Tuesday 15 November 2011

Top Ten Unread Books on my Bookshelf


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme over at The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott I remember starting to read this when I finished reading Little Women and Good Wives, which suggests that this was at least ten years ago. I fell asleep with this book on my chest...and for some reason never tried to read it again. Considering that I bought a lovely, 1950s American hardback copy of the sequel, Rose in Bloom, from a charity shop in Edinburgh a few years ago I should really read this book. That, and that Louisa May Alcott is one of my all time favourite authors!

2. The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond I heard wonderful things about this book when it first released, but it wasn't available in the UK at the time. I stalked BookMooch until I found someone who would post to the UK. And now, after all that effort, this book is languishing in a box under my bed. 

3. Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin I friend gave me this book after I raved about Property, and I put off reading it until I had read Stevenson's original Jekyll and Hyde story. This was almost two years ago so I really have no excuse for not reading this.

4. My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson This is another book that I went to an effort to get hold of and never read. My mum raved about this book, and I'd read Marshmallows for Breakfast and Goodnight, Beautiful, so it seemed sensible to get hold of the book that made Koomson so famous. I think this one is also, sadly, under my bed.

5. Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell Another under-the-bed book. Someone gave me this, and it's a particularly interesting ARC copy. I keep starting this then never getting anywhere, but the premise is too interesting for me to just give up altogether and pass on to someone else. Someday, I will read this!

6. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff I definitely want to read this now that books about Mormons are becoming more popular, and since I occasionally watch Sister Wives. I spotted this on my MIL's shelf the other day and felt guilty that I've owned this for at least a year but have no idea where it is. Box under bed, possibly? I really need another bookcase.

7. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver This one is on the shelf above my bed back home, since I've been intending to read it ever since I got hold of it. I was intrigued by the premise of this novel long before the film came out, so now I really should read it before someone spoils the plot for me or makes me watch the film first.

8. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella I bought this at the airport on my way back from Germany - which was in July 2009. I'm not even a massive fan of Sophie Kinsella, although I really enjoyed Remember Me? and The Undomestic Goddess. Considering I spent £10 on the airport paperback this book needs to be read.

9. When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall I know, I'm a very bad Amish fan if I haven't read this book. I actually bought it with an Amazon gift voucher over a year ago, just after my 19th birthday. Amazingly, my home library system has all three books in this series so I plan to read this sometime over December/January and borrow the subsequent books in the series, as I hear it's impossible not to read them one after another. Considering how unusual it is for a Scottish library to own Christian books, and Amish ones at that, I really should take advantage of this opportunity. 

10. Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge I made a big fuss over trying to get hold of this on ReaditSwapit.co.uk, and eventually a friend managed to grab it for me. At least this one is in plain sight on my university bookcase, so I've not totally forgotten it. I keep pledging to read it and then not. 

What books have been languishing on your bookcase for too long? Are there any here that grab your eye? Let me know, it may convince me to read them faster so that I can pass them on to someone else! These are all hard copies as well, I've not even looked at the 200+ books I've accumulated on my Kindle since December 2010!

9 comments:

  1. I tried to get into We Need To Talk About Kevin, but found it really tedious. I might try again though, the premise is so good it just begs to be read.

    Here's my list: http://crackaspinebookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/top-ten-tuesday-1.html

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  2. I've read some of these. Have fun, I loved them.

    Here's My Post

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  3. I hated We Need To Talk About Kevin so much it made me scream - LOL!
    Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday post. :)

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  4. I thought Mary Reilly was an interesting idea but I didn't really love with the writing. Twenties Girl is my least favourite Kinsella book, I don't think I even bought a copy but borrowed from a friend.

    I thought The 19th Wife was excellent though.

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  5. I was hoping to get into a class taught by Valerie Martin when I attended Mount Holyoke College a couple of years ago, but sadly her class was already full by the time I was able to register. :(

    I came across her novel Set in Motion at a used bookstore and bought it that semester, though. Still haven't gotten to it, however. Mary Reilly was another book of hers I was interested in trying, but I'll have to read Jekyll and Hyde first.

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  6. I really liked We Need To Talk About Kevin, although Shriver's style can be hard to get used to. It's a powerful book though!

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  7. I don't own any of the ones you have on here BUT there are some I want to read! I've heard suuuch good things about Twenties Girls as far as fun reading goes! It totally sounds like something I'd like being a twentysomething! Eight Cousins...totally want to read. I LOVE Little Women but I don't know why I haven't read any of her others!

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  8. Twenties Girl was adorable! I hope you enjoy it when you get around to reading it!

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  9. I loved Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom way back when. Seeing those titles here brought back great memories!

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