My overall goal for 2018 is to read 62* books. Although that'll be a bit of stretch since this year (2017) I read only 31. I manage 38 in 2016 which is my highest since I've tracked these things.
I want to participate in the New Leaf Book club so the first book I read each month should be that book.
My second will be something off my TBR, specifically from my pile of "Started not reading" tagged books.
If there's a third or fourth then I'll either read from my TBR generally, perhaps catch up on a series, or just something new that catches my eye.
Books
January - 3 books
February - 6 books
March - 12 books
Spoiler:
10. The Hanging Tree, Ben Aaronovitch - 8/10 - still enjoying the series though this book has a lot going on.
11. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemmingway - 8/10 - Never read it before. Book club pick.
12. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith - 10/10 - Wow. Was surprised how much I enjoyed this.
13. The Furthest Station, Ben Aaronovitch - 7/10 - standalone PC Grant novella.
14. Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome - 7/10 - funny but not as much as I thought it would be.
15. Love May Fail, Matthew Quick - 7/10 - not bad. By the author of Silver Linings Playbook. Hits some of the same themes.
16. The Outsider, Albert Camus (tr. Sandra Smith) - 7/10 - Feeling like I didn't quite get it. Simple language, simple story. Odd main character.
17. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemmingway - 8/10 - re-read it to be fresh in my mind as it's short.
18. All Our Wrong Todays, Elan Mastai - 7/10 - alternate history/time-travel story with a romantic sub-plot and a rather dark section.
19. Versions of Us, Laura Barnett - 6/10 - the structure worked against enjoyment for me, though the writing was good.
20. Rule Zero, Laurence Timms - 7/10 - thriller about a magickal/psychic spy and the attempted invasion of London by a superhuman. Reminds me of H2G2 in tone.
21. The Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart - 8/10 - a sort of Chinese myth version of the Princess Bride.
April - 12 books
Spoiler:
22. Soot, Andrew Martin - 9/10 - a 18th century murder mystery set in York and London.
23. The Story of the Stone, Barry Hughart - 8/10 - second book in the Master Li Chronicles (Bridge of Birds was the first)
24. 13 Dates, Matt Dunn - 5/10 - simplistic and implausible.
25. Eight Skilled Gentlemen, Barry Hughart - 7/10 - final in the Master Li Chronicles.
26. Last Night in Montreal, Emily St. John Mandel - 9/10 - haunting novel about leaving.
27. Making History, Stephen Fry - 7/10 - alternate reality/time-travel story.
28. Turtles All the Way Down - 8/10 - YA novel about mental health.
29. All The Good Things, Clare Fisher - 8/10 - novel about social exclusion and its effect on a young woman.
30. Holy Island, LJ Ross - 5/10 - crime thriller set on Lindisfarne. Can't decide if it's a brutal serial-killer tale or a bodice-ripper!
31. The Children Act, Ian McEwan - 8/10 - story of a marriage, of a court case, of life and death.
32. A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness - 9/10 - fantasy dealing with dealing with grief.
33. City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett - 7/10 - fantasy crime/thriller. Great world-building and characters, found it a bit of a slog for some reason.
May - 7 books
Spoiler:
34. All Grown Up, Jami Attenberg - 7/10 - a novel about being single and not having any of the usual markers of adulthood (marriage, kids, career).
35. City of Blades, Robert Jackson Bennett - 7/10 - second in the Divine Cities trilogy. Enjoyed it slightly less than book 1, could have been trimmed I think.
36. On the Beach, Nevil Shute - 7/10 - kind of odd. Dated and with a flawed premise, I think. But still readable.
37. The Radium Girls, Kate Moore - 6/10 - important story about a public health issue. Bit of a slog, would rather have watched a documentary.
38. After You Left, Carol Mason - 6/10 - strange cross between a literary novel, family drama and romance. Noble but unsuccessful effort (for me)
39. The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Patrick Ness - 9/10 - what if you're not the chosen one when the apocalypse happens? What if you're just trying to figure out life, love and friendship?
40. The Crane Wife, Patrick Ness - 7/10 - based on a Japanese folk tale and a song inspired by the same. OK, not as good as the other two Ness's on this list.
June - 4 books
July - 0 books
August - 6 books
Spoiler:
45. A Boy and His Dog, Harlan Ellison - 6/10 - post-apocalyptic story/novella. Seen the movie (weird, a bit disturbing) now read the source material (also weird/disturbing)
46. Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare - 7/10 - play about morality, the law and sexual behaviour. Is it a dark comedy with extended serious scenes or a drama with some farce?
47. The Good Luck of Right Now, Matthew Quick - 7/10 - collection of quirky characters on a road trip. Walks a line of showing/exploiting mental illness.
48. The Humans, Matt Haig - 7/10 - comedy of alien pretending to be human and figuring out our wacky ways. Has some dark moments despite the lighter premise.
49. Expecting Someone Taller, Tom Holt - 9/10 - comic fantasy based on The Ring Cycle. Comfort food read for me. Score not objective at all
50. The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Patrick Ness - 8/10 - when in doubt, re-read something you enjoyed!
September - 1 book
October - 2 books
November - 6 books
Spoiler:
54. The Chalk Man, C.J. Tudor - 6/10 - serial killer set in 1986/2016. Had its moments but character development was weak.
55. The Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny - 7/10 - heard it was a classic. OK. A lot of action but since characters could get resurrected consequences felt less important.
56. Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch - 8/10 - latest Rivers of London. Fun, easy read. Nothing too new here, but the things that worked about previous books in the series still working.
57. How Not to Be a Boy, Robert Webb - 8/10 - autobiography of the writer, actor, comedian. Well written and brings out a theme of gender roles which is thought-provoking.
58. Monstrous Regiment, Terry Pratchett - 8/10 - my long-standing effort to complete the series, inches forward. Decent book on women and soldiering.
59. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, Hank Green - 6/10 - wanting to know what happened pulled me through a book with an unlikeable MC. SciFi mixed with musing on social media fame. Warning: ends on a cliff-hanger for next book.
December 6 books
total - 65 books
(*originally 45, then I upped it to 80, then back down to 60. And finally changed it to 62 because that's 2 x 31, last year's total)