Happy Friday, everyone!
As has become tradition on this blog, I’m doing The End of the Year Book Tag way later than it’s meant to be done 😁 It just doesn’t feel like the end of the year until it’s December and properly cold outside. There needs to be snow! And a Christmassy atmosphere!
Anyway, this tag was created by Ariel Bissett over on YouTube – who, by the way, is currently doing this new video series about fixing up her old house that I’m very slighly obsessed with 🤩 – and it has become a staple way for the bookish community to reflect on end-of-the-year reading plans. So obviously, I need to do it as well!
Nope, my decision to do a tag today has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I left writing a blogpost for today until the very last minute because my time was otherwise occupied with important duties, like sleeping. And reading. And cleaning! I did do a bit of cleaning! 😇 And it also has nothing to do with the fact that I have so many thoughts on Rhythm of War that there was no possible way I’d be able to get that review done in time. Like, WTF, M.???? I SPOKE UP FOR YOU, YOU UNFEELING, TRAITOROUS PIECE OF GARBAGE!!! HOW DARE YOU!!! 🤬
Before I digress too much, though, let’s get started!
Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?
I’m currently in the middle of two – The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune and Interference by Sue Burke.
I actually wasn’t planning on reading The House in the Cerulean Sea at all, but then, when I was searching Scribd for a new taking-walks-in-the-snowy-woods audiobook, this one kept popping up and had exactly the right length, not too long and not too short. It should be enough to keep me occupied for a week or two at least, now that I have my lovely secluded woods back 🥰 And so far, I’m really liking it! Linus Baker is such a relatable protagonist and the whimsical writing style reminds me of reading Eva Ibbotson’s books as a kid.
Look, I did also try listening to audiobooks while going on walks in the woods near my apartment in the city, but guys – I kept meeting people there! It was so crowded, and even though I had headphones on, I just felt so watched! It was seriously creepy! Do you know how judgmentally dog-walking grannies are capable of staring at you? And how many casual acquaintances apparently lie in wait in the forest, waiting to seize their small talk opportunities? I just couldn’t concentrate on anything I was listening to, so it’s really nice to be back in my old, empty woods again. And now that there’s snow, they’re even prettier! 🥰
Interference, on the other hand, I’ve been meaning to read for years. The first book in the series, Semiosis, was one of my favorite reads of 2019, is one of the weirdest science fiction stories I’ve ever come across, and made me kind of obsessed with a certain alien bamboo plant, who, I’m thrilled to say, is back in this one!! Even though I haven’t really made it far enough into the book to be able to say whether it is as epic as the previous installment, I’m definitely enjoying myself, and I can’t wait to see how this story ends.
Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?
I know we’re kind of past the autumnal stage already – shoutout to me for always doing this tag so late – but I actually do for a change! I mean, Mexican Gothic is supposed to be pretty spooky, right? I’d say that counts as having autumnal October vibes.
Still, there’s no way I’m waiting until next Fall to read this. My parents gave it to me now – Together with the entire Liveship Traders trilogy, which I am possibly even more excited about!! – so I’m reading it in December. I need to diminish that birthday book haul before Christmas, after all 😉
Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?
Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss. Maybe if I keep asking for it, it will happen eventually? 🥺
What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?
Apart from the ones I’ve already mentioned, you mean? Because even though there are only a few weeks left in the year, the list of books I want to get to is seemingly endless! However, I do really want to read
1. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb, because I’m a) obsessed with her books and b) now in possession of a copy, thanks to my parents,
2. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin because I absolutely loved The Fifth Season, the first book in the Broken Earth trilogy. Which is why I then borrowed a copy of the sequel from my sister. And never read it because my thesis and The Stormlight Archive got in the way…
3. The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley because the first book in the series, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, has one of the most unique plots I’ve read in a while. And the characters! You just can’t not love them.
Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite of the year?
No. The Betrayals and Words of Radiance were so good that I don’t think anything is capable of toppling them out of their shared number one spot.
But… that being said, I think the book that has the highest chance of coming close would be Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi. I have yet to see a bad review of this book, and it’s supposed to be really weird, atmospheric, and character-driven? It sounds absolutely perfect!
Have you already started making reading plans for 2022?
Not really. I don’t make reading plans, I just grab whatever I think sounds interesting at the given moment 😂
That being said, though, I would like to read Brandon Sanderson’s Elantris next year, because apart from all the novellas, it’s the only Cosmere book I haven’t read yet. And I need to understand everything!!! In a similar vein, I think rereading Warbreaker would not be a bad idea, because I’ve realized that I’ve forgotten a whole bunch of details that are probably kind of important…
I would also like to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Russian next year. I tried this year, but didn’t get very far, so I really need to give it another chance now that my language skills have hopefully improved somewhat!
