Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. I thought this would be a fun way to share a condensed version of potential rambles and thoughts that I have.
This Week’s Theme:
Finished Series I’ve Yet To Start
Initial Thoughts:
Slow reading does not bode well for the vast number of series I’ve yet to start despite even owning some of them. I’ve only listed series that I’ve given thought to reading, not those that I probably won’t ever touch (e.g. ASOIAF, Harry Potter, Narnia)
This list focuses on finished series; otherwise, I could have totally included picks like Throne of Glass and Red Rising or something.
The Unknown Assassin – Allen Zadoff
This is honestly a pick because I only own and have read the first book. Surely if I had the rest it’d be the easiest binge read ever because the writing is super quick and is in the vein of YA Jason Bourne. (So this is more of a reminder for me to get the other books than actually being a legit pick to fit this prompt.)
Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn’t stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend’s family to die-of “natural causes.” Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target.
The Grisha – Leigh Bardugo
Dear Book Outlet, Y U NO HAVE HARDBACK OF THE FIRST BOOK :(!
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Shattered Sea – Joe Abercrombie
Normally I could be like “yeah–I’ll read this book soon so I can prime myself for the next book released next year!” But wtf dude, this entire trilogy released in basically a years time. SO QUICK.
Betrayed by his family and left for dead, Prince Yarvi, reluctant heir to a divided kingdom, has vowed to reclaim a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself – all with only one good hand.
Legend – Marie Lu
This series haunts me from the depths of my to-be-read pile. Soon, I say. But soon never comes. And so it waits, on and on.
Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect.
Mara Dyer – Michelle Hodkin
Lalala, I know noooothing about this series other than the cover looking kinda cool. But shelving tells me Paranormal; which I don’t think I normally reach for.
Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can. She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is. She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love. She’s wrong.
Slammed – Colleen Hoover
WHAT IS THIS CONTEMPORARY CHOICE YOU ASK? I have no idea either but I began hauling her books starting last month (technically waiting for the first book to come on sale) but yes, this one is for you CoHo-enthusiasts who keep buggering me to read something of hers. You will surely feel the rage of my breath holding and woody/musky cologne and shit. Ye were warned.
Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope. Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope. Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt.
Unwind Dystology – Neal Shusterman
I have always–surely–wanted to read this series. It’s dystopia through and through and that’s my jams. But I also don’t own this series and that might be the root of all the problems.
The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child “unwound,” whereby all of the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn’t technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.
Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld
You know what? Before Zeroes, I didn’t have that strong of an interest in venturing into a Westerfeld series. Between Uglies and Leviathan, they were both meh to me. But now I’m kinda wanting a go at the latter, Leviathan, which involves Steampunk (a subgenre I’ve actually never really been let down by). But, we’ll see.
Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men. Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.
The Infernal Devices – Cassandra Clare
As someone who appreciates bromances, there’s apparently a lot of you who vouch for Will and Jem with your megaphones screaming it into my ear. Now, I haven’t read anything by Clare so this whole Shadowhunter world will be new to me (until I watch the tv show, that I’ll do without fail) so, yeah, I don’t know. I’m throwing this in here because so many of you are crazy about this world and I’m just like ??!?!?!!
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…
The Selection – Kiera Cass
I will totally admit that this pick is one of those ones that I just want to see how/why it’s so addicting despite knowing I’ll probably turn on full rage reading mode. Plus it’s basically The Bachelor…and that’s just a bunch of drama. (I like drama so long it isn’t happening to me…)
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Afterthoughts:
If you’ve started/finished any of these books or can vouch/critique any of these authors, I’d love to hear your opinions! Honesty is the best policy in this case because I read so damn slow that it’d be nice to spend time reading something I’d enjoy (not saying I’m against reading a crummy book and going full on rant mode though).
Cheers,
Joey
connect: afterthoughtAn // twitter | anotherafterthought // goodreads
thoughts and afterthoughts. 
Great choices! I absolutely LOVED the Mara Dyer series, it’s one of my favorites, so I can only say, GO READ IT NOW! It is paranormal, but for me, it’s one of those books that just constantly keeps you off the edge. I remember being completely into it right from the start. The plot is very, very intriguing, and I wanted to badly to figure out what was happening, as Mara does, in the story. It’s such an amazing book, and I loved the writing style. There are many memorable quotes I still remember, and like reading from time to time. I really hope you’ll try and pick up this one, and that you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
And The Selection…well, if you’re looking for drama, you’ll get a lot of this in this series! 🙂
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I’m wanting to read Mara soon and I was reading your comment and didn’t notice you moved on to the Selection and thought you were talking about skeletons and thought well that’s a new review. Lol. I need sleep!
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Hahahahaha, thank you for that, you made my day, hahaha! You need sleep maybe, yes, haha! 😀
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The infernal devices are amazing!!! They’re almost as good as The mortal instruments. I’ve just read Ugly love by Colleen Hoover and I HIGHLY, highly recommend it. You’ve just gotta read it! Awesome post! 🙂
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Omg The Infernal Devices gives me life! It’s so good that the ending of the series made me CRY. Like I don’t normally cry during books but it was amazing ❤ you would understand it if you read TMI but by itself is good too. I also like The Selection series. It was so cute. You MUST finish both those series 😀
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My husband actually laughed at me because he caught me crying at the end of Clockwork Princess, so glad I’m not the only one!
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Will and Jem #TheUltimateBromance
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Please, I beg you, give Slammed some time… I promise, you’ll be blown away!
