The books I still haven’t finished but really need to (aka the list of shame aka please bully me)

Hi everyone! I know I haven’t been blogging a lot lately for a number of reasons, but today I’m back for one reason and one reason only: to roast myself. Or rather, to let you all roast me. Because there’s no better motivation for me than online bullying, and I need some motivation.

You see, I’ve finally been getting my reading groove back a little, but there’s a problem; I start a ton of books, but only manage to finish about… 10% of them. Because whenever I’m halfway through a book, another book grabs my attention and I start reading that one. And then when I’m halfway through that book another book looks very tempting and I start that and so on and so on. It’s really annoying, and I want to use these upcoming few days/weeks to actually finish the books I’ve started.

So today, I want to share the list of books I’ve started, put down, but really want to finish soon. And then let the bullying commence. Because I deserve it.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

I picked this book up because Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé mentioned it on Twitter and talked about how much she adores the book and, reading the synopsis, I knew I would too. And I really did! But there was this thing about this book, this feeling of anxiety that I had the entire time reading it, as if something bad was about to happen any second, and I honestly was just too on edge to continue it at that moment in time. 

But since then I’ve had conversations with people about it (shout out to Niek) who ensured me that the book was fine and that I should continue reading it, so I want to. I really do. And since this book is only 4 hours long and I’m already 30% of the way into it I could finish it really quickly. So, because of that and because of my general excitement of the book, this is the first book on this list. And I’ve already borrowed it from the library, so this is happening soon. I hope. 

The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

This book is incredible. I’m about 50% into it and I’m really loving it. There’s just something about Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s writing that feels so magical that makes me want to consume everything she’s ever written. Which makes it very ironic that I’ve been reading this book for what feels like years (and it might actually be years. I’m ashamed) and I still haven’t finished it. 

The thing about this book is that I just suck at physically reading books. I get distracted so easily, and because I’m currently used to listening to audiobooks on double speed, it feels like physical books take forever to read and like I’m moving through them so so slowly and I just don’t have the patience for that. But I’ve said many times that I want to fall back in love with physical books, and the only way to do that is to actually start reading them again. And I think that finishing this book would be a great start. 

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland 

I’m in love with this book. I really am. I know I’m only 18% in and that it might be a little too early to say the l-word, but THE WRITING. I love the characters and the story and everything about this book so far, but the writing is just pure magic. But yet again, this book remains unfinished.

For some reason I had it in my head that this book was a middle grade title, so when I got really in the mood for a middle grade I picked this up. When I found out it wasn’t I was okay with it at first, but then a romance started happening which… was the exact reason why I was in a middle grade mood in the first place. I didn’t want to read about any romance in the slightest, so I ended up dropping the book quite quickly after that. But the book was still really good so I definitely want to continue it, for some reason I just keep forgetting about it.

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim

I’m ridiculously ashamed of this one because my friend CW got this for me. She’d read it, loved it, and I wanted to read it really badly too and she was so incredibly kind and gifted it to me and then I was just Really Really Awful and forgot to finish it. I got 19% into it and was, again, really loving the book but just… I don’t even remember putting it down, or why I did it. I’m A Disgrace. 

I just know that I really want to sit down and finish this (just maybe when I’m doing a bit better mentally because I heard that this book is kinda rough and I don’t need that right now). And I’m really excited about doing just that.

The Speaker by Traci Chee

This year my friends and I had the great idea of marathon reading the Sea of Ink and Gold series together, which I was incredibly excited about because this is my favorite series and I’d never reread it, and the idea of rereading it and revisiting my favorite characters again filled me with a lot of joy. And rereading it was incredibly wonderful at first, but then my mental health went downhill and I just… didn’t read at all. And when I did read I craved something light and easy, and not a fantasy book.

I do really want to finish my reread of this series, though. I was loving it even more the second time around, and I’m so excited to discover more of the easter eggs I didn’t see the first time I read it and to fall in love with the characters even more. So, yes, this one needs to be read soon too.

So that’s the List of Shame I wanted to show you all today. If I’m completely honest there’s quite a few more books I could put on there, but I didn’t want to make this list too long (and some of those books I only read like 5 pages of so I don’t feel like I ever really started reading it) and this list is shameful enough in and of itself.

So yes, please bully/motivate me to finish these books because I really need it. Thank you. 

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