I am excited about this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic. For those of you unfamiliar with Top Ten Tuesday, it is a meme hosted by the wonderful people over at The Broke and the Bookish where bloggers create their top ten lists in the week's chosen category!
This week's topic is "Top Ten Books That Are On The Top Of My TBR List For Fall." I don't know about you, but I have a lot of books that I have been meaning to get to, but just haven't this year. I am also due for another pile to land on my nightstand (books on my nightstand mean they are being read sooner rather than later). So without further ado, here are the titles I am looking to read this fall, in no particular order:
1. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens: Reading this one would serve two purposes. First, it will count towards Adam's TBR challenge (which I am woefully behind on), and second, it will knock another Dickens title off my list. I am intimidated by the length of this one. At just over 800 pages, it will take me a bit to get through it, but it needs to be done.
2. Dracula by Bram Stoker: I am planning on bringing back a few readalongs, with some alterations, this fall, and Dracula is one of those titles I need to read with someone else. I have read it once (way back in high school for a class), and I think it will be the perfect read in October.
3. Walden and "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau: I have been meaning to read both of these for quite some time. In fact, I think my volume that contains this has the record for being moved to my nightstand, back to the bookshelf, and back on the nightstand. But with Transcendentalist Month coming up in November, I know I'll get through these with some great company (and you should join the fun!).
4. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James: This is another title for Adam's challenge, as well as one that has been picked up and moved quite a few times. I really enjoy James, but for some reason, this one frightens me. I, of course, have no idea why, it just does. Again, it is a little on the lengthy side, but who really cares?
5. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyon: I have toyed with reading this one ever since finishing Little Women back in March 2010. I also think it'll be a great title to read with the coming holiday season.
6. The Divine Comedy by Dante: This is another title I have been avoiding, since the collection of three titles is REALLY LONG, but spread over three months, I think it is completely doable. Anyone want to join in? ;)
7. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulk: I had the HARDEST time finding a copy of this novel, but I scooped it up at Borders a few weeks ago. I really love long war-based epics, so I think this is something I can really sink my teeth into as the weather begins to turn.
8. Shakespeare: I am leaving this one broad. I told myself that I would read more of his plays this year, and guess how many I have read? One. I read Romeo and Juliet back in February (my upteenth reread) and have avoided the bard ever since. I do have two plays on my nightstand (Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra), but I am avoiding them. I actually think that I am going to read ALL Shakespeare for the upcoming 24-hour readalong. Doesn't that sound FUN?
9. Moby Dick by Herman Melville: I have been wanting to read this for months, so I should probably just do it. I think people are of two minds about this one, so I am hoping I fall into the "love it" mindset. Otherwise this one might be a little torturous.
10. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells: It isn't that I want to read this one. I have not-so-good memories of my first attempt a few years ago. But since reading my first Verne novel a month ago, I want to give the other old sci-fi master a chance at redeeming himself. And I might even watch the awful Tom Cruise version of the film again (I laughed in the theater when we saw it at inappropriate times. This is why my husband doesn't take me places).
As you can probably see, I am in the mood for some long, epic-style novels. I have been sticking to short pieces during the summer months, and I do believe it is time to switch it up. While I do love short little reads, I am craving something to sink my teeth into.
What are your reading plans for fall? Any similar to mine?
I have to admit, I really REALLY hated War of the Worlds. I've tried several books by Wells and his writing style just grates on me. It's been quite a few years since I read War of the Worlds, and I still can't hear the word "tumultuous" without flinching (I swear the guy uses it every other sentence, sometimes more than once per sentence).
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I would definitely join you for the Dante! I just read The Inferno for the second time this past spring, but I've never read the second two books and I would like to. Unfortunately the translator I really like has only translated Inferno (Robert Pinsky - I highly recommend that one!), so I'm not sure who to get for the others. Still, I would do it, and I think it would fit well in with the RIP theme that will dominate my reading choices over the next few months!
I'd like to join in with reading Dante :) What's the plan, simply one book a month?
