I’ve never been one for making New Year’s resolutions. I usually fall from my diet by week two, exercise equipment collects dust, travel plans don’t go through.
Reading goals, however, never fail! I love challenging myself, whether it’s reading a certain number of books or trying out different genres and authors. I look forward to read-a-thons with my Goodreads groups, and checking out other book blogs and vlogs for inspiration. This year, on top of my personal reading goals, I have some extra challenges I’m signing myself up for. Bookworm Bitches offer a variety of challenges both monthly and quarterly that I usually participate in. This year I’m also taking on their year-long Literary Scavenger Hunt. There are nearly 50 prompts, like books with a specific number of chapters or pages, cover art (or lack thereof), matching my initials or birth year with a book or author…you get the idea. I’m already going through my TBR hoard to start matching books with prompts!
And, of course, I made a to-read list for 2021 from my shelves and boxes of books waiting for me to pick them. It was difficult, to say the least!
Nonfiction
I tend to gravitate towards memoirs and biographies, so Born Standing Up and Saving My Assassin were no-brainers. Five Days at Memorial takes a look at the chaos and tragedy at a hard-hit hospital during Hurricane Katrina. Brooklyn Zoo is another memoir, focusing on an infamous psych ward at a Brooklyn institution. As an animal lover, I’ve had When Elephants Weep on my to-read list for over a decade now. I finally have a copy and can’t wait to read it!
Fiction
Really a little bit of everything here! I had to pick a couple of my favorite authors, Cormac McCarthy and Sherman Alexie. A couple of others have been on my shelf for a while (A Gesture Life, The Doubt Factory). Plus, I have to read The Twelve before I forget what all happened in Cronin’s first book, The Passage !
Kindle
I’ve amassed quite a collection of novels and collections on my Kindle over the past year, it almost rivals the number of my unread physical books! I decided to prioritize five of these ebooks, adding them to my 2021 reading list.
Managed Care by Joe Barrett Described as “A laugh-out-loud celebration of bad choices for good causes,” a young man moves into a care facility for the elderly after they refuse to refund his deceased grandfather’s deposit. I see some potential in this one!
Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana A woman’s obsession with a serial killer leads her to unspeakable darkness to prove her loyalty to a madman. Sounds like this is right up my alley!
Golden Fortune, Dragon Jade by Alan Baxter A novella-length adventure fantasy from my favorite Australian author.
The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste I’ve been hearing great things about this novel, probably best described as a mix of gothic and urban fantasy. Girls are withering away, their bodies turning to broken glass and corroded metal. I can’t wait to find out why!!
In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson Another one I’ve been hearing great things about. A literary western with some vampires thrown in the mix. What’s not to love about that??!
Now, you’re probably wondering about the whole Plus One thing. I love long, epic novels, but lately I’ve been finding it difficult to really get into one. I have several sitting on my shelf, so I decided to choose one of the 700+ page novels as a must read for 2020….
Plus One
This was another difficult choice. I was torn between this, The Priory of the Orange Tree, and 1Q84. In the end, I wound up closing my eyes and picking one, so we’ll see how this goes!
What are your reading goals for 2021? Let me know, I love hearing about what everyone is reading!
Until next time, stay safe and Happy Reading!!
WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!