Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Top Ten Books Kelly Just HAD to Buy but Still Hasn't Read


Last week we told you that we were nominated for Best Meme and thanks to you guys -- we made the final run-off vote! You can now vote for Top Ten Tuesday in the finals with one click.

For future topics/more info click here


If any of you try to tell us that you've never pined after/lusted for/impulsively bought a book that you though you absolutely couldn't live without and then never read it - you're LYING! We've all done it in the past and will again in the future. So many of the unread books on my shelves (or worse, packed away in storage) were books I whined about NEEDING but then I either lost interest or forgot about them. It's a bad habit that us bookish folks can't seem to get rid of :) Here's a list of ten books that I've been ignoring for far too long:

  1. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
  2. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier - I've read three or four other books by this author and LOVE them...but I been gracefully ignoring this one for some reason.
  3. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - I went through a kick a few years ago of devouring the classics, and even with the recent movie, it's still gathering dust on my shelf.
  4. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
  5. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - Blogger friends I trust have heartily recommended this one and I snapped it up at a charity shop. That was maybe two years ago.
  6. The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz - I possibly love the Beatles more than my own life, but I've for some reason just never opened biography even though it's supposedly the best.
  7. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
  8. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  9. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - I rushed out to buy this one since I loved Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. I don't know why I've been ignoring it for so long!
  10. Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky - After a WWII kick, I thought this book sounded perfect and begged my best friend to lend me her copy...she's since moved across the country with no hopes of getting it back soon (I'm not even sure where it is in my room!).

What books are on your list of shame...errrr I mean list of books you HAD to have and still sit unread!?

75 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, I completely forgot that Love in the Time of Cholera is on my shelf too. *faceplam*

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  2. Suite Francaise was <3 ! And I have Les Miserables sitting on my Kobo, waiting to be read; the other day I decided to peek at the table of contents to see how it's broken down and ended up running the other way--might leave that off for another time *blushes*

    My TTT

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  3. I love that you have Les Miserables on your list because I included War & Peace and thought for sure everyone would laugh that such a big classic had qualified as a book I HAD to own at one point in time.

    I also have a Marquez book on my list - I went through a classics kick, too, and bought a ton all at the same time.

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  4. Oops, I put my link on there twice; I thought it wasn't working! But I LOVE this topic. It was so hard, because I have like a million books I need to get to, since this happens to me ALL the time. And I ALSO really need to read Love in the Time of Cholera!

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  5. I have heard the same about "The Eyre Affair" - and actually tried to read it once... but didn't get very far in it. It was recommended to me in person just recently, and I just might have to give it another chance... once I read these books!

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  6. Ohhh I've heard really great things about The Eyre Affair. I do hope you enjoy it when you read it! One of my professors is actually mentioned in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I think the author used some of his work in it? But I thought it was pretty cool!

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  7. Congrats tons on being finalists. Definitely will click over to vote. I'm a big Beatles fan I had a crazy period of fandomness during high school but still loved them. Have you read "The Love We Make"? It's super interesting and written by the business manager.

    Marissa @ Rae Gun Ramblings

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  8. I have the Eyre Affair on my list too! I think I bought my copy about two years ago... possibly three.

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  9. Man, even if you never got around to Les Miserables, I still seriously admire you for your classics kick! I really want to read more - I need to do so!

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  10. Having actually read THE EYRE AFFAIR, throw my "You must read this!" into the pile of recommendations. It's especially amusing coming off a reread of Charlotte Bronte's source material.

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  11. I need to read Les Misérables. I used to read a lot of classics and then just stopped! Funny how readers go through different phases. Thanks for the reminder. :)

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  12. Oh, Love in the Time of Cholera, how sad and shelved you are. =( I feel like everyone has that book and only half the people read it, so I'm totally with you.

    My TTT

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  13. Les Mis is another one I have had forever and just haven't picked up. One day maybe.

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  14. So I am that person that's going to say I don't have any books that I've done this to... I don't buy enough at one time to have them stacking up on me haha. Maybe one day I will get to that point...

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  15. Kelly I'm glad that you were able to make it to the Top Finals, I also voted for you guys :D I actually didn't know about the whole voting thing or that you were nominated but I was at Parajunkee and just came across it...CONGRATS! Hope Top Ten Tuesday wins, but to be nominated and come this far is quite an honour in itself.

    Have you noticed that as of late there re SOOO many books made into movies? Just from the other day there was The Great Gatsby, Beautiful Creatures, Hansel & Gretel, Les Miserables, Oz the Great & Powerful, Jack the Giant Slayer, Life of Pi, Safe Haven and Great Expectations and that's the ones that's currently showing LOL It's great for all us book lovers though, as I love seeing how well the movie was adapted. I'm yet to see one that's just as good if not better than the book though.

