r/books discussion

Since it's a new year, has any one made any "resolutions" regarding reading? This year, I am to read one book every two weeks. This may not seem like a lot to some people, but with my work schedule, this is a lot for me!

Any books that are on your "list" for 2014?

Any authors you haven't read before that you want to explore this year?

Any old favourites you plan to re-read?

I set my goal to 52 books this year. Lower than last year, but I have a big year of study and I want to tackle some big books and classics, stuff like Tolstoy, Dickens and Dostoevsky. One of my goals for the year was to read more non-fiction.

I have a few old favourites I will reread, like some Philip K Dick and Christopher Isherwood.

I am going for 50 books this year. I know I will surpass it by a lot but I wanted to start low because of all the classes I am taking this semester. :F

Eric wrote: "I also wanna read something good on serial killers. If anybody has some good recommendations on those, let me know."

Last year I read The Killer of Little Shepherds which was good. It's about the serial killer Joseph Vacher and the birth of forensic science in convicting him and clearing the people blamed for his murders. Vacher wrote a lot during his life, so the book reads more like a novel than a history with lots of detail into Vacher's life and thoughts.


My goal this year is to read more classics and more history. I set a goal of 2 new books a week, but I'll probably go over that since I usually finish 3.

I'm re-reading Pride and Prejudice after reading one of the books that inspired it, Evelina. I might also re-read Jane Eyre at some point. I think that might be a different experience the second time through, knowing the solution to the mystery beforehand. I stopped in the middle of Les Miserables, Anna Karenina and War and Peace a few years ago, so I hope to re-read and finish those this year.

I just read the description of The Killer of Little Shepherds on Amazon on it looks great! I love forensic science and what inspired the 'science' behind it. I am also interested in what makes a man (or woman) 'become' a serial killer.

I haven't been able to read Les Miserables either. I saw a production of it at the Royal Alex theatre in Toronto which was the most amazing thing in the world. I am not a fan of musicals but that was one of the best nights of my life.

Wow, it looks like I'm playing with the big kids! My goal for 2014 is to read 26 books, which puts me at 1 book every 2 weeks. Last year I averaged one book every 3 weeks. My work schedule doesn't really allow me much free time, unfortunately. I read in 15 minute chunks, usually right before bed.

This year, like last year, I want to read more non-fiction. It's something I never got into in high school (my reading high point!) but I've found a new appreciation for biographies. Last year I read Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain) and The Fry Chronicles (Stephen Fry) among some others. This year I'm opting for Mark Twain biography and Black Boy (Richard Wright).

I completed 20 books in 2013 in 6 months or so as I started the challenge late. So I thought this year I should attempt 30 books. January just ended and I've got 11 book locked in! To be fair, chicklits book only lasted at max 3 days for me. The good ones, only a day or less. I'm a freak, I know.

Fida, you are not a freak! I think that is great! Good for you!

I set my goal for 25 books this year. I read 26 or 27 last year and hope to surpass it. I'm reading more consistently so far so I think it shouldn't be a problem this year. Last year there was a point where I wasn't reading so I could have read a lot more.

I set my goal for 50 books. I usually average around 40, but I wanted to knock out some of my shorter classic scifi novels I've collected over the years (Asimov, Bradbury, Wells, etc).

I always check out what movies are either in-production or being released to see if any of them are books that have been sitting on my shelves. As a result, a few have been bumped up my to-read list: Del Toro/Hogan's The Strain trilogy, Dashner's The Maze Runner series, and Howey's WOOL.

I'd like to finally read Brandon Sanderson this year. I've had lots of people recommend him to me and I think I'm going to need to look forward to reading him if I ever want to finish the end of The Wheel of Time series.

I'd also like to start Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I've heard great things about this series and I think it'll fill the void left by A Song of Ice and Fire.

My goal is 150! That should be easy since I plan on finishing/catching up on series like Stephanie Plum and Morganville Vampires.

Everyone is so ambitious!

@Alley, would you like to explain what's special abut the Stephanie Plum/Morganville Vampires that will make it an easy read?

The Stephanie Plum (One for the Money) series (20 books so far, I just finished the 19th) is basically just fluff. It follows a basic formula each book which seems like it would be boring and repetitive, but I still enjoy her hijinks. It's super quick to read - usually takes me about 4 hours or so to finish. Waiting in the library queue for Takedown Twenty now - I'll be all caught up after that one.

The Morganville Vampires (Glass Houses) started out as a fun YA quick read, but now that I'm up to book 12 - Black Dawn - out of 15, stuff is getting a bit more serious. Won't breeze through these as quickly.

It's filler books like these that pad my numbers. I like to read them between the longer novels.

@Laura - the Outlander series is AMAZING. They've made a tv series based on it that starts this summer on STARZ. I'm a little excited about it. Thinking about rereading them, but I have so many other books to read.