Top Ten Tuesday: Books by my favourite Authors that I still haven't read...

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the fabulous Jana at The Artsy Reader Girl. You can join in with future topics here!

We've all done it, we've got books on our shelves that are written by some of our favourite authors, yet for one reason or another we just haven't gotten round to reading them... I'm super guilty of this because I'm a terrible mood reader, so even if I know it's an author I love, a story I'm destined to adore, and I can't wait to settle in, if I'm not in the right mood then there's just no point me picking the book up yet...

So here are ten books by authors I love that are languishing on my bookcase and I should really get on and read...

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries - including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

I adored Laini Taylor's other books, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one when it came out, so why has it sat unread on my shelf for so long?... No idea. But with the audiobook narrated by one of my favourite narrators I think this might be one that I go straight to audio to finally catch up on.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

I feel a little bit nervous about this one. On the one hand I've heard a lot of people love it. On the other I've heard some concern about the abuse in the relationship, which just makes me a little wary about going in. I will get round to it at some point, but I'm not quite there yet.

A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn

London, 1888. As colourful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker.

His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumours abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.
But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past.
Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything...

I adore Deanna Raybourn's books, which means that I like to savour them a little more. I save them for when I really need them, when I need that lift and pick me up and just a bit of her very special brand of magic. So I can't wait to read this, but I'm waiting for that moment when I need to refind Veronica and Stoker the most.

The Girl with the Make Believe Husband by Julia Quinn

While you were sleeping... 
With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...
I told everyone I was your wife 
When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbuor back in England.
If only it were true... 
Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.

It's a similar feeling for my Julia Quinn books as it is for Deanna Raybourn. I know I will love it, that's just a certainty, so I save it for when I really need that the most. Sometimes it means I pick it up straight away, other times it can be months. This one has sat on my shelf for a while, but with the upcoming release of the third book in the series, I think I'm nearing the moment when I pick this one up.

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano

Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.
But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with her power.
With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?

DeStefano's writing is fantastic, and I love getting lost in her stories. So this one is a bit of a deliberate wait, for a moment where I really need a guaranteed fantasy book to sink into and know I'm going to enjoy.


Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaughen

Shalia is a proud daughter of the desert, but after years of devastating war with the adjoining kingdom, her people are desperate for peace. Willing to trade her freedom to ensure the safety of her family, Shalia becomes Queen of the Bonelands.

But she soon learns that her husband, Calix, is motivated only by his desire to exterminate the Elementae—mystical people who can control earth, wind, air, and fire. Even more unsettling are Shalia’s feelings for her husband’s brother, which unleash a power over the earth she never knew she possessed—a power that could get her killed. As rumours of a rebellion against Calix spread, Shalia must choose between the last chance for peace and her own future as an Elementae.

I adored the Scarlet trilogy so much, that it's made me wary of picking up this latest book from A C Gaughen. Logically I know I'm going to love it, but there's still that fear that what if I don't?... Reviews saying I'm being silly and I'm going to love this though, so with the second book due out at the start of next year, now really is the time to get on with this one.

The Rose & The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.
Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

I loved the first book in the series, but it didn't quite inspire me to launch straight into this second book when it came out. I know I'll enjoy it, I'm looking forward to reading it, but I haven't experienced that breathless urgency of needing to read it right this second.


A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.
Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.
But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.
Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.

Another one where I loved the first book in the series but I haven't gone back to continue it yet (much to my sister-in-law's frustration...). I think part of the reluctance is seeing people in agony over having to wait for the next book (the fourth in the series) so I kind of want to wait until the series is complete and then do a full read.

Prudence by Gail Carriger


When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances - names it the Spotted Custard and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea. But India has more than just tea on offer. Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone's secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?

The Parasol Protectorate series was so good that I'm afraid to see whether Carriger's other books can possibly live up to my expectations. The answer? Almost definitely. But that doesn't stop that vague worry that has stopped me picking this series up. Soon.

Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake

Uncover the sisters’ origins, dive deep into the catastrophic reign of the Oracle Queen, and reveal layers of Fennbirn’s past, hidden until now.
The Young Queens
Get a glimpse of triplet queens Mirabella, Arsinoe, and Katharine during a short period of time when they protected and loved one another. From birth until their claiming ceremonies, this is the story of the three sisters’ lives…before they were at stake.
The Oracle Queen
Everyone knows the legend of Elsabet, the Oracle Queen. The one who went mad. The one who orchestrated a senseless, horrific slaying of three entire houses. But what really happened? Discover the true story behind the queen who could foresee the future…just not her own downfall. 

This series is absolutely brilliant, and I've been keen to read this ever since it was first released, but also reluctant. Why? Because two novellas isn't enough when I want the latest novel. However with the third book due to hit shelves in the UK at the start of next month, now is the perfect time to pick this one up at last.

So there you have my ten. What are some of your books by your favourite authors that you have yet to pick up, and why have you put them off until now?