Booktober Week 4: Six Books I Feel Bad For Not Reading, and an unexpected rant

I missed a week of Booktober, yes, but I am still here! I shall not abandon Booktober! I am back, and laying on the guilt with Six Books I Feel Bad For Not Reading.

So here’s the thing; all of the books I’m about to talk about are on my shelf. I own hard copies of all of them. I even created a separate shelf of classics, in the hope that seeing them regularly would encourage me to actually read them. I’m hoping that putting this on the internet, in its eternal foreverness will pressure me even more into stopping talking and starting reading.

Let’s start shall we?

The Catcher in the Rye
By J. D. Sallinger

This one’s first on the list because it’s everywhere. I feel like The Catcher in the Rye is just one of those books that you need to read because references to it are in so many other books. Every time I read John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines, I feel bad about not having read it. To be perfectly honest, I actually don’t know anything about the plot other than Holden Caulfield, a red cap and a field of some sort. I’m pretty sure that the plot goes slightly beyond that, but I wouldn’t know, now would I? *accusatory tone* TEYA. I shall report back on my findings once I finally pressure myself into reading the books on my list.

Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera
By Victor Hugo and Gaston Leroux

So, potentially little known fact about me, I am a big musicals fan. Big Fan. Huge. I love Les Mis and Phantom and want and have wanted to read the books for a very long time. I am a reasonable way through Les Miserables, but I think part of the reason I am going at a pathetically slow pace is the language. While it is accessible, it takes a little while to get into the headspace of understanding it. This means that it’s really not the kind of book to stop and start in tiny increments over a long period of time. Which is no excuse.

Gone With the Wind
By Margaret Mitchell

I’ve read a few pages of this but haven’t gotten far. Much like Catcher in the Rye I actually don’t know much about the story, to be honest, I prefer to read books without reading the blurbs, but I do know: 1861, southern USA, horses, Scarlett O’Hara and sixteen-inch waists. Part of me just wants the achievement of reading a 1000+ page book, but mostly, I think I’d really like the story. Also I'm pretty sure it would provide an endless supply of references I could make. I will say one thing though, it is daunting. Props to anyone who’s made it through it. Seriously.



My final two might be considered by some to be somewhat out of place in this list of classics, but I say they’re not.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Jane Slayre
By Jane Austen with some help from Seth Grahame- Smith, and Charlotte Brontë with some help from Sherri Browning Erwin

To be honest, there’s really no excuse for this one. I mean, the covers and titles should be enough. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies starts with the quote “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” I mean COME ON, why have I not read this already? Jane Slayre is described as “A timeless tale of love, devotion… and the undead.” As someone obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural, and almost anything with vampires that don’t sparkle, I don’t see what’s stopping me.

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I was going to add some more books to this list and make it to ten books, but I’ve decided to stop it here, because in the process of writing this, I’ve come to a realisation. This post started out light hearted, but now, it has a *MESSAGE.*

Since before I can remember, I would always say that I couldn’t read a particular book because it wasn’t the right time and place. I would generally end up reading at a later date when it was the right time and place. To be fair, this saying was said most frequently when I was averaging between 60 and 100 books a year. Now, however, there are either a lot of books for which now is not the right time and place for me, or I’ve gotten out of the habit of reading. Or both. Either way, I don’t think I like it.

I think this should stop now. Dear everyone, including me: THERE IS ALWAYS TIME TO READ BOOKS. IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ BOOKS, MAKE TIME. I am taking this opportunity to call out myself – especially myself- and anyone else putting off reading for any reason. Stop making excuses and just read the thing. You know you want to.

*mic drop*