Tag Archives: Book List

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Please Let Me Read More in 2025

Shelf-Worthy Books?

Despite the title, I did read more in 2024 than in 2023. Still, I wish I’d been able to read more the last couple months of the year. Participating in NaNoWriMo and all the usual Christmas shenanigans gave me very little time to read—sometimes only several pages a day. I don’t think anyone who knows me will be surprised that I deviated from my planned list a few times. When family members or friends lend me books, I read them. That’s how I came by three series—All Souls, The Kane Chronicles, and Schools of Dune—all of which I finally read in 2024 (two had been on my list since 2022). I also borrowed the King of Scars duology, which I hoped to finish in November, but I barely finished the first book by Christmas and am currently reading the second.

I always expect to deviate from my list when it comes to my students; I just don’t know which titles I’ll be reading with them. In 2024, this included Fantastic Mr. Fox and Charlotte’s Web, to name a couple. My school’s librarian also understands my love of all things kidlit and occasionally loads me up, so I read several unplanned books at the end of the 2023-24 school year (titles such as A Monster Like Me and Dead Wednesday). While I, sadly, no longer read aloud to my sons, the younger one got into the Underland Chronicles last spring and insisted I read them. I’d read the first book, Gregor the Overlander, in 2007, and with his encouragement, I finished the series 17 years later.

The only book that I read in 2024 that was a real stinker was A Psalm for the Wild-Built. It was a book I received in a book exchange from a total stranger, which is always a risk, but it was on my list, and I was determined to choke it down and get it over with. On the other hand, Wonder, which I read with a 4th Grade book club, was a delightful surprise.

I also have a couple non-fiction titles that I’m including this year. I don’t always list my non-fiction, but these were ones I truly enjoyed and believe they are accessible to many readers. In fact, Thomas and I both read and enjoyed these books, Tuesdays with Morrie (which I’d always assumed was fiction before reading it) and Different Kind of Minds (check out my review of it here).

In 2024, my book list included 25 titles. Although I only read 16 of the books I planned to read, I read 29 books in all, which I consider a win. Here they are, in the order in which I read them (* indicates the unplanned titles):

  1. A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness
  2. Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) by Deborah Harkness
  3. Wonder by R.J. Palacio*
  4. The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
  5. The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles #1) by Rick Riordan
  6. The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan
  7. The Serpent’s Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3) by Rick Riordan
  8. Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles #1) by Suzanne Collins*
  9. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Underland Chronicles #2) by Suzanne Collins*
  10. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Underland Chronicles #3) by Suzanne Collins*
  11. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Underland Chronicles #4) by Suzanne Collins*
  12. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Underland Chronicles #5) by Suzanne Collins*
  13. New Dragon City by Mari Mancusi*
  14. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
  15. A Monster Like Me by Wendy S. Swore*
  16. Dead Wednesday by Jerry Spinelli*
  17. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers
  18. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl*
  19. Fractal Noise (Fractalverse #0) by Christopher Paolini
  20. Sisterhood of Dune (Schools of Dune #1) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  21. Mentats of Dune (Schools of Dune #2) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  22. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White*
  23. Navigators of Dune (Schools of Dune #3) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  24. Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown
  25. Golden Son (Red Rising Saga #2) by Pierce Brown
  26. Morning Star (Red Rising Saga #3) by Pierce Brown
  27. Different Kinds of Minds by Temple Grandin*
  28. King of Scars (King of Scars #1) by Leigh Bardugo*
  29. Iron Gold (Red Rising Saga #4) by Pierce Brown

In 2024, I said I would prioritize the books that I didn’t read in previous years, and I was mostly successful. I still need to read Pierce Brown’s Dark Age and Light Bringer to finish his Red Rising series, and then it will be on to the seven books left over from 2024. Something that was missing in 2024 was a real page-turner that made me want to prioritize reading. That’s not to say that I didn’t read some excellent books, but they were all books that I could put down. This year, I plan to dive into the Cormoran Strike series again because they are penned by my favorite author (Robert Galbraith, AKA J.K. Rowling), and they are the best mystery novels I’ve ever read. AND *drum roll please* the title of book eight of the series has been released, The Hallmarked Man. Although there’s no publication date yet, I am crossing my fingers that it will happen in 2025, so onto the list it goes. I am also going to pick up Harry Potter again. It’s been over five years since I’ve read the series, and even though I’ve read the first four books 13 times (and five to 12 times for books five through seven), there is so much to love about these books, and it goes much deeper than an orphaned wizard. My 13-year-old recently breezed through the series over the period of a couple weeks. It was the first time he’d read all the books on his own, and his enthusiasm for them (plus a deep understanding that he didn’t have previously) has rekindled my interest.

Rounding out my 2025 list are books that have yet to find a spot on my shelves. It used to be that, as soon as I acquired a new book, I would shelve it. Which usually meant a monumental shift of books, since I shelve all my fiction alphabetically by author across two large cabinets. Then one of my voracious-reader friends posted a picture of her unread books, which she keeps on a separate bookshelf. This, I realized, would not only keep the books I have yet to read front and center, but it would also keep me from shelving books that are unknown and might not be shelf-worthy. These are the books in the photo featured at the top of this post. While I don’t have an extra bookshelf to spare, I do have a handy hearth that is empty most of the year, so that’s where those books will live until they’re read and shelved or… they meet some other fate. (Not pictured are books I have yet to acquire—The Rook Files—or books in my classroom library.) In a separate corner of the house altogether is a box of books (shown above) that was gifted to me on the last day of the year. While visiting friends on New Year’s Eve, I was invited to take what I wanted, so I did just that. I am not familiar with Louise Penny, but I’m told she writes mystery novels, so I’ll try the first one of the series and see where it goes from there. And if none of these books work out, I won’t have to rearrange the whole bookcase again.

