Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Spring 2021 TBR

by Cathy
Published: Last Updated on

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is Books on my Spring 2021 TBR and I’ve done a thorough spring clean of my TBR list. Now that the weather is starting to get a bit milder and the days are getting longer, I’m looking forward to taking my books to the local park and enjoying them in the sunshine.

Have you already got your Spring TBR list ready? I’d love some inspo for my Summer TBR! Let me know what you’re reading this spring in the comments.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life.

This is the first book on this list that I’ve seen rave reviews about (especially on Twitter) and they caught my attention. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the twists and turns of Evelyn Hugo’s life. Based on the blurb, I’m hoping there’s going to be a juicy plot twist at the end.

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org


A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, trans. Henning Koch

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Last year, I read and really enjoyed An Island by Karen Jennings. In the Goodreads reviews, someone had compared it to A Man Called Ove which piqued my interest in this story. Ove seems like a rough-edged, yet loveable character. I can’t wait to see how his relationship develops with the quirky family who moves in next door.

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org


To Cook a Bear by Mikael Niemi, trans. Deborah Bragan-Turner

A fantastic tale set in the far north of Sweden in 1852 following a runaway Sami boy and his mentor, the revivalist preacher Laestadius, as they investigate a murder in their village along with the mysteries of life.

The title of this book intrigued me! I love mystery/thriller books but sometimes they can all seem quite similar. I’ve been looking for something in the genre that’s a bit different, so hopefully, this is it!

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org


Pine by Francine Toon

They are driving home from the search party when they see her. The trees are coarse and tall in the winter light, standing like men. Lauren and her father Niall live alone in the Highlands, in a small village surrounded by pine forest. When a woman stumbles out onto the road one Halloween night, Niall drives her back to their house in his pickup. In the morning, she’s gone.

This mystery thriller set in the Scottish Highlands has been on my TBR for a while now. I’ve gone back and forth about reading it, but a good friend, who has a very similar taste in books to me, gave it a good rating. So, I’ve put it back on my TBR list and am determined to read it this year!

Amazon | Goodreads


The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course. Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman. Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

I’m enjoying films and books about magic a lot at the moment, so The Lost Apothecary seems right up my street. I’m hoping for something that’s a mix of Bridgit Collins’ The Binding and Stacey Halls’ The Familiars. I can’t wait for it to be released this month!

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org


Merging the Drift by Tom Bray

“How much do you know about your death?” On the morning of his 18th birthday Ali woke up to his family home unusually silent, and deserted. He soon learns that he never lived the childhood he remembers and all his memories up until that point are fake. He is now alone, and an occupant of the Drift, an entity where deceased children coexist as their adult selves, with the ability to view a parallel version of their being in a separate, fictional world, without any influence or control over this life path.

The idea behind this book really caught my attention – a re-imagining of what happens after death. I’ve started this book already and the first chapter really got me hooked. I’m excited to see where it goes and what really happened to Ali.

Amazon | Goodreads


Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer

When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

So, I have the audiobook of this and I can’t wait to get stuck in. I have to admit I wasn’t a die-hard Twilight fan when the series was popular. But I liked the first book in the series. Seeing things from Edward’s perspective is definitely going to be interesting!

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org


The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

I LOVE a thriller, especially a murder mystery! This book is giving me Agatha Christie’s Peril at End House. A whodunnit with a whole host of potential suspects with nowhere to hide, I can’t wait! Hopefully, I’ll figure out who the murderer is before I get to the end.

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org


Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf, trans. Tim Mohr

Mike Klingenberg isn’t exactly what you’d call one of the cool kids at his school. For one, he doesn’t have many friends. (Okay, zero friends.) And everyone laughs when he has to read his essays out loud in class. (Not in a good way.) And he’s never, ever invited to parties—especially not the party of the year, thrown by the gorgeous Tatiana. Andre Tschichatschow, a.k.a. Tschick (not even the teachers can pronounce his name), is new in school, and a whole different kind of unpopular. He always looks like he’s just been in a fight, he sleeps through nearly every class, and his clothes are a tragedy.

I love the film adaptation of this book and the German original has been on my TBR for a while. The story follows two teenage boys who travel across Germany and have some fairly wild adventures along the way. The film is a feel-good coming of age story and I have high hopes for the book.

