Alternately titled: Taking Inventory Of All The Unread Books On My Shelf To Shame Myself Into Reading Or Donating Them.
I was only going to focus on the 28 books sitting on my shelf unread, but seeing as that made more than 50% of my collection (54% to be exact), I figured that I might as well give the whole bookshelf tour—all two shelves of it.
It’s a long one, so I don’t expect anyone to read it all the way through, but here’s what you can expect: A straightforward list of my unread books that you can skim through. Then I go through each book on my shelf (read and unread) in the order they are organised on my shelf, which is labeled in the next photo. I share a few sentences about each book on things like memories attached to the book, how much I got it for, reasons for adding it to my shelf, reasons for keeping it on my shelf, etc.
Audrey’s Lists of Shame, 01 Jan 2020
Classic: (20)
- An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
- The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow
- Say, Darling by Richard Bissell
- The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
- Papillon by Henri Charriere
- Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens
- Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
- A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
- The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
- 1984 by George Orwell
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- Great Tales of Horror by Edgar Allan Poe
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
- The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
- The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
- The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien
- The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien
- The Silent Traveller in New York by Chiang Yee
Contemporary: (8)
- The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
- The Best of Roald Dahl by Roald Dahl
- Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman
- The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone
- Graduates in Wonderland by Jessica Pan and Rachel Kapelke-Dale
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling
- The Secret History by by Donna Tartt
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: CURRENTLY READING!! *pat on the back*
(Bolded = titles I’m especially excited to get to.)
(Disclaimer: I have since bought 5 books, been gifted 2 by friends (one of which I’ve already read, but was thoughtfully gifted for my collection), and been sent 7 by publishers.)
Read and unread hardback classics (but mostly unread)
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott: I was showing Abby around Philly, and of course I put a secondhand bookstore on our itinerary. I left the store with this book for $8, as well as that edition of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll pictured there for $10. I probably wouldn’t have bought An Old-Fashioned Girl if I didn’t already have Little Women, but Macey told me that An Old-Fashioned Girl is one of her childhood favourites, so I’m more excited to get to it now!
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (read): I bought this book in 2012 from Shakespeare & Co in Berkeley (closed in 2015). It wasn’t marked with a price, so the clerk sold it to me for $2. It’s definitely the most precious antique book I have! Unfortunately I defiled it by writing my name on the inside cover in bright orange pen because 2012-me wanted to join the list of previous owners. I will never do this ever again in my entire life. (See front cover here on Instagram.)
Say, Darling by Richard Bissell: This was a totally random purchase, but I was caught by the fun cover, and two of two Goodreads reviews said it was hilarious, albeit one of the reviews was written by the author’s son. I’m excited to get into this super niche read. It’s a comedy about creating a Broadway musical. Bought for $9.
Music for Chameleons by Truman Capote: I actually purchased this book in 2020, so I haven’t added it to my List of Shame yet. I enjoyed Breakfast at Tiffany’s and so was curious to read another collection by Capote. Plus, I couldn’t pass up this First Edition (I thinkk) for $5. Music for Chameleons includes a “conversational portrait” of Marilyn Monroe.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (read): This edition is a Book Club Edition printed in the style of the First Edition. I bought it for $14. I also have a modern paperback edition, which I found prior to this special hardback edition. The modern paperback edition is placed with my read contemporary books. I wonder if I should donate the paperback now that I have the hardback, although it might be nice to have the paperback edition around to casually flip through, but then again, maybe I should give my hardback edition more love and not be afraid of something as simple as flipping pages. Also notice on the top shelf that I have the film soundtrack on vinyl, which I bought for $6. (See front covers here on Instagram.)
Audrey’s/Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (read): Peep my personalised copy of Alice! It’s not antique, but it’s super special, so I’ve placed it with my super special antiques. I had it printed at the Shakespeare & Co in Philly for $20; it includes illustrations, and every instance of “Alice” within the book is replaced by “Audrey” as well. (See close-up of Audrey’s Adventures in Wonderland here on Instagram.)
Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens: I bought this copy from a secondhand bookstore in Seattle in 2017. I don’t remember for how much, but probably around $10. There’s something extra romantic about flipping through an antique book over the holidays…not that I would know from experience. I’ve never read Dickens before.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway: A First Edition bought for $15. Hemingway writes about Paris in the twenties. There’s a chapter on Shakespeare and Co. I’ve never read Hemingway before either.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: I stumbled upon this book for $10 at a flea market. Remembering it was one of Michelle‘s favourites and that Abby devoted 2019 to reading it, I snatched it up. The sellers said it was a First Edition, but after looking up the First Edition of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I determined that I had a First Edition but not the First True Edition. I could get into the nitty gritty with you here, but I don’t think anyone cares except me haha. Nevertheless, my edition is a really old, well-loved book and I like really old, well-loved books.
