Today I’m in the mood to answer a popular tag that everybody seems to take part in on Booktube. I enjoy watching those videos, because I’m curious to find out what intimidating books people have in their TBR piles and if there are any titles I can recognize. Before I start, I must add that this tag was originally created by Lindsey Ray.
- What book have you been unable to finish?
One of the books I haven’t been able to finish is A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. I tried to read it when I was a senior in college, but it felt so painstakingly slow and uninteresting that I couldn’t read more than a few chapters. However, I still want to give it another try in the near future, because people praised James Joyce for a reason and I might have missed the point the first time I read the book.
- What book have you yet to read because you just haven’t had the time?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy is a huge book with many characters and plotlines, which would take a while to read and to fully digest.
- What book have you yet to read because it’s a sequel?
I’m interested in a book entitled When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare, which is a Regency Romance that was read and recommended by Sasha from abookutopia, and I found the premise very cute and romantic… so why not? The problem is that the book is the third in the Castles Ever After trilogy and I have to read the other two books before this one, since they share the same setting and they embrace the theme of finding love and happiness. I enjoy reading different genres, but picking up a Romance every now and then is a heart-warming experience.
- What book have you yet to read because it’s brand new?
I don’t have new releases in my TBR pile, but I bought books written by indie authors, which I can’t consider new or old, because they were published two or three years ago. Most of the themes they tackle are different from what I’ve read until now, so I can’t wait to read them and share my thoughts with you.
- What book have you yet to read because you read a book by the same author and didn’t enjoy it?
Don’t hate me, but I couldn’t get into Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse and I still feel frustrated about it, because the novel is very interesting, but it takes a lot of time to understand it. I felt very dumb when I read it, because the plot was moving very slowly, there were many characters and the stream of consciousness confused my brain – at some point I didn’t know whose point of view was there and the one-page-long never-ending-phrases made my head spin. I would also like to read A Room of One’s Own or Woolf’s short stories, but I’m not sure if my mind is fully prepared for such a big challenge.
- What book have you yet to read because you’re just not in the mood for it?
I want to read George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, because I have never read a dystopian novel before, However, I’m not in the mood for it right now.
- What book have you yet to read because it’s humongous?
Anything by Alexandre Dumas, from The Count of Monte Cristo to The Three Musketeers, will do.
- What book have you yet to read because it was a cover buy that turned out to have poor reviews?
I don’t usually do this, but I own two cover buys, one I could not finish (Madeleine’s Christmas Wish by Ella Quinn), while the other one is still unread because it has pretty mixed reviews and I’m on the fence about it. The book is entitled Heaven in his Arms by Lisa Ann Verge and I think it is a Historical Romance or something of that sort. Have you read it or any other work written by this author? Let me know in the comments.
- What is the most intimidating book in your TBR pile?
Though it is not as big as The Count of Monte Cristo or Anna Karenina, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is still a thick book, which requires a bit of commitment to read it and someday I will manage to experience it. I adored Jo in the movie and the fact that she becomes a writer in a time period when women weren’t allowed to write or they were writing under male pseudonyms, as the Bronte Sisters did in England, fascinates me.
- Who do you tag?
Elena, Devika Fernando (if she wants to play this fun little game), Noexis and anyone else who wants to do this tag. Feel free to join in and to leave the answers in the comments! Until next time!
by Alina Andreea Cătărău
Nice choices. I haven’t read any of Virginia Woolf’s books yet.
Thanks for the tag! I think I’ll play this on Facebook soon. 🙂
You’re welcome Devika. I had to read “To The Lighthouse” for the Modern English Literature class and I guess that I needed more time to understand that book, but when you are a student you are forced to squeeze a lot of books into such a busy schedule. I can’t wait to read your answers.
Intimidating or not, I’d like to point out that I do intend to read the following books… eventually.
1. “Fărâme de viață” (Remains of Love) by Zeruya Shalev. Something happened while I was reading it and I wasn’t curious enough to return to this book.
2. “Pope Joan” by Donna Woolfolk Cross. I’m so sad that I haven’t read this one yet.
3. “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas. And it’s everywhere I look.
4. “And I Darken” by Kiersten White. But this one will be published in July.
5. I can’t think of a title here.
6. “Vlad, the Last Confession” by CC Humphreys. For some reason, I can’t seem to find the time for this novel.
7. “Căderea Constantinopolelui”, Vintilă Corbul
8. None, actually. I mean, there have been times when I regretted spending my money on certain books, but not because of poor reviews.
9. A book series, actually: “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George RR Martin.
You picked some great books! I also want to read “Pope Joan” and Sarah J. Mass’ first book in this series, “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” Good luck with your TBR!