    My Top Ten

    Have a great week!

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  16. I loved the Under the Tuscan sun movie. I wonder if the book is better...Awesome list. Here is my TTT list on the Life & Times Blog.

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    1. I haven't read the book but I hear it is a very different experience from the film so you may be disappointed if you are looking for that specific story. Not that it's a bad book but the things are they have in common are basically Tuscany and house.

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  17. I see we both have The Beatles bio on our list. I LOVE The Beatles but seriously that book is over 900 pages. Just need the time!

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  18. 'Les Misérables' is a beautiful book, even better than the movie. Oh and 'Love in the Time of Cholera' is a must read! It's one of my all-time-favorites I read it multiple times. I hope you give it a chance soon. :)
    'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' was a DNF for me, I don't know just didn't feel like nothing special - I would rather reread 'Pride and Prejudice' than read that one...

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  19. I love your list! I've read five of them, and have two sitting on my shelf (and they really should be on this week's top 10 list, now that I think of it!). Good luck. I loved the Deliverance Dane book, but really, there are just so many that are great choices. :)

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  20. Les Miserables is definitely an intimidating book. Don't blame you for having put it off

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  21. Haha, "list of shame" that's exactly how I felt when I was listing mine! But I think I need to add Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as well as all of Lisa See's books, since my mother has them ALL! BTW, I voted;) you guys are awesome, good luck!!

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  22. Haha, "list of shame" that's exactly how I felt when I was listing mine! But I think I need to add Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as well as all of Lisa See's books, since my mother has them ALL! BTW, I voted;) you guys are awesome, good luck!!

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  23. Haha, "list of shame" that's exactly how I felt when I was listing mine! But I think I need to add Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as well as all of Lisa See's books, since my mother has them ALL! BTW, I voted;) you guys are awesome, good luck!!

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  24. Well, I haven't read any books on your list, and I don't have any in common, but I considered Reading Le Mis before I realized I would be Miserable from reading it (Good but depressing and I can rarely ever do depressing). Good list!

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  25. You have got to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - it's way better than Shanghai Girls (which is amazing, too)!

    Great list this week :)

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  26. It's way understandable why Hugo is still on the un-read pile. THAT BOOK IS DAUNTING IN LENGTH.

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  27. Under the Tuscan sun is one of my all time favorites. Maybe one day pick it up and blow of the dust.
    I haven't heard of any of the others.
    When do we get the results??

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  28. I've just started my book blog yesterday! This looks like something I'll try and get involved in every week. Les Mis is in my ten too, It's a pretty thick book and I've not yet had the resolve to start it. Umm also, my name is in that list twice and I don't knokw how to remove it - sorry!

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  29. I'm so glad you made it to the final round! :) You deserve that and more. It's just the TTT, it's all the love you have for books :)

    The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is a funny one. At the beginning it took me a while get into the story, but it was a good book. It has everything: mystery, love, books and you laugh a lot. I hope you read it soon :)

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  30. Hi, I just started a book blog yesterday! This looks like something I'll try to get involved in every week and from what I've seen your blog is awesome. As for my ten, Les Mis is in there too, It's a pretty thick book and I've not yet had the resolve to start it yet. Umm also, my name is on that list twice, I don't know how to remove it - sorry!

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  31. Okay so I just published a comment twice thinking it hadn't appeared! Then I realised you probably have to approve them before the show up? I think you can tell I'm a blogging beginner!

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  32. List of shame is just about right. I've had One Thousand Years of solitude on my shelf for so long. SO long.

    (I've also been guilty of borrowing a book for so long that returning it becomes difficult if not impossible >.< )

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  33. Suite Francaise is one of the best books I've ever read and, if you like war stories, if you like WWII, if you just like good books, you need to go ahead and read it this year.

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  34. I really enjoyed The Physik Book of Deliverence Dane. I picked it up when the Border's here was going out of business, and was glad I did. Good read!

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  35. I picked up The Physik Book of Deliverance Dane when the Border's here was going outo f business. It was a good read, and I was glad I did!

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  36. You're right...we all have those books we have to buy and then they just sit on our shelves, e-readers, or in boxes!

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  37. These lists definitely make me feel somewhat ashamed of myself lol. I completely forgot about Les Misérables, it's been on my shelf for AGES! And Snowflower and the Secret Fan is an amazing book!! Definitely worth the read :)

    <3
    Taylor

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  38. Ooh, I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan for my book club last year. It was a good one; sometimes brutal, but very emotional. It's worth the read, when you finally get around to it. :)

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  39. Haha I have Les Mis also. I don't know when that will ever be read!

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  40. I have a few classics on my list too, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who went through a classics kick. I thought about reading Les Miserables, and even requested it from the library but then I decided I didn't need to read it after all...

    I may need to read The Eyre Affair and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies someday. Great list!

