Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme created by The Broke and the Bookish blog, and now hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl.
For today, I’m combining this week’s and next week’s topics to talk about: The Books I Can’t Believe I Haven’t Read
Emily of New Moon (and the rest of the Emily series) by L. M. Montgomery
I love L. M. Montgomery; the Anne of Green Gables and Avonlea series (and their respective adaptations) were such a huge part of my childhood. Yet, somehow I have never read any of the Emily books. This is an oversight I hope to fix very soon!
Middlemarch by George Eliot
I can’t believe I haven’t read Middlemarch. Maybe I’ll finally dive into Eliot’s intimidating masterpiece this spring. Honestly, I’ll be a bit heartbroken if I don’t love it.
Possession by A. S. Byatt
Possession seems like a novel that was almost tailor-made for me. I have owned a copy for ages; I’ve seen the film version multiple times. Still haven’t read it.
Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
After watching the first season of Poldark, I bought the first two books in Winson Graham’s popular historical fiction series. I was so excited to read them and to spend more time with Ross and Demelza. Here we are three seasons into the show and I still haven’t read any of the books.
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
I was completely blown away by Atkinson’s Life After Life when I read it a few years ago, however I still have yet to read this “sequel.” The reviews of A God in Ruins seem to be more mixed, which is one of the reasons I haven’t rushed to read it. After recently loving her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, I have bumped Atkinson’s latest closer to the top of my TBR list.
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
For someone who considers Jane Eyre to be her favorite book, it is kind of embarrassing that I’ve never read Wide Sargasso Sea.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
I bought this book immediately after it came out and have been saving it ever since. I’m expecting to love this epic coming-of-age story about art and life, and have decided this will be the year I finally pick it up.
The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp by Eva Rice
This is a sequel of sorts to one of my favorite comfort reads, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets. I have such high expectations for this one; I desperately want it to evoke the same feelings that its predecessor inspires in me. For this reason, I’ve been putting off reading The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp, but plan to get to it this spring/summer.
The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard
This series has been on my radar for a few years now, and it sounds like one I’ll completely adore. The main reason I haven’t begun The Cazalet Chronicles is because I have a feeling I will want to read the entire series in quick succession.
Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson
I’ve really enjoyed all of the Bill Bryson books I’ve read so far, and I doubt Notes From a Small Island will be an exception. My copy has been languishing on my shelf for a while now, and I really need to indulge in some armchair traveling!
Are there certain books you can’t believe you haven’t read? Any titles from this list you think I should prioritize first?
Dwell in Possibility 
I read ‘middlemarch’ after I saw the mini series and it was okay though I still find it’s a tough read but somehow seeing the mini series makes it so much easier to read.
I think your taste in books are quite different from mine so I’m not going to recommend any titles.
have a lovely day.
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Adaptations definitely make challenging classics more accessible. If I get stuck with Middlemarch, I’ll have to remember to check out the series! Happy reading, Lissa!
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So many good things in store! I love the Emily series – by far my favourite thing L.M. Montgomery has ever written. Middlemarch is obviously wonderful – not my favourite Eliot, but it is her best. I very much enjoyed both Possession and The Goldfinch.
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That’s good to hear! I’ve been “saving” most of these because I expect to really love them. I’m not sure that anything could top The Blue Castle as my favorite work by L. M. Montgomery at this point, but I won’t be surprised if I end up loving Emily even more than Anne.
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I keep meaning to read Middlemarch…. I love the Bill Bryson. It feeds right into my England addiction. A God in Ruins is very good. I’ve been looking for a copy of Behind the Scenes at the Museum. I think I’ll have to request it at the library.
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As a huge anglophile myself, I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to read Notes From a Small Island! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it and A God in Ruins. I found my copy of Behind the Scenes at the Museum on Book Outlet, if that’s helpful. If you feel like tackling Middlemarch later this spring and want to do a read-along, let me know!
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I’m a HUGE Kate Atkinson fan and I think A God in Ruins moved me just as much if not more than Life After Life. I loved it. Also, I read Middlemarch in a readalong a couple of years ago, and it was an awesome experience. Maybe you should do a search to see if there are any readalongs currently. It was nice being able to spread out the book into chunks and not feel pressure to read it in a certain time frame. I love that book. I hope to read it again in a few years.
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I’m very happy to hear that about A God in Ruins! I hope I’ll have the same response when I do finally read it. Reading Middlemarch as part of a read-along sounds like a perfect idea. Thanks, Laila!
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Great list! Wide Sargasso Sea and Possession are both on my TBR and I can’t decide whether I want to read the Poldark books or if I just want to watch the show. I really need to read some L. M. Montgomery, too, I still haven’t read Anne of Green Gables!
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Thanks Jess! I’m not as excited about the Poldark books as I once was, but will still probably read them at some point. Not sure if they can top the show though! Anne of Green Gables is definitely worth reading, and The Blue Castle-one of her novels written for adults-is one of my favorites too. Hopefully we’ll both enjoy Possession and Wide Sargasso Sea!
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Great list; I love how you interpreted the prompt! I can’t believe I haven’t read the Emily books either since I absolutely loved Anne of Green Gables! I did TTT on my blog too 🙂
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Thanks Kay! I’ve heard from several people that they actually prefer Emily to Anne. Still, for whatever reason the Emily books don’t seem to be as well-known.
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Emily of New Moon is wonderful- very worthy of sharing shelf space with Anne, which is a high compliment indeed! Of the books on your list it’s probably the “easiest” read. I like Middlemarch and Possession but both can be dense at times. So it’s worth waiting until you are ready to put in the effort with those. Wide Saragasso Sea is a must for any Jane Eyre fan. I was one of the few people who was a bit disappointed in The Goldfinch. It’s very much worth reading but not on the same level as some of Tartt’s other work IMO.
This list actually reminds me that the Poldark series and the Cazalet Chronicles have been on my TBR for quite a while too.
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Haha! I’ve only read two of them – Middlemarch, many years ago, which I think I quite enjoyed, and another that I thought was dreadful, so I’m not telling you which one that was in case I put you off… 😉 Hope you get a chance to fit them all in…
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I’ve read 10/12 of these and loved all of them — Possession is excellent (though I did skim most of the epic poetry); A God in Ruins is great, but more straightforward in plot than Life After Life. The Poldark novels are good but sometimes I get bogged down in the politics and war — sometimes Ross makes me crazy!
Of your list of twelve, my top recommendations would be Wide Sargasso Sea (a must-read if you’re a Jane Eyre fan); or The Light Years which is WONDERFUL. Of course it’s first in a series of five so you’ll want to read all of them! But they’re SO GOOD and the characters are great, plus they are pretty quick reads. And Middlemarch is slow starting out (the first 100 pages are kind of dry) but after that it really picked up and I just loved it.
Your list is so great, I wish I could read all of them for the first time!
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I’m thrilled to hear you loved so many of these, Karen! I have a feeling I’m going to love them too. Like you say, I’ll probably end up wishing I could read them for the first time all over again!
It sounds like The Cazalet series would make for perfect spring/summer reading, and maybe I’ll start Middlemarch this March!
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I only read Middlemarch a year ago and it is wonderful. Also, I am glad I am not the only one who hasn’t read Wide Sargasso Sea!
As for the Emily series. I cannot praise the three books enough. Emily is very unlike Anne. Who she is and what she wants is more meaningful to me. And while I also loved The Blue Castle, it too is not like the Emily books. So I would just say, don’t compare when you read Emily; let her be her 😉
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I have a strong feeling that Emily is going to be more meaningful to me as well, Laurie! I’m sad I never read the books as a child, but I’m looking forward to reading them soon.
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