Top Ten Tuesday is a book blogging prompt hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s prompt is to pick one you’ve missed, and since I only started participating last week, I had a lot to choose from. I’m quite embarrassed about the number of books that I have bought in the last year and still haven’t gotten around to reading, so I thought writing up a post might give me that nudge to move these off my to-read shelf.
Library books always have looming due dates and ARCs are shiny and new and I feel more obligated to read them in a timely manner, especially if I have a print copy that someone else didn’t get (I feel less pressure with e-galleys, which I actually prefer due to space constraints and because I read more quickly on my Kindle). Plus, I like to keep my hardbacks pristine, and the thing is, I eat and drink coffee and spill and bang up dust jackets and am in general hard on books. I can’t carry them around with me, so they are bedside reading. These are my excuses for this pile of unread but owned books. It was actually difficult to narrow it down to just 10 (because I own many, many unread books), so I threw in a bonus “own, and am completely ashamed I haven’t read it yet” pick—The Book Thief. I didn’t even look at my Kindle. I’m a sucker for those daily deals and have many unread e-books!
- The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty: Since it’s the latest book by one of my favorite authors, I had to have this. I bought an autographed copy from The Raven Bookstore when Laura did a reading at the library last summer to kick off it’s publication. I can’t believe I haven’t gotten to this one yet.
- Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan: I also bought this one from The Raven Bookstore (yeah, that’s 2 adult books at full price). I thought Mister BS and I would both read it, and hey, it has a glow in the dark cover. He’s still on his second reading of Game of Thrones and I haven’t read it yet, but I know I will by June 22 because it won an Alex Award and is part of The Hub Challenge.
- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys: I bought this after loving my ARC of Out of the Easy. I was saving it for when I needed a good cry, but then I went ahead and picked it for teen book club so we’re reading it in June.
- The Archived by Victoria Schwab: I rarely buy a hardback of a book without reading it, but this was part of my B&N preorder spree I did with my Christmas giftcards. I’m really hoping I like it!
- Level 2 by Lenore Applehans: I bought this at an author signing at Mysteryscape, and I still haven’t gotten around to reading it. Soon!
- Something Like Normal by Trish Doller: I bought a huge lot of autographed YA novels last fall to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief. Half of them I had read and loved, many I still had to get to, and I’ve given away several in drawing at teen book club meetings. I enjoy veteran stories, so I’m looking forward to reading this one.
- In Honor by Jessi Kirby: This is another from my Hurricane Sandy donation. I have an ARC of Golden on my Kindle, but am trying to tell myself I should read this one first. So that means I better get to it soon!
- Ask the Passengers by A. S. King: I am pretty sure I’ll love this book, and I loved seeing A. S. King speak at the 2012 YALSA Lit Symposium last fall. This one was also on my list of 2012 releases I didn’t get to so I’m planning on getting this one by the end of the year.
- The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan: My sister and the other teen librarian both loved this, and I have this autographed copy I still haven’t gotten around to reading!
What had-to-have books are gathering dust on your shelf?
wrapped up in books 
I totally feel you — I basically bubble wrap my books if I’m going to take them around with me because I’m so afraid they’ll get damaged. And for me, a little crease = MASSIVE damage. I heard both AS King and Victoria Schwab speak this weekend at Festival of Books and it made me want to read all their books. I’ve only read Vera Dietz so far.
Scarlett, Something Like Normal, and Mr. Penumbra are sitting on my Kindle waiting for me to get to them. I sadly gave up on Brides, I tried several times which is as usual a problem with me and not the book.
I have a few of these still to read. I read Mr. Penumbra’s for my book club last month. It was much more…commercial than I thought it would be. I actually felt like it read like YA to an extent, at least in terms of accessibility and pop culture references. Like Ready Player One for tech and font geeks instead of gaming geeks.
I started In Honor the other day but haven’t picked it back up. It reminds me a bit of Something Like Normal:)
I bought the whole delirium trilogy and the second and third book are still sitting on my sheld. I also have “Watch Me” by Lauren Barnholdt and The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Nass. I also have The Help, Savannah undone, Savannah from SAvannah, Flies on the Butter, How to catch a prince, A charmed life, He’s so not worth it, and a few others. Let’s not forget my Ebook collection as well. Oh Dear.
I still haven’t read The Book Thief too!!! I am going to before…the end of this year. Hopefully. I checked out Brides of Rollrock Island awhile back from the library but never read it and returned it. I have also checked out The Archived three times from the library (I have it now, actually) but just can’t bring myself to finish it, eep. I think I may just accept it’s a DNF for me. I’m jealous of you having Mr. Penumbra because of the glow in the dark cover! I hope you enjoy your books.
The Book Thief and Level 2 are on my shelves too. I really, really mean to read both of them (particularly the Book Thief since I’ve heard nothing but good things about it) but … I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I saw Lenore at the OP public libraries and had to get her book. Did you know they renamed it? It’s now The Memory of After, which the paper backs will reflect (also, new cover). Apparently Level 2 was giving readers the wrong idea — that it’s a sequel. I’ve never heard of a book changing titles like that. But I still intend to read it.
I did see that on Lenore’s blog. I like the new title better. That happens sometimes…Nova Ren Suma’s Dani Noir is being reissued and one of Sarah Zarr’s books had a title change. I think it’s sometimes to update/rebrand a story or in cases of confusion like with Level 2. Confusing, to be sure. I’m glad I’m not the only one who still hasn’t read The Book Thief!
Read The Book Thief. OMG. I curled up completely under my blankets and just soaked in the beauty of the writing. I called people and read them the opening to one of the early chapters. Such a good read.
I have, still languishing in my To-Read-SOON stack, The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. Great topic! I love this.
I’ve heard GREAT things about The Brides of Rollrock Island—I think Heidi @ Bunbury in the Stacks said it was her favorite book of last year! And I of course loved both Something Like Normal (which fully lived up to last year’s hype) and Scarlet, which is better than Cinder.
I like that so many of your purchased but unread books are autographed. I think if that were the case with my unread collection, I’d feel less guilty. :p And yet, I keep buying books: just the other day, I bought Lean In because I like to be able to participate in Important Conversations about Feminism. Though obviously, I’ll still have to read it to do so….
The Archived is currently gathering dust on my Kindle…metaphorically speaking, I suppose. I also still need to read Lola and the Boy Next Door and The Raven Boys, both of which I won in blog contests. And I was really hot to get Kimberly Derting’s The Essence, but it’s been sitting on my shelf since January.
Between Shades of Gray is a wonderful book! It made my list today too!
I think it’s so cool that Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore has a glow in the dark cover! :) Thanks for stopping by my TTT list!
Alice @ Alice in Readerland