The theme this week for TTT over at That Artsy Reader Girl, is books I cannot believe I read; my list does not go into the I cannot believe, but they were certainly unexpected for me – most of them; I completed all these books – so not in a DNF list of any sort currently and include books I loved and a couple that I had no serious love for at all. Not a full list of ten but here they are..

1. Freedom at Midnight – Larry Collins, Dominique Lapierre : I cannot fathom why I read this book at the time I read it since I was mostly into much lighter reading at that time, and my non-fiction consisted of text books at school as well as newspapers and magazines. But I am so glad I read it, this is one book that I recall quite a bit of considering I read it over 20 years ago though I do need to read it once more so it is also on my reread pile. Verdict – Glad I did read it
2. Mother – Maxim Gorky: This was a pretty serious read for me at the time I read it (in early high school is what I recall). I think I picked this up because I was fond of the Misha magazine and other stories from Russia, or, well, not sure at all. Verdict – Glad I did read it
3. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen: Why is this even here? Because this was one that had never made it past 30 pages for many attempts (but I do not know why, many a time, I was distracted by something else and this got put aside, and I never made it back to this book) but I kept returning to it for some weird reason or just because it is Pride and Prejudice, a matter of pride for me too! And I finally read it a few years ago. Verdict – Glad I did read it finally
4. A Wrinkle in Time – I read it because it is A Wrinkle in Time and though it is one of those must-read books, my verdict – Not really glad I read it
5. Uncle John’s Totally Quacked Bathroom Reader For Kids Only! (Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader for Kids) – Well, the title itself usually would have made me pause but then again, I was trying to read books my kids might read. Verdict – Glad I did read it
6. Base Camp Las Vegas: 101 Hikes in the Southwest – This seemed a pretty dry read initially, even with the scenic photographs all around, but in the end, I found it very useful and plan to look for other books similar to this based on future travel plans. Verdict – Glad I did read it
7. Cruelest Journey: Six Hundred Miles to Timbuktu –  Kira Salak:  One woman’s journey on a boat – did not really seem like something I would enjoy reading and I don’t recall why and how I picked up this book. But it opened me up to whole new so-many-somethings that we are missing out on. Verdict – Glad I did read it and need to reread. 
8. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth: at 1474 pages, this may be the longest book I ever read and if it was not, I don’t recall longer ones currently anyways:).  Verdict – Glad I did read it and need to reread.