Top Ten Tuesday – 10 To-Be-Read Books

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly challenge hosted by That Artsy Girl. This week is a freebie, so I’ve decided to share my top 10 books on my to-be-read list. These are books that I started but never finished reading for various reasons. My goal for the upcoming year is never to abandon a book. Just putting this list together is motivating!

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10 To-Be-Read Novels

Here’s a list of my current books I haven’t finished. In general, I have an abandoned-no-book policy, but for various reasons, I did just that. My goal is to finish reading or listening to these books sometime during the following calendar year.

Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner. I was excited to read this book, and I still am. I have this both in print and as an Audible book. I started reading the print copy of the book, but for some reason, I didn’t get very far. Now, the book sits on my desk, serving as a daily reminder of my unfinished reading.

A Quiet Madness: A Biographical Novel of Edgar Allan Poe by John Isaac Jones. I absolutely love Edgar Allan Poe and have read several books about his life. I received this particular book as a birthday gift from a friend and eagerly dove into it. I made it about halfway through before getting distracted and moving on to something else. Although I really enjoyed the book, I’m not sure what was significant enough to pull me away.

Lessons In Chemistry By Bonnie Garmus. Listening to this Audible book, I felt frustrated with the main character, and many of you might feel the same about her decisions. I didn’t agree with some of her choices, especially given the story’s boomer-era setting, but I still wanted to see how it ended. You’ll relate to that mix of conflict and curiosity that kept me engaged despite our disagreements.

Heat: An Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford. I read most of this book before losing interest. I always intended to pick it up and finish it, but it never happened.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. I tried listening to Vuong’s Audible novel instead of reading it, but something about the narration made me uncomfortable, so I abandoned the audio version. I also have the print edition, and while I find the story interesting and engaging, I’m not sure what went wrong with the audio. Generally, I believe books are better enjoyed in print than through listening.

The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr.  I recently read Karr’s book Lit: A Memoir (P.S.) and I was completely captivated. Eager to dive into this one as well, I found myself unable to finish it for reasons I still can’t quite pinpoint. Karr’s talent as a writer is truly exceptional, making her a must-read for anyone with an interest in writing and memoir.

Taste by Stanley Tucci. I’m a foodie, so I’m attracted to stories about food and family. I started listening to Tucci’s Audible book, but I didn’t get very far. I’m not sure why the abandonment. I definitely want to get back to this one soon.

My Dark Vanessa: A Poignant Psychological Novel about Power and Gender Dynamics by Kate Elizabeth Russell. My friends spoiled this novel for me before I even started reading it. From the very beginning, it was apparent where the story was heading, which left me feeling uneasy and somewhat disappointed. I found myself frustrated with the entire storyline and angry that the ending was obvious. However, I will find a way to get through it. Everyone in the book club loved this story.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I had heard a lot about this book before I decided to buy it, but after reading the reviews, I felt overwhelmed, so I set it aside. I regret that decision because it’s a novel I was excited to read. It’s definitely on my to-be-read list for the upcoming year.

The Beautiful Ones by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia. Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite fiction authors. I’ve read most of her works, and I am never disappointed. Although the novel started a bit slowly—which usually doesn’t bother me—I ended up putting the book down and haven’t returned to it yet. However, I plan to pick it back up because I can’t abandon one of my favorite authors.