Sunday, January 1, 2017

2017 Reading List Challenge

This year I plan to do a lot of reading to keep up with my love of reading, blogging, and getting out of debt. The logic behind picking these books is to read some things that will help me in different ways, such as getting out of debt and career advice, and also to clear off my bookshelf. There are a handful of books on this list that I got in swaps with my book club and have been collecting dust. If I don't like them, then I'll gift them to a new and better home.

To start, I have hyperlinked the book titles to the Goodreads description and will update the links to my reviews when they are moved to the Read list. The section for Book Club Books will remain as such, and you can assume that if the month has passed the link will be updated to the blog post.

Read

  1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (January book)
  3. Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Education Abuse by Andrea Clemens (February book, post pending)
  4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  5. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (March book)
  6. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
  7. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein (April book)
  8. Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance (May book)
  9. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  10. Home Front by Kristin Hannah (not originally planned to read this year)
  11. Silence by Thich Nhat Hanh
  12. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
  13. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
  14. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (June book, post is pending as of Dec. 2017)
  15. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (Nov. book)
  16. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand (not originally planned to read this year)
  17. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Currently Reading

as of May 2017
  1. Rokitansky by Alice Darwin
  2. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
  3. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

To-Read

Alphabetical order by author last name
  1. Quitter by Jon Alculf
  2. Rhinoceros Success by Scott Alexander
  3. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
  4. Dodgers by Bill Beverly
  5. The Art of Waiting by Belle Boggs
  6. The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
  7. The Dharma of Star Wars by Matthew Bortolin
  8. Alec: How to be an Artist by Eddie Campbell
  9. Deadly Heat by Richard Castle
  10. Raging Heat by Richard Castle
  11. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
  12. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
  13. Sweetness #9 by Stephan Erik Clark
  14. Love Your Life Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze
  15. The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant by Terry Felber
  16. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
  17. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
  18. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
  19. The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
  20. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
  21. Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand
  22. A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand
  23. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
  24. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
  25. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
  26. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
  27. Travel Writing: Expert Advice from the World's Leading Travel Publisher by Lonely Planet
  28. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
  29. Son of A Witch by Gregory Maguire
  30. Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
  31. The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu
  32. Six Characters in Search of an Author and Other Plays by Luigi Pirandello
  33. Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money: The Handbook of Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey
  34. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness (Classic Edition) by Dave Ramsey
  35. EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey
  36. Learning Curves by Gemma Townley
  37. Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram

Vermont Books 'n' Brews Book Club Books

I will add to this list as we decide each month's books, and the links are to Goodreads descriptions unless otherwise noted.


January
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - audio-book review, August 2016.
Another Review of The Nightingale - March 2017 review

February
Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Education Abuse by Andrea Clemens (read, post pending)

March
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

April

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein

May
Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

June
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (post pending as of Dec. 2017)

July

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
*I did not read this book or attend the discussion so this book is still on my to-read list as of 12/14/17

August

September
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah (post pending as of Dec. 2017)
*A re-read for me. This is the book that got me hooked on Kristin Hannah.

October

November
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

December
We don't read for book club in December because it's so hectic with holiday festivities.

If I get to them

The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
1. Outlander (completed April 3, 2016 - post pending)
2. Dragonfly in Amber (currently reading)
3. Voyager
4. Drums of Autumn
5. The Fiery Cross
6. A Breath of Snow and Ashes
7. An Echo in The Bone
8. Written in My Own Heart's Blood
9. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (not yet published)


In Conclusion

In all, my goal is to finish reading 55 books by the end of 2017. This list shows more than that, and that's okay! It gives me some flexibility. With your encouragement and involvement in my blog posts, I'm sure I can complete it! Thanks for reading.

6 comments:

  1. This is my first time visiting your blog, I believe. Like you, I have been blogging for a long time. It's a favorite hobby of mine.

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  2. Once I got going, I didn't think I'd love it as much as I do.

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  3. I'm about to start Dragonfly in Amber! Ahh, I heard a few spoilers and I'm nervous I won't like it as much as the next one. Are you going to review it when you're done?

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    1. Yes, I will! It's been difficult for me to get into it, but I keep hearing once I get past the first chapter or two that it'll get better.

      I have several reviews that are in draft form at the moment of books I read last year or in 2015. I will definitely write one about Dragonfly in Amber when I finish. I also plan to post my review of Outlander and the graphic novel, The Exile, shortly before Dragonfly in Amber. It's one of my favorite series so far!

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  4. First time visiting!! Love your blog. I like your reading list for the year. Very organized.

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    1. Thank you so much! I try to be organized only because if I'm not, I wouldn't get anything done.

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