The Most Intimidating Books I Need to Read

There are a handful of books on my shelves that I’ve been putting off reading for one reason or another, and today I’m going to talk about them. This list includes only books that I own; there are of course books I’m intimidated by that I don’t own, but I’m much more likely to read intimidating books I own before I read intimidating books I don’t own.

I’m intimidated to read these books because...

1. I’ve been struggling to finish it: Spinning Silver

2. I haven’t had the time: Infinite Jest

3. It’s a sequel: A Memory of Light (Yes, I chose I the last book in this 15-book series because I’m intimidated to read the entire Wheel of Time series!)

4. It’s brand new: Ninth House

5. It’s by an author who I previously didn’t like in the past: any book by Rick Riordan (I didn’t dislike the Percy Jackson books but I don’t like mythology yet I own all his books. I just have no interest in reading them though.)

6. It’s by an author who I loved in the past and I’m worried this book won’t live up to the one I loved: Armada (Ready Player One is my favorite book.)

7. I haven’t been in the mood for it: Cloud Atlas (I have wanted to read this book for over ten years but every time I look at it on my shelf, it never feels like the right time.)

8. It’s overhyped and I’m worried I won’t like it: All the Light We Cannot See 

9. It’s enormous: 1Q84

10. I bought it because of the cover but have since read negative reviews on it: Tess of the Road (I thought it was a story about a girl and her dragon because of the cover image but have since learned it’s a story about rape culture disguised as fantasy, so now I’m really not excited about it.)

11. It’s a genre I don’t normally read: House of Leaves

12. It was a gift: The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

13. Overall, it’s the most intimidating book on my TBR: The Way of Kings 

(First book in a ten-book series—each book over 1,000 pages long—written by my all-time favorite author, Brandon Sanderson. I’m worried it will take me a full month to read each installment and that I won’t understand the magic or the world-building or be able to keep the hundreds of characters straight, plus I’m mega worried that I will forget everything by the time the next book comes out and then have to read them all again before each new release! Maybe I’m just overhyping it for myself, but this is definitely the most intimidating book that I own.)