2018 Reading Challenge

I've never heard of this reading challenge before, but when I read saw it on Kristin's blog today, I suddenly felt more motivation to read books than I have in quite a while. I had quite a lofty goal of 40 books in 2017, and I think I ended up reading something like 22. Insert an [excellent!] excuse about how I had a baby and had zero motivation to read any books that didn't pertain to nursing, sleep training, or baby development during the latter half of the year.

This reading challenge from Modern Mrs. Darcy has you choose 12 books, which I find to be a much more attainable goal than the 20-30 I was thinking about attempting to read. I blame Goodreads and all of you people who somehow find time - with kids - to read 50-60 books a year. Tell me your secrets because as soon as nap/bedtime hits, all I want is Netflix.

So, here is my official list of books I'd like to read in 2018. I'm putting 12 books down for my Goodreads reading challenge goal, with these dozen in mind. If you've read any of these and think I would be better off choosing something else, feel free to let me know. I'm open to suggestions, too!

Also, confession...I'm a dummy and didn't know what "a book in translation" meant. I had a hunch but I still had to do a little Google search.

#1. A classic you've been meaning to read.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It's honestly a little shameful that I've never read this book, considering how much I love the movie. I even own a beautiful copy of this book...that I've never opened. Tsk tsk, me.

#2. A book recommended by someone with great taste.  Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor. My friend Michelle is my number one go-to for book recommendations. She recently gave this one 5 stars, and that was good enough for me. It's also set during WWI and I'm a huge sucker for war novels.

#3. A book in translation.  A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. This is another book I've been meaning to read for a while. I've been told by some that it's a little bit dry and the audiobook is better, but I cannot - repeat, cannot - get into audiobooks. I've tried. The most I've been able to sit through is about 3 chapters of The Devil in the White City, when I was holed up in a dark room the entire evening after getting LASIK in December. My Audible trial is about to run out and I'm going to just have to lose that audiobook because I'm not paying for a service I'll never use. I digress...we'll see how it goes with this book, whether I think it's hard to read or not!

#4. A book nominated for an award in 2018.  Idaho by Emily Ruskovich. To be honest, I had to spend a good half hour Googling books that have been nominated for awards this year. This one was on the 2018 shortlist by the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (naturally). I'm not entirely sure how much I'm going to like this book because it involves a man with early-onset dementia and that topic does tend to hit a little too close to home (my dad), but I'll give it a good college try.

#5. A book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection.  The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings by Edgar Allen Poe. I've always been somewhat fascinated by Poe, despite not really having read much of his work. I'm excited to delve a little bit into the mind of a famous poet.

#6. A book you can read in a day.  We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I had to Google "books you can read in a day" also. I just don't tend to gravitate toward shorter books for some reason. This one is described as a sort of psychological thrilled/horror book and after reading the synopsis, I'm intrigued.

#7. A book with more than 500 pages.  Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. This one has been on my to-read list for quite a while, and it just so happens to be 531 pages. Score.

#8. A book by a favorite author.  The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. I've read both The Lake House and The Secret Keeper, and really enjoyed both, even though I wasn't entirely thrilled with the ending of The Lake House. Still, even though I've only read 2 out of 5 books by Kate Morton, I would consider her one of my favorite authors. I really like the way she weaves a tale.

#9. A book recommended by a librarian or indie bookseller.  Wool by Hugh Howey. I don't personally know any librarians or indie booksellers, but it just so happens that our local bookshop puts little cards next to the workers' favorite books, describing why they like them. I just so happened to notice this one at the bookstore the other day and apparently it's one of their favorite books, so I'm counting it as an indie bookseller recommendation.

#10. A banned book.  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Once again, I've seen the movie but never read the book. I've been meaning to read this one for a long time; seems like 2018 is going to be the year I finally get around to reading books I've had my eye on for a while!

#11. A memoir, biography, or book of creative nonfiction.  Spaceman by Mike Massimino. I've seen this one recommended several times around the blog world, and if multiple people are recommending it, I figure it's probably a decent read. I just hope it's not like The Martian, because I think I'm the only person who absolutely hated that book (the movie was okay).

#12. A book by an author of a different race, ethnicity or religion than your own.  Silence by Shusaku Endo.  I've been going back and forth on whether or not I want to watch the movie based on this book, so I figure I'll just go ahead and read the book and then decide if I want to watch it. The author is Japanese, and I am definitely not, though (fun fact!) I did take 3 years of Japanese in high school.

I think I'll update this list as I read these books, and let you know what I think of each one!

Are you doing any sort of reading challenge this year?

Sayonara!