Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy… But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread.
I had a little trouble with this topic, since if I have to buy a brand-new book (because I can’t stand to wait), I generally read it pretty quickly. The last new book I bought that I didn’t read immediately was one of Laurie King’s Mary Russell mysteries, and that was only because I always read that series aloud to my daughter, and we had another trilogy to finish first.
I also don’t buy as many new hardcovers as I used to, for financial reasons. I do, however, buy a fair number of used books at the library’s used booksales and sometimes online, and I watch ebook sales for books that look interesting. So I decided to comb through both my e-reader and my unread stash of used books for the books that really grabbed my attention and said “buy me!” at the time, but for whatever reason (lack of time, mostly) I haven’t yet gotten around to reading. They are, as usual, in no particular order.
Bound books:
- The High King’s Tomb, by Kristen Britain. I really liked the first two books in the series, and I need to find out what happens next!
- Haunt Me Still, by Jennifer Lee Carrell. A sequel to Carrell’s Interred with Their Bones, which I loved.
- Finnikin of the Rock, by Melina Marchetta. I kept hearing good things about this series, so I grabbed book one when I saw it at the library sale.
- Star of the Morning, by Lynn Kurland. The cover and the back blurb sold me on this several years ago. It’s been sitting on my TBR shelves ever since. I’m not even sure why I’ve never picked it up to read it.
- A College of Magics, by Caroline Stevermer. Another book I’ve heard good things about and grabbed at last fall’s library sale.
- the first four Temeraire books by Naomi Novik. I’d heard about this series on and off for years, and gradually became more intrigued. Then I found them at the sale, read the back covers, and decided to snatch them up before someone else did.
eBooks:
- The Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson. After reading a number of rave reviews, I jumped on this one when the ebook went on sale. I just haven’t had time to get to it yet.
- The Fool’s Girl, by Celia Rees. Another sale book; the cover caught my eye when I was trolling Kobo’s “$4.99 and under” list, and the description clinched it. I’m a sucker for fiction related to Shakespeare, and Twelfth Night is one of my favorite plays.
- Sweet Venom, by Tera Lynn Childs. Intriguing premise, cool cover, and a bargain price. Of course I grabbed it… and have yet to find time to read it.
- Two For Sorrow, by Nicola Upson. I was very impressed with Upson’s first mystery starring author Josephine Tey, and I love Tey’s books, so when the third book went on sale in ebook, I bought it. Two things hold me back from reading this one: while the first book impressed me, and I loved the writing and the characters, I found the solution to the mystery very disturbing. And I haven’t read the second book yet.
Susan
Good for you for buying used books. I’m always seduced by the shiny new ones, which means this topic makes me feel doubly guilty!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thank you, Susan. Truth to tell, I feel a little bad about buying used books sometimes — I really want to support authors by buying their books — but I just can’t buy all the shiny new ones I’d like to. (Maybe someday, if I win the lottery or write a bestseller. Both equally unlikely, but a woman can dream!)
And there, I’ve just given you reason not to feel guilty. Sure, you may be buying new books and not reading them all (at least not right away), but you’re helping all those authors pay their rent!
kimbacaffeinate
I am not touching this topic…my tbr pile is huge with pre-orders etc. *walks away whistling*
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Now I’m laughing, Kimba! Good for you! I considered skipping this topic, too; it’s embarrassing to realize I have all these books I’ve bought and haven’t read. (Yet. I really do intend to read them… someday. Actually, I’m listening to the audiobook of the first Temeraire novel now; I suppose that counts.)
Bea
@Kimba LMAO Uh, yeah, I have WAAAAAAY more than 10 unread books that I had to have. 😀
I do see some on your pile that are in mine also and one that I read – Star of the Morning. I like Lynn Kurland but that one left me lukewarm.
Happy reading!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Thank you, Bea! I haven’t read any Kurland yet — is there one you would recommend starting with?