Well, 2020 was definitely a good year for reading. I had so much time in the middle of the year (hello furlough and unemployment, you will not be missed!) that I've managed to read a record 30 books! I'm super proud of myself but the reason I'm opening my TBR with this fact is that I looked back at the TBR I wrote last year and...well, I didn't read a lot of them.
Maybe 40% of the books I said I wanted to read in 2020 actually got read, the rest of them just...didn't. Not entirely surprising given the fact that nobody really sticks to a TBR - too many books means lists get thrown out the window all the time!
However, looking back over my 2020 TBR, I realised a lot of the books were new releases or series that I was never going to pick up. I graduated in 2019 and 2020 was the first year for a long time where I could just read whatever I wanted so when I put together my TBR it was filled with the books I liked pre-university or things I'd seen on bookstagram. Sure, they all sounded good and as if I'd enjoy them. But over the past year, I've started being a lot more selective with what I buy and read. I love owning books, but I only want to own things I like and I never want to own more unread books than read ones.
All that being said, here is my 2021 TBR; it's a realistic list of things I genuinely think I will enjoy and find time for, with just a couple of books thrown in there that will push me outside of my comfort zone!
AURORA BURNING Aurora Rising was the last book I read in 2020 (okay, technically I finished it in 2021 but shhh) and it was so good. I cannot wait to pick up the next one and I haven't even read the blurb!
THE WITCHER SERIES Another series I started in 2020 and will finish in 2021. I read 4 or 5 of the books all at once and although I adored them, it was such a lot of information and keeping track of characters that I had to take a break from it. I will probably regret that when I return to finish the final three in the series, but I'm feeling more ready to tackle the world of Geralt and Ciri now that I've taken some time away from them.
DEAD FAMOUS One of only two non-fiction books on this list, I'm quite excited to get into history again! I think it's about 500 pages long which does put me off a bit, but it's written by the incredible Greg Jenner, host of 'You're Dead To Me' Podcast, chief nerd on Horrible Histories, and an all-round great guy on Twitter, so I have high hopes for it!
THE COURT OF MIRACLES As soon as I knew The Court of Miracles has something to do with Les Mis I was convinced. To buy it, that is, not to read it. Despite the stunning cover, I haven't got round to this in 2020...I think it's because I have it as an ebook and I just kind of...forget I have ebooks. From what I can understand, The Court of Miracles tells Eponine's story after a failed revolution and the division of Paris. There's a criminal underworld, a sisterly relationship, and a monarchy. What more do you need?
THE GILDED ONES I actually pre-ordered this last year and due to...well, all of 2020, it still hasn't been published! I think it's coming out in January or February though and I'm excited for a new fantasy in a very new world. As far as I can remember, the main characters golden blood decides her fate and means she is cast out of her village and into a dangerous adventure she never anticipated. I remember getting slight "chosen one" vibes from the description but African fantasy is something I'm exploring more so I hope this is worth the year-long wait.
HEARTSTOPPER: Volume 1 Look, it's cute and it's gay, do I need to say more? Graphic novels aren't normally my thing as I feel they lack depth a lot of the time, but everyone raves over these series and sometimes you just need something you know is going to make you smile.
EVERY HEART A DOORWAY Naya from NayaReadsAndSmiles recommends this series all the time and I gotta say, I trust her opinion. This series questions what happens after the adventure ends. When children return from their fantasy lands, they are changed people and the real world may not be the same for them anymore. This concept is fascinating to me and it's definitely something I've questioned in the past so I'm excited to see how McGuire explores it! Plus I know it's a fairly short read which is definitely something I need!
CARRY ON - SIMON SNOW BOOKS I cannot tell you how long ago I read Fangirl. It's one of the first books I remember relating to as it really seemed to understand fandom at the time. I vowed that I would read everything about Simon and Baz I could...and then, by the time Carry On came out I had kind of moved past it and thought I was "better" than reading fanfiction style writing. What a massive lie. Not only have I returned to reading fanfiction, but I also cannot wait to read the Simon Snow series! Now, if only someone would return the copy to the library so that I can get my hands on it...
A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE Following nicely on from the ideas of fanfiction, The Montague Siblings series definitely feels like it falls into the fan service category. And I don't have a single problem with them. I'm here to read about a man being in love with his best friend and pining for him as they travel around Europe together...even if I think it's going to break my heart. I've heard mixed reports about A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue but I owe it to my past self to read this as it's been on my radar for years. Let me know your thoughts if you've read it in the comments!
PANDORA'S JAR: Women in the Greek Myths It's by Natalie Haynes and is about Greek Myth so I'm sold. A non-fiction book, Pandora's Jar looks at the way women appear in Greek Myths and why the building-blocks of so much fiction lies in the way Greeks told stories...and how we now interpret them.
So there is my 2021 TBR. Short, I know, but I don't like to be too pinned down with these things and I know that there will be a lot of new books coming out that will throw a spanner in the works...hence why I'm also writing about my most anticipated books of 2021! I'll add a link once it's published, but for now, I want to focus on reading books that I own or that have been on my to-read list for yearssss.
What's on your 2021 TBR?