Backlist Titles on my TBR

One of the things I worked on this year was organizing my book collection. That just meant putting books into categories, sorting out the ones I've read and want to read, and donating those that I no longer have interest in reading. Because of this, my unread bookshelves are overflowing, which meant I got some reading to do.

Most of the titles I owned were published in previous years, and since this week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is 'backlist books I want to read', I thought I'd share some of those. There are a lot to choose from considering what I left on my shelves are books I want to eventually read. Since backlist titles are also said to have a predicted sales figure, I went with the popular books on my TBR.

Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Despite enjoying the movie adaptation of this book, I have not read any of the books in the series. This is a young adult novel about Georgia Nicolson and her quest to be with Robbie, the Sex God. Its format is similar to Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series and since I was a fan of the books, I thought I'd give the Georgia Nicolson series a try.

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

I would have put Two Towers here, but I am currently in the middle of reading it. The Lord of the Rings series is about a group of people led by a Hobbit named Frodo, and their quest to bring the One Ring back to Mordor and destroy it. Based on what I've read so far, the movies were close to the books; there are scenes where you could easily pinpoint the exact lines that also appear in the adaptation. 

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

The Subtle Knife is the second book to Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy. The first of the series, The Golden Compass follows a young girl named Lyra as she goes off in search for her father. I wasn't really interested in picking up the trilogy until I read La Belle Sauvage, the first book in The Book of Dust series, which was the prequel to the Dark Materials trilogy. I've heard that the events in the second book in The Book of Dust series was to be set after the Dark Materials trilogy so I should have read the last two books before the new installment is released.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

I wanted to read a novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley because a novella set in the same world became one of my favorite childhood books. I ended up purchasing this two summers ago and there really is no excuse why I haven't gotten around to it as I've recently re-read the novella.

Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

This is one of those books that I wasn't sure I was going to get to. I only remembered it because I flipped through a children's picture book on how Mary Shelley found inspiration for her masterpiece. The novel (or my copy of it) seems short, and I would really like to know more beyond Victor Frankenstein bringing a monster to life.

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

I personally know one other person who has read Eva Ibbotson's work for children, and her books are timeless and filled with imagination. Most of the books I've read of hers have something to do with ghosts and witches, but the stories have not lost their charm over time. This is one of her non-fantasy genre book and one that I haven't read yet though I know I would enjoy it. I just preferred revisiting the ones I've already read (and still love), but I do have to read this sometime. 

Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder

Not a popular choice of book, but a backlist title I want to read. I decided to pick up this book after watching The Lives of Others and I wanted to know more about the Berlin Wall and life during the time. This was one of the books that showed up on my quick internet research; I think I've even spotted this on a fellow film blogger's reading list. This was also partially a cover buy because I liked the way it looked.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish, and is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl