Top Ten Books I Would Want While Stranded on an Island

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

As much as I love rereading, if I'm trapped on an island for the forseeable future but somehow get to pack reading to take with me, I'm going for length. I may cheat just a little bit, but you can't stop me!

1. Harry Potter Box Set - J.K. Rowling

Pages: 4167

See? I told you I would cheat. This is 7 individual books, but they're all packaged up together so there. As Gimli would say, "That still counts as one!" What would my time on the island be without a chance to visit Hogwarts? Torture! Also, these come in luggage, so packing will be so easy!

2. The Complete Pelican Shakespeare - William Shakespeare

Pages: 1808

Alright, the edition doesn't really matter, but this happens to be the version of the complete works that I have. Like I could go without Shakespeare. You better believe that I would act out every single play in there by myself, complete with voices and dramatic posing. Also, I'd probably read the sonnets to the foliage. Good times. When I get bored, I can start envisioning weird revisionings. There is so much entertainment in here.

3. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

Pages: 1296

You know why Russian novels are so long? Because there wasn't much else to do in the winter. That means they're meaty and take time. I will have plenty of time on the island to sit down and read this, undistracted by new shinies. Also, after ten readthroughs, I'll probably have a pretty good idea of who everyone is, despite each character having fifty names.

4. The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Pages: 796

Listen, being trapped with a limited library is the perfect time for me to read all of those classics that I know I'll love, but that I'm just too easily distracted to get through right now. One of my besties loves this book with the fire of every sun in all of the universes, so I definitely need to get it read at some point!

5. The Complete Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Pages: 1136

Another long book I've been meaning to read, but totally haven't. Of course, I'm a wimp, so I'll probably only be reading these during the daytime, but mysteries might make a nice change from the rest of my reading. Plus, there's a lot here for me to dig through, which is the most important thing.

6. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

Pages: 1488

Oh look, a pretentious book I've actually read. I love The Count of Monte Cristo, and I'm sure I would benefit from numerous rereadings. There's a lot here, and I'm sure I've missed things. Plus, with my memory, even if I understood it perfectly the first time, I sure wouldn't know now. Plus, I can plot my vengeance on whoever trapped me on this island, though their punishment shall be slightly ameliorated by the fact that they let me pick out 10 books to bring along.

7. The Newsflesh Trilogy Box Set - Mira Grant

Pages: 1892

Hells yes, this comes in a box set! Mira Grant's dark humor will help me keep my sarcasm alive while trapped on the island. Seriously, I love these books. Also, when my morale falls, I can be glad that I'm not being chased by a zombie. Or am I? Is this a zombie island? If so, fuck.

8. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien

Pages: 1216

Yay! Epic fantasy is perfect for a trip to the island. Unfortunately, most of them have two many volumes to even be packaged in a box set, so I'm taking the classic work in the genre. I love LOTR, and I will know it really well by the time I get back!

9. Complete Fairy Tales - Brothers Grimm

Pages: 630

Fairy tales! I need fairy tales in my life. I love the original fairy tales, because they are so vicious. YA really hasn't tapped the vein of the Grimm brothers yet. I want to see people like Laini Taylor or Daniel Marks tap these and make something dark and hilarious and gruesome out of them. Oh, wait, that's off topic, but, yeah, I'll have this with me!

10. The Complete Novels - Jane Austen

Pages: 1278

Thank goodness they packaged these up into a single volume. This isn't even cheating. Jane Austen is my favorite, so I'm not going anywhere without her. I would probably read P&P and Northanger Abbey twice a month. Also, it would be the perfect excuse to buy this gorgeous book. My Jane Austen copies are all ugly, because I can't see replacing the one with sentimental value with a pretty cover...even if I sort of want to.

So, there you have it. My shortest book is over 600 pages long, and, if I'm ever rescued, I will be speak like I'm from the 19th century, but throw in Harry Potter lingo. Yeah! I will have no problem whatsoever making new friends.