TBR is Book Riot’s subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes. Been dreaming of a “Stitch Fix for books?” Now it’s here! Tell TBR about your reading preferences and what you’re looking for, and sit back while your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you. TBR offers plans to receive hardcover books in the mail or recommendations by email, so there’s an option for every budget. TBR is also available as a gift to give to the readers in your life! Visit mytbr.co to sign up today. Need help picking a book that’s daunting enough to make this challenge interesting? I’ve rounded up eight novels that can all be intimidating in different ways—from doorstoppers to tearjerkers and more. The story depicts the thoughts of an Ohio housewife, capturing both her personal worries and her concerns about the world as a whole. It ruminates on the brutality of human history with an anxious eye on Earth’s environmental future. Set in near-future England, this novel focuses on Kathy as she recollects her life in a mysterious boarding school called Halisham. As she grows older, she discovers the startling purpose of Halisham and the implications that has for herself and her friends. Ah, but it’s the first book in the 41-part Discworld series. This installment is told from the perspective of a neurotic “wizzard” named Rincewind who guides the first ever tourist to his hometown Ankh-Morpork. If you love it and want to keep reading, it could take you at least a year or more to finish them all. It’s a journey that I highly recommend, but definitely a daunting one. Homegoing begins with two half-sisters: Effia and Esi, who live in 18th century Ghana. It follows their lives and the lives of their descendants through slavery, British colonization, the Civil War, 20th century Harlem, and the present day. If you decide to read The Silmarillion this year, I’d recommend listening to a recap podcast that analyzes it chapter-by-chapter. That way, you’re less likely to get lost. One that helped me through this journey is The Prancing Pony Podcast, but there are plenty of others out there, too.
