Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Neglected TBRs

Ahh the To Be Read shelf. It's a lovely thing, isn't it? So many books acquired and catalogued with the excitement of reading them . . . soon. Always soon. Ideally I'd like to read every book the instant I bring it home, maybe even before, in one sitting, right there on the spot, without even putting it down first. But alas, life does not allow for such indulgences, so the TBR shelf. Trouble is, the number of books on my shelf far exceeds the number of hours in a day. Unfair! Books that simply must be read keep getting published, discovered and aquired at an alarming rate - how's a person to cope? I keep glancing at my shelf and thinking, Maybe I'll just get this new one out of the way first and THEN I'll be able to settle down with these older ones . . .

Perhaps taking them off the shelf and exposing them to the sunlight will help.

10. Four Spirits by Sena Jeter Naslund - Coming-of-age in 1960s Alabama. Sounds good, doesn't it? Kind of Secret-Life-of-Bees'ish.

9. A Blade of Grass by Lewis DeSoto - Friendship between a black woman and a white woman in South Africa. Also sounds really good.

8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway - I wasn't interested at first but I found a copy at a used bookstore, read a few pages and decided it needed to come home with me for a closer look.

7. Say You're One Of Them by Uwem Akpan - Short stories, how I've grown to love your existence! Why can't I muster the energy to pick you over the newer stuff? Don't know.

6. There is a World Elsewhere by F. Gonzalez-Crussi - Memoir of a Mexican barrio childhood

5. Out of Place by Edward W. Said - Memoir of a Middle East childhood

4. Istanbul by Orhan Pamuk - Memoir . . . ehn, I'm kind of memoired out.

3. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid - I really should read this already but the word 'fundamentalist' makes me cringe.

2. Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry - India! Yes, I see you there, bookish controversy and all.

1. All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy - Soon, I promise. Soon.

A Top Ten Meme from The Broke and The Bookish

39 comments:

Anne@HeadFullofBooks said...

The Cellist of Sarajevo should be on my list, too, since it has been on my TBR pile for a long, long time.

Anne@Head Full of Books

Carol said...

I hear you.
It is a responsibility keeping those TBR shelves moving.

Enjoy :)

carol

Tracy said...

Well, as you know, this year I had a moratorium on acquiring new books until I'd beaten my TBR shelf into submission - and it has worked!

The Reluctant Fundamentalist - I thought it was pretty good, and it's a very quick read. (Especially if you liked Murakami's Norwegian Wood. )

Trish said...

Anne - reading it will happen very soon, I'm sure ;)

Dizzy - it's kind of like an assembly line, isn't it? Just keep it moving and things will be fine.

Tracy - I remember you saying that at the beginning of the year. I've even thought about it for myself now and then. It's just that I have access to some really good and cheap used book stores in my neighborhood. Almost impossible to resist that. Ahh well. I'm glad to hear you've been successful. Does it end with the new year?

Toni D. said...

All I'm familiar with is The Cellist of Sarajevo, and to think I worked at a book store for nearly 4 years! Good luck with your tbr pile.

Anne said...

Love your list, a lot of interesting books that I have not read yet either.

Beth said...

I have two TBR piles. One is of books I’ve picked up on a whim and/or feel I should read and the other is of books I really, really want to read. The first one tends to languish while I indulge in the second. There are times I promise myself – no more from the second until you’ve finished the first. I only get so far, and then I’m back to #2.

Trish said...

toni - it's only been around for a few years, but it's been quite popular. I'm looking forward to getting to it.

Anne- it's a list that never really ends, does it?

Beth - lol that all sounds very..complicated. It's every book for itself in my house.

Amy @ bookgoonie said...

Nice list. I can't help steer you. I haven't read any of them.

RachelKiwi said...

i've had istanbul on my shelf for years too. its a beautiful cover, isn't it? and its just been collecting dust since 2008!

Anonymous said...

I've never read any of those!
Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday post. :)

Trish said...

Amy & domesticgoddess - I know. I'm going to have to muddle through this myself, I think. Thanks anyway, though :)

rachelkiwi - It is lovely! And normally I really like memoirs but I just haven't been in the mood.

Unknown said...

Love your blog! So glad you commented on mine so I have now found yours. The Cellist of Sarajevo looks wonderful - just added it to my TBR. Someday maybe that list will get shorter, not longer.

