Tag Archives: Book List

Featured

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!

by

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!

by

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!

by

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!

 

by

“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.

by

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.

by

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.

by

Happy 2015 Book List!

Score! Christmas Books

Score! Christmas Books

The past two years, I’ve created lists of books that I hoped to read in the upcoming year, and here I am, doing it again. 2014’s list was much more ambitious than 2013’s (23 books versus 14), and I am proud to say that I finished 17 of them. And I even got way sidetracked for a while. (Some of the books that sidetracked me I won’t ever read again, but at least they gave me blog fodder.)

I enjoy making this list just after Christmas because this is the time of year when people get generous and give me books, gift cards to bookstores, or both. This year being no exception, I am prepared to meet 2015 with lots of new fiction.

New Books!

New Books!

First of all, I am going to vow right now that 2015 will be the year that I finish Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle. It’s been on my list two years now, and I just can’t leave those books hanging any longer. The first three are slow-paced, but my husband assures me that the last one really picks up, so I’m just going to knuckle down and read them.

A wonderful thing that’s happened in the past few months is that my first grader has gotten into chapter books. It wasn’t until he was almost six that we realized that he has several learning disabilities, and he’s a poor audio learner, so reading books without pictures went right over his head. But since we’ve been helping him with his working memory and dyslexia, I’ve noticed a huge improvement in his reading ability and comprehension. This summer, I plan to start reading Harry Potter to Peter, and I hope he gets as much joy out of that series as I do.

If you’re interested in reading my previous years’ fiction lists, here are 2013 and 2014, and here are the books that I actually finished in 2014:

The Rim of the Prairie by Bess Streeter Aldrich

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Death Cure by James Dashner

The Kill Order by James Dashner

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green

11/22/63 by Stephen King

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus, Book 2) by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus, Book Three)
 by Rick Riordan

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling

Mark My Words: Mark Twain on Writing by Mark Twain

And here are the books I plan to read this year:

And Another Thing… Douglas Adams`s Hitchhiker`s Guide to the Galaxy Part Six of Three by Eoin Colfer

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Paper Towns by John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Lisey’s Story by Stephen King

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Messenger by Lois Lowry

Son by Lois Lowry

Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)by Christopher Paolini

Eldest (Inheritance Cycle, Book 2) by Christoopher Paolini

Brisingr (Inheritance Cycle, Book 3) by Christopher Paolini

Inheritance (Inheritance Cycle, Book 4) by Christoopher Paolini

The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus, Book 4) by Rick Riordan

The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus, Book 5) by Rick Riordan

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I know it’s a long list, but I have lots of hope to finish a good number of these. Some are brand new, some beloved repeats. And I hope to be interrupted by books as yet undiscovered. (I’m always up for suggestions!)

Happy reading in 2015!

by

Five Signs You Might Need a Book Intervention

Birthday Books

Birthday Books

When creating my list of books to read in 2014, I thought, I should be able to do this. I was determined to read more from this year’s list than I did in 2013. After all, there were quite a few books that I was excited to read; I was motivated. I did well at first, even reporting my numbers a few short weeks ago.

Then it happened. My husband, eldest niece, and I went to see Divergent, all having read and loved the series. And we got more than we bargained for while there: we were introduced to a book we hadn’t heard of, soon to be released in movie form, The Maze Runner.

I couldn’t help myself; I started researching it while still sitting in the theatre. Who was the author? When was it published? Is there more than one book? Why hadn’t I heard of it?

James Dashner, 2009, two sequels and one prequel – these were the easy answers. As for why I hadn’t heard of it, well, there are just so many books out there. Each new discovery adds another star or constellation to my reader’s night sky, and the funny thing is that I am never satisfied. Give me a good book, and it only makes me want more.

A few weeks later, when my husband asked what I wanted for my birthday, I got the bright idea that I could kill two birds if he got The Maze Runner for me. Since I knew he wanted to read it, too, he went ahead and bought it a few days early. I was dutifully reading another book from my list with the full knowledge that I would completely derail if Thomas said the book was any good.

Thomas pronounced The Maze Runner worthy, so I took the cash a few relatives gave me for my birthday and went to pick up the rest of the series. The cashier told me that if I didn’t care about them being a matched set, I could buy all three from the bargain section. Which saved me enough money to buy a fourth book, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.

That silly movie trailer, aided by a little extra cash, just made my original 2014 book list a lot harder to finish. I might need a…

Book Intervention

Here are five signs that you might need one, too:

1. You always have a book in the car, just in case you get stuck in traffic.

No, I don’t read or text while driving, but I do when stopped at a light. Hey, I have a very stop-and-go commute, and I get tired of listening to the radio. And if I’m not the driver, you better believe I have a book with me. I feel bad for people who get carsick – such a great reading opportunity missed.

2. You panic when you forget your book.

It’s one thing if you’re just going to the store, but it’s full-scale panic mode when you are stuck at a social event with nothing to do except make small-talk with people you hardly know. Or even people you do know. It’s kind of a joke among my family that I’m often in the background of photos, oblivious to my surroundings, absorbed in a book. Everyone’s opening Christmas presents, and I’m reading. Or I sneak a book into a movie to read before the lights go down.

3. You can never read all the books on your to-do list because you keep adding more.

When I was pregnant with my first son, I was determined to read every book in the house. I figured that I might never have the chance to read after my little bundle of joy came into the world. I’m happy to report that not only did I finish all the books in the house, but reading does continue post-baby. And ever since making that discovery, I’ve been buying more books than I can read again.

4. You spend your disposable income on purses big enough to hold a good-sized hardback.

Okay, maybe men don’t have this problem, but I certainly do. I also carry my laptop, so my poor purse was begging to be replaced. I’m happy to report that my new purse holds the laptop and a novel quite comfortably. Could I get a Kindle or just read on my iPhone? Sure, and I have. But I just love actual books (read more about that here), and I love owning them. The book fair is in town this week, and I think there’s going to be more backsliding, which means…

5. You forego putting your china out in favor of shelving your books in the china cabinet.

Or on top of the piano. Or in stacks around the house. I’m doing a pretty good job of keeping them neat (at least, I did until my latest quadruple purchase). But although I’ve dreamed of having a house with a proper library, I somehow think it still wouldn’t be enough. Give me shelves, and I will gladly fill them, then continue getting more.

You know, if this is a vice, I’m not sure I want to give it up. Please tell me I’m not alone. If this sounds like you, too, do we need an intervention, or just some uninterrupted reading time? Methinks the latter.

Happy reading.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta