5 Books Recommended to Me

…that I perhaps haven’t gotten to yet.

I love hearing about books, especially books that had friends and family thinking of me. So, of course, I love getting book recommendations! Sometimes the recommendation might be as simple as, “Hey, this book has a dragon on the cover, I think you might like it!” and other times it can be closer to, “I just finished this book and the main character’s journey of self-realization is something I think might resonate with you.”

Regardless of why, if a book makes someone think of me I want to know.

However, I run into this perennial problem of the amount of books in this world far surpassing the amount time I have to read them. I am sure it is an issue near and dear to your heart as well. (If it isn’t perhaps you can stomach pretending, even if just for the duration of this article?)

So, my sister texts me a book recommendation the same day a friend passes me a book on the same day a librarian shoves a new release that “You’ll love!” into my hands. Uh-oh.

Hence my problem – sometimes, and I feel like I should whisper this, I get recommended a book and then I don’t immediately go read it. Yup. And sometimes, it might be years before I get around to it, even if it is a book that I think sounds amazing and was recommended by someone whose book opinions I trust.

So without further ado – the top 5 books that I have been recommended, that I want to read, and just have yet to get to.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I have been hearing about this book since shortly before it came out, and yes – it sounds like something that I will absolutely adore. I mean, magic, hardcore world-building, vengeance, and from what I hear some gripping action? Sign me up!

Oh, and the kicker here? I got it as a Christmas gift. I literally have no excuse as to why this one is still sitting in my tbr pile instead of my finished pile. I really don’t.

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2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

I have a true weakness for a book that get this, has books in it. Lucky me, I also have friends with that same weakness. The Historian was the first book recommended to me by a friend that has recommended several other largely enjoyable titles about books. The summary involves an old library and Vlad the Impalar, both of which are high on my list of ‘interesting things to read about’.

Opinions about this one tend to fairly polarizing as well. I have heard everything from it being an absolute favorite to trash. So it needs to creep up my tbr list so I can chime in with my own opinion.

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3. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

This one has been on my tbr list the longest (about 9 years to be exact). A near perfect stranger initially recommended it to me when I helped her move into my neighborhood. She even lent me her copy, which I returned almost 4 years later after I found it under my bed. I am not even sure why I didn’t read it while I had it.

Within 2 years of returning it I have been recommended it another half dozen times easy (one of those from my brother with impeccable taste). So quite a large number of people are convinced I should read it, including myself. I recently found a copy at a used book store and snatched it up. I am determined to add this one to the finished pile this year.

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4. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

Non-Fiction recommendations can be a bit of a terrifying abyss, but when several people who aren’t history buffs recommend a history book I tend to pay attention. And hey, if it was a best-seller chances are it is at least a book that can be fun to read (not a guarantee, but still a high likely hood). Not to mention that any book that attempts to look and the world and ask “Why?” and then provide evidence supporting their answers is always worth a read.

So yes, this book has been in my tbr list since it first pinged my radar early in college. One day I will be craving a historical analysis and give this a start. Whether or not I gulp it down or break it into tiny sips remains to be seen.

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5. Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist

I acquired a romantic partner through book recommendations, and I’ve adored almost all of his recommendations. However, for some reason every time I have started this one (he keeps recommending it when I ask) something else distracts me and I put it down. Then I try to pick it up a year or two later and have to read the first couple of chapters before I inevitably wander off again.

I’m not completely sure why as it seems to be one I would enjoy finishing. Perhaps one day I will simply pick it up and power through it like the other fantasy books I pick up. Until then it shall sit innocently as a highly-recommended book in my tbr pile.

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Perhaps this post shall finally guilt me into reading some of the oft-recommended (and I’m sure, absolutely fabulous) books.