk, I will! ;-)
Steelheart is pretty good. A Question of Honor is EPIC. :D
ReplyDeleteI am trying to read Outlaw, by Ted Dekker. I also want to read some books by Andrew Klavan. :P
OKAY COOL. That's great to know. *notes that down*
DeleteOoh nice. Do tell me how that goes. :D I've never heard of him. *googles* Hmm he sounds like he might have some interesting books. I hope you get to read them sometime! :D