The 2017 Reading Challenge is here! Today I’m sharing the books I’m thinking of reading in 2017.
In most categories, I share three titles I’m considering reading. (Lest you think I’m even nerdier than you thought, I’m not planning on reading every single title listed for this year’s challenge! I wanted to share my ideas, for my own sake and in the hope they’ll inspire you.)
I’d love to hear what YOU are thinking of reading in comments.
Not signed up yet? Do that right here. (When you sign up, you’ll also get your free reading challenge kit. That’s the printable half-sheet from the kit pictured in the above photo.)
Reading for fun: put the oomph back in your reading life
A book you chose for the cover:
I’ll know this one when I see it, and you will, too.
A book with a reputation for being un-put-down-able:
• Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
• Redwall by Brian Jacques
• Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
A book set somewhere you’ve never been but would like to visit:
• The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country by Helen Russell
• The Lost Book of the Grail: A Novel by Charlie Lovett
• Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck
A book you’ve already read:
• Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
• Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
• Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time by Jeff Speck
A juicy memoir:
• Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography by Rob Lowe
• Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
• The Liars’ Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr
A book about books or reading:
• Howards End Is on the Landing by Susan Hill
• How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen
• The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
A book in a genre you usually avoid:
• Columbine by Dave Cullen
• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
A book you don’t want to admit you’re dying to read:
• The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe by Anuschka Rees
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F—: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson (I would have passed on this one because I don’t usually read books with &*%&! in the title, but I keep hearing this is fantastic)
• Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss
A book in the backlist of a new favorite author:
• Little Bee by Chris Cleave
• The Mistress of Spices: A Novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
• Three Wishes: A Novel by Liane Moriarty
A book recommended by someone with great taste:
• The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic by Steven Johnson
• The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes
• The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
A book you were excited to buy or borrow but haven’t read yet:
• Falling Free: Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted by Shannan Martin
• On Love: A Novel by Alain de Botton
• Lilac Girls: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly
A book about a topic or subject you already love:
• Where We Want to Live: Reclaiming Infrastructure for a New Generation of Cities by Ryan Gravel
• Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
• Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mann
Reading for growth: stretch yourself in 2017
A Newbery Award winner or Honor book:
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
• The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
A book in translation:
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
• Beartown: A Novel by Fredrick Backman
• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A book that’s more than 600 pages:
• The Stand by Stephen King
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
A book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection:
• Envelope Poems by Emily Dickinson
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling
• Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver
A book of any genre that addresses current events:
• White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson (I’m reading this for a book club I participate in)
• The Association of Small Bombs: A Novel by Karen Mahajan
• City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence
An immigrant story:
• The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
• Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
• White Teeth by Zadie Smith
A book published before you were born:
• Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
• Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C. S. Lewis
Three books by the same author:
• I’m considering Wallace Stegner, Wendell Berry, and Jane Austen
• Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitan novels would make a good choice for this category, as would any series you’ve been wanting to binge on
A book by an #ownvoices or #diversebooks author:
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
• On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis (autism)
• Check out We Need Diverse Books, and get more info on #ownvoices here
A book with an unreliable narrator or ambiguous ending:
Because I’ve heard many of you are unsure what to read for this category, here’s two books I enjoyed and one I want to read
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (want to read)
• Atonement: A Novel by Ian McEwan
• No One Knows by J.T. Ellison
A book nominated for an award in 2017:
This category is TBD, but I’ll be watching the Printz, Alex, Edgar, Pulitzer, Newbery, and National Book Award lists. (Any big awards I’m forgetting?)
A Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award winner:
• The Optimist’s Daughter by Eudora Welty
• Breathing Lessons: A Novel by Anne Tyler
• Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout
What are YOU reading for the 2017 challenge?