Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Gathering Dust: The Top Ten Books That Have Been On My Shelf The Longest

I want to read all of these books, I really do.  For some reason, I've never gotten around to it.  Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, here are the top ten books that have been sitting on my shelf a very long time and have never been read.

1. The Sweet Hereafter, by Russell Banks - Purchased for a class in first year university and I never got around to reading it for the class.  Because of the class I know what it's about and I can't bring myself to start it.

2. Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand - Purchased for a class in second year university, then I changed my mind and read something else.

3. Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller - I saw it and thought it was a good purchase, while in University, after reading The Crucible

4. The Green Mile Part 5 and 6, by Stephen King - The Green Mile was originally published as a six part serial.  I got these for my birthday in high school.  The girls who gave them to me knew I read Stephen King, but who gives you the fifth and sixth book in a series?

5. Possession, by A.S. Byatt - Purchased in high school on a recommendation.  I remember not being able to get into it.  I've heard good things since and should try it again.

6. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson - Bought I think around the 8th grade.  I had been reading books like Tom Sawyer and Anne of Green Gables.  I don't know why I never got around to this one.

7. The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - I saw it around the end of university and thought it would be a good idea to read it. 

8. Fury, by Salman Rushdie - I saw this on sale while in university and had learned about who Salman Rushdie was, so I picked it up.

9. True at First Light, by Ernest Hemingway - I had recently read Men Without Women, saw this on sale and wanted to read more Hemingway.  I still want to read more Hemingway.

10. The Orange Girl, by Jostein Gaarder - I loved Sophie's World and started buying more books by Gaarder as I came across them.  I've read two other of his novels since, but this one keeps getting put off.

What books do you have gathering dust?

9 comments:

  1. You have some good (and very impressive) books on your list. Also that is odd that you got the last parts of The Green Mile but not the first parts. It is a good book though so if you can, I would def recommend getting the first 4 books of the series!

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  2. I have a few such sequels as you, that will remain unread until I get the first.

    I finally broke down last week and began my longest duct collector, Richard B. Wright's Clara Callan, which has been with me in 3 provinces/territories. I'm not sure what my next longest is. Maybe Red Feathers by T.G. Roberts.

    Of your list, I've read the two plays. Not bad books, but I'd not be in a rush to read them.

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  3. Red, John, The Green Mile is definitely my longest dust collector. I meant to get the first four parts, then never got around to it. Now, they aren't available. If I want to read the Green Mile, I think I have to buy the whole book.

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  4. The Green Mile is one of my favourite books. Definitely Stephen King's best book. I read Death of a Salesman in high school and was very moved by it, which is hard for a teenager to feel for a school book :D I recommend it.

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  5. Treasure Island is still sitting on my Kindle unread shelf. I've heard mixed things about it which is why I keep putting it off.

    Hope you enjoy your books when you get to them!

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  6. I had a Salman Rushdie book on my list, too. LIke you, I wish I'd read more Russell Banks 'cause I think he's one of the top American writers today. But I've only read two of his books!

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  7. Teacher, I thought The Stand was supposed to be his best book? :)

    thecheapreader, I hope to read Treasure Island in 2012. It's not that long and I've read Stevenson before and enjoyed it.

    Crowe, I know what happens in The Sweet Hereafter since the book was purchased for a class. I think that's why it's so hard for me to pick it up.

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  8. ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES and FRANKENSTEIN have been sitting on my shelves for ages, but I always get distracted by other books before I can read them.

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  9. Ahab, you should definitely read Frankenstein. It's a great book.

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