Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read

Top 10 Books I can't believe I haven't read yet, but are sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read. (hosted by The Broke and The Bookish)



1.
 IQ84 by Haruki Murakami
This was on the top of my list last year when my mum asked me about books I wanted for Christmas, but I still haven't taken it down to read. I think it's the size of it that's put me off. Considering how little time I have for reading at the moment, a book that momentous would take me months. I think I need to  just jump in and give it a go - anyone have any tips to help me out here?

2. 
Portrait of a Serial Killer: Jack the Ripper - Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell
True crime is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, and anything that deals with conspiracy theories is 1000x better. Jack the Ripper is a case that intrigues me, and the fact that we'll never truly know one way or another strangely makes me want to read even more on the subject. This book had been on my TBR list for months before I came across a copy in my local second hand bookstore, but since then I haven't submerged myself into the dark and grimy underworld of Victorian era England.

3. 
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Another big-ass book that's intimidating to the time conscious. This historical fiction novel has received some amazing reviews by some of my favourite bloggers, and one day I'll get to read about a childless Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey and the ambitious Thomas Cromwell but this day doesn't appear to be on the horizon just yet.

4. 
Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg
When I heard that Simon Pegg (of Shaun of the Dead, Spaced and Star Trek fame) had written a book about his life as a nerd I knew I had to have it. Soon after buying it I picked it up with the intent of reading it but it just didn't happen. This is the kind of book I really have to be in the mood for, and at the time I just couldn't get into it. Eventually though, I'm sure, the time will be right for a nerdy autobiography.

5. 
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
When I read The Hunger Games earlier this year I couldn't help but notice the parallels between it and one of my favourite Japanese films, Battle Royale. I'd known the film was based on a book, but until I read THG I really didn't have the necessary motivation to get myself a copy of the book. I did start this book, but like Nerd Do Well, I just wasn't in the groove for it and stopped around page 15. I will definitely get back to it, what I read I liked, but it's a big book and smaller books are just so much more appetising when there's so little time to spend reading!

6.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
I desperately want to read this book before the film (starring Keira Knightly and Jude Law) comes out, but the size and Russian-ness of it intimidates me something crazy. I once picked up Crime and Punishment at a library and tried to read it, but I think the amount of names (and similarities of said names) means I'd probably have to read with a pen and paper beside me in order to keep my head above water!

7. 
Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada
Writing about life in Berlin under the Nazis, Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin was suggested to me as a must read when I finished The Book Thief. I bought it immediately after reading some of the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and then...nothing. I don't know if I was burnt out after reading The Book Thief (so sad!!), or if I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for what is definitely going to be a devastating and dark book (it is about the Nazis after all) but I haven't yet gathered up the courage I need to give it a shot. I will though, I've heard it's absolutely amazing.

8. 
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
I love a good science fiction/fantasy/horror and if there is one person who is sure to write one of the best science fiction/fantasy/horror novels around, it's John Wyndham. In The Midwich Cuckoos a strange object appears in a village, knocks everyone unconscious, and then disappears...after leaving all of the females pregnant. Furthermore, this is supposed to be a sort-of-origin story for the phenomenal Warren Ellis graphic novel series Freak Angels.

9. 
Under the Dome by Stephen King
To be fair, I have about 10 Stephen King books in my shelf that I can't believe I haven't read yet, but most of them are second hand copies of his lesser known novels. Under the Dome was bought new with the intention of reading it immediately. Since I bought it I think I've read 4 or 5 King novels...maybe it'll be next?

10. 
Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
I'm not sure how I came across this one, but the synopsis captured my attention and broke my heart a little. Dealing with the loss of his mother, a young boy turns to his books for comfort. Part fairy tale, part coming of age story, part emotional roller-coaster this book has a bit of everything and I know that when I find the time to read it I'll absolutely love it. Or at least, I hope so!