Play Book Tag discussion

So I am a little braindead this week and just realized, it was Friday, so I will go with a simple question for the new year.

What interests do you have that you expect to be reflected in your reading this year?

My love of mysteries, crime fiction of all kinds. It has been sadly neglected these last several years as my reading has broadened between Popsugar, Feminerdy Book Club, and PBT. Since I read heavily from my TBR Towers, clearly I was always an eclectic reader and book buyer. However, I had fallen into a rut of just romance novels and cozy mysteries in the decade leading up to 2016. Thank goodness a friend persuaded me to do the PS 2016 challenge!

Also hope to read more of authors more recently discovered. I have a whole shelf named 'next-by-author' and another named 'next-in-series' to explore.

Reading about nature and the environment is a major interest and goal this year. It started with highly engrossing books such as Migrations (which flipped a switch in my mind), Bewilderment, Lab Girl, and books about animals and trees. I'm now digging deeper into all these topics. The science tag makes it easier to read more non-fiction.

I'm also interested in reading more literary fiction, new authors, psychology, neuroscience, historical fiction, women in history, and some science fiction. I also want to read something mind-blowing or transporting this year.

PBT is good for me, because I tend to get stuck in the same genres and kinds of books over and over again. If I could describe this upcoming year however, I would also add in my three new 2022 personal challenges. An author of the year (Marie Benedict), a series of the year (3 books by Pam Jenoff, the Kimmandant's Girl series) and my remarkable person for the year, Coco Chanel.

So I have always nestled quite comfortably in historical fiction, WW2, and Jewish themed novels, as well as some contemporary fiction, and "magic done well." But here's the surprise of the year to me. There are quite a lot more mystery thrillers on my immediate list than there have ever been, and due to my keeping up with Goodreads and "Whats Hot and Whats Not" I have been for the first time ever, ahead of the curve. Meaning there are books I am reading, way more of them than ever before, that are just coming out I am looking at books that are arcs and barely published, and they have gotten on my list a lot quicker than ever before. In fact, I get great pleasure every day playing around with my phone TBR, but many of the books I'm most excited about, haven't even hit my TBR yet. Because I am keeping it at 400 Max. And I have come to really enjoy my complicated system about how things move up and down the TBR and the priority list. After reading your reviews, that thing is moving and changing all the time. Also a surprise to me, a whole lot more non-fiction has landed on my TBR than ever before. I really don't care for non-fiction, and yet I find myself compelled. And last year, I read 11 or 12 out of my 109 books for non-fiction. So that's a new angle.

Sometimes I have fun coming up with new tag ideas (or maybe they were already there) for the monthly tag. Queens, twins, chocolate, ghostwriting, Occasionally I like to play around with a list of themes. Maybe someday I will make that a fourth challenge. I remember for the Climbing the Stairs Challenge (I loved that so much), I had six themes and my 6 books was Paris. i have an awful lot of Paris on my TBR. I am tempted to add that challenge right now, and perhaps just did. Maybe I will knock off some serious Paris this year. Maybe shoot for 8?

Anyway, love this question, because it is so much fun to reflect. If I am being honest with myself, I want to seriously knock off some of the immediate priority TBR that I have lovingly put so much time into. I want by next year for it to look transformed. Will keep you guys posted for sure.

🤣 @Amy! I ALWAYS have a lot of Paris in my TBR Towers! Paris is comfort and joy.

I have a speaking gig where I talk about women from US history. I am going to be talking about Lucy Stone sometime this year and I have the fictional Leaving Coy's Hill and the nonfiction Lucy Stone: Pioneer of Women's Rights and Lucy Stone: An Unapologetic Life. (It's hard to look up books about this suffragist because there is a mystery series with a character of the same name and all those come up!)

I have only read a couple of books by Louise Erdrich so I would like to read more by her this year. Also I want to finish my reread of all the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers and the sequels by Jill Paton Walsh. A couple of other series I want to finish are historical mysteries about the blind judge John Fielding. I am currently on The Price of Murder. And I liked Sea of Poppies (historical fiction) so much that I got the other 2 books of that trilogy, need to read them soon before I forget everything from the first book!

Robin P wrote: "I have a speaking gig where I talk about women from US history. I am going to be talking about Lucy Stone sometime this year and I have the fictional Leaving Coy's Hill and the nonf..."

@Robin - are you reading anything in French? More Dumas Père et Fils?

Yes, I am still leading an endless discussion in another group about the musketeer cycle. We are close to starting the last part, The Man in the Iron Mask. Dumas was the James Patterson of his time, using a bunch of assistant writers, and it shows here, or maybe it's just that Dumas was writing a lot of filler about court intrigues.

I always have my usual stuff that I read (which is a wide range, I know - history, biographies, historical fiction, thrillers, true crime, mysteries, horror, and much more).

I have a 12x12 challenge that I do each year, and I usually keep the same categories (some are as simple as PBT), but one I added last year because I'm hoping to try to read more of is BIPOC (authors or main characters).

