(Julie here) Personally, I’ve decided that I need to read more for pleasure in 2017. I’m working on a reading list now. Any suggestions Wickeds? Any specific goals for the year?
Edith: Since I’m heading into knee-replacement recuperation at the start of February, I’m
looking forward to doing some series binge reading in between PT and naps. I want to read the Cara Black mysteries set in Paris. Alyssa Maxwell’s new historicals. All of Kathy Lynn Emerson’s (and her alter ego Caitlin Dunnett) that I’ve missed. Plus new books by friends like Susan Bickford, Bruce Coffin, Deb Crombie, and Brenda Buchanan,and the new Jungle Red blogger Ingrid Thoft. So many books, so little time!
Liz: I’ve got so many books on my TBR list I don’t even know where to start. And I’ve been remiss in my reading over the past few months, so I feel really behind! I’m looking forward to reading William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, and catching up on my Lee Child and Longmire books. Also want to read Wally Lamb’s new one, I’ll Take You There. And, as many of you know, I’m a self-help junkie – so in that vein, I’m reading all of Gabrielle Bernstein‘s books to try and sharpen my meditation skills. That should keep me busy for a bit!
Barb: Like Julie, I have a goal this year to do a lot more pleasure reading. That means less time allowing myself to be distracted by the various screens in my life. I’ll keep up with my favorite series: Deb Crombie, Louise Penny, Paul Doiron, Craig Johnson and William Kent Krueger. I also want to finally get to read some of the non-mysteries everyone is talking about. The Light Between the Oceans and The Nightingale are two. (I know, I know.)
Jessie: I have quite a bit of non-fiction reading planned. My Beryl and Edwina series is set in England in the 1920s and there are so many interesting resources written about that time! I am currently reading The Long Week-End: A Social History of Great Britain 1918-1939 by Robert R. Graves and Alan Hodge. Next up are Borrowed Time: The Story of Britain Between the Wars by Roy Hattersley and Independent Women: Work and Community for SOngle Women i1850-1920 by Martha Vicinus. For some fiction I am looking forward to The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths and Thrice the Binded Cat Hath Mewed by Alan Bradley.
Sherry: I just started reading Ingrid Thoft’s book first book Loyalty. Her protagonist, Fina Ludlow, is a private investigator for her dysfunctional family’s law firm in Boston. Like Edith, she hit my radar when she joined Jungle Red Writers. I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s hard to put down. For Christmas my mom gave me a copy of my favorite Phyllis A. Whitney book from when I was young. I’m really looking forward to reading it and wonder if I will still love it. I should branch out more from mysteries and thrillers but I love them.
Julie: Hamilton by Ron Chernow has been put on the bedside table along side Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye. I also got some non-fiction books at Bouchercon that I am looking forward . Thinking a lot about the Golden Age of mysteries, wondering if we’re in another one.
Readers: What’s on your reading list this year?
Too many books on my tbr to list here, but I can tell you they include cozies, some light romance books, a few non-fiction (I really want to read Hidden Figures because I saw the movie and it was outstanding), some historical and literary fiction, and a few classics. I’ve been wanting to read The Miniaturist, Me Before You, The Husband’s Secret and Small Great Thibgs. That just about covers it. I’d better get started!!
I meant Small Great THINGS. Sorry.
Can’t wait to see Hidden Figures! My husband’s birth certificate lists his mother’s profession as “computer.”
That’s so cool, Barb!
It was an AMAZING movie – the best, most inspiring movie I’ve seen in a while. Made me recall a fellow African-American classmate who got a 100% on the trigonometry regents exam. She’s a scientist today.
I buy books when I first hear about them, since I know if I don’t do it immediately I will forget the book forever. You can imagine what my TBR piles look like! But I do sift through them now and then, because I’m sure we’ve all noticed that sometimes we’re in the mood for something specific, not just the book on top. Right now I’m reading The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb (she grew up in my town and she and her husband built a house here) by Melanie Benjamin–it came out in 2011, but I finally reached it. And since I’m starting a new series about the Victorian era, I’ll have to do some non-fiction reading about the Civil War, industrialization, and more. It’s always fun (and stimulating) to learn something new!
The Mrs. Tom Thumb book sounds amazing.
Too many books to count. I promised myself that I would read more books outside of my comfort zone (meaning, more thrillers and suspense) and so far the books that I’ve picked have been great. I read Deborah Crombie’s upcoming book and you guys will love it. I’m also reading more for pleasure as well. Reading because you *have* to can deter reading and I don’t want to ever go there again.
That’s exactly where I’m at, Dru. I don’t want reading to become a chore, because it has always been my refuge and hobby.
Like others, there are too many books on my TBR mountain to list. Many of the series you mention are among my favourite reads (Cara Black, Craig Johnson, Kent Krueger), and I am pretty much up-to-date with their books. My 2017 Goodreads reading target is 160 books. This is a low goal for me, but I know I will be doing a lot of travel in 2017, and I actually read less while travelling (except in airports and on the plane). One specific goal is to read at least one new book by each of the Wickeds…I got a lot of their titles at the NOLA Bouchercon.
Thanks, Grace! We hope you enjoy your Wicked books. I know what you mean about travel. It depends whether it’s a beach/cabin-type vacation with a lot of reading, or more of a touring one.