With all of that in mind, here are the nine books I’m pulling forward from 2023 and 2024 plus 16 new ones that I might possibly read in 2025:

  1. Rule of Wolves (King of Scars #2) by Leigh Bardugo
  2. Dark Age (Red Rising Saga #5) by Pierce Brown
  3. Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga #6) by Pierce Brown
  4. The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike #1) by Robert Galbraith
  5. The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) by Robert Galbraith
  6. Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith
  7. Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4) by Robert Galbraith
  8. Troubled Blood (Cormoran Strike #5) by Robert Galbraith
  9. The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike #6) by Robert Galbraith
  10. The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike #7) by Robert Galbraith
  11. The Hallmarked Man (Cormoran Strike #8) by Robert Galbraith
  12. The Women by Kristin Hannah
  13. A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas
  14. The One by John Marrs
  15. The Rook (The Rook Files #1) by Daniel O’Malley
  16. Stiletto (The Rook Files #2) by Daniel O’Malley
  17. Blitz (The Rook Files #3) by Daniel O’Malley
  18. Murtagh (The Inheritance Cycle #5) by Christopher Paolini
  19. Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1) by Louise Penny
  20. Wild River (The Wild #2) by Rodman Philbrick
  21. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K. Rowling
  22. Solimar: The Sword of Monarchs by Pam Munoz Ryan
  23. A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat
  24. Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros
  25. Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2) by Rebecca Yarros

When I first started making this list in 2013, it was mainly to give me something to look forward to during the year, not something to chain me down. While I understand I have an obligation when I borrow books, I also want to enjoy what I read, so that’s the ultimate goal. May you find joy in reading (or whatever your creative outlet is) over the next 360-something days.

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Meet the 2024 Book List, Same as the 2023 Book List

Now that I have you thinking I was a total slacker in 2023, it’s really not as bad as my title suggests. I did read some of my book list last year. And now is the time when I lay out all my excuses for why I didn’t come anywhere close to reading my list of 30 titles. *cracks knuckles*

First, let’s tackle the elephant in the room, which is that I always veer off the path to read books that weren’t on my original list. There was a time when these books were the ones I read to my kids. Car rides were a favorite time to introduce them to series such as Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. The series that did me in was The Lord of the Rings. Reading elvish aloud is a different animal. That was two years ago. Now I have a kid who can drive himself, so we’re not always riding together. Plus, times have changed. When the four of us are riding somewhere together now, we’re more likely to be singing along with our extensive YouTube playlist. And that’s okay.

My side novels, as I like to think of them, have shifted to books that I read to keep up with my students. Because I teach kids with learning disabilities, it’s important to know firsthand exactly what happened in the books they read; when their comprehension takes a dive, I can help correct their misunderstandings. And I’ve really enjoyed some of these unplanned reading treasures. Although they pull me away from my list, they’re well worth it. Five of the seven unplanned books I read in 2023 fit this category.

One excuse down. Here’s another: In 2023, I struggled. Sometimes the struggle was because some of my books were just meh (I will not be returning to the Ship Breaker series). Sometimes the struggle was due to the length of the books and a lack of time. In July, our lives were turned upside down by an unexpected (but necessary) move in a horrible housing market. While I now believe that we ended up right where we were supposed to be, there was a lot of stress involved, a lot of sleepless nights (spent worrying, not reading), and up until a couple days before Christmas, we were still unpacking. The house projects promise to keep us busy for years to come. Oh, and before the move, we got chickens, so I can blame a lot of time evaporation on them, too.

Okay, that ended up being a whole list of excuses. I’m keeping on keeping on, but it’s slow. I’ve been reading my current book since late November, and sometimes I only manage five pages in a day. When your book has 700+ pages, it feels interminable. I could have devoted more time to reading this past week and squeezed in one last title, but instead, I chose to play games with my family, and I don’t regret it. After all, the books will always be waiting for me. (And, boy, do I have piles of books.)

Excuses delivered. Now it’s time to dive into the books. In 2023, my goal was to read 30 novels, and a few of them were doozies. (I did say it was ambitious right up front—the proof is here.) When it came right down to it, I only finished 22 books in 2023 (all but one were novels—the non-fiction title I read for work can be found on my Goodreads page). Only 14 of the books I read came from the original list of 30. Here they are, in the order in which I read them (* indicates where I deviated from my original list):

  1. Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #2) by Leigh Bardugo
  2. Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #3) by Leigh Bardugo
  3. Carry Me Home by Janet Fox
  4. A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser*
  5. Superstar by Mandy Davis*
  6. Stuck by Jennifer Swender*
  7. Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (Outlander #8) by Diana Gabaldon
  8. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (Outlander #9) by Diana Gabaldon
  9. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
  10. The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) by Robert Galbraith
  11. Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith
  12. Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4) by Robert Galbraith
  13. Troubled Blood (Cormoran Strike #5) by Robert Galbraith
  14. The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike #6) by Robert Galbraith
  15. The Rook (The Rook Files #1) by Daniel O’Malley*
  16. Ship Breaker (Ship Breaker #1) by Paolo Bacigalupi
  17. The Drowned Cities (Ship Breaker #2) by Paolo Bacigalupi
  18. The BFG by Roald Dahl*
  19. Horns by Joe Hill
  20. The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike #7) by Robert Galbraith*
  21. Masterpiece by Elise Broach*

Of the titles I read, some favorites include everything by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling), Superstar (a fantastic middle grade book about an autistic boy), and Instructions for Dancing (very different for Nicola Yoon but probably my favorite of her books).

In 2024, I will prioritize the 16 books that I wasn’t able to read in 2023, and I’ve added a few more because it’s me, and that’s what I do. Here’s the list (alpha by author):

  1. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
  2. Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown
  3. Golden Son (Red Rising Saga #2) by Pierce Brown
  4. Morning Star (Red Rising Saga #3) by Pierce Brown
  5. Iron Gold (Red Rising Saga #4) by Pierce Brown
  6. Dark Age (Red Rising Saga #5) by Pierce Brown
  7. Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga #6) by Pierce Brown
  8. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers
  9. A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness
  10. Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) by Deborah Harkness
  11. The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
  12. Sisterhood of Dune (Schools of Dune #1) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  13. Mentats of Dune (Schools of Dune #2) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  14. Navigators of Dune (Schools of Dune #3) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  15. The One by John Marrs
  16. Stiletto (The Rook Files #2) by Daniel O’Malley
  17. Blitz (The Rook Files #3) by Daniel O’Malley
  18. Fractal Noise (Fractalverse #2) by Christopher Paolini
  19. Murtagh (The Inheritance Cycle #5) by Christopher Paolini
  20. Wild River by Rodman Philbrick
  21. The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles #1) by Rick Riordan
  22. The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan
  23. The Serpent’s Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3) by Rick Riordan
  24. Solimar: The Sword of Monarchs by Pam Munoz Ryan
  25. A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

This year’s list isn’t nearly as daunting as last year’s, so maybe I’ll finally reach my goal. If not, I’m still going to enjoy the journey. As a writing professor told me decades ago (sigh), the important thing is to always have an answer when someone asks what I’m reading, and that I can do.

