Top Ten Books On My TBR List For Winter

Tuesday, November 29, 2011


This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks what are the top ten books on your TBR List for winter?

1) Little Women – I’ve been meaning to re-read this one for years and since it begins with Christmas, I think that’d be a good time to pick it up.

2) Case Histories – I can’t wait to start this mystery. Nymeth has said good things about it and that’s enough for me.

3) Monsters of Men – I’m reading The Ask and the Answer right now and this one is next.

4) Outlander – I read the first 200 pages of this back in February and just couldn’t get into it. I’m going to give it another shot before the end of the year.

Starting in January I’m going to dig into my list of challenge books for 2011

5) Bleak House by Charles Dickens – For the last few years I’ve read one new Dickens book every winter. It’s my new favorite reading tradition. Something about his rambling prose and huge casts of characters fit perfectly with winter reading for me.

6) Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – Seabiscuit was great and my book club picked this one.

7) Silver on the Tree – I’ve really enjoyed the first 4 books of this series and I think the final one should be great.

8) Cloud Atlas – I think I’m going to be co-hosting a read-along for this one with Care of Care’s Online Book Club in March next year. I’ll post more about that later, but I think it’ll be a great one to discuss with others. Anyone interested in joining the fun?

9) Forever by Maggie Stiefvater – This is another series I’m about to wrap up.

10) In the Woods by Tana French – This might be the perfect series to curl up with on freezing cold nights.

Image form here.

20 comments:

Kristi said...

So many good choices on this list! I have Case Histories and the two that follow on my shelf, but I haven't read them yet. I'm hoping next year for the Mount TBR challenge.

I tried Outlander this year too and I think I may have only gotten 100 pages and felt the same way. I'm eager to hear if you end up finishing and enjoying it. I'm still debating picking it back up.

I can't wait for you to read Cloud Atlas! I may join in the read-along and read it again. I talked my brother into reading it and about 100 pages in he was wondering why I could possibly like this book, then about half way through he was really loving it.

Geesh my comment is getting long. Sorry! I can't wait to hear what you thought of the Chaos Walking Trilogy. I have kind of mixed feelings. Really thought-provoking, but I felt it dragged in parts. And good luck with Tana French. I really liked In the Woods, but I think The Likeness was my favorite.

Falaise said...

Silver on the Tree is a fab ending to the cycle, although I would ahve liked a few more books to be added!

I've heard great things about Case Histories too.

Ana S. said...

I really hope you enjoy Case Histories! Also, I'm very curious to hear what you think of the Patrick Ness trilogy.

Sandy Nawrot said...

You've got a good lineup! I enjoyed Case Histories, and in fact have wanted to have a Kate Atkinson project because she is all about literary mysteries, which I love.

Tip on Outlander (BIG TIP). Listen to the audio. Phenomenal narrator. You won't be able to stop.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Great winter list Melissa. I like Unbroken a lot and do want to read Into the Woods as well.

Anonymous said...

I'm definitely interested in a read-along of Cloud Atlas, it's been on my shelf for years and I could do with some motivation!

I loved Outlander, but I didn't have any trouble getting into it. Little Women, on the other hand - I got halfway and never finished it.

Here's my list.

Kelly said...

Monsters of Men was an amazing conclusion to an amazing series!! I hope you enjoy it! I also really liked Forever :)

Top Ten Tuesday @ Radiant Shadows

Beth said...

This is definitely a great list! I started Case Histories but had to abandon after all the other commitments. What I did read was really good. I recently saw that it was made into a show albeit very loosely based.

I love the French series to pieces. In The Woods wasn't my favorite but it gets you ready for the next two in the series. Can't wait to see what you think!

Happy reading!

Beth said...

I also just saw that you're reading the 4th Flavia de Luce novel. I just read the first and really really liked it. Which is your favorite?

Kat @ NoPageLeftBehind said...

Fantastic list! I forgot to put the last installment of the Chaos Walking trilogy on my top ten too but I'm definitely reading it this winter! I can't wait to see your thoughts on the series (so far I'm in love with it)!

MJ Thomas said...

I've decided to re-read Little Women, Little Men and Jo's Boys this winter.

Here's my Post

B said...

I've had Case Histories on my TBR wishlist for awhile, but every time I am at the bookstore and pick it up, I opt out of it. I'm excited to hear what you think of it. I've also been interested in In The Woods for awhile now.

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Kristi - Glad to hear I'm not alone on Outlander! I hope you'll re-read Cloud Atlas with us. It'd be great to have your insights. These comments have gotten me excited about the French series!

Falaise - I could definitely have read more books in that series, but I'm glad to hear it ends well.

Nymeth - The Chaos series is such a ambitious idea, I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends.

Sandy - That's a great idea. If a book doesn't work for me in print, I usually try it in audio. I don't know why I didn't think of that!

Diane - I've heard so many great things about Unbroken, I can't wait.

Shannon - Yay, I'll post more info soon. Isn't it funny how some books don't work at all for you, but someone else loves them.

Kelly - I'm excited to see how it all ends. I've been reading the chaos books back-to-back so it feels like one big story.

Beth - I loved the 1st book because it introduced us to her, but honestly, I think the 4th might be my favorite. I finished it last night and really liked it.

Kat - I just started it today. So far, so good.

GF Book Mom - I hope I get to it.

Brenna - I love mysteries during the winter months. There's something great about getting sucked into a book like that when you can't go outside.

Jenners said...

Case Histories is excellent!! I think you'll want to read more Atkinson after that one.

Unbroken is a good read too. An amazing story but told very "journalistically."

And you might as well add Monsters of Men to the list … you'll have to continue on once you are done the second one!

Alex (The Sleepless Reader) said...

Yes, Little Women must be read in the winter to be fully appreciated!

I liked the first Outlander but couldn't get into the second in the series, so gave them up. The secret is to just expect a fun romp ;)

Care said...

Yes! Yes you are! Cloud Atlas in March!! Not that I have any clue what it means to co-host such. I will read it. Wait - does this mean I need to have it done-read by March 1?

Books I'm looking forward to ... ok, I'll just go do my own top ten...

Katherine said...

It's cool that you're finishing up so many series! Thanks for your comment on my book blog- And Then There Were None was a great book. :)

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Jenners - I used to work at a daily newspaper, so I love that journalistic style of writing. I liked her Seabiscuit book too.

Alex - That's what I was expecting from Outlander, but it didn't even seem that fun to me. I might have just picked it up at the wrong time.

Care - Definitely not! I've never hosted a read-along either, but I was planning on reading it at the same time as everyone else. I think it should be a really relaxed set up. Maybe we split the book in two parts and one of us posts about the first half and the other posts about the second half. We don't need 10 check-ins or something.

Katherine - I feel like next year is the official year for me to finish different series. I'm close to the end of 6 or 7 different ones.

Mumsy said...

I read Little Women for the first time when I was 9; finished it, and turned right around and read it again. And again. And again, probably 10-20 times that first year. It is truly the book that made me love reading. You are a bit late coming to it, and I wonder if it will give you the same pleasure that it gave a kid - I hope so! Be sure to post about it!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Mumsy - That's actually a re-read for me. I first read it when I was about the same age as you and I loved it so much. I re-read it while I was young, but I haven't read it in about a decade.