The Silent Traveller in New York by Chiang Yee: This was another random purchase, but I fell in love with how Yee illustrated New York using traditional Chinese technique and media. I got it more as a coffee table book to flip through every once in awhile, but I should probably give it a proper read eventually in life. The Silent Traveller series includes volumes for London, Oxford, Edinburgh, Paris, and more. Bought for $2.
Read mass market paperback classics
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett: Waiting for Godot is a sentimental read from high school. I stumbled upon this lovely copy in the original French for $0.25. Upon purchasing this, I decided to give the book a reread; I had to go to the library to find an English copy that I could actually read, and I actually ended up finding an English-French bilingual edition. I marked quotes in my French edition with the English translations annotated on sticky tabs. (See front cover here on Instagram.)
Emma by Jane Austen: My favourite thrifted paperback classic, aesthetically speaking. Buddy read with Sofie; Emma was both of our first Jane Austen experiences! I rewatched Clueless in anticipation of reading this book and was amazed to realise how well Cher modernised Emma but also stayed so true to Emma’s energy and personality. Bought for $0.25. (See front cover here on Instagram.)
The Stranger by Albert Camus: I had known of this title for awhile, but Mckenzie‘s review motivated me to push it up my TBR. It reminded me of Waiting for Godot as they’re both existential, absurdist books about the meaninglessness of life, but I enjoyed Waiting for Godot more for its humour. The analysis I did in high school probably helped a bit as well. The Stranger didn’t do much for me; I wonder if I should donate it, though it is quite pretty. Bought for $1.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: Yes I have two copies, bought for $1.25 total. I couldn’t decide which edition I liked more. I should probably donate one or both. The reading experience was okay, but the ideas/themes left me with a lot to contemplate afterward about my own life, and for that I’m thankful and find deeply worthwhile. Buddy read with Emily. (See front covers here on Instagram. Maybe you can help me decide which cover is better haha.)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: An underwhelming read with too many monologues for my taste, but I’m glad to know the origin of this story that has so much cultural significance. Hollywood did Frankenstein’s creature dirty. I wonder if I should donate it. Buddy read with Dani. Bought for $1. (See front cover here on Instagram.)
Unread mass market paperback classics
The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow: I don’t know a single thing about this book, but there was a brief reference to it in The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo, which I loved, and I recalled seeing the title at the secondhand bookstore, so I went back for it and bought it for $1. But now that it’s been sitting on my shelf for awhile, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not especially interested in reading it, and there are so many other classics I’d rather get to. I should really, really donate this one. The cover isn’t all that special either. If anyone knows anything about this book, I would appreciate your insight haha.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote: More Capote love! I like true crime, so I could potentially really like this one. Bought for $2.
Papillon by Henri Charriere: I loved Prison Break (well, I only watched season 1, at the end of which they broke out of prison so I lost my motivation to keep watching it), so I’m sooo intrigued by Charriere’s autobiography. He’s famous for escaping Devil’s Island, a prison that no one had ever escaped. Bought for $1.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert: Cover buy, but I’d like to get around to it one day eventually. Bought for $1. (See front cover here on Instagram.)
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James: Same as above. (See front cover here on Instagram.)
1984 by George Orwell: On my TBR since ever. Love my dystopians. Found this copy whilst showing my friend Helen around Philly. Bought for $6. (See front cover here on Instagram.)
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: I’ve never read Sylvia Plath before, but I always intended for The Bell Jar to be my first. Bought for $3.
Great Tales of Horror by Edgar Allan Poe: I read “The Tell-Tale Heart” in high school, which was pretty spooky. Looking forward to more. Bought for $2.
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien: I found a beautiful edition of The Fellowship of the Ring for $0.25 first. Then I found The Hobbit for $1. Then I found The Two Towers and The Return of the King for $3 each. It was so satisfying to finally complete the collection, all in the same edition but found separately in different secondhand bookstores. Now I just gotta get around to reading them! I’ve already watched all the films, like everyone else in the world. (See front cover here on Instagram.)
Read contemporary
Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich: Loved the Broadway musical. Bought the book a few months later for full price off Amazon (~$11) when I got an Amazon gift card for my birthday. Another motivation for the purchase was that I loved Emmich’s debut novel, The Reminders, and so looked forward to this one. However, Dear Evan Hansen the book wasn’t as charming as the musical and wasn’t as charming as The Reminders either. Still nice to have both of Emmich’s books though. (See front cover on Instagram here.)
