My reading goals for this year is to read 50 books. Go ahead and laugh. I know some readers eclipse that easily within a few months or sooner. I’m special. It’s June already and I’m reading book #11. I’m a slow reader and I am easily distracted by life (TV, family, Twitter). Anyway, here are the titles I plan to read and share my thoughts on for this year and maybe next year. I sincerely doubt I’ll read all of these in a year. This article is a reference for me to refer back to for when I get distracted again but yes, people, I plan to read these unless they suck and I’ll let you know which ones that do. I’m still adding to this list btw. So. Without further ado..
The Sinner – Petra Hammesfahr
The White Trilogy – Ken Bruen
Drive – James Sallis
The Lock Artist – Steve Hamilton
Frozen Assets – Quentin Bates
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Echoes From the Dead – Johan Theorin
Smilla’s Sense of Snow – Peter Høeg, Tiina Nunnally
Thirteen Hours – Deon Meyer (well, any of his titles)
Blood Harvest – S.J. Bolton
Sworn to Silence – Linda Castillo
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Paint it Black – P.J. Parrish
The Ice Harvest – Scott Phillips
The Draining Lake – Arnaldur Indriðason, Bernard Scudder (Translator)
The Last Fix – K.O. Dahl
The Zebra-Striped Hearse – Ross MacDonald
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Bust – by Ken Bruen, Jason Starr
Rogue Island – Bruce DeSilva
The Preacher – Camilla Läckberg
Box 21 – Anders Roslund
The Consorts of Death – Gunnar Staalesen
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The Dead of Summer – Mari Jungstedt
Collusion – Stuart Neville
Shatter the Bones – Stuart McBride
The Sirens Sang of Murder – Sarah Caudwell
The Dragon Man – Gary Disher
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Inspector Singh Investigates: A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree – Shamini Flint
Misery Bay – Steve Hamilton (DNF)
Little Criminals – Gene Kerrigan
Shadow Woman – Thomas Perry
Still Life: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel – Louise Penny (have started/stopped this)
Lullabies for Little Criminals – Heather O”Neill
Thinking of doing a page with nothing but the book covers for these books. No links yet but they will be added later. This is a work in progress. My reader is loaded with nothing but crime fiction novels. So, I’m focused and ready to read and discover some new writers. Update: not adding more.
Legend:
DNF = did not finish
[x] = read
good luck. you have some good choices there
Thanks Bernadette!
Good luck, I am also hoping to reach 50, but why did you start/stop the Louise Penny?
I have only read one of her books The Brutal Telling, and must be the only person in the world who does not understand how she wins all those Agathas.
LOL, thanks Norman but I can’t seem to get into her either. The reason she is so loved is why I am still trying to read her but I will give her one more shot and after that I’m done.
Good luck, Keishon! I hit the 150 mark last year, but I’ll be lucky to make it to 50 in 2011 at the rate I’m going. I’ve read 30 books so far this year, but 5 were re-reads and I don’t usually count those. I know I won’t have much time to read over the summer, so…yeah.
Thanks Sarah!
Five years ago, I would have laughed at your attempting to read only 50 books a year. This year, I’m hoping I can even keep up with you. I, too, have slowed down in my reading considerably, due to being much more selective and just because I don’t want to have a book in my hands eight hours out of the day anymore. I don’t finish half the books I start and I’m dropping authors from my favorites list on a frequent basis. What’s up with this? Just as with you, life is getting in the way and, really, that’s a wonderful thing. I’ve always believed in mediocrity. Long may it live! LOL. By the way, most of my good reading these days also is coming from the suspense genre. You’re much more eclectic in your choices in that area and I envy you that. But, overall, I’m a pretty happy camper, employing the “less is more” doctrine.
I hear you but I am so enjoying the crime fiction genre immensely and I really want to get some of these books read. I want to see if I can get there so I am challenging myself. Like you I have dropped a lot of writers but I’ve also gained some new ones. Just look at my side-bar of Auto Buy writers.
Good luck Keishon. I set my goal at 50 too. But the number is irrelevant as long as you read the books you like. It is not always easy to find enough time to read.
Thanks Jose! I am really gonna give it a shot this year to see how I do.
Good luck!
I also want to read 50 books this year, and at the moment I have read 24, so I hope I will succeed but if I don’t… It is not a disaster. Although I love to read, there is more to life than reading…
It’s just a fun challenge is all…I won’t be forcing myself to read anything and what you’ve said is all very true. Thanks for the encouragement and thanks for dropping by today.
Though I read much more than you do, I am far from laughing. I *ought* to read less and write more so what is there to be proud of, really? Good luck to you!
Thanks. This is just a fun challenge and my memory is so very bad about the books I’ve bought hence the post. This will be fun.
It’s nice to have a goal, but at the end of the day you need to enjoy reading & not crack through a book just to get to the next one.
Surprised how little I’ve read from your list – just Sworn to Silence, which I really enjoyed.
Good Luck!
What you said is all very true but this year, my plan is read as many new crime fiction novels as I possibly can. It’s a fun challenge, not homework and I need to be reminded of what I already own and want to read and this post serves that purpose. Thanks for dropping by!
I think we have similar tastes, but I am a Louise Penny fan to my back teeth. Characters, characters, characters. I love Three Pines and the goofball people in it, especially the mad-as-hell-and-otherwise Ruth Pardo (I think I have that right). Her poetry, whoever writes it, is troubling and gorgeous, and she gives everyone a tough time. Penny’s characters are so wonderfully, beautifully flawed, perhaps that’s why I like them.
That’s an excellent list. I wish you much luck and enjoyment.
Thanks! I plan to give Louise Penny another shot and see. I’ve tried twice to no avail.