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Books I Might Actually Read in 2023

As usual, my 2022 book list got derailed. I mean, I even predicted it in my title (“My Totally Unrealistic 2022 Book List”), but a year ago, even I didn’t know that I would be taking a class that would require me to read more than one novel per week. I just thought I would have a hard time keeping up because a) I knew I wouldn’t have much time to read for pleasure because of grad school, and b) I had five Diana Gabaldon titles on the list, and it takes me weeks (if not months) to get through one of her books. So it comes as no surprise that I only read three of the Gabaldons. I have to space them out with other books just so I can feel like I accomplished something. And then there came the magical night sometime in the fall when I walked into a Barnes & Noble and was drawn to a new release that I didn’t even realize existed: Robert Galbraith’s The Ink Black Heart. Since I was in the middle of my multicultural lit course at the time, my husband read it first, and as soon as he finished it, he was adamant that I make it my top priority. Having just finished grad school, that’s what I decided to do. And because Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) is my favorite author, and murder mystery is my oldest fictional genre love, as soon as I finished The Ink Black Heart, I decided to return to Galbraith’s first book and re-read the series. If you love a good murder mystery/thriller, I highly recommend these books (and you will see all the titles below in my 2022 and 2023 lists).

Thanks to my lit course, I read more books in 2022 than originally planned. And thanks to finishing grad school and getting my life back, I now have a craving to read whatever I want whenever I want simply because that’s now an option. So yes, this year’s list is very ambitious, but also more do-able than my annual lists since 2019.

Before I present the lists, however, I want to take a second to talk about the aforementioned multicultural lit course. It was a class that was a requirement to graduate, but I am so glad that it was. A couple of the books were assigned (Gratz’s Grenade and Khorram’s Darius the Great Is Not Okay), but others were left up to the students to find on our own. I am grateful to work in an elementary school with a well-stocked media center, and our media specialist loaded me down with more books than I needed (but that I read anyway), and the winner that left me sobbing on the couch after everyone else went to bed was Kereen Getten’s If You Read This. Despite being overwhelmed by having to read more than a novel per week, I was introduced to books I would not have otherwise read, and it also immersed me in the literature that many of my students are reading. When I visited our school’s fall book fair, I did so with a different outlook than usual, and my 2023 list includes a middle grade title that I purchased there (Carry Me Home). By adding titles like this to my personal library, not only am I reading great books that I genuinely enjoy, but I am also in touch with what my students are reading.

My 2022 list included one title (“Randomize” by Andy Weir) that I did not realize is a short story. It’s available electronically only, and I just don’t have it in me to purchase an electronic short story. So I’m removing that from my list and hoping that he releases another actual novel soon. Of the remaining 19 titles from that list, I read 10 and added quite a few more (not even counting non-fiction—you can see those five titles on my Goodreads page). Here they are in the order I read them (* indicates the ones not from my original list):

  • 1. The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5) by Diana Gabaldon
  • 2. Yaqui Myths and Legends by Ruth Warner Giddings*
  • 3. Artemis by Andy Weir
  • 4. The Rim of the Prairie by Bess Streeter Aldrich*
  • 5. The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye*
  • 6. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
  • 7. Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
  • 8. I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier*
  • 9. The Swarm (The Second Formic War #1) by Orson Scott Card
  • 10. The Crown’s Fate by Evelyn Skye*
  • 11. The Hive (The Second Formic War #2) by Orson Scott Card
  • 12. A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) by Diana Gabaldon
  • 13. The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling
  • 14. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars (Fractalverse #1) by Christopher Paolini
  • 15. Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate*
  • 16. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon*
  • 17. Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell*
  • 18. The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods*
  • 19. The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cueves*
  • 20. Grenade by Alan Gratz*
  • 21. If You Read This by Kereen Getten*
  • 22. Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram*
  • 23. The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin*
  • 24. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt*
  • 25. An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7) by Diana Gabaldon
  • 26. Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes*
  • 27. Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes*
  • 28. The Sweetest Sound by Sherri Winston*
  • 29. The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike #6) by Robert Galbraith*
  • 30. Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram*
  • 31. The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike #1) by Robert Galbraith*
  • 32. Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo*

For the first time in I can’t remember how long, I did not receive a single book for Christmas—and I didn’t need to. I still have last year’s book from my husband to read (Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone), as well as all the other books from my 2022 list, not to mention the other books I added to my collection last year. So here is that very ambitious list (alpha by author):

  • 1. Ship Breaker (Ship Breaker #1) by Paolo Bacigalupi
  • 2. The Drowned Cities (Ship Breaker #2) by Paolo Bacigalupi
  • 3. Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #2) by Leigh Bardugo
  • 4. Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #3) by Leigh Bardugo
  • 5. Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown
  • 6. Golden Son (Red Rising Saga #2) by Pierce Brown
  • 7. Morning Star (Red Rising Saga #3) by Pierce Brown
  • 8. Iron Gold (Red Rising Saga #4) by Pierce Brown
  • 9. Dark Age (Red Rising Saga #5) by Pierce Brown
  • 10. Light Bringer (Red Rising Saga #6) by Pierce Brown
  • 11. Carry Me Home by Janet Fox
  • 12. Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (Outlander #8) by Diana Gabaldon
  • 13. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (Outlander #9) by Diana Gabaldon
  • 14. The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) by Robert Galbraith
  • 15. Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith
  • 16. Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4) by Robert Galbraith
  • 17. Troubled Blood (Cormoran Strike #5) by Robert Galbraith
  • 18. The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike #6) by Robert Galbraith
  • 19. A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness
  • 20. Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) by Deborah Harkness
  • 21. The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
  • 22. Sisterhood of Dune (Schools of Dune #1) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  • 23. Mentats of Dune (Schools of Dune #2) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  • 24. Navigators of Dune (Schools of Dune #3) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  • 25. Horns by Joe Hill
  • 26. Fractal Noise (Fractalverse #2) by Christopher Paolini
  • 27. The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles #1) by Rick Riordan
  • 28. The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan
  • 29. The Serpent’s Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3) by Rick Riordan
  • 30. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

That’s it! Just a little reading list. Subject (definitely going) to change. Happy reading in 2023!

