One of my reading resolutions is to add structure to my reading life by scheduling books. This way, I will finally read books from my personal library, instead of always being distracted by new,'shiny' titles from the library. I do like shiny things, but I'm a reader who hoards books so I already have many brilliant titles on my shelves (and keep adding to them). It about time I stopped taking those books for granted, and started appreciated them.
the titles for the year 
schedule of monthly book titles for the year 
messy reader’s list of ‘to reads’
I am scheduling a minimum of two books per month – one from my bookshelves, and one from the local library. But, the library books are those that I have in the ever-growing “Books to Read” section of my messy reading notebook, so they don’t really count as ‘shiny’ objects. The rest of my structured reading time will be allocated to titles I read for work, so I’m completing an average of three to four books a month.
So, what titles are in my book schedule this year?
I chose a mixture of classic and new fiction and non-fiction. I prefer to read titles that people aren’t talking about at the time of my reading, so I can experience the book without expectations set by others. Here are the titles and what I know about these books.
- Perpetual Trouble – Chris Orcutt.. A memoir by the author of the Dakota Steven Mystery Series
- The Lodger – George Simenon. A dark novella by the author of the Maigret series.
- Grace After Henry – Eithne Shortall A Tale of lost and found love.
- The Observations – Jane Harris Before Downtown Abby, there was this glimpse into high society.
- Paris to the Moon – Adam Gopnick. A man moves his family to Paris.
- The Lottery and other Stories by Shirley Jackson. A collection of stories by one of my favorite writers.
- Queen of Hearts – Rhys Bowen English female spy series set in England 1930s.
- Mrs. P’s Journey – Sarah Hartley How an English woman developed the map of London.
- The Boston Girl – Anita Diamant A young jewish woman growing up in Boston in early 20th century.
- Autumn in Venice – Andrea Di Robilant Fictional tale of Ernest Hemingway and his muse in 1948.
- The Fountain of St. James Court – Sena Jeter Nusland Lives of a writer and historic painter merge in this novel within a novel (with a beautiful book cover).
- The Magnificent Spinster – May Sarton A 70-year-old woman decides to write a novel.
What am I checking out?
- Silence in the Library – Katharine Schellman Regency widow, Lily Adler solves mysteries
- The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett – Annie Lyons 85-year-old Eudora Honeysett dives into life.
- Psycho by the Sea – Lynne Truss A whimsical, wacky muder set in Brighton, UK.
- The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman Good for fans of Anthony Horowitz.
- My Year Abroad – Chang-Rae Lee A Chinese American entrepreneur travels overseas.
- Death by Dumpling – Vivien Chien A cozy mystery series around Chinese food. What else do I need?
If you like this post check out more pondering posts.
Ten Books for the Ebb and Flow of A Writer’s Life
Seven Short, Quick, Writing Podcasts
Want more book recommendations?
Check out these posts on my sister site – A Novel Fiend.
Happy reading!