To Read Pile

[Mouse]

I was perusing Amazon the other day and was about to buy myself more books, when I realised I should probably just read the ones I've got first. So I wrote down all the books I own but haven't read yet - trying to justify that I could buy more. Turns out, I had more than I thought, so until my list diminishes somewhat, I'm off the book buying for a while.

Anyway, as it took me so long to do this list I thought I'd share it here. My books are all packed away in boxes for the still-not-happening-yet move so I had to go by memory and my purchase/swap history on certain sites, so this still might not be all of them. I'm sure it's not as impressive as other people's lists, so please share yours too, and let me know which on my list I can particularly look forward to!

Currently reading:
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde by Neil McKenna

To finish reading (books packed away and now I can't find them!):
The Queen’s Necklace by Teresa Edgerton
A Sword from Red Ice by JV Jones
Running with the Demon by Terry Brooks

To read:
Watcher of the Dead by JV Jones
A Knight of the Word by Terry Brooks
Angel Fire East by Terry Brooks
A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin
Windhaven by George RR Martin and Lisa Tuttle
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley
The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
I, Corriander by Sally Gardner
The Black Angel by John Connelly
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
The Walking by Bentley Little
Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan
Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton
King Rat by China Mieville
Legends by Terry Pratchett et al
The Death Trilogy by Terry Prattchett
De Profundis by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray unedited version by Oscar Wilde
Steve and Me by Terri Irwin
Slights by Karen Warren
The Death Collector by Justin Richards
Henry VIII Wolfman by A.E. Moorat
Shade’s Children by Garth Nix
The Seventh Tower by Garth Nix
Snow White and the Seven Samurai by Tom Holt
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Around a Dark Corner by Jeani Rector
Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb
The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
Haunted Landscapes: Cornish and Westcountry Tales of the Supernatural by Donald R. Rawe
Plus various anthologies I have stories in.

 

[chrispenycate]

After my eight-book (five day) sojourn in the hospital (not many visitors, and I don't need that much sleep) I have no "to be read" pile, book, or chapter. (well, all right; perhaps two chapters left of 'The Iron Council'), and have spent the intervening 'quiet' days in rereading. I am hoping that my forthcoming trip to the UK will change this situation, but where I'm going to put the extra volumes (a friend came round while I was horizontal and took all of the books tat were in food cupboards out, to be replaced by food, and wouldn't let me store them in the fridge. How unreasonable).

I suppose I'm going to be obliged to do some more writing, now the ophidian paralysis of the infirmary is fading.

 

[Mouse]

(a friend came round while I was horizontal and took all of the books tat were in food cupboards out, to be replaced by food, and wouldn't let me store them in the fridge. How unreasonable).

Heh heh! How rude!

Hope you're feeling better now, Chrispy. Having no to-read pile must feel strange!

 

[Ian Whates]

I started keeping a list of the 'to read' books in my collection several years ago simply to keep track of them, deleting books as I read them and adding them as I bought new ones.

Problem is, additions continually outstripped my reading, and I abandoned the idea about two years ago, once the number of titles on the list significantly topped 900.

Best of luck with the move, Mouse!

 

[elvet]

According to my Goodreads lists, I currently own 150 books that I haven't read yet.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Since (as I know I've said many times) I rarely buy books or bring them home from the library unless I intend to read them before I get any more, my to-read-pile is typically small:

Greyglass, by Tanith Lee
Clockwork Phoenix 3, edited by Mike Allen
Huntress, by Malinda Lo
Mechanique, by Genevieve Valentine

 

[No One]

Mine is also typically small, but only because I don't tend to think that far ahead...

Currently reading - Philip Pullman, Northern Lights to be followed by The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass to complete the trilogy.

After that, in no particular order:

James Blish, Cities in Flight
Olaf Stapledon, Last and First Men
Alfred Bester, The Demolished Man
Ursula Le Guin, The Dispossessed
Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys
Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens
Max Brooks, The Zombie Survival Guide
Roger Zelany, Lord of Light

And you can add the third book of Scott Lynch's Gentleman ******* series, pending it's release.

 

[j d worthington]

I'm afraid my "to read" pile exceeds even that of Ian and, things being as they are at the moment, I doubt that's likely to change anytime soon... especially as I should have a shipment of about ten new volumes on its way to me at this point.....

However, I don't fret about it. I just concentrate on those which are higher priority for now, and fit in the others where I can; and at times I get through quite a selection in surprisingly short time; so.....

And yes, I also wish you the best with the move, Mouse....

Chris: I must admit, I've never stored any books in the fridge, but one never knows.....

 

[Mouse]

I started keeping a list of the 'to read' books in my collection several years ago simply to keep track of them, deleting books as I read them and adding them as I bought new ones.

Problem is, additions continually outstripped my reading, and I abandoned the idea about two years ago, once the number of titles on the list significantly topped 900.

Best of luck with the move, Mouse!

Ta! Wow. 900! I knew a fair few of you guys would make my pile look measly.

According to my Goodreads lists, I currently own 150 books that I haven't read yet.

Heh, and I was shocked when I realised mine was 30 odd.

Mechanique, by Genevieve Valentine

This one looks really intriguing, Teresa! I quite fancy that. Must resists...

Mine is also typically small, but only because I don't tend to think that far ahead...

Currently reading - Philip Pullman, Northern Lights to be followed by The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass to complete the trilogy.

After that, in no particular order:

James Blish, Cities in Flight
Olaf Stapledon, Last and First Men
Alfred Bester, The Demolished Man
Ursula Le Guin, The Dispossessed
Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys
Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens
Max Brooks, The Zombie Survival Guide
Roger Zelany, Lord of Light

And you can add the third book of Scott Lynch's Gentleman ******* series, pending it's release.

