Friday, April 01, 2011

Books I HAD to have, but still haven't read

Again, I recently saw this top ten list (however I could only think of nine!) on other people's blogs recently and I really wanted to join. Perhaps one day I'll actually do these lists on the weeks that everyone else does them! :) Here is a list of books that I just HAD to buy, the need to buy them was incredibly urgent ... except then the books have just sat around since, unloved.

I haven't read any of these books, but I'd really like to. There was a reason I was so desperate to get hold of these books, wasn't there? Well, wasn't there?


Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - This one annoys me slightly as I bought it in hardback and then haven't read it. Now it's in paperback! AHHH. Oh well. I bought this one as I really loved The Time Traveller's Wife and loved the sound of this one. Sort of spooky. I'm sure I will definitely get around to reading it, but perhaps I should have just waited until my library stocked it :(



The Ice-Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson - Here's another one that I bought in hardback impulsively (and I think it's probably in paperback already, doh!). At least this book was going for a good price when I bought it at least! I do love Dorothy Koomson's other novels, so I'm hoping that I enjoy The Ice-Cream Girls just as much.



The Maze Runner by James Dashner - I bought this last summer in Bath while I was at a residential school for my university course. I was slightly panicking about being some place new and scary and buying books is usually a comforting activity for me. I bought this and another dystopic book to keep me company. I got through the other book (Adoration of Jenna Fox) with no trouble, but I worried about dystopic-overload and waited on this one. And waited. And waited. I think I'm partially put off by mixed reviews that have said this one is confusing or hard to get into it.

Perhaps this year I will take part in Presenting Lenore's Dystopian August again and tackle this book?



Airhead: Runaway by Meg Cabot - I'm a die-hard Meg Cabot fan. I'm pretty sure that I've bought all of Meg's books in hardback because I'm absolutely useless at waiting for things. But for some reason, I've been keeping this, the third and final book in the Airhead trilogy. I'm not sure why, I loved the other two and Meg Cabot is just a genius in general. But so many of her books are finished, I think I just want to hold on a little while longer.



The Dead by Charlie Higson - I love Charlie Higson! I love the Young Bond books and I really loved The Enemy. So when this book was half price in Waterstone's just after publication, I snapped it up. And then just held onto it. I think what's putting me off slightly is the size of it as well as the fact that it's a hardback. I'm not sure why that puts me off quite as much as it does, but there we have it. I always did say that I would be reading zombie/horror books after I'd wrapped up Love Month just to balance out all of the lovey-dovey romance, but I got swept up into my books sent for review by publishers pile. Soon, soon.




Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel - So what I'm learning from this exercise is that I'm a pretty big impulse buyer! Especially of hardback books, as 7 out of 10 of these are! Infinite Days had quite a pretty cover, and I hadn't read any reviews of it before I picked it up. I was still in that frame of mind where I didn't mind reading a bunch of paranormal books. I'm kind of sick of paranormals, which is why this one has been left for so long. Together with mixed reviews, I can't see this one budging from my TBR pile anytime soon. But there was definitely a reason it was picked up. If only I could get that excited about it again...




Reckless by Cornelia Funke - I bought this book just before I went to hear Cornelia Funke speak about her book at the Bath Children's Literary Festival last year. Cornelia Funke's event was just before the Maggie Stiefvater/Jennifer Lynn Barnes event and I was so disappointed not to be able to stand in the queue to get my book signed by Cornelia and instead rushed off to see the other two authors. I really love the sound of the book and I've adored Cornelia Funke's other books, but I just haven't been able to get into this book. I will soon be reviewing it for a blogging event discussing translated books though, so this will be the first book to be taken off this list and finally read. Phew.




Linger by Maggie Stiefvater - This one is pretty crazy. I was DESPERATE to read this one. So much so that I made N trawl around shop after shop when it was first published, but we weren't able to find it. N went around the shops in the town where he works and picked one up. I really wanted to read it before I went to the Maggie Stiefvater/Jennifer Lynn Barnes event in Bath last year, but life got in the way. I met Maggie though, and she signed my book. I started reading it on my way home from the event, got about 200 pages in and then just stopped. No real reason. But it's been half-read since last summer. I'm pretty sure that when I start again, I'll have to start from the beginning now.




