Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to read. I read at least a couple dozen books a year, if not more. However, this hasn’t always been the case. Throughout middle school and high school, I probably read less than a dozen books altogether. In fact, in another article, I wrote about how I didn’t read a single required school book during those years. How I managed to pull out A's in Honors English is still a mystery to most.

In 2010 (I think), I read "The Mortal Instruments" series by Cassandra Clare. This was when there were only three books in the series published. None of the spin-off series were out yet, other than the first of "The Infernal Devices" books, but I didn’t know about it. There wasn’t a movie or a horribly adapted show. I read these three books and they changed my life, as cheesy as that sounds. They made me truly fall in love with reading again, though I didn’t really start picking up speed until I took some time off from school in 2014.

That’s when things get interesting. Since 2014, I have read more books than in all 23 years of my life before. I have read close to 175 books in three years, which might not sound like a lot to some, but for someone who read maybe 50 from birth until age 23… it’s a lot.

That being said, I don’t read much of a variety. I read a lot of YA fiction. And by a lot, I mean that’s pretty much all I read. My goal is to expand into other genres, but for now I’m going to continue counting down the days until the new Red Queen book and watching Epic Reads book haul videos.

As an adult who claims to love reading so much, I often get weird looks when I haven’t read or heard of certain authors. Most of the time I don’t care, because, let’s face it, they’ve never heard of the authors I read either. However, there are times when I feel ashamed for having never read certain books, specifically classics that “everyone should read in their lifetime.”

So here are 12 books, series, and authors I have never read but want to:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

This one is usually the most surprising to people. I adore Jane Austen movies. In fact, Pride and Prejudice is in my top five favorite movies of all time. I used to check out the book from the library all the time, until I got my own copy. I then bought a box set of Austen novels, meaning I actually have two copies! But I have still never read it. I’ve started it at least five or six times, but the farthest I ever got was about 70 pages in. I just never started it at the right time. It’s on my list to read this year though!

2. Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Another surprising one to many people, considering I’ve been obsessed with the movies since I was 11. The books are very different though, and growing up, it was hard for me to get through extremely detailed fantasy. I will read them eventually.

3. Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I love a good mystery. I’m obsessed with the show Sherlock, and a few years ago I bought the "Complete Sherlock Holmes" book… but I haven’t read past the first page. I know. Disappointing.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

This is the one that people “yell” at me for. It’s considered a classic that everyone should read. To be honest though, I don’t even know what it’s about. Somehow, I’ve managed to stay away from spoilers my whole life apparently. I think I have a copy of this somewhere, but I’ve never opened it.

5. The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice.

Like so many others, I went through the vampire phase. I was obsessed with Twilight, way before they were even considering making the movies. I also read some other less-known series about vampires. I did not, however, read "The Vampire Chronicles" by Anne Rice. I was always told I would love them, but they were intimidating.

6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I love the 1920's. It’s been one of my favorite time periods since I can remember. I own the book. I can see it on my bookshelf right now, but I’ve never read it. I have no excuse for this one

7. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

I remember watching this movie when I was young, and absolutely loving it. I don’t remember anything about it, but I remember thinking it was really good. This is another classic that I’ve been told many times to read. I did start it a couple of months ago, but I didn’t get very far. Perhaps I will try again in the future.

8. Stephen King.

I’m not a fan of horror—understatement of the year. As he is known for horror, I have always avoided Stephen King’s books. However, now that I’m older I really want to try some of them, specifically “Under the Dome” and "The Dark Tower" series. You know, the not-so-scary ones.

9. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis.

I didn’t know about these books until the first movie came out, by then, I had started to slow down reading and didn’t want to read a fantasy series. I thought it would be too much to read, or too difficult, or something. I’m not sure what exactly I was thinking, but I regret it.

10. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Another classic that people assume I would love. I assume so, as well, but I’ve yet to even buy this book. To be honest, I haven’t read any of the Bronte sister’s books… One day!

11. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

I have no excuse for this one. I’ve owned a copy of this my entire life. It’s a worn out paperback, that’s now missing the first couple of pages. It is the first “real” book I remember having as a child and I loved carrying it around. I used to flip through it, pretending to read like an adult, but I never actually read it.

12. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.

Best known as “Game of Thrones" due to the oh-so-popular show, I have yet to read the book series. I own a box set with the first five, but have only read about 50 pages of the first one. Again, I have always strayed away from fantasy because of the crazy amount of description, but I love the show and need to just get over it and read the series. Plus, the books are always better, so I can’t wait!

Have any other suggestions to add to my ever-growing TBR list? Comment below!