As many of you know, I set a goal last January of reading at least one book per month in 2016. I am pleased to share with you that I mostly reached my goal — in fact, I read more than 12 books… although not all of the ones I had set out to read.
I’m not always a planned-out person (I wish I was more so!), but I found that in this arena, having a plan really helped to reinvigorate my habit of regular reading.
You see, the truth is that since becoming a mom 13 years ago, I had really lapsed in my reading of books (Online articles? Parenting tomes? I read a ton of those — but actual fiction books? Not so much!).
Having a goal really helped me to get back on track with regular reading — and I loved it. So I’m sticking with goal setting for 2017 — and even adding in a few extra books (namely a couple non-fiction titles that I really want to read as well).
I am hoping that some of you will want to read along with me — whether it’s just one of the month’s titles, a couple of them, or all of them. I’d love to read your thoughts on these (and any other) books.
Here are the book titles that have made my list for 2017.
January
#1. The Rosie Project: A Novel (Don Tillman Book 1) by Graeme Simsion – This is a hold over from 2016 list, which I didn’t get to. So many of you loved it, though, that I decided to keep it on my list for 2017.
#2. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
February
#3. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman – This was the single most frequently recommended book, when I asked you all on Facebook and here on the blog for recommendations. With your unanimously stellar reviews, I knew I had to put it on my list! I can’t wait to dig into it.
#4. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
March
#5. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
#6. Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol. 1: 1884-1933 by Blanche Wiesen Cook
April
#7. The Kitchen Help by Kathleen Grissom
May
#8. Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
June
#9. Henna House by Nomi Eve
#10. Hidden Figures: The American Dream And The Untold Story Of The Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win The Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
July
#11. Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
August
#12. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
September
#13. The Language of Flowers: A Novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh- This is another one from 2016 that I didn’t finish, but it came so highly recommended by many of you that I’m keeping it on my list for ’17.
October
#14. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
November
#15. Goodnight June by Sarah Jio
December
#16. Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
What do you think of my choices? Do you have a list of books you’d like to read this coming year? Or is your approach to picking books more free-flowing?
Henna House is a fascinating look at a part of the Jewish community that most of us Ashkenazim are not at all familiar. I enjoyed it very much. It is full of laughs and cries as you read about the lives of women who were not growing up in our privileged Western society. Enjoy!
I read a few of them and enjoyed them. I might have to add the ones I haven’t read to my reading list now.
I’ve read a few- but this is a great list! Thanks! This is my New Years resolution; to read more books, this gives me a nice long list of suggestions 🙂