Focus on Reading - Week 19 - Top 10 of Unread

[Booknblues]

Are there books you had intended to read in 2021 but didn't?

What are your top 10 (or less) books which you didn't read on this list?

What are your plans for them?

[Meli]

I made a list before 2021 started of 50 books on my TBR I wanted to read. I didn't intend to read them all but they were books I prioritized. I read 9 of them.

My favorite reads of 2021 (I'll pick 5 because my read list isn't too long) were:
Deacon King Kong
A Brief History of Seven Killings
The Sympathizer
The House in the Cerulean Sea
The Heart's Invisible Furies

I think that list is a little different than what I shared with my book club, except for the top 3. Top 3 are the same, the other 2 I could easily switch out with other reads.

Maybe you meant top 10 to-read that I intended to read but didn't??

[Booknblues]

Meli wrote: "Maybe you meant top 10 to-read that I intended to read but didn't?? "

That is what I meant. I have at least 10 on my didn't read list.

We will be having the top 10 that you read in just a bit. I didn't want to cut into that.

[Meli]

Oops, my mistake! Ignore that list!!

I think I will ignore my top 10 on the TBR and recreate a want-to-read list for 2022 full of shorter & light books that I can fit in with book club / challenge books. Short like novellas, and light like thrillers that I have accumulated.

[Joy D]

Are there books you had intended to read in 2021 but didn't?

No. I read everything planned.

[Kate]

I wasn't in a huge reading mood for most of the year, so there's a lot of books I intended to read but didn't.

Pachinko
The Chosen and the Beautiful
The Seep
Their Eyes Were Watching God
A Song Below Water
The Infinity Courts
Gideon the Ninth
The Dragon Reborn
Mexican Gothic
+ a reread of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

I'll hopefully get back into a more stable reading mood soon so I can get to these in the first half of next year. Maybe I can still get to one or two before the end of this year, though!

[LibraryCin]

I pick out a list of 15 that I *hope* to get to each year, but I never get to them all. I think I did about half, so there are probably about 7 that I didn't get to. They'll be on my list for next year + I'll choose more to round out the list.

[Joanne]

Ugh! I had such a slump from June-October I have a lot that I wanted to read, but didn't:

Rule of Wolves
Cold Mountain
A Thousand Ships
The Butchers' Blessing
Black Sun
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

I still plan to read them, but who know when

[Peacejanz]

I cannot do this since the ones I hoped to read but did not get to are on scraps of paper covering most of my office - two desks, the floor and a pile on the telephone table. I never get to read all I want and I am retired. The time stealer just enters my house when I am asleep and does something to the time. Here I am at the end of the year with lots of little lists and scraps of paper. And a messy office. Happy holidays to everyone and may we all read more next year. peace, janz

[Theresa]

Oy. There are too many! I will rank them and get back to you.

[Booknblues]

Theresa wrote: "Oy. There are too many! I will rank them and get back to you."

My situation as well, but beginning to think about them to set up next year.

[Robin P]

I have over 400 books that I own on paper, ebook or audiobook, plus 300 that I don't own but want to read someday.

I was rereading the Dorothy Sayers Peter Wimsey detective series, which I thought I would do during the year, but I only got about halfway through.

[KateNZ]

So many. Too many. I think the moral of the story is to plan as little as possible 😂

[Jgrace]

I set a low bar goal to read 5 DTB's (dead tree books) that have been sitting on shelves collecting dust for years and 5 kindle books that I've owned so long that I've forgotten when I purchased them.
The year is almost over and I've only read one of the DTB's and 3 of the Kindle books. I'm much better about reading books that have due dates and the newest book from the many series that I follow.

Ten that I own and didn't get to ....yet

1. This Tender Land - I've started it. I'll probably like it, but I keep getting diverted by books that have happier beginnings

2. The Widows of Malabar Hill - started this one too. And it was a good fit for more than one monthly tag. No idea why I can't stick with this one.

3.The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

4. The Shipping News

5.The Killer Angels

6.Fingersmith

7.Seven Gothic Tales

8.The Left Hand of Darkness

9.Possession: A Romance

10.The Birth of Venus

[Booknblues]

KateNZ wrote: "So many. Too many. I think the moral of the story is to plan as little as possible 😂"

I do that, although this year less so, which is why I know about unread books.

By not planning I have countless books on my TBR, and with that I'll note that I'm not sure planning has helped that.

[Booknblues]

Jgrace wrote: "I set a low bar goal to read 5 DTB's (dead tree books) that have been sitting on shelves collecting dust for years and 5 kindle books that I've owned so long that I've forgotten when I purchased th..."

I have 1, 4, 6, 9 & 10 on my TBR. I have read 3 & 5.

[Robin P]

Jgrace wrote: "I set a low bar goal to read 5 DTB's (dead tree books) that have been sitting on shelves collecting dust for years and 5 kindle books that I've owned so long that I've forgotten when I purchased th..."

Those 10 include several of my all-time favorite books! Especially Possession and The Shipping News.

[Jgrace]

Robin P wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "I set a low bar goal to read 5 DTB's (dead tree books) that have been sitting on shelves collecting dust for years and 5 kindle books that I've owned so long that I've forgotten when..."

