The Intimidating TBR Book Tag

I haven’t read a full book in so long, but I hope to change that very soon. I’ve gone through my tbr pile and I’m ready to get out of this slump. I’m coming at you today with the Intimidating TBR Tag found through The Nameless Blog. Credits to whoever created this as well. Thank you for reading! Let’s get into it! Symbols

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〈│➭All Books Mentioned

〈│The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

〈│Six of Crows

〈│Vengeful

〈│How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom

〈│Renegades

〈│The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

〈│Sleeping Beauties

〈│To Kill a Kingdom

〈│One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

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1. A book on your TBR pile that you haven't finished

Cover Summary

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish ions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is one of my top priorities on my tbr. I’m only a couple chapters in because I’ve just been putting reading off in general for so long. Plus, I’m always hesitant when reading longer LGBT+ books since I have the irrational fear of being disappointed in the end (probably due to reading or watching so many depressing LGBT stories). Don’t worry, I’m still going to finish it very soon. I’ve heard so many amazing things about this book.

★•~•~•~•~✥xxxx✥~•~•~•~•★

2. A book you just haven't had the time to read for

Cover Summary

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Any book on my tbr could be an answer for this question, but I ultimately chose Six of Crows. I haven’t even looked for this book yet because I’d rather hold off on it for now. It’s quite long, part of a series, and has multiple povs. That sort of story is something I need to wait until I’m pulled out of my slump before I read. I also don’t have the time to read something so in-depth right now. I’d much rather read a small and lighter single book that focuses on one character and storyline.

★•~•~•~•~✥xxxx✥~•~•~•~•★

3. A book you haven't read because it's a sequel

Cover Summary

Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there's Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn't know about his most recent act of vengeance.

Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.

I really liked Vicious, as cliche as I thought it was. Victor was quite a memorable villain/antihero and I just thought the first book ended perfectly. I personally don’t think there’s a need for sequels and I’ve had pretty bad history where they’ve ruined my favorite books (Divergent, Hunger Games, The Darkest Minds, etc.) However, Vengeful is still in my tbr, as I’ve been told it’s a pretty good read.

★•~•~•~•~✥xxxx✥~•~•~•~•★

4. A book you haven't read because it's brand new

Cover Summary

Nolan Grant is sixteen, gay, and (definitely) still a virgin. He's never had a boyfriend, or even been kissed. It's not like Penn Valley is brimming with prospects. And when his big sister stages an elaborate “prom-posal” so Nolan can ask out his not-so-secret crush, Nolan freezes. He's saved from further embarrassment by bad boy Bern, who, for his own reasons, offers to fake-date Nolan.

Nolan thinks it's the perfect way to get Daphne off his back and spend the rest of the year drawing narwhals, tending to plants, and avoiding whatever died under his bed a few weeks ago. What he doesn't think about is Bern's ex-girlfriend, who seriously wants to kill him.

How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom has only been out for a month, so I have been putting it in the back of my mind for now. I think I mentioned this in a previous tbr book post and how I’m excited for it. Sometimes, I just really want to enjoy the lighter and more comedic stories. The fake dating trope isn’t too bad in my opinion and Nolan is definitely a totally relatable character.

★•~•~•~•~✥xxxx✥~•~•~•~•★

5. A book by an author you read previously but didn't really like

Cover Summary

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

I’m sad to say that I didn’t care for The Lunar Chronicles. Cinder was a pretty good read, but like I said previously I seem to have a bad history with sequels. However, this doesn’t mean I won’t like The Renegades. I didn’t even look at the author, I just threw this in my tbr bin because the summary looked interesting. I think Meyers turns pretty popular tropes into something new and unused, so I’m excited to read this.

★•~•~•~•~✥xxxx✥~•~•~•~•★

6. A book on your TBR pile that you’re just not in the mood to read

Cover Summary

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo isn’t my usual type of book. I’ve seen some great reviews for this story and the summary didn’t look half-bad. However, I never seem to be in the right mood to read it. I always want to read fantasy or action-adventure, but this shall remain in my tbr list for now.

★•~•~•~•~✥xxxx✥~•~•~•~•★

7. A book on your TBR pile that you haven't read because it's enormous

Cover Summary

In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep; they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze.

If they are awakened, and the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent; and while they sleep they go to another place.

The men of our world are abandoned, left to their increasingly primal devices. One woman, however, the mysterious Evie, is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease.

Is Evie a medical anomaly to be studied, or is she a demon who must be slain?

Sleeping Beauties is a whopping 700+ pages. If I don’t have time to read Six of Crows then I certainly can’t read this hefty book right this minute. Not only that, but I just wasn’t interested enough in continuing when I first started. I hope to try again with this book which is why it remains in my tbr, but it’ll probably take awhile to come back to.

★•~•~•~•~✥xxxx✥~•~•~•~•★

8. A book on your TBR you bought because of the cover

Cover Summary

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

I don’t usually buy books and I never get anything just because the cover looks cool. I’ll it that the cover of To Kill a Kingdom caught my eye, but it was the summary that makes me want to rent this book sometime. I really like fairytale retellings, so I’m super excited to read this when I get the chance.

★•~•~•~•~✥xxxx✥~•~•~•~•★

9. The book on your TBR you find the most intimidating

Cover Summary

Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of electric shock therapy. But her regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy – the swaggering, fun-loving trickster with a devilish grin who resolves to oppose her rules on behalf of his fellow inmates. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned. Ken Kesey's extraordinary first novel is an exuberant, ribald and devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness.

I’ve been holding off on both the book and movie. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is an extremely dark and heavy story with many triggering topics. I want to read it because I think it’s a classic that has something in it for me to take and learn from. However, I can never find the motivation to dive deep knowing it’ll be hard to pull me out of a whole other dimension that is this story. I’d definitely have to be in a solid and comfortable place in my life before I could start reading.