The Reminders by Val Emmich: I read an eARC of this book and it’s one of my all-time favourites. Totally underrated, imho. I was shocked to find a secondhand copy of this book at a secondhand bookstore in LA. I bought it for $14, which is expensive for secondhand, but I was pretty sure I’d never see this book in the wild again (again, underrated!) so I snatched it up. Still cheaper than Amazon (~$16). (See front cover on Instagram here.)
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim: My first Goodreads giveaway win, and one of my favourite book covers! Kim is one of the most engaging authors on social media I’ve ever come across. Love her. Buddy read with Sadia and Tegan. (See front cover on Instagram here.)
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo: I accidentally bought this book at full price from Barnes & Noble (~$22). “Accidentally” as in I meant to buy it, photograph it, read it, then return it, but I misjudged the deadline for returns and ended up stuck with the book. Luckily I really enjoyed this read and had happy memories with it, so I’m more than happy to have bought it. (See front cover on Instagram here. Abby captured a great BTS photo.)
Know My Name by Chanel Miller: Bomi gifted this book to me in 2020. It was one of our Boba Book Club reads and one of my most memorable reads of 2019.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: One of my all-time favourites. I read this book at the perfect time in my life. It made me cry. It healed me a little bit. I had read from a library copy, but a few months later I thrifted a First Edition for $5. I don’t really care about First Editions for contemporary books except that a First Edition of Little Fires Everywhere means that it doesn’t have that ugly Reese’s Book Club badge on it lolol. I’d love a paperback of Little Fires Everywhere, but those all have the ugly badge. (See front cover on Instagram here.)
Becoming by Michelle Obama: I just remembered that I lent this book out to a friend months ago and haven’t gotten it back yet (albeit I’ve been away for months), so this book isn’t photographed on my shelf. I bought this book for full price off Amazon (~$12) because the library wait list was six months and I couldn’t find a free copy online (Obama cracked down on the pirates lol). (See front cover on Instagram here.)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: One of my all-time favourites. I had read this from a library copy in 2015, and I finally thrifted my own copy this past year (2019) for $2. However, this is a massive book, so I’m on the hunt for a cheap paperback in good condition to replace it. I should have thought about that the first time around… (See front cover on Instagram here.)
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino: I don’t know if this is one of my all-time favourite reads, but it’s definitely one of my most memorable reads ever. I am thoroughly obsessed with Tolentino now and I look out for her in the New Yorker. I had read this from a library copy. Upon finishing, I couldn’t put the book out of my mind and needed a physical copy to mark up. I couldn’t wait for Amazon’s shipping because I don’t have prime, so I bulldozed my way to Barnes & Noble and bought it at full price (~$27). (Check out my full review and essay-by-essay outline here.)
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert: Won this in Goodreads giveaway. I am totally not excited by the fact that at some point in time, my favourite booktuber only owned three books, two of which she was gifted by a friend (the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo), and the last of which was The Hazel Wood, which she won in a Goodreads giveaway. I liked the first half of the book but didn’t like the second half. I’d probably donate the book if it weren’t for the fact that the cover is pretty and my favourite booktuber who I have never exchanged a single word with also won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Buddy read with Sadia and Sonia.
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig: I don’t think I had very many expectations going into this book, but for some reason I bought the book new off Amazon ($12). Maybe the book seemed like something I needed from the title alone. In any case, this was the first non-assigned book I ever pulled out sticky tabs for (Trick Mirror was the second. I got the hang of sticky tabs after reading Reasons to Stay Alive I guess haha), so it worked out well that this book was mine (rather than borrowed from the library). Buddy read with Evie.
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu: I remember that I bought this book new in 2018, which was a real treat because that was back when I never bought books. I was killing time in The Strand, waiting for my bus back to Philly. I read The Age of Anxiety by WH Auden in store and bought The Paper Menagerie to go (~$22). The cover is beautiful with an origami tiger on it. This was my first Liu read. He’s now one of my favourite sci-fi writers (along with Ted Chiang, Alexander Weinstein, Blake Crouch).
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson: I read this book back in 2015 and loved it. I read it the summer after my freshman year of college, but I remember thinking that it would have been perfect for the summer between high school and college, though still good for any summer, and still good for any season really, but especially summer, and especially the summer between high school and college. I came across a copy for $2 this past year (2019) so I swiped it up. I think it’d be good for a nostalgic reread some time eventually.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: After loving Little Fires Everywhere so much, I decided to swipe up Everything I Never Told You when I saw it at a secondhand bookstore for $3. Everything I Never Told You didn’t touch me as intimately as Little Fires Everywhere did, but I still enjoyed it. It does bug me a little that this copy is paperback and my copy of Little Fires Everywhere is hardback though. But I don’t like Everything I Never Told You enough to want a hardback, and I don’t want a paperback of Little Fires Everywhere with an ugly badge, so there you have it. Maybe I should donate Everything I Never Told You.