Exactly, Barb. My travels are more touring than lying on the beach and reading. I am looking forward to reading your latest, Iced Under, as well as some of the other books by the Wickeds.
My goal this year is to take Stephen King’s advice and write four hours and then read for four hours a day. I plan to keep track of the books I read so it will be easier to fill out my Malice nominations. I’m reading Still Life by Louise Penny right now and loving her writing.
Penny only gets better, Ruth. You are in for a treat.
I love that idea! I can’t wind down at night without reading, so late in the evening is my sacred writing time.
I will never finish my TBR- and I think I’m ok with that! I’d really have too many books than not enough.
I’ve been doing the reading challenge on Goodreads that last few years and it made me realize how much less I’m reading. My goal for last year was 65 books and I think I ended up with about 72. I also wanted to read 12 non-fiction books and I read eight- I was pretty happy with that but this year I still want to read a few more.
At the top of my list to be read and soon is Plaid and Plagiarism (boy, I have a hard time spelling that word!). I also have The Dry and My Cousin Rachel and apparently, I need to go check out Ingrid Thoft. Also, the new Wally Lamb and The Nightingale. And all of the new books that come out in 2017.
Whew- that’s a lot of reading but I can think of much worse problems to have!
Way worse problems to have.
The first book on my list is Donna Tartt’s Goldfinch which I am reading for book club. I recently finished Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I will definitely read the other novels she has written. My big reading plan, though, is to read everything by Earle Stanley Gardner. I have an idea perking.
Oooh, I can see your brain at work.
I’m also doing the Goodreads challenge this year. I said 50 books. That’s a book a week. Pales next to some of you, but I have to have family time and writing time in there. I’d love to take Stephen King’s advice, but it just doesn’t fit my schedule (unless I want to give up sleep and, um, no).
As for the TBR list, well, I’ve got a lot of series on it that I keep meaning to read – things from Charles Todd and (I’m embarrassed to admit this) Julia Spencer Fleming. And I keep intending to read Elizabeth Heiter. Now I need to add Ingrid Thoft to the list.
One things for sure, I may only get to fifty books, but I’ll have lots to choose from!
You will LOVE Julie S-F!
I read her first and loved it. I just need to make time to get around to the rest.
And Goodreads just sent me a notice that something on my Want to Read shelf is on sale for $2.99. And you wonder how the TBR pile grows. LOL
I find that I am able to read far more books than I normally would be “listening” to recorded books. I download them to my iPhone and listen to my latest selection as I do household chores, drive, and walk. If I wake during the night, I switch it on and plug in an earphone so as not to disturb my husband. I highly recommended recorded books/audible books.
I still haven’t become a convert, but I can feel it coming…
Oh, Barb, download a book and try it. You’ll wonder then what took you so long. I’ve been listening to them for over 15 years (used to listen to them in my car when I commuted to work). They are the things that kept me sane.
Especially for long driving trips. Can’t beat it.
I second Grace’s audio book recommendation. I’ve been listening to some best sellers (and non-cozies) that I’ve missed that way and really loving it.
I swore I was going to slow down my reading this year and relax a bit more. I set my goal at Goodreads to 100 books, which would be less than the last few years. So far, I’m 3 books ahead of schedule, but there are 3 books I haven’t logged over there yet. Ummm.
I read my first books by Tracy Kiely and Alice Loweecey this month. I loved them and need to read more by them this year. Thin Man fans especially should check out Tracy’s Nic and Nigel series, which is an homage to those stories.
In non-cozy news, I was at the launch party for Gregg Herwitz’s second Evan Smoak book last night, and I can’t wait to read it.
Right now, I’m reading Sybil Johnson’s latest. On deck, I’ve got books by Sandy Dengler, Leslie Karst, Susan Furlong, and Laura Bradford. And I hope to slip in the third Story Thieves book by James Riley.
And that’s just the next couple of weeks. Slowing down reading. What was I thinking?
Ha, ha. You may be the first person not to “make” your goal of reading less.
I went to three library book sales in a week. Came back with bags of books. Many of the books (mostly cozies, but not all) are by authors I had not heard of. Now when I find an author I like, I look up to see what else she/he has written and buy the whole series. At this rate, I’ll never run out of books on my TBR list. And I keep learning about new-to-me authors on this blog. Thank y’all for making my life all the more pleasant.
My library is my “dealer of choice” and the supply seems endless. After years of teaching, and reading what I needed to read for various courses, I’m so happy to be reading what I want. As I catch up with one favorite author, another steps up to fill the gap waiting for new books. Right now I’m reading more of Kerry Greenwood than anyone else, but Jane Yolen and Nancy Springer are filling in as well, because it takes so much longer to write a good book than to read it, even allowing time for writing reviews after (as gracious authors have taught me to do). May the knee work go well, Edith. Aqua-aerobics friends have been unanimous in liking their bionic knees. <3
Top of my reading list is Deborah Crombie’s “Garden Of Lamentations” I’ve been looking forward to it since I first saw it mentioned. Since my birthday is in late February, I consider it an early birthday present. My main goal is to reduce my TBR pile at least a little. It keeps growing and growing. Otherwise, I plan on reading and enjoying all the books you Wickeds are writing, as well as looking forward to new books from other favorite writers.
So many books, so little time.