On The Same Page discussion

I only finished 5 books so far on my 2023 list, but of course I've already thought about my 2024 list. I may even still make it through the 2023 books since I am taking some time off from work in December.

My 2024 selections are mainly next books in series I am reading, with a few other choices thrown in for variety. It skews heavily toward sci fi and fantasy but from varying subgenres. I may swap out one or two before the end of the year (either because I started one early or because I find something else I want to read more).

2024 list

1. Malice
2. Shadowplay
3. A Blight of Blackwings
4. A Curse of Krakens
5. The Queen’s Price 2/29, 4*
6. Crowbones 6/19, 3*
7. The Olympian Affair 9/17, 4*
8. Parable of the Sower 5/12, 3.75*
9. The Narrow Road Between Desires 7/28, 4.5*
10. Kill Switch 1/20, 4.5*
11. The Bride Wore Black Leather 2/17, 4.5*
12. White Trash Zombie Unchained 6/3, 4*
13. The Locked Room 1/28, 4*
14. The Woman in White 12/30, 4.75*
15. The Man in the Iron Mask 12/24, 4*
16. Crime and Punishment 12/11, 3.75*

Such an excellent challenging list. I want t o read more Octavia Butler and also to read Malice. I've had for awhile now.

Most of these are on my TBR; or i've read them. Really great choices.

Good luck and happy reading, Anne!

Ambitious and varied, I love your list. The Woman in White is one of my all time favorites. Parable of the Sower, Kill Switch, The Man in the Iron Mask and Crime and Punishment are all excellent, I think you'll have a wonderful year of reading!

Bill wrote: "Such an excellent challenging list. I want t o read more Octavia Butler and also to read Malice. I've had for awhile now."

Octavia Butler is one of my favorite authors. She died much too soon, so there are nowhere near as many books as I would like. I've been spacing them out, so I can savor them. Once I finish them all, there can never be any more.

I have also owned Malice for quite some time. I picked it up at a book store years ago based on a recommendation from someone at the store (can't remember if employee or customer), but I haven't even opened it yet. I want to change that.

Alondra wrote: "Most of these are on my TBR; or i've read them. Really great choices.

Good luck and happy reading, Anne!"

Thanks. I recall seeing many of these on your list. Some may have ended up on my TBR that way, while others were good reminders of "Hey, I have that book. Maybe I should finally read it."

Ioana wrote: "Ambitious and varied, I love your list. The Woman in White is one of my all time favorites. Parable of the Sower, Kill Switch, The Man in the Iron Mask and Crime and Punishment are all excellent, I..."

Thanks. I own almost all these books, and I am really looking forward to finally reading them. It's probably a good thing I'm still scrambling to finish my 2023 list, or I might have a hard time resisting starting these books early.

Anne wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Most of these are on my TBR; or i've read them. Really great choices.

Good luck and happy reading, Anne!"

Thanks. I recall seeing many of these on your list. Some may have ended u..."

Exactly. That is how I get so many. I lurk a lot. LOL

Great list! Parable of the Sower is on my short list for my 12+4 list as well!

Interesting list! I haven't read that series by Tad Williams. I plan to read the third in his Osten Ard series next year. Look forward to hearing what you think about Shadowplay as well as your other picks.
Happy Reading!

I'm hoping to read Parable of the Sower this year too. I have read The Woman in White, The Man in the Iron Mask, and Crime and Punishment and liked them all. Hope you enjoy the books you selected. :-)

The summary from Goodreads for Parable of the Sower begins with "In 2024, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future." What better reason to read it in 2024? I'm certainly planning on it. Also, Wilkie Collins was an excellent choice. Good luck.

What a great list!!! I haven’t read any, but definitely know of alot of them. Best of luck with your challenge! 😊

Jackie wrote: "The summary from Goodreads for Parable of the Sower begins with "In 2024, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future...."

Yep!!! ...and then reading all of the similarities; ugh! We are living in a simulation, I swear!! LOL

Alissa wrote: "Great list! Parable of the Sower is on my short list for my 12+4 list as well!"

It's hard to go wrong with Octavia Butler.

Patricia wrote: "Interesting list! I haven't read that series by Tad Williams. I plan to read the third in his Osten Ard series next year. Look forward to hearing what you think about Shadowplay as well as your oth..."

