Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a prompt and other book lovers join in with their own top ten list.
This week's theme is “Top Ten Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet”.
I feel obliged to add a disclaimer that I've imposed a book-buying ban for 2014, so “don't own yet” really means “have not obtained a copy”. I'm relying on the library and gifts for any books that I don't already own. With that said, here's the top ten drawn primarily from my wishlists at Goodreads, Amazon, and the libraries where I have borrowing privileges:
The first book on my list is one that I've placed a hold for at my library. According to the library's Overdrive web site, I'm #1 of 7 people waiting for a copy of The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear. Although this book is not part of Winspear's “Maisie Dobbs” series, it draws from the same time frame. According to reviews, the book begins shortly before the outbreak of World War I and tells the story of two young women, close friends from school days, whose experiences of the war are very different. Kezia marries Thea's brother and remains in England to keep the family farm going once her husband Tom enlists and suffragette Thea finds herself driving an ambulance in France. I feel sure I'll get the notice that it's available any day now.
In addition to a book buying ban, I'm aiming to finish reading all the books in several long series during 2014. Among these is the Aunt Dimity mysteries by Nancy Atherton. I just need to read one more book, Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well, and I'll have completed the series. Well, that is, until the 20th book in the series is published next year. My library doesn't own a copy, but they'll request it from a nearby library—but only after the book has been in the collection for at least six months. Given that this book had a publication date of 17 April, the earliest I can request it will be mid-October. I'm anxious to read this book before the end of the year, and I don't see a gift occasion any earlier than Christmas, so I guess I'll just have to be patient until October.
Also at the top of my list is Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau. This is the third and last book in Charbonneau's YA Dystopian trilogy which began with The Testing. I read a number of reviews at Goodreads which were extremely critical of the entire series. Yes, the primary character is a teen and it's a bit improbable that she'd wind up with such a position of influence. But, this is YA fantasy, folks. I don't expect it to be realistic. I enjoyed reading the first two books and I expect to enjoy this one. I've placed it on my Overdrive wishlist at my library.
A book I placed on my wishlist a couple of years ago is The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg. I probably should save this novel about the Nativity until closer to Christmas, but I just placed a hold on it at my library. I expect it should become available within the next week. Reviews say that the dramatization of the betrothal of Mary and Joseph and how they individually deal with her miraculous pregnancy make this an excellent book. I certainly hope all that is true.
A set of related series that I have enjoyed in the past were Tamora Pierce's fantasy stories set in the lands of Tortall. In 2006, she introduced a new character, Beka Cooper, who steps from the usual roles taken by females in her time to become a member of the law-enforcing Provost's Guard. The first book, Terrier, tells of Beka's introduction into the Guard, her training, and her first assignment to the Lower City. Once I've read Terrier, there are two more Beka Cooper books to enjoy. 
The Internet is magic. Last weekend, while visiting the blogs of some readers participating in the Bout of Books read-a-thon, I stumbled across a book that I immediately added to my wishlist, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin. This historical fiction is written in the first person, telling the story of Lavinia “Vinnie” Warren, the diminutive entertainer who joined P T Barnum's circus and then married Charles Stratton aka “General Tom Thumb”. I'm looking forward to clearing my reading queue so that this book can move to the top.
Another historical fiction that I'm looking forward to reading is A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee. This is the first in a mystery series set in 1850s London. Teen thief Mary Quinn is recruited for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency. What's not to like about a strong female protagonist, compelling mystery, and the age of Queen Victoria? The only thing holding me back is that I'm reluctant to start YET ANOTHER series when I have so many on my “should finish” list.
If I can lay my hands on Rubbed Out by Riley Adams, I can add one more series to the lists of those I have completed—or at least have read all available. Rubbed Out is the fourth book in Adam's Memphis Barbecue Mysteries. Since I thoroughly enjoyed the first three books in the series, I look forward to reading this most recent chapter in the story of Aunt Pat's Barbecue Restaurant. By the way, “Riley Adams” is a pseudonym for Elizabeth Craig who has three series published under three different pseudonyms. All her series are cozy mysteries set in the deep South and after I finish this one, I'll have two others to choose from. 
For nine months, I anxiously awaited the premier of Outlander on the Starz network. I read the first three books of Diana Galbadon's series in the fall of 2007, and now that I've seen a couple of episodes of the TV series I'd like to pick it back up. Drums of Autumn is the fourth book in the series and I definitely want to read it before the TV series gets to this point in the saga. Fortunately, with the popularity of the series, I shouldn't have any trouble picking up a copy of Drums of Autumn at the library. 
I get so frustrated with Alexander McCall Smith's U.S. publisher. Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers was published in August 2013 in the U.K., but is not available in a U.S. edition yet. That means that there's no Kindle edition and the libraries don't have a copy—all you can get is an import of a hardback or paperback from England. And, to add insult to injury, I prefer this series in audio books. The unabridged audio was just released in the U.K., so it may be quite a while before it's carried at Amazon or Audible. This type of situation makes me more sympathetic with pals in Europe and Australia who face long waits for works from their favorite U.S. authors.
You can do no wrong with the Outlander series I say haha. Though I find they can be on the long side, it's still such a fantastic read. I have Terrier but have yet to read it! I think Alanna's story will always be my favorite of the Tortall universe :)
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