Apart from that, my plan is, like always, to have no plan. I’ll simply read whatever I’m in the mood for.
And that was it for today! Since I highly suspect that almost everybody did this tag in a more timely fashion than me and since most people do it without being tagged anyway, I won’t be tagging anyone either, but if you feel like giving the questions a go, don’t let me stop you! I would love to hear about your end of the year reading plans! 😊
Anyway, let me know down below what you think of the books that are still on my TBR, and whether there are any that you think I should prioritize! How many of these have you read? And which book do you think still has a chance of becoming your 2021 favorite? I would love to know!
A Book Owl's Corner 
Not me crying over how wonderfully structured your post is 😭😭
I am a huge mood reader too! I have been hoping to get into Brandon Sanderson since the beginning of this year 😂 maybe I will pick it up this coming year! Great post!
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Haha, I’m not really sure if this post is “wonderfully structured”, but I’m glad you think so! 😂🥰
And I also very much relate to meaning to read books for years and not doing it 😁 We mood readers have to unite! Brandon Sanderson is really worth it, though 😊
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OMG YOU’RE READING CERULEAN SEA?! it’s one of my favourite books this year, you HAVE to scream about it with me once you’re done!!
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That definitely sounds promising! 🤗 I’ve heard mixed things, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I’ll also be in the mood to scream once I’m done! I’m really enjoying it so far, though 😊
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Oh my god, we’re getting closer to the time were we bloggers or vloggers or whatever you are in the book community have to pick your favourite and least favourite read of the year and I still have no clue haha
Awesome post!
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I’m actually pretty lucky this time around – I have a very clear idea of what my favorites were and I had so few truly awful books this year that narrowing those down shouldn’t be too hard, either… But I’ll probably start complaining once it’s time to make those lists anyway 😂 I still can’t believe the year is almost over!
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It’s a hassle no matter how good or bad the years books were 😂 Still love what we do, obviously, but this part is always hard for different reasons haha and yes, not that long left of this year and it feels so crazy! I feel like we should have more 2021 left?
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Gosh I love those photos of the snowy woods – they are so pretty, you’re so lucky to live near them😍 I really need to get to the house on the cerulean sea, everyone has good things to say about it, I hope you enjoy it! I still haven’t read anything of Brandon Sanderson (know a good place to start?)
Great post!
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I know, I feel so lucky to finally have them back! 🥰 Though not living too far away from rainforests has got to have its merits, too 😉 I’ve never even seen one!
And I’ll keep you posted on The House on the Cerulean Sea! So far, I’m liking it, but I’ve heard mixed opinions, so I guess we’ll see…
And Brandon Sanderson is amazing – I’d love to hear your thoughts on his books! From experience, I’d say the Mistborn Trilogy is a good place to start with 🤗 It’s not quite as dense as some of his other books, but you still get the cool magic, epic world-building, and twisty plot!
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YOU READ THE SCENE!!! You have no idea how satisfying it was for me to read that tiny rant of yours at the beginning 😂 We’re finally on the same page about that character! Now just try and imagine what it was like for me to read about your wish for a redemption arc when I just wanted that man to have the most painful death imaginable 😅
On another note, I’m glad you’re enjoying The House in the Cerulean Sea. I’m actually really intrigued to hear your final thoughts despite not liking it myself.
Doors of Stone 😂😂😂
I finished Piranesi a few days ago and can only confirm that you need to read it! I cannot imagine you hating it. It didn’t beat The Betrayals but it definitely has a spot on my top 10 of the year.
And you planning to read Elantris and Warbreaker might help me pick them up next year too 😊
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I still haven’t given up on the redemption arc 😁 I just want it to be soooooo much more painful! That one moment when Odium’s influence briefly faded was not enough!! He didn’t even feel remorse for what he’s done! I want him to suffer and then, in a final moment of redemption, see the error of his ways and sacrifice himself to a very painful death that will ultimately save Bridge Four 😇
I’ll let you know about The House in the Cerulean Sea, though 😉 So far, I can’t really say all that much other than that I like the writing style, heavily relate to Linus, and am a bit obsessed with his cat, since Linus has only just made it to the island. My audiobook-listening speed is very slow 😄 But maybe I’ll have answers in a week or two!
And yes, Doors of Stone 🤨 I even put up with hundreds of pages of Felurian to get me closer to that ending, so Rothfuss had better deliver!
