Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Just Had to Buy...But Are Still Sitting on My Shelf

It's time for Top Ten Tuesdays, a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that features a different book/reading theme each week.   This week's topic is a freebie, so I've decided to go with

Books I Just Had to Buy...But Are Still Sitting on My Shelf

This list wasn't difficult for me to put together, since my huge to be read pile is a testament to the fact that I buy books much faster than I can possibly read them :-) 

(1) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.   I love the fantasy genre and this novel gets great reviews.  While this book has been sitting on my shelf since shortly after its release in 2007, I still haven't read it. 








(2) Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones.  Billed as a Pillars of the Earth-type work of historical fiction, I had to have this one simply because Pillars is one of my favourite novels.  









(3) Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simmonson.   I bought this one immediately after its 2010 release, telling my shelf I'd read immediately.  Obviously, I didn't.









(4) War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Richard Peaver/Larissa Volokhonsky translation).   This is one of those books I've always wanted to read but continue to avoid.    I received a copy of the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation for Christmas a few years back and convinced myself it was time to give it a go.   It's still waiting on my shelf....







(5) Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle.   I bought all three books in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle upon each of their releases.   The three novels that make up this series have to be among the oldest on my to be read pile.   I have no idea when I'll get to them...but get to them I will. 








(6) The Passage by Justin Cronin.  When this book was first released I wasn't sure that it would interest me, but after reading positive reviews from trusted reading friends I decided I just had to try it for myself.   That was last year and I still haven't read it. 

(7) The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.   I loved Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind so when I found out about this novel I ordered a copy right away.    Unfortunately, this one hasn't received the positive reviews Shadow did so I continue to put off reading it. 

(8) The Taker by Alma Katsu.  I was encouraged to purchase this novel based on all the positive hype surrounding its release, and couldn't wait for it to arrive in my mailbox.  While I keep telling myself it's high time I cracked it open I still have yet to do so. 








(9) Divergent by Veronica Roth.  This book is recommended to fans of The Hunger Games trilogy.  As soon as I read this I knew I had to have this book.   I do plan to read it this year. 

(10) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.  I couldn't ignore the positive reviews for this book, especially those by trusted reading friends, so I bought it.   I'll get to it one of these days....