Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

For Top Ten Tueday over at the Broke and the Bookish, it's a freebie week. I looked back over the past topics and decided to choose books that I'm surprised I never got around to reading. Here are the top books that I usually just end up smiling and nodding when friends are discussing:

Harry Potter series by JK Rowling-I feel like a bad reader every time I hear someone mention these books. This is one of the rare occasions where I've seen the movies, but haven't read the novels. For some reason I can't get into epic novels, but enjoy the movies/TV shows.

One Day by David Nicholls-I remember all of the hub-bub when this acclaimed novel came out. I actually have a very good reason for not reading it. I stumbled upon a spoiler that revealed the ending and couldn't bring myself to read it after that.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett-I actually do have plans to eventually read this book and will not watch the movie until I do so.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro-This book's description sounds super cool, I'm shocked at how long I have let it languish on my TBR list.

Marley and Me by John Grogan-The thought of even reading this book makes me tear up, so I doubt I'll be able to even start it.

The Shack by W. Paul Young-I had really wanted to check out this novel, but mixed reviews kind of put me off.

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner-I usually like her books, but I'm not typically a fan of stories told from multiple POVs without any initial relevance to one another.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult-I went through an obsessive period where I read a huge number of Jodi Picoult books. Not sure why I haven't gotten to her latest releases.

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine-I'm resistant to Kindle ebooks over the price of $10, so I think I'm just going to wait until a price drop for the latest Morganville Vampires release.  

Crossed by Ally Condie-I really enjoyed the first Matched book, but I kind of forget what happened. I might re-read it before picking up the sequel.

Top Books Written In The Past 10 Years That I Hope People Are StillReading In 30 Years

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic at the Broke and the Bookish is the top books written in the past decade that you feel people should still be reading thirty years from now. I only came up with seven books I feel are modern-day classics. Here are my thoughts:


Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Although I’m a book nerd, you’d probably be shocked to learn that I actually never read the series. I did watch all of the movies though =) The series has made such a strong impact that I wouldn’t be surprised that people are reading them a hundred years from now no less thirty.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

An insightful novel about a boy living in war-torn Afghanistan. This seems destined to be added to curriculums around the world.


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This book is so much more than simply a teenage boy investigating the death of a neighborhood dog. It’s a rare and insightful character study on how someone with autism views the world.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

This equally tragic and hopeful novel is sure to be read decades from now as individuals try to gain insight into post-9/11 America.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

With beautiful and captivating prose, Gruen completely transports you to another time and place.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Never before has a book sent me into a darker place. This modern-day classic explores how even the end of the world can not destroy all of the good in humanity.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Okay, I don’t know if this will still be read thirty years from now, but it SHOULD. Grahame-Smith’s genius has already spawned a legion of copycats.