10 Reasons You Need To Read NEVERNIGHT

I posted about NEVERNIGHT earlier this year, and it basically sounded like the book was written for me. And turns out it is my favorite published book of the year so far. I may have even gone as far to say “Compared to NEVERNIGHT, ILLUMINAE is garbage”. And I love ILLUMINAE. So that should tell you a lot.

So here are my ten reasons you need to go buy it now. And it is only ten. I had five others. I don’t even mention the teachers! Or the other awesome students! Or that it kept me guessing!

1. That first chapter

The writing in this chapter is mind-blowing with its awesomeness. Once you get it (and it may take you a bit to get it), you will make some kinda of shocked and awe noise. Mine was an audible gasp. And once you finish the chapter, you’ll probably go back and read it again. And again (it took me five times to get to chapter two).

Writers should all read this first chapters to see how important every single word can be.

2. Mia 

Are you sick of “the strong female character” and all the tropes that come along with her? Then this is a book for you! Mia is nothing like that stereotype. She is a kick-ass female, but it isn’t over done and she is a full fleshed out character. I feel like I know her. I want to check in how she is doing.

3. The world building (and the maps!)

Gah I love this world. It is so complex and awesome. The government! The politics! The secret societies! The magic!

And the maps in this book. Virginia Allyn made them and WOW they are gorgeous. I spent 10-15 minutes pouring over them, and I am usually not a maps in books person.

4. The swears

Okay, this seems like a little one, but I love how much swearing there was in this. There is a whole conversation about the c-word (and that is actually what started the entire book) and it makes me kinda annoyed that I still feel like I have to say it like that.

The swearing makes the characters feel natural.

5. The humor

This book is so funny. I was laughing out loud a lot, and it takes a lot to make me actually laugh out loud. The humor really fit my comedy taste, but I think everyone will enjoy it too. There is even a time when the author imagines your reaction to the humor and has a footnote about it. It’s brilliant.

6. The darkness

And this book is DARK. Obviously because it is a school of assassins, but it really goes for it. I love the dark and sad. There are actual consequences to things. There is no victory without suffering. This delivered 100%

7. The writing

Goddamnit Jay Kristoff can write. And he keeps getting better and better. This book took me three times as long as normal books because I kept reading things over and over and over because they were so well-written.

8. The smutty bits

I mentioned this is my goodreads review that if Jay wrote romance under a pen name, I’d totally read it. For a dude writer, it is pretty good from the female perspective. I do wish we saw more with the Hall of Masks teacher…

9. The footnotes

When I first heard about the footnotes, I got a lot less excited about it. Used well, they can work and add a lot. But they are often not used well. But they add so much to the world and there is so much VOICE in these footnotes that I couldn’t imagine the book working without them.

10. It will be a classic

It will go down as a classic in the fantasy genre. It is that good. People will be talking about this book along with the other greats. And don’t you want to read it before then? So you can say “Ah, I read it the month it was released and I knew it was headed for greatness”? You do. And if you hurry, you can still get a signed 1st edition! DO IT.

2016 Query Statistics

I have been neglecting this poor blog far too much this year, because it has been such a busy year!

I am going to try to be better these last few months. So to jump back in, I wanted to share my query statistic for 2016 – as I type this, I have 25 unread queries in my inbox. These numbers do not include requested materials from conferences, but I have not made any offers on anything from conferences so far this year.

Queries Responded to: 2,451

Partials requested: 179, which is 7.3%

Full manuscripts requested, from those partials for the most part: 21, which is .85% of all queries sent

Offers made: 5, which is .2% of all queries sent. (two of those people are with fabulous agents who are not me)

What genres am I requesting most? I have those stats too! This isn’t saying I don’t want things that are at the lower end of requests, usually it just means i am VERY picky on those genres.

YA contemporary	34
YA fantasy	28
YA science fiction	27
women’s fiction	24
MG contemporary	12
MG fantasy	6
YA mystery	6
LGBTQ romance	6
romance	6
MG historical	4
MG science fiction	4
historical fiction	4
thriller	4
MG horror	3
YA historical	3
mystery	3
MG mystery	2
nonfiction	2
memoir	1

Now to the less fun statistics. People who did not follow my submission guidelines  (included pages, sent attachments) or sent genres I don’t represent at all (picture books, chapter books, adult SFF, literary fiction mostly):

306 writers didn’t follow my guidelines. That is 12.4%

126 writers, 5.1%, submitted things I do not represent.

So those are my statistics! Be on the lookout for more here soon – I have a few in the works right now: What I might ask in the call, R&Rs, thoughts on #ownvoice. And I am going to be gushing about my favorite book of the year early next week.

