Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish, a weekly meme that now resides at That Artsy Reader Girl. The meme first came about because of a love of lists. Who doesn’t love lists? The original creators also wanted their lists to be shared with fellow book lovers and to ask that we in turn share ours with them and connect with other book bloggers. To learn more about participating, stop by their page dedicated to it and dive in!
This week’s topic: Top Ten Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To
Mogsy’s Picks
There are a lot of books I didn’t get a chance to read in 2018, but thanks to the handy “Must-Read” checklists I made throughout the year, I was able to narrow down to these ten that are still high priority. Have you read any of these? Let me know your thoughts, and whether there are any here that I should get to right away.
Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft
Forced by necessity into a life of piracy, Senlin and his crew struggle to survive aboard their stolen airship. Senlin’s search for his lost wife continues, even as her ghost hounds his every step. But the Tower of Babel proves to be as difficult to reenter as it was to escape.
While searching for an unguarded port, Senlin encounters the camp of Luc Marat, who seems equal parts bandit and humanitarian. One thing is for certain: his asylum for the downtrodden hods is not as peaceful as it appears.
In desperation, Senlin turns to the mysterious and dangerous Sphinx, with whom Edith shares a terrible bond. They discover the Sphinx’s help does not come cheaply. Senlin must choose between his friends, his freedom, and his wife.
Wildcard by Marie Lu
Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.
Determined to put a stop to Hideo’s grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone’s put a bounty on Emika’s head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn’t all that he seems–and his protection comes at a price.
Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?
The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton
he erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes.
The king’s three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm’s only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted.
Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.
The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark
Marith has been a sellsword, a prince, a murderer, a demon, and dead. But something keeps bringing him back to life, and now there is nothing stopping him from taking back the throne that is rightfully his.
Thalia, the former high priestess, remains Marith’s only tenuous grasp to whatever goodness he has left. His left hand and his last source of light, Thalia still believes that the power that lies within him can be used for better ends. But as more forces gather beneath Marith’s banner, she can feel her influence slipping.
Read the second book in this “gritty and glorious!” (Miles Cameron) epic fantasy series reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence where the exiled son of a king fights to reclaim his throne no matter the cost.
The Land You Never Leave by Angus Watson
The David Gemmell Award-shortlisted author of Age of Iron returns with the second book in his epic West of West trilogy, in which a mismatched group of refugees must battle animals and monsters, an unforgiving land and each other as they cross a continent to fulfill a prophecy.
Welcome to the Badlands…
Newly and uneasily allied, two tribes from different worlds set off across the Ocean of Grass. Their mission is to fulfill a prophecy and take Ottar the Moaner west of west, to save mankind.
In their way are the denizens of the Badlands, the most terrifying and powerful collection of murderers and monsters the world has ever seen.
From Unseen Fire by Cass Morgan
The Dictator is dead; long live the Republic.
But whose Republic will it be? Senators, generals, and elemental mages vie for the power to shape the future of the city of Aven. Latona of the Vitelliae, a mage of Spirit and Fire, has suppressed her phenomenal talents for fear they would draw unwanted attention from unscrupulous men. Now that the Dictator who threatened her family is gone, she may have an opportunity to seize a greater destiny as a protector of the people — if only she can find the courage to try.
Her siblings—a widow who conceals a canny political mind in the guise of a frivolous socialite, a young prophetess learning to navigate a treacherous world, and a military tribune leading a dangerous expedition in the province of Iberia—will be her allies as she builds a place for herself in this new world, against the objections of their father, her husband, and the strictures of Aventan society.
Latona’s path intersects with that of Sempronius Tarren, an ambitious senator harboring a dangerous secret. Sacred law dictates that no mage may hold high office, but Sempronius, a Shadow mage who has kept his abilities a life-long secret, intends to do just that. As rebellion brews in the provinces, Sempronius must outwit the ruthless leader of the opposing Senate faction to claim the political and military power he needs to secure a glorious future for Aven and his own place in history.
As politics draw them together and romance blossoms between them, Latona and Sempronius will use wit, charm, and magic to shape Aven’s fate. But when their foes resort to brutal violence and foul sorcery, will their efforts be enough to save the Republic they love?
The Wolf by Leo Carew
Beyond the Black River, among the forests and mountains of the north, lives an ancient race of people. Their lives are measured in centuries, not decades; they revel in wilderness and resilience, and they scorn wealth and comfort.
By contrast, those in the south live in the moment, their lives more fleeting. They crave wealth and power; their ambition is limitless, and their cunning unmatched.
When the armies of the south flood across the Black river, the fragile peace between the two races is shattered. On a lightning-struck battlefield, the two sides will fight – for their people, for their land, for their very survival.
Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst
In Sky Hawkins’s family, leading your first heist is a major milestone–even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you’re a wyvern–a human capable of turning into a dragon.
Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community.
With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society–a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss
Mary Jekyll’s life has been peaceful since she helped Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the Whitechapel Murders. Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, Justine Frankenstein, and Mary’s sister Diana Hyde have settled into the Jekyll household in London, and although they sometimes quarrel, the members of the Athena Club get along as well as any five young women with very different personalities. At least they can always rely on Mrs. Poole.
But when Mary receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnapped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter? Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, and Justine reach her in time?
