My 2020 Must Read TBR List

I will totally admit that I make one of these lists every single year and then never actually end up reading the majority of the books on that list. However, this year I really plan to try and be the adult that I am and finally knock some of these titles off of my TBR. Some of these books have been sitting on my shelves gathering dust for years, while others are newer releases that I had been anxiously waiting for but still haven’t picked up yet. Why do I do this to myself you ask? I honestly have no idea. Maybe it’s just part of a being a bookworm… too many books, too little time.


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King of Fools (The Shadow Game, #2) by Amanda Foody

I read the first book in this series when it came out and really enjoyed it. I was super excited for this sequel… and then totally forgot about it when it was released. Does anyone else do this too or is it just me? We should start a club.

On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Seance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake.

Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with Vianca Augustine’s estranged son. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by the mafia donna’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth.

As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: To sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive…

Or die as legends.

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Defy the Fates (Constellation, #3) by Claudia Gray

This series has been such a wild ride and I’ve loved every minute of it. I like to think that I’ve been putting off reading this finale because I’m just not ready for this story to end. Claudia Gray just gets me so well with her stories.

Hunted and desperate.

Abel only has one mission left that matters: save the life of Noemi Vidal. To do that, he not only has to escape the Genesis authorities, he also must face the one person in the galaxy who still has the means to destroy him. Burton Mansfield’s consciousness lives on, desperate for a home, and Abel’s own body is his last bargaining chip.

Alone in the universe.

Brought back from the brink of death, Noemi Vidal finds Abel has not only saved her life, but he’s made her into something else, something more. Not quite mech, yet not quite human any longer, Noemi must find her place in a universe where she is utterly unique, all while trying to create a world where anyone–even a mech–can be free.

The final battle between Earth and the colony planets is here, and there’s no lengths to which Earth won’t go to preserve its domination over all humanity. But together, the universe’s most advanced mech and its first human-mech hybrid might have the power to change the galaxy for good.

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We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

I’ll admit that I got a signed ARC of this book at BookCon in 2018 and still haven’t read it. I’m not proud of that either. I still can’t believe I haven’t read this book either since it sounds like something that I’d really enjoy.

In the 1990s, heavy metal band Dürt Würk was poised for breakout success — but then lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom as Koffin, leaving his fellow bandmates to rot in rural Pennsylvania.

Two decades later, former guitarist Kris Pulaski works as the night manager of a Best Western – she’s tired, broke, and unhappy. Everything changes when she discovers a shocking secret from her heavy metal past: Turns out that Terry’s meteoric rise to success may have come at the price of Kris’s very soul.

This revelation prompts Kris to hit the road, reunite with the rest of her bandmates, and confront the man who ruined her life. It’s a journey that will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a Satanic rehab center and finally to a Las Vegas music festival that’s darker than any Mordor Tolkien could imagine. A furious power ballad about never giving up, even in the face of overwhelming odds, We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul…where only a girl with a guitar can save us all.

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The Philosopher’s Flight (The Philosophers Series, #1) by Tom Miller

I got this book from Book of the Month Club when it first came out and yet here it still is, unread and alone. I’m pretty sure this is a story that I’ll love too. There’s really no reason for me not having picked it up yet.

Eighteen-year-old Robert Weekes is a practitioner of empirical philosophy—an arcane, female-dominated branch of science used to summon the wind, shape clouds of smoke, heal the injured, and even fly. Though he dreams of fighting in the Great War as the first male in the elite US Sigilry Corps Rescue and Evacuation Service—a team of flying medics—Robert is resigned to mixing batches of philosophical chemicals and keeping the books for the family business in rural Montana, where his mother, a former soldier and vigilante, aids the locals.

When a deadly accident puts his philosophical abilities to the test, Robert rises to the occasion and wins a scholarship to study at Radcliffe College, an all-women’s school. At Radcliffe, Robert hones his skills and strives to win the respect of his classmates, a host of formidable, unruly women.

Robert falls hard for Danielle Hardin, a disillusioned young war hero turned political radical. However, Danielle’s activism and Robert’s recklessness attract the attention of the same fanatical anti-philosophical group that Robert’s mother fought years before. With their lives in mounting danger, Robert and Danielle band together with a team of unlikely heroes to fight for Robert’s place among the next generation of empirical philosophers—and for philosophy’s very survival against the men who would destroy it.

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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

This is a beloved bestseller and I have yet to experience its beauty. But do not fear, I plan to finally pick up this beauty this year, especially since I want to read it before the adaptation is released.

Set in the days of civilization’s collapse, Station Eleven tells the story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.

