(Tentative) 2013 TBR Book Pile

[aorin]

It's a little bit too early to prepare this but since I'm obviously looking for an excuse to procrastinate (and tumblr was down earlier), so why not. I'll be taking one of those online reading challenges next year, mostly because I just want to cut down the To-Be-Read book pile in my room (which will expand massively in December after I return from the year-end book sale). Hopefully this will serve as a good enough incentive for me to finally clear my bookshelf up. At any rate, I own the following books and they are going to be stacked up in a nice spot next to my bed (because if I leave them in the bookshelf, they are never going to be read). Let's hope they'll be gone by the end of next year.

For now, I'm targeting minimally 30 books next year. Naturally, I'll be doing more reading than what's listed here and re-reads don't count. This list also excludes any potential university readings and whatever further materials that will come flying my way. Most of them are fiction, with a few non-fiction slot in and the list might be amended slightly in the future.

And yes, I know I have some horrible taste in books. Never mind the fact that I ought to have read some of these classics ages ago. ORZ

1. Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo (1243)*
2. Aravind Adiga: The White Tiger (321)
3. Connie Willis: To Say Nothing of the Dog (493)
4. Daniel Keyes: Flowers for Algernon (311)
5. Dante Alighieri: Inferno (288)
6. E.L. Doctorow: Ragtime (236)
7. Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front (215)
8. F. Spencer Chapman: The Jungle is Neutral (341)
9. Frank McCourt: Angela's Ashes (460)
10. Gao Xingjian: Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather (158)
11. Ha Jin: War Trash (345)
12. Ian Mortimer: The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England (292)
13. Isabella Bird: The Golden Chersonese (352)
14. Jason Roberts: A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler (355)
15. Joseph Heller: Catch-22 (570)
16. Jostein Gaarder: Sophie's World (427)
17. Kazuo Ishiguro: An Artist of the Floating World (206)
18. Lin Yutang: The Importance of Living (455)
19. Maxime Hong Kingston: The Woman Warrior (209)
20. Michael Ende: The Neverending Story (455)
21. Murakami Haruki: Kafka on the Shore (467)
22. Naomi Novik: Her Majesty's Dragon (356)
23. Roddy Doyle: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (282)
24. Salman Rushdie: Midnight's Children (647)
25. Su Tong: Rice (266)
26. T.H.White: The Once and Future King (639)
27. Tash Aw: The Harmony Silk Factory (404)
28. Ursula Le Guin: The Left Hand of Darkness (304)
29. Xinran: Sky Burial (158)
30. Yu Hua: China in Ten Words (225)

*So help me God, I will FINISH you in 2013.

Comments

[supranee]

YOU ARE MY BOOK MATE. I need to read the Count of Monte Cristo also, and maybe see the animated version of the story. I heard it was very interesting. I had Ha Jin's "A Free Life" in the US, and I was contemplating on getting "Waiting" but I actually haven't read any of his works yet. I'm hoping my family send me ALL of my other books to my address in Bangkok. I miss my books so very much... I also want to read "The Importance of Living" and "Kafka on the Shore." I want to read ALL of Haruki Murakami's books and I most definitely plan to. AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T READ THE HARMONY SILK FACTORY YET? I remember you telling me it was important Malaysian literature. I didn't even know, but I liked it quite a bit. I've read Ishiguro's "When We Were Orphans" which was really great~ Such analytical comparisons between childhood and adulthood and culture gaps! Really enjoyed it, but I haven't read his other works yet. *sigh* I should probably make my reading list too... because I have such a huge "need to buy"-list in the works already. So many books and so little time... Thank goodness for my break this month!

[aorin]

We're book mates for life! :D

Count of Monte Cristo: I want to finish this book so badly but I always choose another title off my pile because of the daunting size and I couldn't carry it around with me. This and Les Miserables are tricky reads because you need a good translation to really enjoy the novel. And it took me a while to acquire this translation. :) I've watched Gankutsuou and I think it's good even though the visual effects took some time to get used to. :)

Ha Jin: I have most of his books (because they were going on cheap previously). For most part, I have interest in the subjects that he writes about and his books are really easy to read. :)

Lin Yutang: His books are a bit tricky as he's writes for a different generation so some of his ideas might seem dated. But I'm really interested in his commentary on the Chinese, especially when he's writing to introduce the Chinese culture (in a more positive manner) to the Western sphere in those days. The Importance of Living is non-fiction though, so you might want to try his fiction works first, Moments in Peking comes to mind since it is his most famous work. It's pretty huge and can be dreary though. :3

Haruki Murakami: I'm taking baby steps with him. His books seem to be a hit and miss for some people. Here's to hoping it'll be a hit for me. :D

The Harmony Silk Factory: The only reason why it is an important Malaysian literature book is because it is one of the very few books that actually won an international book award. But since it won the Whitbread/Costa Awards which is famous for its readability, so I'm hoping this would be a good/easy read. :) A lot of people seemed to enjoy it to a degree so I have high hopes for it. Once I'm done, we need to discuss it! :D

Kazuo Ishiguro: Have I ever told you I am a fan of Ishiguro's? XD I've read Remains of the Day and A Pale View of Hills. I loved the first book but found the second to be a bit wanting and not exactly memorable. But otherwise, I'm determined to read ALL his books in time. :)

And yes, you need to make a reading list too! :D This list only consists of books that I've already owned and haven't read yet. My purpose for doing this is to actually force myself read what I've already owned. :) Of course, that does not stop my eyes from wandering at bookstores/libraries and making mental lists of books that I'd like to buy. ;)

[supranee]

then i will make a list! a pre-list actually, since my family should be sending my other books from the states within a few weeks.
this week is finals week, so i'm cramming to get all my stuff done ASAP.
but yes, that list shall be my 2013 list, also. unfortunately, i don't have the restraint to keep myself from buying more books. how do you resist?!

[aorin]

Yes. And because you are a much faster reader than I am, you should go for 52 books! I think if anyone you can do it! :D And if by some miracle that I complete these books earlier than I expected, I intend to increase the number of books. At any rate, we will cheer on each other as we slough through our lists! ;)

The only way for me to restrain myself is to bring an empty wallet to the bookstore. XD No money, no books.

Also, good luck with your exams! :D