Because I'm nothing if not an inveterate list-maker, and because I really needed some procrastination this evening, I've decided to join one of the litblogosphere's ubiquitous Reading Challenges - specifically, Michelle's From the Stacks (in essence: pick five books you've had for some time, and read them rather than shiny new purchases).
Now, reading from my TBR shelves has never been a problem for me - at least in part because it's about 400 books strong, so I'm rarely spoiled for choice. I am, however, incredibly disciplined (i.e., very anal) about how I read them - I try, as much as possible, to queue the books, and read them roughly in the order they were bought, on the basis that otherwise many would languish forever unread. In light of this, I'm going to follow Vicky's suggestion (made in the comments to her own challenge entry), and do this with a twist. I shall grant myself "a holiday from TBR tyranny". I'm going to pick five books From the Stacks... out of order. On a whim, you might say.
(steady... ;-))
Da Rules: Everything must have been bought over six months ago, but no more than two years (since the latter is round about where I'm up to in my normal reading routine). They must be books I've gazed at with particular longing, and preferably ones that prompted me to whinge about my TBR regime. Books sent to me for review don't count, nor does anything by Dorothy Dunnett (because one simply doesn't queue Lymond in the first place ;-)), nor does - ahem - a certain ARC that was awaiting me when I got home last night. Nor does The Prestige, if I ever get around to reading it before the film disappears from cinemas.
So, in no particular order, I pledge to read all of the following by the end of January:
1) Audrey Niffeneger, The Time-Traveller's Wife - a Christmas present from my brother back in 2004, and which everyone on the planet (it seems) has read in the interim. Reputed to be heart-rending, so should prove fun counterpoint to the snug, warm, overeating joys of the festive season. ;-)
2) Mary Doria Russell, A Thread of Grace - Jewish refugees flee Nazi Germany for Italy. Because her SF novel The Sparrow was just achingly wonderful, and because I nearly bought this in hardback. On the shelves since the start of March 2006.
3) Peter Biskind, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Changed Hollywood - the non-fiction entry: the hows, whys and wherefores of 1970s US cinema (or, how it was all really exciting, and then Star Wars/Jaws ruined everything ;-)). Sounds utterly fantastic. On the shelves since October 2005.
4) Steph Swainston, The Year of Our War - a young SF sensation, frequently compared with China Mieville (steampunky). Bought it as soon as it came out in paperback, exiled it to TBR, have been feeling out of the loop ever since. On the shelves since May 2005.
5) Catherynne M Valente, The Labyrinth - because this woman's writing floors me every time... On the shelves since January 2006.
5a) [ahem] Ian McDonald, River of Gods - because I can't believe I haven't already read this. Near-future India. On the shelves since July 2005.
Edited to add another:
5b) Caitlin Sweet, The Silences of Home - prequel to (and deconstructions of the mythical history within) A Telling of Stars, which I loved. On the shelves since March 2005.
And I'll stop there before I give myself a completely impossible task (poor Cloud Atlas loses out again)...
~~Nic