As the title says: What is a book that you read this year that you’ve been wanting to read for a long time or that has been on your TBR shelf for whatever reason? How was it in the end?

I just had to post this question right now, because there’s a trending post about the beauty of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. For me, it was this exact book. I’m not proud of it but it’s been the better half of a decade since my friend gifted it to me. I’m actually surprised how well it delivered. The storytelling was so vivid and actually made me feel like I was part of it (one of the rêveurs!) I loved everything from the grand magic shows and the way the magicians were holding the circus together to the small hidden tricks. The many layers that neatly came together in the end.

I’m so glad I read it, but wow was I missing out for many years! I should stop postponing books for that long… I say and nervously glance at my shelf 💀

So, what book would that be for you?

  • waterisgoodok@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Quite a few!

    • Something Wicked This Way Comes
    • Homage to Catalonia
    • The Handmaid’s Tale
    • A Brief History of Time
    • The Picture of Dorian Gray
    • The Hound of the Baskervilles
    • The Great Gatsby
      • waterisgoodok@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Great question!

        I think my favourite was The Hound of the Baskervilles. I wanted a short, cosy read with elements of horror/mystery. It was perfect! The setting was beautiful (it very much reminded me of places I’ve spent a lot of time). I also thought the the pacing, plot, and characters were all great too. It was a 5 star read for me. My only regret is that I read it during summer rather than autumn/winter!

        I thought I would like Something This Way Comes the most, as it’s been recommended to me for years since I’m a big horror fan, and I love autumn/Halloween. However, although I enjoyed the story, it wasn’t really my favourite. I thought the prose was beautiful, but I think it was too heavy on the fantasy for me. Perhaps also I had over-hyped the book over the years.

    • Kaleandra@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Ah nice. I read The Picture of Dorian Gray a couple of weeks ago and love Wilde’s writing style.