Five-Star Predictions From My Unread Shelf

It's been so long since I've joined in on Top Ten Tuesday, but today's topic, Books On My TBR I Predict Will Be 5-Star Reads, caught my eye. As I participate in The Unread Shelf Project 2020, I find myself thinking a lot about the books on my physical to-read shelf and trying to figure out which ones will be worth my limited reading time after the twins are born. The books I have included on this list all seem likely to be favorites for me - I hope I've guessed right! 

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

I have heard nothing but praise for the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series, and I've heard it compared to my beloved Armand Gamache books by Louise Penny. Since there are a good number of books in the series, I hope it's good so I'll have something to read once I catch up on my Louise Penny stack.

The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriott

Though book three of this series of English veterinary memoirs wasn't as good as the first two, I still have high hopes for this fourth title. 

Adam Bede by George Eliot

I was assigned this novel in college and could not get through it, but after reading Middlemarch last year, I have a new appreciation for George Eliot and I think this book will be much more rewarding for me on a second attempt. 

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp

I love family memoirs, and I love The Sound of Music, so this seems like a guaranteed favorite to me!

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman 

I love books about books, and this one seems like a smart, concise reflection on the reading life.

The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather 

I loved Death Comes for the Archbishop and can't wait to read more Cather. 

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett 

The only other book by Patchett that I've read is Bel Canto, which I gave four stars. The subject matter in this one seems even more appealing to me, so I'm hoping it might earn five stars. 

My Own Two Feet by Beverly Cleary This is the second of two memoirs Beverly Cleary wrote about her life. I loved the first one (A Girl from Yamhill), and I think I will relate to her even more in this volume as she becomes a librarian and a wife. 

The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor

I'm reading all of Flannery's short stories in a year with some fellow readers on Instagram, so it might be a while before I get to these letters, but I'm so looking forward to read them. I've read some that were included in her Collected Works, and they definitely made me want more.

Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver

The 1959 film adaptation of this book is my favorite movie of all time. I'm a little afraid I'm setting myself up for disappointment, but I hope the book is as good as the movie!