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My Totally Unrealistic 2022 Book List

Book Purgatory, where books wait to be read… or not.

Every year when I post my book list, I have the opportunity to reflect on the previous year, the book list serving as a kind of visual soundtrack of my life. My 2021 post reminds me that I lost a dear friend on New Year’s Day and that books, more than ever, helped me escape into a world that didn’t contain that pain. Later in the year, I had my younger son to thank for Tolkien; he wanted to read The Lord of the Rings, but of course, I had to start with The Hobbit. I am grateful that my kids still let me read to them, and in this case, I read for the whole family because my husband had never read the series before. When I think about the vacations we took in 2021, I will remember reading those works of fiction to my guys. (As a side note, they are the most difficult books to read aloud that I have ever read; with a lack of helpful punctuation and copious Elvish, I was stumbling all over the place.) About halfway through last year’s book list, the pace slowed down regarding the number of books I read, marking the end of a comparatively relaxing stretch in which I was waiting to transfer to a new university. By the end of 2021, not only was I taking a heavier class load than ever, but I was also into the Outlander series, all the books of which are monsters (800 pages or more).

Reading and writing go hand in hand, and along with reading less, my writing has completely stalled. I can’t even say I’m suffering from writer’s block because I’m not trying to write—and haven’t in more than six months. I don’t feel guilty about not participating in NaNoWriMo because there’s no way I could have fit it in. Reading and writing voraciously will likely not be a part of my life again until I finish grad school (whenever that happens). Rather than getting upset by this reality, I’m choosing to think of this as my fallow time. Just as fields need to lie fallow periodically for the sake of the crops that will be grown there in future seasons, now is the time for my creative juices to enjoy an extended break. I will continue to read because that helps me stay sane; plus, having some fictional stimulation will keep me primed for when I can write again.

I hoped to read 25 works of fiction last year—and I did—but I instead of my detours adding to my list, they replaced some of the books that I am now shifting to my 2022 list. Here are the fiction titles I read in 2021 (* indicates books that were not on my original list):

  1.  A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir
  2. The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling
  3. A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) by Sabaa Tahir
  4. Troubled Blood (Cormoran Strike #5) by Robert Galbraith
  5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
  6. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo
  7. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
  8. The Diabolic (The Diabolic #1) by S.J. Kincaid
  9. The Empress (The Diabolic #2) by S.J. Kincaid
  10. The Nemesis (The Diabolic #3) by S.J. Kincaid
  11. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien*
  12. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern*
  13. Children of the Fleet (Fleet School #1) by Orson Scott Card
  14. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate*
  15. Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon
  16. Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon
  17. The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien*
  18. The Giver by Lois Lowry*
  19. Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gabaldon
  20. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir*
  21. The Creakers by Tom Fletcher*
  22. Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4) by Diana Gabaldon
  23. The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings #2) by J.R.R. Tolkien*
  24. Dune (Dune Chronicles #1) by Frank Herbert
  25. The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien*

This year, I have no idea what books I’ll be reading aloud with my family, but I hope we continue this tradition. (I’m rooting for Harry Potter.) I also hope that my husband discovers a new book that he thinks is a must-read, like 2021’s Hail Mary. Yet again, this is a list that presumes a lot more free time than I actually have—and it’s not even complete. I always read at least 25 books in a year. I’m five short, so I’m looking for some must-reads. Check out the list below, and if you know of a book that you think I would love, please drop me a comment!

  1. The Swarm (The Second Formic War #1) by Orson Scott Card
  2. The Hive (The Second Formic War #2) by Orson Scott Card
  3. Ready Player One (Ready Player One #1) by Ernest Cline
  4. Ready Player Two (Ready Player One #2) by Ernest Cline
  5. The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5) by Diana Gabaldon
  6. A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) by Diana Gabaldon
  7. An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7) by Diana Gabaldon
  8. Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (Outlander #8) by Diana Gabaldon
  9. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (Outlander #9) by Diana Gabaldon
  10. A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness
  11. Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) by Deborah Harkness
  12. The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
  13. Sisterhood of Dune (Schools of Dune #1) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  14. Mentats of Dune (Schools of Dune #2) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  15. Navigators of Dune (Schools of Dune #3) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  16. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
  17. The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling
  18. Artemis by Andy Weir
  19. Randomize by Andy Weir
  20. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
by

What to Read in 2020…

I am pleased to say (and this doesn’t happen often), that I finished all the books from my 2019 book list. (Just finished the last two yesterday, but finished is finished!) I started grad school in August, and it really derailed my pleasure reading, but I anticipated this when I created my book list; I’d already finished most of my list before then. (I’m also happy to report that, out of all the books I read, only two disappointed, The Circle and The Girl In the Spider’s Web.)

Of the two books that I finished at the last minute, I didn’t even receive Rick Riordan’s The Trials of Apollo Book 4: The Tyrant’s Tomb until Christmas. And by “receive,” I mean that my husband and I each wanted the same books, so rather than each of us buying the same thing for the other, I bought them both, wrapped them, and stuck them under the tree for us. I didn’t even succumb to temptation and start reading before I wrapped them.

