Over in Twitter world Booktopia asked followers to take a picture of the books in their To Be Read pile. I gathered mine together, a motley collection of library books (must remember to return them), bargain basket buys (OK everyone else read them ages OK but I paid $5 instead of $32 to get ’em), a few that have been on my shelf for ages but I haven’t actually got around to reading  and some newbies that I want to read and blog about.

Blogging for Dummies – pretty self-explanatory I need all the help I can get.

Two Little Girls in Blue – Mary Higgins Clark is an easy, no-brainer read but she comes up with some interesting concepts for her crimes – in this one three year-old twins are kidnapped, one is returned, the other believed to be dead, until the little girl starts getting messages from her sister saying she is alive.

Exile – picked this one up in the library’s bargain bin – have read a couple of Richard North Patterson’s books – this one is about a lawyer called in to defend an ex-girlfriend accused of assassinating the Prime Minister of Israel.

Port Mortuary – when they were first released I loved the Kay Scarpetta crime novels by Patricia Cornwell. She was the first to delve into the whole forensic thing, and given that her real-world job was in that area it was very realistic. Mid-way through they got a bit silly but recently I think she has got back on track and am hoping this one will be as good as those first books in the series.

The Happiness Project – who doesn’t want to be happy? Gretchen Rubin spent a year testing out all the theories, principals and “how to” scenarios of happiness and blogged about the results.

There Should Be More Dancing – this is a new book I want to read for my “Reading This Week” review – the blurb says “Rosalie Ham, author of the bestselling The Dressmaker, has written a darkly humorous portrait of a family and the quiet grudges along a suburban street.”

The Butterfly Effect – Dannielle Miller is an educator who has written a book to help parents negotiate the sometimes rough terrain of raising a teenage girl.

A Matter of Principle – journalist Jana Wendt interviews a selection of individuals who qualify for her description of “the good, the great, the formidable”. There’s Richard Armitage, Camille Paglia, Charlotte Rampling, Frank Gehry, Rove McManus, Shane Gould, Mick Keelty and others. A wide mix from the worlds of politics, entertainment, society, art, cinema, sport and architecture.

The Rules of Engagement – recently in my real-world job we hosted a series of presentations by young, social researcher, Michael McQueen, where he attempted to explain Gen Y to us older folk. He was a very entertaining speaker and I brought his book to read more about the definition of our generations and as a guide to understanding and connecting with Gen Y.

The Optimistic Child –  started this one a few times but really need to sit down and finish it. Martin E.P. Seligman gives a “revolutionary approach to raising resilient children”.

The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield – saw this one in the bargain bin at the newsagency and brought it probably as a kick-back to my English Lit. degree. Haven’t read her before but like the idea of enjoying some quality writing transporting you back in time.

A New Earth – Oprah loved Eckhart Tolle and  helped take him into best-seller status. I’m only now taking a look at what he was saying.  This one is about creating a better life.

Bereft – this one made it to the Miles Franklin shortlist this year and I’m reading it for the ABC Mid North Coast Book Club. Written by Chris Womersley it’s set in 1919. Quinn Walker returns to the hometown he fled ten years earlier when he was accused of murdering his sister. I’m looking forward to this one.

How to be Good – I enjoyed Nick Hornby’s Juliet Naked, which was the first of his books I have read, so I’m going backwards to check out some of his earlier stuff.

So that’s my list. What have you got lined up to be read?