It’s not possible to have too many books!! (Or is it?)
13 January 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top ten books from 2014 not yet read, Top Ten Tuesday
This week over at the Broke and Bookish the Top Ten Tuesday topic for discussion is:
Top Ten 2014 Releases I Wanted (Desperately!) To Read But Didn’t Get To (Yet!)
I’ve decided I hate this post – okay, I don’t hate this post but let’s just say I’m very unhappy with myself at this current time – this has made me look at my book buying habits and realise that I need a shake up. Or I simply need shaking. Or I need therapy! Or I need my computer rights removing so I can’t look at any more books!! Anyway, as a result, I’ve made myself a goal – I have to eliminate at least one of the books from the list below, each month – I’ve already managed one (9 more to go) – If I fail, well it will be a disaster – I hate to fail anyway, and if I don’t do this thing my head could possibly just explode (or maybe not)!! The thing is, I actually want to read them all (plus the other 200 books I have stashed around the house! – what is wrong with that anyway, some women smuggle shoes into their house and hide them – I smuggle books!) I really need to get a grip and stop worrying about missing a book somewhere down the line!!! Plus, I’m going to tell you a secret – but don’t tell anybody else, this is for your eyes only – one of the books on this list I actually bought for kindle – a good few months ago – then, after reading some of the ‘best of’ lists at the start of the year I thought ‘oh, what a good book’ – and actually bought the book version (yes, I’d forgotten I’d already bought it and, ahem, bought it again). There’s just plain dense and then there’s 20 feet below dense – and then there’s me! Do not judge and keep this to yourself! Now, which book to choose in Feb – suggestions (from this list only if you please – no new ideas!)
- Tempered – No.4 of the St Croix Chronicles by Karina Cooper (didn’t read in 2014 but have managed to read this month!! Review to follow shortly)
- Lock in by John Scalzi
- Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler
- Murder by Sarah Pinborough
- The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
- Tower Lord, book 2 of Raven’s Shadow by Anthony Ryan
- Sworn in Steel, Tale of the Kin book 2 by Douglas Hulick
- The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
- The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
- Gemsigns by Stephanie Saulter
Books and travelling with Lynn 
You’re not the only book smuggler, I do that frequently but don’t always get away with it! Five of the books on your list are unread 2014 books for me, Scalzi is the only one on my actual TTT list otherwise it would have been over 100 books long! Maybe we should both read Lock In?
My Top Ten Tuesday!
Yay – I like that – I’m a book smuggler!!! Yes! I’m owning that one – ta. Yes, we should both read Lock in!! Plan.
Lynn 😀
The Tower Lord. Forgot to get to that one. I got the first Hulak book on my shelf, sitting, unread.
We are so bad! I can’t believe I haven’t read the Ryan book because I really enjoyed Blood Song.
Lynn 😀
Oh wow this is a fantastic, errrr, I mean SAD list! I want to read most of these books too! Now you’ve gone and made my list longer!! Oh wait, I did read Lock In, which I highly recommend. So go read that right now!
Yes, I should read Lock In whilst I’m still taking part in the Sci Fi experience! It has had such good reviews so I’ll definitely read it soon!
Lynn 😀
I know what you mean about book hoarding. I’ve found myself buying both the print and the Kindle version if it’s at an irresistible price ($0.99-5.99). That’s how I ended up adding a bunch of books to my already insurmountable pile last December. On top of that, I had my reading year all figured out and I decided to join NetGalley and requested a ton of books for which I have mostly been accepted! 🙂
Good luck with all that reading! It’s so easy to get behind. To be fair sometimes I buy the book on kindle if it’s reasonable even if I have the actual book – especially if it’s a big chunkster – so much easy carrying around the kindle than a 1,000 page book!
Lynn 😀
I’m afraid I haven’t read any of those books to help you choose your next one. Good luck with reading one each month though. You can do it -)
I’ll have to!! Otherwise I will have to self impose some sort of restrictions – like no new books for a whole month!!
Lynn 😀
Lock In is one that I think I want to read. But don’t feel bad, I probably got more books this year than just about any year, and still had so many I didn’t get read. We’re all in the same boat I think!
Check out my Top 10
I think you’re right – we’re all maniacs!!
Lynn 😀
I went through a bit of a guilt trip too while working on my TTT post; you’re not alone! XD Are you aiming to read any of these novels in the year? I’ve already worked on a few from my list 🙂
Sparrow’s TTT
I’ve decided that I have to read one book from this list each month! Or else!!
