a lifestyle blog for book lovers

My picks for the 2016 Reading Challenge.

I usually approach my reading with equal amounts of planning and pantsing (as in “fly by the seat of my”).

I believe in reading at whim, but I also know the value of a good reading deadline. For the past five Januarys or so, I’ve made a short list of books I’ve been meaning to read for ages that I want to finally cross off my TBR list in the year to come, but that’s about it for my structured reading goals.

This year is different. I still believe in bookish serendipity, but I’ve already chosen my books for the 2016 MMD Reading Challenge, because ePantry is giving away two complete sets of my personal picks to two lucky readers. 

I find choosing current and future reads to be equal parts fun and torture, but I persevered. These are MY picks for the 2016 Reading Challenge. I’d love to hear your thoughts on them, and I can’t wait to hear what YOU are reading for the challenge.

(Head here to join the challenge, download your free printable, and get connected to other readers. )

Here’s the lowdown on the giveaway:

• ePantry is giving away two complete sets of twelve books each. Streamline your cleaning life with ePantry so you can spend more time on the important things, like reading!
• One winner will be chosen from the comments below. To enter, leave a comment telling me a few books on your 2016 reading list.
• One lucky ePantry customer will also receive their own set. If you’re a new or existing ePantry customer, you’re already entered.
• The giveaway is good through Friday, January 8 at 9:00 p.m. EST. Must be 18 or older; 48 contiguous states only.

Leave a comment below to enter.  UPDATE: The giveaway has ended. Thanks for playing!

My picks for the 2016 MMD Reading Challenge:

MMD 2016 Reading Challenge

a book published this year
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

Author:
I thought Kondo's previous book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up was wacky and wonderful and fantastically motivating. I'm definitely afraid that this will be a rehashing of her first book, but I can't miss the opportunity to see for myself. This book just came out on January 5, 2016. (Don't worry about finding your own pick for this category: I'll share a list of more new books I can't wait to read in 2016 in the next few days.) More info →
a book you can finish in a day
We Have Always Lived in the Castle

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Author:
I didn't hear of this short 1962 novel until a few years ago, and since readers with great and diverse tastes keep recommending it. I'm a little leery because it's decidedly creepy, and I don't like scary stories, but I'm trying it anyway because Shirley Jackson knows how to tell a story. At 146 pages, I can finish this in a day—but I've been warned to read it during daylight hours and not right before bedtime. More info →
a book you've been meaning to read
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

Friends have been recommending this series to me for years, but as of right now the only book I've read by Alexander McCall Smith is Emma: A Modern Retelling. I heard the author speak at my local library last year: he was well-spoken, warm, and extremely funny (plus he wore a kilt, which certainly didn't hurt). I was intrigued by the numerous audience questions about his much-loved detective series and am eager to finally cross this one off the list in 2016. More info →
a book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena: A Novel

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena: A Novel

Author:
Two local bookstore employees gushed about this 2013 debut when I hovered in front of it on the shelves. Marra's story is set in Chechnya during the Chechen Wars, in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union. My booksellers warned me this New York Times notable book of the year is much too grim to be called an easy read, but it's worth it. Marra's interweaving stories reveal the interconnectedness of us all, and his unlikely resolution is surprisingly hopeful. Or so they say. We'll see. More info →
Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris

Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris

Author:

As a foodie memoir devotee, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Journalist Ann Mah moves to Paris when her diplomat husband is given a three-year assignment there. She's overjoyed at the opportunity until he's reassigned to Iraq for a year-long solo stint and must figure out life in Paris on her own. And so she does, one pain au chocolat and boeuf Bourguignon at a time.

More info →
a book you should have read in school
Lonesome Dove

Lonesome Dove

Author:
This Pulitzer Prize winner has been on my radar for years, and not just because it's assigned reading for many. But it never occurred to me that I might actually want to read it for myself: I dismissed it as a book my western-loving grandfather would have loved, but would bore me to tears. But this past year this book has kept coming up in conversation, and now I'm genuinely looking forward to giving it a try. More info →
a book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child, or BFF
Wind, Sand and Stars

Wind, Sand and Stars

I asked my husband to choose a book for this category. I expected him to recommend a book about technology or business or maybe mountaineering, but he surprised me with this lesser-known classic by the author of The Little Prince. After some quick googling I couldn't be happier with his choice: National Geographic ranked this third on its list of the 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time, saying "this remarkable classic attains its high ranking here by soaring both as a piece of writing and as a tale of adventure." More info →
a book published before you were born
The House of Mirth

The House of Mirth

Author:
I've heard wonderful things about this classic, but I've never read it nor anything else by Edith Wharton. Readers often recommend Wharton in terms of Jane Austen because they both write about women's everyday life: she's been called the new Austen, the anti-Austen, a more sophisticated Austen, a more depressing Austen. It's time to finally read it and decide for myself. More info →
a book that was banned at some point
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Author:
I've never read Angelou's memoir of her childhood in the American South in the 1930s in its entirety. This is a book I've been meaning to read for ages: the excerpts I've heard have been haunting and achingly beautiful. I'm considering doing this one on audio: Angelou narrates her own work, and she does it wonderfully. More info →
a book you previously abandoned
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

Author:
Several of you read this for last year's challenge as your book in translation, as it was originally published in Sweden. I started it at the beach last summer, and read just enough to see why it's often called "clever," "quirky," and "un-put-down-able." But our vacation ended before I finished the book, it was due back to the library, and I got distracted by the demands of post-travel laundry and back-to-school prep. Looking forward to actually finishing this one this year. More info →
a book you own but have never read
Before Green Gables

Before Green Gables

Author:
This was my easiest pick: a friend gave me this book a couple of years ago and I have no excuse for why I haven't read it yet. I'm a huge Anne fan, and the reviews all say this prequel about Anne's life before she came to Green Gables is actually pretty good. I'm happy to have an excuse to bump it to the top of the list in 2016. More info →
a book that intimidates you
Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

Author:
There aren't many books that intimidate me anymore, but this 2004 novel is an exception: it's been called "as mysterious as a Zen koan" and that makes me nervous! It's also been called "unique," "interesting," and often, "indescribable." Several reviews on Goodreads simply say, "huh?" But the numerous rave reviews and a nudge from my local bookseller persuaded me to give this one a try. More info →
a book you've already read at least once
Hannah Coulter

Hannah Coulter

Author:
I adore Berry, who writes gorgeous, thoughtful, piercing novels. This is among his finest. I've been saying for years that I'm overdue for a re-read. I'm anticipating wanting to read all his Port William novels again after finishing this one. More info →

What are you thinking about choosing for the different challenge categories? What’s on YOUR 2016 reading list? 

1,328 comments

  1. Dinah says:

    These are on my pile as I start the new year: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner, The Introvert Entrepreneur by Beth Buelow and Starting Something New by Beth Booram. However, I do have 180 books on my TBR list…. Hope I live long enough to read them all.

    • Bekki says:

      Both my 13 yo daughter and I LOVE the #1 Detective Agency and Before Green Gables. I currently am reading a recommendation from an aunt, Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble (strong Steel Magnolias vibe) and pulling back out “A Woman of Substance”, one of my favorite books from my 20’s.

        • Ledys says:

          Anne, it’s too hard to narrow down all of those awesome books into one short list! 🙂 but, if I must, I think some of my picks that would make the list would be Neil Gaiman’s Make Good Art speech, Gretchen Rubin’s better than before, Aristotle’s Erhics, which I abandoned a couple of years ago, Don Quixote which I should have read in high school! (Grew up in a Spanish-speaking country), The Anne of Green Gables books (which I am ashamed to say I have never read… I know, I know…) Picking my re-read is even harder. Probably The Lord of the Rings, or something by Laura Frantz, or Marylu Tindall’s. So much inspiration, thanks for the challenge and the push to read more!

    • dana says:

      first, I benefitted from the main thrust of Tidying UP but don’t feel I’ve done enough yet to “spark joy”. that will have to wait.
      second, I LOVE Juniper books, so clever, so interesting to look at, and of course wonderful to read. third, I’m currently reading The Only Street in Paris, Rue des Martyrs, by Sciolino, The Truth According to Us by anie Barrows (one of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society writers) and All the Stars in Heaven, the latest from Adriana Trigiana. I adhere to the “have an open book wherever you might be” school of reading. thanks for all these great recommendations.

      • Anne says:

        I love your philosophy of reading. 🙂 I strongly considered All the Stars in the Heavens as my “book you own but have never read” but I’ve never read anything by her and wasn’t feeling too confident … but your comment makes me think I should give her a try after all.

    • Amy says:

      I am a librarian at a small rural school in New York. Just wanted to drop you a note to say, thank you sooo much for your list. The categories are so applicable to my students and we’re in love with your design sense. So, we have decided to accept your challenge. The kids are stoked. We made a bulletin board and the sheets are being passed around like they are treasure maps (they are). The prize for completing the challenge, (using your journals) is a sleepover party in the high school library. Want to come?

      • Polly says:

        I wish I could! That sounds like a wonderful idea! I work at a high school in Iowa and I’m going to suggest this to our librarian. Thank you for the inspiration!

      • Brooksie Kramer says:

        This is my first year as the librarian at my high school in Virginia. I also wanted to thank you for your list and site in general. One of the first things I did when I started my new job was to institute a reading challenge for the school, and the kids have been so excited about it! I love your 12-book model and will be putting that into practice with my students in the future. I have also really been enjoying your reading journal and have shared the idea with several of my English teachers. Thanks again for your amazing site!

    • Kerry says:

      I have never had a reading list before. I just tend to pick books that come across my recommended reading list on Amazon. This is the first time I have thought about having a reading list. Because this is new to me, I have decided to start with MMD’s reading list this year. All of these books are outside of my normal reading style. I tend to read spooky, paranormal, historical, Austen-type, zombies, vampires, steam-punk, self-help books. I feel the need for books which are more down-to-earth.

    • Peggy Pratt says:

      I have Peice Like a River on my list too along with The List, Rising Strong, Childhood Disrupted, Lost Lake, Written In My Own Heart’s Blood, and Boys in the Boat. And, so many more!!

  2. Rosemary Meiners says:

    I love Hannah Coulter! As always, after reading your “bookish” posts, I’m checking with my library to see if they have any of the books! The top three books I’d like to read are probably: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, After Alice by Gregory Maguire, and The Lake House by Kate Morton . I’ve really enjoyed her other books, so I’m looking forward to her latest one! I’d love a chance at winning this set, too! Yay!

  3. Melanie says:

    I’ve only read two from you list, and one is Cloud Atlas. I loved it! When I was finished, I felt the need to discuss it with someone but couldn’t find anyone else who had read it.

  4. Sara says:

    Interesting picks! I will revisit A Prayer for Owen Meany. Just couldn’t get into it and everyone loves John Irving, right? Just bought Pride & Prejudice, so that will be the book published before I was born. Can you believe I’ve never read it??? I’ve been meaning to read In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad Series). And my husband is reading and loving The Martian, So that’ll likely be his recommendation. The read in one day category should be a perfect way to catch up with my daughter’s reading, starting with Homecoming. Fun challenge!

    • Anne says:

      I love Tana French’s murder squad series! (Or rather, I loved 2, hated 2, and was so-so on 1. But she sure can write.) And I love that you’re reading P&P!

      • Wendy says:

        Now I’m dying to know which ones you loved and which you hated! The Likeness was my favorite, but I really liked the others as well.

        I really enjoyed Cloud Atlas. We read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings when I was a freshman in high school, and it was tough, but had such an impact.

        I’m hoping to read David Copperfield soon; I really like Dickens but have some holes in my reading. I’m currently balancing three YA novels that I’ve been eager to get to: Jackaby, Lockdown, and How It Went Down. One alternate history fantasy and two gritty contemporary reads.

        • Ali says:

          REALLY liked “How it Went Down” – did the first little bit as a read aloud with my students to start the year (editing some of the language) and a number of my reluctant readers have picked it up.

  5. Angela says:

    Great list! I’m putting a couple of them on my to-read list as well. 🙂

    Here are a few of mine:
    A book I’ve been meaning to read: Warriors of God by James Reston, Jr.
    A book I’ve previously abandoned: Prague Winter by Madeleine Albright
    A book that intimidates me: War and Peace by Tolstoy–it’s so long!
    A book I’ve read at least once: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

    Good luck to us all on finishing our lists!

  6. JenBundy says:

    Swoon! The House of Mirth is one of my favorite books!
    I am going to check out some of your other choices as well.

  7. Olivia says:

    I want to read more Wendell Berry this year. I also read my first Jane Austen and can’t wait to read more! The category I am most apprehensive about is a book I can read in a day. Not sure I will be able to accomplish that one.

    • Sarah says:

      Haha, depends on what the book in a day is. I read Pinkalicious to my 5 year old yesterday so I guess that counts! Although I’ll probably add The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and see if I can knock that out in a day. My 8 year old is reading it now and I like to read some of the things he’s reading.

    • Anne says:

      I’ll find a few kindle singles when it’s time to make recommendations for that category. Although I will say the phrasing is “a book you CAN finish in a day,” not “a book you DID finish in a day.” 🙂

  8. zo says:

    You will love the detective agency series but the first one is the only one not a keeper to me, I had the latest two for Christmas and am very excited!
    I’m not sure about the challenge but I may do it, I certainly love reading, at the moment just finished childhood classics of Nancy drew and hardy boys, ten out of ten, now started the latest Miranda Dickinson book and its great so far. I think I would pick a, thriller on kindle as my not read yet one or a vampire series one, and for this year choice Sarah Morgan’s Manhattan series comes out around spring, yes to that.. Love your blog, I recently discovered it.

      • Zo says:

        Your welcome, the first detective book is what leads you to the second, it had a more relaxed feel even with the drama from book two onwards, more in ethos of what vibe I love from them if that makes sense. They get better.

  9. Becky says:

    I’d love to read the new spark joy book, Rising Strong, and finish Living well, Spending Less. I just finished Where’d you go, Bernadette. What a cute book that was!

  10. Bridget G says:

    I adding a bunch of these to my TBR list. I also want to read Kondo’s new book. For a book you have already read I want to reread The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. For the book I own, but have not read it is The Fault in Our Starts. I always dread reading sad books but usually am happy I’ve read them once they are done. For a book you’ve been meaning to read or could also count for the one written before I was born The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas.

    • Anne says:

      “I always dread reading sad books but usually am happy I’ve read them once they are done.”

      I completely relate to this. And you’re in good company with The Count of Monte Cristo: I’m surprised at how many readers have it on their reading challenge lists!

  11. Kayris says:

    I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is one of my all time favorite books.

    I’ll probably reread the Pern series this year, by Anne McCaffrey.

    And it’s almost my turn for X by Sue Grafton. I’m soooooo excited for it!

  12. Krystal Pound says:

    I read my first Agatha Christie novel over Christmas break (why did I wait so long?) Now I’d like to read a few more of hers that have been highly recommended. I’m primarily a fiction reader, but this year I set a goal that 25% of my reading be non-fiction (last year it was probably around 10%). So I’ve got Living Well, Spending Less by Ruth Soukup and One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp on my radar already.

    • LadyWoman says:

      I don’t generally read a lot of non fiction but two of my favorite books out of all my reading last year were Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty.

  13. Lisa Spence says:

    I’m definitely one who chooses her reading as the whim strikes! Your list inspires though, so perhaps I will change my ways. Right now I’m reading Just Mercy so that will definitely make my 2016 list ? Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

  14. Katie says:

    Thanks for sharing your selections . My daughter picked Going Bovine for me to read. I’m looking forward to rereading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in the category of books I’ve read at least once.

    • Anne says:

      I’m not familiar with Going Bovine but I certainly hope you enjoy it since your daughter picked it! I just read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for last year’s reading challenge and my only regret was that I waited so long to read it.

    • Summer says:

      I promised myself years ago that I would read Redeeming Love again and again, so I guess it’s time to do so. A book I own but haven’t read would be Jane Eyre. Over the holidays, I soared through the first three Louise Penny books, but ran out of time before I could finish the fourth. The book that intimidates me is The Gifts of Imperfection. I’ve started it, but keep putting it down, knowing how much work is involved.

  15. Anna Chan says:

    I have a whole stack of books to read. I keep getting “Americanah” from the library and have to return it before I’ve even started it.

  16. Addie says:

    As cliché as it sounds, I still want to read All the Light We Cannot See because its been out at the library every time Ive gone in there last year so maybe I can finally find it this year… and also, The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss because Ive read the other books in the trilogy and this is the last one and Im hoping its good as the other two!

    also, reading through your list is making me add a few more… 🙂

    • Debbie says:

      To clarify, The Slow Regard is his latest, but not the third in the trilogy. It’s a side story about Auri (short- could be read in a day). Still waiting for the release of the final book in the trilogy.

      • Addie says:

        Ahhhh, you are so right! I totally forgot that – I read the Baz story not too long ago, so I had “getting back to the trilogy” on my mind when I wrote that… thanks for the reminder!

  17. Kim says:

    the magic of tidying, to kill a mockingbird, & pride & prejudice are all on my list this year. thanks for the blog & the chance to win!

  18. Ashlea says:

    Currently reading Phantastes by George MacDonald for book club. I plan on reading Carry on, Mr Bowditch (Hubby’s pick), The Wulver’s Rose (free eBook for nook and kindle), and The Giver.

      • Ashlea says:

        This book club does mostly classics. Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, and G. K. Chesterton show up somewhat frequently. I just joined back in March, and it feels so good to have a place to talk about grown up books. (My son is just learning to talk, and my husband works a lot.)

  19. Emily Webb says:

    Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline – been meaning to read
    The Storm Makers by Jennifer E Smith – finish in a day
    The Book of Three by Llyod Alexander – husband picked
    Walkable City by Jeff Speck – recommend
    The Pretender’s Lady by Alan Gold – own never read
    The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin – started never finished
    Lonesome Dove – should have read in school
    Persuasion – Jane Austen – I’ve read before

    I’ve got 4 more to pick!

  20. Jennifer says:

    And my TBR list just exploded ? So many great suggestions! I’m looking forward to choosing my own books for the year.

  21. Kim says:

    I will re-read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up which I find inspiring (and then finally conquer that last category of stuff (papers, etc.) Also could easily re-read Spark, the evolutionary new science exercise and the brain by John Ratey

  22. Sarah says:

    A few of mine:
    A book I’ve been meaning to read: The Hobbit
    A book I’ve abandoned: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
    A book recommended by my husband: Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me by Ian Morgan Cron
    Also, 1984 (Orwell) and The Secret History (Tartt)

    • B J says:

      Love the Hobbit! I often say it’s the only book ever recommended to me by an English teacher that I truly loved. The whole class was having a hard time, not loving “The Old Man and the Sea.” Ms. Ellis recommended we read “The Hobbit” on our own time and most of us loved it. I’ve read it many times over the many years since eighth grade. In fact just finished reading it again as I have not watched the 3 Hobbit movies yet and wanted to re-read the book again before. Enjoy!

      • Sarah says:

        Thanks! I think I will love it. The only problem is it the kind of thing I can totally see myself binge reading. I will probably have to save it for summer.

  23. Cathy Juliano says:

    Stumbled upon your Reading Challenge and immediately liked your FB page. Simple but realistic goals! After reading your choices, I finally must try a Jane Austen! Thanks for the inspiration!

  24. Sarah w says:

    I discovered your website after hearing you on the Read Aloud Revival. I’m so inspired! On my list this year: Shepherding A Child’s Heart by Ted Tripp, Great Expectations by Dickens, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and Mary Poppins. Thanks!

  25. Marie says:

    I almost always pick books at whim. But I try to have good books on my shelf to make the picking easier, and I appreciate your suggestions. Hannah Coulter is on my list!

  26. Sara K. says:

    I’m doing Pop Sugar’s reading challenge again this year as well as MMD 🙂

    So far this year I have read Persuasion by Jane Austen, and I am working on Jurassic Park and Rebecca.

    Some of the books I plan to read this year are:
    A book published this year – Heartless by Marissa Meyer
    A book I’ve been meaning to read – Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
    A book recommended by my niece – The Maze Runner by James Dashner
    A book published before you were born – Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
    A book that intimidates you – Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

    • Dana says:

      I want to read Kristin Lavransdatter as well, but I have been a bit intimidated. I have read and heard good things about it.

      • MelissaJoy says:

        Kristin Lavransdatter is the strongest female character I’ve ever read and I think that’s one of the reasons these books feel so intimidating. She makes decisions based on her priorities and passions, never once trying to please her parents, community or priest. I started the trilogy at the start of 2015 and finished in late December. Be encouraged to take your time. It was worth it for me.

  27. Michelle Wells says:

    I have so many books on my TBR list it is positively intimidating. I too have a book on tidying on my list, though admittedly it’s pretty far down. I am currently reading The Truth About Money by Ric Edelman. It was a Christmas gift and I am determined to finish before picking up another book. Talk about motivation! I REALLY want to get to All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and Night by Elie Wiesel. The former set at the beginning of WWII and the latter is set in the aftermath. Both positively scare me because I am used to reading books that “feel good” and are not emotionally challenging. But that is also the reason they are so high up on my list. I see so many wonderful suggestions on this list. I have always wanted to read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, but it has officially made my list since she narrates her own story!

    • Anne says:

      I admire your picks and that you’re stretching yourself. I hope they end up being wonderfully impactful, because you’re right, those are tough reads. But tough reads can sure pay off big for the reader.

  28. Florence says:

    May I suggest that you listen to the audio of The Ladies’ Number 1 Detective Agency? Lisette LeCarr does the narration in this series and it is one of those times that the reader just brings the characters to life.

    • Patty Mayer says:

      I agree! I read this book on audio and she does marvelous job of making the characters so real.

    • Sarah says:

      Thanks for the suggestion. I wasn’t even thinking about reading that book but I love to add some audio books to listen to while walking my dog and I love it when they have great narration.

      Unbroken and Argo are also great in audio if you enjoy nonfiction.

  29. Jill Koly says:

    I just finished 10% Happier, which was my book I’ve been meaning to read. I’m looking forward to reading the new Strike book, which I have been on the library holds list for since the dawn of time.

  30. Malinda says:

    I love your blog and your reading challenges! Some of the books on my list this year are: Boys in a boat, East of Eden, Tom Jones, Neverending story, night, Beowulf, and the Emily of New Moon trilogy!

  31. Sophie says:

    My husband chose Frankenstein for me and I think it’s time to finally read A Wrinkle in Time, it fits several of the categories.

  32. Interesting pics! I enjoyed The Age of Innocence more than The House of Mirth, so I’ll be curious to hear what you thought. This month I will be reading Malala, The Happiness Project, Two Part Invention, and Let Us Attend among others. Would love to win this set!

      • Renee says:

        What a wonderful list! I’m about 2/3 done with Cloud Atlas, but I haven’t read any others on your list…though more than a few are on my tbr list!

  33. Kim D says:

    Great picks. I’m still working on my picks for the list. Not easy to come up with some of them on the list but am super excited to be doing the challenge with everyone! Happy reading!

  34. Peggy says:

    I am a goal setter so I am so excited about this challenge! Hannah Coulter is also my pick for a book I have already read. I am reading Wild Swans which was a Christmas gift from my daughter so that goes under the category of a book recommended by a relative. I am picking back up Winston Churchill ‘s biography to try to finish and I want to read the last book of the Narnia series, The Last Battle for the book to read in a day. I haven’t figured out the rest yet. But I am looking forward to building my library this year!

  35. Kristin says:

    Inspired by you, I am going to finally get thru Middlemarch! And also Spark Joy (I’m number 15 at the library!) I usually have no method in my book selection, but this year I’m inspired to at least select the 12 books for the reading challenge.

  36. Laura says:

    What a fun giveaway! I’m currently reading a very eclectic mix: Simply Tuesday, All the Light We Cannot See, Dad is Fat, and The New Jim Crow. All are great!

  37. Heather B says:

    Great book list! Count of Monte Cristo is my intimidating book, Farenheit 451 my should have read in school. After that it is a toss up 🙂

  38. Allison says:

    I can’t commit to a full challenge since I’m in school full time and am in a book club. Between those two things, extra reading time is pretty limited for the time being. But I do have a few books on my reading list for 2016, including Hannah Coulter, Shauna Niequist’s new book, and the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. I’m sure I’ll add more along the way! I’m also super intrigued by A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I haven’t heard of that one, but I think it’s going to go on the list as well.

    • Anne says:

      I’m looking forward to reading Shauna Niequist’s new one, too. And Flavia! I’ve only read book 1 and it’s time to fix that.

  39. Andee says:

    I want to read Emily of New Moon. I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for, except that my library doesn’t have it. Thanks for the great list!

  40. Caroline says:

    I plan to read Spark Joy, some books about the history behind Downton Abbey (inspiration and such) and maybe some classics! 100 books is my goal.

  41. Christine says:

    Ooh! You have inspired me to sit down and make my list ahead of time too!! In fact I might use a few of your choices. I also plan to do (try?) Book Riot’s Read Harder challenge so I think I’ll make my list for that challenge too. And speaking of that, the first book on their list is “a horror book”. Yikes. I don’t read horror. Do you have a suggestion? Would the Shirley Jackson book you have on your list qualify?

    • Anne says:

      I’m really hoping the Shirley Jackson book WOULDN’T qualify, because I don’t want to read horror! Of course Stephen King comes to mind…

    • Sara K. says:

      I don’t know if this would help, but last year’s Pop Sugar reading challenge had “a book that scares you”. I immediately thought of horror books, Stephen King, etc. Not a big fan. I stretched the category a bit and read Trafficked by Sophie Hayes. It’s a true story of a girl who was trafficked from the UK. Certainly scary for me, but not quite as bad as some of the horror books. Good luck!

      • Ellie Colver says:

        The third in the Justin Cronin trilogy – The City of Mirrors is coming out in May! Great trilogy. Somewhat scary.

  42. Jodie Hughes says:

    In addition to this challenge, I added a mini challenge to read books by minorities and women authors. So far, books the I’ve chosen to read are: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (The book I should have read in school); The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (Book Banned at Some point); The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins (Book I’ve Been Meaning to Read).

  43. Claire says:

    There are so many books on my list I’m struggling to fit them into a category! I like the sound of Hot Milk being published this year but will wait and see if there’s anything else grabs me and I’m thinking of rereading To Kill a mockingbird or Of Mice and Men as they are on my daughter’s book list.

  44. Emily says:

    I want to read another book by Wendell Berry this year. Also, I finally want to read Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford.

  45. Brandy says:

    So many books! I want to read them all! You’ve given me some really good ideas to add to my list but i’m already thinking of “Interrupted” as one I need to finish, “Pride and Prejudice” as my reread. Now you have me really thinking about Lonesome Dove too! My grandfather loved that book so it would be a great tribute to him. Thanks for all the reading inspiration!

  46. Meg says:

    I’m intrigued by several of your picks! I started Wives & Daughters last year, but got distracted and didn’t finish it. So that’s definitely on my list. I’m not sure what else will be, just yet.

  47. Sarah Polleys says:

    I really have been meaning to read All the Light We cannot See, a commentary on James by John Calvin, and the first Harry Potter again. I still need to pick out more.

  48. Sarah V. says:

    I am so excited for this years reading adventure! I have already put on hold a couple books, and borrowed from a friend Jane Eyre, my book I should have read in school.
    Thank you for this!

  49. Valerie W. says:

    I just checked out Breakfast at Tiffany’s for my book you can read in a day. I will pick books for the other categories as I go along.

  50. Laura Carney says:

    Thank you so much for another great list! On my nightstand right now are: H is for Hawk, Girl Waits with Gun, Tinkers and All the Light We Cannot See.

  51. Kimberly Locke says:

    Jane Eyre (after listening to your podcast with Tsh)
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    I use most of my holds allotment for homeschooling books, so I’m happy to read what I can find on the library shelves. 🙂

  52. Shar says:

    I am going to try:
    Book recommended by a spouse: Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
    Book previously put down: Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (I am hoping this category goes better than it did in 2015, after I finished the book, I hated it even more than I did when I put it down the first time. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris)
    Book I already own but never read: Harry Potter series (I know!)
    Book I have already read: Other Women by Lisa Alther

    • Anne says:

      Laughing at the “I hated it even more” part. Well, at least you could quit it with no regrets. Or at least, no regrets except the time you spent reading it. 🙂

  53. Teresa says:

    I love your blog! I’m reading Mindfulness right now and looking forward to reading through my Jane Austin Novels. A Christmas gift idea I found per your recommendation. Thank you!

  54. Jamie Woodbury says:

    Spark Joy is on my list right now too! Also just discovered Kate Morton, so I plan on devouring more of hers. I so want to win!

  55. Brittni says:

    I love your list! I would like to read Anne of Green Gables, Peace Like A River, and Gone With The Wind.

  56. Janet Summey says:

    Book published this year: Morning Star, the 3rd in the Red Rising series. Out 2/9 and I can’t wait!

  57. What a super giveaway! I’m already an ePantry customer, so I hope I’m lucky! 🙂
    I’m starting backwards on the list and re-reading “Pat of Silver Bush,” by L. M. Montgomery.

  58. Ashley says:

    A few that I hope to read this year are Emma, The Count of Monte Cristo, Emily of New Moon, Anna Karenina (a book I previously abandoned), and Sally Clarkson’s new book The Lifegiving Home. I’m sure my TBR list will grow every week from reading your posts, as well.

    • Anne says:

      Great list! Have you noticed you’re in great company? There are quite a few readers who previously abandoned Anna Karenina. 🙂

  59. Great list! I have only read one from your compilation, and am intrigued with your selections. For the 2016 challenge, I plan to read Shantaram by Gregory Roberts (a book chosen for me), something by Ayn Rand (all of her work intimidates me), The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (a book previously abandoned), Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (a book I own but have never read)…

  60. Heather says:

    I don’t usually plan ahead when I read. After I am done with one book, I look for another. I just loaded Anne of Green Gables on to my Kindle. I have always been an Anne fan but never read the books. I love the Megan Follows movies!! Thanks for all your suggestions!

  61. Meg S says:

    We Have Always Lived in the Castle is on my to-read list for this year as well! I keep seeing it mentioned lately, and it’s time to finally read it. This week!

  62. Adrienne says:

    Yours is an interesting list! I have not heard of many of these, and ‘Wind, Sand, and Stars’ sounds really intriguing. Here are a few items from my 2016 list…
    A book published before you were born: Sense and Sensibility – loved the movie (Ang Lee version) but have never read the book.
    A book you’ve already read: East of Eden – I’ve read this a few times, although not in the last ~10 years, and it is my favorite Steinbeck. I love the miniseries that starred Jane Seymour, but think the movie with James Dean missed so much by starting in the middle of the book.
    A book you’ve been meaning to read: The Life-Changing magic of tidying up.
    Thanks!

    • Anne says:

      Great picks!

      I saw East of Eden in my teens, but I didn’t read the book until last year. I didn’t even realize the movie started in the middle of the book!

  63. Shannon says:

    I’m not sure what I’ll be reading this year. I’ve been having a lot of health issues and haven’t really been reading a lot lately.

  64. Ashley T. says:

    great list! so far, mine includes Brene Brown Daring Greatly, Elizabeth Gilbert Big Magic, The Orphan Train, Cinder, Station Eleven, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

  65. Julie says:

    Finally going to read Eleanor and Park as well as an Agatha Christie novel. I am also excited to read Balanced and Barefoot by Angela Hanscom which comes out in April. I have read so many articles by her on the importance of movement and play for children and as an early childhood educator and a mom of littles it has really resonated with me.

  66. Christine says:

    Great picks! Some of my own for 2016 include Gratitude by Oliver Sacks, The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee, and Presence by Amy Cuddy. 🙂

  67. Sandy R says:

    I’m a little behind the eight ball in picking my books, still getting over the holiday rush. Looking forward to starting a new challenge, and one that I think I can complete, thank you for the suggestions:)

  68. Meg says:

    I love discovering new books through your blog! Here’s what I’m reading this year:
    Winter by Marissa Meyer
    The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd
    Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
    Steadfast Love: The Response of God to the Cries of Our Heart by Lauren Chandler
    Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest by Bonnie Gray & Jon Acuff.

  69. Kristi Brokaw says:

    What a great list! I haven’t actually sat down to list my choices for the challenge yet but I have a few in mind: Something Wicked This Way Comes (chosen by my husband), Daring Greatly (previously abandoned), A Farewell To Arms (should have read in school or a book published before I was born). I’m super interested in the St. Exupery book! I didn’t know it existed until this post and I love The Little Prince.

  70. Holly Willman says:

    Oh, there are a ton of books I am planning to read this year. My goal is 100. Currently reading ‘Dad is Fat’ (Jim Gaffigan), ‘You Learn by Living’ (Eleanor Roosevelt), and ‘The Wounded Healer’ (Henri Nouwen). So…not much of a theme at this point. Just random awesomeness. Wait. Is random awesomeness a theme? Nailed it.

  71. Sarah says:

    This year on my reading list so far I have Lost Moon by Jim Lovell, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll.

  72. Heather says:

    Love planning out my reading challenges book. My very favorite is displaying the ones I own. A few on my 2016 list are:
    “The Nightengale” by Kristin Hannah
    “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondô
    “After the Crash” by Michael Bussi

  73. Jackie Mc. says:

    I hope you love The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series as much as I do. Mma Ramotswe always makes me smile. Make sure you have plenty of tea on hand — you’ll find yourself wanting to drink some while you read. 🙂

  74. Angie says:

    One of my 2016 goals is to read a book a week. Some of my TBR books piling up are All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling, Copper and Stone by Bethany Snyder, Rising Strong by Brene Brown, and Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey.

  75. Lisa Kilinc says:

    Wow! All the books on this list are great. Have read a few. At the top of my 2016 list are: Rising Strong by Brene Brown, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Spark Joy by Marie Kondo, The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins and the YA Novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

  76. Nina Reed says:

    I’ve been meaning to read The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Murial Barberry for some time now. I also plan to re-read the A Wrinkle in Time series by Madeline L’Engel.

    • Anne says:

      Oh golly, ME TOO on the Barberry novel. I *almost* read it last year for my book in translation, but did not. A Wrinkle in Time sounds like a delightful re-read. 🙂

  77. Joy says:

    I’ve read two of the books on your list: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (I’ve actually read several from this series and enjoyed them all). I haven’t picked any of my own for the reading challenge. I’m just going to go in order, so for January I’ll do a book published this year. I have Amazon Prime, so I get a Kindle first book for free, so it will likely be one of those. I’ve never done a reading challenge, so I’m excited for this one!

