Discussion: Tell me about the unread book that's been on your shelf the longest.

Dickens haunts me.

There are books that have sat unread on my shelves for years. We’re even approaching decades here in some cases. I thought I was alone in this for a long time, but the more I talk to readers the more I realize everyone has a white whale (or ten) on their shelf. We all have books that have long held a place on our shelves without being opened.

The few of mine that most taunt me:

• The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer — 1,400 pages of World War II history, purchased in my mid-20s

• Lots of Dickens — mostly unread except for a few

• The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys by Doris Kearns Goodwin — another chunky history book

Okay, your turn! What’s been sitting unread on your shelf the longest? Want another challenge? Read the thing!