I’ve been thinking about a recent note of mine and wanted to expand. So here are all the books I’ve been talking, thinking and collecting instead of actually reading. This post is all fiction, which has made me think about all of the non fiction books I’m not reading.
I’m constantly stuck between all the books I want to read. Currently reading Long Island by Colm Tóibín. I’d watched Brooklyn and dived into Long Island after seeing it on the display tables at all of the bookstores I had wandered into.
The ones that have been featured in all of my favourite articles. This is where Long Island kept cropping up for me as well as All Fours. Solidifying them as books I wanted to prioritise reading.
The ones spoken about over on Instagram. Demon Copperhead by Barbra Kingsolver is one that everyone still keeps talking about and the only thing stopping me from picking it up is the fact that it is 560 pages. I have bought it on my kindle though and I would love to find the time to read it.
The trending books. Emily Henry is an author that I have seen everywhere as well as Blue sisters, which I pre-ordered after LOVING Cleopatra and Frankenstein.
The ones that you thought would be long listed. I was delighted that James by Percival Everett was long listed for the booker prize. This was actually the only book I added to my TBR.
The books that actually were long listed. I recently read Tommy Orange’s novel There There so when Wandering Stars was released I instantly added this to my TBR I was really happy to see that it had been long listed.
The IT book of the summer. I keep seeing All Fours by Miranda July Being spoken about and highlighted as a favourite. It’s time sensitive being a summer novel and I am someone who enjoys reading seasonally. It was on kindle offers for £1.99 so it is sat in my kindle library raring to go!
THE debut authors book. I’m excited to read William Rayfet Hunter’s upcoming novel Sunstruck which a friend had recommended to me. The premise sounds intriguing and intense.
The books that made it to the shortlist. **short list has not yet been announced. But I’m sure that anything I’ve read wont be on the shortlist which then means I feel that I have to read one or maybe two that are on the list.
The literary sensations new release. Of course this is Sally Rooney’s upcoming novel Intermezzo. I am a basic bitch and I will drop all the other books I am reading to read this.
The winner of the said shortlist. I tend to read both the booker prize and the women’s prize for fiction winner. So I’ve added on the pile Brotherless night .
All the books that intrigued me that I picked up thrifting. Recently I bought Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. I picked up My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
, since the NYT 100 best books I feel like I *should* read that asap.
All the books left over from last year or the year before gathering dust on my bookshelf. As well as the recommendations from friends and family. This is where the list comes into it’s own. I’ve got sitting on my bookshelf Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. A friend who I check in with regularly re books (Hey Nyha!) read both Butter by Asako Yuzuki and Piglet by Lottie Hazell which both sound like books I would enjoy.
Those books making a little bit of noise that make you feel silly for focusing on the pop culture books. I saw online Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg which I thought sounded really interesting as well as Gender Theory by Madeline Docherty
The books that will push me as a reader. I know I want to keep trying classic novels, so far I’ve never really meshed. Which I have lots of feelings about. Next on my list to try is Dracula
The ones that will comfort me. Good material by Dolly Alderton, I love anything by Dolly. After being a dedicated listener to her podcast I’ve also read the other books she has published. I also loved Megan Nolan’s novel Acts of depression. So naturally would love to read Ordinary Human Failings
From the comments one reader highlighted all the books from the same author because you’re a completist! For me this would be Maya Angelou. I always said that I would read her whole autobiographical collection. I would love to pick up the second of the series.
Which got me thinking about all the series books I’ve started and wanted to finish the rest of the collection. Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo although the first novel Ninth House wasn’t my favourite I enjoyed it enough to want to read the second. I am still on the hunt to find a series of books that swallow me whole and don’t let me escape. But I am struggling.
I’m not sure how many of these I will actually get through, hopefully half? Maybe more?