I expect I’ll like all of them if I ever get around to reading them.

[Theresa]

Jgrace wrote: "Robin P wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "I set a low bar goal to read 5 DTB's (dead tree books) that have been sitting on shelves collecting dust for years and 5 kindle books that I've owned so long that I'v..."

In addition to the 2 Robin named, I add The Widows of Malabar Hill. Also has one of my least enjoyed reads The Left Hand of Darkness.

I have The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz on my TBR for when I can face reading about WWII again. Too many WWII books in recent years for my toIerance level.

[Booknblues]

I have quite a few which I wanted to read this year. Working it to a top 10:

1. Weather- Jenny Offill
2. Hamnet- Maggie O'Farrell
3. The Thirty Names of Night - Zeyn Joukhadar
4. Rodham - Curtis Sittenfeld
5. The Five Wounds: A Novel
6. How Beautiful We Were: A Novel
7. Moon and the Mars
8. Love After Love
9. Unsettled Ground
10. The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

I will put them on a top priority list for next year and perhaps, I will finish them.

[Joanne]

Theresa wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "Robin P wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "I set a low bar goal to read 5 DTB's (dead tree books) that have been sitting on shelves collecting dust for years and 5 kindle books that I've owned s..."

Theresa, this book is not a bombardment of WWII. It is just 1 year in the life of Churchill and his family Of course the war is a an important part of that year but the focus is more on the man and his relationships.

[Robin P]

I started reading The Splendid and the Vile but I had recently seen the movie about Churchill so it seemed repetitive and I got bogged down. I'm sure it's good, as I've liked other books by this author.

Besides the 2 I mentioned, I also loved This Tender Land. I liked other books by Sarah Waters which contained interesting plot twists, but I felt like Fingersmith tried too hard. When it got to the 3rd or 4th twist, and the book wasn't anywhere near done, I gave up.

[Theresa]

Finally got my laptop set up again (I had it at Mohonk with me), and also figured out what books I will report as my Top 10 unread for 2021:

1. The Girl Who Played with Fire*
2. The Masterpiece*
3. The Secret of Santa Vittoria*
4. The Magic Circle*
5. The Wedding Girl*
6. Grand Hotel*
7. The Death of Mrs. Westaway*
8. The Summer Before the War
9. The Paris Architect
10. How Much of These Hills Is Gold

*1 through 7 are from my Unofficial Trim List -- I had a mostly doubled list this year because there were so many I did not get to in 2020 because of work and reading Proust while doing Poll Tally. I will likely get a couple of these -- like #2, #5 and #6 -- read by year end. That's assuming I finish reading the 1600 pages remaining in my 2 incomplete PS prompts with time to spare.

All of these that remain unread at year end will be going on my new Unofficial Trim list for 2022.

[Peacejanz]

I agree with Theresa - I have stopped reading WW2 books. What happened? We have been bombarded with them the last couple of years. And I just stopped reading them last year. I am tired of war and getting tired of refugees from Africa - we have had so many books by those pushed out of their country. I know that it happened. I do all I can but I am tired of reading about the running, hiding, escaping from evil. Going to Animal Farm next. peace, janz

[Theresa]

@JoAnne - I have it to read next year. I am ready to stick a toe back into WWII at least that much.

@Peacejanz - I recommend 1950 India as a lovely change of historical time - A Suitable Boy

[Jen K]

I'm not sure that I really had an intentional list of reads planned for 2021. However this fall I had really hoped to read some longer books especially series that I had wanted to finish or at least catch up on. Also realizing that I have 6 books on hold at the library since January so I will add those ones to my list as well. Not necessarily in order:

1. The Dark Tower
2. A Little Life
3. Rhythm of War
4. A Desolation Called Peace
5. The Name of All Things
6. How Beautiful We Were
7. Detransition, Baby
8. Infinite Country: A Novel
9. What Could Be Saved
10. The Five Wounds

They just didn't work well with the latest tags. First in a series was painful (even though I voted for it) when I really needed to read the 2nd, 3rd + in the series. Also not sure that I have a plan for them coming up. Will need to think about it a bit and hopefully new challenges will be good motivation.

[Booknblues]

Jen K wrote: "I'm not sure that I really had an intentional list of reads planned for 2021. However this fall I had really hoped to read some longer books especially series that I had wanted to finish or at leas..."

We have two of the same books, How Beautiful We Were and The Five Wounds.

I've read Detransition, Baby which I think you will like and Infinite Country which seems to be a bit hit and miss for people.

[Jen K]

Booknblues wrote: "Jen K wrote: "I'm not sure that I really had an intentional list of reads planned for 2021. However this fall I had really hoped to read some longer books especially series that I had wanted to fin..."

Hoping to get to all 4 of those early in 2022!

[Book Concierge]

Peacejanz wrote: "I cannot do this since the ones I hoped to read but did not get to are on scraps of paper covering most of my office - two desks, the floor and a pile on the telephone table. I never get to read al..."

You are describing MY office! How'd you get in here?

[Peacejanz]

I will never tell. It is magic. peace, janz