I am halfway through the previous book (Shadowmarch), and it is really good. It's a bit slow, but that is normal for his works, and it doesn't bother me.

Lea wrote: "I'm hoping to read Parable of the Sower this year too. I have read The Woman in White, The Man in the Iron Mask, and Crime and Punishment and liked them all. Hope you enjoy the books you selected. :-)"

Thanks. Dumas is one of my favorite authors, and I've wanted to read The Man in the Iron Mask for a long time. It should be excellent. I've owned these classics for a long time, so I thought I should finally get to them in 2024.

Jackie wrote: "The summary from Goodreads for Parable of the Sower begins with "In 2024, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future...."

Alondra wrote: "JYep!!! ...and then reading all of the similarities; ugh! We are living in a simulation, I swear!! LOL"

She seemed to be able to see into the future more accurately than most sci fi authors.

Lindsey wrote: "What a great list!!! I haven’t read any, but definitely know of alot of them. Best of luck with your challenge! 😊"

Thanks.

The only one I've read is The Locked Room. I loved this series and am sad it's finished. But I started the Harbinder Kaur series and liked it.

I’m planning to read Parable of the Sower this year also. I like your choice of 3 classics. I have plans to read all of them at some time in my life! Hope you enjoy your selections and good luck with the challenge!

I loved Parable of the Sower and am reading The Olympian Affair this year too. I'll have to check out some others you chose.

I love the Elly Griffith's series but have only read the first 6 (and then the last one because it came really cheap and I couldn't resist. The first ones I got in paperback at a used bookstore, so didn't read in order.

Vikki wrote: "The only one I've read is The Locked Room. I loved this series and am sad it's finished. But I started the Harbinder Kaur series and liked it."

Bonnie wrote: "I love the Elly Griffith's series but have only read the first 6 (and then the last one because it came really cheap and I couldn't resist. The first ones I got in paperback at a used bookstore, so..."

I only starting reading the series 1.5 years ago, and I'm already close to the end. I've really enjoyed them. I do plan on trying the other series, so it's good to hear that you liked that series too.

Pam wrote: "I’m planning to read Parable of the Sower this year also. I like your choice of 3 classics. I have plans to read all of them at some time in my life! Hope you enjoy your selections and good luck wi..."

Thanks. These classics are ones I've owned for quite some time, but I've not read. I am looking forward to them, especially the Dumas (he's one of my favorite authors).

Bonnie wrote: "I loved Parable of the Sower and am reading The Olympian Affair this year too. I'll have to check out some others you chose."

These authors are consistent "hits' for me, so I am excited for them. I only included books from 3 "new to me" authors, so I am relatively confident that I will love most, if not all, of the books this year. I had a few duds last year.

I am starting off the year with Kill Switch. I have the audiobook checked out from the library, so this one should go quickly.

Anne wrote: "I am starting off the year with Kill Switch. I have the audiobook checked out from the library, so this one should go quickly."

A good way to start off, with lots of action.

Malice - I have been meaning to read that for years and just haven't yet. Looking forward to seeing what you think.
I started reading The Olympian Affair but I think it had been too long since I read the first book and couldn't follow some of it. Great to hear from Rawr again though, lol.
I'm planning to read the new Rothfuss too. I see you are almost at the end of Ruth Galloway series...I'm loving that too, have the rest in the series on my individual challenge this year.
I really enjoyed Woman in White, hope you do too.

Bill wrote: "A good way to start off, with lots of action."

You are right about that! I just finished it yesterday, and the action was almost non-stop. I really enjoyed Kill Switch.

Linette wrote: "Malice - I have been meaning to read that for years and just haven't yet. Looking forward to seeing what you think.
I started reading The Olympian Affair but I think it had been too long since I re..."

I reread The Aeronaut's Windlass last year because it had been so long since I read it. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

I have gotten through the Ruth Galloway series quite quickly. I started The Locked Room last night.

I'm glad you liked Woman in White since we often like the same books. I hope we both like Malice and the new Rothfuss.

Anne wrote: "Bill wrote: "A good way to start off, with lots of action."

You are right about that! I just finished it yesterday, and the action was almost non-stop. I really enjoyed Kill Switch."