The other book that I finished yesterday was the last of the Artemis Fowl series, The Last Guardian. I read this series years ago and thought my pre-teen son would enjoy them. It’s taken a while to get through all eight books, but we enjoyed reading them together. He’s dyslexic and comprehends texts best when they’re read to him. Although he has an app that reads to him, I will continue reading with him as long as he lets me. He’s into World War II right now, so a couple novels on this year’s list are re-reads for me that I’m looking forward to introducing to Peter.

Another series I re-read this year was Harry Potter (the first four books of which I’ve now read 13 times). I read it to Peter when he was in the second grade, so now that Ian is in the second grade, it was his turn. We read the first three books in the Jim Kay illustrated format—they’re gorgeous. I knew that the boys would receive the fourth illustrated one for Christmas and asked Ian if he would like to wait to get it before we read on, but he couldn’t wait that long. Instead, we plowed through books four through seven, finishing before Christmas. His imagination is vivid enough that he had no trouble making it through them. (But we have the illustrated version of The Goblet of Fire now, and it’s spectacular.)

Jim Kay Diagon Alley illustration

Diagon Alley, as illustrated by Jim Kay

 

Following are the novels I read in 2019 (in the order I read them—the ones in red text are the extras that weren’t on the original list):

  1. Shadow Puppets (The Shadow Series #3) by Orson Scott Card
  2. The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo #3) by Rick Riordan
  3. Shadow of the Giant (The Shadow Series #4) by Orson Scott Card
  4. Dog Man and Cat Kid (Dog Man #4) by Dav Pilkey
  5. Shadows in Flight (The Shadow Series #5) by Orson Scott Card
  6. Kids of Appetite by David Arnold
  7. The Circle by Dave Eggers
  8. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
  9. The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold #1) by Traci Chee
  10. Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
  11. A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz
  12. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
  13. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
  14. Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton
  15. Nil (Nil #1) by Lynne Matson
  16. The Diabolic (The Diabolic #1) by S.J. Kincaid
  17. Bird Box by Josh Malerman
  18. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1) by Stieg Larsson
  19. The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium #2) by Stieg Larsson
  20. Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
  21. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Millennium #3) by Stieg Larsson
  22. Refugee by Alan Gratz
  23. The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Millennium #4) by David Lagercrantz
  24. Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
  25. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
  26. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
  27. Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
  28. Iron Gold (Red Rising Saga #4) by Pierce Brown
  29. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
  30. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
  31. Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
  32. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
  33. Dark Age (Red Rising Saga #5) by Pierce Brown
  34. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
  35. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
  36. The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1) by Alison Goodman
  37. The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the First) by Lemony Snicket
  38. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
  39. The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Second) by Lemony Snicket
  40. Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer
  41. The Tyrant’s Tomb (The Trials of Apollo #4) by Rick Riordan

And now for the 2020 list. It may seem long, but all the Unfortunate Events books are ones I’m reading with Ian (after Harry Potter, he’s stuck on series). Otherwise, my list is modest because I know my time will be limited. I’m looking forward to continuing several series and reading some books that are new to me. I also hope I can carve out some time to re-read some favorites.

On the left is the book I just started (it’s really good!)… and another one that I’ll be starting soon. (Yep, more testing awaits. But when I’m done with adding to my certification, I hope to be done with testing centers for a while.) IMG_5745

Without further ado, here’s what I hope to read this year (alpha by author):

  1. Earth Unaware (The First Formic War #1) by Orson Scott Card
  2. Earth Afire (The First Formic War #2) by Orson Scott Card
  3. Earth Awakens (The First Formic War #3) by Orson Scott Card
  4. Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore
  5. Fire (Graceling Realm #2) by Kristin Cashore
  6. Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3) by Kristin Cashore
  7. Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4) by Robert Galbraith
  8. The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #2) by Alison Goodman
  9. The Dark Days Deceit (Lady Helen #3) by Alison Goodman
  10. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
  11. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers
  12. Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers
  13. Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3) by Robin LaFevers
  14. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
  15. The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo #5) by Rick Riordan
  16. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
  17. The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Third) by Lemony Snicket
  18. The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Fourth) by Lemony Snicket
  19. The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Fifth) by Lemony Snicket
  20. The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Sixth) by Lemony Snicket
  21. The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Seventh) by Lemony Snicket
  22. The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Eighth) by Lemony Snicket
  23. The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Ninth) by Lemony Snicket
  24. The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Tenth) by Lemony Snicket
  25. The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Eleventh) by Lemony Snicket
  26. The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Twelfth) by Lemony Snicket
  27. The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Thirteenth) by Lemony Snicket
  28. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

What titles are on your list this year? Happy reading!

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Meet the New List, Same As the Old List

Welp, it’s another year, and as you may have guessed, I come bearing lots of excuses for why I didn’t finish all my books from the 2018 book list. At a quick glance, it looks like I read all my books plus some, but see below for a quick comparison.

Here are the books I set out to read in 2018, alpha by author (for the full post, click here):

  1. Mosquitoland by David Arnold
  2. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo
  3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
  4. Passenger (Passenger #1) by Alexandra Bracken
  5. Golden Son (Red Rising Saga #2) by Pierce Brown
  6. Morning Star (Red Rising Saga #3) by Pierce Brown
  7. Iron Gold (Red Rising Saga #4) by Pierce Brown
  8. Ender’s Shadow (The Shadow Series #1) by Orson Scott Card
  9. Shadow of the Hegemon (The Shadow Series #2) by Orson Scott Card
  10. Shadow Puppets (The Shadow Series #3) by Orson Scott Card
  11. Shadow of the Giant (The Shadow Series #4) by Orson Scott Card
  12. Shadows in Flight (The Shadow Series #5) by Orson Scott Card
  13. The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold #1) by Traci Chee
  14. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
  15. The Circle by Dave Eggers
  16. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
  17. Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton
  18. The Diabolic (The Diabolic #1) by S.J. Kincaid
  19. The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5) by Jeff Kinney
  20. The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Millennium #4) by David Lagercrantz
  21. Nil (Nil #1) by Lynne Matson
  22. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
  23. A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz
  24. The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo #2) by Rick Riordan
  25. The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book III) by Rick Riordan
  26. Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark #1) by Victoria Roth
  27. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
  28. The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
  29. Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab
  30. The Crown’s Fate (The Crown’s Game #2) by Evelyn Skye
  31. A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir

