Let’s go Booking Through Thursday!
We’ve all seen the lists, we’ve all thought, “I should really read that someday,” but for all of us, there are still books on “The List” that we haven’t actually gotten around to reading. Even though we know they’re fabulous. Even though we know that we’ll like them. Or that we’ll learn from them. Or just that they’re supposed to be worthy. We just … haven’t gotten around to them yet.
What’s the best book that YOU haven’t read yet?
Oh, I can’t pick just one book . . . and, sadly, this list is constantly growing! I always start out with the best of intentions, wanting desperately to hunker down with a “classic” work of literature and sit with a pen against my chin, pondering. Or, well, no — I don’t! Four years of an English Literature education will ruin you! Obviously, I still love books . . . but I love to be distracted, too. So there are a ton of canonized works of literature I’ve never even held in my hands. Some of them embarrass me to tell! But since I love lists, I’ll put aside my temporary literary humiliation and divulge:
Great books I know exist, but have not read and don’t own:
• Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
• Watership Down, Richard Adams
• The Awakening, Kate Chopin
• Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
• Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
• The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
• Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
• The Overcoat, Nikolai Gogol
• The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
• Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher
• Looking For Alaska, John Green
Great books I own, but haven’t yet read:
• Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
• Love In The Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
• The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
• People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
• The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
• Three Junes, Julia Glass
What about you? Which “classic” books have you been bypassing for 2, 5 or 20 years?
write meg! 
Great list of books. I noticed the Grapes of Wrath on a couple of lists.
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You need to read Little Women ASAP!
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Great list! A friend of mine has been telling me to read The Hunger Games and it’s been getting such good reviews too. Another book to add to my growing list of books I’ve yet to read.
~ Popin
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This is why I joined the Read Your Own Books Challenge this year. I have too many good books collecting dust on my shelves. There are a few of my personal faves in your first list…Watership Down (listened to the audio-fantastic), The Awakening, The Bell Jar. I love lists too 🙂
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Little Women was my first “real book” and I love it even now. You should read it! I’ve also heard a lot about The Hunger Games. Really need to get my hands on a copy. Water for Elephants and Sense and Sensibility are pretty good too. And I just read People of the Book, which was terrific and perfect for book lovers.
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I just finished listening to Thirteen Reasons Why not too long ago, it’s wonderful, and am listening to Looking for Alaska now.
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Yes, great list! I have Three Junes on my list. I’ve read Water for Elephants and The Bell Jar and though the latter was a little over my head, I enjoyed reading them both.
http://tinyurl.com/btt030509
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I recommend Sense and Sensibility, and Love in Time of Cholera. 🙂
I’ve got so many but when I reflect upon the type of writing style that appeals me the most, I narrow it down to a short list.
At first I couldn’t make of the question because it really depends on what best is. I’m reading a very popular book that I’m probably the last person on earth to read it. Gone with the Wind. 🙂
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There are just too many good books. I’ve got some from both of your lists on my mental and literal TBR as well.
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I’ve never read a Jane Austen novel, although I feel vaugely like I should…since I have ovaries. What is the deal with Mr. Darcy? Am I the only one who feels compelled to read this as some part of pilgrimage to being a woman???
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Got some great books on both lists. Water For Elephants is in my top 10 favorites of books I read in 2008!
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Those are wonderful lists. I’ve read a few of the titles, and got most of the rest on my constantly-expanding TBR list. I would definitely recommend reading the “Guernsey” book right away. It’s a short, fast read, and one of my faves from last year. By now, just about everyone I know is sick of hearing me talk about it!
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i’ve read several of the books on your lists but admit (with guilt) that i skipped most of the classic russian novels. i just couldn’t tackle them. sorry!
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Megan,
If you only do one thing in your life make sure that it’s reading Steinbeck’s ‘Grapes of Wrath’. IT WILL TOUCH YOUR SOUL FOREVER!
Good luck in your reading endeavours
Warmest
Rob
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Thanks for visiting my blog! I think I am definitely going to give Dickens a go. I noticed that you have Wuthering Heights on your list, I love that book! Definitely worth reading!
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Watership Down: Rabbits eat their own poop; fight communism.
Steinbeck: Meh.
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Great List. I keep bypassing The Grapes of Wrath. I keep telling myself I’ll read it for Banned Book week and just never do. Maybe this year. Thanks for visiting on BTT.
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I think that your list should include Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. It’s a fantastic novel. Many of the entries on your list sound fascinating. I will have to hunt them down.
Toward that end, I would recommend paperbackswap.com. This website could put many of you in touch with many of the great books from Megan’s list!
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