The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman - I picked this one up at the Bath Literary Festival last year. Philip Pullman was there and he talked a bit about this, his latest book and I bought myself a signed copy. It isn't very long, it's written by one of my favourite authors and it sounds quite interesting! Still not sure why I haven't read it as yet.

In some ways, it's possibly because the main focus of my blog is reviewing YA books, so I don't place as much priority on reading other types of books (adult fiction/non-fiction). That's entirely my fault for letting this blog dictate what to read and not the other way around. I shall work on that.



Are there any books on your shelves that you were so desperate to read that you bought a copy straight away ... only for the book to be left unread on your shelves?

11 comments:

  1. Ahem, I have 5 of these in my must have asap but still haven't read pile... Reassuring to find I'm not alone in that trait!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Linger! I am laughing so much at this one. As I did the same. Was desperate to have it, the day it came out and still it sits on my shelf.
    Her Fearful Symmetry - should I say don't bother! A real disappointment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You will love Her Fearful Symmetry - have this in hard back also. Unfortunately have a whole host of other hardbacks that I haven't got round to reading mostly presents though!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ha, I've done the same thing! I have copies of The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan and You Wish by Mandy Hubbard, both of which I was dying to read. Yet they've been on my shelf for months... And I get annoyed at myself for by hardbacks too. Oh well! I hope you read Runaway and The Maze Runner soon though - they're both great!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm glad to hear it's not just me who buys books in hardback sometimes and then still hasn't read them by the time they're released in paperback!I also have 'The Ice Cream Girls' in hardback and mine is equally unread!Perhaps we should both decide on a week when we will read it?

    Apologies I haven't replied to your email yet,wanted to do it from the computer instead of my phone like I usually do and haven't had chance yet!Thank you so much for 'Rockaholic', it arrived today :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have loads of books that I was desperate to get hold of but have had for years in some cases, without reading them! I'm acquiring new books faster than I can read them, 'tis the trouble...

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have a scary number of books going back years that I just had to have and still haven't got around to reading! If I ever did a post like this I'd probably scare the crap out of myself LOL. I really do think it is time for us to band together and form bookaholics anonymous!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ah but when I buy a book and don't read it straight away, I assure myself I'm choosing not to read it yet because I'm delaying gratification. :p

    ReplyDelete
  9. Karen - Oh you've totally made me feel better as well!

    Vivienne - I actually pestered N to scour the bookshelves where he worked in order to find it. I really was desperate for it. :(

    Also, what a shame about Her Fearful Symmetry!

    Janette - I don't think it's so bad if people GIVE you the books to read and you haven't. Buying them yourself though. Glad to hear a recommendation for HFS, after the previous commenter!

    Liz - Looks like there are a bunch of us :) I really do want to get around to Runaway (I HEART MEG CABOT!) and The Maze Runner soon. We shall see :)

    SG - I think I've given up on reading schedules, it's been doing my head in this last month and a bit! But I do really, really want to get through some of these books hanging around unread for ages. They make me sad.

    No worries about the email, really! I'm glad Rockoholic got there ok :)

    Julianne - Oh, that was the trouble for me as well, but I've put myself on an almost book-buying ban. It's only sort of working :)

    Sarah - Oh, totally. My name is Michelle and I am a book-buying addict. First step is admitting you have a problem. I'd still love to see the post that you would come up with!

    Jenny - That's a wonderful way to look at it :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I relate to this so much. Sometimes I want a book so badly I'm checking the bookstore shelves a week before publication date, just in case... and then it sits on *my* shelf unread for a year.

    I would say that you should give The Maze Runner a go soon! Maybe just read three chapters and I challenge you not to be hooked. It's beyond awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lauren - Yes! I do that too. Stalk a bookstore until they have what I want and then when I get it ... nothing. Sigh.

    I shall definitely pick up The Maze Runner soon, I like a challenge like that :)

    ReplyDelete

HI! Thank you for leaving a comment, you've just become my new best friend :)