#CoHo
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The Unknown Assassin series is so good! You should definitely read that one. And awww, Slammed. How I used to love that book! (Only the first one though)
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I have the first book of the Unwind series and I remember reading the first few pages but I never got to finishing it. Interesting choices, by the way! 🙂
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Oh my gosh, you HAVE TO READ the Mara Dyer trilogy! It’s one of my favorite series ever. I wouldn’t normally reach for this kind of book either; I’m not much of a fantasy/paranormal fan, but I still loved it. Seriously, GO READ IT NOW!!! No pressure. 😉
The only other one of these series I’ve read is The Selection, but just the first two books. I ended up stopping because the characters really got on my nerves, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
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I haven’t read any of Cassandra Clare’s books either and but I’ve been thinking about starting with the Infernal Devices trilogy first because, there’s only 3 books for starters and I wanna know about this Will character everyone loves!!
I know nothing about The Mara Dyer books either! Paranormal isn’t usually my go to series so I haven’t been to interested but I know a lot of people love them so maybe I will some day! Great list 😄😄
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The Unwind series is one that I’ve been wanting to check out. A lot of people really enjoyed those books, and I do have to say the synopsis of it sounds intriguing! Plus the covers are pretty awesome!
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We have a few series in common. 🙂
I loved The Infernal Devices! I hope you’ll get to read it soon.
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I feel like I just read Half a King, and bam! The whole series is out. I don’t think I will continue though, Half a King wasn’t for me.
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You should definitely read Shattered Seas and Leviathan! Two of my all time favourite trilogies ever. Well I’m still reading the last book of Shattered Seas. But the first two were both 4.5 stars for me! And I am totally a Scott Westerfeld junkie. The audio books of the Leviathan trilogy are voiced by Alan Cumming and it’s brilliant.
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Leviathan is another one that I could have added to my list this week! I zoomed through the first one to finish it in time for a Scott Westerfeld book signing in my area (which I didn’t even end up going to!) but for whatever reason never finished the rest of the series. Keith Thompson, the artist for the series, has some amazing artwork on his website: http://keiththompsonart.com/
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Great list, a few were ‘almosts’ to my list. Based on the comments I’ll have to look into a few of these ‘almosts’ for real now.
The Selection will probably be weirdly satisfying. That’s how I felt when reading it.
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Um… please read The Infernal Devices. It’s actually the best bromance you will ever read ❤ Also I think it's much better than The Mortal Instruments in my opinion, so if you just wanted a taste of the Shadowhunter world, this gives you a great introduction. Plus it's got some steampunky elements, so you won't be let down :D.
Also, don't bother with The Selection. Just watch the Epic Reads The Selection with Dolls videos on Youtube. There's one for each book and it pretty much sums up all the drama.
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Lol I think I’ve avoided most of the ballgown covers so far. I don’t know why that is, because I look at them and go all: “PRETTY…SHINY…OOOOOH DRESSES!” I probably should pick up a Selection book out of curiosity. I haven’t read any of Clare either, though this was mostly from lack of interest in the Mortal Instruments series. Her Infernal Devices books, though…I will have to pick those up.
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the bromance in The Infernal Devices is strong! you should give it a go 😉 (also, TID are better than TMI)
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Joey your posts always make me laugh! The Unwind Dystology is the only one I’ve started and yah it’s on my list well not on my top ten because I had too many it’s on my top 64 okay! Lol! Anyway point is it’s good! Read it!
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OMG, SINCE TID MADE IT ON THIS WEEK’S LIST… DOES THIS MEAN WHAT I THINK IT MEANS? 😀 But, seriously, Joey. This is such a fantastic trilogy (the feels from that last installment, omg). I think you’d like some aspects of it? At least the strong, emotional parabatai (aka the bromance, you’ll know once you read the series or watch the show-whichever comes first).
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Let’s be real. The Selection is so nor your style. I found it entertaining, you probably wouldn’t.
MARA DYER. YES. I LOVE THIS SERIES. The writing is enthralling, and had me entranced. DO IT, JOEY.
LEGEND. OMGGGGG, I binge read this series and last fall and LOVED IT. MARIE IS A GENIUS!!!!
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I’m going to start by saying that you have to read Unwind ASAP! That book was amazing.
And creepy.
And slightly terrifying.
But seriously, dude, read it.
Having read (and loved) The Selection, I can say that while I loved it, I would totally understand if you didn’t. If you don’t mind spoilers or whatever, there is a video on youtube called The Selection in 4 minutes (with Barbies) [or something like that], and it is so accurate it is hilarious.
Basically, I loved it despite and incredibly whiny main character.
I also LOVED Legend and Mara Dyer! Two of my favourite series!
And The Infernal Devices was good, probably better than The Mortal Instruments, but if you’re in it for the bromance, you may be disappointed slightly. Still read it, though.
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Hi! I haven’t read these, but I’ve seen the Mara Dyer book on several lists and I also thought it looked cool just because of the cover 🙂
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So I LOVED Legend, but wasn’t impressed with Prodigy, the writing seemed to go downhill before it eventually picked up. I sort of felt like Lu was being a little lazy for the second book, there was a lot of telling me what I should be feeling/thinking as opposed to showing me.
As for Leviathan, I adored the world the Westerfeld created, he built it so seamlessly and the graphics interspersed throughout the book really bring key scenes to life. I admit to intensely disliking Alek though for the first half of the book, but Deryn was one of those characters that just jumped off the page and made Alek’s wimpyness not really matter because of how awesome she was.
And yeah, the Infernal Devices, you totally just have to read them. The bromance is one thing, sure, but the rest is just, ahhh, it’s beautiful, just spellbinding.
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