This year, I’ve chosen 38 books that I want to read. Some of them are quite hefty, so chances are I won’t get through the lot, but if it ends up being a longer challenge, so be it. I shall also do a Goodreads challenge, where I select a number of books to read in the year, as I also expect to read outside this list. I’ve gone for 80 books in total. The list below doesn’t include any indie books, and I already have a few of those waiting to be read!
Anyway, on to the list, with reasons for my selections:
General classics that I want to read but have never got around to:
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
The Fault in our Stars – John Green
The Call of Cthulhu – HP Lovecraft
Indie authors who made it big and were taken on by traditional publishers:
Wool – Hugh Howey
Switched – Amanda Hocking
The Martian – Andy Weir
Something that sounded intriguing but that I shall probably regret:
Infinite Jest – David Foster Wallace
An American writer I’d never heard of before becoming friends with Americans online, and they all go on and on about him:
Slaughterhouse-Five – Kurt Vonnegut
Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut
Classic fantasy that everyone else seems to have read and I haven’t:
The Sword in the Stone – TH White
Eragon – Christopher Paolini
The City of Ember – Jeanne DuPrau
The Eye of the World – Robert Jordan
The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson
American Gods – Neil Gaiman
Outlander – Diana Gabaldon
A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K Le Guin
The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson
Books rated highly on lists of best fantasy books:
The Magician – Lev Grossman
The Lies of Locke Lamora – Scott Lynch
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – Susannah Clarke
The Amulet of Samarkand – Jonathan Stroud
The Thief of Always – Clive Barker
Other fantasy books recommended by friends that sound good:
Hades Daughter – Sara Douglass
Green Rider – Kristen Britain
Bloodlines – Richelle Mead
Keeper of the Lost Cities – Shannon Messenger
The Goose Girl – Shannon Hale
Ella Enchanted – Gail Carson Levine
Peter and the Starcatchers – Dave Barry
The Crystal Cave – Mary Stewart
Magic Bites – Ilona Andrews
The Fire Rose – Mercedes Lackey
The Library at Mount Char – Scott Hawkins
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – John Tiffany
Continuations of series I’m currently reading:
Frostbite – Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy #2)
StarChaser – Angie Sage (TodHunter Moon #3)
I think that lot will keep me busy for a while! Follow my progress on Goodreads.
Good luck with your reading challenge! I love Oliver Twist and I think I’ve read The Old Man and The Sea in high school. Or was that The Pearl? Sad to say I’ve yet to read anything by Kurt Vonnegut. Or by Ursula K. Leguin and I’ve been angling to read her Earthsea series.
Happy 2017!
Thanks!
Hurray, another reading challenge! I need to post about my own at some point…
Let’s see what you have on your list… Oooh, The Martian’s on my list to read this year as well! I look forward to comparing notes with you. 🙂
I’ve read about half of the classic fantasy list…some were good, some were more eh for me. Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on them.
Regarding the books rated highly for best fantasy, however, DEFINITELY make time for The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Amulet of Samarkand. Those are two of my most favorite books ever. Just thinking of them makes me want to read them again! And The Goose Girl. And Ella Enchanted, as well. Those should be at the top of your reading list! 😀
I already have the Lies of Locked Lamora as it was cheap on Kindle recently… I will make that my first read off the list then!
I’m so excited! I swear, I get stupidly excited over what other people are reading(or intend to read).
Maybe Oliver Twist in February? I’m thinking by then I’ll be somewhat settled and we could do it then if you’re ready. Otherwise I’m up for it whenever you are.
Lot of books on here, some I’ve read and others I haven’t. City of Ember I remember being good, but was underwhelmed with the rest of the series. I’d just stop after that one.
I didn’t pick out specific books outside of my 5 classics.
My husband picked out 15 specific books to read that range from classics to thrillers to Star Wars.
February sounds good for Oliver Twist! By then I should have taken down the book Xmas tree and found out if I have a copy or not haha.
Ours is still up too. Not sure when I’m going to find time to take it down.
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