Snap on the Anansi Boys! Funny, because I never usually leave Neil Gaiman's books unread for long but I've had Anansi Boys for ages. I kinda don't fancy it. I really want Good Omens too.

And good choice on the HDM, NO!

I'm afraid my "to read" pile exceeds even that of Ian and, things being as they are at the moment, I doubt that's likely to change anytime soon... especially as I should have a shipment of about ten new volumes on its way to me at this point...

I'm impressed!

And yes, I also wish you the best with the move, Mouse....

Thanks, JD!

 

[j d worthington]

I'm impressed!

About which? The size of the pile, or the shipment? The first is, in large part, due to the looooong-term research project I've been (and will continue to be) involved in; the second is the result of a "lifetime subscription" deal I got several years ago with Hippocampus Press, as these constitute the volumes they've published which I have not yet received. (They are all distinctly of interest, but of varying degrees.)

Oh, and Mouse... have you not yet learned that "resistance is futile"....?

 

[Mouse]

About which? The size of the pile, or the shipment?

Both! Impressed and jealous.

Oh, and Mouse... have you not yet learned that "resistance is futile"....?

This thread is making it harder too!

 

[No One]

Snap on the Anansi Boys! Funny, because I never usually leave Neil Gaiman's books unread for long but I've had Anansi Boys for ages. I kinda don't fancy it. I really want Good Omens too.

And good choice on the HDM, NO!

Hehe, well HDM was a Hoopy recommendation. I'm not even half way through yet, but it's been an excellent read so far.

And double-snap on Anansi Boys! It's the one Gaiman book on my shelf that I've not read and, like you, I've had it for ages. I even started it a while back, but (triple-snap!?) just didn't fancy it and drifted on to something else.

 

[Mouse]

Spookular!

 

[J-Sun]

I just counted and I have 165 unread SF books alone, at the moment, excluding anthologies. 3 more are supposedly in the mail though I'm beginning to lose hope (I couldn't find these in stores and they are to complete a couple of series so that I can read the others - not outright 'new' purchases). I'm currently reading 2 (and an anthology and a non-fiction book). So my TBR is probably in the vicinity of 400.

I really really hate this. I used to have an unread pile of 5-20 books that might grow to 30 and represented one bookstore trip, though it might grow to parts of 2-3, but it stayed in that vicinity when I didn't actually get caught up. IOW, my reading basically kept pace with my buying. Then, for a few years, I didn't read very much (especially of fiction) due to other time-eaters but didn't change my buying habits for a long time because I figured I'd get back to reading them "any day now" and didn't realize how they were piling up.

I'd be ecstatic to have a TBR of 30 again. Looks like some of us are in the "a huge TBR is a normal state of being" camp and some of us are in the "a huge TBR means something is going wrong" camp. Maybe I should change my attitude and give up but I'm currently trying to stay in a reading binge with the intent of at least closing the gap.

 

[Dozmonic]

I think I'll award myself a gold star as I only have about 10-15 on my to-read list and about 5 on my part-read list

 

[clovis-man]

Most of my TBRs are in a wide, but somewhat flat box that I keep under the bed. Those that represent the "top of the pile" (no more than 5 or 6) I have on a display shelf where I can readily see them. The theory is that I won't add to the pile because the box is full and the display shelf won't hold any more either. But there are always those that are "in transit".

 

[HoopyFrood]

Hehe, well HDM was a Hoopy recommendation. I'm not even half way through yet, but it's been an excellent read so far.

And you would've read it sooner if it weren't for that pesky Dragons book!

Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens
Max Brooks, The Zombie Survival Guide
Roger Zelany, Lord of Light

Heh, was just thinking, now these seem familiar! I forgot you'd taken those three. Hurry up to Good Omens!

Also, Anansi Boys has been on my shelf for years and I still need to read it.

I have two halves of a full collection (and like a story, they have never met, but one day they'll be united and it'll be magical...) There's about 150 in each, and I'm pretty sure there's about a third (probably more) of each that still need to be read. Which makes it around one hundred books needing to be read (yeah, that's some fine maths for you). At least lack of funds for anything surplus has put my chronic book buying on hold. Give me a chance to start getting through them. Probably.

 

[No One]

Heh, was just thinking, now these seem familiar! I forgot you'd taken those three. Hurry up to Good Omens!

Alright already! Yeesh, such a taskmaster...

But just for the "pesky Dragons book" remark, I'm leaving Good Omens til last.

 

[jojajihisc]

Mine is probably a middle sized group somewhere in the 100 to 200 range I'd guess. Preferences are always changing and new books are bought faster than I read them so it's a battle I can't win.

Not necessarilly books I'm going to read very soon, but some of the ones that are lying in or on my nightstand or on my dresser (places near where I do most of my reading) for whatever reason, and all of which are ones I haven't read include:

The Baum Plan for Financial Independence and Other Stories - John Kessel
Stable Strategies and Others - Eileen Gunn
Ark - Stephen Baxter
Imperial Bedrooms - Bret Easton Ellis
Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank
The Atrocity Archives - Charles Stross
Glamorama - Bret Easton Ellis
Arcadia - Jim Crace
Kirinyaga - Mike Resnick
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? - Raymond Carver
Travels in the Scriptorium - Paul Auster
Oracle Night - "
The Company - K.J. Parker

Several anthologies taking up space as well as I slowly read them.

 

[rai]

i have a problem, I buy books way faster than I read them. I have been collecting books for 30+ years and have read ~500 books so far but have a good 700 (probably more) books to read yet.

This is not counting re-reads which is probably like 30% of my reading. I like new books well, but they have a chance that I won't like it and will quit in the middle which I hate to do. But re-reading I always know that I will like it.