Over at Bookish they have their own 2016 Reading Challenge there is a challenge where they have assigned different tasks to each month. February is called #KillYourTBR2016. I am getting a late start to this but after having a really productive January where I read five books, so I am cutting myself a little bit of slack.
For February, we are supposed to focus on books that you are embarrassed you haven’t read yet! Ironically most of mine seem to come from college regret and the overwhelming feeling of: “So many books so little time!”
Book: Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Why it’s embarrassing: No one ever knows who I am talking about when I mention British authors but a professor of mine in college recommended it and for the life of me can’t remember if I a) just never got around to reading it or 2) never finished reading it. What I am certain of is that it was never the subject of one of my term papers. I have another book of his on my wish list now and I am refusing to let myself buy it until I read this one. And this book won a lot of awards back in 2004. And to make all of this worse the recommendation came to me from one of the best professors I had in my four years of school.
Book: The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe
What is it embarrassing: Same reason Line of Beauty is embarrassing. The same teacher recommended it and think I had trouble locating a copy through interlibrary loan. And of course I was a broke student. That didn’t help.
Book: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Why it’s embarrassing: I’ve been wanting to read this book for over five years. I’ve held onto it for five years because it sounds interesting. It’s time to make reading it a priority.
Book: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Why it’s embarrassing: I actually saw The Handmaid’s Tale before the movie and thought it was really creepy and never read the book but the story stayed with me so I bought Oryx and Crake back when Borders was still in business. Yes, you read that right…Borders. That’s how long I’ve had this book.
So, come on readers, confession time! Are there any books on your shelf you are embarrassed to say you haven’t read? Come on? No judgement or shaming. We’re all in the same boat. Leave a comment below and grow our TBR piles a little.