Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read in 2017… But Didn’t

I had a great year reading-wise in 2017. I had initially set my Goodreads goal to 70 and then reset it to 100. I actually managed to achieve that (somehow), thanks to read-a-thons and such. Even so, I couldn’t get to all the books I badly wanted to in 2017. I have no excuse other than the fact that I didn’t have the time. There will be a few surprises in the list. Read on to find out!

1. The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien

I feel like such a fake fan for not having read this one. It has been on my TBR since 2016 and I was gifted a physical copy last year (thanks!) but I’m yet to read it. It was on some reading challenge TBRs as well, yet somehow I’m yet to even open the book. I don’t know why I’m so intimidated by it. If I don’t finish it in 2018 I’ll be hugely disappointed in myself.

2. Beren and Luthien by J. R. R. Tolkien

The newest book set in Middle Earth, this came out in 2017 itself, so I’m not too guilty about not getting to it. However, I own a copy of this book too and it’s just glaring at me from the shelf. I really should get to it rather than use it for Bookstagram.

3. Five Go to Smuggler’s Top by Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton was one of my favourite childhood authors, yet I’ve not read what is arguably her most favourite series – The Famous Five. I know that it’ll be a quick read and will bring back childhood nostalgia, yet I somehow have not find the time for this. I really should take a break from fantasy and continue on with this series.

4. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I’ve only heard good things about this book, so I have no excuse to offer for this one. But I feel like I’m not in the mood for it. I’m on a fantasy wave right now and I don’t know when I’ll get to this. However, as I’m sure I’ll enjoy it, I should just read it, right? Sigh. Being a book lover is tough, okay?

5. The Unseen World by Liz Moore

This is adult fiction, which is a genre I actively avoid because I’m not ready to grow up yet. But the premise sounds cool and I know the heroine is someone whose perspective I’d love to read from. It has a mystery aspect to it as well, which intrigued me enough to put it on my TBR. It is highly praised by one of my favourite Booktubers (Regan from Peruse Project) and by one of my favourite authors, Rick Riordan. I should get this off my TBR soon!

6. Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

I follow this author on Twitter and the cover is gorgeous, so it’s on my TBR. It also has very good reviews on Goodreads and I’m looking forward to reading a unique fantasy with a strong water theme. However, I don’t have a copy of the book, so I haven’t given this much thought recently. It is definitely a book I want to get to in 2018 though.

7. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

This book was everywhere in 2017. Loads of people loved it and included it in their favourites of the year list. It also got a sequel later in the year and people loved it even more. My expectations for this book has rocketed sky-high since then and I’m afraid it won’t live up to it, so I don’t know when I’ll get to this one.

8. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

I had actually intended to start this book, the first in a trilogy, rather than his other book, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, which I read and loved in 2017. I don’t know when I made the switch, but it happened and it has made me all the more excited about this book because the latter is one of Ness’s least loved books, according to popular opinion.

9. Carve the Mark by Vernoica Roth

It was one of my anticipated releases of 2017 but then reviews of bad representation of race began being circulated and my interest in this book waned. I don’t know how true those allegations are but I know that a lot of people were hurt, so I’m on the fence about this. I’m curious to see it for myself rather than take other people’s word for it because I did enjoy Roth’s books in the past, however I will go into it with caution. It’s not a priority read though.

10. The Call of the Mild by William Rabkin

Can we just stop and appreciate the wordplay on the title for a sec? The first two books in the series, written as companions to the TV show Psych, which is one of my all-time favourites, were entertaining enough for me to want to continue. However, I failed miserably at it, made harder by the fact that these books are impossible to find. We need more Psych fans in this world!

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I kept it to a ten because I feel like should’ve read every book yesterday. Is that a common problem for bibliophiles? What are some of the backlist titles on your TBR? Tell me your biggest regret of 2017 in the comments below. If you’ve done this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, let me know so I can check out your post as well!