Top Ten Books On My Shelf I've Never Read

The Broke and the Bookish, a brilliant book blog, 

hosts a weekly top ten list meme.

I like this meme because I like lists. I like this meme because it reminds me of the Top 5 lists from High Fidelity (by Nick Hornby as a book, starring John Cusak as a movie). And I like this meme because it causes me to think long and hard about book-related topics. So here goes:

Top Ten Books I've Had On My Shelf For the Longest Time but I've Never Read

1. Reckless Appetites: A Culinary Romance by Jacqueline Deval
This one is out-of-print, so I got it from Paperback Swap after it was recommended to me for liking A Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The quote on the back says, "If you like to read, eat, and make love all at the same time, the adventures of this picaresque heroine in her education sentimale et culinare are for you." (Betty Fussell) I have no idea why I haven't read it yet.

2. The Heroines by Eileen Favorite
When I moved to Boston a little over a year ago, I did a 2-week, half-cross-country roadtrip first. I moved to Boston with only the things we could fit in my sister's Subaru Forrester. That did not include books. On that cross-country trip, though, I managed to pick up something like 17 books in 14 days. This was one I never got a chance to read. I bought it mostly for this quote by Audrey Niffenegger: "Quirky: Adolescent angst meets metaphysics, screwball-comedy trysts with the underpinnings of reality. It's funny and tender; it's a chance to see Scarlett O'Hara and Emma Bovary off duty." Doesn't that sound enticing? And from Audrey, no less!

3. American Stories by Calvin Trillin
Calvin Trillin goes on my top ten writers list, but I OD'd on his writing a bit last summer, reading The Tummy Trilogy and About Alice in quick succession, so I never got into this one.

4. Three-in-one: A Daughter of the Land, The White Flag, and At the Foot of the Rainbow by Gene Stratton Porter

GSP is my favorite author of all time. She has written two books in my top ten books list - A Girl of the Limberlost and Her Father's Daughter. All of her books are out-of-print, as she was writing in the early 1900s, and so when I come across any of them in used bookstores, I buy them immediately. Unfortunately I haven't had the perfect day to sit down and immerse myself in these books yet. They're really a springtime read, so I'll wait until next March and do it then.

5. Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman

My publishing company has signed up a new book by Kate Bornstein and I realized I'd never read all of this book in college so I got it out of the library and have yet to pick it up. I'm going to try really hard to read it soon though, because it's due back imminently.

6. The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

Now we're dipping into my library pile, and as this book came out this year it hasn't really been all that long, but still, it's sitting there looking at me with its beautiful cover and I just haven't made the time yet. I picked it up because I read the first 3 chapters while standing there in the library and realized it was too good to walk away from. Then I closed it, checked it out, and haven't opened it back up again.

7. The Successful Business Plan by Rhonda Abrams

I'm in the middle of working on my business plan for a children's book-and-toy store. When I say "middle," I mean I've been working on it for at least 3 years now. I have 5 books on being a business owner, an entrepreneur, and on writing a business plan, but I really should get to this one soon.

8. Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage by Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger, with Brooke Adams
I was curious. I checked it out of the library. I have too many other books to read first. But I really want to get to it. I think they're brave for telling their story and I'm really interested to hear it.

9. Whatever Gets You Through the Night: A Story of Sheherezade and the Arabian Entertainments by Andrei Codrescu

I was seduced by the unconventional trim size and the painting of a half-naked Sheherezade on the front cover. Unfortunately, I have yet to crack the spine.

10. Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings

It's probably a testament to how much I love maps more than anything else that this book is sitting on my shelf. And by "on my shelf," I mean in that huge stack on the floor. It's just so pretty to look at and I am interested in the subject matter. Sadly most non-fiction takes last place in my reading life, despite my good intentions and equal-opportunity checking it out of the library habits. I'll get to you, Maphead. I promise.