Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

I didn't do a Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) last week because, well, it was about new releases in 2013, and I'm not really a "new release" kind of person. There are literally zero books I'm holding my breath for in the new year. I feel like most people who do that are more YA/fantasy/series kind of people, and I'm just not.

However, I do thoroughly like the topic for this week because this year I feel like all I want for Christmas is books! Since I will be moving to a space with a lot more room for books than I've had in the past, I want to start my collection.

10. Anything on my Classics Club list. Okay, this is probably cheating, and I will reiterate some of the ones I want the most later in the list, but it is much nicer to own a copy that I can mark and love and spend more than 3 weeks reading than it is to borrow it from the library, especially when it's a classic.

9. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I've been truly loving this book, and I'm afraid I might not be able to finish it before the break since I have so much to do in preparing for a wedding and the end of the semester. What will I do if I have to turn it in before I leave town?! And even if I do finish it, I'd just love to own it anyway.

8. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. This is such a long book, I know I might run out of renewals before I can finish it, once I get it started. And I've heard so many good things about it.

7. Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese. Ever since I heard of this book I've been wanting to read it, since I'm sort of obsessed with making my own food (and I will be even more once I have my very own blender, food processor, candy thermometer, and various other wonderful kitchen items which will hopefully grace my kitchen after I'm married).


6. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. Another book to feed my inner foodie. I loved the movie and I think I would really like the book, too.

5. My Life in France by Julia Child. This is one of the books I want to read for my Books on France challenge, and I think it will be really fun!

4. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I've been looking for a collection of the stories that is relatively small and lightweight. I've been wanting to read this book for quite some time, but it seems like every version in the library is a gigantic, hardcover, illustrated edition. I, for one, am not a particular fan of illustrated editions in general. I have my own imagination, thank you, and I hardly ever actually like the depictions of the characters in somebody else's illustrations. Anyway. If a more normal edition can be found, I'd be overjoyed to have it as a Christmas gift.

3. A cookbook. I love cooking and I really love cookbooks. I like cookbooks that teach you to make things yourself though--I don't like shortcuts. In other words, nothing with the word "easy" in the title.

2. A biography of a classic author. I'm not talking about a thick reference work written in 1954 that details every word the author has ever said. I would prefer a biography that is close to the size of an average book and comes at the author with an interesting angle.

And the number-one book I would like for Christmas?

1. A journal! I go through journals like I go through butter (and I love butter). I have about 5 pages left in my current journal, and the thought of starting my married life without a place to chronicle all my adventures (well, I like to think of them as adventures) is a terrifying prospect!

But the truth is, I would love just about any book for Christmas (as long as the giver is giving it to me because he or she actually likes it, and not because he or she is trying to pawn it off as a re-gift).

What books would you love to receive on Christmas?