Thursday, March 5, 2009

Booking Through Thursday...The Best Book You've Never Read


This weeks BTT question is: 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?
I have to admit I am woefully behind on reading the classics. I don't mean the books that come up on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die lists, I mean the classics that everyone but me read in school. For example, I've never read Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer or any Jane Austen, even though I don't think Jane Austen is usually part of a curriculum.

I keep meaning to read the classics, and I want to read them, I just don't make the time to read them. There are always so many wonderful new books coming out, that I get distracted by them. I get so excited by a new book coming in the mail to me, but often by the time it gets here I have a new "must read" book on the way. I apparently don't have much of an attention span when it comes to books...

There are newer books that I keep meaning to read, and haven't gotten to as well. Some of the ones I keep hearing wonderful things about are The Thirteenth Tale, Nefertiti, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The Book Thief. All of these books are waiting in my stacks, and one day I will have the time to get to them!

What’s the best book that YOU haven’t read yet?

12 comments:

Lenore Appelhans said...

So many. But I am shocked that I've never read Jane Eyre.

Susan said...

I'm in the middle of Austen's Sense and Sensibility right now and it's wonderful! I find that it takes longer to read a classic than a contemporary novel, but I'm hoping to read more of them all this year :)

Lisa (Southern Girl Reads) said...

I highly recommend The 13th Tale! I just read it in January and it is my favorite so far this year. Snowflower was also very good. I have Nefertiti on my list as well as The Book Thief. There are just too many books old and new that I want to read!!

KyleeJ said...

I also recommend The Thirteenth Tale. It's really great read if you like mysteries.

http://tinyurl.com/btt030509

Sandy Nawrot said...

Yeah, I've been getting serious mental anxiety at being the last to read The Thirteenth Tale. I just ordered it on audio from the library. I got your message to me about the classics. I feel so deprived at not having read them in an educational environment, where I can have explanations and discussions! Anyway, with that last darned challenge, I should improve myself just a bit! Jane Austen is a genius.

jlshall said...

I have the same problem - there are a lot of "classics" I never read when I was in school, even though I was an English major. Now I'm going back and trying to make up, but there are just so many great, new books coming out all the time. It's an endless pursuit, but fun. And I'm another one who'd recommend reading The Thirteenth Tale as soon as possible!

Mark David said...

Yes since I wasn't much of a reader before, my best-but-never-read list would mostly be composed of the classics like F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird and even Frank Herbert's Dune.

As for more contemporary work, I'm looking forward to reading Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski, The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee, and Reason Reigns by Ilyn Ross.

Anonymous said...

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan would be my next Lisa See book. I read Peony in Love and how I was mesmerized by her writing!

Ambrosia @ The Purple Booker said...

I responded to this weeks here :)

http://icewarmth.blogspot.com/2009/03/booking-through-thursdaycollectibles.html

Sherrie said...

Hi!
I'm like you, too many new books to read keep me from reading the old ones! Thanks for stopping by my place. Have a great evening!

Sherrie

Melissa said...

Lenore: I've never read Jane Eyre either.

Susan: I hear wonderful things about Austen and really must make the time.

Lisa, Kylee, jlshall: You all have convinced me. The Thirteenth Tale is my next read when I get caught up on some reviews.

Sandy: I'm still considering that challenge!

Mark: To Kill a Mockingbird is wonderful. Love in the Time of Cholera is on my (endless) TBR pile too.

Nise' said...

Hope you get to The Thirteenth Tale and The Book Thief, both were great.