 

TTT: Ten Most Anticipated Reads for the Second Half of the Year

I haven’t posted in forever, but today, I need a little joy in my life and talking about books i am excited about brings me a lot of joy! Love the awesome people at Broke and the Bookish for hosting! 

This was a very, very easy topic. I already have most of these preordered!

1. NEVERNIGHT by Jay Kristoff

I’ll buy every book Jay ever writes, but this is probably the book I am most excited about. Just part of Jay’s description of this book includes “And was a school where, instead of learning magic and the true value of friendship, you learn to murder the shit out of people:” And there are smutty bits. *grabby hands* (also if you preorder the US version it will be signed so do that now)

 

2. CROOKED KINGDOM by Leigh Bardugo

SIX OF CROWS was one of my other favorites books of last year. I can’t wait.

3. THE MIDNIGHT STAR by Marie Lu

Marie is an insta-buy author for me and this series is brilliant. I don’t want it to end, but at the same time, I want it to come out now so i can read it.

 

4. GEMINA by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Duh. ILLUMINAE was my favorite book of last year. OF COURSE I am eagerly waiting for October.

5. A WORLD WITHOUT YOU by Beth Revis

I adore Beth’s writing and cannot wait to read her latest.

6. BOUND BY BLOOD AND SAND by Becky Allen

This is a debut and sounds incredible. I was sold by “Though revenge clouds her vision, she agrees to help if the kingdom’s slaves are freed. Then Elan’s father arrives. The ruler’s cruelty knows no limits. He is determined that the class system will not change—and that Jae will remain a slave forever.”

7. BLOOD FOR BLOOD by Ryan Graudin

I read the first book earlier this year and it blew me away!

8. STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor

Her writing is just so amazing and this looks absolutely brilliant!

9. THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING was one of my favorite books of 2015, so of course I need to read this one!

10. SUPERNOVA by C.A Higgins

LIGHTLESS was one of the best SF books I’ve ever read, so I am super excited for book two.

Spring 2016 Readathon

It is that time of year again – the readathon! I am going to do this one a little differently. instead of reading only books in my stacks, I am going to be reading partials I have requested as well.

I have been really busy with client’s edits lately (yay!) and my partials have gotten a little out of hand. Today, I am going to try to read 20 partials. I don’t want ti to be an entire day of work, so for every 5 partials I read, I will get to read for an hour for fun. I think it will be a good balance!

Opening Meme 

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? New Jersey!

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I will be finishing up JUST VISITING by Dahlia Adler, so that is exciting. I am really excited about A TYRANNY OF PETTICOATS, SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA, and, of course, the HAMILITOME.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Leftovers from last night’s dinner – my husband made Lamb Kabuli Pulao

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! i am on a swim team – I may be heading to practice today!

 

Things that make me happy

A meme went around twitter yesterday and I was feeling kinda crappy, so I decided to do it! For every like, I listed on thing (not person) that makes me happy). I didn’t want to lose it to the timeline of twitter, so I wanted to post it here too.