And knowing you approve of Piranesi has me even more excited! I’ve already saved it on Scribd, so maybe I’ll have to read that before Ship of Magic, even… After all, I’ve read quite a bit of high fantasy in a row lately 😅 But speaking of, I’d probably also be more motivated to pick up Elantris and Warbreaker if I know that I’ll have someone to discuss them with 😉 Especially since I don’t recall Warbreaker particularly blowing me away the first time around… But I do remember enough to know that a bunch of stuff I originally found pretty unintriguing is very Stormlight relevant, so now I want to know all about it!
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Well, if the redemption arc involves pain and death, I guess I can get on board with it 😄
And yes, Linus’ cat is actually the best character 😄
I don’t even know whether I want your thoughts on Piranesi or Ship of Magic first. I’m so excited for both! But picking up a short book before the tome that is Ship of Magic probably wouldn’t hurt. At least that’s how I plan my reading a lot of the time 😊
Maybe we’ll have to organize some sort of buddy-read for those Cosmere books or at least coordinate when we read them because being able to discuss them is definitely making me more motivated as well 😁
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Yes, I think a bit of a short book break probably wouldn’t hurt 😂 Though I might have to prioritize The Obelisk Gate because I really should give it back to my sister… Then again, now that I’ve already had it for so long, a few more weeks won’t kill her 🤔
And I’d totally be down for a Cosmere buddy-read 🤗 (Not that I’ve ever done a real buddy-read before, outside of the bookclub I have with my friends, but we get to make the rules, right? 😁)
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I think we should do a Cosmere buddy-read then! 😁 I’ve also never done one before, not even for bookclubs, so we totally make the rules ourselves. Should we decide when? I’m pretty set on reading Hobb at the moment so I wouldn’t mind if we waited a few months.
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My want-to-read list is endless anyway, so I don’t mind waiting a few months 😂 Besides, if I miss Sanderson too much before then, I can always try Skyward, which I’ve also heard great things about… Or just reread my favorite Kaladin scenes 🥰
So feel free to pick any time you want! I think you’re more of a planner than I am anyway, so I will give you full TBR control 😉
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Rereading Kaladin scenes doesn’t sound too bad 😉 And I do love planning. There will be an email at some point 😁
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I loved The Fifth Season too, and Semiosis and I really don’t know why I haven’t picked up the sequels yet. I keep being sucked into other books…
Doors of Stone 😉
I am in awe of Ariel Bisset’s talent and staying power at her house renovation. I’d start in one corner of one room and after an hour I’d need a break and then I’d start reading something… I’d never get finished 😂
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Same here – after all, it took me over two years to read Interference 😂 I just finished and love how much more I know about future Earth and the planet Pax now! Although I do also think Semiosis was a lot better than its sequel, so maybe you’re not missing out on too much… 😉
And yes! I don’t know how Ariel does it, either. My family and I also live in a really old farmhouse that we’ve been restoring ourselves, but the six of us have probably made less progress in ten years than Ariel did in a few months 😂 Then again, we also need the Denkmalschutzbehörde’s approval for everything, which can slow down progress quite significantly 🙄
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Yes let´s keep asking for Doors of Stone!
Good luck with reading HP in Russian!
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I am not giving up! With all of Kvothe’s talk about the grand things he did in his youth, he had better deliver and tell us where things started going wrong!
And thanks, Evelyn! We’ll see how far I make it this time 😂
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Ooh wow this was such a fun post to read! I’ve only read one book by Brandon Sanderson, which was skyward(and I haven’t picked up the sequel for that one too😂)so maybe it’s time for me to pick up some more of his books. Great post!!💖
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Thanks, Suhani! 😊 And I actually haven’t read Skyward yet, so you’re ahead of me in that regard! I do plan to eventually, though, once I’ve made my way through all of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere books 🤗 So I guess there’s more Sanderson to look forward to for both of us!
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I thought I would do this tag, but then I almost had no proper answers for any of the questions 🤣. But wow, Naemi cursing is a new thing and I liked it 🤩.
And I dnfed cerulean sea 😭. I didn’t enjoy it that much 😭. I’m a very picky reader 🙂
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I am extremely well-spoken and would obviously never curse. Ever. I don’t know what would have given you that idea 😇
And noooo, I ended up loving The House in the Cerulean Sea, how could you just abandon it? 😭 It made me feel so cozy and at home, but somehow the world-building gave me really sinister vibes at the same time… It was perfect! But, I mean, you didn’t like Mistborn, so I guess all hope is lost anyway 😂 I hope you find some other book to enjoy! 🙂
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B–b—but you used “wtf” in your post!!!
Do you really hope that? 🙂 one can never tell with you.
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That stands for… **thinks really hard** … “we thee follow” 😇 Umm, yeah, obviously not a curse word 😊
And yes, I really hope that 🙂🙂🙂
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I see, and wth stands for we thee hollow 😃
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Exactly! 😃
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😃 that makes sense
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