  78. Tabitha says:

    I second the reader who said the first book in The Number One Ladies Detective Agency wasn’t the best. Be sure to read the others! I can’t pick a favorite, but I do remember the second one is especially good!

  79. Amanda Shea says:

    The books on my list so far are: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn (book I can read in a day), Luckiest Girl Alive: A Novel by Jessica Knoll (book I’ve been meaning to read), To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (book I should have read in school), Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (book published before I was born), and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (book I previously abandoned).

    • Anne says:

      Sounds like a great list. I’ve been toying with whether or not to include the Gillian Flynn book in MY list. That’s smart to choose it for the category you did.

  80. Katie Toffey says:

    This is such a fun chhallenge! I love seeing what other folks are reading for the various categories. Here is my list so far…
    Haatchi and Little B – book you can finish in a day
    Their Eyes Were Watching God – published before I was born
    The End of the Affair (on audio – Colin Firth as narrator) – a book previously abandoned
    The Handmaid’s Tale – banned book
    My Name is Lucy – published in 2016
    Gilead – meaning to read

  81. Amanda says:

    I am *determined* to make this the year that I finally finish Anna Karenina. I made it half through once, but then got distracted. I LOVED it, but I keep putting off starting it again because the size is so daunting. I dragged it out the other night, though, and started it again. I WILL finish that sucker!

  82. Jaime says:

    The surest one on my list is to reread Robert McCammon’s Boy’s Life. I read it in college and thought it was one of the best things I had read, but now can’t remember much of it. My book I’ve been meaning to read is A Circle of Quiet. I’ve already started and am trying to go slowly– so much wisdom here! I want to choose either a poetry collection or play for the one that intimidates me. Enjoy seeing everyone’s picks!

    • Anne says:

      I adored A Circle of Quiet. (It’s the rest of that series I’ve been meaning to read myself, for too long.) I’ve never read Boy’s Life but now I’m so curious!

  83. Aimee L. says:

    I’m finally getting ready to read SEABISCUIT and THE BOYS IN THE BOAT (both became available at the library within a couple days of each other). Both have been recommended by many, and the length of SEABISCUIT is a little intimidating. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. It’s one of my favorites! McCall Smith is a masterful writer.

  84. Jessica says:

    A few books on my list this year:
    Currently reading All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doess, others: Rising Strong by Brene Brown, Quiet by Susan Crain, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Me before You by Jojo Moyes, and many more!!

  85. Rachel Mims says:

    My BFF Recommended Station Eleven, I want to re-read The Long Run, and I have several books that fit the previously abandoned, owned but never read, and intimidates you categories!

  86. Patty Mayer says:

    I started with a book my grandson suggested, The 39 Clues by and I truly enjoyed it! I am started the year with the book in my library that intimidates me, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Beyond that I have ideas of what I want to read but like to pick up a book that I feel at the moment. So once I am done with Les Mis, I will let you know what I pick up next!

    I am leaving for China with the Peace Corps in June and I know reading will be a large part of my entertainment! I may even incorporate a list similar to this for my students! Good luck to us all ? and Happy 2016!

    Patty
    [email protected]

  87. Ally says:

    I’ve been working on “All the Light We Cannot See” to kick off my 2016 challenge… Looks like you’ve put together a great list!

  88. Brittany Bailey says:

    A dear friend and I are taking the challenge together and we are both beginning with a book called “Love Does” by Bob Goff for me it’s a book I’ve already read, for her a recommendation by a BFF. We decided to start with those so we could talk about the book and share ways that it touches us. I can’t wait to see what she thinks of it. I’m also finally going to be reading To Kill A Mockingbird as my book I should have read in school. I purchased it a few years ago intending to read it and then my book pile got out of control and it was lost in the shuffle. I am thankful for this challenge as it is helping me set specific goals and make more time for reading.

  89. Lisa says:

    Inspiring picks! I also hope to read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Middlesex is a book I abandoned and want to finally finish; Behind the Beautiful Forevers has been sitting on my shelf unread for too long; and I may finally give in to reading Outlander after so many friends have raved about it.

  90. Melanie says:

    I’m going to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this year as a book I previously abandoned. I’m continuing the Outlander series and all of them intimidate me not necessarily because of their size, but because I know I will be consumed by them.

  91. s says:

    I haven’t fully flushed out my 2016 list plus I tend to be more seat of pants vs planner…once I get our book club’s list for this year, I will have a better plan, but right know 84 Charring Cross Road is a possibility of a book I could finish in a day or maybe an Agatha Christie. I have had Unbroken on my tbr list forever. Love seeing your suggestions.

  92. liz n says:

    Ooooh, yes, please, I would like to have more books!

    I haven’t yet chosen all the books for the challenge, and I’m not reading them in list order. I just finished The Book I’ve Been Meaning to Read and am now reading A Book I Previously Abandoned. I’m also going to play fair to the books I already own and expand the category of A Book I Own But Have Never Read to: For Every New Book I Read, I Must Also Read One From My Own Bookshelves.

  93. Ashley Dickerson says:

    There are so many books on my TBR pile and I love that your reading challenge helps me narrow things down. A few books on my list this year are The Poisonwood Bible, The #1 Ladies Detective, The Nightengale, All 6 Jane Austen books, and Middlemarch.

  94. Gretchen Jacob says:

    These are some great recommendations. On my list for this year are some older classics. Some ice read and would like to revisit, some I’ve not read yet. Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, To Kill A Mockingbird, Anna of Green Gables along with whatever other titles I can find or can make time for. Life leaves me little time to read so my goal is one book a month.

  95. Kirsten says:

    These are such interesting (and challenging!) categories this year! Thank you! I love your choices, too. I would never have thought to listen to Caged Bird, but I may have to revisit it on audio now that you say Angelou narrates it. My goal for this year is to delve into some more classics, both a rereads and for the first time (I really want to see how my high school favorites of Dickens and Steinbeck hold up). A few other choices for the MMD challenge:
    A book I own but have never read: Gilead
    A book I should have read in school: Les Miserables
    A book that intimidates me: Middlemarch
    And for a bonus, the book recommended by my husband is The Buried Giant. I read it just before the New Year, so technically not part of the 2016 challenge, but it was astounding.

  96. Kim Hartlove says:

    My picks for the challenge are…
    Book published this year: The Life Giving Home by Sally Clarkson
    Book I can finish in a day: The Old Man and the Sea
    Book I’ve been meaning to read: Chesapeake by James Michener
    Book recommended by local librarian: All the Light We Cannot See
    Book I should have read in school: Animal Farm
    Book chosen by my BFF: The Art of Neil Gaiman
    Book published before I was born: Brideshead Revisited
    Book that was banned: Of Mice and Men
    Book I previously abandoned: The Brothers Karamazov
    Book I own but have never read: (too many!) Mansfield Park
    Book that intimidates me: Kristin Lavrandsdatter
    Book I’ve already read: Frankenstein

    • B J says:

      I read Chesapeake many years ago. I grew up in the Hampton Roads area, so all the places and history of that area were very familiar to me. It was a very detailed by engrossing read for me. I may have to consider going back and re-reading it. Hope you enjoy it.

      • Kim Hartlove says:

        I grew up in Southern Maryland and I live in the Hampton Roads area now, and we sail all over the Chesapeake. I can’t tell you how many people have told me I need to read it. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.

  97. Ris says:

    I’ve read Lonesome Dove and House of Mirth. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of Lonesome Dove. I adored House of Mirth. In my eyes, Edith Wharton could do no wrong.

  98. Shirley Madsen says:

    A book that was banned and intimidates most people is Ulysses by James Joyce. I loved that book. I used notes to ‘interpret’ the most challenging passages and to learn the history behind the names of the people mentioned thought the ‘day’. Well worth rereading this year! I am also tackling the classic The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky.

  99. Erin says:

    I’m looking forward to new releases from two of my favorites, Heather Gudenkauf and Chris Bohjalian. I’m currently working through the Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh with my one-year-old. I also pre-ordered Scarlett Johansson! Happy 2016!

    • Erin says:

      Haha, I totally lost my train of thought looking up the spelling of Johansson! I pre-ordered her Audible version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland!

  100. Jade Reuwer says:

    I have a really bad habit of sticking to authors I know, or have read before. Therefore not being able to experience new Authors. This year is the year I try to read from Authors I’ve never heard of before, like your list. I look forward to this challenge this year! My biggest challenge is to pick a book ever step of the way, that I have never heard of and never knew the author….well except for when I’m supposed to read the book I’ve already read before. =)

  101. Amber says:

    I just started Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie, and am going to be following that with Seven for a Secret by Lyndsey Faye. Before Season 2 of Outlander comes out I plan on re-reading Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon.

  102. Katie Schroeder says:

    What a great list! I am planning to read All the Light we Cannot See and Anna Karenina this year. Otherwise I will read what my book club picks, or as my fancy strikes!

  103. Jennifer says:

    I may have to rethink my list after seeing yours but a few of mine are:
    A book I should have read in school – The Hobbit
    A book chosen for me by my sister – The Orphan Train
    A book I own but have never read – Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood
    A book that intimidates me – Middlemarch
    I am in the middle of listening to The Cider House Rules and I have Career of Evil waiting for a listen after that. I would also like to finish (or at least put a big dent) in the Outlander series. I’ve finish the first two and love them.

  104. Melissa says:

    Looking forward to reading The Brothers Karamazov, Murder on the Orient Express, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, and Anne of Green Gables in 2016!

  105. Amber B. says:

    One book I’m going to read for sure is The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater and I’ll probably read a few Stephen King novels.

  106. Lindsey H. says:

    I am looking forward to reading “Before Green Gables”! Thanks for this awesome giveaway opportunity!!!

  107. Kristen says:

    Ooh! I love a good book list. Here are some of mine:

    Meaning to read: The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
    Should have read in high school: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
    Own but never read: Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
    Previously abandoned: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
    Already read: Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace

    Several of these overlap, and some are for my book club.

  108. Dev says:

    Thinking Fast & Slow – I’ve bought it 5 times, in 5 different countries, and never passed chapter 2!

  109. Connie says:

    Excellent picks! I loved Lonesome Dove–it’s been a long time and would like to read it again. I need to sort through my TBR pile and get organized. Your site makes my TBR pile grow! 🙂

  110. Dawn says:

    I need to get busy with my list but first I need to finish my Louise Penny book! I love Alexander McCall Smith’s Courderoy Mansions series. Would love to read the Ladies Detective series someday. Thank you for the opportunity to win this great set of books!

  111. Julie P says:

    A few of my books for reading this year are A Week in Winter (Maeve Binchy), Lady Maybe (Julie Klassen), and because my daughter gave me the cute Puffin in Bloom copy of Anne of Green Gables, I will re-read that! You have given me more to-read ideas!

  112. Min says:

    Jayber Crow, Lunar Chronicles, #1 Ladies Detective Agency, more Madeline L’Engle, 84 Charing Cross….. too many to choose from.

  113. Beth says:

    More books to add to my list! Yay!
    A book I’ve owned but never read: Peace Like A River
    A book I’ve been meaning to read: Quiet
    A book published before I was born: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

  114. Abby says:

    First up on my 2016 list is A Clash of Kings. After reading the first Game of Thrones book last January (and enjoying it, just being exhausted by the end- not my usual genre), I decided to wait until the following January for book 2… and the January after that for book 3, etc. So far, I’m loving it; the intimidatingly long book is easier to read when I’ve freed myself from feeling obligated to immediately pick up an equally long sequel.

  115. Seawillow says:

    I’m excited to see your list. I did last years challenge except for one category–a book your mom loved. I have read her favorites many times and just didn’t get around to it. I love to have your list and others ideas when I get stuck in a category. Spark Joy and The House of Mirth will definitely make my list. I need to be more intentional in my reading. Usually it’s whatever a friend recommends or is available at the library.

  116. Kristina says:

    I’m currently reading Pride & Prejudice as either a book published before I was born or a book I should have read in school – so far I’m having a tough time with it. I’m also beginning Game of Thrones as one I previously gave up on. I’m really hoping to get into it this year!

  117. Lindsey says:

    My list starts with The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes, The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede, and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. I started In Cold Blood before but struggled knowing it was a true story.

  118. Rene says:

    Like others here my TBR list is huge but here are some of the books at the top of my list this year – Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (I’m probably the last person on the planet to read this series), A God in Ruins by Atkinson, and Seveneves by Stephenson. Although…some of the books on your list above sound great too so I might be adding to the top of my list!

    • B J says:

      No, you’re not the only one who hasn’t read Outlander. I finally bought it for my Kindle a few months ago when it was on sale for $1.99. Still haven’t started it though. There is just something about time travel books that I just can’t seem to get past.

  119. Christine B says:

    I am doing your challenge this year! I tend these days to read old favorites too often! I too am considering something more challenging such as Atlas Shrugged. A book I have had but not read is The Book Thief. I have already been re-reading the whole Harry Potter Series so I will do the last book as my choice for a re-read as that is next. I will read the Runaway King as my book recommended by a friend/librarian – she is both..;). Not sure on rest yet. Thanks for the challenge!

  120. Joy Bailey says:

    I had started Before Green Gable and then it disappeared in the move. If I can find it ~ I just picked my book for ‘A book I’ve started and abandoned’. Thanks!!

  121. Ashley says:

    I’m reading Hannah Coulter for the first time right now. It was a Christmas present. I read Jayber Crow last year and loved it. I have so much non-fiction on my list; Searching for Sunday, What the Mystics Know, Found, The Quotidian Mysteries. What I need is some good, light, fiction to read! Baby #2 is due in March and I know I won’t be delving into much nonfiction after that. Why is good fiction so difficult to find?!

  122. Lisa H. says:

    Well, I haven’t made a complete list, but so far I plan on reading: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Outlander, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, Wildflower, and Ender’s Game (recommended by my son).

  123. Empy says:

    I love your challenge. It’s so much more inviting and less overwhelming than the ones that are 52 categories long. I am all for pushing yourself to read as much as you possibly can but sometimes I think avid readers get caught up in the whole “I READ THIS MANY BOOKS WOOO” rather than the “I devoured yet savored these few books and let me tell you how they affected me.”

    Thank you for all you do for your readers. You are truly an amazing woman <3

  124. Callie says:

    I’m working through a few classics this year. Emma, Moby Dick, and Possession to name a few. I’ll also be reading a few series, including The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I already have that one checked out and ready to begin. I love a new year and a new book list!

  125. Agnes says:

    I’m so glad you’re reading Wind, Sand and Stars! I love that book. And I look forward to your review of Before Green Gables.

    Some books on my 2016 reading list are Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth, Storyteller: The Life of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock, One Hundred Names for Love: A Memoir by Diane Ackerman, and Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman. I also hope to finish The Strange Story of the Quantum by Banesh Hoffman (started last year) and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (started in 2012).

  126. Mary says:

    I have a lot of classics on my list for this year, but for the book that intimidates me (or that I started and never finished), I’d like to read Anathem by Neal Stephenson. It’s been on my shelf for years. He’s one of my favorite authors, but for some reason, I’ve started it about five times and never been able to get very far into it- and it’s a long book! I’m hoping this is the year I can conquer it 🙂 And I signed up for epantry and can’t wait for my first order!

  127. Jennifer C says:

    So difficult to choose already! My abandoned book (which might also count as “intimidating”, if only for the length) is Emperor of all Maladies. Cloud Atlas is definitely one I’ve been meaning to read. And I think I’ll get my 11 y/o daughter to recommend for me, because she’s shaping up to be a wonderful reader!

  128. Karina says:

    We are blessed to have an absolutely wonderful FREE event locally every April where YA and children’s lit authors gather for the most incredible and informal chats. My daughter and I love going every year, and so I typically start the year by catching up with the authors who are coming. This year that list includes Neal Shusterman, Erica Perl, Nancy Cavanaugh, and more. I’ve got some catching up to do!

  129. Deanna says:

    I’m impressed that you’ve chosen all of your books already! Some of mine will be:
    Book I’ve Previously Abandoned – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
    Book that intimidates me – Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
    Published this year – The Moonlit Garden by Corinna Bomann
    Haven’t chosen any others but am definitely looking forward to this challenge…my three adult children are joining me!

  130. Amanda says:

    I have an incomplete list, but here’s what I’ve got so far.

    My picks for the challenge are…
    Book published this year: The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel
    Book I can finish in a day: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
    Book I’ve been meaning to read: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
    Book recommended by local librarian: Kafka on the Shore By Haruki Murakami
    Book I should have read in school: Beloved by Toni Morrison
    Book chosen by my BFF: American Gods by Neil Gaiman
    Book published before I was born: Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
    Book that was banned: Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
    Book I previously abandoned: We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
    Book I own but have never read: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
    Book that intimidates me: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
    Book I’ve already read: 1984 by George Orwell

  131. Stephanie says:

    My TBR list is long so, here are some I plan to read in 2016: Daring Greatly, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Go Set a Watchman, The Book of the Dun Cow, Intorverts in the Church, and The Warden and the Wolf King. Hannah Coulter is one of my favorites!

  132. Patricia says:

    I’m new to your website and am fascinated by all of it! Printed out the reading journal yesterday and am excited to get started. I’ve read many of the books onyour list, but will be adding my own to the challenge categories. Thanks and here’sto a year of happy reading!

  133. Sarah says:

    A few on my list for the year are: At Home In Mitford, Summer, Some Luck, Shadow & Bone, I Forgot to Remember, The Little Prince, Wind, Sands, & Stars, Any Day a Beautiful Change, Teaching from Rest, You Learn by Living, Chocolate: The Consuming Passion, How Do You Tuck in a Superhero.

    And lots more…

  134. emily says:

    Some books from ym list:

    To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book Thiefe, JK Rowling’s Magical beasts and where to find them, Animal Farm… Would love to win some more books!

  135. Linda U Kulisky says:

    Your list is great. I’m a bit of a book list “junkie”. For 2016 – Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester (we’re discussing it this month in my library book club). Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (a book I should have read in school). Nerd Camp (book chosen for me by my granddaughter, Mimi). I Believe in You (a book I can finish in a day). A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (a book published before I was born). Hide by Lisa Gardner (a book I own but have never read)…

  136. Kate says:

    I want to read some Chesterton, Catch 22, and A History of the Paper Pattern Industry. Plus I have set goals to reread the Chronicles of Narnia and a long list of other children’s books.

  137. Lisa says:

    I have pre-ordered Spark Joy, as well as Elizabeth Esther’s Spiritual Sobriety for a book (or two) published this year. I just finished Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny. I read five or six books over Christmas break (mostly from your daily Kindle deals email), but we are back to homeschooling now, and my reading is going to need to be a bit more mindful. I just printed the Challenge List, and will start choosing the rest of my books. By the way, my engineer husband loves Wind, Sand and Stars.

  138. Bridget says:

    I adore Alexander McCall Smith. No. 1 Ladies is my favorite of all his series. I hope that you really love it.
    Book published before I was born = Alice in wonderland
    Book recommended by my niece = The Giver
    Book I’ve read at least once = The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
    Book I should have read in school = Rebecca
    Book I can finish in a day = Dept. of Speculation
    Book published in 2016 = (kind of a cop-out on this one) Brotherhood in Death
    Book recommended by a Librarian = Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour bookstore

    I have four more slots to fill, but I’m still thinking.

  139. Noelle says:

    Gosh! What a great list! I’ll be stealing a few of your picks! I read Lonesome Dove a couple of years ago and loved it. This year my biggest challenge is likely going to be War and Peace. It’s always intimidated me but I think it’s worth it. Last year I read For Whom the Bell Tolls–it was incredible so I’ll also add a Hemingway or two! Thanks for the prompts, even my girls are doing the challenge!

  140. Allison says:

    Princess Bride, Taming of the Shrew, Foundation, Mere Christianity, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Anna Karenina, The Princess and the Goblin, The Once and Future King, and A Wrinkle in Time. I still have a few categories left to fill.

  141. Karen G says:

    A few on my list: A Tale of Two Cities, Knowing God, Knowing Christ, Frankenstein, and Quiet. Thanks for entering me in the drawing!

  142. Shelly says:

    A book that has intimidated me as well as one I’ve anandoned is War and Peace. A book published last year that I keep coming back to (yet scared to death to open) is The Ice Twins. And one my sister has recommended over and over is The Chaperone. 2016 will be a year of books!

  143. Justine says:

    Thank you for the ideas of what to read next! I’m currently devouring Winter (after being number 324 on the library waiting list…), and I have Sarah Vowell’s new book, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, and Taking Charge of Your Fertility in my TBR pile.

  144. Susan Buice says:

    My last day of work is next Friday, Jan. 18, 2016. After that date, I will officially be retired. I can’t wait to read books, books, and more books. . . books of every kind. I recently found your blog and your Facebook page. I love the challenge idea, and I especially love the idea of winning the books on your list. Some of the books on your list are books that I have wanted to read; some are brand new to me, and I especially need a book to get me organized now that I will have time. Thank you for this opportunity. I am excited to begin reading again.

  145. Pauline Trummel says:

    This is a great idea. I have never planned my year’s reading from a challenge list like this before. I am intrigued by the challenge and am choosing my books today. Thanks for the great idea.

  146. Karen says:

    I loved My Brilliant Friend, and I have bought the other 3 books in the Neopolitan series, so I plan to read all 3 this year. I also want to read more of Louise Penney’s mysteries. I read the first book and the sixth book, so I want to read the four in between.

    • Anne says:

      I still need to read the rest of the Neapolitan novels, too. And I hope you enjoy the Penny! I love those. (Although I didn’t LOVE #2 and #3.)

  147. Shannon Peer says:

    So far my list contains All the Light We Cannot See, Anne of Green Gables (I’ve watched the movie a thousand times, but I’ve never read the book), A tree grows in Brooklyn, and Simply Tuesday.

  148. Tiffanie says:

    First of all, I’m so happy I discovered your blog this year–what a treasure! I have one book that fits several categories for me: Middlemarch (should have read in college but didn’t, written before I was born, and intimidating!). Book I abandoned: Quiet by Susan Cain (had to return to the library and never got it back on my hold list). Book I’ve been meaning to read: The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough. I’ve been fascinated by the Panama Canal since I read a book by Janet Lambert as a girl that was set in Panama. Book to re-read: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. My 13-year-old daughter and I are planning to read it together.
    Thanks for all your wonderful posts and suggestions!

  149. Kathryn M says:

    A few books I’ve been eyeing for a while have been the Outlander series, and If Nuns Ruled the World. And then thanks to your recommendations, pretty much most of what you feature has been added to my list, including: Big Magic, The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber, Four Seasons in Rome, Love Walked In, and Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore.

  150. A few on my list this year are :
    The Journal of Beatrix Potter (1881-1897) (she wrote her journals in her own special code!)
    The Bastables: E. Nesbit
    And
    Table Life, Joanne Thompson

  151. Corby says:

    Book I should have read in school: 1984
    Book I’ve read once: Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee
    Book that intimidates me: Moby Dick
    Book published before I was born: For Whom the Bell Tolls
    Book recommended by Husband: Memory Man
    Book recommended by librarian: Cutting for Stone
    Book I have abandoned: All Creatures Great and Small
    Working on the rest of the list

  152. Judy says:

    I love these categories for choosing books! The next book on my list is Boys on the Boat, which my husband recommends. As for re-reads, I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings years ago (such a great title!) and I liked it. I think I’d get a lot more out of it now, so I’ll read that one again. I can only think of a few books I’ve abandoned, but one is The Lord of the Rings. My son has read all three of them several times, but I’ve never even read the first one.

  153. Rebecca Y. says:

    Wow- these are great categories and great picks. I’ve been meaning to read The Bell Jar and Canterbury Tales.

  154. Bridget says:

    On my list for the immediate future are A Prayer for Owen Meany and All the Light We Cannot See. I also just bought a copy of Les Miserables, so I’m working up the gumption to tackle that one.

    • Bridget says:

      My husband read Les Mis this summer. It intimidated him big time. He finished it, but the first 1/3 of the book really challenged him to not give up.

  155. Bethany says:

    I’ve read 2 of the books on your List: House of Mirth and The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Enjoyed both. Still working on my list for this year, but it includes: “Girl Meets Change”, “The Grapes of Wrath”, “The Girl Who Could Fly”, “Circling the Sun”, “Elizabeth is Missing”, and “Water from My Heart” by Charles Martin.

  156. Anna Meyer says:

    So many great recommendations I will be adding to my TBR list! Little Women will be my book I should of read in high school ( I can’t believe I’ve never read it.), War and Peace intimidates me but now stares me in the face when I open my Kindle so it will be read this year, and I am wanting to revisit The Poisonwood Bible because I’ve heard such great things about it but it just didn’t grab me like I hoped. Happy reading everyone.

  157. Megan Mattinson says:

    I plan to read a Dickens novel this year, the Cinder series and since you reminded me, Angelou’s memoir.

  158. Stephanie says:

    I am currently reading Cinder and Everything, Everything. On my list are The History of Love, White Teeth, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and The Language of Flowers.

  159. Erin Lehman says:

    I’ve got a list this year, too! We’ll see how well I stick with it. Books include: Great Expectations, The Alchemist, and Rising Strong.

  160. Janice says:

    Currently reading Twelve Years a Slave. Next is Outlander. On my list are sequels to Inkheart, Hannah Coulter, Before Green Gables, both Kondo books. Always looking for recommendations; thank you!

  161. Tasha says:

    On my list this year:
    Book I Can Finish in a Day: Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay
    Book I’ve Been Meaning to Read: All the Light We Cannot See
    Book Chosen by my BFF: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
    Book Published Before I Was Born: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
    Book That Intimidates Me: Cloud Atlas (I was excited to see this one on your list, too! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.)
    Book I’ve Already Read at Least Once: A Wrinkle in Time (I haven’t read this since I was a tween. Looking forward to it again!)

  162. Sally blaser says:

    I would like to read Rebecca, which I’ve heard about for years, and own, but have never read. Also, I want to reread all of Brene Brown’s books, finish Glittering Images, which I abandoned, and read Kristin Lavransdatter, which was published before I was born.

  163. Tracey Hodges says:

    Great choices! I added some of these to my wish list on Amazon. I have a stack of YA debuts from last year to read, but I’m also looking forward to finally reading Mansfield Park (to complete my Jane Austen reading) as well as Moby Dick (which will be my book I should have read in school).

  164. Susan says:

    Generally I like to pick out a book as I’m ready to read it and don’t keep a ton of books around. As I read through the comments though, I realized I have a bigger TBR shelf than I thought right now:
    All the Light We Cannot See, Girl on the Train, the most recent Outlander, the 2nd and 3rd books in Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles, The Casual Vacancy, The Goldfinch and my book club is reading Me Before You which I already read so I’m going to read After You instead. I’ll have to see how I can fit some of these into the reading challenge!

  165. malissa says:

    Ack, I’m dying to read “Spark Joy”!! Huge fan of Marie Kondo’s. “Before Green Gables” looks interesting, as well. “The 100-year-old-man” was so good! My husband and I read it together last year for my book in translation. The end loses steam a bit, but it’s still 5-stars. I was planning on reading “IKnow Why The Caged Bird Sings” for my abandoned book, as well. Would love to have a copy of it! For a book that intimidates me, I’m planning “Les Miserables.” Just saying that makes me shudder… Wish me luck! For a book I own but haven’t read, probably “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (one of my dad’s favorites). A book I wanted to read last year will be either “As I Lay Dying” or “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” both per your recommendation. Thanks for this opportunity and for your great suggestions!

  166. Heather says:

    Fun challenge and I like your book choices. I’m going to add a couple to my list. The books that are highest on my never-ending TBR list are: Fates and Furies, The Fox and the Star, The Four Things that Matter Most, and Anna Karenina. Happy reading!

  167. Heather says:

    Fun challenge and I like your book choices. I’m going to add a couple to my list. The books that are highest on my never-ending TBR list are: Fates and Furies, The Fox and the Star, The Four Things that Matter Most, and Anna Karenina. Happy reading!

  168. MrsD says:

    I’ve always loved the PBS Anne of Green Gables series but had never read the books. So, I’ve just started the first book and hope to read at least the first two in the series this year. I’m also looking forward to reading: Boundaries, The Greatest Generation, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, Simple Abundance (I read this every year), Middlemarch, Pride and Prejudice, possibly Gone With the Wind, a few Catholic books, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Proof of Heaven, and I’m reading the Laura Ingall’s Wilder series with my littles over breakfast each morning 🙂 Life is too short with so many books out there waiting for me.

  169. Susan Garvey says:

    Your posts always motivate me and lead me to wonderful finds — StitchFix, for example — as well as delightful books, but I find I get bogged down and don’t post my thoughts in my Journal. My goal this year is to be better organized so I don’t just waste time. Just finished Nathaniel Philbrick’s wonderful In the Heart of the Sea, and now reading Judy Blume’s In the Unlikely Event. Still to go: Jane Smiley’s Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age trilogy; Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal and Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio.

  170. Kelli Wick says:

    As always, love the ideas for new books to read!

    A few on my 2016 list are: A Man Called Ove, An Open Window and the rest of Tana French’s books (I’ve got three left to read and hope she’s working on another one now… just for my sake – ha!).

  171. Kelsey Jacobs says:

    I’m so excited for your picks. Thanks to this blog, my TBR list is a mile long. I have an unhealthy penchant for celebrity memoirs, so Wildflower by Drew Barrymore is on my list. I’m also really interested in Coming Clean by Seth Haines and a few books by Ruth Reichl.

  172. Mary says:

    Interesting list of books; I’ve actually read a couple. I loved the NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE SOCIETY books that i first started reading because it was a book club choice. I like the challenge idea and plan to do it. I’ve been stuck lately reading just free downloads, so it’s time to get back on track with some meatier books.

  173. Rachel says:

    I love Edith Wharton, but I have yet to read the other 11 books, although almost all of them have been on my TBR list for ages (and my mother’s – we share books constantly!)!

  174. Rachel says:

    I love Edith Wharton, but I have yet to read the other 11 books, although almost all of them have been on my TBR list for ages (and my mother’s – we share books constantly!)!

  175. Heather says:

    These are the titles I have picked so far:
    A book published this year: Out of the House of Bread by Preston Yancey
    A book you’ve been meaning to read: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
    A book published before you were born: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
    A book that was banned at some point: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
    A book previously abandoned: Peace Like a River by Leif Anger
    A book that you own but have never read: The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

  176. Ashley says:

    I’m sure that I am far too deep in the shuffle among your many followers to win the ePantry set, but after reading your booklist, I know we must be kindred spirits. I just began following your blog last weekend. I joined the reading challenge to get me motivated; I will be laid up for several weeks after major surgery to remove a cancerous tumor (after enduring intensive chemo through the summer and radiation in the fall). I’m a librarian eager to get back to work but have been surprisingly lax at reading during my illness (though I did re-read the Harry Potter series ?). You will adore The House of Mirth, and you’ve sparked my interest with the Green Gables book. Some of my selections are Middlemarch (should have read during my classes for one of my English degrees), Secret Garden (own but never read), Outlander (started but didn’t get past the halfway point), East of Eden (movie forthcoming), and one of Thomas Hardy’s novels (written before I was born and highly recommended by a dear friend). Happy reading!

  177. Rachael says:

    I would love to add that new Anne book to my reading list this year! I absolutely love her and had no idea that there was a prequel.

  178. Cindy H. says:

    I am definitely working on my shelf list this year. As part of another challenge, I’m doing a TBR Jar Challenge, which is putting names of books you have on your shelf that you haven’t read yet, sticking them in a jar (colorful sticky notes are great), and them picking one as often as you want (my goal is one a month) to read.

    That means I plan to read off my shelf: Divergent by Veronica Roth and Night Film by Marisha Pessl. I started 2016 reading The Selection series by Kiera Cass, so I will most likely finish that series. I’m on The Elite #2.

    I would love to re-read A Song of Ice and Fire but man, that would be a commitment, wouldn’t it? If I knew when The Winds of Winter was coming, I could time it to read before the book came out and be re-caught up.

    While that feat would fall in the intimidating category, World Without End, or Fall of Giants, both by Ken Follett, would be intimidating for me to read…but I _want_ to read those badly.

    • Tami Dale says:

      Cindy H–I do the same thing sometimes when I can’t decide what to read next! And you should go ahead and read Ken Follet’s novels–they are so entertaining that they won’t seem long.

  179. Kacy says:

    I will definitely be adding a few of these picks to my “to-read” list! I haven’t thought very far ahead for my reading challenge, but I know I want to read the Welcome to Nightvale novel (I’ve been meaning to read) and the Silmarillion (could fit several categories). This is going to be such a great year of reading!

  180. Tami Dale says:

    A few of the books on my 2016 reading challenge are: All Creatures Great and Small, The House of the Spirits, Looking for Alaska, Wuthering Heights and The Magic of Frankie Presto, which I am currently reading and enjoying every minute of it. I’m looking forward to all these and more for the 2016 challenge!

  181. Casey says:

    oooh, Cloud Atlas is definitely an intimidating one! I’ve looked at it many times in the bookstore but always put it down. I really enjoyed the movie, though I don’t remember much now.

    I’m reading Revolutionary Road, one I’ve been meaning to for a long time. The only other book I know I’ll be reading is Mindy Kaling’s first book, it’s one I’ve read before.

  182. Beth Anne Ake says:

    I like to pick books as I go, but I will definitely be finishing the Cormoran Strike series this year. I also can’t wait for Morning Star, the third Red Rising book, to come out in February. I will read it as soon as it comes out!

  183. Bailey A says:

    I would love to read your list! Mine includes Spark Joy also, a cookbook I just ordered from Amazon, All the Light We Cannot See, and Their Eyes Were Watching God

  184. Molly says:

    a book i’ve previously abandoned: Seating Arrangements. just finished Astonish Me and loved it, so I’m giving seating arrangements another try

    a book that intimidates me: the life-changing magic of tidying up. it’s been on my holds list at the library for awhile, but I’m nervous about finally reading it…

    a book chosen for you by your spouse & children: the secret history of wonder woman. received this for christmas in 2014 and haven’t read it yet

  185. Kerri Ciulla says:

    Thanks for sharing your list! I’d like to read: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Spark Joy and The Great Gatsby

  186. Alanna Oster says:

    Oh my goodness. So many great ideas for my library “wishlist”! My picks for this year are books that you featured last year 😉 — Still Life by Louise Penny, Better than Before, by Gretchen Rubin, and a not as well-known Alcott story (for children?), Jack and Jill, that my mom recommended. Oh, and I still haven’t read Mindy Kaling’s book! I need to get on that…

  187. Laurie says:

    My goal is to read 50 books this year. I hope I have time because I’m getting married this year and things have been a little crazy. Anne of Green gables is one of my favorite book series and TV miniseries (watch it if you haven’t!!) and Diana is on my shortlist of favorite names for my future daughter so I’m super interested in that Before Anne. I’m probably going to buy it for myself to read (adding it to my goodreads want to read right now). I just signed up for Lit Cube subscription box so I’ll be reading their monthly books. I mostly signed up because their next month theme is Classic Romance is mentioned Jane Austen. I have BUNCH of books I’m in the middle of: Bridget Jones Diary, House of Leaves, The Princess Bride, Dragonfly in Amber (outlander bk 2), some indie self published books, and, as if I don’t already have enough on my plate, I’m rereading Harry Potter with my fiance because he has never read it. I just get so excited about a new book I start it before I can stop myself which is what leaves me in the middle of so many books.