ReplyDeleteI had a odd experience reading Moby Dick.. When I was chugging along assuming the book was just about whales and a crazy dude who chased after them I was bored silly, but when a friend pointed out that Melville was also trying out all sorts of experiments with language and socio-political thought (especially race-based pseudoscience!)then I fell in love with the subversive nature of the work. I think it's one of those books you have to keep picking and prodding at until it gives up its secrets
ReplyDeleteOhhhh: you have so many treats in store (I'm determinedly avoiding eye contact w the Dickens or Thoreau, since I don't get along with either of those authors). I loved Dracula and Portrait of a Lady (definitely one James' more accessible novels, despite its length; I'm almost finished with Wings of the Dove myself, which I loved because I love James but which definitely required much more brain work, hehe), Pilgrim's Progress (granted, I read it in high school), and Moby Dick!!! I'm so tempted by Dante, especially after reading a neat intro to Medieval lit that ran through it, but I just can't settle on a translation. lol
ReplyDeleteAlso, I noticed you're currently reading Aeschylus; do you have the Fagles translation? How do you feel about it? I just discovered him (Aeschylus) this year and now love him. If you're looking for a great companion read, check out An Oresteia, in which translator Anne Carson makes the cycle using plays written by three Greeks in different periods (and uses her own translations).
Finally, now I'm dreaming about my fall reading. I love fall! :D
I enjoyed Walden. I would love to read Civil Disobedience but I haven't gotten to it yet.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has a weird obsession with Dante and has a ton of different editions/translations. I'll ask him which one he would most recommend.
WoW! That's a heavy list! I'd forgotten to set aside a book for the Transcendentalist month in my list. I need to figure out what I'll be reading... Have fun..and good luck with Moby Dick. I'm curious to know how you get on with it. I'm too afraid to try it out myself!
ReplyDeleteWhat an intense list! My goal is to read Inferno, but I'm not. Ready to commit to all of them yet...I may give warden a rereas in Nov but I'm trying to play the next few months by ear.
ReplyDeleteI loved Moby Dick! I hope you do too :). I'll definitely be impressed if you read all of Shakespeare in 24 hours, so I think you should do it :)
ReplyDeleteAlso- I forgot about Dewey's Readathon! So exciting!
ReplyDeleteI don't want to be a downer, but I am curious - how is it possible to read all of Shakespeare in 24 hours? Setting aside the sonnets and long poems, there are 38 plays. If you can read a Shakespeare play in 45 minutes, I am impressed.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong, but I think Allie meant she would spend all 24 hours reading Shakespeare, not that she would read all of Shakespeare in 24 houts. There's no 'of' in her sentence! ;)
ReplyDeleteYou could be right! I'm sure you are. I think the capitalized "all" threw off my reading comprehension.
ReplyDeleteIf you read Dracula, get The New Annotated Dracula; it's absolutely awesome!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that October is the perfect time to read Dracula. Love that book - freaks me out every time, though!! ;)
ReplyDeleteEva is right. :) I just reread this sentence and it IS confusing. My bad. What I meant to say is that I am thinking of only reading things by Shakespeare for the readathon. I think it would be a fun way to spend the day, and since I have some on audio as well, it would be diverse and fun!
ReplyDeleteOh, this sounds like an absolutely delicious list! I love Dracula, so even though I've read it twice I might possibly join you. Divine Comedy in 3 months is completely doable, as I did that last summer (or would have finished in 3 months if I'd started the last one earlier). I also thought that it was incredibly awesome in the end, although I had to work for it a bit. Inferno is the most accessible (Odysseus makes an appearance! along with many other ancient characters), which helps ease the reader into the trio.
ReplyDeleteI'm also tempted by the Transcendentalist RAL, but I'm afraid of over-committing myself right now--I'm not sure what my fall's going to look like just yet. I love your idea for 24 hours of Shakespeare though...
HAVE to love the dedication to Shakespeare. I just recently reread Hamlet and forgot how much I really loved it. I also got a lot more out of it as an adult than I did in high school. Good luck with your fall reading goals!
ReplyDeleteOh, Nicholas Nickleby is SO good! I think it's one of Dickens' only truly comic novels. Love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! Portrait of a Lady is one of my all-time favorites! I think I've read it at least twice. I've got Daisy Miller on my TBR list for September, so go Henry James! In regards to Shakespeare, I highly recommend his major tragedies--Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello. However, his comedy Much Ado about Nothing is one of his best comedies with one of my favorite literary heroines. Another comedy, rather a dark comedy for Shakespeare, that is often looked over is Measure for Measure, which is really interesting as it deals with major issues such as pre-marital sex and rape. All of his plays are good though and I'm also planning to read Antony and Cleopatra this fall.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my list:
Here's my list: Adventures in Borkdom
There are a couple on your list that I still need to read. Great list.
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