Lynn 😀
The Miniaturist is also on my list! Didn’t think of the Paying Guest but I don’t own it yet so there’s no rush I guess. 🙂
I bought both these at the same time and they’re still sat there – and just prior to 2014 I bought Goldfinch by Tartt and Dr Sleep by King – I mean, I literally rushed out to buy all these books!! And, they’re not read. It’s just dreadful really. If books have feelings a lot of my collection are sulking heartily about now!
Lynn 😀
No judging here! I’ve found multiple copies of books plenty of times. The Miniaturist and The Paying Guests both look fantastic. I think I’m going to do The Paying Guests in audio format so I may actually be able to get that one read at some point this year. Good luck!
Tbh, sometimes I specifically buy a book on kindle – even though I own it – just because reading it on kindle is so much easier (not to mention lighter to carry around!) But, the book on this list – yeah, that was a mistake! I’ll look forward to your review of the Paying Guests – I think I’ll try and read Lock in first.
Lynn 😀
I’ve seen Jinn and Juice on a lot of lists this week. I might have to check it out eventually as well! Great list!
Thanks. I will read them all eventually – at least one a month that is!! Maybe I can’t buy a book unless I read one of my already bought books!
Lynn 😀
If it’s any consolation, I’m sure you could get plenty of books for the trade-off cost of some shoes. But I wish you best of luck on your endeavour to tackle your mountain of books! I haven’t read any of the titles on your list but Lock In has intrigued to buy into the concept.
Cheers,
joey via. thoughts and afterthoughts
I am determined to read at least one a month – In fact I think if I don’t read one – I will have to not buy one! Course there’s only me to self impose the punishment – and I’m weak!!!
Lynn 😀
No, it’s actually not possible to have too many books 😀 Er, well…unless the leaning tower of books falls over and crushes you. Then that’s bad.
Anyway, I may be a scatterbrain sometimes, but the thing I notice is that I never double up on books! I seem to remember what’s exactly in my ebook, audiobook, and physical library. Now if I can only turn that into a marketable skill 😛
OMG – I’ve doubled up more than once – I’m actually an embarrassment! Sometimes I double up deliberately, like the Sanderson novels – I bought them on kindle so that I could keep the originals looking good – plus carrying them around felt like a workout! (I’ve got the American versions – such lovely covers, nicer than the UK!)
Yes, you defo have a marketable skill – you can hire your organisation abilities out to others!
And I’m a bit more worried about the stacks tumbling over and killing my dog tbh – he’s only about 18 inches tall!
Lynn 😀
You can never have too many books. (Except for when you do.)
I don’t buy a lot of books–though I can always be tempted by a sale–but my list of books I want from the library is always out of control. I think because I don’t physically own the book, it seems okay to have a few hundred titles on it.
I’m leaving off the library for a little bit I think – I got a bit intense last year and on a couple of occasions forgot to renew books – ended up with enough fines that I could have bought a couple of books. I’m so unorganised!
Lynn 😀
I check my library website a couple of times a week so I don’t fall behind. I’m weird like that. 😉
Actually that’s not weird! That’s called sensible. 😀
Lynn
NOO buying two copies of the same book is the worst. Unfortunately I’ve done it a few times – mostly in UF series where there are SO MANY titles in a series that I forget if I already own a copy.
As for what you should read, I’m gonna go with Lock In. It was one of my favourite books of 2014 and my very first John Scalzi book, and I can’t recommend it enough! Good stuff.
Yeah, I think Lock In has won the day. I admit that sometimes I do buy a book twice – once in paper and once in kindle – but that’s for the real chunksters that I don’t want to carry around. Sometimes though you see a book and you love the sound, then you don’t get round to picking it up and it maybe gets released with a different cover – and, well, you still like the sound of it – bahdahbing!
Lynn 😀
I do that all the time! Buy it in one format…forget and then buy it in another. We are such dorks!
That’s a good idea to read at least one of these each month. I need to make myself a freaking list like this lol
For once, I actually quite like this list – and will try to read one a month. Really try!!
Lynn:D
[…] achieve for the year. One of my goals is to read some of my previously purchased books (this post here lists 10 books to be read this year – and I’ve already read one of these!). My top 10 […]
I think you should read Gemsigns. Check out the interview with the author, Stephanie Saulter, on my page if you haven’t. She’s amazing. (I know that sounds like a shamleless plug, but it’s two of the best posts to ever go up on Two Dudes.)
I will definitely read this – I bought it twice after all!! And, I’ll certainly stop over and check out your post.
Thanks
Lynn 😀