November 14, 2011

Top 10 Absurdities on My Shelves

Photo courtesy of Number10
Top 10 Tuesday

Not that I'm claiming the books themselves are absurd.  How would I know?  I haven't read them!  Rather, this list is about my ridiculous behavior in owning books without ever reading them.  A few of these I've owned for nearly 30 years!  And I'm only 34!  It's really time to either read them or start letting them see other people, don't you think?  Anyway, here goes.

10.  The Adventure of English, by Melvyn Bragg--owned about 8 years. It really is ridiculous that a woman who holds an MA in Linguistics has not read this book yet. It's a popular-level history written by a novelist, for heaven's sake. You'd think I'd be able to handle it.

9.  The Isles: A History, by Norman Davies--nearly 10 years.  Considering that this book is nearly 1,300 pages long, I think you can understand why I've been a bit intimidated about taking it on, and how easily life got in the way the few times I tried.  I'm determined to do it someday, though, like the die-hard Anglophile that I am.

8.  The Story of My Experiments with Truth, by Mohandas K. Gandhi--approximately 13 years.  I have no idea what has kept me from reading this book, and once again, I have actually tried and it beat me.  No clue what the problem is on this one.

7.  Cancer Ward, by Aleksander Solzhenitsyn--also about 13 years.  It's just kind of depressing, the premise of this book.  I really do think it's probably an awesome read.  Maybe now that I'm no longer dealing with loved ones who are terminally ill, I'll be able to read this without that depressive feeling being quite so strong.

6.  The Fields of Bannockburn, by Donna Fletcher Crow--15 years.  I bought this and started reading it to my parents the summer before I started college; at that point, I'd never yet read a 700-page book.  When summer ended, we were only about 1/3 of the way through.  They finished it without me.  I still haven't read it all.

5.  Demons, by Fyodor Dostoevsky--15 years.  The cover art for the version of this book that I have is certainly thrilling.  I bought my copy during my undergraduate days, and when my mom came to visit and saw it on the shelf in my dorm room, she nearly had a heart attack.  She was terrified of what these godless heathens might be teaching me in my literature classes.

5.  The Walking Drum, by Louis L'Amour--at least 20 years.  To be perfectly honest, I haven't checked on my shelves for so long that I'm not sure I even still own this book, but to the best of my recollection, I do have a copy of it.  I have really enjoyed many of Louis L'Amour's books.  I don't know what ails me that I haven't just picked this one up and read it by now.

4.  The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas--20 years.  I got my first copy of this book when I was in high school.  I can attest from repeated experience that the first 5 pages are very humorous, and bring you right into the action from the get-go.  Beyond that point, I know nothing.

3.  Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen--15 years.  It is RIDICULOUS that such a fire-breathing Jane Austen fan as I am has never finished reading Jane's original canon of novels.  Utterly ridiculous.

2.  Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen--15 years.  See everything I just said about Northanger Abbey.

1.  THE BIBLE--30 years.  I have owned countless copies, versions and editions of this book, or collection of books.  I am finally reading it all the way through, though I must say, I'm making abysmally slow work of it.  It's been about a year and a half since I started, and I still haven't finished the Old Testament.

16 comments:

  1. You make me feel so much better... The oldest unread book I have has been on my shelves for 4 years...

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  2. Thanks for that, Paul. *grumble, grumble* :)

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  3. You absolutely must read The Three Musketeers, amazing book!! And of course the Jane Austen ones as well. YOu have some real gems on your shelves :-)

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  4. I really need to read Mansfield Park too! Actually, I totally forgot it existed. *blushes* Adding it to my to read list now.

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  5. lol I was just telling someone else how brave they were to post the # of years! My oldest book is technically a reread so I didn't post it. I've had Anna Karenina on my shelf for 25 years gaaahh. Northanger Abbey is a fun and quick read. Good Luck :)

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  6. The Three Musketeers was awesome! It's long but quite entertaining.

    Want a reading challenge that will help you get through the entire Bible? Try Bible in 90 days. http://www.biblein90days.org/

    The group I read it through with - http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/ (can't get the website to load right now). Believe it or not, it's doable!

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  7. The Three Musketeers is an awesome, rip-roaring read! masnfield Park is lovely, but Northanger Abbey is my favourite Austen novel. :)
    Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday post. :)

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  8. Just to make you feel better...I have books that have been on my shelves for 30 years too (or a little more). And it doesn't stop me from buying more....

    You will LOVE Northanger Abbey! (I just read it last year.) I still have Mansfield Park on my TBR list....am planning on knocking out Sense & Sensibility in 2012.

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  9. I have read and loved all of Louis L'Amour books.and of course all of Jane Austin.

    Here's My Post

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  10. I wish I'd read the Three Musketeers in high school-- I think I would have liked it better. You have to read Northanger Abbey RIGHT NOW.

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  11. Those heavy classics will do that to you. :) I've got Thoreau and Chaucer on my list.

    Mansfield Park is darker than Austen's other work, but I honestly love it. Northanger Abbey is lighter, and hilarious. I wholeheartedly recommend both, though I don't think either quite match up to the Pride and Prejudice/Persuasion/Emma greatness. I liked Mansfield Park at least as much as Sense and Sensibility, though.

    Happy reading! Great list.

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  12. Northanger Abbey is my favorite Austen book. Yes, I even love it more than Pride and Prejudice :)

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  13. Thanks for visiting my blog, and participating in TTT! I really need to get into Jane Austen. I love spin-offs, so I should love the originals!

    - Jana @ http://thatartsyreadergirl.blogspot.com/
    New follower!

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  14. I have sooo much Jane Austen on my shelf too!! I WANT to read it lol. I just...haven't gotten to it! I also want to read The Three Muskateers! I don't own that one though!

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  15. Hah! Good call on The Bible! I've definitely read bits of it here and there throughout the years of going to a Catholic school..

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Michele | Top 10 Tues

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  16. Jane Austen is definitely one author whose work I intend to finish reading someday!

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