Racing against the clock to save Lucinda from certain doom, the Athena Club embarks on a madcap journey across Europe. From Paris to Vienna to Budapest, Mary and her friends must make new allies, face old enemies, and finally confront the fearsome, secretive Alchemical Society. It’s time for these monstrous gentlewomen to overcome the past and create their own destinies.
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…
With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.
And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.
As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.
My list would be soo long Mogsy! But Wildcard would be on it too. Now girl make room for KoA!! It’s brilliant lol
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Okay okay, KoA will be high priority this year 😀
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Wildcard- same here. And I still want to try Sarah Beth Durst too.
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Lots of people seem to have missed out on Wildcard last year, lol!
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Monstrous Gentlewomen is a book I def want to read this year! Great list, and good luck reading these soon.
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Thanks! I would love to get to Monstrous Gentlewoman this year, but I take one look at that huge tome and I get all intimidated by the length, haha!
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I know that feeling all too well 🙈
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Spinx looks like something i would like. The rest i never heard of
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I think you might enjoy Bancroft’s series. Check out the description of the first book Senlin Ascends and see what you think! 😀
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I’d really like to read The Queens of Innis Lear too! I hope you’ll be able to get to all of these soon 🙂
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Yeah, missing out on that one last year is one of my biggest regrets!
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I read Wildcard just at the tail end of last year myself! Definitely wish I read it closer to the first book, but that was impossible! Lol. Hope you get to read all of these sometime this year!
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I’m glad you enjoyed Wildcard! Hopefully I can get to it soon, lol!
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I can’t really help you as I’ve not read any of these but I have heard good things about The Queens of Innis Lear. Looking forward to a couple of these reviews though so I can decide if I want to read them or not.
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Yeah, most of the reviews I’ve seen for Innis Lear have been really positive. All the more reason I regret missing it last year!
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Wildcard is one I wanted to read too!
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Haha, seems like there are a lot of others in the same boat too. We should all join a Wildcard catch-up group 😛
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Great idea! Really! I’m in 😁
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Great list! I think the only one of these I read was European Travel which I liked a lot. I do have the Maas book in my audio tbr, but it’s so long I keep putting it off 😂.
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Yeah, I really need to make time for European Travels. But it’s soooooo long, one look at this brick of a book and I get cold feet, haha. Maybe I’ll do the audio 😛
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It really is super long! I have a physical copy but I listened to the audiobook, no shame lol!
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Arm of sphinx. Hod king just came out.
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Oh, that was quick! The publisher sent me the ARC of Hod King last year, but I thought I would have more time to catch up with book 2. Dang it 😛
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I was curious about the Gratton one
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Yeah, I’m curious about her work in general. There are a few other books by her I’d like to check out, other than Innis Lear.
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I’m reading The Queens of Innis Lear right now! It’s good, but it’s slow going for some reason. About halfway through and enjoying it though – it’s very detailed!
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Good to know you’re enjoying it! And thanks for the warning about the detailed writing and that it might be slow-going. Sounds like a book that needs to be savored 🙂
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I need to find the time to read Angus Watson’s series, because every time I hear about it, the comments are very enthusiastic 🙂
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He’s great! I read his Iron Age trilogy, and I might have even enjoyed the first book of his second series more, which is why it’s baffling that I haven’t picked up the sequel yet!
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I hav wondered about the wolf one
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I haven’t seen a lot of reviews, though the few I’ve read have been very positive. If there’s a sequel coming out, I need to catch up quick.
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Definitely meant to read Wildcard upon release and did not and I need to fix that soon. From Unseen Fire is definitely flagged on my Missed Releases of 2018 but a lower priority to tackle.
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Haha, another one for the Wildcard catch-up group. I was all prepared to read when it came out too, but somehow it didn’t happen!
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November was an insane release month and I think it came out around then. I have such a backlog from then!
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I’m another one whose list would be just a bit (ahem) longer than 10! 🙂 Hope you get to some of these soon 🙂
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Thanks! Too many books, not enough time! 😀
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Urg I don”t even want to think about all the books I meant to read last year! I haven’t read any on your list but Fire & Heist is on my TBR 😀
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I know, it’s quite overwhelming isn’t it? At the end of the year I look at the stacks of books I meant to read and wish I had more time 🙂
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I debated about putting Tower of Living and Dying on my list (I’ve read maybe 20%, but still havent finished it). Fire and Heist is a fun quick, light read
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Hmm, that’s interesting to know about Tower of Living and Dying. I really enjoyed the first book, and I really should get on this sequel before I forget everything that happened 😀
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This is a list of nice looking backs and I’m looking at it quite guiltily because there are a few on here that I also meant to read. Whoops.
Lynn 😀
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Haha, yep, lots of whoops from me too when I look at the carefully prepared reading lists I made last year and se how many books on them remain unchecked 😀
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Really curious to hear your thoughts on kingdom of ash!
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Yeah, I really need to make that one my priority, if nothing else just to complete the series!
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I still need to read Warcross! I have a couple of Angus Watson books lurking on the e-readers and the Theodora Goss books which intrigue me!
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I have so many books that I didn’t have the time to read last year that I don’t bother listing them. 🙂 I haven’t read any of these but Fire & Heist looks especially interesting.
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We have quite a few books in common here, you and I. Hopefully we’re able to read them this year!!
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