I am interested in becoming more knowledgeable and aware of the world around me. I tend to read more literature and history and not that much current/recent events. I read This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race which was eye-opening to me in terms of the history and what appears to maybe be the next big thing that everyone says afterwards, how did we not see this coming. Anyway, other books on my TBR list include:

Fulfillment: winning and losing in one-click America
Flying Blind: Boeing's Max Tragedy and the Lost Soul of an American Icon
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City

My areas of interest this year are history, science, historical fiction, and literary fiction. I plan to stay away from thrillers, romances, and contemporary fiction unless needed for one of my challenges or group reads. I hope to give up on books more if I am not enjoying them. I plan to read from books I already own or can easily get from the library.

A few goals:
- This year I am focusing on non-fiction.
- Continue my "reading around the world," both fiction and non-fiction.
- My author of the year is Iris Murdoch (at least 5 books).
- Participate in PBT challenges and reading for the monthly tag, plus several other groups' challenges.
- Continue reading from the Boxall List - at least 20 books.
- Read the Booker Longlist nominees again this year.

Charlie wrote: "I am interested in becoming more knowledgeable and aware of the world around me. I tend to read more literature and history and not that much current/recent events.

I highly recommend Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty-The best book of 2021 for me

My goal this year is to knock out the last 75 or so books on the 1001 list (1315 books, actually) that I have left.

Tracy wrote: "My goal this year is to knock out the last 75 or so books on the 1001 list (1315 books, actually) that I have left."

Wow Tracy-awesome! That is an accomplishment, do let us all know when finish so we can celebrate with you

Something that has focused my interest over the past few years are issues of equality, diversity and inclusiveness and how they relate to literature and national and world events. With this comes an interest in immigration and refugees.

I also have some varied and assorted topics which I enjoy reading about and exploring:
History and especially WWII resistance, Reconstruction and the descent into the Jim Crow era, nuns and nunneries, plagues and pandemics, medieval times;
Environment and travelogues - slow travel, various eco-systems especially oceans, jungle and forest habitats and I've has a special interest in Cornwall recently;
Animals especially cats, both large and small, tame and wild and wolves.

You all have such lofty literary reading goals!

Alas, I am sticking with wallowing in crime fiction, especially favorite authors and series I have neglected for several years. 😁

I want to concentrate on some non-fiction and historical fiction this year. Last year I embraced my other love, Fantasy, and TBR for these two went stagnate. I suppose that is related to my not finding a lot to add to it through out the year. When visiting my library lately I have just been roaming these two areas and searching for books/author that might appeal to me.

Joanne wrote: "I want to concentrate on some non-fiction and historical fiction this year. Last year I embraced my other love, Fantasy, and TBR for these two went stagnate. I suppose that is related to my not fin..."

Joanne, this is a tangent, but is your library open to the public? Our libraries here where I live are drive through only, due to the COVID surge. I miss browsing the shelves.

Holly R W wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I want to concentrate on some non-fiction and historical fiction this year. Last year I embraced my other love, Fantasy, and TBR for these two went stagnate. I suppose that is relate..."

Our Library is still open, but I don't know for how long. Michigan is really behind the curve for vaccinations, doesn't it make you angry!!! However, even if they do end up going to curb-side only I will still be allowed in, as I am on The Friends Board and I also run the on-line bookstore which patrons can still use curbside for if they prefer. Curbside was such a hit they have no plans to get rid of it.

I love just browsing, and honestly it was so nice when the public could not come in last year. It was like having my own private Library-LoL!

Our libraries were closed to browsing for over a year, pickup only. They reopened end of May 2021. Just a couple months ago, they started having in-person book groups. I was planning to join one in January, but a couple weeks ago, I decided to "hibernate", canceling theater tickets, non-urgent appointments, etc. I am on the email list for the book group, and I was surprised they were meeting in person. Then about 24 hours before the meeting, they announced they were switching it to Zoom, so I did attend. They mentioned they were doing pickup if people want that, but for now they are still open.

Good for you, Robin P. The virus is still here and mutating. We do not know enough about it yet. Stay safe. You can always read at home. My library started a Zoom book group and I have enjoyed it. Stay safe is the mantra. peace, janz

@ Amy, I can't get enough of books set in Paris and am currently traveling vicariously through them as I have never been but desperately want to. Let me know what you are reading and maybe we can get a few buddy reads in this year.

The Fly the Skies challenge last year was a huge success for me as I hit all seven continents. I am aiming to continue to read across the globe this year.

Joy is my word for the year so I've committed to reading a book each month on how to cultivate that more.

I read few new releases last year so I have the goal of reading 12 or more this year.

I've also read few of the Newbery Medal winners so am reading one per month.

In addition, I want to really clear my TBR- last year I spent too much time finding books to match reading challenges and overcommitted to challenges. This year I'm just going to read what I want for the first 7 months and slot books in where they fit.

HayJay friend, Can definitely join you on both of those journeys! Looking forward to it!

Hayjay315 wrote: "@ Amy, I can't get enough of books set in Paris and am currently traveling vicariously through them as I have never been but desperately want to. Let me know what you are reading and maybe we can g..."

I really enjoyed this book about joy. The audio narration includes interviews with the Dalai Llama and Desmond Tuto. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World.

I also liked books on positive psychology, by authors such as Martin E.P. Seligman, and Shawn Achor.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Shawn Achor