Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR

This week's Top Ten Tuesday {created by The Broke and the Bookish} focuses on the books we are most excited to read this winter. With the onslaught of new challenges and fresh reading plans, there are quite a few that I am looking forward to.

1. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare - This is a sequel I am eager to get my hands on, and I am so happy that it is coming out in the next few weeks. I haven't read The Mortal Instruments books, because I want to finish all of the prequels first, so I want them to come out and fast!
2. Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel - I'm not sure what it is, but I have been drawn to this book ever since I first laid eyes on it in my {dear departed} Borders. I am so happy that Coffee and a Book Chick is hosting a read-along so I have an excuse to read it.
3. Persuasion by Jane Austen - I have read this book before, but when I read it, it wasn't the right time for me. Do you know what I mean? I was in the mood for something rapid, instead of burrowing into the deep, layered language. I am excited to reread this one and hopefully appreciate it more this time around.
4. Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis - I have been wanting to read this book for years, ever since my Behavioral Neuroscience teacher {that I happened to idolize} referenced the story in a lecture.
5. Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher - This is another reread ('tis the season, apparently?), one that I read when I was in high school. I remember it as being cozy and sweet, and I am looking forward to diving into it.
6. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - This is going to be one of my first reads for the Alex Awards challenge. I guess saying that I'm excited about reading it isn't exactly accurate. I've already seen the movie and cried a ridiculous amount. I also DNFed the only other Jodi Picoult book that I ever tried to read. However, as I am going to start working on a pediatric cancer floor in January, I feel like this will be a good one for me to read early in the year.
7. American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar - I received this book in the mail months ago, but keep sliding it aside as it isn't coming out until January. However, the time has come for me to read it and I am very excited about it. I've heard only good things so far.
8. Graceling by Kristin Cashore - This is another book that has sat on my shelves all year, borrowed last year at Christmas from my sister-in-law. I'm hoping to return {most} of her books when I see her at Christmas this year, and while I've put this one off, I am actually incredibly excited to read it.
9. Divergent by Veronica Roth - I am officially number one on the hold list for this at the library. I've suspended my hold until after Christmas because I've got to get through the books I already have out as well as a slew of review books and challenge books (not that I will finish them all, but I'd like to at least make some headway). However, this is definitely one of the first on my list of twelve (yeah, I have a problem) that I will be picking up after the new year.
10. Evening Class by Maeve Binchy - So, I know next to nothing about Maeve Binchy, except that she's Irish. However, as of late I have had a hankering to read "comfort books," and something about her books just looks comfortable. I have this one out (selected on the random fact that it is about an Italian class, and my husband is an Italian teacher), and I am excited to get into it. It may prove to be a flop, but sometimes books I know nothing about prove to be my favorites.

And that's all for now! Now excuse me, I'm going to go read Arrowsmith.