Books I Want to Read But Don’t Want to Read

I have quite a very long to-be-read list. Some of my unread books were purchased from way back in 2015. Imagine, five years of being a sitting duck. As my venture into the world of literature keep on expanding, my reading taste revolve inevitably. It is not that I don’t mean to read some of the books I bought. On the contrary, it is my full intention to read them all – this is the very reason why I never did and will never do  a Down The TBR list.

Fat chance of reading all these books in the coming year or two – I’ve over 200 unread books! Moreover, I am quite a slow reader so the trajectory for me is that I keep on buying more books whilst reading lesser and lesser. Haha! When I got tagged by Katie for this book tag, I instantly knew I had to do it. Thanks Katie for the tag! I had a wonderful time choosing books from my long (which is bound to get even longer!) TBR list.

The Rules:

• Link back to the original tag (this post, and Jami!)
• Complete the questions with books you want to have read but don’t want to read
• Tag some people at the end to do the tag next
  

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A book that you feel you need to read because everyone talks about it

I’ll just say it straight – young adult fiction is not my cup of tea. However, it is undeniable that it is currently in vogue. It is, after all, easier to read than the more complex and intimidating classics. I didn’t originally plan to buy Berta Albertalli’s Simon VS The Homo Sapiens Agenda. As it got hyped up in 2018 due to its movie adaptation, I chose to make an exception. Two years thence, it is still gathering dust in my bookshelf, waiting to be consumed. LOL.

A book that’s really long

I am used to reading long books so length is not much of an issue for me. To answer this question, I picked Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy. At over 1,400 pages, it is the longest  standalone book, i.e. excluding omnibus books, in my book collection. Once I read it, it will become my longest read book as well. I am looking forward to the challenge. But not now I guess.

A book you’ve owned / had on your TBR for too long

It’s not that I didn’t want to read Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time/Remembrance of Things Past. Back in 2015, I bought Swann’s Way in s book buying binge, without any iota on what it was about or that it was a part of a series, a very long series in fact, comprised of seven books. When I discovered the error, I pushed this book back in my TBR list in the hopes of completing buying all seven books first. Five years thence, I still have to complete the series. Haha!

A book that is ‘required’ reading (eg, school text, really popular classic – something you feel obligated to read!)

Admittedly, I want to read and devour a lot of classical works because I want to tick off as many books as I can in the daunting 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. Moreover, devout readers are obliged to read classics. Or at least I think so. I’ve read two works by the Bronte sisters so far – Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights – so it is fair to say that I am looking forward to reading this one as well.

A book that intimidates you

The only blemish in my unprecedented record of finishing every book I started, James Joyce’s Ulysses is just so complex and perplexing. Back in 2017, I thought I was already up for the task of immersing into this classic. I was wrong. With over 100 pages done and still getting no idea on what the story was about, I decided to shelf it in the meantime. I am meaning to get to back to it but I am still intimidated by its eccentric structure. Maybe one day I can proudly say I’ve finished this book.

A book that you think might be slow

I randomly picked Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow for this question even though I have no inkling on what the book is about. I just looked at book’s length and I surmised that maybe a little slow. I’ve never read any Pynchon before but I’ve been meaning to start to read at least one (I have three Pynchons in my book shelves, however). I am secretly hoping that it is not a slow-burner, however.

A book you need to be in the right mood for

I’ve always been averse of horror books and movies, although I did read one Stephen King book – Bag of Bones. My strong imagination made me wary of the horrific and gory imagery these books might contain. I must really be in a very good mood the day I will start reading It.

A book you’re unsure if you will like

I rarely prejudge books – I see them as gateways to amazing worlds, every single one of them. But due to my less than satisfactory experience reading William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, I am kind of ambivalent reading Absalom, Absalom! I am giving it the benefit of the doubt though.

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I don’t want to impose on anyone so I won’t be tagging anyone. However, if you find this book tag interesting, please feel free to do your own version. Don’t forget to tag me because I want to check out your answers too!

Happy weekend reading everyone!