Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018!
Okay this week’s topic was kind of hard for me, just because I am normally a really decisive person so I can easily tell you if I am interested in something or not. But I tried my hardest to come up with ten books that I could potentially see myself picking up, and could potentially see myself not picking up! Life is just too short to pick up books that you don’t expect good things from!
➽ Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner
I’ve never read anything by Jeff before, but I am pretty sure that I’m reading this for a traveling book that my friend Julie started, but we will see!
➽ Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West
Okay, I have an eARC of this, so I am 100% reading, but I am just uneasy because this cover is honestly hideous in my opinion! Plus, I’ve only ever read one short story by Kasie West, but I loved it so much I immediately went out and requested this and I hope it wasn’t the biggest mistake!
➽ Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
I was really hyped for this when it was first announced, but I’ve felt less and less interested as the days go by, so…. we will see if I pick this one up!
➽ Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst & Paula Garner
I love Audrey so much, but I’m not sure if that is enough for me to pick this one up! I might wait until a few people I trust review this one!
➽ Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
Okay, this is the one on the list that I know I should pick up, just because all my friends love Jenn Bennett so much! But I’ve never reached for anything by her before, so I’m not sure if I will, or if I should get to her back-list first!
➽ The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
This is getting so much buzz! I’m just not sure if it will be for me!
➽ The Afterward by E.K. Johnston
I’ll be honest, I was excited for this, but then the author said a couple heated things about bloggers and reviewers, but the thing that honestly pissed me off is that they didn’t apologize or try to make things feel… less bad after the hurtful things they said. Honestly? I’m probably going to be passing on this one because of it.
➽ Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
I always get irritated that this author writes under a a fem sounding pseudonym, so I always say I’m not going to read his books, but then I get fomo because everyone else does and I end up caving, so we will see if I end up picking this one up.
➽ Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter
This was looking like it was going to be 100% my brand, and then the early reviews came in and yikes! I have friends that never DNF anything who are DNFing this book. So, now I’m actually scared to even give it a try!
➽ Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1) by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
Okay, so I know most people are so hyped for this, but I honestly didn’t really like The Illuminae Files. Also, I am so sick of Charlie Bowater covers, which I know has no impact on the story, but there are other actual diverse artists that these publishing houses could be hiring to create diverse characters.
Okay, friends! Those are the ten books that I am unsure if I’m going to pick up! Is there any here that you’d absolutely love to see me read and review? Let me know! And I hope you’re having the happiest of reading, loves!
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I’m the same about Four Dead Queens!
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I’m crossing everything for us both if we pick it up! Hahaha! Happy reading, love! 💖xx
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Aurora is the one Bowater cover I’ve really liked. xD But I totally agree that I’m ready for the publishers to branch out on the cover artists. I’m also super nervous about Never Contented Things, I saw some bad reviews too so I have concerns! Definitely reading Lock Every Door though. I actually didn’t know it was happening until I read your post today, so thank you. Regardless of his gender, I love his thrillers. Totally understand being thrown by it if you thought he was a woman though.
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Awh, this made me happy you found a book from it! Yeah… I honestly did enjoy The Last Time I Lied… I will probably pick up this new one! I just like to be salty. Hahahah! And I’m crossing everything that we end up enjoying Never Contented Things if we pick it up! 💖xx
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Great list, Melanie! I 100% agree about Charlie’s covers. Honestly? Every time I see one now I just roll my eyes because they all look the same. But I am really looking forward to reading Aurora Rising so I’m trying not to let the cover sway me. Eek! Uhh also? I had no idea another Riley Sager book was coming out. Hahaha hopefully this one has a better ending? LOL xx
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I’m crossing everything he has a better ending! Hahahaha! We should totally read it this Halloween together! 💖xx
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YES definitely put me down for that during Halloween! I shall pray it is a good one. 😂
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I think I’m one of the few people who has read Never-Contented Things and liked it?
The synopsis is doing the book a big disservice by making it sound like The Cruel Prince, because it’s a completely different kind of book – it’s not an urban fantasy about a fairy court and political intrigue, it’s a contemporary story with a horror twist about an abusive relationship. I had read a book by Sarah Porter before so I knew what I was going into, her books are always many layers of disturbing and I like that, but… that’s definitely not for everyone and not TCP either, so it makes sense that a lot of people are DNFing it.
And even though I liked it, I’m not sure I would recommend it, because it’s an emotionally exhausting read that needs a lot of trigger warnings.
