I loved Julie’s Lazy Ass Blog Post so much from last Saturday that I am flagrantly copying her today.
One of my biggest flaws as a human is that I buy waaaaayyyyy more books than I read. This year, I’ve done kind of a LOT of book buying. Way more than usual. Several of my favorite authors came out with new books and I pre-ordered a few of them to be delivered on the date they were released. Also, my husband and I went into several bookstores when we were driving through Canada, and he encouraged me to buy books at all of them. (He is the best.) Then there are the gift-giving holidays. I always ask for and receive books. I’ve acquired a bunch of books this year, is what I’m saying.
But I haven’t read a ton of them. I’ve read SOME. But the number that I haven’t read far exceeds the number I have.
Anyway, I thought I’d lay them all out on the coffee table and ask the same question Julie asked: Which of these books have you read, and which of them do you recommend?
Of course, after I gathered up these books to put them away – I have a special shelf in my bedroom that my husband bought for the express purpose of storing my As Yet Unread books – I found another book that I bought and forgot to add to the photo array.
Okay, okay, the shelf has other books that I haven’t yet read as well. Books I’ve gotten as gifts and books I’ve borrowed from friends. I don’t know why I didn’t add them to the photo array; maybe they just seem less appealing to me for whatever reason? Do I need to re-do the photo array?
There are also a few books on this shelf that my husband put there – A Burning, which I read years ago, is one he either was going to read or already read, and the Ian McEwan book is definitely his, although I think maybe I want to read it too.
I just read The Guest a few weeks ago and loved it! Also Whistler, I love love love that book. I have also read Yesteryear and Wuthering Heights and *scrolls back to see what else* oh! The Whispers! I really loved that book, more than The Push even.
I think part of the reason I haven’t read some of these (cough, cough, Whistler and Yesteryear) is that they were SO popular and SO beloved that I worry they can’t possibly live up to the hype. Also, Yesteryear has deckle edges and I HATE that.
I’ve read Whistler. I enjoyed it far more after having a text discussion about it with Julie and Maya. It’s a book that improves after you think about it, IMO.
Wuthering Heights is a book I’ve read several times, once for a Victorian Novels class in undergrad. The professor was brilliant, and I got so much out of that read. Still, I don’t much care for it; her sister’s book Jane Eyre is far, far better.
I hear you about deckle edged pages. WTF?
They are so unpleasant, Nance. WHY do publishers insist on ruining books with them?
I have never read Jane Eyre!
What a great post idea.
I read Wuthering Heights so long ago that all I remember is being disappointed because I’d expected a love story; I don’t know if I even finished it. I read Vigil and really liked it. I have Whistler on my to-read pile.
Read Yesteryear, do not recommend. Nearly all the characters were so unpleasant that I ended up Googling “how does Yesteryear end” and skipping to the end to read a bit. Disappointing and triggering as well. I think people just liked it because the beginning setting is a copycat of the real life “Ballerina Farm” instagram star.
Oh, what a great idea for a post! Now perhaps I will lay out my bedside TBR books and do the same! My picture was just a display table from the bookstore, but this is even better. I love that bookshelf. If I had room for it I would look for one. Mine are just piled willy nilly on the floor. There will be no photo of that, our carpet is too embarrassing (20+ years old, two dogs, etc.) (Maybe I could crop it so it doesn’t really show?)
OK, what books from your TBR have I read:
What a fun idea for a post! I loved Whistler and the Frozen River. I found Yesteryear entertaining, but not a favorite because the characters were so unlikeable. I have a Swim in the Pond in the Rain, but have only read about 1/2 of it (since it’s all short stories). This seems like a cozy thing to read this winter, so you’ve inspired me to prioritize this 🙂
I really enjoyed Yesteryear but I know it is a polarizing book. I didn’t find everyone as deeply unlikeable. I think so much of it rings very true in terms of a reflection of our society and influencer culture but, more generally, human nature.
I HATE Wuthering Heights. I read it in high school and loathed it, so decided to re-read it last year. Surely it couldn’t be as bad as I remembered. If anything it was worse. So depressing and maddening and I wanted to bash my head against a wall.
The Whispers was good (I preferred The Push, though).
The Frozen River was good but too long (as is her latest book, The Pirate Queen). I’m glad I read it, but I wish it had been 25% shorter.
I LOVE your special shelf. I have the same problem and maybe I need one like that. Mine are horribly stacked everywhere!
I despised Yesteryear — loathed it with a fiery hatred. I loved Whistler. I enjoyed Frozen River — it is slightly under-edited but I still think about the characters. I found Wuthering Heights a slog and remember very little of it (from 1989, maybe I’ll cut myself some slack on the vague memories).
Loved Whistler, haven’t read any of the rest of them except for, and this seems like the common theme here, Wuthering Heights, which I re-read maybe two years ago. I agree with all commenters – it’s an unpleasant read. However, I also admired it’s brilliance because Bronte was possibly the first person to identify generational trauma. So I think it’s easy to read it now & it’s just a story about how generally horrible these people are, but when I kept in mind that the author was really telling a much more universal and at that point maybe unknown or under-appreciated truth… idk it made it more compelling. Also, if you play kate bush’s song in the background while you’re reading haha it sets the mood! 🙂 I hope that helps!!
I loved “Frozen River” but DNF the Jane Harper one. It wasn’t poorly written but didn’t capture my interest.
I love the tilting shelf. I couldn’t quite read the titles on it, though.
From the top photo, some are on my TBR list but I think I’ve only read Wuthering Heights, back in college. I remember liking it, but I doubt I could tell you much about it you don’t already know from popular culture.
I LOVE that shelf, and I also share your trepidation. I did not like Dark Corners although I loved The Night Swim. I love Jane Harper and did not know about the new book and OMG NEW AUDREY NIFFENEGGER? I read Wuthering Heights decades ago and shared Eve’s eye-rolling assessment of everyone as hopelessly emo and ridiculous. I read The Whispers and disliked it as much as I disliked The Push, I have a hard-to-articulate reaction against her writing. I couldn’t finish Bat Eater, but I think that was me, not the book. I hated the other Roz Nay book I read, and I love George Saunders.
I’ve read Yesteryear. It was okay does not live up to the hype in my opinion.
I really liked Yesteryear! I think you’re going to have to read it to settle this debate we all seem to be having.
In my 20s I read all of Charlotte Bronte’s books, plus all of Anne’s. I really liked all of them- and then hated Wuthering Heights. So maybe you’ll have to read that one as well and let us know what you think.
I’m pretty sure The Big Four is a Christie that I didn’t love. It’s Hercule Poirot, but also a kind of spy thriller which I don’t think she does very well. Again- if you read it, I’ll be interested to hear what you think!
I read “The Frozen River” by Lawhon – gripping! I don’t usually like thrillers but I liked this one.
I read “Yesteryear.” Hated it. I do not recommend.
I read “Wuthering Heights” for book club a few years ago. It’s a tough read, for starters because half the characters seem to have the same or similar names as other characters. And the unreliable narrators! It’s not a romance or love story and knowing that when beginning to read helps.