Red said...

I've heard good things about The Reluctant Fundamentalist but I haven't read it yet.

Trish said...

Broche - thanks! yes, I'm going to make a real effort to tackle this list and make it shorter.

Red - I know, right? It's not very long either so I really should see what it's all about and be done with it already.

Katja Weinert said...

Lol, about The Reluctant Fundamentalist, but I know what you mean - the power of the word.

I'll definitely give The Road a try, thanks for stopping by :)

Scribacchina said...

I hope you give The Cellist of Sarajevo a closer look soon :-) it is good!
Thank you for visiting my blog!

Falaise said...

Istanbul is brilliant - really evocative. GIve it a go, I'm sure you'd love it.

Trish said...

K R - yeah, sometimes a word isn't just a word, ya know? I'll get over it soon . . .

Scribaccina - I'm really tempted to just make it my next read!

Falaise - Yes, and I've always been fascinated by that city and all its history.

Anonymous said...

I'm ashamed to say that I'm unfamiliar with all ten of your books. :-) The short story one is one I'd look into though. I've had a project this year to read one per week, and I've really had fun with it.

Cormac McCarthy is an author I want to test the waters of at some point, but the book you mention isn't one of the ones I know.

-Jay

Anonymous said...

I haven't read All the Pretty Horses but if it's anything like his other books, I'm sure it's very enjoyable!

Happy reading!

Alison at The Cheap Reader

MJ Thomas said...

I have never even heard of all of these books.

Here's My Post

Anonymous said...

I have Say You're One of Them on my TBR shelf and plan to read it next year! I love short stories. :)

Trish said...

Jay - short stories are so great for filler reading when I'm between books or don't have a lot of time. And yes, McCarthy is an author I'd like to read more of.

cheapreader - I'm hoping so :)

GF - lol yeah some of them are kind of obscure . . .

Trish said...

readinginwinter - it looks good, doesn't it?

Tracy said...

Yes, it ends on 31st December! But I've demolished a huge swathe of tottering book piles this year.

I have four charity shops within five minutes walk of me, all of them sell books - which is how I ende up with such a huge TBR pile in the first place.

Jenna St. Hilaire said...

Wow; I haven't even heard of most of these! I should totally try out the McCarthy book, though.

Kayla said...

I've only read The Road by McCarthy and I loved it, so I really need to read more of him. I've heard amazing things about Blood Meridian and Country for Old Men, so I'll probably get to those first, and then I'll look into Pretty Horses. :)

Valette M. said...

Oh, yes. That elusive TBR shelf. One day I'll get to it! :)

Jamie said...

I want to read some Cormac McCarthy but just...haven't! I've had Say You're One of Them on my list for sooo long! Also been wanting to read The Cellist of Sarajevo. I also wasn't initially interested until I heard some good things from people I trust!

Just a Lil Lost said...

Ooh I've heard of the Cellist of Sarajevo.. Heard it's good! Must add that to my TBR list (uh oh... i think that's defeating the purpose of the theme today... lol)

Thanks for stopping by!

Michele | Top 10 Tues

Suey said...

Wow! A list of books that I haven't even heard of! Except All the Pretty Horses that is, which is a very lovely book indeed.

Megan said...

The Cellist of Sarajevo is one of those books I just had to have right away, but I haven't managed to read it. There really *are* too many books, and much much too little time!

Trish said...

Tracy - that's fantastic! A year long book diet could not have been easy.

Jenna & Kayla - yes, McCarthy is an author I'd like to become more familiar with.

Vallett - hehe yeah, no kidding. Soon.

Jamie - they look good don't they?

Lil Lost - I know! too funny. It's a vicious circle I tell you.

Suey - oohh great to hear you liked it. I am so looking forward to it.

Megan - funny how that happens ;)

Jen said...

Good luck completing your list!

kayerj said...

thanks so much for stopping by, you have a nice place here. Looks like you've got some reading to do.

Trish said...

thanks! yeah, I'd better get busy ;)

laughingwolf said...

mccarthy's is the only one i've heard of... most on my tbr list are fantasy, horror, sci-fi... though i include others, esp those by writer pals :)

palindrome for wv: thqht

Trish said...

I'm trying to fit more dystopian into my reading. I haven't warmed up to fantasy and sci-fi as of yet, though. It could happen one day . . .