Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Top Ten 2021 Releases I Was Excited to Read but Didn’t Get To, so here’s a post talking about those and giving the reasons (read: excuses) that I didn’t read most of them yet. I did 15 instead of 10 because I just couldn’t narrow it down.

Gilded, by Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite authors, and I preordered this book, so I truly have no excuse for why I haven’t read it yet.

Kith & Kin, by Marieke Nijkamp

This is a prequel to the first campaign of the D&D podcast Critical Role, which I am absolutely obsessed with. The twins, Vex and Vax, are my two favorite characters in it, so I’m really excited to read this! I just want so badly to love it, so I keep putting it off until the “right time.”

Daughter of the Deep, by Rick Riordan

I love all of Rick Riordan’s books, so I’m super excited to read this one (even though it isn’t mythology-based)

Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lim

I loved Spin the Dawn, so I was really excited for this fairytale retelling, and I just haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, even though I know I’ll love it.

Pride and Premeditation, by Tirzah Price

I love Jane Austen (and murder mysteries, so long as there isn’t much gore), so I know that I’ll adore this book; I just need to get around to actually reading it.

Ariadne

I love Greek mythology retellings, so I was really looking forward to this book, but haven’t been in the mood for it since I bought it.

My Contrary Mary

I still haven’t finished these authors’ Jane trilogy (I’ve owned My Calamity Jane since it came out, but keep putting it off because I just don’t care for the Wild West setting), but I’m so excited for this Mary, Queen of Scots retelling (and even more so for the Mary Shelley-based one that’s coming out this year)!

Rule of Wolves, by Leigh Bardugo

I genuinely have no excuses for not having read this.

…actually, okay, I have one, which is that I don’t feel like I remember King of Scars well enough to fully appreciate this, but simultaneously didn’t love King of Scars enough to want to reread it unless absolutely necessary, so I’ve been wavering between whether to do a reread or not, which has lead to me never actually getting around to this.

Cloud Cuckoo Land

This book sounds so good, but I just want to give it my full attention to read it, so I’ve been waiting for the right time.

Little Thieves, by Margaret Owen

This “Goose Girl” retelling

These Hollow Vows, by Lexi Ryan

Everything about this book sounds absolutely perfect for me; the only reason I haven’t read it yet is that I only got it in mid-December and have been busy with college apps and such ever since.

Our Violent Ends, by Chloe Gong

I really enjoyed the first book in this duology, though not as much as many people did, but I’m still looking forward to this sequel! I’ve been putting it off because… well… I know how Romeo & Juliet ends, and I have not been in the right emotional state to deal with the second half of this retelling of it.

Down Comes the Night, by Allison Saft

This Gothic mystery book sounds so wintry and atmospheric; I have a legitimate reason for putting off reading this, which is that I wanted to read it in winter because anything billed as a “snow-drenched fantasy” deserves nothing less.

Any Way the Wind Blows, by Rainbow Rowell

I love this series (although I do think the first book would have done just fine as a standalone), so I’m definitely really excited to see how it ends!

Poison for Breakfast, by Lemony Snicket

I love Lemony Snicket; A Series of Unfortunate Events owns approximately my entire heart and soul. I’m definitely looking forward to the mystery of his.

What backlist books were you really excited for but haven’t yet gotten around to?