And now for the books I actually read (in the order I read them, squeezing in one last title during the last four days of the year):

  1. The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5) by Jeff Kinney
  2. Golden Son (Red RisingSaga #2) by Pierce Brown
  3. Morning Star (Red Rising Saga #3) by Pierce Brown
  4. Blackwater Swamp by Bill Wallace
  5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
  6. Iron Gold (Red Rising Saga #4) by Pierce Brown
  7. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
  8. The Crown’s Fate (The Crown’s Game #2) by Evelyn Skye
  9. Mosquitoland by David Arnold
  10. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
  11. Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab
  12. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo
  13. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
  14. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
  15. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
  16. An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) by Sabaa Tahir
  17. A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir
  18. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
  19. A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir
  20. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
  21. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
  22. The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
  23. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
  24. Passenger (Passenger #1) by Alexandra Bracken
  25. Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark #1) by Victoria Roth
  26. Wayfarer (Passenger #2) by Alexandra Bracken
  27. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
  28. The Fates Divide (Carve the Mark #2) by Veronica Roth
  29. Ender’s Shadow (The Shadow Series #1) by Orson Scott Card
  30. Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
  31. The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book III) by Rick Riordan
  32. Shadow of the Hegemon (The Shadow Series #2) by Orson Scott Card
  33. The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo #2) by Rick Riordan

Nine of the above titles are books that I read with my elder son, who is dyslexic. Although it’s a chore for him to read, and I wish he could do more of this on his own, I do love that we still read together. We started the Artemis Fowl series, which my husband and I both love, and I hope to finish it with him this year, but there’s always the chance that we’ll get sidetracked by other books he has to read for school, and that’s okay.

Of the five other titles that weren’t on the original list, two were books that I had to re-read in order for me to get to the next book in the series (which was on the list), and the other three were sequels. Hey, it happens (and will probably happen this year, too).

So of the 33 books that I read, only 19 of them were actually from the original list. I’m carrying 12 over into 2019. I know that the chances of finishing this year’s list is slim, even though it’s not a particularly ambitious one. I just know me, and I know that there will be days when I’m lucky to read five pages.

Also, unlike all previous years, I don’t have a picture of piles of new books that I’m looking forward to reading. In fact, I didn’t receive a single book for Christmas (a first), but I did receive a generous gift card to Barnes & Noble from a loved one who knows I love to read. So here’s what I bought for myself:

Christmas Books 2018

I know, I know—GRE for Dummies. Super entertaining, right? That’s a large part of what’s going to occupy my time in 2019. I take the test later this month, and from there, it’s grad school applications. I must be a crazy person. But at least I got one new book and a cool Stranger Things bookmark. And I’ve ordered/pre-ordered several other books (listed below) that weren’t available in-store. Instead of assigning myself piles of books, I hope to thoroughly enjoy what I do read this year. And if (big if) I do get through all these, there are always titles I’ve read in the past that I would love to revisit.

Here is 2019’s list:

  1. Kids of Appetite by David Arnold
  2. Dark Age (Red Rising Saga #5) by Pierce Brown
  3. Shadow Puppets (The Shadow Series #3) by Orson Scott Card
  4. Shadow of the Giant (The Shadow Series #4) by Orson Scott Card
  5. Shadows in Flight (The Shadow Series #5) by Orson Scott Card
  6. The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold #1) by Traci Chee
  7. Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
  8. Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
  9. Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
  10. Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
  11. Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer
  12. The Circle by Dave Eggers
  13. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
  14. Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton
  15. The Diabolic (The Diabolic #1) by S.J. Kincaid
  16. The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Millennium #4) by David Lagercrantz
  17. Bird Box by Josh Malerman
  18. Nil (Nil #1) by Lynne Matson
  19. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
  20. A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz
  21. The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo #3) by Rick Riordan
  22. The Tyrant’s Tomb (The Trials of Apollo #4) by Rick Riordan
  23. Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
  24. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I hope you have a wonderful 2019, full of only pleasant surprises and lots of good reading!

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FTWM’s 2018 Book List

Hello, 2018!

I’ll have to start by saying that I’m slightly disappointed in myself; I did not finish reading all of my books on my 2017 book list. As of last week, I was holding onto the faint hope that I might be reading the last book on my list at the turn of the new year, but alas, I am reading the second to last. Still, I did read every single new book on my list, at least.

So what novels did I read in 2017? Here follows the list in the order in which I read them (and if you want to see my original list, click here—you’ll see I read eight titles not on the original list, so I really can’t feel too bad):

  1. Children of the Mind (Ender’s Saga #4) by Orson Scott Card
  2. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
  3. First Meetings in Ender’s Universe (Ender’s Saga #0.5) by Orson Scott Card
  4. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
  5. Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
  6. A War of Gifts: An Ender Story (Ender’s Saga #1.1) by Orson Scott Card
  7. Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan
  8. Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard
  9. Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4) by Jeff Kinney
  10. Ender in Exile (Ender’s Saga #1.2) by Orson Scott Card
  11. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
  12. Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard
  13. An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) by Sabaa Tahir
  14. A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir
  15. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  16. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
  17. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Rats of NIMH #1) by Robert C. O’Brien
  18. The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
  19. Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
  20. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
  21. I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 (I Survived #12) by Lauren Tarshis
  22. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
  23. The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time #1) by Robert Jordan
  24. The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book II) by Rick Riordan
  25. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
  26. You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan
  27. Starflight (Starflight #1) by Melissa Landers
  28. D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire
  29. The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan
  30. Starfall (Starflight #2) by Melissa Landers
  31. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
  32. This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab
  33. The Crown’s Game (The Crown’s Game #1) by Evelyn Skye
  34. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
  35. Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
  36. The Dog Who Thought He Was Santa by Bill Wallace
  37. The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy Book I) by Jonathan Stroud
  38. The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
  39. Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle
  40. Red Rising by Pierce Brown

You may notice that many of the books I read are from series. Some are new series that I stumbled upon, and I just couldn’t help but buy the next book, which may be why I was set back a little at end of the year. Some of the books, to be honest, are already in my pile of books to pass on to someone else. I suppose it would be too good to be true to hope that every book I read is a winner. There are also quite a few titles that I would not have read if it weren’t for my 10-year-old wanting me to read with him. And as long as he wants me to, I will be glad to oblige.

