My Adult Book TBR

Over the last year or so I’ve been a lot more tuned into the adult novels that are being published across the board. This has led to me collecting them from second hand bookshops, Kindle bargains and the odd normal purchase. But with the sheer volume of review copies I receive, they are put to the bottom of my TBR pile and nearly forgotten about. I accumulated a fair few; here’s a selection:

The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey

Released last year by Headline to rave reviews, The Snow Child blew everyone away. They were entranced by a haunting story set in the Alaskan wilderness and I snapped up a copy ready to gobble it down. But it feels like something to savour and relish and I’m still waiting for a perfectly cold and snowy weekend.

How to Be a Woman, Caitlin Moran

I bought this months and months ago to accompany what I was learning about feminism and women’s writing in two of my university modules and compare a modern aspect, but my essays changed topics and I never outright needed to read it. As I’ve become more and more aware of the issues around feminism, the desire to read it has gotten even stronger, but it just hasn’t happened.

Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen

I found a second hand copy of this in fantastic condition in one of my favourite places in Bath: a ship in the Guildhall Market crammed full of a great selection of books where I’ve snapped up quite a few treasures. I picked this up because I adored the film with Robert Pattinson and it made me cry. I hadn’t even realised it was a novel and I was so excited when I found out!

Instructions for a Heatwave, Maggie O’Farrell

This book has flooded my Twitter feed all summer and I downloaded the sample and loved what I read of it. I wasn’t quite prepared to pay for the hardback (side note: why on Earth are adult hardbacks so insanely expensive?!) so I waited. When I saw it was only £3-odd on Kindle last week, I snapped it up. Like with The Snow Child, I’m waiting for the opportunity to savour this; I think it’s going to be gorgeously atmospheric.

Billy and Me, Giovanna Fletcher

I’m a huge fan of Gi. I’ve followed her on Twitter for ages and seeing her with Tom (from McFly) in his YouTube videos made me fall in love with her. I was really excited and intrigued when she released the news of her book deal and I pre-ordered the Kindle version as soon as I could. I meant to read it straight away but it’s pretty long so I kept putting it off.

Tigers in Red Weather, Liz Klaussmann

I don’t quite remember how I heard about this one but it became one of those books whose price I would check on Amazon every couple of days. It’s not something I’d usually read: the story two cousins trying to hold together normal life during a hot, sultry summer but there’s just something about it. I think it’s going to be another one full of atmosphere that wraps you up and refuses to let you go.

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

For a debut author, Kathryn Stockett made quite a splash with The Help. After rave reviews it was turned into an Oscar-nominated film. But that wasn’t what made me snap up a copy at the same time as I got Water for Elephants. It was speaking to my mum after she finished it and was blown away. She was telling me how ashamed she felt to be white due to what she’d read and I’m fascinated by a book that can make someone feel that strongly.

One Day, David Nicholls

I’m so, so behind with One Day. It was all over the place for several years and though I got myself a copy, I wanted to wait until the fuss died down. I often find that reading something after a few months of insane hype that it always disappoints. Hopefully by the time I get around to this I will have forgotten most of the praise. Oh, and one of my uni lecturers ruined the ended for me; he announced it in the middle of a lecture in first year. I’ll never forgive you for that Bill...

There you have it. A selection of the many adult novels I have waiting for me to devour that I’ll get around to, one day that is.

Do you end up leaving non-YA books to languish on the TBR? Which of these should I start with? What adult books do you have waiting to be read?

Sophie