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THIS IS AMAZING FEEDBACK! Thank you so damn much! Seriously! Like… thank you soooo much! I can’t wait to pick this up now. And I’m so damn thankful I put it on the list! 💖xx
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Great list! After reading “Alex, Approximately”, I now want to read more Jenn Bennett books. I also added “Serious Moonlight” by Jenn Bennett, due to the reason above…and because the cover is pretty…yup…book lover problems.
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This is all I needed to hear form you, Jenna! Thank you! You’re the best! 💖xx
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I hope you end up liking her work!!
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Thank you, love! 💕xx
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I feel the same way about Four Dead Queens. So much hype, excitement, and then you realize you don’t really want to read it…😔
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LMAO! Yes! You get me, love! I hope you’re having happy reading! 💖xx
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💖🤗😘 Happy reading to you too
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Yes with Four Dead Queens! I really wanted to read it but it doesn’t seem like anything too amazing. It’s one of those where I’ll probably pick it up at a used bookstore sometime down the line.
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Yesss! Exactly, love! Ahhh! It is so strange too because I felt like it had so much hype at Book Expo but… everyone who has read it didn’t love it! 💖xx
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Some of these books are in my TBR list! I loved Illuminae Files and I’m so looking forward to the Aurora Rising! i’m not sure about Kasie West’s book either! I’ve heard mixed reviews about Never Contented Things but I really want to give it a shot because it has fae. I loved Jenn Bennett’s Alex Approximately, and Starry Eyes. I can’t wait to read Serious Moonlight!
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I hope we end up loving all of these if we pick them up! I actually just caved and started The Kasie West book and it’s really cute right now…. so let’s hope it keep up! Hahahah! 💖xx
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I hope you end up enjoying those if you pick them up!❤️ Tbh I didn’t like Illuminae much either, each installment felt like a cardboard copy of the last.
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I was super excited about Four Dead Queens but lately, I have seen lots of meh reviews of it.
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This is truly the validation I needed! Hahaha! Thank you, love! 💖xx
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I love Jeff Zentner’s books, so I can quietly recommend any of his books, they’re really beautiful and heartbreaking. I hope you enjoy this new one if you read it, beautiful, and I hope to enjoy it too, I’m really excited 😄💕✨
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This is honestly the push I needed! Thank you so much, loveeee! 💖xx
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I’m going to read the Ann Leckie book just because I really liked one of her other series. All the other ones are “meh”, although the Four Dead Queens has a pretty cover.
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This is the feedback I needed! Hahaha! And let me know if you end up enjoying the Ann Leckie one, love! Happy reading! 💖xx
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I’ve seen Four Dead Queens on a lot of lists this week. You’re not alone!
This is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
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This is the validation I needed! Hahaha! 💖xx
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omg it spoke to my very soul when you said life is too short to pick up books that are not v good or you’re not really sure about, IT’S SO TRUE. also not wanting to read a book after an author does Disappointing Things = the worst thing, i live in terror that my favorite authors will become (or just are secretly) mean sldkf
+ i wan’t that into Illuminae Files either!!! Or Jay Kristoff’s writing in general. Idk it just feels a little bit cheesy sometimes, but he’s not trying to be cheesy so ***everything becomes so awkward**** [sighs w disappointment bc I rlly wanted to read Nevernight but why bother nowwwww]
+++I wasn’t a fan of Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss but i read it while in a Foxhole Court book slump (nothing was as aamzing and i was desperately missing Neil), so my opinion may not be valid. i just remember it feeling kind of shallow?? SADLY, because that premise is amazingggg
AMAZING POST AS ALWAYS ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
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GOD, YES @ EVERYTHING YOU SAID ABOUT JAY KRISTOFF! I am so damn worried about this new one too… just because the main character is supposed to be bi racial too… ahhh! We will see, love!
And… I’m having the biggest giggle, Malanie love, because I am in a slump probably because of TFC and now I’m thinking of picking up the new Kasie West! HAHAHAHA! Oh lord, I’ll for sure lower my expectations!