Christmas Books 2017

Christmas Books!

Excepting the second and third books of the Red Rising series, this year’s list contains all new books for a change. One is not a novel (and yes, I do read non-fiction, although I don’t list it here unless it’s writing-related). Some books are parts of series that I started in 2017, so I can’t promise I won’t re-read those earlier books, but here’s hoping I can mostly stay on track. Included in this list is my latest pile of borrowed books from my media specialist cousin-in-law (pictured here from a post last summer). My Christmas books were also plentiful this year, as well. I received every one I wanted, plus a couple surprises.

So here is my 2018 book list (alpha by author):

  1. Mosquitoland by David Arnold
  2. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo
  3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
  4. Passenger (Passenger #1) by Alexandra Bracken
  5. Golden Son (Red Rising Saga #2) by Pierce Brown
  6. Morning Star (Red Rising Saga #3) by Pierce Brown
  7. Iron Gold (Red Rising Saga #4) by Pierce Brown
  8. Ender’s Shadow (The Shadow Series #1) by Orson Scott Card
  9. Shadow of the Hegemon (The Shadow Series #2) by Orson Scott Card
  10. Shadow Puppets (The Shadow Series #3) by Orson Scott Card
  11. Shadow of the Giant (The Shadow Series #4) by Orson Scott Card
  12. Shadows in Flight (The Shadow Series #5) by Orson Scott Card
  13. The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold #1) by Traci Chee
  14. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
  15. The Circle by Dave Eggers
  16. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
  17. Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) by Alwyn Hamilton
  18. The Diabolic (The Diabolic #1) by S.J. Kincaid
  19. The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5) by Jeff Kinney
  20. The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Millennium #4) by David Lagercrantz
  21. Nil (Nil #1) by Lynne Matson
  22. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
  23. A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz
  24. The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo #2) by Rick Riordan
  25. The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book III) by Rick Riordan
  26. Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark #1) by Victoria Roth
  27. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
  28. The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
  29. Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab
  30. The Crown’s Fate (The Crown’s Game #2) by Evelyn Skye
  31. A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir

This is a shorter list than those of the past couple years because working full-time, year-round has decimated my free time, but I hope I’ll be able to stick to it and maybe have some room to intersperse some unplanned surprise titles.

I hope you’re inspired to read something you’ll fall in love with this year. Happy reading in 2018!

 

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“Wow, You Really Like Books, Don’t You?”

 

New Stack of Books 2017

Books I can’t wait to read!

The title of this post is what my cousin said to me recently when I was at his house, returning a pile of books that his wife had lent me. And then because she has some sort of wicked sixth sense about her, she guessed that I might appreciate even more books, so she blessed me with another pile of loaner teen fiction. This is third such pile of books she’s let me borrow in the past couple years, and my cousin knows this, but I think this was the first time he was actually in the room while I eagerly accepted the books, all but bursting with delight to have my hands on more stuff to read.

If you know me, you know that I always have a book on hand. Nothing will stop me from reading. In fact, I finished one book and started another when I was in the delivery room, hours away from giving birth to my first baby. It’s a serious thing to me. (Some might call it a problem.) But I guess it’s different to witness me grabbing all the books I can get my hands on, a manic gleam in my eye, as if I’m on an episode of Oprah’s Favorite Things.

Now before anyone gets onto me for starting on a new pile of books before finishing what I set out to read at the beginning of the year, I will say that even though it’s killing me, I will read (or try my best to read) everything on my 2017 list before I get started on this latest stack of potential goodness. That’s not to say that I’ve been good and haven’t detoured at all. I have. The problem is that so many of the books from this year’s list are the first book of a series, and if I like a series, well… let’s just say that my bookshelf real estate is dwindling.

This could be a problem, having enough time to read everything I own. I was really worried when my position at work changed from teacher to admin support, which puts me in the office year-round. But I am not to be deterred. Maybe I’m not blogging as often, but I am reading and writing with as much gusto as ever.

It’s well past the halfway point of the year, so of the 34 books on my list, I should have read more than 17, correct? And I am happy to report that, despite getting sidetracked a few times, I’ve still crossed 23 off the list. (Check out the link to my Goodreads page in the sidebar for all the details.) If anything is going to sidetrack me from my list, it’s other books, not a lack of time to read them.

So bring them on! I need to have something to read in 2018, anyway. And please excuse me for cutting this post short; my current book is just getting to the good part.

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Books, Books, and More Books!

2017-books-gifts

Christmas Books!

It’s that time of year again—Christmas has come and gone, and I’ve either received or purchased the books that I wanted to add to my library. Now I need to create a book list for 2017.

In 2016, I surpassed all of my expectations and read all 27 books that were on my list—and by September, no less—and even added 16 more. Here follows the complete list (in the order in which I read them):

  1. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
  2. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
  3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
  4. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
  5. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
  6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
  7. The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
  8. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan
  9. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book I) by Rick Riordan
  10. The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book II) by Rick Riordan
  11. And Another Thing… Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Part Six of Three by Eoin Colfer
  12. The Martian by Andy Weir
  13. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
  14. The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book III) by Rick Riordan
  15. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
  16. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
  17. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
  18. Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
  19. The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book IV) by Rick Riordan
  20. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
  21. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
  22. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown
  23. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians V) by Rick Riordan
  24. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) by Pierce Brown
  25. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
  26. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
  27. The Revenant by Michael Punke
  28. Raven Queen by Pauline Francis
  29. Feed by M.T. Anderson
  30. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
  31. Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant
  32. The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)
  33. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
  34. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
  35. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  36. Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2) by Jeff Kinney
  37. Josefina Learns a Lesson: A School Story by Valerie Tripp
  38. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  39. How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay by Julia Alvarez
  40. Speaker for the Dead (Ender’s Saga #2) by Orson Scott Card
  41. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
  42. Xenocide (Ender’s Saga #3) by Orson Scott Card
  43. The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3) by Jeff Kinney

This doesn’t include any of the non-fiction titles I read this year or any shorter-than-novel-length books I read with my own children or at school. What it does include are quite a few titles that I read with my elder son (those would be the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, plus Gooseberry Park). Since I love sharing novels with my kids, you can expect more of the same on this year’s list.

