…or in which Lizzie rambles about books she wants to read, because Lack of Time In General also means Lack of Time to Write Actual Intelligent Blog Posts, and this will be quick and fun to write (and hopefully at least slightly fun to read).
I know that some people make cool plans about how many books they plan to read in the year, the month, &c. I tend to be much more loose with my reading schedule – I try to read half an hour at lunch, and squeeze in ten minutes or so of spiritual reading at some point during the day, but other than that I have no set plan of how many books I’ll read in a given period. I do have a to-be-read list that I work from, however. So I thought it might be rather fun to share my current TBR with you, and talk about individual books on it if there’s anything interesting to say about them. (If there isn’t, I won’t.)
First is my general fiction TBR, which is the longest. (Re-reads are marked with an asterisk.)
(Also, I apologize at the rattiness of some of the books pictured. They’re just well-loved, is all.)
Currently reading: Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Which is quite good, by the way – probably better-written than North and South; it’s focused more exclusively on characterization, and that is where Gaskell excels, in my opinion.
And currently reading: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. * This wasn’t on my TBR at all; I’m just rereading it very slowly when it’s late and I’m too tired to do anything constructive or when I’m stressed or some such. In other words, it’s proving to be a comfort read.
- Persuasion by Jane Austen *
Not originally on my TBR, but I’m reading it for a book club.
- Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse
My love for Wodehouse is well-documented. If memory serves, I’ve read thirteen Jeeves and Wooster books, three Blandings Castle books, and one standalone novel – but that still leaves a LOT of ground to cover. The man wrote over ninety books, after all. So I’m reading Leave it to Psmith, because 1) I’ve never read any Psmith books and 2) it overlaps with the Blandings series, and I hear tell that this book includes the incident with the Efficient Baxter and the flowerpots that I know about from Fish Preferred. And I want to witness that.
- Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
- Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery *
- Mansfield Park by Jane Austen *
I put this on my TBR back when I wrote a post about the Crawfords over a year ago…and that will tell you both how backed-up this list gets and how slowly I work through it.
- Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe
- In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
I put this on my TBR after hearing Megan talk about it on her blog.
- Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery *
One of my top favorite Anne books.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot
- Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
- A Damsel in Distress by P.G. Wodehouse
- The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
Partly here due to Noddy’s insistent promptings that I read it.
- Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
On my TBR due to Emi’s recommendation.
- Celia’s House by D.E. Stevenson
Put on my TBR due to Beth’s recommendation.
- Stuart Little by E.B. White
Just here because I watched the movies. I know the book is very different (and from what I’ve heard, a lot weirder. (Not that the movies aren’t weird too, if you think about them too hard.))
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Possibly put on after Hannah’s recommendation? I can’t remember now if I had decided to read it before or after she recommended it.
- The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Truth be told, the various Scarlet Pimpernel books I’ve read so far have been something of a mixed bag for me. But I want to read this one, because there’s a certain audiobook version of it that I want to check out.
- The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
(I’m planning on reading something quick and light and easy in between these two, but I haven’t thought of what yet.)
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I’d vaguely planned on reading this for awhile, but I think I didn’t officially put it on my TBR until Grace mentioned rereading it.
I also have a (much shorter) spiritual reading TBR.
Currently reading: Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen
I’ve read portions of this before, and began reading it through from the beginning a few months ago, but I never finished/got sort of stalled…so I decided to plan out how many pages to read per day and actually finish it this Lent/Easter. I like Fulton Sheen a lot – I think of him as a Catholic, denser version of C.S. Lewis (denser as in having a more compact style, not as in less smart, in case there was any confusion about that). That being said, it can take a bit more mental effort to read him. I’m going through the book slower than I would have expected. (I do think I’ll manage to finish it in the allotted time, though, so hurray for that.)
- A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture by Scott Hahn
I’ve read a large portion of this for school, and found it so interesting that I want to finish the rest of it on my own time.
- Holiness for Everyone: The Practical Spirituality of St. Josemaría Escrivá by Eric Sammon
I like St. Josemaría Escrivá a lot, and though I’m not a huge fan of Eric Sammons in general, I recall liking this book.
- Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis
Because I mean to say – C.S. Lewis? talking about the Psalms?? How did I not know this existed until so recently?
- The Day Christ Died by Jim Bishop
Another one that I’ve begun but never finished. I don’t have immediate plans for reading this; I plan on reading through it next Lent. I really appreciate the sheer amount of dedication and research that went into it…it’s truly fascinating to read.
Then there’s my non-fiction TBR, which is made up of books I’ve discovered through school and research and such that I would like to read in their entirety when I get the time. (So far, I never have had the time. So this is more of a faint-hope-I’ll-get-around-to-it-sometime list than a to-be-read list.)
- Three to Get Married by Fulton Sheen
- Man and the State by Jacques Maritain
- The Final Revolution: The Resistance Church and the Collapse of Communism by George Weigel
From what I did read of this one, a lot of it is first-hand accounts from people who personally witnessed Communism and its collapse, which, again, is really fascinating to read.