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  41. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is so good!

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  42. Congrats! Oo, I should try Les Miserables at some point too, I love the musical!

    Anya @ On Starships and Dragonwings

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  43. This was an embarrassingly easy post to write this week...
    :)

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  44. I have the PHYSICK book, too. It still looks good, I just haven't gotten around to reading it. One of these days ...

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  45. Of those I would definitely recommend Love in the Time of Cholera -- one of my very favorite books

    My TTT

    Eva @ All Books Considered

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  46. I love Jasper Fforde, The Eyre Affair is fantastic (although my favourite Fforde is actually Shades of Grey). I'm actually giving it away for World Book Night this year

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  47. This was a great topic! Too many books to choose from, but definitely enlightening - moved a few old buys up my to-read list! :)

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  48. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane should have been on my Top Ten list too, that book has been on my shelf FOREVER!
    My TTT!

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  49. Great topic ! I had not done TTT for a while, but this was the perfect topic to get back to it ^^.

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  50. Sorry, I'd already done next week's! Stupid me. Posted the real one now. Love in the Time of Cholera isn't on my list, but it is...like, I've owned it forever, I just...keep forgetting to read it. But it was never one of my must-have books.

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  51. You're right - we all do it! It's one of the reasons I call myself a book hoarder... because I haven't read all of the books on my shelves! Gah. Need to get on that. Hope you enjoy these ones - I liked P&P&Z, myself!

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  52. I have a huge pile of library books, a smaller stack of books I bought and neglected... and I'm re-reading a favorite series instead of a more productive choice.

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  53. Just added my link. I'm so thrilled to have found this meme. I hope to be able to participate regularly.

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  54. Oh man, this is the story of my life. I have wayyyyy tooo many books waiting around on my shelves. The Physick book of DD is on mine too. I am trying to read TBR stuff this year to reduce the embarrassing mountain of books, but reviews, short term memory loss, new shiny books all contribute to me neglecting them for longer. Great topic!

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  55. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane has been on my Kindle forever (good thing I limited my list to physical books on my physical bookshelf - that electronic bookshelf is another matter!). We should do a read along!

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  56. Way too many books that haven't been read. I could have gone longer than just 10.

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  57. Suprisingly enough I've read The Secret Flower - only because a friend lent it to me and I had a timeframe I had to read it in, otherwise I don't think it's one I would've picked up for myself. I really liked it though, worth reading! [But aren't all books on our lists of shame hahaha]

    I hope you get around to reading a few of them this year!

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  58. I really liked The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and The Eyre Affair! And Remarkable Creatures made my list last time (not that I read it in between these lists, I suck)...
    I didn't know you loved the Beatles so much! I pretty much grew up on their music! My dad is a huge fan! :)

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  59. Wow, thats a very interesting list with many different genres. I want to read Pride, Predjudice and Zombies just to see how different it is to the original! Happy REading!

    My Top Ten!

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  60. I need to read the Eyre Affair too! So many people say it's really good... :-)

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  61. Glad I'm not the only one who does this! lol :)

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  62. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier is excellent.

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  63. I really liked Les Miserables when I read it for writing class last year. Also, that Beatles biography sounds like my cup of coffee! Hope you get to enjoy these soon!

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  64. I have Les Mis sitting on my TBR shelf as well!. The Eyre Affair is really good, give it a try!

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  65. I have the sixth Wheel of Time book hanging out somewhere on my shelf, because after I finished the fifth one I was all, HAVE TO KEEP GOING, but it's been at least four or five years and I still haven't touched it...

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  66. I am creating a list on my bedroom wall of all the memes I've tried doing. This time, I'm gonna get to this one every week. I WON'T FORGET!!(:

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  67. Suite Francaise is well worth the effort of looking for it. And besides, it's bad reading mojo to lose your friend's book. ;)

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  68. Oh, I LOVED The Priory!! It was my first Whipple and I completely understood what all the fuss was about. I also really liked Remarkable Creatures. I've since read Chevalier's newest, The Last Runaway, which I also enjoyed, and Falling Angels, not so much. And I picked Shanghai Girls for the May read for our library's book group, so I'm looking forward to that.

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  69. I'm so relieved to know I'm not alone in this! Kelly, you have an eclectic assortment of unread books! The Eyre Affair is on my TBR list, but an actual copy has yet to find its way into my hands. I hope you have a chance to read some of these soon!

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  70. I seriously didn't think I'd be able to come up with 10 books, but I did! This list was a bit of an eye-opener on my spending habits :)

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  71. Suite Francaise would have been my #11! I'm a fan of Alan Furst's books and I grabbed it because it sounded similar. Someday I'll get to it!

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  72. I'm running so late this week, but I needed to publicly expose my shame, so I'm doing this week anyway :)

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