1. Getting a client’s edited or new manuscript in my inbox.
2. There is a google hangout I get to be a part of. It brings me happiness every single day.
3. Obviously, books. They make me happy in multitudes of ways (may get more specific later)
4. Podcasts. I get to learn about other people’s experiences, see the world differently, and learn new things.
5. That feeling when I read a manuscript and know I am going to offer on it.
6. Playing board games. All kinds of board games (except purely co-op games. Someone needs to be able to win).
7. Twitter. Sometimes it isn’t great, but it is my favorite social media and most of the time, it makes me really happy.
8. Messages or emails from my friends around the world. I can’t always reply right away, but seeing them hit my inbox = instant happiness
9. My job. It have my dream job, it makes me so happy, even though like all jobs it has its moments.
10. Music. I love every genre of music.
11. Random acts of kindness. Every time I see people being kind to each other, it makes me really happy.
12. Swimming. I am so glad I am doing it again.
13. Saving money. I would rather save money so I can do big things than instant gratification, so whenever I save, I’m happy.
14. Theater. I love theater almost as much as I love books.
15. Singing. I don’t do it is public anymore, since I used to really do it and just notice mistakes, but doing it makes me happy.
16. Great public transportation systems. If I can get around on my own, it makes me beyond happy.
17. Small dogs. Especially shih tzus. They make me smile all the time.
18. To get political – the results tonight in SC are making me pretty happy right now.
19. Deadpool. Weeks later and I am still randomly thinking of lines and scenes from that movie.
20. My bathrobe. It is SO comfy.
21. Spending time with funny people.
22. Ice cream. It probably makes me too happy but it is my weakness.
23. Jeopardy. We have a bunch on our DVR, and will watch them all. Trivia in general makes me happy.
24. Disney and Pixar movies. I see almost all of them.
25. Puzzles. Word, logic, jigsaw, and more. (I am such a nerd)
26. Going to a bookstore. Even if I don’t buy anything, just being there makes me feel better.
27. Intersectional feminism.
28. Cross stitching. I don’t do it as often as I should.
29. Throwing things away. I love it when I realize I don’t need something anymore.
30. Alcohol. I am a happy drunk.
31. Playing poker. I haven’t in forever but it’s awesome.
32. The golden age of television. So much great stuff!
33. Lazy Sunday breakfasts. They are the best.
34. My fruit infuser pitcher. Having delicious strawberry water right now.
35. Living a three minute walk away from my library.
36. Travel. I want to do it more, but traveling makes me so happy.
37. Coffee. And tea. Hot beverages in general are pretty awesome.
38. Books that give me all the feels. If a book can do that, it is amazing.
39. This video of dancing baby goats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fF0pIGqors&ab_channel=ModjeskaMan
40. When my friends get good news I get almost as happy as if I got that good news
41. When I see my clients are excited about what they are writing/editing.
42. Hotels with great water pressure.
43. Marriage equality.
44. Hamilton. (I know, what a shock!)
45. Geeking out about books with editors over coffee or lunch.
46. Starting a new book and diving into a new world. Also reading the next book in a series and getting to go back into a world I love.
47. Conversations about pop culture with smart people.
48. Spending time with @jasonflum
49. Pre-ordering books months before they come out.
50. Getting my query inbox to 0.
51. Planning vacations. Going on them is fun, but planning them just makes me happy. I plan trips I will probably never take.
52. Sarcasm. How did it take me so long to list sarcasm?

 

 

Query critique giveaway!

Since I got to 2,000 Twitter followers before 10:00 PM today, it is time for a query critique giveaway! Don’t worry – if you aren’t to the querying stage yet, you can hold onto it until you are ready. It is open to all genres.

At least 50 people are going to win. If my following increases significantly before this ends, there will be more.

The rules are simple:

You must follow me on twitter when I draw the winners
You must still follow me on twitter when I get to your query to critique
You must enter by January 25th.

If you win, I will critique your query. I’ll tell you if I would request or reject and why. I will also make comments in the query itself pointing to specifics.

Good luck!

Hello 2016 – 2015 recap

I feel weird not wrapping up 2015 in some way and it was a very good year.

Professionally

– I started agenting in addition to assisting. It has been great and stressful. Most of my agenting is done nights and weekends, but turns out I am good at time management.

– I signed four clients – two in the last two weeks of the year.

– two projects are on submission and being out on submission is hard. Publishing is not for the impatient.

– I am so happy with the agency I am at. Liza Dawson Associates grew this year and got a West Coast office. Our clients are great and so many came out with fantastic books in 2015

Reading

– I read 100 books. I didn’t think that would happen.

– 25% of the books I read were diverse. Last year it was about 10%, so that is an improvement.

Personal

– was a mixed bag. Have some new friends, some friends who are closer now, and some who aren’t anymore. It is life.

– I started seeing a hip doctor, did physical therapy for 6 months, but plateaued and had to stop. Wish I could still go because it really helped.

Entertainment

– was great this year. Hamilton! Supergirl! Things on Netflix! Bring Me the Horizon! Star Wars! Crazy Ex Girlfriend! So much more!

Other

I met someone from my internet/publishing past this year and that moment may have actually changed my life, which feels so over dramatic to say. It made me look at some things professionally differently and made me think big picture in a new way. I am not sure just how long range that will be, but it was a big fucking deal.

Onto 2016

This year will be exciting. I am going to BroadwayCon this month, being a tourist in NYC, going to Chicago, going to a writers conference in Seattle, and going on vacation…plus hopefully selling lots of books.

I don’t think I am setting specific goals this year like i have in the past. other than hoping to read 100 books. I doubt i will be able to. I am going to keep swimming and participate in my first meet, work my ass off, and try to enjoy whatever 2016 brings.

Here’s to 2016 being the best year yet!

2015 End Of Year Survey

Thanks so much to Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner for doing this again! She’s the best, you should follow her on all social media.