- A Preface to Paradise Lost by C.S. Lewis
Well, that’s about all, folks! Have you read any of these? What’s on your TBR?
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My TBR is dreadfully, dreadfully long 😵💫
This is such a fun post idea! I love all the pictures of your well-loved books 😍
I adore Anne’s House of Dreams. I want to re-read all the Anne books but I also want to read other Montgomery books . . .
Eeep, Rosemary Sutcliff! I’ve only read two of her books, but The Lantern Bearers owns my heart 😭 I have the Eagle of the Ninth collection and I’m so excited to read it.
I read The Silmarillion in the beginning of the year, and I loved it a lot! Not as much as LotR, but I think it enhances my appreciation for LotR, and it’s just . . . tragic. (Your copy of it looks so neat!)
What makes this audiobook so special? Is it a certain person reading it? 🧐😜
YES. I need C. S. Lewis talking about Psalms in my life. Obviously. (Although next up of his books for me is The Weight of Glory, which I’m looking forward to once school is out!)
It’s rather a good thing in some ways to have a dreadfully long TBR – at least you never have to worry about not knowing what to read, heh. How many non-Anne L.M. Montgomery books have you read? Many years ago I went on a Montgomery kick in which I think I read all of her novels and most of her short stories, but I’ve never re-visited a lot of them since then…I really should get into the habit of re-reading things more in general.
Hmm…mayhap I should squeeze The Lantern Bearers in after The Great Gatsby?
Oh, good for you, reading it so soon after you were properly introduced to LOTR! I’m thinking it will enhance my appreciation, too – though yes, from what I’ve heard I’m not expecting it to be exactly light reading. (Thank you! I believe it’s a first edition copy – it probably used to have a dust jacket, but if so it was lost long long ago.)
*scratches head thoughtfully* Why, now you mention it, I believe you’re right; a Certain Person IS reading it! What a lucky guess ;P
I hope you enjoy The Weight of Glory! (I mean, I would expect that you will, because Lewis.)
I’ve read The Blythes are quoted, which is . . . halfway an Anne book? And I started Emily of New Moon once but never finished for some reason
You should!! And even if you don’t, I want to hear your thoughts whenever you do. It has this melancholy that reminds me of Tolkien’s works, and it’s quiet and *sad* but sO GOOD.
The Silmarillion is a lot, but personally I didn’t find it as dense as everyone seems to say it is. The severe lack of hobbits is a downside, though XD But I have a morbid streak and I enjoy a good tragedy from time to time. And I think Tolkien’s prose in the Silmarillion is just delicious.
I’m sure I will 😀 Have you read it?
Oh, I forgot to ask but was curious … Where is the title quote from?
Yes, I’d heard The Lantern Bearers was a bit of a heavier one…maybe I should plan to read a Wodehouse right after it to balance things out. xD
That’s good to know that it didn’t seem too dense; that’s been one of the main things scaring me about it, heh. I’ve been reading a lot of tragedies lately for school, so I guess this’ll fit right in ;P
I did read it for school once quite awhile ago – one insight from it stuck with me, but I really don’t remember anything else from it. Which is a shame, because I’m sure it’s all Good Stuff. (The title quote is from Emma – from the conversation where Mrs. Weston is describing all the ways she thinks Harriet Smith’s friendship will be a good thing for Emma.)
😄Ohh, what fun, and what a stack of books!! (This, of course, being more than enough to make almost anything fun 😉 (You’re an inspiration to me, btw, writing posts even when time and energy conspire against them😜)
(Also I had forgotten that I’d recommended Dear Mr. Knightley to you, what fun to see myself in your list😜)
(I seem to be doing brackets a lot here🤨😆)
My mind is slightly boggled at the thought of the Stuart Little books being considered stranger than the movie, I would have thought it would be the opposite! But then, I grew up on ’em, and never have watched the movie, so I have a fairly one-sided view😄
Elizabeth Gaskell, I’m pretty sure I just heard that name on Cecilia’s blog…. And two mentions in one week must mean she should land on my list too! I’ve heard of Wives And Daughters as well as North And South, buuuut have no clue what they’re about…. Besides the titles, which may give some small indication🤔😆
And now you have me wondering about the incident with the Efficient Baxter and the flowerpots too😂 Let me know if I should add this to my own list….
Bother, comments that want to be miles long before you’ve said half what you want to say XD Ahh well, so it is, we shall just have to bear up under it, I’m afraid, as there is no known cure except not writing at all, which is Unpleasant. I do wonder if it’ll actually go through at this length, though….
I b’lieve I’ve read exactly three of these, not counting DMK…. Jane of Lantern Hill, Anne’s House Of Dreams, and Stuart Little…. No wait, make that five, adding Mansfield Park and mayyyyyybe the Triumph Of The Scarlet Pimpernel. The Maybe because I forget which all of the Scarlet Pimpernel books I have read….
And this reminds me that I need to start my own TBR list, because at present all I can remember of mine is that I want to get to more of Jeeves And Wooster, and I semi-recently had Angela Bell’s ” A Lady’s Guide To Marvels And Misadventure,” recommended to me, as well as a book by Lysa Terkuerst.
