Signing up for "The Official 2015 TBR Pile Challenge"

Since I have decided to work my way through my TBR pile this year, it just seems rude not to sign up to The Official 2015 TBR Pile Challenge. The goal for this challenge is nice and straight-forward. "To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile (within 12 months)." Should (I hope) by a good challenge for me given my personal goal of not buying any more books until I have worked my way through all my unread ones.

The challenge asks for list of the 12 books to be read, so here is my list below (with a few ramblings...) I will be returning to this post throughout the year to add updates and links to reviews, etc. Good luck to everyone who is taking on this challenge too!

1. Villette by Charlotte Brontë (1853). This one has been on my shelves for over ten year. About time I finally got round to reading it. A friend of mine said she preferred this one to Jane Eyre - high praise indeed!

 2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847). Another one I have had a while. I'm ashamed I have never read it (might have something to do with the fact that every time I consider it, I just want to dance around listening to Kate Bush instead. Who doesn't!?)

3. The Wood Wife by Terri Windling (1996). This one has been on my shelves for a much shorter time, probably only around 18 months. I haven't read anything by this author before, though I have read a great collection of short-stories she edited (Queen Victoria's Book of Spells).

4. The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint (1990). This is the last of the Charles de Lint "Newford" books I have on my shelves waiting to be read. I have been slowly working my way through this series, but skipped this one out. Finally going to go back to it this year.

5. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (2007). I first read about this book of vignettes on a blog (I wish I could remember where) and found the idea so enchanting I brought a copy straight away. Should be a good winter read, just need some really chilly weather.

6. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897). I have a shameful confession to make: this one has been sitting on my bookshelves ever since I stole it from English class at secondary school. I feel incredibly guilty not only for stealing the book, but for then not reading it! Time to make amends (and perhaps I'll post it back when done).

7. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (2002/2005 - in English). Another one that has been gathering dust quite a while. It's a hardback copy and I remember buying it new, so I'm guessing it dates back from around the time the English translation was first published in the UK. (I have a vague recollection of buying this one in the long-gone Borders in Brighton.)

8. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2001/2004 - in English). Also had at least ten years. I tried reading it when I first brought it, but either couldn't get into it or was distracted by something else and never went back to it.

9. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (2012). I have had this one on my to-read list ever since it was published, though the copy I own is only a few month "new to me". My husband finished reading it recently and thoroughly enjoyed it.

10. A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire (2008). I adored Wicked, really enjoyed Son of Witch, but couldn't get into this one when I first tried it. Time to give it another go.

11. The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb (1998). I brought the entire Liveship Traders trilogy secondhand about 18 months ago and read the first book last year. I can't wait to get started with the rest of this series.

12. Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb (2000). And the final book in the same series! Since Robin Hobb's storytelling is something that makes me insanely happy, these two are the books I am most looking forward to on this list.

An honorary mention should go to my current read: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004), which has been on my to-read list ever since my sister gave me a copy during my first year at university (which I am terrified to realise was now over ten years ago!) I started this one before the end of 2014, so I can't count it as part of the challenge, but I thought it deserved a mention as a long-standing member of my TBR pile, and also because it's fabulous! Nearly half-way through and loving every minute of it.

P.S. Oh! I almost forgot to list a couple of "alternates". Mine are: 1) The Meri by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (1992), and 2) Automated Alice by Jeff Noon (1996).