something to think about

I have just finished (and enjoyed) Susan Hill's Howard's End is on the landing. While looking through her bookshelves in search of Howard's End, Hill discovers a wealth of books unread or look since read but needing to be enjoyed again. She decides to spend one year reading only the books she already owns, no buying new books for a year (can you imagine? I don't think I could do it.).

On finishing her book, I headed to my bookshelves to see what I had that was untouched by reading eyes. I still have books from a trip to England in 2000 and a trip to New York in 2004 but I had fewer unread books than I expected. The titles include:

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

A stranger to command by Sherwood Smith (a post-surgery gift from MRC, a devoted reader and cohort in crime at my library)

The great tree of Avalon by T.A. Barron (New York trip)

The Sally Lockhart trilogy by Philip Pullman

Children of the wheel by Pamela Scobie (England trip)

The rose revived by Katie Fforde (England trip)

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean (started but never finished and highly recommended by Floating Lush and Cleery from my library)

The welcoming home by Michaela Mahady (a Minnesota architect and daughter of one of my favorite library patrons of the past)

When I go on vacation later in the year, I will choose some of these titles to carry with me. Some will be wonderful and some won't, some will retain their place on my shelves and some will go to the book sale at my library. Which books are on your shelves, unread and unheeded?