And now this poor and extraordinarily lengthy comment is going to come to a halt, having exceeded allllll bounds and tethers of the Code Of Conduct In Decent Comments!! (🤔I wonder what would happen if I actually TRIED to write a long comment? A book, most likely.)
(Heh, it hardly counted as exerting energy though, since this is just the rambly bookish sort of post that is the easiest to write ;))
(It’s no wonder you forgot, since you recommended it over a year ago at this point! As aforementioned, I tend to work through my TBR extremely slowly.)
(Well, they are useful things to use ;))
See, apart from the premise, I don’t think the Stuart Little movies are particularly weird plot-wise – that is, once one accepts the storyline of a sentient mouse being adopted by humans (in the movies he’s adopted, not just born into the family), the rest of the story sort of naturally follows. From what I’ve heard of the book, it’s more Random. (Not that I’ve actually read it, as also aforementioned. :P)
Perhaps she should at that 😉 Well, to give you a rough idea of what you’re getting into, Wives and Daughters is more Jane Austen-y in scope – it’s more following day-to-day lives and relationships and such – whereas North and South also has a bigger focus on social issues and such; more Dickens-y, I’d say (though characters and relationships are still a big part of it too).
I will let you know! (I can already heartily recommend Fish Preferred, the book I’ve already read in which the flowerpot incident is referenced.)
There are quite a lot of Scarlet Pimpernel books to keep track of, aren’t there? I believe that Triumph is a later one in the series…though I don’t know if that helps at all in pinning it down 😛
You should start your own list! I’ve found it quite helpful…I started a few years ago, and I do think it’s really helped me read more in general, and helped me specifically to read things I’d vaguely wanted to but just never got around to. (I don’t know what “A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure” treats on, but I’m rather intrigued just by the title ;D)
(Hehe, ‘twould be Amusing, though, if one wrote a book of long blog comments, wouldn’t it? If this comment is a sample, I feel like I would enjoy reading it ;))
All The Light We Cannot See?! I’m just reading that at the moment!! I’d be interested to hear your thoughts if you get to reading it…I cannot make my mind up.
And I love Anne’s House of Dreams! And Mansfield Park! And P.G. Wodehouse is always the best. I really want to try Dear Mr. Knightley, too.
In terms of spiritual reading, have you ever come across Ronald Knox? I’ve read a lot of his sermons. He converted to Catholicism in the 1920s/30’s, and had a background similar to Newman and other famous converts a few decades earlier. I’d really recommend his books! (Fulton Sheen is on my TBR too!)
Oh, what a cool coincidence! I definitely do plan on reading that one (in fact, I may read it before its spot on my TBR if I’m moving through my list too slowly); I’d love to compare our thoughts once I do!
His name sounds familiar, but I don’t know if I’ve actually read anything of his or not. Sounds like I’d probably like him, though! Are there any works of his you’d especially recommend to start out with?
Ooh yes, it would be great to compare thoughts!
I really enjoyed “The Mass in Slow Motion”, “The Creed in Slow Motion”, and “The Gospel in Slow Motion”; he was a chaplain to an evacuated girls’ school during World War Two, and the books consist of a series of sermons on each subject that he gave to them every week. His other sermons are also very good. My mother also enjoyed “Difficulties”. He wrote lots of other books, too, including some detective books, but I’ve mainly read his sermons; I’d really recommend them!
Great, thanks for the suggestions! I should check some of them out.
Oi, the TBR pile! 😂
I have read: “Persuasion”, “Mansfield Park” (I think…), “To Kill a Mockingbird” (So good!), “Anne’s House of Dreams” (Anne is a favorite), and “Stuart Little”.
My TBR is dreadfully long… But the top three are: “The Giver”, “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall”, and “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy”.
Great post, Lizzie!
Yes indeed ;P
It’s a bit shocking that I *haven’t* read To Kill a Mockingbird – it’s such a cultural literacy thing. But that will be fixed before too long!
Who was it who wrote The Giver? I feel I should know. (Was it Joseph Conrad, or am I thinking of something else entirely?) Happy reading, in any case!
Oh, how marvellous! These are all so good. My TBR is also dreadfully long and nowhere near as organised, so props to you!
I would comment on Every Single Book, but alasly, I have not that time…
The Scarlet Pimpernel series is Quite Good! – or rather, the first book. The following few are not quite as fun, but still good. I think you’ll have Much Fun with those!
Also, I saw in another comment that you asked about The Giver–it was Lois Lowry! I’ve never read it, but I’ve heard it’s rather good. I have read Number the Stars, which she also wrote, and the writing style was so realistic and wonderful.
Yes, I liked the first Scarlet Pimpernel book a lot! I didn’t like the second one very much, sadly, but I recently read Eldorado and liked it better, so hopefully I’ll enjoy this one. 😀
Oh, lovely! I do definitely know Number the Stars, though I haven’t read it. (There’s a copy of it in our basement, in fact :P)