  188. Amy says:

    I’m planning to read Anna Karenina this year. It’s been on my to-read list forever, and as a Lit major in college I should have read it in school. A book I own and have never read will be The Hawk and the Dove trilogy. A book published before I was born will be something by P.G. Wodehouse

  189. Krissy says:

    My list will include A Confederacy of Dunces (I own it but haven’t read it), Slaughterhouse-Five, Man’s Search for Meaning, and The Male Brain (I just had twin boys, which makes me quite outnumbered by little males so I may as well try to understand them, right?). I also want to discover Louise Penny based on your recommendation.

  190. Julie F says:

    Great list and motivation to read! I’m reading (almost finished) “The Queen’s Lover” by Vanora Bennett. On the list are Jennifer L Scott’s books “At Home With Madame Chic” and “Polish Your Poise With Madame Chic.” Would also like to read Marie Kondo’s first book.

  191. Sarah Chafin says:

    I have a never ending tbr mountain… but I really want to read Winter by Marissa Meyers, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and some of Wendall Berry’s poetry.

  192. Dana says:

    Would love to win the set of books! How fun! I read Lonesome Dove when it won the Pulitzer Prize years ago. I was working in a bookstore at the time to put myself through grad school and was reading all of the books that won major prizes. ( I was allowed to check books out from the store as long as I kept them in salable condition). It is such a wonderful, wonderful book, beautiful language. It is a bit violent in places but it fits the subject matter. I told myself a couple of years ago I wanted to re-read it. The mini-series based on it from the 80’s was really good as well. The 100 Year old Man was one I read for last year’s challenge. It was a fun, madcap read.

    This year I want to read :
    Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle
    Big Magic ( New book)
    Some Shakespeare Plays I have not read: Misdummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Hamlet
    Some Dickens I have not read: Bleak House, The Old Curiosity Shop
    Series I have not read: Emily of New Moon
    All the Light We Cannot See ( recommended by everyone)
    Book my husband picked: George Washington’s Secret Six ( historical fiction spy novel!)

    Plus many more!

    • Dana says:

      Anne,

      Did you see the article on Bookriot about the Myers-Briggs literary personalities ? Great post for you!

      Also a great article in NY Times from 2 Sundays ago about a woman who read and re-read Emma to help her cope with being a care-giver for her mom. Great article. I have not read Emma, but now that I am in the same boat as the woman in the article, it is also on my list.

  193. Kareen says:

    What a great list of books! I’ve just finished Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, and now need to read Winter. Too many books, so little time!

  194. Cheri says:

    Thanks for the list. I filled up my library holds shelf!
    A few of my picks for the year are Dante’s Divine Comedy (this is a book that intimidates me, to say the least). I had to read a portion with my kids during our classical homeschooling days and I always planned to return to it. I set a goal to read 2 pages a day – this one may take all year.

    For my friend rec’d pick I’m reading The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. This is the selection for a book club I’m in with a few friends. I was totally dragging my feet on this book. We were supposed to read an Agatha Christie this month and I just plain pouted when the hostess changed the title. Reluctantly I sat down one afternoon to get started – pleasantly surprised! What a great book! I end up crying every time I read it.

  195. Alexis says:

    This year for Christmas we received that same puffin children’s classics set you have pictured and they’ll be bedtime stories all year. My 6yo has even chosen in what order she’d like to hear them.

    As for me I haven’t chosen my books for the year yet. We’ll see what happens when I finish what I reading now: 5 days at Memorial.

  196. Stacie says:

    Too many books to list. As soon as I finish Introvert Power, I have The Ocean at the End of the Lane in my book bag.

    • Jesse says:

      Ocean was so great. It was like a fairy tale for grown-ups. I’m not sure Neil Gaiman is capable of writing something I don’t enjoy.

  197. Jesse says:

    I’m doing a slightly different challenge on my own blog but some of what I want to read definitely falls into some of these categories. I’m currently reading Jewel’s memoir Never Broken and it’s pretty great. She’s a very emotionally wise woman.
    Published before I was born: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
    Already Read At Least Once: The Rook by Daniel O’Malley (So amazing!)
    Previously Abandoned: Walking Among Us by David Jacobs (I start it for a laugh but got busy. I want to go back and finish it.)
    Own But Never Read: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
    Been meaning to read: Confessions of a Sociopath by M. E. Thomas (I got this from the library so I definitely need to read it soon)

  198. Therese O'Brien says:

    Here are some of the books on my list this year…
    – Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas
    – All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
    – Anne of Green Gables (and hopefully the whole series!)
    – Rising Strong by Brene Brown
    – Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

  199. Andrea says:

    What a fun list! I’m especially interested in the book your husband picked for you. I’ve never even heard of it, but it sounds like something I’d really enjoy. Right now I’m reading Big Magic and re-reading Persuasion. A few others I plan to read this year are Rising Strong by Brene Brown, On Little Wings by Regina Sirois, and The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I’d like to finally cross Rebecca off my TBR list as well, and I plan to revisit both Harry Potter and Anne of Green Gables at some point this year. Those re-reads are long overdue!

    Thanks for giving me some more great titles to add to my list. Happy reading!

  200. What a lovely list of books! And I’ve not read a single one of them, so it would be a great win for me :). My January has been full of deadlines so I haven’t built my list yet, but I’m currently reading All the Light We Cannot See which is wonderful! Jayber Crow may be my book I abandoned – I’ve always intended to give it another try when my life was less hectic. I think Crime and Punishment will be the book I should have read in school. Can you believe I’ve never read Anne of Green Gables???? My mother has been begging me to read it and I picked it up last month, so that will be my book recommended by a family member. Marie Kondo’s book is an absolute must, and I want to read Big Magic this year for sure. Maybe I’ll win that amazing giveaway and have those yummy books to read as well!!!

  201. Amy Joliet says:

    I am trying to keep better track of my TBR list (as well as the ones I read to recommend to others). Right now I am reading Love Does by Bob Goff and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Next on my list is While We Were Watching Downton Abbey (in honor of the start of the new season), The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Baker’s Daughter (all recommendations from you I think!). I also have Everything, Everything on the list. So many books, so little time. I am interested to read that Spark Joy book and several of your other choices sound interesting and challenging. It would be fun to see them all stacked up on my nightstand! Thanks for all the great recommendations.

  202. Karen Yetman says:

    Love this list! Most of these books I haven’t heard of, so it is nice to see fresh ideas. I am intimidated by Odyssey, Homer and have only made it through two chapters of my translated version. I will keep chugging at it. Also, Catcher in the Rye is one I should reread. The first time through I was annoyed by the Protagonist and had a hard time feeling the meaning of the story. Slaughterhouse Five is one I should have read by now that is definitely on my short list to read this year.

  203. Kristen says:

    I need to sit down and plan my books for this list, but I should definitely add I know why the caged bird sings because I own it and have never read it.

  204. Keely Knopp says:

    Some great choices! Ashamed to say I’ve not read any of those on your list, so perhaps I’ll incorporate them into mine! For sure I want to read Animal Farm for the book I should have read in school and never did.

  205. Amy Boone says:

    I’m planning to read some classics this year: Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Jane Eyre, and Anna Karenina to name a few.

  206. Jestine says:

    I’m currently working on reading through the MANY books at my house, while cleaning off my Kindle app from all of the free books I download. I don’t know how many around I have in your categories, but I would like to work on your challenge. I have challenged my students to set a reading goal, and so I post my goals, currently reading books, and completed books in my classroom.
    Abandoned book – The Silmarillion by Tolkien
    Already Read – The Elfstones of Shannara (Terry Brooks) and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
    Book I Own – I’ll close my eyes and point to one on my closet shelf
    Book Picked By Spouse – He will probably do the same as above
    Should Have Read in School – For Whom the Bell Tolls or To Kill A Mockingbird
    Intimidates – A Clash of Kings (George R.R. Martin) note: I love these books, but when I read infrequently, I get lost as to what is going on in them!
    Meaning to Read – When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the Answers (Jim Delisle)

  207. Laurel says:

    I just started Something Other Than God, and then I have a nice stack to grab on the library holds shelf: Just Mercy, Four Seasons in Rome, How Children Fail, and The Artful Year. I haven’t chosen for my categories just yet, but I tend to fill in as I go. 😉

  208. Jenny says:

    Great list! So far,I’m planning on reading: Simply Tuesday, The Last Telegram and Four Seasons in Rome.

  209. Terri says:

    I already signed up for ePantry and their package is on its way! I’m excited because I love their lemon liquid hand soap; it smells so good! My daughter and daughter-in-law decided last summer to do a book club. We all live in different states, so it will be online. We decided to use your Reading Challenge as our books this year. We chose Cinder for our first book in the “book you’ve been meaning to read.” Last year I wanted to do the Challenge but I didn’t think I could read each book in a month. I had a self-challenge to read 45 books in one year and I read 49. I think I can read a book in a month!

  210. Melodee says:

    You are inspiring me! I’ve just been working on my TBR list for 2016. I’m looking forward to the reading challenge, as I enjoyed it and it stretched me last year! Some of the books on my list: A Farewell to Arms, Endeavor, Chronicles of Wasted Time, Jane of Lantern Hill, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. But of course I’d love to read your choices too… 😉

  211. alice says:

    I want to read A Walk in the Woods, Home is Where My People Are and For the Love. I bought all 3 in 2015 and haven’t had time to read them yet. My littles and I are going to read through the Little House on the Prairie series (we’ve already read Little House in the Big Woods) and we want to finish The Chronicles of Narnia.

  212. Jen D says:

    My husband and I are doing this challenge together (although reading our own choices)! First up for me is All the Light We Cannot See, which I bought months ago and have been trying to get to.

  213. Marsi says:

    I have a beach vacation coming up in six weeks, and here are the books I’ve squirreled away for it: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Austenland, Brooklyn, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (!), and The Fortune Cookie Chronicles.

    Currently reading My Stylish French Girlfriends and Better Than Ever. Next up: Tell The Wolves I’m Home.

  214. Amy N. says:

    I’m enjoying reading the comments about what everyone is reading- and adding to my already bloated “to read” list. I’m definitely going to read Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, as well as Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. I think that my tattered copy of A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle is due for a reread. (And yes, I would love to try out the books on your 2016 challenge, as well.)

  215. Katie says:

    I already accidentally completed “a book you can read in a day” when I happened to read the eighth book in the Walt Longmire mystery series from start to finish yesterday. Oops?

    I think the book that I’ve never finished is going to be Anna Karenina; I set it aside to read the Twilight books because they were due back at the library (during the height of their popularity) (I should probably be ashamed of this but I’m not) and never picked it back up. It is time!

    I’m still thinking about my other picks. I’m thinking of rereading some Robin McKinley, or maybe Orson Scott Card’s Enchanted–they both keep popping up. And I’m interested to see what my husband recommends! I’ve now also added several from your list to my TBRs as well. Yay books!

    • Anne says:

      Ha! Love that you knocked out your book in a day, and it says good things about the book that it happened “accidentally.” 🙂

  216. angie m says:

    am currently readign Americanah and really like it. To be read library pile contains: A Brene Brown book, cant remember the title. Infinite home, a book I have picked up several times, but can’t seem to get past 15 pages. Vetan before 6 by Mark Bitman. Am listening to the newest Cormeron Strike book and love it.

  217. Caitlin says:

    I love your list! My TBR list for this year includes Better Than Before, Life of Pi, Hannah Coulter, Modern Romance, Big Magic, Brainstorm, and Middlemarch!

  218. Beth says:

    I loved Hannah Coulter! I am currently reading Extravagant Grace by Barbara Duguid and Letters to Pastor’s Wives by Catherine Stewart. I also want to read Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson and I really need to round out my reading with some good fiction – I may even borrow from your list. I enjoy Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series for fun, super easy, historical fiction. I would love to win the books on your list!

  219. Christie Hilton says:

    Love your picks–I will likely add some of those to my list. This year I would like to catch up on all of the Louise Penny mysteries (I am on Bury Your Dead), and finally read Daring Greatly and the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy. I’ll have to think some more on your specific challenge categories.

  220. Adrienne says:

    There are some great books on that stack. I’m doing this challenge and the Book Riot challenge this year. I also have a list of books from my shelves I want to read this year. There are too many to list here, but it’s all on my blog. I set my Goodreads challenge low (for me) so I wouldn’t shy away from large books because I might not reach my challenge goal. Cheating? Maybe, but I’m not focusing on numbers so much this year.

  221. Alicia Abney says:

    I love your selections, especially We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Shirley Jackson is incredible! I want to know more about A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra. I generally select historical fiction novels, so your description jumped out at me.

    Right now, I’m thinking All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr for a book I have been meaning to read. I have wanted to read this one for quite some time and I finally received it as a gift for Christmas. I was recommended by my library friend to read Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. I recently abandoned The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood for the umpteenth time…. I have owned The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society for quite some time and I have yet to read it. I really want to tackle a Virginia Woolf novel for the book published before I was born and Anna Karenina intimidates the crap out of me!

  222. Valerie says:

    A few of the books on my 2016 reading list include checking out Tessa Hadley – looks like an author up my alley that I’ve never read, 10% Happier, Just a Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, and My Name is Lucy by Elizabeth Strout. A short list to get me started, along with the plethora of books on my pal’s Nook that I have access to!

  223. Emily C. says:

    I’ve had Lonesome Dove on my TBR list for a few years. I’ll be interested to hear your review. Thanks for the challenge and giveaway.

  224. Meredith says:

    I’m looking forward to reading The Book Thief, All the Light We Cannot See, a few memoirs about mental health, and a few Newbery Medal winners!

  225. Karyl says:

    What an awesome giveaway idea! My current stack of TBR is Gash’s Divine Collision (published this year — although Amazon released it a few days early at the very end of 2015), Sanford’s Saturn Run (recommended by Dad), Goff’s Love Does (own but never read), and Schwartz’s Paradox of Choice (meaning to read — one of your recommendations). Speaking of your recommendations, thanks so much for the heads up on Tieks. I got myself a pair for Christmas and they are marvelous!

  226. Samantha Lurie says:

    That ladies’ detective agency series is one I tried years ago and just couldn’t get a hold on it, I am inspired to try again! I am definitely going to my local library and finding some of these that I have never heard of like, Before Green Gables (what!!!!?!!!)

  227. Natasha Malouf says:

    I’m planning on ‘My Antonia’ for a book that intimidates me, an Agatha Christie (haven’t picked the title) for a book published before I was born and ‘The Dante Club’ as a book I’ve previously abandoned. I’m so excited to have found your website and discovered a whole community of people who feel the way I do about books! Thank you for the challenge 🙂

  228. Stacey says:

    We are doing this as a family this year. I printed a copy for each person and we are having fun picking books for each section. Thanks for sharing!

  229. Katy says:

    Some of my 2016 picks:
    An instance of the fingerpost
    Say goodbye to survival mode
    The Great Gatsby
    Just some starters…the rest will come to me!

  230. Dawn Linneman says:

    My son in law introduced me to Wendell Berry and shortly thereafter my son and daughter in law moved to Louisville. My favorite novel of his is Hannah Coulter. Finding a strong female character reflecting back over her life helped with my own perspective regarding moving through my fifties and empty nesting.

      • Dawn Linneman says:

        Yes, I believe you and my daughter in law have met, she introduced me to your site. Jessie Linneman, married to my son Jeremy who is Pastor of Community Life at Sojourn Communiy Church. I think I probably have the world’s best daughter in law, she makes me so welcome in their home. While I wish they were closer to KC, I love everything they’ve experienced in Louisville and all that my grandsons are enjoying in the church and city. I look forward to your posts to keep my library request list full!

        • Anne says:

          Oh yes, we have met! Small world. 🙂 And that is such a complement to her to call her the “world’s best daughter in law.” 🙂

  231. Hannah Beth Reid says:

    Thank you for sharing your picks! I especially enjoyed the Alexander McCall Smith in a kilt tidbit! I have enjoyed the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books because they are so funny and quotable!
    I haven’t completely filled in my goals for the challenge, but for a book that intimidates me I hope to read “The Two Towers.” My husband is a big LOTR fan and gave me my own set before we were married, but I have never read them all. But it apparently wasn’t a deal breaker because we’ve been married nearly 8 years…haha!
    My previously abandoned book is “Rebecca” by du Maurier and I’m hoping the third time’s the charm!
    Still struggling with the banned book and one I should have read in school.

  232. Helen says:

    Some great recommendations here, thank you everyone. I’m planning to read – The girl who saved the King of Sweden, The Minaturist and H is for hawk.

  233. Liz Morris says:

    I just found your blog via your RAR podcast. Unknowingly, I have read many of your individual posts over the years as friends have shared them. I am excited to get to know you and your books.

  234. Aoife says:

    For my “book I should have read in HS”, I’m going with To Kill A Mockingbird. I know, I can’t believe I haven’t read it through either.
    A book I own but have never read is a more difficult choice – there are so many I could choose from for that prompt!

  235. Erika says:

    I tend to pick books on the fly, but I do have a few in mind that fit the 2016 challenge. Here are a few that I’m planning to knock off my TBR list this year.

    Book I can finish in a day: A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
    Book I’ve been meaning to read: Anna Karenina by Tolstoy
    Book that intimidates me: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

  236. Amanda says:

    I’m another mix of “planning and pantsing.” I keep a TBR list on Pinterest, but I feel free to take stuff off the list if it’s been hanging around for a long time and I know I don’t care about it anymore. I’m working right now on being a more “steady” reader. Currently, I read voraciously for two weeks to the exclusion of my responsibilities, and then I read nothing for two months.

    I just finished my first Stephen King (11/22/63), and am about to start Jane Eyre. I read Jane Eyre in fourth grade to prove a point to the school librarian who thought I couldn’t, but I suspect I didn’t experience the book very deeply at ten 🙂

  237. Jamie says:

    So far “In This House of Brede”, “Blue Bistro” (which I’m nearly done with and loved, “My Kitchen Year”, “Island of the World”, “Animal, Vegetable Miracle.”. Hope I win!

  238. Cait says:

    I am so excited about this reading challenge! I find I usually abandon them because the lists are picked by others and I quickly lose interest. I think I’ll actually complete one!

    So far I’m reading Eka Kurniawan’s arresting “Beauty is a Wound” as my pick for a recently published novel. I also chose “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Marquez for a book I abandoned (are you picking up on my magical realism obsession?). It’s been years since I’ve read “Durable Goods” by Elizabeth Berg, but I remember it being one of my favorites. It’s a quick read so that is my novel I can read in a day.

  239. Sara says:

    I’m planning/hoping to finish Nurture Shock and Parenting Without Power Struggles, and reread while enacting Marie Kondo’s Art of Tidying Up. Now I’m also eager to see her new book! I just read book 1 of Justin Cronin’s The Passage and must must must read the others in the trilogy. As soon as the library gets them in and the last is released, that is!

  240. Julie Richardson says:

    Love your picks! I adore Wendell Berry, Edith Wharton, and have also read ALL the Ladies’ Detective Agency books. They are fun and refreshing, and I sure wish the TV series hadn’t stopped! Even my husband enjoyed watching those episodes. A few for the reading challenge:
    A bk that intimidates me: Gone with the Wind
    A bk I can finish in a day: Gift from the Sea (I’ve read this twice already, but need to again!)
    A bk I’ve been meaning to read: the last 2 bks of the Redwall series (I started these when I was 9 or 10, and since Brian Jacques died, I have been saving these like gems because I don’t want it to be over!) 🙂
    A bk I own but have never read: Ben Hur
    A banned bk: Brave New World

  241. Sassy says:

    Without going to check my list, I know I am going to catch up with the Mary Russell books by Laurie King, read more Terry Pratchett, and read The Art of Memoir.

  242. liz n says:

    Oy, nearly 400 comments already, so this one will probably get lost in here, but I’m struggling with finding “a book that intimidates you.”

    Odd as it sounds, I’m thinking that a book about faith–finding it, losing it, journeying through it–would be good for me for this category.

    Does anyone have any suggestions?

    • Anne says:

      A spiritual memoir sounds like a wonderful fit for this category. You could read anything from Thomas Merton to Anne Lamott, Madeleine L’Engle to Nadia Bolz-Weber: new, old, traditional or not, young or old. There are so many good ones it’s tough to recommend specifics.

  243. Sherri T says:

    Thanks for the reading challenge. I’m excited to expand my reading horizons. For a book I’ve been meaning to read I’m reading War and Peace. For a book I should have read in school I’ll be reading Middlemarch. For a book that intimidates me I’ll be reading Atlas Shrugged. I’ll be reading Bel Canto for the book I abandoned, BFG for the book in a day, and rereading A Wrinkle in Time (my favorite book as a child). I’m so glad I found this blog. Thanks again for the reading challenge. I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s experiences with their books, and adding some wonderful suggestions to my TBR pile!

  244. Laura says:

    You’ve picked some great ones this year- McCall Smith! Angelou! McMurtry! Wharton! You’re in for a treat. I’ve got Middlemarch (intimidates), Small Wonder (own but haven’t read), All CreaturesGreat and Small(spouse pick), a Christmas Carol (can finish in a day)…plus others

  245. Kinsey says:

    I’m looking forward to picking these up! My new years resolution is to keep the tv off and engage my mind! Can’t wait! Thank you!

  246. Lindsey says:

    I have chosen a few titles to fulfill this year’s challenge, including Architecture of Happiness (picked by my spouse who has been telling me I need to read this for years!), Simply Tuesday (a book you’ve been meaning to read), and To Kill a Mockingbird (a book you should have read in school). I love your pick of Maya Angelou for a book that has been previously banned! I’m keeping my options open for a book that comes out this year 🙂

  247. Dara says:

    I certainly haven’t compiled a list long enough to last me all year yet, but in my current reading basket is, “Sophie’s World” by Jostein; “Collected Poems” by Wendell Berry; “Pilgrim’s Progress” and “Holy War”, by John Bunyan….

  248. Dawn Herrick says:

    I am reading Yes Please by Amy Poehler, Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed (gifts from my daughter), Wicked, After You, and SO many others. I LOVE this challenge and can’t wait to start researching what books fit the criteria!

  249. Tammy Totten says:

    Currently loving MAKE IT HAPPEN by Lara Casey. Next up: 168 Hours, The Celebration of Discipline, Grace Upon Grace, Coming Clean, My Kitchen Year, Being Mortal, Seven, Satisfied,……

  250. Barbara Kiester says:

    Thanks for posting your list and for offering the challenge. Alexander McCall Smith is a favorite author. I hope you enjoy his book. Here are some of the books I’ve chosen for the 2016 challenge: book I’ve read at least once – Lord of the Rings by Tolkein, a book that intimidates me – H is Hawk by MacDonald, a book previously abandoned – A Wrinkle in Time by L’Engle, a book recommended by a bookseller – Plainsong by Kurt Haruf, and a book published this year – The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson.

  251. Cindy Flim says:

    I’m a 7th and 8th grade math teacher and your blog is increasing in popularity among us, math teachers! After working with numbers all day (which I love!), I like to relax with a good book. Currently, I am reading Dracula, which is a book my daughter picked. She is also reading this book with her book club. I’m looking forward to continuing your challenge!

  252. Molly says:

    “Lonesome Dove” is one of my all-time favorites, but be prepared as there are a few violent scenes that have stayed with me 20+ years after I first read it. Still, I consistently put this in my top 5 list when people ask me my favorite books.

  253. Heidi says:

    I haven’t completed my whole list yet but I have seen The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency mentioned several times and would like to read that. There are few others on your list that I think I would like as well such as The House of Mirth, Before Green Gables, and Hannah Coulter. I also have a few of Chautona Havig’s books on my list and am patiently waiting for her new serial novel to come out. I’d also like to add a few self-help books on health and nutrition in the mix as well.

  254. Debbie says:

    Truly it is equal parts fun and torture as you say. I’m working on my list now. The hardest category is “a book you previously abandoned” because I can think of 3 books in 57 years I have abandoned (I choose carefully to begin with- probably should be more daring). They are The Hunger Games, The Time-Traveler’s Wife (though time travel is one of my favorite subjects) and American Gods. I cannot bear the thought of returning to them. I suppose it will have to be The Time Traveler’s Wife then. Oh wait- there was another- a Stephen King but I can’t recall which. Horror is just so dispiriting to me. The only one of his I’ve read is On Writing (great). I recognize that he’s a talented writer. I just don’t like reading what he writes. I’m looking forward to completing the list.

  255. Rachel S. says:

    A book I’ve been meaning to read: Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKuerst.
    A book chosen by my hubby: Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells by Matthew Gallatin.
    A book that intimidates me: Bread & Water, Wine & Oil by Archimandrite Meletios Webber. (The last two catergories are interchangeable).
    A book I own but haven’t read: Michael Vey 5 by Richard Paul Evans.
    Not sure on the other categories yet.

  256. Jessica says:

    I’ve never read any of your choices either! Some of my choices could actually fall in multiple categories, like I just started All The Light We Cannot See, which will either be my book I’ve been meaning to read or my book that I own but haven’t read. My husband bought me The Nightengale for Christmas, so that will be my book chosen by my spouse (although I could also use Everything I Never Told You because he also picked that one out). I want to finish The Goldfinch which will probably be a book I previously abandoned. I was enjoying it but it just never quite pulled me in. I’m excited to start crossing some off my list!

  257. Dawn L says:

    Jan Karon’s Mitford series (never read it!)
    Where Beauty Dwells by Emilie Loring
    How Dante Can Save Your Life by Rod Dreher
    The Little Way of Ruthie Lemming by Rod Dreher
    Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge (a reread now that I’ve visited New Zealand)
    Lord of the Rings by Tolkien with my son
    Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
    whatever my book club chooses…

  258. Alicia says:

    I really enjoyed The 100 Year Old Man and found myself unable to put it down. Everything else on your list is new to me and many I’ve never heard of before – great way to start the year!

    My current TBR list includes:
    Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
    The Summer of the Great-Grandmother by Madeleine L’engle
    Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe
    Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling

  259. Kati says:

    A book I should have read in school: The Brothers K (which I read excerpts from, but not in its entirety. This summer!)
    A book I’ve been meaning to read: All the Light We Cannot See (reading it now. Wow. Won the Pulitzer for a reason!)

  260. Angelique C says:

    What a great List of Books I <3 <3 LOVE Anne of Green Gables. My TBR this year is to reread my whole High school syllabus, 2016 will mark my 20 year high school reunion and I was going through some of my old things and found my syllabus's. I feel rereading these books as an adult and due to the fact that I want too will have a different impact on me then when I was in my teens 20 some odd-ish years ago

  261. Shelsy says:

    These look so good! I’m planning on reading all of the Anne of Green Gables books. I’m on Anne of Avonlea at the moment. I also want to retry Les Miserables. And so many more. I read 45 books last year, which was way more than I thought possible. I want to read at least 50 this year, so I’ll be able to make a dent into all the things I want to read!

  262. Charlotte says:

    What a delightful giveaway! I can think of several books I fit into the challenge. I’ve never read Farenheit 451 and think it’s about time–definitely a book I should have read in school and a book that was once banned!

  263. Maggie K says:

    On my TBR list this year are a lot of books that have been on my bookshelf for a while: In Cold Blood, Plainsong, Deep Down Dark. And also a few new ones: The Royal We, Fates and Furies. I try not to make my list too long because I find that once I pledge to read a specific book….I often lose all interest in it. Can’t explain it!

  264. Amy says:

    Your blog started a fire in me last year and I can’t stop reading. I’m on a roll now and 2016 is looking very well-read already 🙂 I’m interested in almost all of your picks for the reading challenge; some of these are going on my TBR list right now.

  265. Connie Francis says:

    I will be reading “A Woman of Independent Means” again. “Emma” which I’ve abandoned. “Of Mice and Men” banned, “Little House” series. I have so many books that I want to read, I just wish I could stay awake!

  266. Sabra says:

    A few of the books on my list for 2016:
    – The Library at Mount Char
    – I want to re-read some of Madeleine L’Engle’s books.
    – Ready Player One
    – The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
    – Essentialism
    – Some Girls: My Life in a Harem
    and lots more! It’s so hard to choose.

  267. Natalie G says:

    So far I plan reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier- published before I was born and the Poisonwood Bible a book I abandoned– audio on this one

  268. My goal this year is to stop buying books (at garage sales and half-price bookstore) and actually READ all the ones on my shelves. Some of those include The Life of Pi, The Likeness by Tana French, and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. We’ll see how far I get!

  269. Bethany says:

    So far my reading list for this year includes
    Soundless by Richelle Mead
    Curio by Evangeline Denmark
    Da Vinci’s Tiger by L.M. Elliott
    The Rose Legacy by Kristen Heitzman
    Just Between You and Me by Jenny B Jones

  270. Denise G. says:

    Love your list!! Spark Joy is also on mine, as well as Strong and Kind by Korie Robertson, Animal Farm (just finished that for the first time!!), The Grapes of Wrath, The Silmarillion (my husband’s second favorite book- first he chose The Children of Hurin for me to read, but said I need to read this first!), A Wrinkle in Time, A Separate Peace, and a reread of The Giver. I need to finish filling out my list!!

  271. Claudia says:

    I’m excited about this reading challenge and having a bit more focus in my reading in the months ahead. I’ve already started reading 1984 which hits four categories for me, so I’m not sure in which category it’ll end up at the end.

  272. Cara L. says:

    I pretty much fly by the seat of my pants with my reading choices, but two books on my very long TBR list (I keep a list, even if I don’t follow it) are The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which intimidates me, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, which I already own but haven’t read yet.

    Thanks for the cool post about your choices. So glad I found your site.

  273. Natalie says:

    I am planning on re-reading the Harry Potter series for nostalgia’s sake. I also really want to read the Rules of Civility and The Lake House!

  274. Meg says:

    I haven’t read any of the books that are on your list, but some of them sound fantastic! I have a few books already picked out for the 2016 challenge, but I’m mostly just winging it.? The ones I’ve chosen are:
    A book finished in a day: Quotidian Mysteries
    A book you’ve been meaning to read: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
    A book you’ve read at least once: Drangonfly in Amber
    A book you own and have been meaning to read: Mudhouse Sabbath
    A book Published Before You Were Born: The Screwtape Letters or Out of Silent Planet

  275. Karen says:

    I always have a stack of books next to my bed ready for reading, but most of them are books I feel like I *should* read rather than books I am excited about reading. Or they are books that are out of my comfort zone for whatever reason.
    I read plenty of books inside my comfort zone year round, though. This year, I want to expand my horizons a bit. So this year, I want to read The Bronze Bow, The Name of the Rose, and His Excellency George Washington.
    And it looks like I might have to check out a few books on your list, too! Thanks for the great ideas!

  276. Kyle says:

    My wife and I really got into your book list idea last year, and we’ve found ourselves turning the tv off a little more and reading a LOT more. We looked forward to Jan 1 as the date to get to (get to!) make our lists for this year! A couple notables: my mother recommended Emma by Jane Austen, which is an author I’ve never been interested in reading although I love the movies made from her books; I’m intimidated by Paul Johnson’s “A History of the American People” but I’ve always found him to be a fascinating author; and I’m rereading Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America.” Apparently this is a very collegiate type book list this year, heavy, not too much light fiction. We’re already underway! Thanks.

  277. Lindsay Lea says:

    These are some great books! I just saw Sparking Joy in the Costco Magazine–might have to pick that one up, although I do have the same fears you do about it being a rehashing of the first book.

    This is my first year doing the Reading Challenge, and I’m more of a pants-er, so I haven’t picked my books yet!

    Also, I love ePantry and I’m glad you are teaming up with them. My husband is a big fan of the Meyers cleaning products 🙂

  278. Danielle Hicks says:

    I have started on my first book for the MMD Challenge. I am currently reading The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. I would be very excited to win a copy of each of your selections. I enjoy your blog very much!

  279. Bronwyn Lea says:

    I love the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series! (but maybe that’s the African in me? There is so much *familiar* in what he describes)

    One recommended read for this year to consider is John Perkins’ biography “Let Justice Roll Down”, which frames the story of a black man in Mississippi in the mid 20th century: his commitment to the gospel and how that both fueled and restrained his involvement in poverty alleviation and social justice – an EXCELLENT read. In a similar vein, Maya Angelou’s Caged Bird is on my list for the year: I’d love to win this list!

  280. B J says:

    You guys have some lofty choices on your lists! I’m already doing a classics challenge on another blog, so I’m probably not going to read many classics for this challenge. I should be ashamed to say, I’m not much of a classics reader, just never enjoyed many of the ones we read in school! I am an avid reader though and have always enjoyed reading. I am currently reading the first in the Maisie Dobbs series and enjoying it very much, so I will probably read a few more of those in 2016. Am also almost finished the Laura Lippman, Tess Monaghan series, so I’ll try to finish that. For this challenge, I’ve picked Rebecca for the book I should have read in school and Frederica by Georgette Heyer as the book I can finish in a day (The Heyer books have been recommended on this blog often and I bought this one the last time Amazon had some of her’s on sale). I leaning toward reading Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood for the banned book and I think Sayer’s Gaudy Night as the book written before I was born (Again, Sayer is an author I have seen recommended here often and never read, so I picked up several of her’s on sale over the last few months). I went to my brother-in-law for a book recommended by a family member or BFF and he gave me Brad Meltzer’s first in the Culper Ring Trilogy – The Inner Circle. For the rest of the categories in this challenge, I still have too many options to choose from yet. Other books I plan to read this year are some Jane Austen, starting with Emma. For a book I’ve been meaning to read, I’m trying to decide between Dave Cullen’s Columbine, Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City or Sherri Fink’s Five Days at Memorial. Some of the new books coming out that I want to read are: The Restaurant Critic’s Wife and Hyzy: Foreign Affairs and Meissner: Stars over Sunset Blvd – all came out this week;Lee: The Expatriates – 1/12/16;Bivald, Katarina: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend – 1/19/2016; Gable: I’ll See you in Paris – 2/9/2016; Lawhon: Flight of Dreams – 2/16/16 and that is just January and February! My TBR list continues to grow from reading this blog. Happy reading in 2016.