Statistics:

Number Of Books Read: 100
Number of Re-Reads: 1

Genre Break down:
YA fantasy: 15
YA Science fiction: 5
YA contemporary: 14
YA historical: 1
Middle Grade: 4
Adult fantasy: 4
Adult science fiction: 5
Graphic novels: 15
Adult romance: 7
Adult historical: 2
Adult mystery: 5
Adult other: 5
Nonfiction: 8
Books with male authors*: 32
Books with female authors*: 77
Diverse books**: 25
Full manuscripts read***: 22

*Some books counted twice because coauthors
**This means books written by and/or with a main character who is not white, straight, cis gendered, or abled.
***Approximate, each only counted once

1. Best Book You Read In 2015?

That is easy. ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, also known as the book that will be the answer to 1/3 of all these questions.

But I also want to break down by genre and this is where it gets hard because this was my best reading year ever. I have more books I loved this year than every before.

YA fantasy: SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo
YA Science fiction: BLACK WIDOW: FOREVER RED by Margaret Stohl
YA contemporary:  ALL THE RAGE by Courtney Summers
Middle Grade: GEORGE by Alex Gino
Adult historical: IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT by Judy Blume
Adult fantasy: THE MAGICIAN KING by Lev Grossman
Adult science fiction: GOLDEN SON by Pierce Brown
Adult romance: PLAY by Kylie Scott
Mystery/thriller: THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS by Max Wirestone
Memoir: BROWN GIRL DREAMING byJacqueline Woodson
Nonfiction: BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS by Katherine Boo

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

That one is easy. GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee. blarg

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

THE BURNING SKY by Sherry Thomas – somehow I missed it when it came out but LOVED it. Need to finish the series

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff- I pushed it on people constantly and actually got dozens to read it. Go me!

 5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?

Series started: Duh. ILLUMINAE, but also RED RISING by Pierce Brown and I have to alsos include LIGHTLESS by C A Higgins
Sequel: This one is tied between GOLDEN SON by Pierce Brown and THE ROSE SOCIETY by Marie Lu
Series Ender: THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS by Rick Riordan – perfect ending to that series.

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?

I am picking two:

Nicola Yoon. EVERYTHING EVERYTHING was brilliant and I will read everything she writes.

Max Wirestone. I laughed more reading THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS than anything else all year.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I don’t do westerns, but WALK THE EARTH A STRANGER by Rae Carson was phenomenal.

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

ILLUMINAE. Honorable mention to UNWIND by Neal Shusterman

 9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

None – no time for rereads.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

11. Most memorable character of 2015?

AIDAN from ILLUMINAE. Also Verity from CODE NAME VERITY

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?

FIRE by Kristin Cashore

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?

THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP – I mean, it is in the title.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read? 

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Really.

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?

“Perhaps bravery is simply the face humanity wraps around its collective madness.” – ILLUMINAE

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?

Longest: FALL OF GIANTS by Ken Follet

Shortest: MS MARVEL VOLUME 1: NO NORMAL

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

ILLUMINAE just all of it.

LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

I don’t have one!

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Kady and AIDAN from ILLUMINAE. Honorable mention: Simon and Penny in CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell

 20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

THE ROSE SOCIETY by Marie Lu

21. Best Book You Read In 2015 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

MS MARVEL – all volumes.

22. Best 2015 debut you read?

RED RISING by Pierce Brown

23. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

ILLUMINAE. Honorable mention: THE BLADE ITSELF by Joe Abercrombie

24. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

WE CAN WORK IT OUT by Elizabeth Eulberg

25. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?

ILLUMINAE. Honorable mention: GOLDEN SON by Pierce Brown

26. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

THE SAFEST LIE by Angela Cerrito

27. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

ILLUMINAE. Honorable mention: GOLDEN SON by Pierce Brown

28. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

ILLUMINAE. Honorable mention: MODERN ROMANCE by Aziz Ansari

29. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

GOLDEN SON by Pierce Brown

30. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

The one on a day in the life of an agent/assistant!

 

31. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?

Signing my amazing clients. I can’t wait until you all get to read their books

32. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?

Just one?  SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIEN AGENDA by Becky Albertalli, SHADOWSHAPER by Daniel Jose Older…I also have this entire list to get to.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?

I am listing a few:
ANGELS BURNING by Tawni O’Dell
WHAT WE FIND by Robyn Carr
FROM HERE TO HOME by Marie Bostwick

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

BOUND BY BLOOD AND SAND by Becky Allen
THE COLD BETWEEN by Elizabeth Bonesteel

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?

I have several: MORNING STAR by Pierce Brown, GEMINA by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, THE YOUNG ELITES #3 by Marie Lu

 

 

Fall Mini Reviews: Adult Books Edition

Title: In the Woods 
Author: Tana French
Pub Date: May 17, 2007
Hardcover: 429 pages
Publisher: Viking
Rating: ++++

Summary from goodreads:

As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children. He is gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox (his partner and closest friend) find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.

