Are there any books on your shelves that you keep putting off reading?

Another who hasn’t read the Thursday murder club. For some reason dh thought I’d like it so picked it up in the supermarket - I read about 3 pages, yawned a lot and added it to the pile of things to get round to reading when I’m bedbound during a powercut…
I didn’t enjoy olive kitteridge or Eleanor oliphant. Only finished them as they were book club choices.
loved all the light we cannot see!

I have books that I'm "saving up for a treat" which is ridiculous. Often they are a letdown because I've overhyped them to myself

Thanks Tattie and ilovesushi, I will give both books a go.

The Henrietta Lacks book is well worth a read. And is a fairly easy, accessible read imo. The author is v good at making it understandable to the layman.

Agree re The Book Thief. My dd thinks its great and remembers every twist and turn. I can barely remember any of it.

The Richard Osman murder club book. Dh bought it for me because I like watching Richard Osman on telly.

But... it bothers me that I might think less of him if I read the book and find it disappointing. (I know many find it so.)

I feel the same re these audiobooks. I can't bring myself to hear about his downfall. I know the real Cromwell is usually thought of as one of history's bad guys, but the character in the books isn't and I also see him as Mark Rylance after watching the series and I love him 😂

The Mirror and The Light. I have read the previous two but I know this is the end of Cromwell and I'm not ready for it to be over.

And with her recent death it's also the end of her books so I want to do it proper justice.

I also haven't read Tombland yet. I LOVE Shardlake but C J Sansom has been very ill for a few years now so I think it might be the last and, again, I don't know if I'm ready for it to end.

So many.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - I want to be clever and well-read and know about her.

Girl, Woman, Other - I SO want to love this book.

Flight Behaviour - I've started it so many times that I bloody dream about Dellarobia walking up that hill to meet her lover. Never get much further though.

Also, Long Earth which is a Terry Pratchett collab with Stephen Baxter. Adore Pratchett and am greedy for more but can't get into this one.

It's funny how different people like different things. My daughter declares The Book Thief to be her all time favourite book, yet I, and several of you, couldn't make anything of it.

The Book of Dust has been on my shelf for ages. I can't really say why I haven't read it as I loved the other books.
I thought Olive Kitteridge , Olive again etc were really good books, gentle and beautiful.

Night by Elie Wiesel, about being a child in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. I finally read a bit yesterday and it was every bit as distressing as I feared.

Book three of the wheel of time series.

Really enjoyed books 1 and 2, but just keep putting off starting number 3 as feel like I don’t have the time to really ‘get into it’ (even though I do?!?)
Ive got books 1-7 here, not sure why I’m putting it off?!?

I finally gave AK a go when I was ill and stuck in bed. Fuck me, it's long. Don't start it, you'll wish you hadn't!

I felt the same, but I would encourage you to push through, it was a surprisingly satisfying read.

The Book Thief has been there for who knows how many years. I feel it will be too depressing every time I take it out.

Cloud Atlas might be my oldest book that’s waiting to be read. I have a hardback copy so it’s been there for 18 years, occasionally picked up then put straight back down. One day….

I wouldn't bother, it's derivative shit. Italo Calvino was cleverer and briefer 20 years earlier when he wrote If on a Winter's Night a Traveller.

The person who hasn't read Half of a Yellow Sun yet though should read it asap, it's probably one of the best and most important books I've ever read.

@Mogginsthemog I really enjoyed Mrs England. I liked all her other books too.

I’ve attempted to start ink black heart about 4 times now but I really can’t get into it. Possibly because I don’t like either Strike or Robin but I’ve read all the others

OP - my advice would be don't bother with Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell, it's massive and just meanders. I should have loved it as I like magical stuff. Also I read it for book group when DD was a baby and bitterly regretted the hours spent reading it that I could have spent sleeping instead!

Olive Kitteridge is good.

My putting off TBR list is far too long to post here

The Alchemist. And Life of Pi. I know they're supposed to be amazing.

@Mogginsthemog definitely give The Underground Railway a read. I read it last year and it’s excellent. The Nickel Boys by the same author is also very good.

I’ve also avoided poorly reviewed books by authors that I otherwise love as I don’t want to be disappointed. The Little Friend by Donna Tartt and Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson spring to mind.

Have read other books by the author of Olive Kitteridge, both v good so give it a go!

I'm putting off Mrs England by Stacey Halls, because I've read on mn that its not good! So if anyone can tell me otherwise ..

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

@Magn , stop press! That isn't a feeling that necessarily goes away.

@Beachsidesunset @ClownSchool I found that one pretty helpful. He clearly knew it was his way to say goodbye to his readers.

I started Hamnet a while back. Turns out I can't finish books kids die while I have young kids of my own.

The problem is that we all know how it ends!

Me too

I should get rid of it, it would clear quite a lot of space!