  281. Becky says:

    Book I’ve been meaning to read: Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
    Book I should’ve read in school: Lord of the Flies
    Book chosen by my child: Divergent
    Book I own but haven’t read: Middlemarch
    Book I’ve already read: Anne of Green Gables series

  282. Heather I. says:

    I love this reading challenge. I’m planning to read Great Expectations, The Worst Journey in the World, The Parish Papers, and The Boys in the Boat–and lots of others! This challenge has really inspired me!

  283. Heidi says:

    I’m really planning on reading The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness. I’ve read the other two books in the All Souls trilogy but haven’t gotten to this last book yet, despite it sitting on my bookcase for months.

  284. Amy H says:

    I want to read at least one Brene Brown book. After reading your list, I’ve added Lonesome Dove. I love the movie.

  285. Danielle Durbin says:

    On my reading list are Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, and Pride and Prejudice. My friend and I are doing it together and want to read the same books so we can talk about them together. We haven’t decided on the rest of the books yet. I’m going to show her your recommendations!

  286. Cheryl H. says:

    I plan to read ‘Headless Males Make Great Lovers’, ‘The Heretic Queen’, ‘The Accidental Empress’, ‘The Taming of the Queen’, ‘The May Bride’, ‘The Parrot’s Lament’, ‘Guns, Germs, and Steel’, ‘The Sisters of Versailles’, and ‘Sexy Orchids Make Lousy Lovers’. That’s for starters. ;D

  287. Trisha says:

    My TBR list just keeps getting longer. So many books! I’m currently reading “Being Mortal” and “A Train in Winter” but will likely will need something a little more light-hearted after that.

  288. Chelsea Fairless says:

    Last summer, I started reading comic books for the first time and restarted reading graphic novels, and I want to continue that habit to keep my TBR list diversified. I love being able to switch back and forth between different styles.

    I’m looking forward to doing your 2016 challenge, although the category of “an abandoned book” poses a problem for me because I have always forced myself to finish books even if I wasn’t crazy about them. But I’m sure there’s quite a few books for school I only read partially for an assignment, so maybe I can hunt one down. And maybe I should be more self-forgiving about abandoning books!

    I will definitely be adding a lot of your books to my TBR list!

  289. Cassie says:

    I’d like to re-read Alanna From the Lioness Quartet. I’ve also got Lusitiana, Gilead, and Winter Solistice sitting on my dining room table.

  290. Kitty Balay says:

    I highly recommend the audiobook of Number 1 Detective Agency. The narrator’s accent is so charming. It made me laugh out loud in some places & tear up in others. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has been on my TBR list for years, but I’m afraid it will break my heart. I think listening is a good idea to her read it is a great idea. I love Maya Angelou’s voice!

  291. Michelle W. says:

    I love the “No.1 Ladies Detective Agency”. My mom introduced me years ago and I’ve been a fan ever since! On my list this year, “Les Miserables”, by Victor Hugo (Book I Own But Have Never Read), “Anne of Green Gables”, by L.M Montgomery (Book I’ve Been Meaning to Read), and “All the Light We Cannot See”, by Anthony Doerr (which has been recommended by pretty much everyone!).

  292. Kimi says:

    I’ve got my list partially nailed down with my finish in a day book being Night by Elie Weisel, book I should’ve read in school The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and the one chosen by my teen, Lemony Snicket’s Bad Beginnings. My banned book is The Giver and published before I was born is The Enchanted April. I’ve always been intimidated by The Grapes of Wrath and abandoned Till We Have Faces.

  293. Kandi West says:

    I have so many books on my TBR list that I’m more than a little overwhelmed; however, I love having an abundance of good books to look forward to! I’m looking forward to finishing up the Inspenctor Gamache series, and then I have a few themes of books that I want to cover this year…(1) race…all of Maya Angelou’s biographies that I have not yet read, Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria, have already finished Between the World and Me, etc. (2) spiritual classics…Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, the main works of C.S. Lewis (I’ve only read the Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity), Shepherd of the hIlls, Through the gates of splendor, (3) classics that I never read as a child/young adult or didn’t read “well”- Jane Eyre, Fahrenheit 451, Sherlock Holmes, Count of Monte Cristo, The age of Innocence
    And lots of others…SIGH!
    I’m excited about the challenge. 🙂

  294. Mackenzie Draper says:

    The best part about the 2016 reading challenge is that I’ve never even heard of some of the books being recommended on this thread! I can’t wait to get to the library after work today! 🙂 One book on my list was recommended to be by my AP Language teacher – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I saw part of the movie and loved it, so I think I’ll love the book, too. I would recommend to anyone that they read some of Olive Schreiner’s work, especially The Story of an African Farm. There is so much beauty and passion layered with feminism and intricate theology, plus it’s all in beautiful South Africa!

  295. Stephanie says:

    Here are a few of mine:
    a book published before you were born- The Scarlet Pimpernel
    a book you’ve been meaning to read – Still Life by Louise Penny- the series sounds right up my alley every thing you talk about it, but I’ve never picked them up at the library
    a book published this year- The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner

  296. Jamie Adams says:

    I’ve been meaning to read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and as long as I can finally get it from my library, that is at the top of my list! For a book in a day, I’m shooting for Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. It’s a bit thicker, but since a good chunk of it is illustrations (and absolutely HILARIOUS!), I’m hopeful it can be done. 🙂

  297. Robin says:

    Many of these books sound really interesting – great variety – and some of them have been on my list as well. Lonesome Dove is one I’ve been wanting to read, but felt like I have to read all 4 in the saga. Maybe not…..

  298. On my list is definitely Spark Joy– I devoured the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I also own Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey and need to read it. And as part of a book chosen by someone else, I want to read the last book my late husband’s read, which he loved– Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.

  299. Libby says:

    I’m trying to figure out how to make Louise Penny’s books fit into all of the categories!
    (and I love your list and love ePantry, too.)

  300. Gloria Soliz says:

    I love all your books on your reading list … the ones that caught my eye are: I didn’t know the was a prequel to Anne of Green Gables! Definitely will have to put that one on my list … and I LOVE Edith Wharton … good luck with Lonesome Dove! I think I will just read your summary of it 🙂 And I like your pick for the banned book type.

    My goal this year is to read 24-25 books — 2 books a month. 1 book will be from my book club and the other book will be to tackle your 2016 challenge. I haven’t made my list yet but there are some flying through my head, just need to put them on paper such as: “Why Moms are Weird” (my sis has been bugging me to read it and I think I could read it in a day), asking my professor husband to recommend a book, “Charles Dickens in Love” (written by my sister-in-law’s father), and another by Du Maurier (our book club LOVED Rebecca last year).

    I am new to your blog, and love it so far! Keep up the great work.

    -Gloria

  301. Brigette says:

    I’m currently rereading “Christy”. I’m getting so much more out of it 20 years later! I also want to read “In Her Shoes”, “Fully Charged”, “Pioneer Girl”, and “The Royal We”

  302. Samantha Stone says:

    I have not made my final decisions on all of them. But right now i am already reading Little Women, but considering also The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Les Miserables, and a Wrinkle in Time for a few of the options. I am very much looking forward to reading them. I find that when i know what i am reading next than i can’t enjoy the book i am reading as much because i am to anxious to get to the next one too not that my current one isn’t good i just am excited to read everything i can.

  303. Shonda says:

    A book I plan on rereading is Middlemarch. It has been so many years since I’ve read it and it needs revisited.
    Great list of books! Awesome giveaway!

  304. Jen says:

    My New Years resolution was to 25 books this year – this is a great way for me to incorporate some really cool options into my goal! Love it!

  305. Jen says:

    For the 2016 Reading Challenge My List Includes
    A Book I Previously Abandoned: Pillars of the Earth
    A Book I Should Have Read in School: The Great Gatsby
    A Book That Intiidates Me: Last of the Mohicans

  306. Marcia says:

    I’ve selected all but three. Here is what I have so far:
    A book you can finish in a day – The Call of the Wild
    A book you should have read in school – Moby-Dick
    A book chosen by your sibling – the Path Between the Seas
    A book that was banned-Beloved
    A book you previously abandoned – Suite Francaise
    A book you own but have never read – Through Gates of Splendor
    A book that intimidates you – the Brothers Karamazov
    A book you’ve already read at least once – Rebecca

  307. Melissa Osigian says:

    Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle
    Brene Brown’s books (I have not read any of them yet.)
    You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis & Lisa Chan

  308. Georgia says:

    I’m hoping to Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories and at least two of the other Jackson Brodie novels (I found three of them for super cheap at a thrift store recently. Woot woot.) Also want to read Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain this year.

  309. Lynn says:

    The books on my 2016 reading list are:
    Book I abandoned Orphan Train
    Book that intimates me is Anna Karenia
    Book before I was born In Cold Blood
    Book I read before The Shack

  310. Cheralaine Cole-Johnson says:

    I love your list! As I am a reader who waits for a book to whisper to me, my list is pretty spare. My daughter has been begging me to read Gilead and I think this will be the year. All the Light We Cannot See, Station Eleven and Fates and Furies can all be placed in appropriate categories for me. And I think I will give Lonesome Dove a tackle as well; authors and readers I respect have gushed about it for years.

  311. What a fun giveaway! On my 2016 reading list: Creative Schools by Ken Robinson, Angela’s Ashes, Still Alice, You Learn by Living, Daring Greatly, The Rosie Project and Four Seasons in Rome – and I just started Anchored by Kayla Aimee!

  312. Ashleigh Payne says:

    Love your list! I plan to read that flying adventure novel too…bought it for my husband who loves to fly. My picks so far are The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (book I can read in a day…though it’s currently taking me longer than a day to read!), rereading for the 6th time Pride and Prejudice, In the Name of the Rose for a previously abandoned book, and a classic or two I didn’t read in school. Plus many more! Love your blog…thanks for creating a place where us like-minded bibliophiles can find a comforting home.

  313. Meghan says:

    I don’t know!! I definitely fly by the seat of my pants. I love finishing a book and then just having the freedom to pick whatever I want next. I was thinking about reading The Sea Wolf by Jack London for a book you should have read in school. I was supposed to read that one and Moby Dick and I didn’t (because a paper wasn’t required…only discussion) and it’s always kind of bugged me that I never read them. I might tag along with you and read We Have Always Lived at the Castle since that has been on my TBR list for awhile. But I think I’ll wait until my husband comes back (currently deployed) because I think it will scare me!

  314. Michelle Olson says:

    Lots of books on your list I have not even heard of before! Right now I am reading Hands Free Mama and set up a Facebook group for several friends and myself to help motivate us through the challenge

  315. Katie says:

    I want to read Atlas Shrugged this year. I want to re-read Les Mis because it has been too long since I have dived into Hugo’s world. Some others are House of Silk, The First 15 lives of Harry August and Arvida.

  316. Kristin says:

    On my list is to actually read some books that I own and to make sure there are some classics mixed in. This is a great giveaway for an excellent set of books. thanks.

  317. Connor says:

    I’m halfway through The Orphan Master’s Son (it’s lovely and heartbreaking) but the next ones on my list are Jill Leovy’s Ghettoside and Nick Stone’s The Verdict.

  318. Bridget says:

    OK, I finished my list. It took me all day to decide on a Book that Intimidates me.

    Banned book = The Fault in Our Stars
    Previously abandoned = River of Darkness (Thanks to everyone that mentioned that they had to return a book to the library before they finished it.)
    Book I own but have never read = Horns
    Book that intimidates me = Red Mars (The reviews say that the tech detail can be difficult to get through) Anyone here read it?

  319. Heather says:

    This will be the year I finally finish Moby Dick…maybe. I will certainly read Spark Joy, Phantom Tollbooth and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New Year–New Books! Yay!

  320. Joy says:

    I hope you enjoy The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version.

    I have most of my picks:
    Published this year – My Name is Lucy Barton by Strout
    Finish is a day – haven’t decided yet
    Meaning to Read – Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry (loved Hannah Coulter!)
    Recommended by local librarian – Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker (my colleague recommended this series to me earlier this week since she knows I love mysteries)
    Should have read in school – The Scarlet Letter
    Chosen for me – Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones (my 21yo son chose this for me and said I would love it)
    Published before I was born – Measure for Measure by Shakespeare (slowly making my way through the plays I haven’t yet read)
    Banned – O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
    Previously abandoned – Emma by Alexander McCall Smith (I’m not quite sure why I abandoned this, but I really want to read it)
    Own but never read – Passion for the Impossible: the Life of Lilias Trotter by Miriam Huffman Rockness
    Intimidates – City of God by Augustine
    Read at least once – The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (love, love, love this book)

    I usually don’t plan out my reading but I thought this would give me a good “spine” for my reading this year and then I will fill in with books for work (I work in a library), books for school (I homeschool my son), and books for fun, personal growth, and enrichment.

    • Anne says:

      Love your books!

      Thanks for mentioning the audio version of The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I’m thinking about it. 🙂

      • Joy says:

        I don’t think you would regret the audio. The narrator really nails the rhythm of the book, if you know what I mean.

        A co-worker gave me an idea for my read in one day book: The Small Hand by Susan Hill. I’ve read several of her non-fiction books (if you like English countryside living, you would love her book The Magic Apple Tree), but I haven’t yet tried her fiction. This will get me started.

  321. Great books on your list — some familiar, some not. I absolutely LOVE the #1 Ladies Detective series. A few I will have on my challenge are Guns, Germs,& Steel (spouse has been wanting me to read for years), The Rabbi Jesus (didn’t finish), and Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully (coming out this year). You and ePantry are awesome for offering this giveaway!

  322. Ginger Fowler says:

    Love book lists! Currently reading Court of Fives and my next three books are Fates and Furies, The Bone Clocks and Goldfinch. Also would like to get through the Crimson Petal and the White in 2016. That’s on the “this book intimidates me” list!

  323. Kate says:

    My ‘to read’ list grows with almost every one of your posts! I plan to reread The Book of the Dun Cow and Jane Eyre, pick up Quiet again, maybe get around to Pillars of the Earth…just to name a few!

  324. Lisa says:

    What a neat giveaway (and thanks for organizing this reading challenge)! So far I’m aiming for: Kristin Lavransdatter (intimidates), Pine, Potatoes and People (published before I was born), and Sisterchicks do the Hula (read before). Looking forward to hearing about books coming out this year!

  325. Staci Brown says:

    Finishing The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up, starting Challenger Deep and Ready Player One!

  326. Teish says:

    I plan to read To Kill a Mockingbird, Atlas Shrugged, and Fahrenheit 411 this year. They have been on my “to read” list for far too long!

  327. Sarah C. says:

    These are some of the books I’m planning on reading this year: Winter, The Fringe Hours, The Slight Edge, Teaching Your Children Joy, Change Anything, and the Mistborn series. I could go on… 🙂 I love these challenges!

  328. Randi says:

    A few on my list this year:
    Should have read in school: Great Expectations
    Been Meaning to Read: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
    Published Before I Was Born: Henrietta’s War (the book wasn’t published before I was born, but the columns were so I’m counting it)

  329. Kris C says:

    A few from my list this year are: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah; The Chosen by Chaim Potok; Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl; A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. Thanks so much for doing this; this is my first year participating (but I’m a long time bibliophile). LOVE your blog and tell all my friends about it every chance I get! 🙂

  330. Donna says:

    Great picks, Anne! I love the variety.?
    The Constellation of Vital Phenomena has been on my tbr list for a while now. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
    Yesterday, I finally committed
    to my picks for each
    challenge category and shared
    a post on the blog. It was
    very, very difficult choosing
    just one book per category,
    but I did it.?
    Here are my picks:
    A book published this year –
    When Breath Becomes Air by
    Paul Kalanithi (coming out on
    January 12, 2016)
    A book you can read in a day
    Like Family by Paolo Giordano
    (also a translated book!
    Thanks to you, I gave
    translated books a try last
    year)
    A book you’ve been meaning
    to read – Long Walk to
    Freedom by Nelson Mandela
    (this was the most difficult
    category for me to fill by far!)
    A book recommended by your
    local bookseller – A Spy
    Among Friends: Kim Philby
    and the Great Betrayal by Ben
    MacIntyre (my fave bookstore
    employees always
    recommend books that
    become my faves!)
    A book you should have read
    in school – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
    A book chosen for you by your
    BFF – Love in the Time of
    Cholera by Gabriel Garcia
    Marquez (recommended to
    me 8 years ago)
    A book published before you were born – The Great Gatsby
    by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    (published April 10, 1925)
    A book that was banned at
    some point – Their Eyes Were
    Watching God by Zora Neale
    Hurston
    A book you previously
    abandoned – Brain on Fire: A
    Month of Madness by
    Susannah Cahalan
    (abandoned this one a few
    years ago. I reached three-
    quarters way through and just
    couldn’t finish. It scared me.)
    A book you own but have
    never read – The Scapegoat by
    Sophia Nikolaidou (translated
    from the Greek)
    A book that intimidates you –
    Inside the O’Briens by Lisa
    Genova ( books dealing with
    medical conditions keep me
    up at night)
    A book you’ve already read at
    least once – The Secret
    Garden by Frances Hodgson
    Burnett (read this one when I
    was a child and I can’t wait to
    see if my adult self enjoys it
    just as much!)
    Thanks sooooo much for all
    the inspiration!

      • Donna says:

        I’m excited to finally read Jane Eyre. Thanks for the encouragement! I watched and enjoyed the adaptation starring Mia Wasikowska last winter.

        I actually updated my picks on the blog:

        A book you can read in a day – Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan (I’ve been meaning to read O’Nan since last year and I figured there’s no time like the present!)

        A book you’ve already read at least once: The Spin by Catherine McKenzie (I finished this one in less than two days. A real page turner.)

        Have you read either of these yet?

          • Donna says:

            I’ll be reading Last Night at the Lobster tomorrow for the ‘a book you can read in a day’ category so I’ll let you know my thoughts.

            I can’t wait to re-read Spin by Catherine McKenzie. I read it back in 2010 when it first came out and I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with the main character Katie Sandford. It’s a fun read with substance.

            Ooooo and you’ll be happy to hear I’m finally reading What Alice Forgot and loving it! I avoided reading it for years. I tend to do that with the really popular reads. Have you read Moriarty’s other books yet?

            I’m putting together a list of the 100 books I’ll be reading this year! I’ve incorporated my reading challenge picks into the list. I’ll be sharing it on the blog so I’ll pass it along when I’m done.:)

  331. Michelle O. says:

    This year I’m looking forward to reading Cinder, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Ready Player One, Quiet, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables, …I could go on and on! I make it my goal to read 100 books every year and have been successful for the past 3 years 🙂

  332. Ashley says:

    I need to plan what to prioritize on my reading list but I’d like to read a marriage book by Dr. Gregory Popcak, Simplicity Parenting, and Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection.

  333. Denise B says:

    Our family of seven (kids 19-9)are all doing the challenge. I just made my pile that includes War and Peace, Middlemarch, Bleakhouse, Flannery O’Connor’s The Complete Stories, some Chesterton, Twain and Kate Morton among others. Morton was the first fiction I’d read in 14 years (I’ve been loving my post-college non-fiction reading (getting in several 100 hour subjects) It is a joy to rediscover stories and read simply for pleasure.

  334. Liz says:

    I have a lot of things I want to read, but I’ll probably just end up reading Austen fan fiction endlessly! ha ha! On my list: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, the Lunar Series (from a fellow NaNoWriMo-er), a book called The Bookminder by M.K. Wiseman, who married one of my high school friends, Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist since everybody says it’s wonderful, and I’m going to keep chipping away at How to be Useful by Megan Hustad. That’s only the tip of the iceberg, especially with Anne’s daily emails of ebook deals!!

  335. Ellie Colver says:

    A book published this year – The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin
    A book I previously abandoned – The Famished Road by Ben Okri
    A book I have already read at least once – Gone with the Wind (reading it right now)

  336. Trish D says:

    I’m still cobbling my list together, but I have a few nailed down:
    Slaughterhouse Five by K. Vonnegut (banned)
    The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (published before I was born)
    A Wrinkle in Time by M. L’Engle (re-read)
    A Severe Mercy by S. Vanauken (own, but never read)
    The Feathered Bone by J. Cantrell (published this year)

  337. Courtney says:

    I love exchanging reading lists! Included on my list are… John Adams by David McCullough, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, The Green Ember by S.D. Smith, The Lake House by Kate Morton, Desiring God by John Piper, and Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist. I think I heard of several here on your website – so, thanks!

  338. Alia says:

    I’ve never read Anne of Green Gables and always wanted to, especially after all you post about it. Also i could read outlander books over & over.

  339. Renae Lee says:

    For the beginning of 2016 my list includes Peace Like River by Leif Enger, The Witches: Salem 1692 by Stacy Shiff, Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts, The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary.

  340. A few of the items on my reading list are Our Endless Numbered Days (about a father who kidnaps his daughter to live in the wilderness), The Nightingale (it’s popping up everywhere), and the Anne of Green Gables series (I realized I’ve never actually read the entire series!!).

  341. Brandy Rocheleau says:

    I havent completely decided yet but this is what I have so far:
    Book from school: Animal Farm
    2. Banned: To Kill a Mockingbird
    3. Before born: Emma
    4. Intimidates: Middlemarch
    5. Book owned: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

  342. Debi b says:

    The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up arrives tomorrow! I also want to read Austen, Sense and Sensibility to start. I have gobs of books at home to delve into; primarily fiction but I hope to add some non-fiction this year as well. Would love to receive a whole set of books… I’m already an e-pantry subscriber, love it! Thank you for your continual great suggestions; I really enjoyed The 13th Tale. 🙂

  343. Courtney says:

    I just found your site and I am loving it! Thank you for inspiring dialogue about books. My to read list grows daily. I just finished The Nightingale and Yellow Crocus. A book I previously abandoned is Atllas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I am determined to finish it this year. For my banned book, I will be reading Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert and I will be re-reading my favorite, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I haven’t figured out the rest of the categories yet but I am definitely jotting down some ideas. Happy Reading!

  344. Sarah says:

    This year I set a goal to read 50 books. Here is a sampling of my list: The Brothers K (David James Duncan), Fool’s Talk (Os Guiness), Kristin Lavransdatter (Sigrid Undset), Scoop (Evelyn Waugh), All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr), and The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration (Isabel Wilkerson). All the best to you in 2016! 🙂

  345. Dorothy Mantonya says:

    I have so many books on my list it will be hard to choose what fits what category. I want to start with Winter, and Girl on the Train, but also want to read The Phantom Tollbooth. I very seldom quit on a book so that one will be hard. For the book published before I was born I will read one of Lloyd C. Douglas.

  346. Melanie Ireland says:

    In my ‘to read’ pile right now is All The Light We Cannot See and Simply Tuesday. But I have a long list of books I’d like to read over the course of this year. It will be fun to check off books on your reading challenge as I get them finished. Thank you so much for reading and sharing books with me.

  347. Julie says:

    My Personal 2016 Reading List includes The Highlander series, Winter, and March. And then I have a long list of “kid lit” that I want to read so I can narrow down my 2016 Read Aloud to the Kids List – currently that list is Father and I were Ranchers, LIttle Men, Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins.

  348. Grace says:

    You have some interesting choices for this year! I have not decided all of mine but definitely on my list is Lord of the Flies. I probably should have read it in high school but never did! I think I might steal your idea to use Shirley Jackson; I loved her story The Lottery in high school because of it’s shock value and have been reading another one of hers. As for a book that intimidates me I am going with Isabel Allende’s The House of Spirits. I am such a literal reader that her tendency to weave the mystical into her stories really challenges me to be more inferential. Looking forward to participating this year!

  349. Susan says:

    I haven’t picked them all yet. I will be re-reading “The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents” by Terry Pratchett. My mom recommended “A Man Called Ove,” so I’ll be cracking that one soon. Maybe I’ll try Madame Bovary and that can count for one that I should have read in school, that has been banned, and that intimidates me! I read almost 100 books last year, so I don’t need to be stingy, but it never hurts to be efficient.

  350. Jaclyn says:

    I’d love to win a set of your books! My reading list includes all the light we cannot see, a re-read of Harry potter 4-7, the tale of beedle the bard, housewife theologian, and the idiot.

  351. I mostly choose my next book based on “Whim” (per Alan Noble), but I want to add a little bit of intention to my TBR list as well.

    I don’t know my picks for every category yet, but I’ve chosen a few (many based on your recs from the latter part of last year!):
    Previously abandoned: The Agony and the Ecstasy (Stone)
    I’ve already read: Emma (Austen)
    (I just watched the BBC miniseries and it renewed my interest!)
    I’ve Been Meaning to Read: something by Wendell Berry
    I Can Finish in a Day: All Good Things: From Paris to Tahiti (Turnbull)
    Intimidates Me: A Tale of Two Cities
    Published before I was born: something by P.G. Wodehouse

    • Anne says:

      I remember LOVING The Agony and the Ecstasy back when I was in high school. I haven’t thought about that one in ages! And Wodehouse is an author I’ve been meaning to read for AGES. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂

  352. Judith Lopez says:

    Here’s my list:
    * The Last Star (The 5th Wave book #3) by Rick Yancey;
    * Spark Joy by Marie Kond;
    * Emma by Jane Austen;
    * The Forsyte Saga (The Forsyte Chronicles, #1-3) by John Galsworthy;
    * A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens;
    * A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
    * Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf;
    * Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Satrapi, Marjane
    * Persuation by Jane Austin;
    * Outlander by Diana Galadan;
    * The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

    OMG! I’m nervous already!

  353. Teresa Simmons says:

    I recently read Howard’s End is on the Landing and added loads of Susan Hill’s “final forty” books to my 2016 reading list, such as To the Lighthouse, A Passage to India, and Trollope’s Barchester Chronicles. I also plan to read more Dorothy Sayers, reread Bleak House (my favorite Dickens) and check out some recent titles such as Astonish Me and The Nightingale. Pulling out a fresh sheet of paper and writing the new year and TBR at the top is one of my favorite things each January!

  354. Megan says:

    Wendell Berry’s books are such great rereads, & they’re also great read aloud. I reread The Memory of Old Jack to my husband on a long car ride, & it was a delightful way to enjoy his poetic writing. I have a habit of reading only for plot, so when I take the time to revisit a book, it is always enjoyable in a different way. We received four of his Port William novels for Christmas, & I plan on reading those, though not all at once. I also was given the Emily books & want to read those & reread the Anne books this year. The prequel you mentioned sounds interesting; keep us posted!

  355. Angie says:

    I have a million and a half book on my to read list, but I do really want to read the Harry Potter series this year–I’ve only read the first!

  356. Dawn says:

    I am trying to read a big stack of books I own that I have never read. Several of them will fall into the other categories too. I have only read one of your selections and very much hope to win. Thank you ePantry for the giveaway!

  357. Donna says:

    Oops forgot to mention… I finished my first read of 2016 two nights ago: 2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino. I can’t stop talking about it! It’s an utterly charming, witty, moving, surprise-filled story. The perfect winter read.:) Bertino’s writing is a breath of fresh air!
    And yesterday, I started reading The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith and I’m loving it.
    Thanks again for sharing!

  358. Elisabeth N. says:

    I’ve not picked all of my choices yet, but a few I am planning to read are:

    -All the Light We Cannot See (book you’ve been meaning to read)
    -Of Mice and Men (book you’ve already read)
    -The Cukoo’s Calling (book chosen for you)
    -The Martian (book you own but haven’t read)

  359. Sandra says:

    Where to start!!
    Beautiful Mercy by Matthew Kelly; Belamy House by Cassidy Cayman; Raising up Mommy by Heidi Hess Saxton; The Dare Valley series by Ava Miles; and Keep it Shut by Karen Ehman.

  360. Rae S. says:

    I have several books in mind that could fit in several different categories. They include “Andersonville” and “Thomas Jefferson, the Art of Power” (both are books I abandoned and that intimidate me). “Catch 22” and “Moby Dick” are books I have been meaning to read and should have read in school. I’m looking about about 20 options on my bookshelf of books I own but have not read yet. I am glad for this list – this is going to be fun and interesting!

  361. Rachael Rennard says:

    A few on my list: The Alchemist, Home by Marilynne Robinson, Consumer Detox, Big Magic, Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey.

  362. Dorothy says:

    Oh wow! Look at all the amazing books people have picked. I’ve started with Mansfield Park, Boundaries, and The Happiness Advantage. The rest of my list will make itself clear as the year goes on 🙂

  363. Sarah M says:

    Oh my, I have only 1/2 of my list on my blog (see here: http://ssmast.blogspot.ca/2016/01/2016-book-list.html) since I usually get about 60 books in, and about 30 of those I find throughout the year. A few that are on my actual list, though, are Station 11, The Gift of Failure (currently reading and liking), Stiff, The Tipping Point, The Alchemist, and Shadows of the Workhouse (Call the Midwife #2). I feel like I have a great list this year…but then again, I always say that. 🙂
    Sarah M

  364. Hannah says:

    Here are some on my list for this year: book I own but haven’t read: Anna Karenina, book I’ve read at least once: Great Expectations. I also am planning to start the Little Women series (finally!) and have Treasuring Christ on my list.

  365. Evelyn says:

    Book published this year: Courier by Gerald Brandt
    Book I can finish in a day: A Skillet, A Spatula, And A Dream by Barbara Bretton
    Book I’ve been meaning to read: No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
    Book recommended by local librarian: Bloody Sunset in St. Augustine A True Story by Nancy Powell and Jim Mast
    Book I should have read in school: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
    Book chosen by my husband: How Dogs Love Us by Gregory Burns
    Book published before I was born: The Agony by Earl Derr Biggers
    Book that was banned: Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
    Book I previously abandoned: Sister Chicks On The Loose by Robin Jones Bunn
    Book I own but have never read: Fiddler Fair by Mercedes Lackey
    Book that intimidates me: Hounds of the Baskerville by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
    Book I’ve already read: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

    I have started The Courier. FYI – Earl Derr Biggs is from my hometown in Ohio. The Sherlock Holmes book intimidates because of the subject matter. I have some sci-fi and fantasy in here that normally I wouldn’t read. I’m stretching from my comfort zone with a lot of my choices. Many of these could be fitted into different slots. My mother was a teacher and had me reading tons of classics as she believed after school was the time for popular reads. Also for those reading the Outlander series, I have the first four and would be more than happy to send to you. Email me at dabelko @ msn . com.

  366. Emily says:

    – All the Light We Cannot See – because it’s my Grandma’s copy and I need to get it back to her!
    – Being Mortal
    – A Little Life – because enough people whose reading lists I respect have recommended it!

  367. Jordan says:

    Here’s what I have so far:
    A book that indimidates you: Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (have you seen the size of that book?! It’s hefty. But winter is the perfect time to tackle it. My boyfriend suggested bringing it to the beach this summer and could not understand my look of utter horror as I tried explaining you don’t bring a book that big and indimidating to the beach!”

    A book you’ve read at least once: Little Women (I received the Puffin in Bloom collection for Christmas and cannot wait to read it – also sentimental, this is was the first book I stayed up way past my bedtime reading. and the first book to make me cry)

    A Book you’ve been meaning to read: Still Life (Louise Penny)

    This is my first reading challenge since middle school when I decided to read 50 books in 6 months (it was one of the scholastic challenges meant for classrooms [i was homeschooled] and then they would then donate 50 books to kids in need) – I am so excited!

  368. MelissaJoy says:

    Yay for a new year of reading! Last week, I wrote down a list I am interested in tackling this year. The Hardest Peace and Being Mortal are two carried over from 2015 list. So good. Others for the year:
    Meaning to read: My Bright Abyss
    From childhood: Emily series
    Friend rec: Bittersweet
    Classic: Frankenstein
    Abandoned: I Capture The Castle (can you believe I abandoned that one? It was a timing thing.)

  369. Paula says:

    Lonesome Dove is one of my favorite books! You’ll love Gus and Call! And you might want to check out the movie adaption too. It’s so good! My whole family loves it. 🙂

  370. This year, my big goal is to read one classic book per month. (Ones I haven’t read before.) I’m starting on Emma. Each new month I’ll decide on the next classic. Very excited!

  371. Mia White says:

    Love your list, as usual.
    I spent 2015 on a autobiography/memoir kick, but hope to dig into a couple classics I “missed” in school– including ((gasp)) all of Jane Austen’s books.
    Also on my list: all of Brene Brown’s books, Savor by Shauna Niequist (read all her others), and I’m starting the Harry Potter series with my kiddos.
    Thanks for the inspiration, would love to win your favorites!

  372. Kimberly Weeks says:

    My librarian/book club buddy/friend raved about The Nightingale, which I had been avoiding, but am working through right now (so far, so good!). Goodreads keeps wanting me to read Flight of the Silvers, so that is high on my TBR list. Cutting for Stone, 800 Grapes, Jellicoe Road… and how about this for a category: A Guilty Pleasure book or A Book You Don’t Want to Admit You’re Dying to Read – Down the Rabbit Hole by Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriend Holly Madison. Should be interesting! Thanks to you and other readers for sharing your/their 2016 TBR highlights!

  373. Andrea says:

    Hannah Coulter….sigh. Best book I’ve read in recent history. I just love Wendell Berry!
    I hadn’t heard of many of your books, I am anxious to check some of them out!
    I haven’t decided upon all of my books for the year, but a few I’ve chosen so far are:
    A Book You’ve Been Meaning to Read: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
    A Book Published Before You Were Born: Middlemarch by George Eliot
    A Book that Intimidates You: The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist by Dorothy Day

    I’m also in a Well-Read Mom bookclub, so there are some exciting selections there too (Frankenstein, Giants in the Earth, The Brothers Karamazov, Helena by Evelyn Waugh). It’m so excited about this year’s reading!

  374. Amanda Joy says:

    On my list this year:
    Should have read in high school – Great Expectations by Dickens
    Been meaning to read – Walden by Thoreau
    Read at least once – Something Austen, just haven’t decided which yet!
    I’m also doing the challenge from Popsugar. You have some great books on your list, I loved, loved, loved Cloud Atlas!

  375. Jessica says:

    I really enjoy Alexander McCall Smith. I think you will too. I didn’t know that Marie Kondo had a new book. That’s exciting!

    Previously abandoned: The Boys in the Boat (started it on a 14-hour airplane ride. I think the timing wasn’t right).
    Intimidated by: KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTER

    • Anne says:

      I’m intimidated by Kristin Lavransdatter, too (and not just because it’s also a book I previously abandoned). I enjoyed The Boys on the Boat but I’m not sure I could have read it on an airplane either. 🙂

  376. Jennifer says:

    So many of these are on my goodreads TBR pile! I haven’t thought too hard about my list yet, but I will after the Tournament of Books final list is announced!

