Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2011 Reading Goals

Since I'm going back to school this year and my income was cut by 33% after getting laid off last year, I've had to tailor my reading goals to focus on books that I either already own or can get from the library.

Even though I read close a hundred books in 2010, I didn't scratch the surface of the lofty list I made for myself , so with that in mind, I'm giving myself a nice mixture to start out with.

If I read these 30 books, then I will have read every book I own, and I think that's something worth saying. So without further ado, here's my beginning reading list for the year:

  1. The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson
  2. The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor
  3. The Plague, by Albert Camus
  4. Gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson
  5. Magic in the Blood, by Devon Monk
  6. Magic in the Shadow, by Devon Monk
  7. Magic on the Storm, by Devon Monk
  8. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz
  9. Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides 
  10. The Horse Whisperer, by Nicholas Evans
  11. The Unvanquished, by William Faulkner
  12. The Gatekeeper, by Michelle Gagnon
  13. I, Claudius, by Robert Graves
  14. The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel
  15. Hood, by Stephen Lawhead
  16. The Black Prism, by Brent Weeks
  17. Dune, by Frank Herbert
  18. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
  19. Outlander, by Diana Galbadon
  20. Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy
  21. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers
  22. Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry
  23. Atonement, by Ian McEwan
  24. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy
  25. Kushiel's Dart, by Jacqueline Carey
  26. Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
  27. A Place to Come To, by Robert Penn Warren
  28. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
  29. The Skystone, by Jack Whyte
  30. Shadowfever, by Karen Marie Moning

I'm not going in any particular order, but hopefully putting it here will keep me honest. :)

Any recommendations for me to add to my list?

23 comments:

Christine Danek said...

Good luck with your goals. The Book Theif is on my list, too.
Have a great day!

Tony Benson said...

I have a whole shelf on one of our many bookshelves where I try to keep my planned reads together, but somehow they end up scattered around the house. It's a bit like a treasure hunt when I go on to the next novel!

Enjoy your 2011 reads

Tracy said...

I haven't read a single one of those books...but now I know I can wait for your thumbs-up or thumbs-down before I venture down any of those roads.

Teri Anne Stanley said...

What a great, eclectic list. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is one of my favorites. I haven't read it in years, but it's still around here somewhere. Maybe when you get to it, we can have a book club meeting!

I also LOVED Lonesome Dove. Larry McMurtry books almost always make me cry (that's not really a spoiler alert, it's just a Larry McMurtry fact of life).

Enjoy!

Hannah said...

Is it sad that I own most of these and still haven't read them?

Even if I had a year off and read one book a day, I still wouldn't have read all the books I own. It would take like...more than two but I'm not giving away any more details!

I approve of this list. You'll love Outlander but it sucks you in to at least 5 more really long books...all worth it and I lurve Jaime Fraser. That is all.

Lola Sharp said...

Man, I loved almost all the books on this yummy list. Seriously, you have a few of my all-time favorites on this list.
I predict you will have an enjoyable reading year.

Let me know how class goes today, K?

Love,
me

Linda G. said...

Great list!

Warning: If you read Outlander, your list will quickly increase by the next six books in the series. (Yes, they are that good.)

Summer Frey said...

@TerriAnne: Would you believe that I decided to read it because of the movie A Love Song for Bobby Long? And then I found a cheap copy at a used bookstore. I remember watching Lonesome Dove (movie) as a kid and crying, as well as Lonesome Dove 2 or the miniseries or whatever it was.

Several of these books I've made decent headway into but never finished.

Sarah Ahiers said...

omgomgOMG! I'm like peeing my pants excited that you get to read Clan of the Cave Bear for the first time! That book is on my top 3 favorite books OF ALL TIME!
So clearly i recommend it (gah, i never know how to spell recommend).

Man, i'm pretty jealous of your "read every book i own" goal. It's awesome and i wish i could bring myself to do the same.

also, 100 books in 2010? You are on FIRE!

Jen said...

I've read a couple of books on that list. Best of luck with your list! Have you considered Goodreads Book Swap? I never buy books anymore. It's a great way to get the books you want without spending much money.

yokohamamama said...

Ooohh--Clan of the Cave Bear! *Loved* that book! Stayed up all night reading it, too. Beware, though--it's a series, and once you start, you'll nae be able to stop :-)) Recommended? Have you read any Kawabata? If not, try Snow Country--a beautiful novel that takes place in northern Japan. Here's an idea of what Snow Country looks like. Happy New Year!

Unknown said...

I join Sarah and Yokohamamama in cheering for Clan of the Cave Bears. It is AWESOME. Your whole list is fab -- I should do a similar list.

Old Kitty said...

Wow!! These will take me more than a year to read if this was my list!!

So I am in AWE!! and so impressed!! GOOD LUCK!!!!

Take care
x

Meredith said...

That's a pretty awesome list! Enjoy The Giver--one of my alltime faves :)

Tara said...

Awesome list.

You know I'm an Outlander fan. Heck, a comment Diana made to me prompted Roulette! The others are correct, plan on adding 6 more to the list, quickly. Too bad you're not closer, I have them all.

Chris Phillips said...

I've wanted to reread the giver also.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lonesome Dove is popular pick this month!

Unknown said...

That's a good list. I've got the Book Thief on mine, can't wait till I read that.

Jamie Gibbs said...

I think you've got enough on the list already without having to add more :P I've heard really good things about the Black Prism, I'm hoping to read that soon too :)

Jon Paul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jon Paul said...

Horse Whisperer is a good read. I have the Cormac McCarthy on my list. Need to formalize my 2011 reading goals post haste!

Also, I just wanted to stop in and say thank you. I'm celebrating my blog's one year anniversary today, and you were a big part of why I kept with it.

Looking forward to a rockin' 2011. From the bottom of my heart, thanks! :D

Jessica Ann Hill said...

Kushiel's Dart is an all-time favorite of mine. I absolutely love it. I hope you enjoy it, too! All of the Kushiel books are fantastic, and I'm looking forward to Naamah's Blessing that comes out this year.

There are several books on your list that are on my reading list, as well. Enjoy!

Guinevere said...

I think that's a great goal! I hate that I have books in my house that I've never read. And you have a neat selection here, too - you definitely won't get bored! Have fun.