It’s probably a little late to be bothering Santa, but this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is about the 10 books you’d like to see under the tree on Christmas morning (or otherwise receive for the winter holiday of your choice). So here are 10 books on my Christmas list, in no particular order:

1. Angela Thirkell, High Rising (Virago Modern Classics edition) — Over the past few years, I’ve become enamored with a certain genre of literature…I guess you’d call it women’s fiction from the first half of the 20th century? The types of books that Persephone, Bloomsbury, and Virago are publishing, in other words. I’ve heard good things about Thirkell, so I’m itching to try her Barsetshire books!

2. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (Pulp! The Classics edition) — I already have 3 different copies of P&P, but I’m sorry, I need this:

3. Julianna Deering, Rules of Murder — The rules of murder are a real thing! When the Detection Club was formed in 1930 (members included Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Anthony Berkeley, and many others), one of the members set forth 10 “rules” of how detective novels should be written. Deering’s novel, I am led to believe, breaks them all.

4. Ismail Kadare, Broken April — I’ve been making an effort lately to be more global in my reading, instead of just devouring novels set in England and the U.S. Something or other led me to this article, which led me to Broken April. I’ve never read anything set in Albania before, and I’m very curious!

5. Lorna Goodison, By Love Possessed: Stories — Another “global” book, this time set in Jamaica. I’m sure the stories will be interesting, but honestly, I’m most drawn to the gorgeous cover:

6. Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor & Park — I’m trying really hard to wait for the paperback edition of this. But if someone ELSE were to buy the hardcover for me, I wouldn’t turn it down… 🙂

7. Rachel Bach, Fortune’s Pawn — Space opera and romance by the author of the Eli Monpress series? I want to go to there! Sadly, my library doesn’t have any copies, so it looks like I’ll just “have” to obtain my own.

8. Joyce Dennys, Henrietta’s War: News from the Home Front 1939-1942 — See #1 above. Woman writer + WWII = my kind of book!

9. Maurice Dekobra, The Madonna of the Sleeping Cars — Apparently this is a classic mystery novel referenced by many contemporary mystery/thriller writers. For example, Alan Furst’s train passengers are frequently seen reading it. What makes it so seminal? I want to find out!

10. D.E. Stevenson, The Two Mrs. Abbotts — If Santa can get to every house in the world on Christmas Eve, surely he can bring me a book 2 weeks before its official release date!