Abstract Acacias

These are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you've read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish.

( List of books )

Someone tagged me for this a while back, but I've forgotten who, so I'll just do it anyway.

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your LJ along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
6. Tag five people.

The nearest two books to me were both dictionaries (one Latin-to-English and one English-to-Latin), which can't so much be said to have sentences, so I went and got the book that's in my backpack, sitting partway across the room. (Seemed better than picking a random book off the bookshelf). The first two "sentences" are salutations in a letter, but I'm counting them anyway. Apologies for it being in French. I'd translate it, but I've got gaps in my vocab. :)

Tula a offert à Lisbeï une grosse montre en argent de Liborne, obtenue en secret par mes soins à la Foire de la dernière Assemblée, et elle lui a aussi fabriqué une petite bibliothèque à portes pyrogravées; les étagères en seront vite remplies: nous avons encore eu la même idée, toi et moi, lui offrir des livres — un luxe extravagant pour des gens de Litale! Les miens sont assez éducatifs pour que Selva n'ait point trop sourcillé (les plantes et les insectes "correctes" de Litale, avec dix très belles planches en couleur), mais je dois t'avouer que tes Œuvres complètes de Ludivine de Kergoët n'auraient sans doute pas suscité autant d'indulgence si elles n'étaient venues de toi... Posséder personnellement des livres, passe encore, mais des romans! Des romans d'aventures!

--Élisabeth Vonarburg, Chroniques du Pays des Mères