So here today I present to you an Unread Books Challenge. Give me the list or take a picture of all the books you have stacked on your bedside table, hidden under the bed or standing in your shelf – the books you have not read, but keep meaning to. The books that begin to weigh on your mind. The books that make you cover your ears in conversation and say, ‘No! Don’t give me another book to read! I can’t finish the ones I have!’
Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald. I’m coming back for more after The Great Gatsby.
Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier. This is blogger/reader’s choice. How can I miss out?
The Heat of the Day, Elizabeth Bowen. Another must-read after her previous works.
Hex, Darieck Scott. A local African American author and professor whose works have intrigued me.
A Survey of Chinese History, Shu-chi Fan. It’s been a resolution to read the history of China since the beginning of time to the present.
The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins. I actually started this one before The Moonstone and put it away for vacation.
A Visitation of Spirits, Randall Kenan. One of the most overlooked American prose stylists.
Faceless Killers, Henning Mankell.
Mudbound, Hillary Jordan. This book has sit on my night-stand forever. It’s about time.
Also considered for the Lake Las Vegas weekend are The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Epstein and The Shanghai Sisters by Lisa See.
Filed under: Blogging, Book Blogging, Books, Meme, Personal, Reading | Tagged: Booking Through Thursday, Meme, Personal, Weekly Event |
A Guy's Moleskine Notebook 
I’m looking forward to your review of Rebecca. Such a great book.
I guess I need to read Rebecca. I do have The Woman in White on my Kindle, waiting for someone (ahem) to do a read-along!
If these are the tip of the iceberg how many others do you have hiding around?? I’m a little scared to take part in this particular activity – I’m in denial about how many unread books I have around my house!
I feel especially compelled to read Rebecca since everyone in the blogosphere has been raving about it in the most flattering of ways.
I wonder since this is your tip of the iceberg, what else you have lined up on your TBR?
I would really like to read THe Woman in White and Rebecca…Someday!
I have Rebecca on my pile of books to read too!! Shanghai Sisters was fantastic!!
I look forward to your review on Rebecca and The Woman in White. The first book is already onto my wishlist, while the latter I haven’t got around to! 😛
Oooh, what a great stack of books! I’m excited for you.
Here’s my picture.
And “Tender is the Night” won’t disappoint you. It doesn’t have the simplistic and raw power of “The Great Gatsby” but it’s solid nonetheless.
http://mycocaine.wordpress.com/
oy. I was too lazy to do BTT this week- and too scared! Pictures of my TBR pile are best left for Halloween. I just got REBECCA this week, woo!
Enjoy Tender is the Night. It’s good, but sadly, I think none of Fitzgerald’s work can compete with Gatsby!
I’m planning to read Rebecca soon too.
I loved Mudbound – very simple, but very powerful. I’m sure you’ll love it.
Odd – I took a photo on Wednesday intending to do the same sort of post and have F. Scott Fitzgerald on mine as well!
http://stackedblog.com/2009/07/10/1465/
I’m quite embarrased at my lack of progress with Genji (I got distracted, reading another book to discuss with a friend). But I hope to finish it eventually. This is one I think will be best for me to read in chunks, setting it aside and then returning to it. I have several others I want to get through before the leaves fall. I’ve posted my picture on Flickr.
I would send a pic if I had a wide-angle lens to take in my mound of books.
I recently read Mudbound and really enjoyed – it is a very quick read.
I also have the Kenan and been trying to read but since my tbr list changes weekly it just seems to get shuffled arounf.
Next up —
A Summer of Hummingbirds: Love, Art, and Scandal in the Intersecting Worlds of Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Martin Johnson Heade by Christopher Benfey
Waiting in the wings —
Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald; Clear Pictures: First Loves First Guides by Reynolds Price; Look at Me by Anita Brookner
Karen, it’s comforting to know others are in denial about all those unread books; that’s where I found the Brookner and Fitzgerald books. Of course, I also went bookshopping last week.