One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time—from the actor’s early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theater troupe known as the Traveling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains—this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor’s first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet.

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Middlemarch by George Eliot

I finally started on this classic last summer and I haven’t picked it up since… FOR SHAME, LARKIN.

Taking place in the years leading up to the First Reform Bill of 1832, Middlemarch explores nearly every subject of concern to modern life: art, religion, science, politics, self, society, human relationships. Among her characters are some of the most remarkable portraits in English literature: Dorothea Brooke, the heroine, idealistic but naive; Rosamond Vincy, beautiful and egoistic: Edward Casaubon, the dry-as-dust scholar: Tertius Lydgate, the brilliant but morally-flawed physician: the passionate artist Will Ladislaw: and Fred Vincey and Mary Garth, childhood sweethearts whose charming courtship is one of the many humorous elements in the novel’s rich comic vein.

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Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, #1) by Mary E. Pearson

As someone who became obsessed with The Remnant Chronicles, I cannot wait any longer to finally read this new story in the same world.

A formidable outlaw family that claims to be the first among nations.

A son destined to lead, thrust suddenly into power.

Three fierce young women of the Rahtan, the queen’s premier guard.

A legendary street thief leading a mission, determined to prove herself.

A dark secret that is a threat to the entire continent.

When outlaw leader meets reformed thief, a cat-and-mouse game of false moves ensues, bringing them intimately together in a battle that may cost them their lives―and their hearts.


Do you struggle to read all of the books on your shelves in a timely manner? Are you able to read your books when you say you will? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of it?

WWW Wednesday – September 18th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book
  • Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron, #1) by Ashley Poston – physical book
  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook

I have only read the first chapter so far in Heart of Iron, so I don’t have too much of an opinion yet. However, I’m enjoying the writing style so far and I think this could be an easy to devour story… but we shall see!

I just started Iron Gold as well, so I’m only about 10 mins into that story. I know I’ve mentioned this multiple times so far, but I really have enjoyed my decision to reread this series as an audiobook before diving into the latest release, Dark Age. Pierce Brown is just such an amazing author. I’m actually really excited for when he breaks away from the Red Rising world and into a completely new story.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson – physical book, Book Review

I ended up in love with The Summer Before the War. I really enjoyed the small village setting, the eccentric characters, and the relationships between them all. This has made me want to read anything and everything by Helen Simonson, so I plan to dive into her backlist soon. I really recommend this story to fans of Downton Abbey, so if that’s you then I hope you decide to pick up this book!

Surprisingly enough, I think I enjoyed Morning Star even more this second time around than I did the first time I read it. Before now, I had always said Golden Son was my favorite in the series, but this reread has me debating on changing that original opinion. If you haven’t tried listening to this series as an audiobook, I highly recommend it. The narrator is fantastic!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • The Alice Network by Kate Quinn – audiobook

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – September 11th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book
  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson- physical book

After a slow start to picking up the book, I am finally making some progress in The Summer Before the War. Y’all, I think this may become a new favorite novel. I love the writing style and all of the characters are so interesting. I can’t wait to see how this story will unfold.

I also put aside the podcasts yesterday and finally made some more progress in Morning Star. Things are really about to start getting interesting in that story. I can’t believe how much I’ve actually forgotten in this book.

No further progress in my non-fiction and classic books. I’m hoping to set aside some time this week to read a few chapters in each.

What did you recently finish reading?

Nothing this week.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron, #1) by Ashley Poston – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – September 4th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book
  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson- physical book

I will finally be starting on The Summer Before the War today and I’m really excited. I love a good historical fiction sprinkled with romance and this one sounds like the perfect book to end summer with. I plan to get back into reading Middlemarch regularly again this week, as well as Surprise, Kill, Vanish. I should finally be finishing up Morning Star in the next couple of days… damn those podcasts.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • The Game of Love and Death by Marth Brockenbrough – physical book

I finally finished this book. It was a nice bittersweet love story, if a little slow-moving. I think it was only missing a bit more conflict and action.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron, #1) by Ashley Poston – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – August 28th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book
  • The Game of Love and Death by Marth Brockenbrough – physical book

I’ve finally passed the halfway point on Morning Star, which is pretty exciting since my life has been taken over by podcasts lately… You know, it happens to the best of us.