I just love Ledger.... *sigh*

I finished The Locked Room this morning. It was a good book, and the author did a good job of capturing the weirdness of the early stages of the pandemic. Most authors of long-running series have been pretending that it didn't exist or working around it, but this author embraced it and used it to help service the plot.

I have not decided yet which book from this list I will read next.

Alondra wrote: "I just love Ledger.... *sigh*."

Same

Anne wrote: "I finished The Locked Room this morning. It was a good book, and the author did a good job of capturing the weirdness of the early stages of the pandemic. Most authors of long-runni..."

I do need to explore Elly Griffiths more.

I finished my next book: The Bride Wore Black Leather. It was an excellent conclusion to the Nightside series. I will have to check out other books by the author, particularly the 2 series that take place in the same world. There were a few references to those series in this book, but I don't think I missed out on too much.

I own all the remaining books on the list, so I won't have to worry about library deadlines for these (unlike the 3 I have completed). I plan to read a few library books before picking out my next book from the list.

Bill wrote: "I do need to explore Elly Griffiths more."

I've really enjoyed her books so far. I have a book from one of her other series checked out from the library, along with the last book of the Ruth Galloway series.

I finished The Queen’s Price on Thursday, so I've now finished 4 books from my list in the first 2 months. That is a much better pace than I had last year, and hopefully I can keep this up. I have not decided which book to read next, but it will have to wait until I finish a few library books.

Great start, Anne!
I try to do the same, read 2 books from my list each month, so I can finish late summer instead of under pressure end of the year. Not always successful, but close enough.

Linette wrote: "Great start, Anne!
I try to do the same, read 2 books from my list each month, so I can finish late summer instead of under pressure end of the year. Not always successful, but close enough."

I wish I was that disciplined. I'm usually scrambling to try to finish 3 or more books in December. I want to read the books on my list, but I seem to get distracted by other books rather easily.

As long as you enjoy them, that's best of all.
From the books I've read this year, I've found at least 3 new series I want to read so far this year...tbr pile up, lol.

That's an excellent start, Anne. I hope you enjoy the remaining books in your challenge. You've got some challenging ones there.

Anne wrote: "I finished my next book: The Bride Wore Black Leather. It was an excellent conclusion to the Nightside series. I will have to check out other books by the author, particularly the 2..."

I absolutely loved this series and miss it. There is a book of short stories on The Nightside; Tales from the Nightside: A Nightside Book. I need to read it asap.

I finished Parable of the Sower today. This book was written decades ago, yet it was set in basically the current day. She foresaw some of the changes that have occurred in the interim. I can't say I enjoyed the book because so many of the things that happened were traumatic or horrific or disturbing. Still, it was very well written.

My next choice(s) from my list is going to be either The Man in the Iron Mask or White Trash Zombie Unchained. Those are the 2 books I selected to bring with on my vacation to Europe, which I leave for in about a week. I may not have much time for reading, and these seemed like good options for my downtime.

I read Parable of the Sower recently too. It was pretty intense, but so well written. I read the sequel Parable of the Talents also. I thought it was important to read and well written, but I am now recovering and reading books that are a bit lighter. I hope you have a great trip! What fun!

Lea wrote: "I read Parable of the Sower recently too. It was pretty intense, but so well written. I read the sequel Parable of the Talents also. I thought it was important to read and well written..."

I am slow to check comments here. I did have a wonderful trip. I agree about the Parable books being intense and wanting to read lighter books afterward. I read White Trash Zombie Unchained as my vacation book, and it worked well since it had short chapters (not much time to read).

I finished The Narrow Road Between Desires last week. It was excellent, but I read it slowly, so I could savor it. The author takes a very long time between books, so who knows when I'll have another story from him to read.

Anne wrote: "I finished The Narrow Road Between Desires last week. It was excellent, but I read it slowly, so I could savor it. The author takes a very long time between books, so who knows whe..."

I have yet to read book 2, because he has not released #3 yet; Doors of Stone. I know I will have to reread the first book, but i think it will be worth it because I have all the books and "in-betweeners"

Alondra wrote: "Anne wrote: "I finished The Narrow Road Between Desires last week. It was excellent, but I read it slowly, so I could savor it. The author takes a very long time between books, so ..."

I hope he finishes the 3rd book soon. I will be rereading also, but I will wait until the book is available for preorder before I consider restarting.