  377. Jamie Roberts says:

    Ah Marie Kondo, such interesting books! I’m tackling Brene Brown’s books, working my way through the Outlander Series and ever since you posted to Instagram (I think) that if you haven’t read Anne of Green Gables you didn’t think we could be friends (haha), I’ve added it to my list. My grandmother bought me the book while visiting Canada last year so I’m ready!

  378. Becky Colson says:

    B.F. Skinner “Science and Human Behavior”, Sue Miller “Lost in the Forest”, Gary Thomas “Sacred Marriage”, Judy Reeves “The Writer’s Retreat Kit”

  379. Sarah Olson says:

    I have convinced my 13-year-old to do the reading challenge with me. She’s not an avid reader so I’m so excited she’s willing to give it a try! Some titles from my TBR include the Laura Ingalls Wilder autobiography, The Brothers K, and The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. Would love to win your challenge books and add to my stack! 😉

  380. Megan says:

    “The Winter People” by Jennifer McMahon.
    “The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin.

    At that’s as far as I’ve got.

  381. Mari says:

    I’ve been using ePantry since the last seasonal give-away, and I love it. My TBR list for 2016 is shaping up nicely, but I can’t make much of a dent until I’m finished with the Outlander series. I’m currently on book 4 and loving it! I’ve also started the audio on City on Fire and the 2nd Flavia de Luce mystery.

    • Anne says:

      I completely understand. I put the rest of my reading on hold a year or two ago to blow through the Outlander series. 🙂

  382. Terri says:

    My book published this year is the latest Joanne Fluke book, the Wedding Cake Murder (due out Feb. 23). The book I’ve been meaning to read is similar to yours, except it’s the 16th book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine. One of my daughters has decided I need to read the first Harry Potter book, so I guess I have that category figured out.

  383. Susan in TX says:

    You do have great variety on your list. I hope you enjoy the No. 1 Ladies’ books. They have a cadence to the language that I just love. AM Smith has got such a varied background from which to pull his stories. If you like the books, they did make a TV series from it (only 1 season, though) which my husband and I found entertaining. Mma Ramotswe is one of my favorite characters that AMS has created. As for what I’m reading, I just finished The Bronte Plot and loved it. I’ve got The Lake House, Come Rain or Come Shine, The Truth According to Us, and the Lunar Chronicles all waiting on me. I’m about 1/4 of the way into Being Mortal and finding it fascinating. The hardest category on your list for me will be “a book you’ve previously abandoned” – mainly because I usually only abandon books that I determine are not worth the time to read, and hence never expect to revisit. I haven’t been able to recall one that I abandoned and regretted not finishing. If I can’t come up with one, I may change it slightly to “one you had to return to the library before you got around to reading.” That happens a little more frequently. 🙂

    • Anne says:

      Ha! That’s a good point about some people hardly ever abandoning books. I heartily endorse your substitution. 🙂

  384. Heidi says:

    I’m finally going to get around to reading “All the Light We Cannot See” and the nonfiction he wrote “Four Seasons in Rome.” But I’m tempted by your selections.

  385. Carey Denman says:

    I love the serendipity of trolling the library shelves to choose most books I read. Nevertheless, I’ve got a read-aloud list lined up for my kiddos, which blessedly allows me to share beautiful literature with them while tackling books I’ve not read before. Win-win, for sure! A few titles we’ll be reading in 2016 include: The Black Pearl, Number the Stars, The Door in the Wall, Amos Fortune, Free Man, The Giver, and Out of Dust.

  386. Alysa says:

    I love this idea! I had some huge misses by flying by the seat of my pants last year. But I also read a few books over the summer that I never read in school (Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm). I’ve started this year on a Jeffrey Archer kick. He weaves a great story.

  387. Alicia says:

    I was excited to be reminded of “We have always lived in the castle.” It was something I meant to read when I read her books, but never did. I am also excited about he new YA Dystopian book STEELHEART. (I am a librarian so if you need a recommendation for your #4, you are welcome! :-)) The third book in the series, Calamity, is coming out next month so I have my “this year” book ready to go as well! And I have been meaning to read “A generous community” by our Texas bishop, Andy Doyle so I should get a chunk of them done really soon! 🙂

  388. Michelle says:

    Great list! Here’s mine:
    • 2016: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
    • Can finish in a day: The Briefcase by Kawakami
    • Have been meaning to read: The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedmen
    • Recommended by local bookseller: The Martian by Andy Weir
    • A book you should have read in school: Northanger Abbey by Austen
    • A book chosen for me by spouse: Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut
    • A book published before I was born: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
    • Banned book: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
    • A book I’ve previously abandoned: The Snow Child by Ivey
    • Own but haven’t read: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Joyce
    • A book that intimidates me: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
    • A book you’ve already read at least once: Mrs. Dalloway by Woolf

  389. Kathy Engel says:

    On my list are: Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, Americanah by Adichie, Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table With Recipes by Niequist and The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.

    Great challenge!

  390. Micah says:

    I think that for the book I have abandoned, I will try to re-read Bronte’s Jane Eyre– I simply couldn’t get into it before, but want to give it another shot! As for the book I have already read but want to read again, the answer is simple: Alcott’s Little Women is my all-time favorite that never grows old.

  391. Kathryn says:

    Wow! So many comments and book suggestions! I’ve had to stop looking at your kindle deals every day because I tend to add a couple to my TBR list each time I look.
    You’ve successfully hooked me on Inspector Gamache. I’ll be reading those as fast as the library can get them to me. I would also like to finally get around to All The Light you Cannot See as others have mentioned.
    For a little light winter reading, I’ll tackle Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Milton’s Paradise Lost. ? (Mainly because I assigned them to my senior honors students)

  392. Missy G. says:

    Admittedly, I failed to complete the 2015 challenge, but I was happy with all that I read. It was my first year tracking, and I finished with 88 books! I think a full year’s challenge is too long for this gal; I do much better with shorter summer or winter challenges. Anyway, the only must-read books for me for 2016 are to finish the Outlander series and continue with the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series.

  393. Allyn says:

    I’m going to read all of the Cormoran Strike series, and read through the beautiful leather-bound Wrinkle In Time trilogy my little brother got me for Christmas, and then… I was thinking of tackling the themes from the NYPL Read Harder Challenge, because sometimes I get too lazy and stay in my comfort zone.

  394. Melissa S says:

    Here’s my 2016 Challenge List. Good luck everyone on winning MMD’s 2016 reading list!
    Great list! Here’s mine:
    • 2016 Book: The Steel Kiss by Jeffrey Deaver
    • Can finish in a day: Living in the Land of Enough by Courtney Carver
    • Have been meaning to read: How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
    • Recommended by local bookseller/Librarian: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
    • A book you should have read in school: Ender’s Game
    • A book chosen for me by work friends: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
    • A book published before I was born: Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier
    • Banned book: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
    • A book I’ve previously abandoned: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
    • Own but haven’t read: It Was Me All Along: A Memoir by Andie Mitchell
    • A book that intimidates me: The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken
    • A book you’ve already read at least once: She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

  395. Stasha says:

    This is my first year actually doing a reading “challenge.” I don’t read as often as I’d like, because, oftentimes, once I start a book, all I want to do is read and nothing else gets done…so I have to time my reading to when I know I’ll have time to finish it. My friend recommended the MMD Challenge to get me kickstarted for the loftier list I am hoping (but seriously doubt I’ll come close) to finish…so this list is perfect for me!
    I have several books that I own in my TBR list, but the one I am choosing for this challenge is “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.” I have been meaning to read it for a while and now seems as good a time as any. Another book I am excited to read is “The Girl on the Train”…but I’ll definitely have to wait for a long weekend for that one, because it seems like one I’ll not be able to put down!
    Good luck to everyone on your reading challenges!

  396. Julie says:

    I loved the reading challenge last year, and can’t wait to complete it again this year. I’ve already finished one category, which was The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. It was the book I’ve been meaning to read.

  397. Jenny G says:

    I love your reading challenge and I am going to attempt to read the following books this year:
    1) a book published this year
    I also would like to read Spark Joy by Mary Kondo, it looks really good and I almost picked up a copy the other day when I saw it at Sam’s Club.
    2) a book you can finish in a day
    The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
    3) a book you’ve been meaning to read
    I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
    4) a book recommended by your local librarian or book seller
    I need to ask my librarian for a recommendation for this one
    5) a book you should have read in school
    Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
    6) a book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child, or BFF
    Illuminae by Amie Kaufman
    7) a book published before you were born
    Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter
    8) a book that was banned at some point
    A Wrinkle In Time by Madam L’Engle
    9) a book you previously abandoned
    House Of Leaves by Danielewski
    10) a book you own but have never read
    The Great Shark Hunt by Hunter S. Thompson
    11) a book that intimidates you
    The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
    12) a book you’ve already read at least once
    Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

    Thank you for making me plan ahead. I really appreciate this opportunity to win the wonderful books that you have selected for the challenge. Two of them are actually on my list too! Thank you for inspiring so many people to read.

  398. Sarah Vincent says:

    I haven’t read any of the books on your list, but I’ll have to look into some of them!! I haven’t chosen all of mine for the challenge yet but have some in mind, including: Love Does, Out of the Easy, Salt to the Sea, and Anne Frank’s Diary.

  399. Chris Grace says:

    I’m planning to reread The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. I loved these stories as a child and really want to re-visit all 7, but I’m aiming for one (reasonable goals)

  400. Squeep! I just won your first pick – “Spark Joy” – on a Goodreads’ book giveaway! Read and loved the first book, and come to think of it, I may have heard of it right here a year ago. Nice book selections. 🙂

  401. Here are some of the books I’ve chosen for this challenge:
    The Book of Tea, by Kakuzo Okakura (a book you can finish in a day)
    Spark Joy, by Marie Kondo (a book recommended by librarian or bookseller)
    Dictator (#3 in Cicero Trilogy,) by Robert Harris (a book published this year)

  402. Julia says:

    The first couple of books that come to mind I intend to read this year are Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin and the last two installments of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Cycle. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Cloud Atlas and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena! They’re two of my favorites! Have you read any other David Mitchell?

    • Anne says:

      I haven’t read any other David Mitchell yet. I’ve only read My Brilliant Friend and would like to get to the other three this year myself.

  403. Amy says:

    The To Be Read list is endless! But this year will be the year I read Brene Brown. I just bought one of the books today because it was on sale and starting it tonight!

  404. Stevi says:

    You have some great picks (already added some to my goodreads list)! This year I’m going to read books that people have lent me, the self help books on my list (I added some from your nonficiton list a couple of posts back) and I’m going to tackle Ulysses by James Joyce. Also I think I’m going to read that “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” because I love scary stories and books I can read in a day!

  405. Julie says:

    All the light we cannot see, Team of Rivals, and Wuthering Heights, to name a few… thanks for all the good kindle finds! I’m adding a lot more to my TBR list since I found your blog. 🙂

  406. Amy says:

    My book list so far:
    – Read in a day – From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (done)
    – Chosen by my son – Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
    – Been meaning to read – Island of Graves by Lisa McMann
    – Challenges me – The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal
    – Own but never read – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

  407. Amy K. says:

    I love your recommendations! My mom and I picked twelve classics to read together this year, starting with The House of the Seven Gables and including Middlemarch and The Brothers Karamazov. Also on my TBR list: The Buried Giant, Station Eleven, and more Inspector Gamache books (thanks to you for recommending those!) Thanks for the giveaway! Epantry is great- very good deals and good customer service.

  408. Kim says:

    Should have read in school: Emma (Jane Austen)
    Meaning to read: Alexander Hamilton by Chernow (inspiration for the Broadway show)

  409. Andrea says:

    This year I will finally tackle The Stand by Stephen King. This is absolutely my pick for an intimidating book at nearly 1500 pages!

  410. Ashley says:

    Right now I’ve got How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare open, and I’m loving it. I also just got my unabridged Les Mis in the mail, which I’m tackling for the book that intimidates me. Wow. I’m more intimidated now that I have it in my hands!

  411. Rachel Robertson says:

    I recently read We have Always lived in the Castle and I really enjoyed it. I also love I know Why the Caged Bird Sings (you are in for a treat). I would love to read the books on your list.

  412. Ashley says:

    So far on my 2016 reading list I have Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. Definitely adding some of your picks to my “wish list.” Thank you!

  413. Charla Pauls says:

    Life of Pi by Yann Martel
    This could be one I have abandoned or one recommended by my daughter for years now

    My Name is Lucy Brown by Elizabeth Stout
    A book published this year

    Disclosure by Michael Crichton
    A book you have already read at least once

    11/22/63 by Stephen King
    A book that intimidates you. ( just because it’s by Stephan King)

    Working on the rest of the list.

  414. Pam in Missouri says:

    I’ve heard so much about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up lately that I really want to read it. The Ann of GG book you list also looks intriguing. My big goal is to read more of the books on my shelves that have never been read and stop racking up fines at the library.

  415. Kathy Wells says:

    I am looking forward to so many new books in 2016. I have several on my list. One that is also on yours is The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency: A No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Novel. I had a friend who recommended this to me a couple of years ago and I have not gotten to it yet. I would also like to read Donalyn Miller’s Reading in the Wild this year. As for fun books, I want to read some Mo Willems’ easy reads. I would love to win one of the sets you are giving away.
    Thanks!

  416. Katie says:

    My daughters have been urging me to read “The Land of Stories” series; my first book will be on their recommendation 🙂

  417. Susan Elledge says:

    I teach high school and the librarian is encouraging the school to read Wonder this year, so that will be my librarian pick. She started a book club for teachers and I’m the only one who goes during my lunch period! It’s been fun hearing about what she and the aide read. I’ve told them about your blog. 🙂 For my spouse pick I have The Martian. I’ll be a go with the flow picker, but it’s good have something in mind to start with. I’ll take some time this weekend and read the comments in order to get other ideas.

  418. Lisa says:

    I haven’t read a single one! I requested most of the books from the recent 9 nonfiction post, which also added more Atul Gawande to my list because I loved Checklist Manifesto. Looks like I have many more to add to my TBR list :).

  419. Julia R. says:

    I’m considering Anna Karenina for a book that intimidates me. I’m currently reading Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth – loving it and devouring it! Also planning on reading The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman. And I think I’d like to revisit The Witch of Blackbird Pond for a book I’ve already read at least once.

  420. Crystal says:

    My list includes Wayfarer by Bradon Sanderson (loved his Mistborn series so I wanted to something else by him), The Line by JD Horn, and Being !ortal by Atul Gawande.

  421. AppleGreen says:

    I know Anne of Avonlea is on the lit. It keeps getting bumped from the read aloud list, but I am going to make it happen in 2016. We loved AAofGG several years ago. My 9th grader and I are doing a banned book unit for English, so it has been fun reading through some banned books. 🙂 Anyway, loving this challenge, so I am going to ruminate on this a bit more.

  422. DeLyndia Vaughn says:

    A few on my list:
    The Bronte Plot {a book I’ve been meaning to read}
    Mrs. Dalloway {a book I should have read in high school}
    Quiet {a book previously abandoned}

    Your list above sounds great and I found a couple of titles I will probably switch out with your choices!

  423. Heather says:

    My reading list includes Love Does by Bob Goff, Rising Strong by Brene Brown, The Martian, Everything I Never Told You, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home by David Clayton and Leila Marie Lawler, Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart by Father Jacques Philippe, and 7 Secrets of Confession by Vinny Flynn.

    I’m a big reader so this is just what I have planned so far. I’m sure more will be added serendipitously!

  424. Leah says:

    A few of my picks so far: Les Miserables (should have read in school) A Room with a View (published before I was born) Infinite Jest (intimidates me!) Angela’s Ashes (read once before) and A Room of One’s Own (read in a day.) I snagged most of these from your Kindle Deals of the Day email! 🙂

    Thanks for sharing your 2016 list for even more inspiration!

  425. Lauren says:

    I am hoping to two of Brene Brown’s books this year- Rising Strong and Daring Greatly. I would also like to read The Rosie Project!

  426. Claudia says:

    I made post it of all the different categories. I list in pencil my different ideas for each categories. I will complete the challenge, sooner than later I hope.

  427. Beth says:

    My local bookseller recommended The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafrón. I shop at Carmichael’s too! 🙂

  428. Angela Mills says:

    All the Light We Cannot See is at the top of my list for 2016. And now I want to read the #1 ladies detective agency! Veronica Mars, which you recommended awhile ago and I never got around to reading is another one. Would love to win this set and follow along with you!

  429. pam says:

    I like your list. Several on my list are: MY Name is Lucy Barton, Orphan #8, Tender is the Night, The Goldfinch, John Adams and Anna Karenina

  430. Leslie says:

    What an exciting giveaway! On my list for this year… “Americanah”, something by Muriel Spark, “Brideshead Revisited”, and all of Alan Bradley’s books 🙂 And we’ll see what else…

  431. chris Friedman says:

    Hi!

    I am soooo excited for this challenge!! A friend posted this challenge on facebook and tagged me because she knew i would jump at the chance and she was right!! I read 50 books in 2015!! I am really proud of myself since i am a full time working mom and volunteer for 2 organizations and run marathons! This challenge will motivate me even more. I haven’t decided on each book for each category but i know for sure I am going to read The Odyssey for the “book that intimidates you” category!! I have had my eye on that book but was too scared of it–thank you for giving me the impetus to read it!!!!

  432. LJ says:

    I’m currently binge reading the Outlander series – books I never thought I’d like! When I’m done with that, I plan to finish Louise Penny’s novels (I’ve already read a couple), then start on Jane Austen. Love your list!

  433. Jenny Hobbs says:

    SO many books on my TBR list, here are a few off the top:
    All The Light We Cannot See
    Charlotte Mason Companion
    The Four Agreements
    Big Magic
    Sparks Joy!! I can’t believe I missed it before!

  434. Pam B says:

    Hiya!!! I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a reading rut—a lot of James Patterson last year. I reached out to a few new-to-me-books, but not too many. I need to rectify that this year. So the compilation you’ve selected would definitely do that. Thanks for having the giveaway. Blessed be, hugs!!! Pam

  435. Jermaine says:

    I love this idea and have just started compiling my list! So far I need to pick up The Book Thief again (put it down a while back!) and I am intrigued by The Worst Journey in the World, so may check that out!

  436. Ali says:

    My dad LOVES Wendell Berry – I just gave him Berry’s new book for Christmas. I may have to borrow some of them this year and give them a shot. Though we generally struggle to find common books – he didn’t like My Antonia or The Things They Carried – two book sI love that I thought he would enjoy too.

    I have an 8th grade student who has been obsessed with P&P/Jane Austen FOREVER – she puts out her own weekly newsletter “The Austen” and her cat’s name is Mr. Darcy. I always teased her in 6th and 7th grade that she had only read P&P, but saw her yesterday and she had Mansfield Park. She’s branching out and has read more Austen. Going to see if she wants to read Emma with me when she finishes Mansfield Park – maybe we can even recruit a few more girls!

    Intrigued by the Shirley Jackson book – I’ve taught both “The Lottery” and “Louisa, Please Come Home” before. I’m a scaredy cat though, so thanks for the disclaimer about reading it during the day!

  437. Jill Pacelli says:

    Thanks for all of your book recommendations! I always look forward to your list of favorites 🙂 I’m personally looking forward to reading Lord of the Flies as a book I should have read in high school, The Rocks by Peter Nichols as a book recommended by a friend, and Rules of Civility as a book I’ve been meaning to read.

  438. LadyWoman says:

    I haven’t done your challenge before and probably won’t do the one a month way, but I love the categories for inspiration! I actually put Lonesome Dove ony to read list recently after years of also ignoring it thinking I don’t have an interest in westerns, but it’s popped up in a lot of places so I’m going to give it a try! I’m also curious to see what my husband would recommend – probably something Sci fi or by Murakami, which I probably wouldn’t pick up on my own.

  439. Sarah says:

    I would like to read the Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess Of Cararvon, and the real food cookbook!

  440. Dovey says:

    I’m in a reading slump. The majority of my reads are homeschool related, although I’m excited about some of your categories to get me out of my slump! I’m going to finally read The Count of Monte Cristo for myself this year. I’d also like to read (and finish) a David McCullough book. Other than that, we’re doing parenting and homeschooling books like Norms and Nobility, Consider This, Disconnected Kids, etc.

  441. Jill says:

    Hmmm, a book that intimidates me would probably be anything by Dickens (not including A Christmas Carol which I absolutely love and read yearly). Great Expectations and Pickwick are high on that list.

    A book I should have read in high school? That was the category that stumped me last year. I read all the assigned books in high school and strongly disliked every one except Les Miserables. They were all so depressing! But the book that instigated my withdrawal from AP English was Crime and Punishment. Oh my good glory, I tried to read it. All summer before the class began I tried to read that book and couldn’t make it past the first few chapters. If that was the sort of book that was headed my way I wanted no part of that class. Blegh. Later the class read Billy Budd and it was griped about that term and beyond. I’m still glad I withdrew as the selections that year were all like similar in tone, sad and depressing, not inspiring for any of us newbies to choose high level literature if that was a sampling of what to expect. I should probably let that go, eh? 😉 So this is still the category about which I can’t make a choice because of that one book. Other than Dostoevsky, what should I have read that I didn’t? I have no idea. Yet.
    A close friend has been raving about The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency for years so that might be a candidate for that category.
    Apparently I’m flying by the seat of my pants on my choices again this year. 🙂

  442. Anne Stevens Phan says:

    I was glad to see the Green Gables one. I grew up with Anne. My reread will most likely be Jane Eyre, and my previously abandoned was a Shakespeare. Not sure which one yet. I’m intimidated by War and Peace (also abandoned) and my read in a day will be contemporary fiction. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.

  443. Misti says:

    I am reading The Rent Collector right now, so good! I want to read Pride and Prejudice plus a non fiction book about adrenal fatigue. Still working on the rest…love your blog!

  444. Amy says:

    Oh my goodness, such an inspiring list? The only book I’ve identified for the challenge is parnassus on wheels…I can surely finish it in one day!

  445. I’ve declared 2016 to be a year of “intentional reading” so I love this challenge. Some of the books on my list include All the Light We Cannot See, The Count of Monte Cristo and With God in Russia.

  446. Debbie says:

    A few on my list for the Reading Challenge are:

    The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
    The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
    Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

    • Anne says:

      I thought about putting The Handmaid’s Tale on my list, too. (It will remain “a book I’ve been meaning to read.”) I love that Kingsolver novel.

  447. Heather says:

    Thank you for the giveaway opportunity. I have had The Chosen by Chaim Potok on my TBR list for a ridiculous amount of time. 2016 will be the year it gets read. I’ll have to think about the other categories. Probably a graphic novel/memoir will fit into the “read in one day” category. Or a YA. Thanks again, Anne.

    Heather

  448. Morgan says:

    I have started reading “The Diabetes Solution” and “The Smartest Kids in the World.” Hopefully I will finish one! And I want to read something by Elisabeth Elliot.

  449. Jo Skidmore says:

    I am “reading” whatever e-audiobook I can check out from the library (eventually, I will get audible, but for now the library is fine). I find they help me stay motivated to exercise since I mainly listen to them when I walk/hike. If I wanna get through a book, I have to get out and walk.
    I read actual books as well, but not as often. Most the titles I read and listen to have been recommendations from your site.
    I would love to win a collection of books you’ve chosen!

  450. Hillary says:

    I love Alexander McCall Smith, although I prefer his 44 Scotland Street series. I’m looking forward to finally reading Middlemarch this year. And I think Bill Bryson’s new book will be on my list as well–I’ve loved everything he’s written.

  451. Jennifer says:

    I am working on reading through the Newbery winners, so those will be at the top of my list for this year. I am considering starting a blog about it, just for fun.

  452. Shauna says:

    Goodreads tells me that Wendell Berry has a new book coming, so that can be my book published this year! Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd are on my (long) list as well.

  453. Olivia Orza says:

    1) a book published this year – Really looking forward to The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
    2) a book you can finish in a day – Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
    3) a book you’ve been meaning to read – The Book of Night Women by Marlon James
    4) a book recommended by your local librarian or book seller – The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
    5) a book you should have read in school – To Kill a Mockingbird (I know, I know ….but I grew up in another country!)
    6) a book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child, or BFF – American Gods by Neil Gaiman (BFF favorite)
    7) a book published before you were born – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
    8) a book that was banned at some point – Looking for Alaska, John Green
    9) a book you previously abandoned – The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
    10) a book you own but have never read – The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
    11) a book that intimidates you – City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg
    12) a book you’ve already read at least once – The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

    Thanks for this challenge, it looks fun! And thanks for the opportunity to win your phenomenal list.

  454. jessica says:

    I’m still working through last years recs from you! 🙂 currently on Into the Woods and then would like to read some Jojo Moyes!

  455. Lorelei says:

    Love the diversity of the challenge categories and your list. I have recently taken a leave of absence from my work and look forward to reading without guilt again!

    Consider me in!

  456. Caroline says:

    Loved reading through your list! A few books I’m looking forward to reading this year: Cutting For Stone (my mom gave it to me for Christmas), The Nightingale, Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist (my current audio book), the first Flavia de Luce book, and The Husband’s Secret.

  457. Your list is inspiring and whetting my reading appetite! Some of the books I plan to read in 2016 are The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Miracles by C.S. Lewis, Poke the Box and The Dip by Seth Godin, The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry, Let Us Keep the Feast by Jessica Snell, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan, A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George and The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows.

  458. Karen says:

    I haven’t chosen them all yet, but a few so far are:
    Eligible–book published this year
    84, Charing Cross Road–book you can read in a day
    Glass Castle–book recommended by my daughter
    Hannah Coulter–book you’ve been meaning to read
    Bel Canto–book you own but have never read
    The Brothers K–book that intimidates you
    Brideshead Revisited–book that was banned at some point

    Now if I can just keep myself from being distracted by all the 2016 releases!! Love this challenge, and all the suggestions–thanks!

    • Anne says:

      Oh goodness, The Brothers K was so intimidating to me! But I’m glad I finally read it. Eligible is definitely on my list for 2016 but it’s hard to give away a book that’s not coming out for months!

  459. Martha Mire says:

    Great list!! Mine includes:
    Living Well, Spending Less
    I am Malala
    For The Love
    Antelope in the Living Room
    No one’s Cuter than You

  460. Erin says:

    I read 62 books in 2015 and I felt like I kept picking up books I couldn’t read bc I couldn’t make them fit into my challenge! I want to read For the Love by Jen Hatmaker, The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham and A Moveable Feast by Hemingway… so looking forward to others that I’ll discover in 2016!!!! Thank you!!!

  461. Paige B. says:

    This is the first time I have ever done a reading plan. This post and your list inspired me! I am just getting started on my list, but so far:
    Published this year: The Dutch Girl-Donna Thorland

    I own but haven’t read yet: Crocodile on the Sandbank (and I purchased this quite awhile ago because I really do want to read it)- Elizabeth Peters

    Published before I was born: Persuasion

    Recommended by my daughter: Jane Eyre

  462. Laura says:

    I’ve been thinking about trying ePantry for awhile. This deal talked me into it. Thanks!

    I love book lists! A few on my list to read this year are The Boys in the Boat, Living Beyond Your Capacity, Dinner: The Playbook, The New Health Rules, Evidence Not Seen, Own Your Life and Ten Mistakes Parents Make with Teenagers. I would like to read The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, as well. I listened to an audio version of The Great Cake Mystery, a children’s book about the same character. I really enjoyed the story and the reader. Maybe your children would enjoy it, if your library system has it.

  463. Jemma S says:

    I’ve just had The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi reccommedned to me by my brother.
    A book I’ve read before- Pride and Prejuduce (love that book) or the entire Harry Potter Series (I don’t want to just re-read one).
    A book I abandoned- The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
    A book I’ve been reading to read- The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
    I will have to have a think about the rest!

  464. Great list, as always! I started my own book challenge to read 60 titles this year across a variety of genres and so many people have joined in! Makes me happy to know how many readers there really are–especially as a writer listening to mumbo jumbo about the crumbling walls of publishing. (Not true!)
    I’ve loved Lonesome Dove for years–it’s my daddy’s favorite and my son is a Gus which prompts people to ask if I named him for the book (no, great-grandfather). The film is equally well done when you have four hours to kill 🙂
    The 100 Year Old Man was a favorite of mine in 2015. Hilarious. Thanks for the Angelou tip–I had an audible credit to use! And an Anne book before Green Gables??? I’m not sure what to think. I’ll let you read it first.

  465. Darlene Maroni says:

    I was an avid reader for many years..finishing books in 2 days or less. Then Children and Grand children. I still Love to read..but other than childrens books lol..I do not even know what is out there anymore. I loved all of Danielle Steele’s books. I am ready to finally take time for myself and relax with a good read!

  466. Leah says:

    The House of Mirth has been on my TBR list for ages! I’ve never read Anne of Green Gables (gasp!), so this may be the year. Also on my list are Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Stephen King’s Bazaar of Bad Dreams (I know you’re not a scary book fan, but he is a most excellent writer. Let me know if you’d like some of his non-scary book recommendations!), Eric Larson’s Lusitania, and maaaaybe Crime and Punishment, which I’ve started and put back down at least twice. Going to be a great year!

    • Anne says:

      I’d love more non-scary King recommendations, because I LOVED the only two I’ve read by him: 11/22/63 and On Writing. You’ve got some of my favorites on your list. 🙂

      • Leah says:

        First off, I have to recommend his works that you’ve probably heard of (due to the popular movies), but may not know that they’re written by King: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (a novella found in the collection Different Seasons), The Green Mile, and The Body, which was made into the movie Stand By Me (also found in the collection Different Seasons. I don’t recommend the other two novellas in Different Seasons to an HSP – they’re not scary per se, but definitely disturbing).

        The Eyes of the Dragon is one of my favorites of his. It’s a fairy tale-esque story (kings, wizards, dragons, etc.) that I believe he developed from a bedtime story he used to tell his kids.

        My all time favorite of his (and maybe my all time favorite EVER) is The Stand. It is very suspenseful, but I wouldn’t call it a horror novel. The characters are wonderfully written, and even though it’s over 1000 pages, I fly through it every time. I’ve probably read it 10 times, and eventually had to upgrade to hardback since my paperback was in taters 🙂

        • Anne says:

          I keep meaning to read The Stand. From what I’ve heard, I think I can handle it, although the length definitely intimidates me. Funnily enough, my brother just loaned me his big stack of The Green Mile installments. Now I might actually read them. 🙂 Thanks so much for the recommendations!

  467. Mandy Medbourn says:

    I also really want to read “Spark Joy” in 2016! A few of my other picks include “Kisses from Katie” (a book I’ve been meaning to read), “Mere Christianity” (a book I previously abandoned), and “The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian” (a book banned at some point). Thank you for doing these challenges! My best friend and I have committed to doing this reading challenge together and meeting at the end of each month to discuss the books we each picked and read. I’m excited to see all the awesome books we’ll read in 2016!

    • Anne says:

      I *almost* chose The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian myself! So curious about that one. And glad to hear you’re doing the challenge with friends!

  468. NicoleW says:

    I haven’t read hard/good books outside of some awesome picture books in awhile (3 kids in three years and some chronic health issues and stress caused my love of reading to go by the side), so my reading list for the year is a big challenge for me but I’m super excited. Paradise Lost, I Promessi Sposi, Westward Ho, Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves, Pursuit of God (re-read actually),
    Surprised by Joy, Consider This, Liberal Arts Tradition, and For The Children’s Sake are the main parts of my list.

  469. mary willard says:

    Ok, you have so piqued my interest with the title of The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of The Window and Disappeared!! Going to have to try that one, thank you!!!

  470. Catherine says:

    Book I’ve been meaning to read: The Kite Runner
    A Book I should have read in school: The Plague by Albert Camus (Could also be one published before I was born, a book previously abandoned or a book I own but have never read)
    A book chosen for me: Circling the Sun by Paula McClain

  471. Kristin says:

    I love this idea! And I love epantry – I am already a member! 😉 As far as books to read this year:
    meaning to read – All The Light We Cannot See (Doerr)
    chosen by my son – Percy Jackson series
    I am going to try my hardest to stay on top of my reading, but with baby #4 arriving by the end of this month, I am also going to allow myself to be realistic. 🙂

  472. Nancy Rex says:

    I had decided that I wanted to challenge myself to read more this year (my goal is 24 books this year) when I found your reading challenge! I love the categories and it helps give me some structure for my list. The first book on my list is The Power of Habit, which my daughter just finished reading. I haven’t picked my other books yet, but looking forward to making my list!

    So glad to have discovered your website.

  473. Kandy says:

    Wow, thats an exceptional list. I hope to make it through numerous volumes in the coming year and perhaps do your 2016 reading challenge. A few I’ve chosen include; Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, Go Set a Watchman, At Waters Edge and Amercanah.

  474. Julie Gauthier says:

    Oh my god! Such a great contest!
    I want to finish reading Yes Please by Amy Poehler, the Showa books by Shigeru Mizuki, The Book Thief, and a few coding books…yep!

  475. isabella says:

    I have had a stack of 20 books I have been meaning to read for about 6 years now… and I am finally going for them in 2016! My new “must read by deadline” is in place! Thanks for the inspiration!

  476. Melissa says:

    5-The Great Gatsby
    12-Lord of the Flies
    6-Pride and Prejudice
    4-Jane Eyre
    7-Wuthering Heights
    11-War and Peace
    9-For Who the Bell Tolls
    8-The Perks of Being a Wallflower
    2-Kindred
    3-The Danish Girl
    6-Ashley Bell
    1-The Happy Marriage

  477. Nikie says:

    What a great list to start the new year! I enjoy posts more than any book group that I have ever joined.

  478. Lauren says:

    My to-be-read pile is already ready to topple over, but here are 4 that I’m determined to cross off my list this year! Two newer books and two that friends have been raving about for years.

    The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna
    After You by Jojo Moyes
    The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
    The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

  479. Katy says:

    I found your site through Sarah’s podcast. One of my goals this year is to do more reading for myself. I’m usually a planner and by now would have mapped out what that looks like. but the first week of this new year has come with some unexpected difficulties that have pushed back my planning time. Better late than never though, right :). A couple books I know will make my list are The Screwtape Letters and Gone With the Wind.

    • Anne says:

      Those are great ones to include for the year! I’m surprised at all the love Gone With the Wind is getting in these comments but I love it.

