Today’s BTT question:
We’ve all seen the lists, we’ve all thought, ‘I should really read that someday,’ but for all of us, there are still books on ‘The List’ that we haven’t actually gotten around to reading. Even though we know they’re fabulous. Even though we know that we’ll like them. Or that we’ll learn from them. Or just that they’re supposed to be worthy. We just €¦ haven’t gotten around to them yet.
What’s the best book that YOU haven’t read yet?
Quite a difficult question to answer. First of all I just could not say any book is the “best” book I’ve read, so as for the “best” book I haven’t read – well I’ve no idea!
But there are many books that I know are considered to be “good” books that I’ve not read. A few spring to mind straight away:
- David Copperfield – Charles Dickens (Gautami – I still haven’t read this one!)
- Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
- The Tenderness of Wolves – Stef Penney
- We Were the Mulvaneys – Joyce Carol Oates
- The Woman In White – Wilkie Collins
- The Needle in the Blood – Sarah Bower
There must be many more!
BooksPlease 
Obviously, how can we know if a book is even good or bad if we haven’t read it? It’s a strange and difficult question to ask…
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I know people raved about Cloud Atlas, but although it was ggod, I’d have never have said i was brilliant! The Woman in White is fantastic though.
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I was wondering about the question, too. How could we know if it’s the “best book” we’ve never read if we haven’t read it yet. Often, we don’t always agree with others idea of a good book.
Happy Thursday!
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I agree with the Joyce Carol Oates listing… I keep thinking I should read something of her’s, but I have a hard time reading authors after they’ve been on Oprah’s book club. Something about the Oprah-fication of America makes me irritated and knocks lots of good books off my radar. I actually read The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen only because he refused to be selected for Oprah’s book club. (I ended up totally enjoying the book too.)
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I would like th read ‘The Woman in White’ sometime, although I don’t have a copy. My daughter has ‘The Tenderness of Wolves’ but it is unread too.
Margaret I don’t know if either of your links are working on the BTT site.
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Thanks Mog, I’ve put a working link on BTT now!
Heather I’ve read a few of Oates’ books – some I’ve thought excellent and some not so good. Fortunately I haven’t seen the Oprah selections so that doesn’t influence me – but I have a similar reaction to the Richard and Judy book recommendations!
Yvonne, good point – we each have our own preferences.
Jo, I’ve tried to read Cloud Atlas a few times and each time I’ve lost interest after only a few pages.
Biblibio, that’s what I thought too.
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I just finished The Woman In White, which is quite good! Otherwise I haven’t read any of these either.
Lezlie
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The Needle In the Blood would have been on my list if only I had only remembered it before I posted! Of the two on your list I have read, I struggled with Cloud Atlas but I loved The Woman In White.
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Same reaction here – how would I know it’s the best book if I haven’t read it? Oh, well, I gave it a shot. For some reason, everybody seems to be reading “The Woman In White” right now. I’ve started it several times, but never could stick with it.
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Oh, there are so many. I’ll pick one….
Reading Lolita in Tehran. It’s on my TBR list, but I had to return it to the library before I got into. I’m sure I’ll love it.
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David Copperfield is one of my all-time favorites. I haven’t heard of the others.
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I hear We Were the Mulvaneys is a good book. I haven’t heard of the others.
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Hi!
That’s a great list of books! Haven’t read any of them, but would like too. Maybe one of these days!! Have a great day!!
Sherrie
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I, too, have We Were the Mulvaneys on Mt. TBR. I read David Copperfield as a teen, and again more recently with my oldest daughter. Of the Dickens’ books I’ve read, I suppose I’m an oddball because Great Expectations is my favorite. Second to that, though, is DC. 🙂
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I’ve had The Tenderness of Wolves in my hands a couple of times at the library but did not bring it home.
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nice list of books
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I have not heard of or read any of these books on your list, although they do sound interesting 🙂
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You have a great list of books there. I think it’s impossible to chose the best book we haven’t read too. Happy BTT!
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The Woman in White is one of my all time favourite reads!
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I’ve not read any on your list either. I think mine would have to be the Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. Hopefully life will be long enough for us to get to those books some day when we get through the ones that call to us more!
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Of the books you’ve listed that I’ve read, I most loved Cloud Atlas. And I really enjoyed the first half of David Copperfield. . .
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