What Am I Looking Forward To in 2011?-Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is one I thought I was going to have to skip-Most Anticipated Books of 2011.  Cuz here's the thing-I don't really keep up with the publishing world AT ALL.  Thinking on it that seems strange for a book blogger and voracious reader.  Shouldn't I know what my favorite authors are doing, or what the critics are saying about what my favorite authors are doing, or what new favorite authors of mine are out there waiting for me to discover them?

What keeps me from doing more to keep my finger on the pulse of the publishing world?  Aside from time, I'd say the most influential factors is the 500 books in my waiting-to-be-read room.

Yes, I said 500 books in my TBR room.  Some bloggers have a TBR pile or a TBR shelf, I have an entire room.  This stems from the many years that my mother, retired in Michigan with nothing but time for reading, gave me all of her books.  At 5-7 a week, that adds up quickly.  Since I average about a book or two a week in a normal year, there is no way I can keep up.  Mind you, I'm not complaining-who doesn't love free books?  Ditto almost free books!  When I discovered Goodreads bookswap I was over the moon!  You mean, I can clear my shelves of all but the few books I want to keep after reading, and get receive frequent gifts of reading in the mail for just the price of postage?  I'm in!

So, not one of the books on my Top Ten this week will be published in 2011.  Most of them weren't published in 2010.  But they are the books I am looking forward to reading this year nevertheless.

1.  Under the Dome, Stephen King

Normally when I get a new Stephen King book I devour it immediately.  However, I signed up for the 100 Book Challenge this year, and at over 1000 pages I knew that it would take me longer than normal.  I was into slim volumes this year!  With the challenge soon over (and me still 10 books away from the goal-grrr), I plan to pick it up right after the new year.

2.  Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie

For years I've been telling myself I was going to give Rushdie a try, and the whole fatwa thing makes this novel the obvious choice for me.  I also have The Moor's Last Sigh in mt room, but we'll see how I feel about Satanic Verses first.

3.  Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger

I've had this book on my shelves for a while now, and the plain truth is that I love The Time Traveller's Wife so much I'm afraid that this will be a disappointment.  But I've put it off too long-especially since my copy happens to be borrowed from my best friend.  She loves me and all, but eventually she'll start giving me those looks-you know those looks!

4.  You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know, Heather Sellers

This one just came out in October, and I lucked into an ARC on bookswap.  It's about a woman who has face blindness, and doesn't remember people's facial features.  The very idea of living your life never recognizing anyone is fascinating and terrifying!

5.  The 19th Wife, David Ebershoff

Ordinarily I stay away from books that are made into Lifetime movies, but this title sounds too interesting to pass up.  The story of a modern day murder in a polygamous community, tied with a mystery from the past.  I'm a little bit obsessed with the whole polygamy thing, in a train-wreck sort of way.  And according to the reviews I read of the movie, Lifetime actually made a movie that didn't suck!

6.  Room, Emma Donaghue

My book club has a rule that we will only read books that have come out in paperback.  With the many good books out there, sticking to that rule has never been a problem-until Room came out.  But being teachers, we have to stick to the rules!

7.  Kindred, Octavia Butler

I just finished her Patternist series, and I'm ready to read what many say is her best book.  Considering I've pretty much universally enjoyed her books, I think that's a safe bet regardless.

8.  My Fair Lazy, Jen Lancaster

I've got this rather strange notion in my head that Jen Lancaster and I are meant to be friends.  Like I'll be walking in the city one day, and there she'll be coming out of Macy's or something, and we'll strike up a conversation, which she will find so fascinating that she will ask me to lunch, and we will end up at Uncle Julio's downing margaritas and dishing on the latest gossip.  I know, it's a sickness.

9.  People of the Book,  Geraldine Brooks

I actually thought I would read this in 2010, but when I requested it from bookswap I didn't realize it was an audiobook.  I don't really do audiobooks-it feels like cheating.  Well, I don't really do audiobooks, except for ones written by celebrities and read by celebrities, which brings me to...

10.  Life, by Keith Richards

Aside from what I'm sure will be a really interesting story, the audiobook is read by Johnny Depp.  I mean, come one!