The bonus for reading Rebecca is that you can watch Hitchcock’s movie afterwards 🙂 I read Rebecca with some members of my online bookgroup and we had a great IRL get-together this way.
I also enjoyed The Woman in White: it took a while to get into but I really liked it after that. Strangely enough I had a different view on Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith after reading Collins…
I hope you enjoy Rebecca. It’s such a great story. I’ve been trying to find more of Daphne DuMaurier books on bookmooch but haven’t had much luck. After reading My Cousin Rachel I feel like I must read more!
Nymeth:
I’m saving Rebecca for my weekend getaway next week. It’s meant to be read all in one sitting (I’ll try). 🙂
Sandy:
Maybe I shall host a Woman in White read-along? 🙂
Karen:
The rest of the TBR books scattering in piles on the floor. They are books that I pick up along the way but are not “urgent” reads. 🙂
lena:
I’ve got two piles of ARCs that have accumulated over months. And there are those books that I have picked up along the way when I go scouring bookstores.
Melissa – Shhh I’m Reading:
These two would make another literary pair. Great for summer and vacation reads. 🙂
Staci:
I’m 30 pages into Shanghai Sisters and I cannot put it down. Lisa See’s descriptions of Shanghai in the 1930s reminds me of Eileen Chang’s novels.
Melody:
I’m bringing Rebecca and The Woman in White with me to Las Vegas, where I’ll stay at a non-gaming lake resort. My plan is to finish both while I’m there. 🙂
Connie:
I’m very excited about them as well. 🙂
filthylogician:
I think The Great gatsby is very difficult to beat, but I agree with your evaluation with Tender is the Night. I shall get to it soon. 🙂
Marie:
Halloween?!? Now you’ve got me all curious! 🙂
Amy Reads Good Books:
I thought the same way about The Great Gatsby. But his prose is doubt beautiful and raw.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books):
Sandy suggests I should do a The Woman in White read-along; I’m also thinking about one on Rebecca. I’m sure the book will spark a lot of discussion. 🙂
Christina:
I find Fitzgerald topping many reading lists as well this summer. 🙂
Greg S:
I have to make my way back to Genji as well, since the whole Hawaii teaching excursion and the long weekend in Palm Springs have compromised my progress. I found it challenging to focus on Genji’s adventures in the suffocating heat! 🙂
Beverly:
I have an idea to collect everyone’s wide-angle portraits of their TBR mounds and make a collage out of them. 🙂
Molly:
You’ve got a lot of awesome books lined up! As I’m writing, I’m marking down these titles for future references. Last time I read Penelope Fitzgerald and Anita Brookner back to back, I think they are both due for another visit.
gnoegnoe:
What’s your opinion on Sarah Waters?
iliana:
I’ve got Rebecca lined up for my upcoming vacation, and My Cousin Rachel is on my radar. 🙂
I’ve read Rebecca and Women in White. Two books that I haven’t been able to bring myself to read are Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.
My recent trip to the UK has meant another few books being brought back. Had to leave quite a few back in the UK due to luggage constraints but at least I’ll have something to read next time I’m there.
Who can resist talking about the books they *haven’t * yet read?
That’s my to-read shelf…and it’s not even really up to date. There are about 200 books on it. Books are filed alphabetically and it gives me great pleasure to finish a book and stand in front of that book case (my own mini books store) and decide what to read next.
I also have a notebook, which lists (also alphabetically) all the books I want to read but haven’t yet purchased. There are hundreds of them!
Who can resist talking about the books they *haven’t * yet read?
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/chrislee/P1010034.jpg[/IMG]
That’s my to-read shelf…and it’s not even really up to date. There are about 200 books on it. Books are filed alphabetically and it gives me great pleasure to finish a book and stand in front of that book case (my own mini books store) and decide what to read next.
I also have a notebook, which lists (also alphabetically) all the books I want to read but haven’t yet purchased. There are hundreds of them!
[…] Posted on July 24, 2009 by Matthew In addition to the night-stand pile I mentioned in this post, I’ve got more books lined up well into the fall. Thanks to Frances from Nosuch Book who sent […]