Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall TBR

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. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Since you’ll be seeing my October TBR next week (already? fuuuuuuck) and I’ve also posted on a couple other items on my TBR (next quarter’s YA and SFF releases, and some contemporary romance that has me going gaga), I’m going to talk about some of the other books I want to read.

You know, the backlist titles on my TBR.

We all have them.

Books we say we’re going to read and then…forget. Or put off. Or just delay for…reasons.

So here are five audiobooks I want to listen to, and five books I’ve been meaning to get to for a while and I feel that this year might be the year.

I’ve already wrapped up two trilogies that have been finished for a while and that I’ve left on read for even longer (go me! and I highly recommend Yoon Ha Lee’s Machineries of Empire and NK Jemisin’s Broken Earth) trilogies), and I’ve purposely ensured that I have no ARCs releasing in December that I must review, so aside from getting ahead on January ARCs and wrapping up the 13 ARCs still pending reading for 2021, I’m feeling optimistic.

Blurbs are from Goodreads.

Audiobooks

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith…and a startling vision of human destiny. This has been on my TBR for a minute, and I just need to read it already! It feels like a November book, so I’m thinking November might be the time to get it from the library.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers. Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly’s daughter, Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, the four descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back. Okay, I had this as an ARC and kept putting it off, but I’m feeling it more as an audiobook, a maybe October read since that’s when it’s looking like it’ll come in.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule. I originally DNF’d the ARC due to a lack of interest/annoyance with the characters, but literally everyone loves this so I’m willing to try again. Maybe a December read?

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates—a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name. But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie—not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for. I don’t often read thrillers, but a creepy contemporary thriller reimagining of Jane Eyre? Yes please! I’m thinking October, which is prime spoopy time.

In the Watchful City by S Qiouyi Lu

The city of Ora uses a complex living network called the Gleaming to surveil its inhabitants and maintain harmony. Anima is one of the cloistered extrasensory humans tasked with watching over Ora’s citizens. Although ær world is restricted to what æ can see and experience through the Gleaming, Anima takes pride and comfort in keeping Ora safe from all harm. All that changes when a mysterious visitor enters the city carrying a cabinet of curiosities from around the world, with a story attached to each item. As Anima’s world expands beyond the borders of Ora to places—and possibilities—æ never before imagined to exist, æ finds ærself asking a question that throws into doubt ær entire purpose: What good is a city if it can’t protect its people? I loved, loved, loved A Memory Called Empire, and I’ve been having a real blast reading about urban planning, so of course I want to read this novella! Another possible October read, because I just can’t wait!

Long Time Lingerers

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
If We Were Villains by ML Rio
A Marine Awakening by Jax Meyer
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

I’m feeling entirely too lazy to copy and past these blurbs in from Goodreads, mostly because for some of them I’ve done it several times.

But this year I’m feeling pretty good. While it’s been several years since I read The Drums of August, I think I remember enough to start The Fiery Cross, because not only am I now behind on the TV show, but the final(?) book in the series is releasing in November. As for the others, well, I just really want to read them and yet keep pushing them off for reasons.

I also want to read A Royal Romance by Jenny Frame sometime this fall, too! It’s been on my TBR and after waffling on it for a couple of months (since it’s nowhere to be found online in my libraries), I went ahead and purchased the paperback.