One Day by David Nicholls: I read this in 2015 and came across a copy for $1 this past year (2019). But I gotta say: I hate all the covers of all the editions of this book. But at the time of purchasing this book, I was really feeling a nostalgic, romantic reread of this specific book. I should make it a personal project to redesign this book cover.
Unread contemporary
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton: I had heard a lot about this book, and I know that it’s one of Jane‘s favourites. Plus, it has a beautiful starry cover. I thrifted a copy in San Francisco for $10 in 2017 but have been a bit too intimidated to start! I’m determined to get to it though.
The Best of Roald Dahl by Roald Dahl: Roald Dahl, everyone’s childhood favourite including mine. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve been meaning to dip my toes into his short stories, and a collection of his best seems like a good place to start. Bought for $3.
The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone: Random purchase. I stumbled upon this title and it reminded me of Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and The Imitation Game. I’m eager to get around to this one and I think it’ll be a solid read, but I’ll probably donate it after I finish it. The cover is okay. Bought for $2.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A classic, but not a hardback antique or mass market paperback, so not placed on the classics shelf. My second book buy of 2020; not added to my List of Shame yet. For some reason, I’ve been wanting to thrift a copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude as well as Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes this past year (2019). I’m intrigued by what those books have done for literature, but I know they’ll be books I’ll have to sit with for awhile and work my way through slowly, as I’m not the biggest classics reader. I’m also not the biggest magical realism reader haha. I’m not sure what edition of One Hundred Years of Solitude I have, but it’s printed in the style of the First American Edition (which is hardback). I think it might be a paperback Book Club Edition.
Graduates in Wonderland by Jessica Pan and Rachel Kapelke-Dale: Random purchase. This title caught my eye as it seemed relatable for someone in a transitory post-grad phase of life like I am. I think it’ll be a light, easy read, and I’ll probably donate it after I finish it. Bought for $2.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling: The first book I thrifted in 2019. Who knew what kind of monster it would unleash in me?? I spotted it new and shiny at a secondhand bookstore for $5 and couldn’t resist. I’ve been rereading the Harry Potter series for the first time in my life since October 2018 and still have the last book to go. I want to finish my reread before I get into Fantastic Beasts.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt: I’ve wanted to read more Tartt ever since reading and loving The Goldfinch in 2015. I’ve heard mixed preferences between The Goldfinch and The Secret History, whereas I’ve seen quite a few people say that they didn’t like The Little Friend very much. The Little Friend has a creepy cover anyway. The Secret History has a beautifully simple cover. Bought for $3.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: AKA bookstagram’s favourite book. This book had been on my radar, but I didn’t feel any real urgency to get to it until I joined bookstagram and saw everyone raving about it. Proud to say that I’m currently making my way through this one, slow and steady! Go me! Bought for $3. (See front cover on Instagram here.)
Misc (non mass market paperback classics that didn’t fit the aesthetic and coincidentally didn’t fit on the classics shelf lol)
The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen: Impulse cover buy for $1. I think Bowen is a respectably known classic author, though I don’t know anything about her or her work. I’d like to get to this eventually, but I think it’ll probably be a slow read for me despite being a slim novel. But that’s how it is for me with most classics. (See front cover on Instagram here.)
Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman: Impulse cover buy for $1. I want my own ex libris bookplate! Not a classic but it is a book about classics. I actually did give a go at starting this book in 2019, and while I knew that this was a book about being a reader, I didn’t realise that almost all its references would be to classics I never read, so it was a bit slow for me and I wasn’t in the mood for it at the time. I put it down but I’d like to pick it back up eventually, but I’m also considering whether I should just donate it. (See front cover on Instagram here.)
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan: On my TBR since ever. I’ve never read Tan before. Spotted a pretty mass market paperback for $1 so I snatched it up. I didn’t place this book with my other mass market paperbacks because it didn’t fit on the classics shelf, but also it has a blue spine, which doesn’t match well with the mostly-netural mass market paperbacks I have.
I just walked you through all 55 books on my shelf! I doubt anyone read it all the way through, but have a glance at my List of Shame and see if you can spy any titles that are on your TBR as well! I always love a buddy read.
About how many books do you have unread on your shelf? Too many to count? 😛