  480. Penelope says:

    On my list for the year is to finish Mind Set and the 5 Love Languages for Children. I’d like to find some more fiction writers, I’m kind of stalled on Louise Penny, Liam Moriarty, and Diana Gabaldon.

  481. Beatrice says:

    After looking back at the 2015 Reading Challenge list and comparing it with 2016, I decided to do 2015 again as I find it more varied. I am missing a few books but I am sure of Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, The Boy who Came Back From Heaven, Orphan Train, The Tragedy Paper, The Civil War Quilt, Tombee du Nid (in French) and Harry Potter.
    I am hoping to start a small reading group where we will follow the monthly challenge but each of us will read what our little heart desires!
    Have a beautiful reading year, Ann!

  482. Michelle says:

    I was so excited to see Marie Kondo has a new book! Definitely adding that to my TBR list. Other books on my list include The Gifts of Imperfection, The Nightengale, The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress, The Winter Sea and books 2-4 of the Lunar Chronicles.

  483. Thora says:

    My husband and I have started a mini book club with each other (we just moved this last year, and have felt the lack of a larger social group yet). For January I picked My Antonia, which I read a few days ago and absolutely loved, and he picked the Jungle Book. I am looking forward to the next Brandon Sanderson release, Bands of Mourning. He writes fantasy, which I know isn’t often talked about on here, but I love his work, and he is really prolific, so there is almost always something of his to read. I recommend reading his The Emperor’s Soul; it is short, only around 200 pages, it won the Hugo, and I think it is one of his best works. I did read Midnight in Austenland this week too, and it was a fun, lighter read, and although I will make lists of more weighty books, lots of light books work their way in as well.

  484. Mimi says:

    I loved several of your picks, Anne, especially Lonesome Dove and all of the Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency books.
    My partial list:
    Book I can read in a day – Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
    Should have read in school – Brave New World
    Intimidates me – Moby Dick
    A Book Chosen for me by my Child – American Gospel by Jon Meacham
    Owned but have never read – Prince Caspian
    A Book I’ve already read – A Prayer for Owen Meany

  485. Ann M. says:

    What a great list and such great suggestions from everyone in the comments section. Have to get my act together and pick out some books and get reading!

  486. Kate says:

    I loved Lonesome Dove, even though the Western theme did not appeal to me at all when I picked it up. Be warned, though–you will be craving sourdough by the end! The sequel, Streets of Laredo, was a huge disappointment however and could not get past the first few pages. Lonesome Dove is what led me to eventually pick up Wallace Stegner in a Western lit binge.

  487. Laura says:

    I’m on a “read it or give it away” push to clear out all my “I own but haven’t read” books. So much of what I read (at least in the first couple months of the year) will be in that category. Those include Unclean by Richard Beck and The Distant Land by Wendell Berry.

    About Alexander McCall Smith – he’s one of my favorite authors. #1LDA is a lovely series but I think his better work is in his other series. I ADORE all the 44 Scotland Street books and perhaps my favorite of his are the Isabel Dalhousie books. So give those a try too!

  488. Alicia says:

    I love your suggestions! Some books in my pile include All The Light We Cannot See, Emma (which I somehow never read, ack!), The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo, and Death Comes for the Archbishop.

  489. Lisa L says:

    On my list to read this year:
    War and Peace
    A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
    Big Magic.

    There are several books on your list I’d love to read….and win! Thank you!

  490. Kim says:

    I’d love to read some Wendell Berry this year. Is Hannah Coulter the one you recommend starting with? My list is overwhelmingly long, but the next books I plan to read are The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (book club book this month) and Bread and Wine (a Christmas gift). I think you will enjoy Lonesome Dove. I read that years ago and might revisit it one of these days. I’m curious, I know that normally you are not opposed to giving up on a book you are not enjoying – does that hold true for the challenge as well, or do you definitely finish the books you place on the challenge for yourself. Just curious – no judgment either way!

    • Betsey Gill says:

      I love Wendell Berry! We read a collection of his essays called What Are People For? in my philosophy class in college, and I fell in love 🙂

    • Anne says:

      I would start with Jayber Crow for his fiction. That one might be my favorite, but it’s not on my list because I’ve read it more times (and more recently) than Hannah Coulter.

  491. Mary says:

    I just found your blog and love this! I love discovering new books from fellow readers that I may have otherwise missed (which actually inspired me to join a book club two years ago in my town). I keep a very long, running record of books I’d like to read on Goodreads (which just grew by many thanks to this post!), but a couple I would really to like to knock off this year are The Nightingale (Kristin Hannah), The Versions of Us (Laura Barnett), and 11/22/63 (Stephen King). I could go on, but those are probably my top 3…hmmm…actually… :o)

  492. Amy Reasoner says:

    A few of my picks:
    Been meaning to read: Refuge // Terry Tempest Williams
    A re-read: Heidi
    Should have read in high school: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
    Own but have never read: Boundaries in Marriage

  493. Erin says:

    So looking forward to this! Here’s my list:
    Book published this year: The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee
    Book I can finish in a day: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
    Book I’ve been meaning to read: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
    Book recommended by local librarian: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
    Book I should have read in school: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
    Book chosen by my BFF: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
    Book published before I was born: Time and Again by Jack Finney
    Book that was banned: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
    Book I previously abandoned: The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
    Book I own but have never read: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
    Book that intimidates me: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
    Book I’ve already read: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

  494. Veronica says:

    A few of the books on my TBR list for this year are All the Light We Cannot See, Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult, The Girl on the Train, Fahrenheit 451, Big Magic, and the No. 1 Ladies Detective Society because so many people have been raving about it!!

  495. Bethany says:

    Something I’ve read: Anne of green gables. Something I’ve been meaning to read: Hunger Games (vague shudder) something that intimidates me: Anna Karenina.

  496. Kelly M. says:

    What great recommendations!

    Kondo’s book has been on my list for months. Others include Brene Brown’s “Rising Strong”, Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic”, and Glennon Melton’s “Carry on, Warrior.”

  497. Betsey Gill says:

    First of all, I LOVE this reading challenge. After much contemplation, I made my list – many of these are books I’ve been meaning to read for some time now!
    – A book published this year: Why We Came to The City by Kristopher Jansma
    – A book you can finish in a day: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    – A book you’ve been meaning to read: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
    – A book recommended to you by a local librarian/bookseller: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

    Thanks for this awesome idea! I can’t wait to start reading them now 🙂
    – A book you should have read in school: Animal Farm by George Orwell
    – A book chosen for you by your spouse/BFF/sibling: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (my husband has been telling me how great this book is for a while!)
    – A book published before you were born: The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner
    – A book that was banned at some point: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (I want to read both)
    – A book you previously abandoned: In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore
    -A book you own but have never read: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
    – A book that intimidates you: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (it’s SOOOO LONG)
    – A book that you’ve already read at least once: Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (this book is so sad but beautiful!)

    • Anne says:

      Love your list. Although I’m feeling convicted: I’ve been meaning to read Things Fall Apart FOREVER … but I didn’t put it on my list this year.

  498. Miranda Gendron says:

    My husband decided that I am reading “Fatherland,” because it was a book he lived in high school. I thought it was easiest to start with one that someone else choose since I have such commitment anxiety on picking books!

  499. Jeannie Reid says:

    I am jazzed about reading Kate DiCamillo’s new book Raymie Nightengale, which comes out in April, new books by William Kent Krueger, Annie Downs, and Shauna Niequist. I want to read more Newbery winners this year!

  500. Laura Montgomery says:

    Quite a few of the books on your list are books that I hope to read soon! My January picks are Cinder and The Art of Racing in the Rain. Maybe a few others if I finish quickly! There is a never ending pile of books on my nightstand!

  501. Megan Royals says:

    A few on my list are the Great Gatsby, The Veritas Project, All the Light We Cannot See, Redeeming Love and Heartless

  502. Angela Hosek says:

    A few I’ve selected so far are Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, Rising Strong-Brene Brown, Nature of Prejudice, The Innovators, Game of Thrones-4th book, Anna Karenina

  503. Sarah Jensen says:

    The only one on your list that I’ve read is The No 1 Ladies Detective! It’s been awhile, but I remember liking it. Here’s my (work in progress) list:

    Book Published This Year: Wondering Who You Are: A Memoir (first time in a long time I just randomly picked a book from the New Books shelf at the library)

    Book I’ve Been Meaning to Read: Same Kind of Different as Me

    Book you own but have never read: Walden by Henry David Thoreau

    Book Published from Before I was Born: Weight of Glory by CS Lewis

    Book I’ve Read at Least Once: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

  504. Kirby says:

    wow – such fun to see all these readers! no.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency has been in my tbr pile for years – this may push me over the edge. ??
    I’ve started the year re-reading The Horse and His Boy with my son. delightful. & published before I was born, t’boot! thinking of the Bell Jar for a book I should have read in school, Anna Karenina intimidates me…loving playing with the list, knowing full well I’ll change it 10 times.

  505. Anita says:

    Started reading my first book today – chosen by a BFF: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. Excited for the challenge.

  506. Jane Bratton says:

    I have never been a planner of my reading which often leaves me with nothing I want to read. Your challenge will hopefully make me more aware of choices and planning ahead. Pinterest is already full of recommendations from your readers. I definitely want to read Spark Joy.

  507. Janice Martin says:

    Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger; Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. I want to check out the Number One Ladies Detective Agency as I love mysteries.

  508. Liz Keener says:

    Lauren Groff’s new novel Fates & Furies (I loved Arcadia), Song of the Lark by Willa Cather, Zero Waste Home by Elaine St. James.
    I just listened to your Read Aloud Revival podcast and really enjoyed it. Thanks!

  509. Ruthie says:

    I have several books on my reading list. Here are a few: Cloud Atlas, Ann of Green Gables, and Odd Thomas. 🙂

  510. Ami Rebecca Eister says:

    A few of mine are:
    Hamilton by Ron Chernow (a book that intimidates me)
    Bellman and Black (a book I’ve been meaning to read)
    The Newsflesh Series (chosen by my husband)
    Codex by Lev Grossman (a book I own but haven’t read yet)

  511. K. Bergman says:

    What a great list! My husband and I both wanted to read more year -I’ll have to suggest this challenge!
    I always have too many books that I want to get to so this will be a great way to focus.

  512. Samantha says:

    Book published this year: The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee
    Book I can finish in a day: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
    Book I’ve been meaning to read: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
    Book recommended by local librarian: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
    Book I should have read in school: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
    Book chosen by my BFF: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
    I’m hoping to use some of these to jump start my 2016 Reading Challenge. Last year I didn’t read nearly enough!

    Finish in a Day: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson (I read her first book Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” and tore through it in a night. Very funny story about some serious things. She’s had an interesting like and openly talks about living to the fullest while battling health issues.)
    Meaning to Read: The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
    Book I previously abandoned: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
    Intimidating Book: Woman in White by Collins Wilke (I keep being told I’ll love it but it’s so long!)
    Book I’ve already read: Archangel’s Blood by Nalini Singh

  513. Michelle says:

    Great choices! I pre-ordered Kondo’s new book, and it looks very worthwhile just based on my first flip-through.

    A few on my list:
    Rising Strong
    Between the World and Me
    At the Water’s Edge

  514. Jacelyn says:

    The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is on my list for book I should have read in school. There are plenty of good books that could have been part of my school curriculum, but this one was. I think it is the only assigned book that I never read. I even wrote a paper on it, and received an A. However, I never read the book. I still feel guilty about it, so my goal is to read it this year.

  515. Ramsey says:

    A Prayer for Owen Meany. I started this one on New Year’s Day. I’ve had to discover a new reading pace life with a little one, but am excited to be picking up something other than non-fiction on childbirth or baby care.

    I received The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for my birthday yesterday and look forward to diving in.

    My forever favorite book is The Trapp Family Singers. I gave my copy away, but this year I intend to replace and reread!

  516. Christie says:

    I am so excited about your challenge! Reading is one of my favorite pasttimes..but as a busy mom, with work, etc it is hard to make time for iT!

  517. Dawn Gonzalez says:

    I’m a slow reader and reading a book in a day seems daunting to me. I’ve done the most thinking about that one. In the running are The Quotidian Mysteries (which would also count as book I’ve been meaning to read), Thunder and Lightning by Lauren Redniss, which I need to look at physically to see if it can be done, and Persepolis, a literary graphic novel. I learned of the second two from Books on the Nightstand. You have some interesting choices on your list.

  518. Kelley Catt says:

    This year my list consists a lot of recommendations by strong, powerful women. The year of improvement!

  519. Marin says:

    I’d like to read more fiction from other countries. In particular I have on my list: stories by Clarice Lispector, Alejandro Zambra, and Quim Monzó.

  520. Megan says:

    I’ve already started reading A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (which is SO INTENSE), recommended to me by a friend who is a PTSD therapist for refugees! I’m also 1/4 of the way through Rising Strong. A few others on my list for this year are To Kill A Mockingbird, Atlas Shrugged, She’s Come Undone (rereading it!), and Mere Christianity.

  521. Melissa says:

    I’m certifying to be a bereavement doula so a lot of my TBR list are for that. One on my “for fun” list is “The Power of Vulnerability” and all other Brenè Brown books. I am also adding all4 LR Knost parenting books.

  522. A Lee says:

    Iʻm planning to read books that have been sitting around the house for a long time. Some of these are newer like The life-changing magic of tidying up, and some of them are older like How to teach relativity to your dog. Iʻm having a little bit of a difficult time with a banned book because Iʻve read so many of them over the years. I also tend to read non-fiction and so there will be some interesting choices that have eluded me (like Freakanomics or Descartesʻ Error) that Iʻd like to try to fit in, too.

  523. Theresa S. says:

    Cloud Atlas is good! I don’t have a reading list per se, but I have so many books on my to-read shelf! To Kill a Mockingbird, Room, 11/22/63, The Country of Ice Cream Star, Flannery O’Connor…

  524. Michelle says:

    There’s definitely a theme to what I’ve got on my TBR list this year…I’m looking forward to reading Classics (of the Greek and Roman sort) and ancient histories: “SPQR” by Mary Beard, “Augustus: The Life of Rome’s First Emperor” by Anthony Everitt, and Virgil’s “Aeneid.” Should be a fun year!

  525. Susannah l says:

    First on my list is happiness by Randy alcorn. Next I think i will finish the saving life of christ by major w ian thomas. I’d like to try to read all the fuel project books this year.

  526. Bridget Scales says:

    I am new to your blog so I am excited to hear good recommendations. I printed your challenge out and have shared it with some teacher friends. I do not have all of my choices yet but I do know some.
    Published this year: My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
    Finish in a Day:Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
    Meaning to read: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
    Own But Never Read: Discovery of the Child by Maria Montessori
    Should Have Read in School: Lord of the Flies
    BFF Chose: Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
    Intimidates Me: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
    That is it so far.
    Thanks for inspiring me to read outside my normal comfort zone and for keeping a reading journal, which I have always wanted to do.
    Bridget

  527. Mallory Haas says:

    A few on my list for the year:

    All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale (walked away from before), To Kill a Mockingbird (re-read), Great Gatsby (should have read before)

  528. Jessica Davidson says:

    Great list! And so interesting to see what is on others lists.
    My preteen daughter and I loved Beyond Green Gables! Anne is a kindred spirit of mine!
    I’m most excited about a re-read: probably Jane Eyre. I just love her.
    Book I previously abandoned: Cutting For Stone. I needed an excuse to pick it back up. I’m dreading the book that intimidates me. I have a strong suspicion that I could ask my husband for a recommendation and it would qualify. (So I probably won’t ask him! ;-))
    Book I already own: Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
    I’ll figure the rest out as I go.

  529. Amanda W. says:

    I have over 400 books on my want-to-read list, so even though I read over 100 books a year, I still have a long way to go — especially since I keep adding more! Two books I got for Christmas that are definitely on my 2016 list are For the Love by Jen Hatmaker and Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey.

  530. Candy Allan says:

    I found your blog and challenge all at once just now. (Promptly followed you so I can read it again!) I’ve always been a pantser, but I’m going to try planning for the challenge. On my list so far are:

    Meaning to read: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Should have read in school: Slaughterhouse Five, Intimidates: The Prince by Machiavelli, , own but haven’t read: Quiet by Susan Cain.

    I’ll have to think some more about the rest of the categories!

  531. Sheri Stiffler says:

    Hi there! I’m so excited about this reading challenge, it’s the first time I’ve done anything like this. I’m still perusing other readers’ choices/recommendation for some categories, but here’s what I’ve chosen so far (and actually finished one already – yay!) Bel Canto (book meaning to read); Gilead (book to re-read, loved it so much the first time); and Ulysses (intimidating). My husband is still deliberating over his choice for me but if I know him it will be a submarine adventure, haha. Would love to win the giveaway, but already feel like a winner due to the rich company we keep on this blogsite 🙂

  532. Brooke says:

    I am trying to focus more on nonfiction this year, as it’s hard for me to get motivated to read nonfiction when I only have a short time to read each day! But I’m currently reading “from good to grace” by Christine Hoover and loving it. I just got an email that my reserved copy of “rising strong” by Brene Brown is in at the library, so that will be next! I also own “simply Tuesday” by Emily Freeman and “own your life” by Sally Clarkson, and I plan to read them both this year! Also, I’ve been reluctant to read “all the light we cannot see” because the description seems so dark to me, but it’s recommended so often that I’m going to give it a try 🙂

  533. Laura says:

    I’d like to try the challenge for the first time this year! Off the top of my head, a couple that come to mind are Tender at the Bone (chosen by my mom) and Wild (previously started and abandoned, which means I’m not excited about it, but they made it into a movie for goodness sake, and a friend leant it to me so I feel obligated.). I’m totally getting sucked into reading everyone else’s books in the comments though! Love this!

  534. Kimberly says:

    I really want to read Jane Eyre for a book I’ve been meaning to read! Hopefully I’ll finally get around to it.

  535. Annette Weeden gray says:

    I am looking forward to reading I know why the caged bird sings, poison wood bible, blink, and a book with my 13 year old daughter…. Her choice!!

  536. Julie B says:

    There are SO many books on my TBR list. I want to get some C.S. Lewis started soon, I think Mere Christianity, just picked up Simply Tuesday, been wanting to read Hannah Coulter and Susan Cain’s Quiet, Angela’s Ashes is on the nightstand, and Ready Player One sounds really intriguing from your review. Oh, and Madeleine L’Engle’s Circle of Quiet.

  537. Julie says:

    Planning on reading All the Light We Cannot See and tackling Moby Dick. Somehow missed reading it in college or high school.

  538. Karen H. says:

    So many books, so little time……LaRose by Louise Erdrich, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt, and Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber to name just a few.

  539. Penelope says:

    Troublemaker is the first nonfiction book on my list.
    I started The Boys in the Boat and abandoned it s while back. I an to start over. I have heard too many good things about it.
    I might revisit some Irish Literature I first encountered 25 years ago in college.
    I have so many books in my home. Some I have read once, others multiple times, and some have never been cracked open. I am going to go through all of these book cases and find books for this challenge.
    I started Troubkemaker write after I signed up for your challenge.

  540. Ellen says:

    I’m thinking of the new Gillian Flynn novella for the book you can read in a day and can’t wait for a long weekend to binge-read the next (five) Maisie Dobbs mysteries!

  541. Angela says:

    I just finished reading Nightingale yesterday & loved it (I don’t know if I can count it as an abandoned book, but I did check it out previously from the library. I read two pages, & thought I couldn’t read another type story since I had just read All the Light We Cannot See). My current to reads are Big Magic, If You are Lucky (a YA book someone recommended to me), & Broadcasting Happiness (the science of making positive changes).

  542. Bettie says:

    The following are just some of the books I hope to read this year: banned book- The Color Purple, book that intimidates me- War and Peace, book I have already read- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, , a book that I own but have not previously read- All The Light We Cannot See, book published this year- The Guest Room. And then there is The Lake House and also the many, many mysteries., I want to read. My favorite genre. Happy reading all!!

  543. Katelyn Rude says:

    My 2016 book reading list consists of “The Husband’s Secret” by Laine Moriarty, The Original Sinners series by Tiffany Reisz, “Parenting with Purpose” by Nina Garcia, and “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas. As a mom of 3, this is all I have for my must read list so far but would always love to read more/take more opinions of what to read!

  544. Morgan says:

    Inspiring list! I’ve been on an Outlander read, re-read binge and need to get out of it! I have never read To Kill a Mockingbird, and also want to get into some nonfiction about the Revolutionary War.

  545. Deanna says:

    I haven’t joined the challenge previously, but will attempt it this year! For my book that I’ve already read at least once I choose Emma. It makes me happy just to write it. 🙂 I’ve been intimidated by Les Miserables so I will challenge myself to tackle that this year.

  546. Tina says:

    I am reading 1776 as a book I own but have never read. I’m reading Inkspell for a book recommended by a librarian.

  547. Tali says:

    I usually do the 50/50 challenge (50 each new books and movies) and do pretty well with that. I like having the openendedness of just grabbing a book and not trying to stick to a particular type or genre. Currently, though, I’m listening to Anna Karenina, a book I’ve been wanting to read for years but not because it’s SO long. It’s a little slow but I’m enjoying it anyway, and it’s so far pretty safe to listen to around my kids. lol Les Mis is also on my “intimidating super long old book” list and I might attempt that this year, too.

  548. Anna says:

    My list is sure to change and evolve with the year. Mostly, I already have more books (either own or want to read) than I can possibly read this year, and I know I’ll add to that.
    Some from the categories:
    A book that intimidates you. “The gifts of imperfection” by Brene Brown. This one I had seen recommended, but I thought it would be hard and/or slow for me to read. I checked it out from the library and already read it. 🙂 I now checked out Rising Strong & I’m looking forward to reading that.
    Published in 2016: “Die Like and Eagle” a mystery by Donna Andrews. I love her books!
    Recommended by librarian: Spice Shop Mysteries by Leslie Budewitz- My Montana librarian recommended her. She’s a local author & gave a talk at our library in the fall. I read 3 of her books, but want to read some more by her.
    Other books on various categories: “Emma, Mr. Knightly and Chili Slaw Dogs,” by Mary Jane Hathaway, “Chocolate Macaroons and a Dead Groom” by A. Gardner, “The Paris Key” by Juliet Blackwell, “From Good to Grace” by Christine Hoover, and the list goes on.

    Thanks for doing the challenge again. It helps me be more diverse with my reading. 🙂 And it’s always fun to see what everyone else is reading, too.

  549. Alicia says:

    I’ve started reading To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman is next. I want to get the life changing magic of tidying up. I’m trying to pick some titles from C S Lewis and Maya Angelou as well. Still working on my list and will more than the challenge I’m sure!

  550. Nicole Nyborg says:

    I am really looking forward to reading something by Liane Moriarty (not sure which book I’m going to pick first), The Nightingale, and Jane Eyre.

  551. Mandi says:

    In 2016 I hope to read All the Light We Cannot See, Peace Like a River, the Maria Kondo books, to name a few. Your list looks great–thanks for posting it, as well as the whole Challenge. : )

  552. Christina Rosamond says:

    I’m excited to read Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin and Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler.

  553. Carolyn says:

    The Nazi Officer’s Wife: How one Jewish woman survived the Holocaust because it was recommended by a friend and A Breath of Sniw & Ashes by Diana Gabaldon because I have had it for a while and keep putting off reading it.

  554. Courtney says:

    There are so many books on my TBR list right now…that makes figuring out what to read for this challenge so darn difficult. So many books, so little time.

    Though I haven’t nailed down all the books I want to read for this challenge, I have a few ideas.

    Leadership Secrets of Atilla the Hun by Wess Roberts, Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

  555. Stacie Helm says:

    For a book I’ve started but not finished and the category of I own but haven’t read, I want to read In This House We Will Giggle and Notes From a Blue Bike. I own both and have just barely started them before life interfered and I haven’t gotten back to them. This is always so fun.

  556. Karen Anderson says:

    I definitely am planning on doing the reading challenge but haven’t chosen my books yet. I would LOVE to win a set of the books you’ve chosen, Ann. Happy New Year from one true bibliophile to another.

  557. Annie says:

    My list is long, but here are a couple: A Mind for Numbers, How to Win Friend and Influence People, The Life Giving Home and The Hobbit (to my kids).

  558. Catharine says:

    One hundred Years of Solitude is my choice for a book that intimidates me. Planning to reread Whole Brain Child and will pick up The Organized Mind for one I didn’t get through. Gradually filling the other categories!! Thanks for the great challenge.

  559. Holly says:

    I’ve picked up a book that intimidates me, one that I should have read in high school, and one I’ve put down multiple times: The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Can I check all three boxes? LOL. Great reading plan. I’m inspired!

  560. Jama Wantz says:

    Hi! I’m new to this but so excited! And so looking forward to you inspiring me, stretching my reading list and broadening my horizons! Thank you for your inspiration! One I should’ve read….Jane Austin sense and sensibility. One to re read…..Redeeming Love. One my husband suggests….. The screwtape Letters. Amongst others that are on my
    List for 2016. many blessings and thanks xoxox Jama

  561. Meghan says:

    I have about 30 books picked out with a goal of reading 60. So far I have been working on Between the World and Me, Dead Mountain, re-reading Harry Potter, and I have some new ones on hold at the library!

  562. amy says:

    I so love your book posts, each one is eagerly read for new ideas on what to read next. 🙂 I just finished “Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss and Hope in an African Slum” by Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner (an amazing book, look it up!!!), and a few other books I hope to read soon are Brene Brown’s “Rising Strong”, “The Bronte Plot” by Katherine Reay, and “Quiet” by Susan Cain.:-)

  563. Christa says:

    I am currently reading a wedding in December by Anita Shreve, then I have Carry On, a John Piper book from his The Swans are Not Silent series, Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, 50 Women Every Christian Should Know, and on it goes. I love the idea of a Reading Challenge but have never done one.

  564. Clio says:

    I need to make out my list but high up on there is finding good content for my 9-year-old boy whose reading has totally taken off. So some good adventure stories and classics for me! I love the idea of a book challenge for myself and will make my own list soon. I will start with several shelves of books in my house that I keep meaning to read! Thanks for the ideas. I am new to your blog but already hooked.

      • Clio says:

        Thanks so much, Liz! He loved the Hobbit and LOR. I will get Encyclopedia Brown and The Blood Bay Colt ASAP. I so much appreciate the direction 🙂 And my son does too.

  565. Jill K says:

    To Kill a Mockingbird that I should have read in school, finish The Husband’s Secret since I had to abandon it to give it back to someone, and Brain on Fire is a book I’ve been meaning to read, and A Man Called Ove recommended by a local bookseller. She always recommends gray books! Thanks Joann at Readers Garden in Granville, OH.

  566. Sylvia Baker says:

    I just finished All The Things I Never Told You. Loved it.
    But as far as the challenge, I’ve been meaning to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn forever.

  567. Kate says:

    With the birth of our daughter’s triplets just before Thanksgiving (at 28 weeks) I have been a bit preoccupied so I appreciate your list! I’ve tried to think of titles that fit the categories without success. Thank you so much for giving me a place to begin!

  568. Angie Ulseth says:

    I like the idea of planning out twelve books to meet this challenge. Usually I just choose one book at a time, but I think I’ll plan it out this year. I’m planning to read the Divergent series. I downloaded it quite awhile ago, but haven’t read them yet.

  569. Sandy Silva says:

    A book I purchased a year ago and have thumbed through.Time to be serious…Art Beyond The Lens by Sarah Gardner.
    The Little Book by Selden Edwards…I have heard it is a journey not to be forgotten, a new author soon to be never forgotten…

  570. Nicole H. says:

    I’m definitely going to be reading Spark Joy this year. I loved Kondo’s first book. Currently reading The Girl on the Train for book club and it wasn’t one I was originally going to pick up.

    I’ve always meant to read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Maybe this year should be the year I finally read it. Another great banned books choice is Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Even better is the audio version read by the author.

    • Anne says:

      I thought very hard about the Sherman Alexie as my banned book. I’d still like to read it even though it’s not on this list. Thanks for the tip about the audio!

  571. Leslie says:

    So excited about this challenge! I finally read Ready Player One, a book I’ve been meaning to read. I’m reading The New Jim Crow, a book I previously abandoned. I’m going to finish it this time! I’m reading Something Beautiful for God as a book I can read in a day. So many good suggestions!

  572. Kelsey says:

    Marie Kondo has a new book?! Still piecing together my reading list for 2016, but I wanted to enter the drawing. ?

  573. Sarah Gilliam-Kincaid says:

    It is great to see what is on so many different lists! I haven’t chosen all of my books for the challenge yet, but I’m definitely going to be going back to the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fford. I’ve read the first four (I think) and loved them, so I’m not sure why I haven’t gotten to the rest. I’ll be starting over from the first one, and I think they will include a book that can be read in a day, a book I’ve already read, and a book I own but have not read. I’m also planning on reading The Happiness Project as the book I’ve been meaning to read.

  574. Alicia says:

    I don’t know if I’m ready to commit to those particular categories, but I definitely need a commitment of some kind…I’ve found that reading, which has always been at the top of my list of “things I like to do”, has slipped down my priority list, and I realized yesterday with a bit of a shock that I have a handful of unfinished books going on…dragging on…it’s sad.

    Love this idea! I’m a new reader of your blog, and excited to follow along!

  575. Felicity says:

    These are some great ideas! I’m reading Tricky Twenty Two right now (sorry you hadn’t heard of it!) I’m also cleaning my closets so the tidying up book might be good for me. I will have to think about some of the other categories.

    • Anne says:

      The very day after I posted that I hadn’t heard of it I saw it at my library on their “new and notable” shelf! I still haven’t read it but I’ve read the flap copy and everything. 🙂

  576. Melissa says:

    I am planning to do your reading challenge as well as the Read Harder challenge on Book Riot. I just finished “Outlander” today, so I really want to pick up the next book. I also have “Between the World and Me” by Ta Nahisi Coates and Margaret Atwood’s new book on my short list.

  577. Bethany Beck says:

    I love the idea of choosing books by categories. I tend to read titles from similar genres, so this concept will help me branch out a bit. The two books I just finished (both were Christmas gifts) are Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy and On Writing, by Stephen King. I highly recommend both of them!

  578. Marlies says:

    I just reserved The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom and The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery by don Miguel Ruiz. I am starting Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life: Train Your Brain to Get More Done in Less Time by Margaret Moore and Paul Hammerness tonight. Still Alice by Lisa Genova is next on the list.

  579. Annette Whitefield says:

    The next 16 TBR books on my nightstand – not necessarily in order: Class DisMythed & Myth-chief by Robert Asprin and Jody Lyn-Nye, Sons of the Oak & Worldbinder by David Farland, Not Really the Prisoner of Zenda, Not Really the Three Musketeers & Not Quite Scaramouche by Joel Rosenberg, Good Carbs Bad Carbs & Good Fats Bad Fats by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, Healthy Woman by Prevention Magazine, The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss and Fitness by Mark Fenton, The First Steps to Fitness by Elizabeth Williams, Body Clutter & Sink Relections by Marla Cilley, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, In Defense of Food by Micheal Pollan

  580. Deborah P. says:

    I love your list! I had already been wanting to read Spark Joy, so I’m happy to see that it falls into one of the categories (not that there’s a rule against having multiple books for a category!) My husband wants me to read Love & Respect, so that’s an easy category to fill. My best friend and I have a blog together, and we’re completing your challenge together. She decided we should start with the book to read in a day, but I’m at a bit of a loss on what to choose for this one… I’m also excited to dig up some previously banned books for that category!

  581. Margaret says:

    My list this year includes:
    A book you can finish in a day: Begin, by Philip and Erin Ulrich. It’s a kid’s book, one my son owns but I’ve never read.
    A book you’ve been meaning to read: Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini. He took a long time to publish book four and I never got it read!
    A book you should have read in school: Anna Karenina. Wish me luck!
    A book chosen you by your… : The Boss Dog, by MFK Fisher. My mom gave it to me, so I’m stretching the category a little bit.
    A book published before you were born: Father Brown, by G. K. Chesterton
    A book that was banned at some point: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. You inspired me!
    A book that you own but have never read: (That’s pretty much all of these! Ha ha.) But my pick is Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. I’ve seen this on my grandmother’s nightstand since I was little but have never picked it up myself.
    A book that intimidates you: The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It’s intimidating because I’m going to try to read it in the original Spanish.
    A book that you’ve already read at least once: To Kill a Mockingbird. I was given a copy and I’ve never read my own copy of it. It’s time to break it in.

  582. I plan to read Spark Joy as well – really looking forward to it! Also on my 2016 Reading List are:
    — Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    — The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell
    — I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan
    — Fallen Land by Taylor Brown
    Now, mind you, my TBR list on Goodreads is over 600 books long so this is merely the tiniest glimpse of what’s to come, but… welcome to my world.

    Happy Reading in 2016!

  583. Jennifer Wilcox says:

    Books on my reading list:

    -The Cuckoo’s Calling – Robert Galbraith
    -The Secret Life of Violet Grant – Beatriz Williams
    -Scarlett – Alexander Ripley
    -Lovers at the Chameleon Club – Francine Prose
    -The Portable Dorothy Parker

  584. Colleen McCarron says:

    I am not 100% sure of some of the books I will be reading, mainly cause I am into supernatural/fantasy type books, but I do know a few I will get to for this challenge. I would love to reread Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls and Rose Madder by Stephen King, which has been recommended to me by my spouse. Another I may add to the list is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz.

  585. Joanie says:

    I am so excited to participate in the challenge this year. I realized I was reading the same books over and over and over, This will be the year to stretch out of my literary comfort zone. Hope my brain is up to it! I am going to attempt Brave New World and Mansfield Park to start. I haven’t fully decided on the others yet.

  586. Sarah W. says:

    I’m planning on printing out your 2016 Reading Challenge, and giving it a go this year! I would like to read Spark Joy, Before Green Gables, and finish reading Surprised By Oxford.

  587. Ellen says:

    I still need to finalize my list but A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is on it for sure. I’m considering Anna Karenina, but Russian literature really, really intimidates me.

  588. Susan says:

    I love your reading challenge! I’m looking forward to reading Louise Penny’s newest when my hold turn pops up at the library, but I’ve just started taking one college course a semester to earn a teacher license, and I imagine I’m going to be reading a lot of books I never knew I wanted to read. My first class’s syllabus included some middle grade and YA fiction like Echo and Listen Slowly which I read with my daughter last year and loved. We get to choose from a huge list of books and they are all highly recommended. It’s going to be a hard choice! This will be a huge year of reading for me!

