Saturday, 16 April 2011

Thirty-six books I haven't read

Aiaiaiaiaiiiiiiiiii.

I say this because I’ve just counted how many unread books are sitting, pages all crisp and un-dog-eared, on my bookshelf.

Thirty-six.  Aiaiaiaiaiiiiiiiiii.

So I’m going to cheat. B*gger the books I’ve been reading. Here’s what I’ve been avoiding. Grouped into loose categories and accompanied by a few dog-ate-my-homework excuses.


Should have read yonks ago
London the Biography – long
The Corner – do five seasons of The Wire get me out of jail free?
Homicide  – as above
The Glass Bead Game – the prologue is TEDIOUS
Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy – should read something on the financial crisis… but is this The One?
The Map that Changed the World ­– borrowed … must read and post back
Baby No-Eyes – I quite like Patricia Grace… no excuse to hand
The Complete Polysyllabic Spree
How to be Alone – one and a half essays into it… must try harder.  See New Year’s resolutions
The Three Musketeers – waiting for someone else to finish it. YOU know who you are 

Still on the shelf for the sake of appearance
Balzac: Nine Tales from Les Contes Drolatiques – sounds hard
The Great War for Civilisation – has the moment passed?


Erring too much on the side of non-fiction and other unlikely contenders…
The Collapse of Globalism
Brothers Grimm Complete Fairy Stories  – ‘and then the soldier cut off the witch’s head’… tedious
Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You  – I bet it can
Dreams from my Father – sorry Mr President… I do hear you have a particular way with words
Stonefish – dunno, didn’t read The Bone People…
A Short History of Nearly Everything – got the text message bed-time version back in 2005
No 1. Ladies Detective Agency  – sigh
The Trouble with Physics  – it sounds too, too difficult, is the trouble
Wool to Weta 
Hitler’s Empire – he was a bad man…

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6 comments:

  1. Jo16 April 2011 at 10:38

    I've thought about buying London the biography about 5 times now, I've inappropriately manhandled it in bookstores and had random strangers start conversations to endorse it to me (random stranger conversation by the english must surely be double endorsement??) but just haven't ever had the courage to commit, and now I'm leaving London... as much as I want to know the contents, the moment may have passed. I should have got it on audiobook. I say prioritise the Mao given your current location.

    Alone in Berlin though was a pleasant surprise after being left here by someone else and not really feeling inspired by the cover.

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  2. Kim16 April 2011 at 15:24

    Do read London A Biography - the chapters are short and grouped around a theme rather than a time, so very digestible in little pieces before bed. And they are thoroughly enjoyable to boot. Miss you! x

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  3. Unknown17 April 2011 at 03:16

    Don't bother with A Great War ... The moment (if ever there was one) has passed and he'll be writing a new one about the more recent Middle East shenanigans any time now.

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  4. Kirsteen18 April 2011 at 07:38

    Excellent advice. Whoop, thanks and onto London a Biography I gots ta go. I think...

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  5. Kendell21 May 2011 at 08:27

    What about Gilead? Have you read it yet? Also, my vote for financial crisis book to read is The Big Short. I haven't read it yet, but: Paul loved it and I heart Michael Lewis' writing.

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  6. Kirsteen21 May 2011 at 18:23

    Loved, loved Gilead -- it's on my blog post list -- I passed it on to my Mum because I knew she'd love it too. Want to read Home as well! And I think... I think Ed might have the Big Short, I'll have to hit him up for it.

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