Belated Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my 2024-2025 Winter TBR
The topic of today’s Top Ten Tuesday post is my 2024-2025 Winter TBR. I regret this post is coming out a day late just because it ended up a lot longer than I expected. Clearly I’m passionate about the upcoming books and why I want to read them!
I quite enjoy taking part in these quarterly seasonal reading lists. They give me a great opportunity to look ahead and get a feel for the books I want to pick up over the next few months. Next year, I’m going to make an effort to read a little bit more around topical themes and that reflects in this reading list.
So, what’s on my radar for the beginning of 2025? Let’s take a look!
January
With no special theme prevalent in January, my main aim for the books I want to pick up as part of this Winter TBR is to read what I’ve been intending to for a little while. That way I set myself up with some quality reads to kickstart my yearly reading list.
Firefight
Whilst I haven’t officially decided to set myself a goal of continuing series again in 2025, it’s always something I’ll look to do. As a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, it also makes sense to pick up one of his books to really get 2025 and this Winter TBR off to a good start.
Firefight is the second book of his Reckoner series. I really enjoyed the first instalment of the book, Steelheart, when I read it back in September 2020. Maybe considering the length of time it’s taken me to get to this sequel, prioritising started series does need to be a reading goal of 2025. For the third year running…
Rose Under Fire
I recently featured Rose Under Fire in a Shelf Control post. Since then, I knew I wanted to pick this book up soon.
I first experimented with Elizabeth Wein’s writing when reading Code Name Verity. It’s also been a good while since I picked that book up (editing Rebecca here – that was in December 2017! I’m really not good at carrying on series, am I?!)
It’s finally time to continue with this series, albeit I’m reading it out of order. I don’t think it’s the kind of series that has to be read in order though, so in the grand scheme of things that shouldn’t matter. Either way, this is an author I’ve really enjoyed to date, and the book is World War II fiction. It should be a 5 star candidate.
The Bone Collector
I’m embarrassed to admit that my sister got a copy of this book for me as I expressed an interest in it when she was back studying at university. I added this book to my Goodreads reading list in 2017. It seems I have a backlog, wouldn’t you agree? That makes The Bone Collector the perfect candidate for this Winter TBR.
Although The Bone Collector is the first book of a series, I don’t know if I’m going to continue with the series after reading the first book. It’s only really this one story I’m interested in. I suppose it depends on how good it is. That probably sounds like a very weird thing to say, and normally I would be questioning myself on this decision. However, that is my intention at this time. I have a lot on the reading list already without adding more.
February
February is Black History month, and I have added a number of reads on my Winter TBR that fit in with this theme:
In Every Mirror She’s Black
By the time I pick up In Every Mirror She’s Black, I’ll have had this book on my reading list for just over two years. I don’t really have much of fiction fitting the black history theme, but this book is one of a few.
In Every Mirror She’s Black is the book I picked up in the spur of the moment when shopping after Christmas sales a couple of years ago. I really like the sound of the synopsis and how three seemingly very different characters ultimately have similar experiences based on their race.
Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
I wanted to pick up Fearing the Black Body for a couple of reasons. Obviously, this looks at the racial themes behind fat phobia. Whilst I can’t say for sure if this is the exclusive reason those of us of a bigger size are judged, it’s a unique and topical perspective. I can also see it in a way.
As a not so skinny person myself, I have some interest in subject for other reasons. Thankfully, I’m beyond the most vulnerable age of giving a monkeys what people think of how I look. Frankly, I care far more about my health than my appearance. If anyone wants to judge me, they’re welcome to do so; I don’t care.
That being said, I would stand up for anybody being picked on for the same reason in a heartbeat. That’s why I also think it’s important to read this book and generally make myself better informed on the subject and society.
You’ll see another theme on this Winter TBR of continuing with non-fiction. Again, I don’t know if this will be a goal for next year, but they are definitely a greater part of my reading than they ever were.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance
The second fictional book I have that I plan to read during Black History month as part of this Winter TBR is Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi.
I fair only slightly better with this book in that I read the first book of the series in 2018 as opposed to 2017. It’s still been a good six years. I really enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone, that first book of the series, and I’m looking forward to continuing with it. We also have a third book in the series to date which was published in June this year. It’ll be good to get a wriggle on and get more up-to-date with this series. And hey, that’ll be another completion once I’ve finished the trilogy!
A Promised Land
An unusual selection for my TBR is A Promised Land by Barack Obama. I next to never pick up political reads. I’m just not that kind of person. Broadly speaking, my approach to politicians is one of skepticism.
However, I do think Barack enacted some good changes during his time as President in America. I also think he has a unique perspective on historic events that it will be interesting to read about.
It’s important to read out of your comfort zone now and then, and A Promised Land is going to be that for me. Will I enjoy all the political elements to the book? Probably not. Am I determined to get as much out of it as I can, though? Yes!
March
March is the month in which Women’s History is the prevalent theme. I’m looking forward to reading books in and around this genre. I have no qualms about saying that I am a feminist. I do believe women‘s rights should be bettered to make us equal to men.
Technically March is bordering into my Spring TBR as opposed to this Winter TBR, but I want to cover topics across the whole period up to the next Spring TBR post, which will be mid to late March.
Normal Women
I picked up a copy of Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women comparatively recently to some books on this TBR. Having read some of her historical fiction books in the past, I’m looking forward to this non-fiction where history is told through the lives of everyday women.
So often throughout history, the lives of women do not feature at all or in some cases have been erased completely. That’s the theme for a couple of the books I’ve got on this reading list. I’m especially looking forward to picking up this book as I especially enjoyed listening to a podcast in which Philippa discusses some of her research around one of the chapters in this book. Therefore, I’ve already had a feel for the content of some of the book and I can’t wait!
Narratives: The Stories that Hold Women Back at Work
It’s well documented that women have come across numerous setbacks at work. From being sidelined for promotions to getting less pay per hour for the same work, it’s a real problem.
I want to read some of these experiences for myself so I can educate myself and others about it. Not only that, but I can recognise any signs of these things happening and advocate for change for myself!
Eve
Eve was a recent discovery in the bookshop, and it fits the theme of Women’s History perfectly. That’s why it’s on my Winter TBR.
Much like Normal Women, the purpose of Eve is to highlight how women have shaped humanity today. Even when we’ve been suppressed, we’ve played a vital role that can’t be scrubbed from the records.
Where Eve differs from Normal Women is that the book takes a more biological lens. Whilst society is touched upon, the focus of the book is on the biological evolution of the female body and how that has contributed towards change in unexpected ways.
Summary
Today’s post is quite a long one (nearly twice the length of my average posts!), but I think you’ll agree I’ve got some great books coming up early next year.
What are you planning to read in the near future?