  589. I love this challenge!!

    I know my list will include:

    The Signature of All Things – Elizabeth Gilbert

    Ophelia’s Muse-Rita Cameron

    The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying – Marie Kondo

    The Glass Sentence – S E Grove

    Steal Like an Artist – Austin Kleon

    Clarissa – Samuel Richardson

  590. Cynthia Harris says:

    Have to say I am delighted to come across Modern Mrs Darcy! I’m so excited I can’t tell you! I’ve downloaded the 2016 Reading Challenge list and look forward to the blog posts. Some on my list include:
    A book I should have read in school; Day of the Triffids, so I’ll attack that.
    A book I previously abandoned, War and Peace – but I was so close to the end!!
    A book I own but have never read is The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
    A book I’ve already read, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
    Intimidating: Leon Uris, The Haj.

  591. Emily B says:

    Starting to hammer this out BUT:
    A book you can read in a day: “The Captured” Guardians of Ga’Hoole Book 1, by Kathryn Lasky
    A book you should have read in school: “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair
    A book you have read previously: Harry Potter (but this time on audio)
    A book you have been wanting to read: “Gone With the Wind”
    A book you have previously abandoned: How do I say this? …”Pride and Prejudice”

  592. Southern Gal says:

    I haven’t finished my list yet. I know Shirley Jackson will NOT be on my list. The Lottery scarred me for life when I was in middle school! My daughter read it in high school and immediately asked why in the world I made her read it. (It wasn’t me, it was the curriculum. ;)) The book I should have read in school will probably be All Quiet on the Western Front. It was assigned for AP US History and I only skimmed it. Maybe The Jungle for a banned book? Christy by Catherine Marshall will probably be read again for the sixth or so time. I’m working on the rest of them. Thanks for the prompts. It makes it much easier to decide.

  593. Debbie Snyder says:

    I will accept your challenge! Excited to read a book my daughter just recommended to me last night: My Antonia, by Willa Cather. I also purchased the Brene Brown trio which you recommended a few blogs ago, and will read them this year, too. A definite re-read will be “The Outsiders” by Hinton. As for the other categories, I will have to think on it a bit more! BTW, I purchased from ePantry a few months ago at your request (got the half price deal), and love it! Just put another order in! Happy New Year and happy reading to everyone!

  594. Jessica G says:

    I haven’t planned out my list just yet but I do plan on reading “Sword of Shannara” by Terry Brooks, “Ashley Bell” by Dean Koontz & “Library of Souls” by Ransom Riggs

  595. MK says:

    I still need to sit down and figure out titles, but I think this challenge is going to give my reading a nice structure this year!!

  596. Sherrylynne in Minneapolis says:

    I wish you had a contest to win “more eyeballs”! Signed up for ePantry a few days ago and am awaiting our first delivery. And I agree, anything to keep out of the stores. My observation on reading in our home is that if mama is reading, everyone else hunkers down into a book and usually by page 100, declares it a good book. I am reading Some Luck by Jane Smiley, Simplicity Parenting, The Noonday Devil and a JPII encyclical at present. Trying to get a routine down as to when the best time to read each of these. Pressing for my own Miracle Morning! God bless you, Anne.

    • Anne says:

      “My observation on reading in our home is that if mama is reading, everyone else hunkers down into a book and usually by page 100, declares it a good book.”

      I LOVE this!

  597. That sounds like a really great list! Right now I have some parenting books TBR but my best friend and I are planning to read some books ‘together’ and we’re starting with The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins. I also just got in the mail a book called The Cloud of Witness by Lyttleton Gell.

  598. Krista says:

    I am hoping to take a huge bite out of the books I own. Simply Tuesday, Interrupted, The Wheel on the School, and Disconnected Kids are on the top of the pile.

  599. Robin in New Jersey says:

    This year I am going to read, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” I have several others on my nightstand that are waiting to be read. My plan is to read an autobiography also. Just don’t know which one yet! Any ideas? Your list looks good and I will borrow a couple of yours to add to my list.

  600. Erin K says:

    This plan is a great idea – I had already decided to read 16 books this year (or more if I can fit them) but I think I’ll make 12 of them these topics. On my list are Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and Heresy by SJ Parris.

  601. I’m going to finally get around to reading Outlander this year. It’s been on my list for years, and I finally just went and picked up a copy so there is no excuse not to finally read it!

  602. Kaytlin says:

    For a book to finish in one day, I will be reading #GirlBoss. A book that was published before I was born will be Emma. Can’t wait to curl up with a book this weekend!

  603. Maureen says:

    I’d like to finish Jane Eyre, and start the Inspector Gamache series. Everything else, I play by ear, and what my book clubs pick.

  604. Sloan says:

    This year, I’m planning to read books I’ve purchased but haven’t read yet. This includes, Lonesome Dove, The Poisonwood Bible, Gone With The Wind, Rebecca, The Blue Castle, The Book of Strange New Things, Station Eleven, plus a lot more. And I think our book club is reading through The Chronicles of Narnia this year, which I’m very excited about!

  605. Nicole says:

    One of my New Year goals is to read more, so your challenge is perfect. Book not finished, 2 yrs ago I started Pride and Prejudice on vacay and never had time to finish it. My reread will be Harry Potter first book, with my daughter. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up sounds perfect, too. Just a start of a few books. I have enjoyed your blog for a few years, time to finally comment!

  606. Lisa says:

    I’m excited for this challenge. So far two books Ive chosen are Catch 22 (book I should have read on school) and The Girl on the Train (book you previously out down).

  607. Maryalene says:

    Love the categories this year!

    I don’t have my books planned out yet, but I can think of a couple that could do double-duty.

    Under the Dome: A book my late husband recommended to me that I’ve been meaning to read for three years.
    Last of the Mohicans: A book I was suppose to read in high school but abandoned (thank you Cliff Notes!).
    Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Repair: My husband’s favorite book but one that’s always intimidated me for some reason.

  608. Wendy says:

    I have a few books that could fulfill the “meaning to read” and “a book you own but have never read” categories… Susan Cain’s Quiet has been sitting on my shelf for 2 Christmases now and I just need to read it already! And Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell fulfills those two categories, plus the “a book that intimidates you” category (it’s so long!).

  609. Lisa D says:

    I just love your blog Anne and you have gotten me back into reading, even though life here is crazy busy! I would love to real all of the above!

  610. Wendy Fisher says:

    These look great! Thanks so much for the opportunity. This year I am hoping to read more books I own–I do so much better with books that have due dates (and never make it to those that don’t!) Among them are _Simply Tuesday_ and _Jayber Crow_.

  611. Dana Qualls says:

    I have found so many new ideas for books to read from this blog! Thanks so much! I am intrigued by your choices. I would love to read them all.

  612. Melissa Turney says:

    I’m excited to read some never before read classics this year, like Wuthering Heights. I’m also excited to read some more Jojo Moyes and focus on some non-fiction for my book club with my hubby.

  613. Melissa says:

    Your site, blog, emails…I love them all! I am excited to do this reading challenge this year and your recommendations are already showing me new things to read.

  614. Susan says:

    I want to finish Louise Penny’s series. Thanks for the recommendation! Loving them. I’m also slowly working through the Narnia series, reading them aloud to my boys. I’ve never read them, so it is a treat!

  615. Katie L says:

    Looking forward to having some sort of reading plan. With a few exceptions, I think I will follow your list. Love, love, love your blog!

  616. Tracy Selvig says:

    House of Mirth was just added to my list for re-reading. Edith Wharton will not disappoint.

    I just started Constellation of Vital Phenomenon, and have Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend next on my list.

  617. Danielle says:

    I am new to your blog (it was recommended to me because of this challenge) and I love it! This is my first year doing formal reading challenges, but I’ve been in love with books since I was a kid. This year I’m planning to work my way through Jane Austen; I’ll be reading The Fifth Wave next week because my son has been hounding me to read it; I always read banned books during “Banned Book Week”; and I have an entire TBR list filled with new reads, new authors, and new books by favorite authors. I will be introduced to more of Jojo Moyes, all of Liane Moriarty, Target’s Club Pick each month, and anything else that sparks my interest. I’m so excited about the worlds I’ll live in during 2016!!!

  618. Theresa M says:

    I do like reading your book suggestions and the approach to the reading challenge is fascinating. Top on my list is to finally finish Wolf Hall and the rather massive biography of Titian my daughter gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago!

  619. Cheri says:

    Have loved the #1 detective series…my mother and I shared this love before she could no longer read by herself…her friends read them to her as I lived 2500 miles from her! Looking forward to a great year of reading…a career-long librarian here…

  620. Pam says:

    I’m in! Some titles that I plan to read are: Seed by Ania Ahlborn, Find the Good by Heather Lende, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Aint She Sweet by Marie Force. I read about a book a week. I’m excited to add some variety and depth to my reading list this year!

  621. Jennifer B says:

    Love your blog! To start 2016 off, I plan on reading “All the Light We Cannot See”. Also on my reading list are “Sense and Sensibility” (finally!), “Cloud Atlas” and “100 years of Solitude” ~ in addition to those on your wonderful reading list for 2016! Thanks for the inspiration!!

  622. Mary Lou says:

    I haven’t finalized all of my choices for the challenge yet, but I have decided in a few categories:
    a book you’ve been meaning to read –
    a book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child or BFF – Americanah (chosen by my daughter)
    a book you previously abandoned – Mere Christianty by CS Lewis
    a book you can finish in a day – Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
    a book you own but have never read – The Storied Life of AJ Fikry

    Love your suggestions!

  623. Jamie says:

    Would love to win a set of the books on your list! So exciting. I ordered from epantry and am giving it a try.

  624. Robin Glossner says:

    My TBR pile is endless, and I belong to two book clubs, but I really want to read the Neapolitan Novels this year. One of my book clubs picked ‘My Brilliant Friend’ for February, so I’ll be off to a good start!

    • Anne says:

      I want to finish those novels this year, too. I read My Brilliant Friend over a year ago and I’d like to read the other three, finally.

  625. Christy W says:

    Alright…here’s my list so far! It’s so hard to choose!

    Finish in a day: Bittersweet by Shauna Niequest
    Meaning to read: Daring Greatly (I loved the Gifts of Imperfections but haven’t gotten to her other ones yet)
    Chosen by sibling: The Lowlands by Jhumpa Lahiri
    Previously abandoned: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
    Own by not read: At Home by Bill Bryson
    Should have read in school: Lonesome Dove (I completely agree with you there!)
    Banned book: Lolita
    Published this year: When Breath Comes Out Air
    Intimidates me: Atlas Shrugged

  626. Holly says:

    Great giveaway and list of books! Some books I am hoping to read this year: The New Jim Crow, Parenting from the Inside Out, and Far From the Tree.

  627. Emily Olson says:

    My current theme is books made into movies so I’m reading Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunger. Also on my list for this year are Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, So, You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, How to Train Your Dragon, and Mary Poppins.

  628. Elizabeth S says:

    I just have to say I am intrigued by so many books in this post! I love your blog and reviews on books. I have read so many fabulous books through your recommendations! Can’t wait to try some of these! Now I’ll have to really consider making my own reading list like this…

  629. Bethany Mead says:

    In order of your list:
    1. Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard
    2. Jingle Bell Harbor by Tracy Brogan (love her humor!)
    3. The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5) by Diana Gabaldon
    4. The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
    5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    6. Animal Farm by George Orwell (my mom has been bugging me to read this!)
    7. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson
    8. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
    9. England’s Mistress: The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton
    10. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
    11. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas – tried so many times!
    12. Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4) by Diana Gabaldon

  630. Kandace says:

    This is super embarrassing. To Kill a Mockingbird. I’m a big reader and I’m not sure how this one slipped past me, but it did. Also, Hannah Coulter. I have a quote from the book taped up next to the kitchen sink, and now I really want to read the book. Some others – Retire Inspired (coming out on Monday), and my husband wants me to read The 4-Hour Workweek.

  631. Elaine Johnson says:

    I was so excited to come across this challenge; I’ve been looking for ways to direct my reading (and decrease my playing Solitaire on my tablet). I’ve started my list for this year with Ursula Under, The Brothers K, A Man Called Ove, Spark Joy, and As I lay Dying. I’ve been excited about reading Spark Joy and starting to unload the clutter accumulated over 16 years of home-schooling. With thirteen bookshelves loaded with books I need to keep just the ones that bring me joy. I think I’ve subscribed to all your email lists; it is awesome to find myself among like-minded readers!

    • Anne says:

      Your list is off to such a great start! Coincidentally, so many of those are books I just read last year and really enjoyed. I hope you enjoy them as well.

  632. Gen says:

    This will be my first reading challenge and love the idea. I love reading but always seem to read the same things over and over again. Or I start something and don’t finish it. I am not sure what direction I will go but hope to really challenge my comfort zone as I usually stick to the normal stuff and the same authors. I’d love suggestions on good books/authors

    • Anne says:

      Those are great goals! I’ll be blogging through these categories all year, one per month, in order, and will share a curated list of suggestions for each one.

  633. kristen says:

    I’ve never read Agatha Christie or Nora Ephron. I’m also going to read a book called Validate (a friend wrote it) on learning how to validate others and recognize the need to be validated to reduce conflict in our lives. Kind of all over the place, but I’m excited for the year!

    • Anne says:

      I’ve never read Nora Ephron, either, and really thought about including Heartburn as my “book you can finish in a day.”

  634. Sherrie Tucker says:

    This year I plan to read Shootout at Miracle Valley to learn more about the area in which I’m living. I will read any of the new books from Debbie Macomber as I love her books as well as Linda Lael Miller. Of course I’ll be making my way through a couple of technical manuals as well so I can do my part to keep up with what’s new in Tech Stuff!

  635. I’d really love to read more self published books this year. Also, I want to pick up Middlemarch. I read it in college, but with all the new hype surrounding it, I want to reread it.

    xo,
    Christen
    ChristenKrumm.com

  636. Erin Leighty says:

    My reading list includes:Me After You (book I’ve been meaning to read), The Fiery Cross (I’ve read at least once), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Should have read in High School) and The Royal We (Chosen by my child).

  637. Andrea Adkins says:

    I am currently reading “Crafting the Customer Experience for People Not Like You” and “Rhett Butler’s People” which is for the book discussion group I lead at a local senior center. Many of my books I read are chosen for me because of that. I am looking forward to the novelization of the Star Wars movie as well as finishing the three books from various series’ currently sitting on my nightstand.

  638. Melanie Evans says:

    I spent more time than I should have in the airport over the holidays and my to-read list is growing by the minute. Right now, I’m looking forward to reading Orphan Train and Whistling Past the Graveyard. I’ve never heard of Before Green Gables, so it is obviously now on my list!

  639. Jenny says:

    I am working on A Prayer for Owen Meany on my kindle and through Audible. Been meaning to read it for years but it seemed to long for me to tackle! Also have had The Lovely Bones sitting around for years and I want to read that this year. Thanks for all of your book suggestions, I’ve definitely made reading more of a priority since discovering your blog a year or two ago!

  640. Stephanie says:

    My pile of books to read is HUGE but here are a few I plan to read for sure this year: Anna Karenina, Natural Hormonal Balance, Ross Poldark, and Storm Clouds Rolling In.

  641. Jenny says:

    I’m planning to read Leisure the Basis of Culture and read my last 4 Chief Inspector Gamache books this month! Your recommendations are always fantastic! Thank you.

  642. Tracie Haddock says:

    I absolutely LOVE your 2016 Reading Challenge. The categories are just perfect, and all of your 2016 pics sound fantastic, except perhaps the scary one (although if I must read a scary book, 146 pages is a nice short scare). I absolutely LOVE The #1 Ladies Detective Agency, and the rest of your picks I have not read. I hope I win!!!

  643. Mary P says:

    So far I have Fates and Furies as a book I’ve been wanting to read, Song of Solomon; a book I should have read in high school, The Catcher in the Rye; previously banned, I picked We Have Always Lived in the Attic as a book to read in a day before I saw your list 🙂 and I’m going to borrow your idea for the book published before I was born and choose The House of Mirth. Still working on the rest!

  644. Belinda Skertic says:

    Fun give away! Great book list- many of which will be added to my list? Redeeming Love is my choice for book I have read at least once before. NEVER get tired of it!

  645. Vicki Huck says:

    I am looking forward to reading The Girl on the Train, which was recommended to me by a friend. I’ve been on the waiting list at my library since July for that one, and am almost to the top! I’ve also been listening to audiobooks while I am working out, so I will be tackling Crime and Punishment and Mrs. Dalloway on audiobook this year, both of which are a little intimidating to me and are books I should have read in school.

  646. Amy Boyle says:

    I got a few books from my wishlist for Christmas that I am really looking forward to: Jonathan Franzen // Purity, Ernest Cline // Armada, Rainbow Rowell // Fangirl, and Andy Weir // The Martian.

  647. Marty K says:

    Love your recommendations…I’ve never done a reading challenge before so am anxious to start this one! On my list so far: The Time Traveler’s Wife, Some Luck by Jane Smiley, Jane Eyre, Spark Joy…my TBR list just keeps getting longer and longer!

    • Anne says:

      Great list! I’ve never read Jane Smiley but keep seeing her everywhere. Maybe 2016 will finally be my year to give her work a try.

  648. Nathan Didlake says:

    I love the suggestion of Cloud Atlas! For me, an intimidating book would be either An Infinite Jest or Les Miserables (unabridged). Yikes!

  649. Allison says:

    My goal is to read more non-fiction this year. First in my list is Habit, thanks to your inclusion of it on your list of books to help with New Year’s resolutions.

  650. Rhiannon says:

    I’m reading as much Chesterton this year as possible. A few others have made my list, like Gretchen Ruben’s “Better Than Before,” Joseph Pieper’s “Leisure: The Basis of Culture,” finishing Luther’s “The Bondage of the Will,” and re-reading David Hicks’ “Norms & Nobility.” It may be a heavy year :). I have a feeling I’ll fill in the blanks with your Kindle deals recommendations.

  651. Rispah says:

    I am looking forward to have a reading plan this year.Ihave books on my kindle that I have not read, working on them this year. My list for 2016:
    Amercy by Toni Morisson
    Mrs. Right:A Woman’s guide to Becoming and remaining a wife Tony A. Gaskins
    The God of small things by Arundhati Roy
    Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austeen
    David and Goliath:underdogs, Misfits and the art of battling Giants by Malcom Gladwell
    Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    The Invention of wings by Sue Monk
    Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
    The Kite Runnner by Khaleed Hosseini
    I’m excited and looking forward to the reading challenge 🙂

  652. Lisa says:

    I’d love to try The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and Before Green Gables (I can never get enough of Anne 🙂 ) The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up also looks intriguing. Looking forward to looking through your website and finding more recommendations!

  653. Melinda says:

    I’m trying to be more intentional with my reading this year in hopes that it will help me to read more! So far on my list I have Beautiful Ruins, Outlander, Divergent, For the Love, The Fringe Hours, Big Stone Gap.

  654. Niki says:

    My goal this year is to pick books I ALREADY OWN! I keep downloading and buying books (authors love me) and they sit on my shelf. WHY? Because then I borrow from a library and read other recommended books! So right now, I’m going to focus on some books I own, which my best friend recommended. She recently passed away, so reading them feels more urgent. Some of them are: Middlemarch, Rules of Civility, and The Number One Ladies Detective Agency series. Also, she loved Gretchen Rubin and so many others. You should know, most of our book recommendations came from you. When talking about books, you were “SHE”. Did you see what “she” had in her last post? We didn’t even need to say your full title: MMD. 🙂 Then we’d proceed to talk about whichever book we had read or were interested in – amongst other life conversations. Thank you for all your work!

  655. Amy says:

    What a fun giveaway. My first goal this year is to finish “Anna Karenina;” it is so long but I am loving it!

  656. Melissa D says:

    Still trying to choose a modern book, but I’m having fun looking at the Persephone catalog and picking books I’ve never heard of (all by women). On deck: the 3rd Manchester bio of Winston Churchill, the rest of The Expanse sci-fi series (I’ve read 2 so far), Kristin Lavransdottir (this is the intimidating one), Life after Life, 2 books by Kate Morton, and a lot of nonfiction since I just joined a n’hood history/biography book club that meets monthly and reads huge books. And I’m finally getting around to reading Acedia and Me, which I know will be spiritually convicting,. Oh, and Osa Johnson’s “I Married Adventure” in the zebra binding… that was an exciting find!

  657. Rebecca Simpson says:

    It has been fun pouring over everyone’s suggestion and prioritizing what to read next. New books keep slipping in the stack! Kristin Lavransdatter – intimidates and have but have not read, Alice in Wonderland – should have read, and A Room with a View -reread. I am still working on the others.

  658. Melissa Evans says:

    Who doesn’t have so many books on their shelves waiting to be read? I have my electronic Kindle books that I need to read and the books laying next to my bed I need to read. My choice is Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. I’ve had it forever and I know I won’t regret it.

    Books to re-read….during the holidays one can’t help but think of A Christmas Carol which got me thinking of Dickens. I have a 12 year old daughter and I was explaining to her she really should read Dickens and I went on talking about how amazing his novels are. I think I’ll go back and read a Dickens novel…Great Expectations I think.

    Thanks! Now I have two goals for 2016 read Bel Canto and Great Expectations.

  659. Shauna says:

    First on my TBR list: books remaining from 2015 – (Game of Thrones) A Dance with Dragons, Garth Risk Halsberg’s City on Fire, Sue Monk Kidd’s When the Heart Waits. I have enjoyed reading these, but put each one down when life got crazy and I wanted something different. And one I couldn’t help but start…Nadia Bolz-Weber’s Pastrix. I’ve already ordered her current title, Accidental Saints, which will also be consumed quickly, no doubt. Hoping to revisit some classics with a set of 12!

  660. MichelleH says:

    You have some great picks on your list! I am never organized enough to choose a categorized focused reading list like you have. My goal, as always, is just read *all* the books. lol My TBR list is never ending and always growing. Doesn’t help when I read a list like this and add several to my list. 😉

  661. Joy Elkins says:

    Hello, Anne, My picks for the next year are: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Euphoria by Lily King, This is where I leave you by Johnathan Trooper, We are all completely Besides Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler, Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen, Brooklyn by Com Toibin, Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, Staying On by Paul Scott, Boston Girl by Anita Diamant, Nightengale by Kristen Hannah, The Painter by Peter Heller and The Unveiling by Suzanne Wolfe. Thank you for the opportunity to win your 12 picks.

  662. KsJen77 says:

    I love that the last challenge is to re-read a book, it’s like going home. Interested to hear your thoughts on the pre-Anne book!

  663. Vernell says:

    What an awesome list! My 2016 pile has a lot of been meaning to read books but I need to sit down with this challenge list and see which ones fit the categries. But in no particular order some of the books in my 2016 pile are Americanah, Unbroken (yes I know I am late to the party with this one lol), New York – The Novel, Better Than Before, A Little Life, The Life We Bury, I am Malala, Pride and Prejudice, Transatlantic, NW, and Salome. I have way more on my list as I set a goal of 60 this year on Good Reads…wish me luck!

  664. Kristen says:

    I’m so excited about your challenge! I’m struggling to commit to specific books up front because… Well, I’m just like that. But I’m kicking it off with Greenglass House, which was recommended to me by my younger brother. (It’s great!)

  665. Lexi says:

    For the Love by Jen Hatmaker and Wendel Berry’s Port William series are for myself. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario are on my high schooler’s reading list.

  666. Betsy says:

    I plan to the challenge although I have not made the full list yet. I also want to add to it a book by a foreighn writer. I will go back and finish BRIDGE OF SIGHS which I stopped in the middle of a family crisis.
    I will also try something with macical realism, a style I have hade it the past. I never read ANNE OF GREEN GABLE and have long wanted to read that. I will read OUR SSOULS AT NIGHT suggested to me by a family member.

    I am working on the rest of the list and will probably follow the suggestions of Mrs. Darcy!

  667. Sarah M says:

    Oh fun! I did your 2015 Reading Challenge, and it helped me knock so many To-Reads out! My hope is the same for this year – I already read “The Old Man & The Sea” (for the book you can finish in a day – I did!), and am looking at reading “The Lord of the Rings” (my husband’s suggestion!), and anything Modern for the “Book that Intimidates You” section. Thanks for this great giveaway!

  668. Ally says:

    I love this list, a few of these are on mine as well and I actually have never read any of them. Last year, your book challenge was my jumping off point for reading 50 books (which I had never done before) and totally getting out of my comfort zone. And I’m so excited to be stretched this year!

  669. Erin says:

    Marie Kondo’s 2nd book is definitely on my 2016 reading list. I’m also catching up with a few classics. Just started Jane Austen’s Emma. Thanks for the great giveaway!

  670. Kara Knaack says:

    I’m reading “All the light you cannot see” (hard copy, not kindle. I found the kindle version overwhelming) and “Bittersweet” by Shauna Niequist on my nightstand!

  671. Sarah Robinson says:

    I have been wanting to read “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” as well! That has been on my list since last year. I was told about “Offshore” by Penelope Fitzgerald. Im excited to fill in my own list from your challenge! Btw, your choices are awesome! There are a few in there that made me go “Oooo yes!”

  672. P.J. Coldren says:

    I’ve already read at least a third of the books on your challenge list – and I know I can complete the list out of what’s in my house rightnow. Looking forward to this.

  673. Katie says:

    Planning to finish Far From the Tree this year and to finally read Moby Dick (qualifies under intimidating and written before I was born). The rest are TBD. Thanks for the great suggestions!

  674. Emily says:

    I haven’t yet decided on all of my books for the challenge, but a few on my TBR list now are The Book Thief, The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner and A Wrinkle in Time. I own all 3 but have yet to read them!

  675. Anne says:

    Reading the Burgess Boys – Elizabeth Strout. Will read Give and Take – Adam Grant. Will reread Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

  676. Janet says:

    I’m planning to read the Harry Potter books with my oldest. After that I have a stack waiting for me at my reading spot. I’d love to win a set of those books.

  677. Traci Dickskon says:

    I have so many books I want to curl up and catch up with…first on my list is Neil Gaiman’s “Ocean at the End of the Lane”. My other definite HAVE TO book is Maeve Binchy’s “Minding Frankie”; I’ve read all of her books but this one, and I just learned that this one is still out there–without me! I love her stories and her voice, and nothing makes me happier than devouring one of her books. “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is one I’ve always meant to read, and just never got around to it, so I’m putting that on my list, too. So many books, so little time!!!

  678. Scarlett says:

    I love this ideas and to read books based on them. Many of these books are on my TBR shelf. Many of the comments you made I have heard before about those same books. Makes me want to pick them up NOW!
    Thx

  679. Liz Krumins says:

    Most of my TBR books are ones I want to read with my daughter. We are currently wrapping up Wonder which is amazing and has kick-started many a discussion. We are going a little less serious next and reading the first Harry Potter. Then probably going for Number the Stars. I want to read a variety of genres with her so she gets a variety.

  680. Rachel N says:

    I decided to do the Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge this year. I’m little nervous about some of the categories, such as poetry and the first book you see in a bookstore, but I am excited to read something outside of comfort zone. I really want to finish the Outlander series this year so they are a major priority.

  681. Carla says:

    My list is all over the place!: Greenglass House, the Girl who could Fly, the Great Divorce, Just Mercy, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, just to name a few!

  682. Samantha-Anne says:

    So far on my list I have “The Martian” (sent to me by my best friend). I have started this book and need to get back to it. For a book before I was born I have chosen the 1958 classic, “The Once and Future King”. My banned book is “Catcher In The Rye” (which I cannot believe I have never read before). A book that I abandoned but WILL finish this time around is Stephen King’s “The Dome”. I started watching the TV series and stopped reading the book because they were so different from each other. I’ll get back to the book now. The book I’ve chosen for the one that intimidates me is “The Brothers Karamasov” by Dostoyevsky. Extremely intimidating but I’ve also heard good things about the story so I’m going to venture into that one. My re-read will be Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”. I adore that book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Dylan Baker and it was amazing. I cannot wait to listen to it again. I also have a book suggested by my sister titled “All for the Union, The Civil War Diary and letters of Elisha Hunt Rhodes”. I’m looking forward to reading a book that my sister will be reading. My book that I own but have never read list is long so I may choose a few of them this year and cross over to books I’ve been meaning to read which is why I have them in the first place. I’m glad I found this challenge and the reading journal. I love to journal and keeping track of the books I read this year is going to be fun!

  683. Pam says:

    I have been following you the past year, reading your blog etc. I am so excited to be reading again! I am doing the challenge. I have several books picked out and I’m currently Reading: The Girl on the Train which my husband recommended. Here are some of the others I plan to read:

    The Happiness Project
    Daring Greatly
    Orphan Train
    The Night Circus
    The Bell Jar
    The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
    Shanghai Girls
    The Nest
    The Nightingale

  684. deb butler says:

    The list is long…..but here is a few..
    We Were Liars
    The Secret Scripture
    Small Blessings
    Great House
    Beautiful Disasters

  685. Sarah B says:

    I still have to sort out my categories, but I plan to read Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford, The Poisonwood Bible, Go Set a Watchman, and you’ve re-inspired me to read No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency- which I own but still have never read. I am also considering re-reading The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison; I loved it when I read it several years ago. I am really excited to do this challenge- I recently moved across the country and am really missing my former book group and am loving this way to have a reading plan and feel connected with other readers!

  686. Becky Foutz says:

    On my list are 1984 (should have read in school) and Two Years Before the Mast (recommended by my husband). I have read several of the books you are planning to read this year and loved them ~ specifically The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and The 100 Year Old Man….

  687. Shari says:

    Hello Anne, and thank you for all your intriguiging book suggestions!

    A book that I should have read in school but never did is Tom Sawyer. I plan to read this book aloud with my grandsons who are ages fifteen, thirteen, and eleven. I am hoping we have some relaxed “Tom Sawyer Days” together this summer for swimming, barefoot escapdades, cloud watching, laughing, and whatever comes into our minds. My idea to have “Tom Saywer Days” with my grandsons came from the Winter 2015-16 issue of Life Beautiful magazine. The decision to read Tom Sawyer was sparked from your reading challenge.

    Smiles and to You!

  688. Jessica Lynn says:

    Put together my stack of reading from my bookshelf earlier this week. It is a little daunting knowing that I’ll get books from the library and e-books as well, but excited to begin. Some that are in my stack are Simply Tuesday, Battle Plan for Prayer and the
    Art of Work. I have some rereads as well including Let’s All Be Brave and Replenish. I know several will be added as I learn about them through out the year. Eager to read the Emily of New Moon books with my girls this year, too!

  689. pam says:

    So many recipes, so little time.
    So many books, so little time.
    So many to do’s, so little time.
    But appreciate all your articles and suggestions!

  690. Cindy says:

    My local bookstore recommends The Next Tsunami by Bonnie Henderson. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest, this sounds scary, but a good read for those of us who like to live with our heads in the sand (or in a good book!)

  691. Katie D. says:

    This would be so awesome to win! From your list, I’ve only read The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Last year I printed off a challenge list, and ended up not reading a single book on that list. I read, just not from there. This will be the year I read ALL the booklists!

  692. Jennifer says:

    my 2016 reading challenge list isnt complete yet, but some of the books are:
    Peter Pan (for a book published before my birth)
    The little Prince (for a book reccomended (by my mom))
    1Q84 (all 3 of them, for books I’ve been meaning to read)
    To kill a mocking Bird (should have read in school/abandoned)

    I havenet decided on the rest yet, but I have started on 1Q84 🙂

  693. Corie Gibbs says:

    Many on my TBR list include books with my kids. The Mysterious Benedict Society, Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters and the last two Narnia books. Adult books include Still Alice, Prodigal Summer, The Maze Runner, The Graveyard Book, Just Mercy and All Joy and No Fun.

  694. Jennifer Keil says:

    My goal is to read all of Anne of Green Gables books this year…I have wanted to for YEARS. No time like the present!!!

  695. Terry says:

    I’ve been following your blog for a little more than a year and am excited to join everyone in this year’s reading challenge. What fun it is to see what others are choosing. (BTW–was sad you didn’t pick The Book of Strange New Things as your abandoned book. It’s the most unusual book I think I’ve ever read and it was my favorite in 2015.) On to my picks:
    book published this year: The Noise of Time by Barnes (coming in May)
    book you can finish in one day: Between the World and Me by Coates
    book you’ve been meaning to read: Quiet–the Power of Introverts by Cain
    book recommended by library/bookseller: Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Porter
    book you should have read in high school: Heart of Darkness by Conrad (I should have picked Moby Dick but still can’t bear the thought of reading it)
    book chosen by spouse: Gore Vidal’s Lincoln
    book published before you were born: Brideshead Revisited by Waugh
    book banned at some point: The Awakening by Chopin
    book previously abandoned: A Confederacy of Dunces by Toole
    book owned by never read: Daughter of Time by Tey
    book that intimidates me: Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman
    book read at least one: East of Eden by Steinbeck–I always say that this is my favorite book, but I haven’t read it in 30 years–time for a recheck!
    Happy reading everyone, I’m thrilled to be joining you!

  696. I’m reading The 100-Year-Old Man right now! I chose it first from the books I got for Christmas because my partner’s grandfather turned 100 on Monday. We are grateful that HE did not climb out the window just before his birthday party. 🙂

    Another book translated from Swedish that I got for Christmas: Shadows in the Twilight by Henning Mankell.

    I also plan to read Cut Me Loose by Leah Vincent, a memoir of growing up ultra-Orthodox Jewish (in the Pittsburgh neighborhood where I live!) and then running away to the outside world.

  697. Sara Bailey says:

    I’m excited to see some books on your list that I’ve never heard of. This will be a big challenge for me! I tend to have a long list of books or a ton in my Kindle queue that I never seem to get to. So I’m hoping I can tackle some of these.

  698. Virginia says:

    I have only recently found you and have had so much fun exploring your site! I love the inspiration! Have a great new year and happy reading!

    • Karen Uehling says:

      I am also interested in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I like your idea of a list of types of books to read. I read all the time. Just finished THE LAST LECTURE and then started BIG MAGIC.

  699. Janice says:

    Just finished Dead Wake. Have Thunderstruck on my list along with Mayflower, Ruth’s Journey and of course book club books. And I plan to reread The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime. And then whatever books that are recommended or catch my eye!!

  700. Coleen says:

    I’m still deciding what I’m going to read this year (and will likely choose them and then hope they fit most of the categories!), but many of them feel heavy: Allah (Miroslav Volf), The New Jim Crowe, The New Evangelicalism (Rah). Because they are so weighty, I am planning on pulling in some lighter reads: A Walk in the Woods, Greenglass House, The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict. I’m hoping to get in Home and re-read Anne of Green Gables. And I haven’t finished the last of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I should add that in as well.