Review:

I am always looking for great mysteries and this book really works! It has been on my shelf forever and I am so glad I finally read it. What makes a great mystery for me is the characters and these characters were fantastic. From the leads to the suspects to the side characters, every single on was defined and I had to know what happened next. Absolutely brilliant.

Title: A Discovery of WitchesAuthor: Deborah Harkness
Pub Date: February 8, 2011
Paperback: 579 pages
Publisher: Viking
Rating: ++++

Summary from goodreads:

In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.

Review:

I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. Vampires don’t interest me very much, and neither does paranormal. But I still picked this one up finally because so many people I tend to agree with said it was fantastic and it was. The writing in this is just stunning and that is what makes it stand out so much.

Title: Modern Romance
Author: Aziz Ansari
Pub Date: June 16, 2015
Hardcover: 277 pages
Publisher: Penguin Press
Rating: ++++

Summary from goodreads:

At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. This seems standard now, but it’s wildly different from what people did even just decades ago. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, our abilities to connect with and sort through these options are staggering. So why are so many people frustrated?

Some of our problems are unique to our time. “Why did this guy just text me an emoji of a pizza?” “Should I go out with this girl even though she listed Combos as one of her favorite snack foods? Combos?!” “My girlfriend just got a message from some dude named Nathan. Who’s Nathan? Did he just send her a photo of his penis? Should I check just to be sure?”

But the transformation of our romantic lives can’t be explained by technology alone. In a short period of time, the whole culture of finding love has changed dramatically. A few decades ago, people would find a decent person who lived in their neighborhood. Their families would meet and, after deciding neither party seemed like a murderer, they would get married and soon have a kid, all by the time they were twenty-four. Today, people marry later than ever and spend years of their lives on a quest to find the perfect person, a soul mate.

Review:

This book was so fascinating – and I think if you are dating is even more so. I still loved it and loved what it said about my generation as whole – and it isn’t all bad things! Reading this really gives some insight into the world now…and it is also really funny. I would love to see more like this from Aziz.

Title: Dauntless
Author: Jack Campbell
Pub Date: July 2006
Mass Market: 304 pages
Publisher: Ace
Rating: +++

Summary from goodreads:

The Alliance has been fighting the Syndics for a century–and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is a man who’s emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he has been heroically idealized, beyond belief…

Captain John “Black Jack” Geary’s legendary exploits are known to every schoolchild. Revered for his heroic “last stand” in the early days of the war, he was presumed dead. But a century later, Geary miraculously returns from survival hibernation and reluctantly takes command of the Alliance fleet as it faces annihilation by the Syndics.

Appalled by the hero-worship around him, Geary is nevertheless a man who will do his duty. And he knows that bringing the stolen Syndic hypernet key safely home is the Alliance’s one chance to win the war. But to do that, Geary will have to live up to the impossibly heroic “Black Jack” legend…

Review:

This was such a fun book – it was fast, entertaining, and made me feel like I was watching a great episode of Star Trek. Is it the best book ever? No. But it is a fun way to spend a couple hours.

2016 Reading Challenge

So last year I did this challenge through an official challenge and failed at it in the fall. But I wanted to set the goal again to read 48 specific books, and try to balance it to four a month. This is just my own personal challenge.

My only rule I am making for myself is that it cannot be a 2016 book. These have to be books that were published in 2015 or earlier.

Most of these are books I really want to read this year. The bottom 15 were picked at random from my spreadsheet of books I want to read.

1. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (finished 4/3/16) (and the rest of the series)
2.These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meghan Spooner (and the rest of the series)
3. Mr Mercedes by Stephen King
4. Planetfall by Emma Newman
5. Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
6. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (finished 7/5/16)
7. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
8. A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab finished 1/28/16
9. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
10. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma finished 3/15/16
11. Willful Machines by Tim Floreen
12. Night Film by Marisha Pessl
13. The Map of Time by Felix J Palma
14. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
15. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (finished 12/14/16)
16. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
17. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
18. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
19. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
20. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
21. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
22. The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
23. Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
24. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
25. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
26. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
27. Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
28. Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes
29. The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman
30. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
31.This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
32. Adaptation by Malinda Lo
33. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
34. Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen
35. Nowhere But Home by Liza Palmer
36. The Returned by Jason Mott
37. Feed by Mira Grant
38. The Ward by Jordana Frankel
39. Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore
40. Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
41. All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin
42. We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen
43. The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler
44. Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
45. Deadline by Chris Crutcher
46. Fan Art by Sarah Tregay
47. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
48. Working in the Shadows: A Year of Doing the Jobs (Most) Americans Won’t Do by Gabriel Thompson