I LOVE YOU! And I hope you’re having the happiest of reading, sweetheart! 💖xx
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Jenn Bennett is the best! I adore her! Also, I’m not very keen on most of the covers for Kasie West books, but the stories are often pretty sweet, so I’m looking forward to Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss. Lovely post, Mel! 💕
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Awh, this is actually all I needed to hear, Kelly love! I picked up the Kasie West one an hour ago and i’m really enjoying! Hehe! I hope you’re having happy reading! 💖xx
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I am a bit more on the fence about Raven Tower after starting it. A lot of it is written in second person, which I just find difficult to enjoy
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OH wow! yeah… I have the same problem, honestly. But i hope if we pick it up that we will both enjoy it, love! 💖xx
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I mostly requested Never Contented Things for the nonbinary and queer rep, so I’m hoping to get to it soon to see if it’s good
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EXCUSE ME? I am so 100% no longer on the fence about this! I had no idea we were getting NB rep! Scream at me when you’re done if you enjoy it and the rep, and if so, I’ll for sure pick up, loveee! You’re such a blessing. 💖xx
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I’m going to at least try The Raven Towers, but I am getting it from my library, so it’s not much of a commitment 😉 My TTT
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I hope we both love it, sweetheart! 💖xx
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I want to try Jenn Bennett at some point, her previous one Starry Eyes was really good or so I heard. Serious Moonlight looks good though too!
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I honestly bet I’ll pick it up, just because I have too many friends raving about her work! And now you? Ahhh! So blessed! Hehe! thank you! And happy reading! 💕xx
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I just got a review copy of The Afterward, yikes! Now I’m worried. I guess that tweet was taken down?
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Oh my gosh! I didn’t notice that they deleted it! Man oh man! But I bet you could find it if you search on twitter a little. It started off a Susan Denard tweet! 💕xx
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I’m on the fence about Fame Fate and First Kiss, and Serious Moonlight too… Hope you enjoy them if you decide to read 🙂
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I am 50% into Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss and it’s cute but… nothing special? But hopefully it picks up a bit! hehehehe! Happy reading, love! 💕xx
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I feel the same way as you about a lot of these books!!
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MY heart! I am honored! 💕xx
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Love Kasie West and Jenn Bennett!!! I’ll be reading Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss next week for contemporaryathon. Also, I totally agree about Aurora Rising. I’m excited for the story, but I don’t like the cover at all.
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My heart! I am 50% into the Kasie West one right now and I’m enjoying it and think it is hella cute! So I hope you do, too! And I probably won’t be able to resist Aurora Rising either, let’s be real! Heheh! Happy reading, love! 💕xx
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First you aren’t a Schwab fan and now I come to find out that you aren’t an Illuminae fan either? Why you gotta hurt me like this!!! You’re lucky you are so darn cute, or I might give you some dirty looks through the screen 😛
I have the E-arc of Never Contented Things and I have to admit – I’m a little nervous, guess there is some incest happening in it. Eek!
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LMAOOO! Melanie! We have to have SOME different tastes so we don’t merge to become the TOO POWERFUL ULTIMATE Melanie Parker! Okay? Hahahahahahaha! I love you so much! And… this comment is making me giggle extra hard after talking with you today about Never Contented Things. 💕xx
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Rayne and Delilah and Four Dead Queens were also on my TTT for this week. For some reason I’m just not that hyped about them. I am, however, quite excited for Aurora Rising, as it’ll be the first Amie Kaufman/Jay Kristoff book I’ve read. Good point about the cover art though; I really with publishers would hire more artists of colour to create their covers. Great list!
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AWh, thank you so much for this comment, Kate! And i hope we both love Aurora Rising. Let’s be real… I’m not going to be able to resist it! Hahahah! But I hope you’re having the happiest of reading, love! 💕xx
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I really hope we both love it! The synopsis sounds really good 🙂 Happy reading to you to Mel ❤
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I have an e-ARC of Never-Contended Things and I really hope it won’t disappoint! ❤
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Let me know your thoughts when you get to it, love! Happy reading! 💕xx
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Yes! No problem! ❤❤
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I actually thought the cover of Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss was pretty cute. 😂 I finished it a couple of days ago, and I liked it. Well, as much as I can “like” a Kasie West book, which mostly only amount to a three star rating. It wasn’t bad, but it was also not my favorite. I enjoyed reading it immensely though. 🤓
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LMAO! You valid, always, in my eyes, Arini! I am 50% in to it right now and I like it alright, too! This is my first real Kasie West book (I read a short story last year) and it’s cute! 💕xx
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I read Never-Contented Things…and it was really just not like what the blurb makes it out to be? It is just so…weird. There’s faeries, but they aren’t really ever described as faeries. I wasn’t really sure how I felt about it.
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Yeah, I’ve honestly seen such terrible things about this one, I really do not think I’ll be picking it up! 💕xx
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I’ve only read one book by Jeff Zentner, The Serpent King, but it blew me away. It was my choice for one of my book clubs, and although none of the others read YA, they were quite impressed – said they had no idea YA books were that good. Shows them what they’ve been missing!
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This makes me really want to keep this new release on my TBR! Ahhhh! I hope you’re having happy reading and writing, love! 💖xx
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