Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish held every Tuesday. Each week revolves round a different theme and people from the book blogsphere pitch in with their lists. 

This weeks theme is the Top Ten Books on my Fall to-be-read list. There's only one new release on my list, all the other books are ones that I have been meaning to get around to reading for a long time.

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1. Leaving Time 

Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors and I always await her new releases with baited breath. I have had this pre-ordered since it was announced and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Picoult has a knack of choosing situations that no other author would dare to tackle and writing them in such a powerful but also relatable way. She is such a talented writer. 

2. Works by Marcus Sedgwick 

The school library I am going to be working in is holding an author event with Marcus Sedgwick in October and I feel it is only right that I read a few of his novels before I meet him. He has a new novel coming in October (possibly the reason for the event) which sounds good and there's a few of his other novels that I really want to read as well.

3. The Paying Guests

I have already made a start with this and I've enjoyed what I've read so far. The problem I have is that I get waylaid with other books I have to read for review and others that catch my eye, so I've not picked it up for a while. Having studied Sarah Waters for my dissertation and another module whilst at university it will be nice to read her work in a recreational capacity. 

4. Allegiant

I have had this sat on my shelf since it was released and I just haven't picked it up yet. I think part of this is due to the comments I've heard about it being heartbreaking. As with a lot of trilogies the census seems to be that Allegiant is the weakest of the three but I always seem to buck that trend. I thought Mockingjay was the best book in The Hunger Games trilogy, so it may transpire that I think the same with Allegiant. 

5. Sons and Lovers

I read Women in Love as part of my Modernism module whilst at university and really enjoyed it and I have had Sons and Lovers sitting on my shelf for a while. Even though Lawrence's writing was the slow burning, contemplative style I thoroughly enjoyed Women in Love and I'm interested to see if Sons and Lovers is of the same ilk. It may be different this time because I won't be reading it in a strictly analytically, although there's no doubt I'll still pick up on things relating to the theory I studied at university.

6. Orlando
I was originally going to write about Virginia Woolf for my undergraduate dissertation but the topics my supervisor kept suggesting made my brain hurt (post structuralism and language? No thank you!) This means I own almost all over Woolf's works. I have read Mrs Dalloway and whilst I found it quite difficult to read it is one of the best pieces of fiction I have read. I think that's what is so appealing about Woolf. Her writing is can be so difficult to read but once you start you get drawn in to her wonderful modernist, stream of consciousness style. Of course it can take a while to get through her work because of it's denseness but when you've finished you feel a great sense of achievement. I have read excerpts from Orlando whilst studying various modules at university and I think it's high time I gave this bizarre tale a read.


7. The Goldfinch
I have heard such wonderful things about this book and I cannot wait to set aside a chunk of time to read it. Although I do own The Secret History I haven't read either of Tartt's other works. I have picked up The Secret History several time but have never got past the first few chapters. The Goldfinch appeals to me a lot more than The Secret History so I am hoping that I won't be disappointed.


8. A Harry Potter book (or two . . . or three . . .)
I always try to space out re-reading the Harry Potter series over the year but I haven't done that well this year what with my last semester of university and job hunting taking up most of it. I re-read PS earlier this year and I would like to make my way through a few more during Autumn and Winter. I love revisiting the series because it feels like going home. I haven't actually reread the series in its entirety for a few years so I am hoping I can do that throughout Autumn and Winter.


9. Gone Girl
I don't usually read crime/thriller fiction but Gone Girl has been recommended to me by so many people that I think I am going to have to pick it up. I started reading Before I go to Sleep a while ago and just couldn't get on with it. I'm hoping Gone Girl will be different even though it's along the same sort of lines as Before I go to Sleep. We shall just have to wait and see!

10. Written in my own Heart's Blood
I am huge fan of the Outlander series and I had this book on pre-order from the moment it was available. For some reason, however, I haven't actually read it yet. I usually devour the Outlander books so it's strange I've left it languishing on my shelf. I think a part of it may be because it's huge and I needed a break from big books after university. I know I'm going to love it when I do pick it up (which may be quite soon after flicking through it for this post!)

So there you have the ten books that are on my Fall to-be-read list. Let me know what you want to get around to reading soon in the comments.