Beginning the Year of the Backlog Books Blog

Over the past few years, I have amassed a slightly hefty collection of books that I have never taken the time to read. Whether I didn't have the time, or if I just kept buying more than I could actually digest, I don't know. Regardless, I now have a collection of over forty books that I had meant to read at one point or another, while at the same time continuing to buy more along the way, which has only added to the heap. Reflecting on this awful, consumerist habit, I have decided to stop and take the time to read through the books I have collected, without purchasing any more until I get through the current pile. Here is a list of the titles that I hope to get through over the next 365 days:

Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
Red Chameleon by Stuart M. Kaminsky
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
The Toynbee Convector by Ray Bradbury
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
Fantasy by Poul Anderson
Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
Under the City of Angels by Jerry Earl Brown
On My Way to Paradise by Dave Wolverton
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Under the Frog by Tibor Fischer
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
The Dreamfighter and Other Creation Tales by Ted Hughes
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
Sunlight and Shadow by Cameron Dokey
God's Frozen People by Mark Gibbs and T. Ralph Morton
Girl in a Red River Coat by Mary Peate
Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott
Blankets by Craig Thompson
The Rediscovery of Man by Cordwainer Smith
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
The Twilight Alliance by C.S. Gregg
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
Fallen by David Maine
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Neuromancer by William Gibson

How did I come into possession of these books? Some were the result of used book store shopping, others were a result of using gift cards, receiving them as gifts themselves, or just picking them up on a whim, just because I felt like it. They all have a story behind them, and I will try to recount each tale to the best of my memory.

I have given myself a year to get through this pile, before allowing myself to purchase any more books for pleasure. That's an average of one book every nine days; not an unbelievable expectation, although there are a couple of beasts in the pile. I'm hoping the brevity of some will balance out the longevity of others. Either way, it should be fun.

I began this personal challenge on September 13th, 2009. I have already finished two of the listed books, and will post about them shortly. I hope you will enjoy following along.