And no, I haven’t really made any progress in the other novels. My plan is to focus on The Game of Love and Death this weekend and try to finish that one up. I will admit it’s a bit slow-moving and I’m craving a little something more exciting to keep my attention to help pull me from this mini reading slump.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – physical book

Y’all, I have very conflicted feelings on this book. I mean, it took me over a month and a half to finish. I was super excited for this book but it just didn’t live up to the hype for me. It took wayyyy too long to get to any serious action and that it was one of my main pet peeves when it comes to novels.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson – physical book
  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Oracle Year by Charles Soule – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – August 14th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon- physical book
  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book
  • The Game of Love and Death by Marth Brockenbrough – physical book

I really planned on finishing Morning Star before today, but it was one of those weeks where I just got sucked into my podcasts over the audiobook. Oops! But I really should finish it by this weekend. I’m ready to relive Darrow kicking Octavia’s ass!

I’ve finally got less than 100 pages left in The Priory of the Orange Tree. It felt like I was really never going to finish this book, didn’t it? I’m so glad things are actually happening and I’m finally fully invested in this story. Needless to say, this book has been a bit of a let down for me.

The Game of Love and Death is a bit of a slow burner so far, but I still love the setting and unique plot of the story. Flora is such an interesting character and I’m rooting for her to get a happy ending.

What did you recently finish reading?

Nothing this past week, but I’ve got big plans to get some reading done this weekend!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson – physical book
  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Oracle Year by Charles Soule – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – August 7th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon- physical book
  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book
  • The Game of Love and Death by Marth Brockenbrough – physical book

I’m coming up on the end of Morning Star and it’s crazy how much I had forgot happened. This book is nonstop action and I am so glad I made the choice to go back and do this reread. I also made a bit more progress in The Priory of the Orange Tree. I only have about 200 pages left and let me tell you, it has just now reached a point where I feel truly invested in seeing what is going to happen next.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff – physical book

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the mix of characters and how they each had a fairly distinctive personality that shown through during their individual chapters. Also, Zila is low-key amazing… even if she is a sociopath.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson – physical book
  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Oracle Year by Charles Soule – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – July 31st, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon- physical book
  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book
  • Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff – physical book

Still slowly making my way through Middlemarch and Surprise, Kill, Vanish. I haven’t picked those two up in over a week, but I plan to get a lot of reading done this weekend out by the pool.

Trying to break up the really heavy fantasy of Priory of the Orange Tree, I’m picking up Aurora Rising today. I’m really excited about this book as it sounds like it’s right up my alley. I am finally less than 300 pages away from finishing Priory, so I really hope to finish this behemoth by this weekend. But fingers crossed on that!

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Golden Son (Red Rising, #2) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • Antigoddess (Goddess War, #1) by Kendare Blake – physical book

I finished these two beauties yesterday. Obviously, I loved my reread of Golden Son. This is one of my all-time favorites series and its been really enjoyable going the audiobook route on this reread. I highly recommend that version to everyone! Also, I thoroughly enjoyed Antigoddess more than I thought I would. I loved the mix of mythology with the modern day. I will for sure be continuing with the trilogy.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson – physical book
  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Oracle Year by Charles Soule – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – July 24th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon- physical book
  • Golden Son (Red Rising, #1) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book

I haven’t read any of Middlemarch or Surprise, Kill, Vanish this week but I plan to do nothing but read this weekend so that should help catch me back up on those two. I have made it over the halfway point through Golden Son and if I can turn off my podcasts for long enough, I should be able to finish it before the end of the week. I’ve also made some more progress in The Priory of the Orange Tree. This book is actually moving slower than I was expecting it to, and hasn’t quite consumed all of my attention like I thought it would originally. I do expect it to start picking up more the further I get into it. It’s just so dang huge!

What did you recently finish reading?

Nothing this week!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden – physical book
  • The Savior’s Champion (The Savior’s Series, #1) by Jenna Moreci – physical book
  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #2) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • City of Lies (Poison Wars, #1) – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – July 17th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen – physical book
  • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon- physical book
  • Golden Son (Red Rising, #1) by Pierce Brown – audiobook, reread
  • Middlemarch by George Eliot – physical book

I read another couple of chapters in both Middlemarch and Surprise, Kill, Vanish. So I’m happy about that little bit of progress. I haven’t listened to Golden Son in a few days, as I’ve been on a podcast kick this week but I plan to dive back into it as soon as I’m caught up with the podcast He Read, She Read.

I just started diving into Priory a couple of days ago, but I haven’t made a whole lot of progress with the story. It’s a high fantasy novel so I’m having to move through it a little slower due to all of the different characters and world-building going on.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • Foundryside (Founders, #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett – physical book

I finished this wild ride of a book and you can find my full spoil-free review, HERE. And yes, I did really enjoy this book.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden – physical book
  • The Savior’s Champion (The Savior’s Series, #1) by Jenna Moreci – physical book
  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #2) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • City of Lies (Poison Wars, #1) – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!