Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Top Ten Books I HAD to buy

Top Ten Books that I just HAD to buy and are now sitting sadly on my shelves.

The Painted  Girls - I just bought this last month while I was reading at a pace of 2 books a week. I couldn't get past the first few pages and moved onto a spirited reread of Pride & Prejudice. I'll go back one day, unless I forget about it.
Wise Children - This came in the same package as The Painted Girls. Wise Children was on a flavorwire list a few weeks ago and piqued my interest. It's obviously still in my unread pile. If anyone is interested my new City in Sim City is thriving, though. These facts may be related.

Never Let Me Go - I was on a Keira Knightly kick and couldn't find a copy of the DVD, so I got the book instead. I ended up watching the heart-wrenching film before starting the more emotionally damaging book. I really want to read it but I don't want to be that depressed for a while.

Mists of Avalon - I really love Arthurian mythology.  Wait, let me amend that - I really love the Arthurian Mythology that I can find on Wikipedia. Which is why when I saw Mists of Avalon at a thrift store I picked it up. I love Morgan La Fey, or what the Internet's most used and often sketchy encyclopedia tells me of her, but Avalon is LONG and I'm afraid of bookish commitments.

Atonement/Saturday/Amsterdam - I have so many Ian McEwan novels that sound amazing. Like new favorite book amazing. Only I can't get through the first fifty pages. I actually finished my first McEwan novel this year and was not satisfied, so they'll probably be on my unread shelf a little longer.

White Teeth/On Beauty - Pretty much the same as McEwan, probably because amazon recommends both to people who like Foer and Krauss. I just can't get into her prose despite how awesome her plots sound .

Infinite Jest - I'LL GET TO IT, JUST GIVE ME THREE MONTHS WITH NOTHING TO DO.

The Last Runaway - Then new Tracy Chevalier novel, which I found out about after it was published and promptly bought only to forget about it immediately.

War & Peace - Last year I finally dredged  through Anna Karenina. My pristine copy of War & Peace will probably remain unread for some time.

The Forgotten Garden/ Distant Hours - Both are books that I should really enjoy, only they've been on my shelf for years and are getting a little dusty.

Neverwhere - I love Neil Gaiman, I really really do. I just haven't gotten around to reading one of his more famous works. That doesn't make me a bad fan, right? No you're right, it kind of does.

3 comments:

kayerj said...

That's the nice thing about books--they always wait for you. good luck with your reading kelley—the road goes ever ever on

Elena said...

I totally understand what happens to you with Never Let Me Go. I really wanted to watch the film because it seemed to me really good. I read the book first and I loved it, but I don't want to remember things again :'(

Atonement is one of my favourite books. I hope you can read more pages of this one because it deservers it :)

I'm a huge fan of Neil Gaiman, but although I liked Neverwhere it's not one of my favourite books.

JaneGS said...

I know the feeling about having to have a book so when the book strikes...

You have some gems there, though. Atonement is an amazing book--maddening, yes, but very thought provoking.

The Last Runaway looks so good--if I wasn't on my library's wait list for this, I would have to buy it too. I haven't been disappointed by a Chevalier's novel yet.

I also have an unread W&P, just in case.

Never felt the need to own Infinite Jest myself, but who knows, maybe someday!

I also have an unread Never Let Me Go; thinking that I will read it later this year after I finally read Remains of the Day.

Enjoy knowing you can sleep at night because you succumbed to the need to possess these books!