If you read my post “A Bookworm Without Any Books?” in September, you know that I was worried about what I would come up with to read in 2017 (not to mention the rest of 2016). I am glad to say that that is no longer a problem.

2017-books-ender

The Ender’s Game universe (what I have yet to read)

With no new books in my personal library, I went into a little-used cabinet where I store books that have been lent to me. Both my dad and my husband have read every book in Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game universe, and they’ve been bugging me to read them for a couple years. I tried to explain about the whole book list thing and how it’s hard to interrupt my already-planned reading for an entire series, so poor Ender’s Game collected dust. I finally had the chance to brush it off and read it, and it was a nice surprise to find that I liked the sequel even more. I am currently on the fourth book, Children of the Mind. When I finish the original series, I’ll set Ender aside for a while. As you can see from the picture, I could spend most of my year reading the Ender books alone, but if I finish all the books on my list early again, I can start tackling more of these titles.

2017-books-teen

Borrowed Teen Fiction

Aside from Ender, I borrowed another pile of teen fiction from my cousin-in-law, who is on the Florida Teens Read committee. The books she lent me last year were such a success that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into these. You may notice that two books on this year’s list, Holding Up the Universe and The Sun Is Also A Star, are written by authors from last year’s list. I love discovering new authors by accident or from friends’ recommendations. Many of the new additions to this year’s list fall in this category.

Some of the following books are ones I’m eager to re-read, plus many much-anticipated new titles (alphabetical by author):

  1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
  2. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
  3. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown
  4. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) by Pierce Brown
  5. First Meetings in Ender’s Universe (Ender’s Saga #0.5) by Orson Scott Card
  6. A War of Gifts: An Ender Story (Ender’s Saga #1.1) by Orson Scott Card
  7. Ender in Exile (Ender’s Saga #1.2) by Orson Scott Card
  8. Children of the Mind (Ender’s Saga #4) by Orson Scott Card
  9. Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan
  10. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  11. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
  12. The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
  13. Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle
  14. Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
  15. The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time #1) by Robert Jordan
  16. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
  17. Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4) by Jeff Kinney
  18. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
  19. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
  20. You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan
  21. Starflight by Melissa Landers
  22. Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
  23. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Rats of NIMH #1) by Robert C. O’Brien
  24. The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Book II) by Rick Riordan
  25. The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan
  26. Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
  27. This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab
  28. The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye
  29. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
  30. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
  31. The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy Book I) by Jonathan Stroud
  32. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
  33. The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
  34. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The toughest thing about this list is choosing what to read next—my favorite kind of problem to solve.

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Read. These. Books.

It’s already July – that time of year when I look at the book list that I created on January first to assess how well I’m keeping up. This year, I am pleased to say that, of the 27 novels I hoped to read, I’ve already read 22. I hope I’m not speaking too soon when I say that 2016 may be the year I’ll finally read every book.

Of the books I’ve finished, I would like to highlight the multitude of teen fiction titles that I’ve recently read.

Florida Teen Reads books

Read these books!

I mentioned in my book list post that my cousin’s wife is on the Florida Teen Reads committee. Last fall, she gave me a pile of the books she’d read for the committee, assuring me that there was a little bit of everything: sci-fi, romance, mental illness – you name it. I was excited to add them to this year’s list.

As always seems to happen, I read a few books from my list, and then I deviated some – that’s life, right? By May, I’d only read one of teen books I’d borrowed, but a message from my cousin-in-law gave me the little kick I needed to keep going. She would need to get two of the books back by the fall because they’re Florida Teen Reads finalists. I read both titles back-to-back – Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone and Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. It was apparent why these books were finalists, and since I was on a roll, I continued reading the other FTR books, too.

Some of these books shine brighter than others. Knowing his taste, I had my husband read some of them and not others. One I had to twist his arm to finish, and he was glad he did. Another was the first book of a series, and Thomas liked it so much that he bought the whole trilogy – we both read them all.

Girl in PiecesIn the middle of reading all this teen fiction, I received an interesting opportunity: to read and review a teen fiction novel that hasn’t been published yet. While I’ve read books prior to publication before, it’s usually because I’m editing them, and that’s a completely different experience than being able to read a book to enjoy it. In this case, “enjoy” is a little too tame a description – I devoured Kathleen Glasgow’s Girl in Pieces in two days. (Read my review on Goodreads, and purchase it this fall.)

Before you say, “I’m not a teenager – why would I read any of these?”, let me assure you that teen fiction is not just for those in the 13 to 19 demographic. When I was in college, I took a class on young adult lit, and it was a rather recent genre classification at the time (in fact, much of what we read had previously been grouped with children’s lit). Books that fall into the YA genre star characters who live the issues that real young adults face. Okay, yes, sometimes the teens in these books are being chased by dragons, but they’re still coming of age and having all the issues that that entails.

Parents may find some YA issues uncomfortable, such as substance abuse, suicide, sexuality, and mental illness. Guess what? These are tough issues, but we can’t just put our heads in the sand and pretend they’re not there. When I read about a girl who hung with the cool crowd at school while keeping her OCD hidden from her best friends, I was glad that such a book was out there. It’s normal to read about the underdog succeeding – and I love those books, too – but to read about a cool girl with issues? Well, isn’t that life?

Today’s teenagers can only be sheltered so much. As a parent, I understand being protective, but I also would rather supervise my child’s exposure to these issues by handing him a book and then talking about it than praying that that kind of thing never happens. Who knows? My kids may have friends who face these issues one day – and many of these books list resources that provide support and help. Even within a fictional (and sometimes fantastical) setting, teens are capable of applying what they read to real life.

Read these books! Then share them with a teenager you care about.