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org


Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her.

I’ve read a lot of good things about Klara and the Sun, so I’m looking forward to reading it. Lots of reviewers can’t seem to put it down and based on a short excerpt I read on Lithub, I don’t think I’ll be able to either.

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

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17 comments

Ellie Warren March 16, 2021 - 10:09 am

I’m looking forward to be able to sit and read outside again too!

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Catherine March 16, 2021 - 10:12 am

Me too, Ellie! Fingers crossed that the warmer weather arrives sooner rather than later, haha.

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Lydia March 16, 2021 - 10:36 am

I hope you like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-on-my-spring-2021-tbr/

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Catherine March 17, 2021 - 3:32 am

Thank you! I saw that Clara and the Sun is on your TBR too! I’d love to hear your thoughts once you’ve read it.

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Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse March 16, 2021 - 10:51 am

Your #1 was such a good book! I also want to read your #2.

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Catherine March 17, 2021 - 3:33 am

I’ve heard some really good things about #1 and #2, I can’t wait to get stuck into them both.

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Molly @ Molly's Book Nook March 16, 2021 - 11:42 am

I’ve heard great things about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo! I got The Lost Apothecary in my BOTM box. I’m excited for that one. Ohhh and I’m currently listening to The Guest List. I hope you enjoy all your reads! 🙂

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Catherine March 17, 2021 - 3:34 am

Thanks Molly, it seems like we have a similar reading list at the moment! I’d love to know what you think of The Guest List when you’ve finished it.

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Ashley March 16, 2021 - 12:44 pm

So many great choices here and a few I’ve never seen before! I’ll be adding a few to my own TBR. 🙂

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Catherine March 17, 2021 - 3:36 am

Thanks, Ashley, I’m pleased my TBR has inspired you!

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Jo March 16, 2021 - 2:27 pm

I’ve seen so much about Evelyn Hugo, it definitely has me intrigued!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/03/16/top-ten-tuesday-307/

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Catherine March 17, 2021 - 3:38 am

It seems like everyone has read Evelyn Hugo except me which was a big reason for it being on my list – haha! I saw you’ve Holly Jackson’s Good Girl, Bad Blood on your TBR – I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it! I thought A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was a great book!

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Emma @ The Book Brief March 16, 2021 - 4:40 pm

Great list! I loved Klara and the Sun and The Guest List, and Evelyn Hugo is on my list too!

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Catherine March 17, 2021 - 3:39 am

Thanks for the positive words about Klara and the Sun and The Guest List! I’m thinking of re-jigging my TBR list so I can get to them first! haha

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Susan (Bloggin' 'bout Books) March 16, 2021 - 6:45 pm

I also love me a good thriller, especially a locked-room type mystery. While I liked the premise of THE GUEST LIST, the story left me feeling disappointed. Bummer. I hope you like it more than I did. Enjoy all these books!

Happy TTT!

Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

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Catherine March 17, 2021 - 3:43 am

Thanks, Susan! I’ve read some mixed reviews about The Guest List so far, so I’m hoping it’s good. I had a similar experience with Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman – the idea of the book was great but it took me a while to get into it.

I had a look at your TTT and I’ve now got a couple of your recs on my TBR list – You’ll Thank Me for This by Nina Siegal looks really good!

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Deirdre MJ April 12, 2021 - 1:50 pm

I’ve been on the hunt for a feel good coming of age story! “Why We Took the Car” sounds great and it sounds like I need to watch the movie too. My Spring TBR pile is getting quite daunting too (lol) but that won’t stop me from adding to it. I thought I would recommend one of my recent reads “Girl with the Rose Tattoo” by Larry Weiss. This is a book that had me hooked from start to finish. The story follows Tina, a young headstrong rebellious teen who has partnered up with a terrible guy who views her as HIS property. For anyone who has been in a bad relationship this book is for you. Tina ends up pregnant, homeless and still at the mercy of Rob, vengeful/violent jerk(!!!) who keeps coming back. It isn’t until she meets a new friend and protector (her true alter-ego) Jenny that she begins to realize her own inner strength and power. You can read more about it here – https://street-fiction-writer.com/If you check it out I would love to hear your thoughts. Happy reading!

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