TTT: Unread Books on My Shelves I Want to Read Soon

Top Ten Tuesday: Unread Books on My Shelves I Want to Read Soon

Books given to me: Books others have given to me always scream the loudest to be read next. Unfortunately these three must be hoarse by now as they've all been on my shelves for several years.

• The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. My husband gave me this book as a Christmas gift. He selected it off my Amazon Wish List. Bless his heart. Now if I'd only bother to read it.
• The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea. My sister gave me this book for my birthday. I'm not sure if she read it first. I'm afraid to ask, not wanting to draw attention to the fact I haven't read it yet.
• If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais. My mother gave me this used book which I gave her after we both read the first book in the series, Hum If You Don't Know the Words. Honestly, I should pass this print book on and just listen to the audio version of it. I guess I keep it as a reminder to do just that.

Books I purchased new: I honestly don't often buy new books. If I do it is usually because I am committed to reading the books in good time. Well, these two books missed that memo and have been sitting around on my shelves for longer than I wish to confess.

• Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach. I have enjoyed every Mary Roach book I've read (Gulp; Stiff; and Grunt) but I can never seem to get any purchase on this one and I've tried several times. Once again I should just admit it and seek the audiobook.
• A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene H. Peterson. A devotional book by the author of The Message version of the Bible. I admire his religious insights. I'm moving this book to the top of the list. If I finish it, I will donate it to the church library.

Books I purchased used: I have library cards for three library systems -- Puyallup City Library (where I live); Pierce County Library (which has reciprocity with Puyallup); King County Library (a nearby neighboring county which also has reciprocity with Puyallup.) All three of the branches I go to have little library stores where they sell donated or weeded-out books for cheap ($.50-3.00). Everytime I visit a library I stop off to see if they have any copies of books I want to read, or books I think my mother would enjoy. All of these books were purchased this way.

• Edna St. Vincent Millay. Collected Sonnets: I bet this book cost me $.50. My problem is I don't know how to read sonnets in the right rhythm therefore I don't enjoy this form much.
• Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. I've enjoyed two other books by this author and know I will enjoy this one, too, but it is so long. How do I begin?
• The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I loved the first book in this series, The Shadow of the Wind. This is a recent pick-up for me, less than a month old.
• The Known World by Edward P. Jones. When I get around to reading this Pulitzer Prize winner I will have completed my goal to read all the past winners from the 21st Century. Maybe the audio version would work better for me. Less daunting.
• Love and Friendship: In Which Jane Austen's Lady Susan Vernon is Entirely Vindicated by Whit Stillman. Another very recent addition to my used pile. I do love Jane Austen and usually enjoy read-alikes of her characters. We'll see what I think of this one soon. Lady Susan is not a character I know well.
• 
  Little Bear's Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik. This was a find. A first edition of the the Little Bear series illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Someone bought the book used for $30 then donated it the library for resale and I got it for $5. Little Bear's Adventure (I mistakenly photographed this book instead of Little Bear's Visit in the above photo, so I've attached a separate photo of this book) was the first book I ever received as a child and one of the few I saved. I thought I'd read this with my grandson but it hasn't happened yet.
  

What about you? Name a book you've had sitting on your shelves unread.

-Anne