You might remember that last week I wrote a piece asking about the number of unread books on your shelves.
After making a quick count, I found there were about 80 unread novels on my bookcase. I did initially think this was quite good, until I received several comments from people who reckoned that they owned about 20 unread books.
Suddenly, it looks like I have a bit of a shopping problem.
So I’m setting myself a challenge. Now that I’ve already hit my target of reading 50 books this year, I’m going to use the remaining two-and-a-half months to get through as many unread novels as I can.
I’ve included a list below of said books, and will (hopefully) be crossing them off one by one.
I suppose I also shouldn’t buy anything else for a while, but I’m not sure I can promise that just now…
If you’ve read any of the books below, I’d love some recommendations to get me started!
- Shock of the Fall, by Nathan Filer
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier- North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell
Big Sur, by Jack Kerouac- Desolation Angels, by Jack Kerouac
- The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey
- IQ84 Part One and Two, by Haruki Murakami
- IQ84 Part Three, by Haruki Murakami
- Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, by Haruki Murakami
- Beijing Coma, by Ma Jian
- The Dark Road, by Ma Jian
- Red Dust, by Ma Jian
- Humans, by Matt Haig
- For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway
To Have and Have Not, by Ernest Hemingway- Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, by Helen Fielding
- Ash Wednesday, by Ethan Hawke
- Italian Shoes, by Henning Mankell
- Voices, by F.R. Tallis
The Luminaries, by Eleanor Catton- Wonder Boys, by Michael Chabon
- The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, by John LeCarre
- Wool, by Hugh Howey
- Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, by Haruki Murakami
- The Ghost Writer, by John Harwood
Blacklands, by Belinda Bauer- Talulla Rising, by Glen Duncan
- Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
- The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
The Ice Princess, by Camilla LackbergThe Preacher, by Camilla LackbergExposed, by Liza Marklund- The Dummy Line, by Bobby Cole
The Hangman’s Song, by James Oswald- The Long Way Down, by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman
- The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins
- Immortal Beloved, by Cate Tiernan
- Herb and Lorna, by Eric Kraft
Strange Shores, by Arnaldur Indridasson- Rites, by Sophie Coulombeau
- Pure, by Julianna Baggott
- Mrs. Hemingway, by Naomi Wood
- Sea Glass, by Anita Shreve
- The Icarus Girl, by Helen Oyeyemi
- Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
- The Gathering, by Anne Enright
- Stoner, by John Williams
- Who is Mr Satoshi?, by Jonathan Lee
- Tomorrow in the Battle Think On Me, by Javier Marias
- The Witch’s Trinity, by Erika Mailman
- The Still Point, by Amy Sackville
- Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad
- Underground, by Haruki Murakami
- Lord Jim, by Joseph Conrad
- The Diary of a Nobody, by George and Weedon Grossmith
- Moonfleet, by J.M. Falkner
- The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
- The Unconsoled, by Kazuo Ishiguro
Eeny Meeny, by M.J. Arlidge- The Boy That Never Was, by Karen Perry
- Redemption, by Jussi Adler-Olsen
- The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood
Dead Scared, by S.J. Bolton(gave away)- Rant, by Chuck Palahniuk
- Moll Flanders, by Daniel Defoe
- The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy
- Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, G.W. Dahlquist
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Bronte
- Shadows in the Twilight, by Henning Mankell
- A Bridge to the Stars, by Henning Mankell
- The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles, by Roy Jacobsen
- The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway
- Black Swan Green, by David Mitchell
- The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton
- Death in the Andes, by Mario Vargas Llosa
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs- Fortune’s Deadly Descent, by Audrey Braun
- The Redeemer, by Jo Nesbo
Sneaky extra purchase
- The Watcher in the Shadows, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Strange Library, by Haruki Murakami
Beth @plasticrosaries says
I’m ashamed at the number of unread, much wanted books in my house – it doesn’t bear thinking about sometimes but then I still go to the library and I still buy more. I need telling.
From your list my favourites are Rebecca, both parts of IQ84, The Luminaries and The Icarus Girl (if only because I named my first daughter after it’s main character).
I like this idea – good luck :D!
Amy Lord says
Thanks Beth! I won’t feel too guilty for buying too many books, there are so many wonderful novels in the world and I’ll do my best to get through as many as possible!
Allie says
I really really like Brave New World – I’ve read it quite a few times and my copy’s full of notes!
Amy Lord says
I must have had that book for 10 years or more, so I feel bad for not getting round to it yet. I’m writing a dystopian novel, so it might be a good time to read Brave New World!
Jade @ Bits & Bobs says
A few I’ve read, and enjoyed:
Shock of the Fall, Rebecca and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Rebecca would make a great autumn/winter read.
1Q84 is a book I just couldn’t get along with – I didn’t get past the first.
🙂
Amy Lord says
Rebecca is high on my list, I’ve heard so many good things about it recently. Thanks for the recommendations Jade!
Rachel says
Hmm.. I know some people with much higher counts than that, and I know some that freak out when they have 8 unread books. I guess it’s a personal comfort factor? I thought I had way more than I did. I kind of shelved them one day on GRs (as a painful reminder that they are all still there waiting to be read!) and I have around 110 unread physical books, around 10 outstanding NetGalley books and god-knows-how-many-free/cheap-eBooks. I buy those with the thought that I’ll get them cheap/free and get to them “whenever” because they are just… there. I do work my way through them, but no sooner do I read 5 than I’ve bought another 6. Sigh. The life of a book lover.
Regarding recs – The Shock of the Fall is the only one I’ve read – http://confessionsofabookgeek.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/review-the-shock-of-the-fall/ but Ransom Riggs and The Book Thief are both on my TBR and I’ve heard great things about both. I did start TBT but it was pretty “heavy” because of the narration. I put it down when I was attempting to multi-read and didn’t get back to it. I will, just not yet.
R x
Amy Lord says
You just made me feel so much better about my count, Rachel! Before I made the list I was worried that I had way more unread books, so 80 didn’t initially feel too bad – it has taken me years to build up that number of books. But must admit, I didn’t count my Kindle books…
Kristin | My Life as a Teacup says
Since I’ve reached my reading goal this year, I really should adopt this challenge so that I can get through some of my unread novels!
Amy Lord says
Sounds like a plan – we’ll see who can read most by the end of the year 😉
Allison says
The Book Thief is excellent! I was so impressed by it that I read another one of Zusak’s books, I am Messenger, and was so disappointed by it. So, in summary, read The Book Thief! Haha
Amy Lord says
It’s definitely creeping towards the top of the list, Allison, so thanks for the recommendation!
Sammy says
The Snow Child is okay – probably a better winter read. I read Tender is the Night in one day whilst travelling and loved it!
Amy Lord says
I might have guessed you would have a Fitzgerald recommendation! 😉
Finley Jayne says
I’ve read quite a few of these-my top three recommendations:
Heart of Darkness
Count of Monte Cristo
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Amy Lord says
Thanks Finley! I’ve heard lots of good things about Miss Peregrine so I’m really looking forward to that one!