  701. Liesl says:

    On my list for this year:
    Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (the new illustrated edition) – this will be my re-read.
    The Hobbit – I started it last year and didn’t finish it so this will be one that I pick up again!
    The Accident by Chris Pavone
    The Lake House by Kate Morton (I’m waiting for the paperback to buy in June, so that will count towards my book published this year 😉 )

  702. Marcella says:

    To the comment above: I really enjoyed Agatha Christie’s Come Tell Me How You Live about her life traveling in the Middle East.

    This year I’m determined to whittle down the books on my to-read list. But a few new titles have snuck in too. Here are a few of them: Spark Joy by Marie Kondo, This Day by Wendell Berry, In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Right now I’m listening to Love, Life, and Elephants by Daphne Sheldrick.

  703. Amy Lanier says:

    This year I’m focusing on a few classics I’m embarrassed never to have read. Among them: Oliver Twist, Madame Bovary, Middlemarch, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (if you can believe it), and The Count of Monte Cristo. Another genre I’m turned onto right now is memoir, so Angela’s Ashes and Find the Good are on my list, too. And finally, I have been saturating myself in all things Downton Abbey, so I’ll probably read a fan-fiction piece or two, as well as Longbourne and a couple of Austen novels I haven’t read yet.

  704. Jenna says:

    I already completed the “book I’ve already read” category with Walk Two Moons (thanks to your Kindle deals email)! I’m planning to listen to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings as well, and I think my husband is going to have me read Tipping Point with him. It’s going to be a great year!

  705. Kristen says:

    I just got a shipment of some books I ordered online which I am very much looking forward to reading:

    – All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – heard so much about it and am looking forward to reading it!
    – Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee – I know there was a lot of controversy around its publishing but I am too curious about it to not read it

    Also on my to-read list for this year: Prototype (Jonathan Martin), Speak (Nish Weiseth), The Meaning of Marriage (Tim and Kathy Keller – am about half done this one!), among several others I cannot recall at the moment.

  706. Cassandra Santana says:

    On my list is The Alchemist,Very Good Lives, Redeeming Love and The Girl on the Train. These are just a few not my entire list as I still have to find a few for the rest of the list requirements.

  707. Susan says:

    I’ve gotten into Elin Hilderbrand’s books this year, and just got Winter Stroll, so that’s on my list. I also just finished reading Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl and loved it, so I want to read her other books, especially My Kitchen Year.

  708. Rhonda says:

    This is the year I plan to tackle some of the classics. In third grade (many, many years ago) I received for our school classroom Christmas gift exchange the book Little Women. The bad thing was it came from the kid everyone in class hated. Pretty sure his mom had picked the book, wrapped it, signed his name, etc. I never did read it (have watched the movie though) and also missed out on other classics due to the bad taste of this horrible Christmas present.

  709. Angie says:

    Have not yet solidified my list! BUT! We share one book for the year: Cloud Atlas. However, it is in my “A book you have previously abandoned” (3 times already) category. OY, this will be the year though! I just recently started consistently reading your blog and have already gotten some GREAT Kindle deals. Thank you! Very much enjoy your work!

    • Anne says:

      That makes me nervous that you’ve already abandoned it three times! (But gives me hope that you’re trying again, again. 🙂 )

  710. Jaime Kapur says:

    I love this challenge! I just got Kristin Lavransdatter for Christmas so I’m definitely tackling that one. I know “Animal Farm” is an Orwell classic but never read it so doing so now. Several other books from the giveaway have been on my mind as well.

  711. Pamela says:

    I just finished “Did You Ever Have a Family,” by Bill Clegg, and am tempted to pick it right up and start again. Engaging story! On my stairs is a copy of “The Last Bus to Wisdom,” by Ivan Doig. While not a book that I have tried to read and failed, Doig is an author whom I have tried to read and failed, so I’m going to give him another shot (as so many seem to love his writings). I’m making notes on many of the books recommended here, and so appreciate the opportunity to hear all of this input!

  712. KRISTIE says:

    Love this challenge! I also love reading what everyone plans to read, it just makes my TBR list grow and grow!!

    Some of my picks:
    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel – previously abandoned
    The World According to Garp by John Irving – recommended by boyfriend
    Pretense by Lori Wick – one to re-read, this was one of the first Christian novels I read and it has stuck with me through the years, it will be like sitting down and catching up with an old friend.
    Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin – a book published before I was born
    Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – a book I own but have never read

    Thank you for this blog! It is truly awesome to connect with you and all the wonderful readers who follow along as well!

  713. Lori says:

    This is such a great list! I have read 2 on yours, Lonesome Dove and The Ladies No 1 Detective Agency. I really enjoyed both of them. Lonesome Dove might be my one for “book you’ve already read once.” It’s going to be hard to come up with my picks, I think!

  714. Laura W says:

    Some books on my list are Coming Clean by Seth Haines, The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith, Simply Tuesday by Emily Freeman, and Rising Strong by Brene Brown.

      • Laura W says:

        Yes, I bought them both! I was thrilled to see them on sale since I’m having my second baby next week and am stocking up on books to read.

  715. P.J. Coldren says:

    How do I unsubscribe from getting EVERY comment?? I’ve tried – and they just keep showing up! Thanks. P.J.

  716. Mary B. says:

    Wow, so many great books! I just started the Deborah Crombie mysteries (I think because I saw them on your Goodreads?), and I expect I won’t be reading anything else until I finish that series. They are such a guilty pleasure, but oh-so-good.

  717. Vanessa says:

    This past year I read way more and it was fantastic. I think I might have inadvertently done your challenge for last year, too. I can’t wait for this year! Seeing Kondo’s new book on your list makes me want to read it for sure. My husband and I read her first one last year and “sparking joy” is now key words for getting rid of something. It’s wonderful. 🙂 Other than that I think I want to read more memoirs this year. With little ones around I am finding that picking up and reading something is so much better than not so I’m sticking to a fairly flexible plan this year. Thanks so much for all your recommendations and reviews!

  718. Susanne says:

    I am doing a reading challenge through my local library. I have already read three that were recommended by you and loved them!

  719. Amy says:

    I’m currently reading Cinder, so the rest of the series is next on my list, as well as quite a few other YA novels my 15 year old keeps handing to me. Love reading with my daughter!

  720. I love your blog! My picks for this year include To Kill a Mockingbird, 11/22/63 (Stephen King), Pride & Prejudice, The Magician’s Nephew, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Through Painted Deserts (Don Miller), Illusion (Frank Peretti), The Lifegiving Home (Sally Clarkson, coming out next month), Slowing Time: Seeing the Sacred Outside Your Kitchen Door (Barbara Mahany), One Thousand Gifts, and 1984. I’m still waiting on which one to get from a librarian. I’ve had a few suggested but they all seem way beyond what I’m interested in reading right now. I’ll ask at my local library today when I go to pick up some books. I also ordered my kit from ePantry today! So excited to get everything next week. I’m working through Magic of Tidying Up, and it’ll be fun to get things completely decluttered, clean, and fresh smelling! 🙂

  721. Dana DiPasquale says:

    My TBR pile includes Come Rainor Shine by Jan Karon, Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner, Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin, and Flunking Sainthood by Jana Riess.

  722. Emily says:

    I am new to your blog and love it! Thank you for posting your list. It is exactly what I needed to help me make sure I set aside enough time in my busy schedule to do my favorite thing, read!

  723. I’m brand new to this, and it’s so exciting! I love reading, but I hardly ever finish anything except novels, because I read too many at a time and then get all busy and distracted. I’m hoping to cross some desired reads off my list finally this year 🙂 I don’t know what order I’ll read in, but I need to read Climbing Parnassus, The Peacemaker, The Question, ooo I’ll have to do some digging to figure out what else. Thanks for the motivation!

  724. Dixie says:

    I have read Lonesome Dove and loved it. I like your choices and will likely read several of them. I want to reread the Lord of the Rings this year as well.

  725. Meggan says:

    My sister and I are doing this together and the book we are starting with is Jane Eyre because neither of us has read it,

  726. Jenny says:

    As of now I am going to read CS Lewis Mere Christianity, Moby Dick, His Dark Materials Trilogy, Catch 22, and A Room with a View. I’m really looking forward to this reading challenge!

  727. Paula says:

    I’ve always wanted to read Lonesome Dove! thanks for the reminder! Of Mice and Men, The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani, Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore, Water for Elephants, The High Divide by Lin Enger, and…I think I’d better make my list in pencil because I know I’ll change my mind repeatedly!

  728. Michelle Ross says:

    I love the idea of this reading challenge! I usually just pick out what looks interesting and jump in. I don’t generally have a reading list in mind. My TBR pile is stacked ridiculously high. It’s hard to get reading squeezed in with 3 kids 6 and under. Now that my oldest can read on his own, we will sit together and read while the littles play with Daddy. I adore the alone time side by side with my oldest doing something we really enjoy. I’m currently reading “The Lake House” and so far it’s amazing. I just finished “Nocturnes” by John Connolly and it was a 5 star read. Next up I’m starting the Outlander series. I’m obviously late to the game lol!

  729. Leslie says:

    I am excited about the reading challenge! My reading list is not complete but what I have so far is: Me After You (Book I’ve been meaning to read), What Alice forgot (Book recommended by a local bookseller), A Tale of Two Cities (Book I have previously abandoned) and The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Book I own but have never read). I look forward to following your progress and comments on your own list!

  730. Kathy Bakr says:

    I have several books to read this year, but here are a few:
    Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz, Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay,
    Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield and Badlands by C.J. Box.

  731. Heather Foster says:

    I love your picks!! Some of mine will be Pride & Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Change of Heart, and The Deepest Cut!!! I’m excited to do this challenge. I don’t take time to read a lot any more and it’s time to change that!!!

  732. Debra says:

    I already signed up for ePantry. I get my first shipment next Wed. Yeah!
    I really like the reading challenge this year. I got hung up on the one last year because of the “mother’s favorite book”. She was really sick and then she passed away.
    I haven’t made up my list for it yet, but I have a few books on my reading list. For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn, Fervent by Priscilla Shirer, Sheet Music by Kevin Leman, and Little Women. I also have books that I want to read aloud to my boys.

  733. Michelle Turner says:

    I feel like my TBR list has taken over my bedroom. Prodigal Summer is at the top of my list. Also, the JK Rowling mysteries. A few Agatha Christie books will join the mix. And a good handful of leftovers from last year. And then I am assuming a bunch of new books will make their way onto the list too!

  734. Rachel says:

    Quite a few of these are on my to-read list, too! I just finished The Sense of an Ending for the ‘read in a day’ category, but didn’t much like it. A friend just recommended The Winter People, which looks right up my alley. I think I’m going to re-read Pride and Prejudice this year–I love it but haven’t read it for quite a few years, which seems like a shame when I went ahead and named a child Darcy 😉

  735. What a wonderful idea! I’ve shared your blogspot with some fellow teachers who are also excited to try your challenge. It has inspired me to reread “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” but I’m not sure if that will be my Book You Can Finish in a Day or Book I’ve Already Read at Least Once–thanks again for sharing your ideas 🙂

  736. Jamie says:

    Finally getting on this. I would love to win your list because I’m going to steal your pick for a banned book. 🙂 A few of my 2016 picks:

    Should have read in school: To Kill a Mockingbird
    Spouse wants me to read: Ordinary by Michael Horton
    Own but haven’t read: Trafficked: My Story of Surviving, Escaping, and Transcending Abduction into Prostitution by Sophie Hayes
    Intimidated by: Wuthering Heights – intimidated mostly because I threw down her sister’s Jane Eyre in frustration (don’t hate me).

  737. Jimi says:

    Where to start? I’m reading A Man Called Ove. I need to read Once In A Great City for book club. I’d like to read the Lunar Chronicles this year, the three Brene Brown books on my nightstand, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, My Kitchen Year, 11/22/63, and so many more. But with three under three plus a teen, I struggle to get in the reading time that I want. My podcast obsession doesn’t help either, although I mostly listen in the car.

  738. Camille C says:

    I’m looking forward to doing your challenge this year! This year I want to finally finish readingThe Secret Keeper and Nurtureshock and read Better than Before, the Anne of Green Gable books and something by Brene Brown

  739. Allison Schermer says:

    Hi!
    I’m reading The Green Ember currently. A few from my list are…The Red Tent, Wild, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, Around the World in 80 days, and Mission of Motherhood! I love reading!

  740. Leah says:

    I love the books you’ve chosen for your reading challenge! I read a lot, but have never planned ahead…I decided to do a little planning this year when I realized how many books I have that I haven’t read (but would really like to).
    For a book I want to read again: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
    A book I have but haven’t read yet: The State We’re In by Ann Beattie (it was a Christmas gift)
    Should have read in school: Wuthering Heights

  741. Jenn P says:

    What a great list! My GoodReads TBR list has more than 200 books on it – I’m hoping to whittle that down some this year, but suspect I may add more than I read. I’don’t like to read Jeff Goins’ The Art of Work, stuff by Sarah Bessey and Nadir Bolz-Weber, and some good fiction, too (haven’t decided which, yet).

  742. Lindsey Thomas says:

    Wow. I haven’t read any of those. Hannah Coulter is one of my husband’s favorites though so I should probably add it to my 2016 reading list. One of my “should have read” books is Umberto Eco’s Name of the Rose.

  743. My list to read this year:
    Big Magic by Eliz Gilbert
    A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Evans
    H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
    My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
    The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr
    The AbsoluteTrue Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
    One Summer by bill Bryson
    Ready Player One by Ernest Cline…AND
    Cutting for Stone.
    Whey…

  744. RebeccaK says:

    Ooh, yay! I just started Jayber Crow and received Hannah Coulter as a gift, so am hoping to get both of those read soon! My husband is amazing and got me a bunch of books from my Goodreads “Want to Read” list for Christmas (and he’s building me some more bookshelves!!). I’m also in a Well-Read Mom book club, so Giants in the Earth, Helena, Frankenstein, and The Brothers Karamazov are definitely on the list. I want to try some of Ken Follett’s fiction (have only read his nonfiction book On Wings of Eagles). Plus a little philosophy (What We Can’t Not Know) and some Bill Bryson. Hooray for books!

  745. I’m still refining my list for 2016, but here are a few… Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, want to re-read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, Richard Rohr’s Enneagram: A Christian Perspective, You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt, and The Forgotten Room by Karen White (coming in April). More to come! Thanks for hosting, Anne!

  746. Angelica says:

    I’m really excited about this reading challenge! Here are a few of my picks:

    A book I can finish in a day: Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
    A book I’ve been meaning to read: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
    A book I should have read in school: Wuthering Heights
    A book I previously abandoned: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (Thanks for reminding me about this book!)

  747. Catherine says:

    A book I’ve been meaning to read: The Goldfinch, because I can’t pass up a Donna Tartt. I think she’s brilliant.
    A book you’ve already read at least once: A Little Princess – one of my favorite childhood books.
    A book you should have read in school: To Kill a Mockingbird – because everyone from Alabama should have read it.

  748. Beth says:

    I need to get reading the Number 1 detective agency books. My friend gave them to me. No more procrastinating 🙂

  749. I have become so lazy in the last few years and have watched more television that I care to admit. The only one of your books I have read is “Lonesome Dove.” What a phenomenal book. It is one I have reread many times but will use as my reread selection. Otherwise, I’m going to use your list as it sounds great, and I hope to win the books!

  750. Lisa says:

    So many books, so little time! I would love to finish the Mistborn series, by Brandon Sanderson. I’m also looking forward to reading Spark Joy,
    Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed and, re-reading the classic Roald Dahl books.

  751. Michelle S. says:

    Definitely planning to read “All the Light We Cannot See” and “The Signature of All Things.”

  752. Dulcimer says:

    Oh, Anne. I HEARTILY approve of Hannah Coulter for your reread pick (and of many of your other picks, as well). But you really can’t go wrong with Wendell Berry.

  753. Erica Mohai says:

    I’m so excited you wrote about the Anne Prequel! A friend of mine and I do a reading challenge together and we need to pick a book and its prequel. I haven’t read Anne of Green Gables since I was a kid and would love to revisit. I was really stumped on what to choose, now I’m all set. Thanks!

    Also, I started a YA series at the end of last year called The Tudor Witch Trilogy. I’ll be hitting up the second and third book early this year as well!

  754. Linda D. says:

    I think I might finally tackle Middlemarch, written well before my time, and I’ll probably go back to re-read Reynolds Price’s wonderful Mayfield Trilogy because I wouldn’t want to choose just one.

  755. I may be perusing the comments to pick up a few more for my list. I still need am adding to it, but I have Big Magic, Out of Sorts, the Great House (currently reading), Rising Strong and the Lake House on my list. Love getting ideas from you!

  756. The books I plan on reading for the 2016 Reading Challenge are as follows:
    -a book published this year- The Last Star by Rick Yancey
    -a book you can finish in a day- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald (only 64 pages)!
    -a book you’ve been meaning to read- The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
    -a book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller- These is my Words by Nancy A. Turner
    -a book you should have read in school-Tell Tale Heart and Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe
    For the rest of the challenge I am going to read these books -In the Heart of the Sea, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Lord of the Flies, Jane Eyre, Book of Ivy, Dante’s Inferno and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (reread):)

  757. Marina says:

    I’m looking forward to reading books by Gretchen Rubin and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society!

  758. Kaytee says:

    Great list! I’m definitely doing the challenge (overall goal to read 55 books this year), but haven’t whittled it down yet. I have so many on my shelves and Kindle (thanks to your daily deals) that are just waiting to be cracked open. Can’t wait to get started!

  759. Rachel says:

    There are many books on my list this year — but the ones I am looking most forward to are chapter books I can read out loud to my son at night since his attention span is older now that he is 5 — the boxcar children is at the top of that list and the Lion and the Witch and the Wardrobe. It will be fun to re-live those through his eyes!

  760. Pamela C Welch says:

    Oh my goodness! What a fantastic addition to my sparse library this would be! Such an excellent selection, well rounded, makes me swoon just thinking about it! I can’t wait to start reading! Thank you so much for offering such a well rounded group!

  761. Leisa says:

    I plan on reading “All The Light We Cannot See” this year. I checked it out from the library, but it was due before I was able to get more than 10 pages in.
    I am going to be reading “The Help” and “The Secret Life of Bees” again. It has been years since I read them.
    I’ve decided I’ll never get to all the books on my TBR list, but I can sure try to get it done. Luckily I have a really long trip coming up and the kids aren’t going, so I will have more time to read….heaven.

  762. Lindsay Partridge says:

    I haven’t settled on too many selections yet, but I read Caroline Star Rose’s May B. in a day last year, so I’m going with her new book, Blue Birds, to read in a day this year. For a book I’ve previously read, I’m choosing “The Giver.” It was a favorite when I was a kid and I constantly recommend it to tweens, but I haven’t read it in years and would love to re-visit it. Finally, for a book I’ve previously abandoned, I want to finally get through “Pride and Prejudice.” *gasp* I know. It makes me sad, too. But 2016 will be the year!!!

  763. Ellie says:

    I love your list! A few on my list are East of Eden, Bel Canto, When Breath Becomes Air and Lonesome Dove as well :).

  764. Sarah says:

    I just printed out the reading challenge- I’ve never kept track before and I’m excited to plan. For starters I’m Going to read-aloud AOGG with my girls, finally read All the light.. Re-read HP, and several others on your 2016 list- so hepoefully I’ll WIN! 🙂

  765. Jane F says:

    Such great picks! You have inspired me to get moving on my picks!!! Just pinned my reads for this year!

  766. Kirstin says:

    Looking forward to your thoughts on Spark Joy! Got The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up as a birthday gift, it’s on my TBR list for this year. I’m a little suspicious that the second book could be disappointing since so many people raved about the first one.

  767. Allison says:

    My to read list is so long, but a I’m starting off the year with Eleanor & Park (listening to audio now) and Americanah. I’m also really looking forward to Nightingale and The Invention of Wings!

    • Krista says:

      I’ve been behind on my reading for years, but I’m finally hoping to finally finish Exclusion and Embrace by Miraslov Volf (abandoned multiple times for various reasons, though I have loved it so far), The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (keep meaning to read), and Lila by Marilynne Robinson (I think I’ll try to manage this in a day), just to mention a few. For my reread, I’m definitely going to read Gilead to refresh my memory. Oh, and Disunity in Christ by Christena Cleveland (one I already own). I need to go set my books for the rest of the categories.

  768. Ariel says:

    I just got the email about how little time is left in the giveaway–hope the reminder is a good sign for my chances!

  769. Sarah says:

    I’m currently reading Out of my Mind and listening to Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I love the reading challenge. Not sure how well I will do at it though. I typically read non-fiction books about the brain or parenting or homeschooling. In the past few months I have been trying to read more fiction just because I wanted to invoke my childhood and read books I would stay up late reading because I couldn’t put them down. However after a little bit of that, I decided that didn’t mesh well with being a mom especially one who homeschools. 🙂 So my goal this year is to read 6-12 non-fiction books and 6-12 fiction books. This challenge will help me to stretch my fiction selections.

  770. Samantha Estey says:

    I’ve already finished my first book for the 2016 Reading Challenge: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin. I am currently reading three other books: Prejudice and Pride by Lynn Messina; Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple; and Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement. The last is my favorite, so far.

  771. It’s so fun to see the books on your list. I’ve taken advantage of your recommendations/blogs for a while now, and am grateful for them! I plan on reading the Harry Potter series (just finished book 1); Creating a Rule of Life; and The Expats. Happy New Year!

  772. Lori says:

    I’d love to win your list of books. Being an avid reader myself, I’d love to add these to my collection. It’s going to take me a long time to read through all these lists of wonderful books yours readers have posted! Thanks for the chance to win!

  773. Season says:

    Firstly, I thought you should know that I offer your reading list as an extra credit opportunity in my English classes. 🙂 Secondly, I am a 27 year old English teacher, and I am so grateful for your blot. It provides great deals for books, wonderful suggestions from an awesome community, and wonderful reading decor suggestions. 🙂 Of course there are many other things as well. Anyway, here are a few:

    Outlander – previously abandoned
    North and South – recommended
    Little Women (puffin bloom edition) – one to re-readnovels
    A Clockwork in Orange – a book published before I was born
    Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – a book I own but have never read

    Additionally, I’m planning on rereading the whole Anne series when I purchase the Tundra editions. They are just a little too expensive for me. Wish I could afford them straight away. I am also happy for the epantry opportunity; it’s awesome for us poor teachers. 🙂

    Thank you again for this awesome opportunity!

    (If anyone is interested, I post poetry every day on instagram. My username is @thewanderingpoetess. Sorry for the selfish plug.)

  774. Jenn says:

    A few books I’m eagerly awaiting to come up in my library holds list:
    * Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
    * Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
    * When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
    * The Chronicles of Narnia (reading with my nephew for our own book club)
    * Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

  775. All of your picks looks so good! I would love to win that list! My list is still in the early planning stages but I know this is the year I read Anne of Green Gables!

  776. Danielle says:

    I’ve never read To Kill A Mockingbird so that’s on my list! Also the 2nd and 3rd Robert Galbraith novels! I usually don’t pick my next one until I’m headed to the bookstore or library. My TBR list is about 50 deep!!

  777. Whitney Keys says:

    I am excited for the new Reading Challenge! Last year I stepped out of my comfort zone because of it and found some great reads (Ready Player One stands out as an unexpected favorite)! I think I am actually most excited for the “Book you have already read at least once” category because I have been meaning to revisit Harry Potter 5-7, Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Pride and Prejudice! My husband wants me to read One Second After by William Forstchen, 2 books that intimidate me are The Count of Monte Cristo and S. by J.J Abrams and Doug Dorst (so many little pieces!!).

  778. Sarah says:

    On my list:
    Wuthering Heights (abandoned in the past)
    Still Life by Louise Penny (library recommended)
    Blameless by Gail Carriger (guilty pleasure)
    and I’m trying to decide what chapter book to start reading with my four year old. I think Laura Ingalls Wilder.

  779. I’m not big on challenges (something about a challenge makes me dig my heels in), but I’m in a phase where I can’t read as much as I’d like and this will help me focus my reading. So I’m in… But I dare not make a list, I’d never stick to it.

  780. Amy McCoy says:

    Pick me! Pick me! My husband has banned me from books, unless I am willing to let him use them to build our addition on to our house ?. I am so excited to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency on your list! I read that several years ago and loved it, then I forgot about them. I can’t wait to re-read the first one and then read the rest of the series.

  781. Angela says:

    Thanks again for the reading challenge. It has been so fun to see it pop up all over my Facebook feed. Yay for reading! I am also thinking about delving into some Wendell Berry.

  782. Laura Nelson says:

    January/Book Published Before I Was Born – Manfield Park by Jane Austin
    February/Book I Should Have Read in School – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
    March/Book I Put Down – What is the What by Dave Eggers
    April/Book I’ve Been Meaning To Read – The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
    May/Book I’ve Read Before – A Long Way Gone, Memoir of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
    June/Recommended by a Friend/Spouse – The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
    July/Book I Have But Never Read – A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown

    That’s as far as I’ve gotten in my planning. Hopefully, I win books to read in the latter part of the year.

  783. Stacy Reimer says:

    Oh, brother. My TBR list is a mile long and I just recently spent a great deal of time prioritizing it into an attainable mini list on an ocean-blue lined post-it note. Then, alas, in a post-Christmas-purse-purge I mistakenly tossed my mini list with 5 or 6 old grocery lists. Back to square one. “AJ Fikry” was definitely on that list, as was “The Brothers K” and “Fangirl” (I live in the Omaha area, so Rainbow Rowell is a must). My husband is urging me to read read “American Gods”, but I have a tendency toward prudishness and oversensitivity, so we’ll see. I should probably go grab a new blue post-it…

  784. Julie says:

    Doing your reading challenge is on my 2016 Favorite Things List! I am still working on my picks and I think that is half the fun! I am also at a certain age where I am not certain whether or not I have read certain titles! 🙂 I guess that is why the research on what to read is fun. I can rediscover an old friend! Thanks for all you do, Anne, for us bookworms.

  785. Sharon Wagner says:

    Some of the books on my list include Blue Like Jazz;At the Back of the North Wind;Daring Greatly; The Weight of Water; and A Severe Mercy. Thanks for this. It is fun to see what is on other peoples lists and get some new ideas!

  786. Caroline Keiser says:

    I haven’t been a huge reader in the past but I’m trying to read more this year starting with … The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. Some others I hope to read are:
    For the Love by Jen Hatmaker
    Forgotten God by Francis Chan
    The Orphan Train by ???

  787. Jan F. says:

    I’m still working on my list of books to read in 2016 (trying to combine several challenges), but so far it includes:
    – Openness Unhindered by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
    – The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
    – Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
    – Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History by Brian Kilmeade
    – The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
    – Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

  788. Amanda says:

    I haven’t chosen books for every category, but I have chosen some.
    Book I can finish in a day: (barely a book really) Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling
    Book chosen by a friend: Big Magic, gifted for my December birthday by dear friend
    Book recommended by book seller: Big Little Lies; of course, I wasn’t a tough sell because I love her other books 🙂
    If I chose them all now I would never stick to it! My moods/reading whims change too often

  789. Kori says:

    Thanks for inspiring me to read more. Looking forward to 2016 being a year of book discussion and less Netflix obsession in the house. Two of my books are Unglued (2012) Lysa Terkeurst and the Bible cover to cover with a trashy romance novel in between.

  790. Ruthanna Lewis says:

    I plan on reading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. As well I want to read more non fiction books to increase my overall knowledge.

  791. JESSICA says:

    What great recommendations!
    I’m excited to dig into Spark Joy and will finally finish Great Expectations. I will also be re-reading Watership Down for a book club class that I teach. Working on filling out the rest of my list.

  792. Michelle says:

    What a creative list of topics for the 2016 challenge. The toughest for me will be “A book you’ve read at least once” I ‘ave read many books several times, but now time is so precious and there are so many books yet to read! Thanks for the challenge!

  793. Burke Catherine says:

    Hi there, just discovered tour blog, enjoying yours and your readers lists. I am a fierce reader and have read most of your list already. Going to complete game of thrones and outlander series this year. Lady years favs included all the light we cannot see and My little life(sigh). Took a while to get over them – had book hangover:)

  794. Tarah says:

    I have so many books I want to read, it’s just so hard to find time anymore now! But I really want to try The Restaurant Critic’s Wife by Elizabeth LaBan and The Seven Good Years by Etgar Keret

  795. Cheri Smith says:

    I love the new 2016 reading challenge! First on my list is Peace Like a River. I would also like to read Mansfield Park because I am in love with the movie. These comments open up a whole new world of possibilities!

  796. Amy says:

    I’m already reading The Life Changing Art of Tidying Up, and The Girl on the Train. I also want to re-read Wuthering Heights. I so love that book!! I have your printable to track my reading this year… and I realized just how badly I need to keep better record of my reading. I started reading Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale only to realize about 30 pages in that I had already read it!! 🙂 Thanks so much for this.

  797. Diane/TX says:

    You’ve got some interesting books on your list. Some for my list…
    A book published in the past year: All American Boys by J. Reynolds and B. Kiely
    An intimidating book that I’ve been meaning to read: Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky (translated by Oliver Ready)
    A book recommended by a friend: Chasing Fireflies by C. Martin
    A book that I can read in a day: Because Amelia Smiled by D. E. Stein (children’s picture book)

  798. Amy says:

    I plan on rereading Stepping Heavenward, but that’s about as far as I’ve gotten in thinking about the reading challenge – although I have plenty of choices for a book that I own, but have never read!!

  799. Roxann says:

    As a student, I could use a break from reading textbooks to read some great books. Thanks for the chance for some new reading materials!

  800. Amber C says:

    The Little Paris Bookshop
    Death Comes to Pemberley
    The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
    The Book of Speculation
    Those Who Save Us
    Catch-22

  801. Sara says:

    I love setting goals for my annual reading! Last year I surpassed my goal of 72, so this year I’m aiming for 84. I *do* count the chapter books I read aloud to my kids as part of our homeschooling. 🙂 I’m excited to read “The Story of Christianity, Vol 1” by Justo Gonzalez. Also, “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah (Christmas gift from my husband). “Hannibal and Me” is my book group’s current read. For my “books that intimidate me,” I’m considering “Moby Dick”. And to encourage me to make more time to read, I’m currently reading “The Introvert Advantage”. Thank you for the awesome giveaway — I’d love to read all of these books, and haven’t read any of them yet!

  802. Ashlee says:

    Cinder is the first in a series I keep meaning to pick up. My TBR list keeps growing but City of Heavenly fire and ready player one are both on my list.

  803. Marissa says:

    After years of reading for school, then work, I spent last year reading any book that sounded fun.. and now I don’t know what to read this year… still trying to decide. I love seeing what everyone is picking up, it gives me a starting point. I might just have to go to the library and ask a librarian for a suggestion…

  804. Cathey Norman says:

    I love your blog and all of your lists. Still deciding what books to plug into the challenge!

  805. Hannie says:

    This is so much fun! Most of the flat surfaces in my home are covered in books because the bookshelves are full, so this reading challenge will get me moving. I’m starting with Dracula, as something I should have read when I was in school.

  806. Sheila says:

    I’m excited for this reading challenge! Direction along with a good dose of “hey that looks interesting!” And winning all the books? That would totally fit in with my NY resolution of not buying anymore [full price] books.

  807. Anne says:

    It was fun to read the librarian and teacher comments on here, Anne! You’re going into the classroom! 🙂

    I don’t have the list sussed out yet, but I am thinking of Kristin Lavransdatter for the book that intimidates me, though my Well Read Mom group is reading The Brothers Karamazov later this year……that could do it for intimidation, too. Haha! I also have Before Green Gables as a book I own but have never read, but I am nervous about it. Once someone puts those ideas in your head…..what if I don’t like it? 🙂

  808. Laura Benoit says:

    I have too many on my wish-to-read list, but a few are “The Red Tent”, “Orphan Train”, and I want to reread all of my L.M. Montgomery ones…it’s been too long!

  809. Leslie Fleck says:

    This year I plan on reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and Dragonfly in Amber, the second book in the Outlander series to start 2016.

  810. Melissa says:

    I’m reading Irrational Season now. On my TBR list: Glass Castle, She’s Come Undone and Simply Tuesday. I also want to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The Power of One (from your list last year). Over the holidays I finished A Homemade Life.
    I love your website! Thanks for all of the recommendations. Happy 2016!

  811. Kristi says:

    I would love to win these books! I just finished Dear Mr. Knightley and loved it. I am currently reading The War of Art. More on my list are: Rising Strong, Think and Grow Rich, The Nature of The Beast, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Game and Be More by Sandi Krakowski.

    • sarah says:

      I am looking forward to reading “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice,” (one I started but didn’t finish) and “Team of Rivals.”

  812. Lara says:

    Wonderful list! There are a few on there that I’ve been meaning to read, and only two that I’ve actually read. (Ladies’ No.1 Detective Agency and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings…both excellent books!)

  813. irene grau says:

    I have to be honest, most of these are not on my list of TBR, mostly because I’m unfamiliar with most of them (sadly, as voracious a reader as I’ve been, I’m sorely ill-read when it comes to “literature.”) As an educator, and a grad student previously, I have little time to read for pleasure. But I want to get better at making time beyond semester breaks. On my own TBR is Cristina Henriquez, Khaled Hosseini, Amy Tan, Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros, Junot Diaz, and I’m sure a few others that are slipping my mind. Thanks for the give-away!

  814. Emmalina says:

    I am exited for another readig challenge. It was good to get out of my comfort box last year and read so may great books. A few I have lined up for this years challenge include Les Mis, a book that intimidates me and Anne of Green Gables series, which I will start with Before Green Gables, as I have not re read that one and it would be interesting in the context of the others.

  815. Kristin C says:

    I love your list! I usually am just trying to read as many books as I can in a year. Some purposefulness will be fun and refreshing! Some that will be on my list: the next Walking Dead comic (finish in a day), The Miniaturist (chosen by my husband), The Road to Wellville (book I own but haven’t read), The Brothers K (intimidates me), and Mrs. Dalloway (written before I was born.

  816. Melinda in CO says:

    I don’t usually plan my reading for *a whole year,* but this list looks phenomenal! I’d gladly start here. I currently have Lost at the Edge of the Sea, An Irish Country Doctor, Leading Through Change, and The Song of Hartgrove Hall on my nightstand. Eclectic, I know. 🙂

  817. Sharon Possehl says:

    I love the idea of this challenge, it is a good start to get me back into reading for pleasure after graduating college. For my first book I am reading Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell as a book I have been meaning to read. Next, I might pick up Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, which was recommended to me by my husband. For the book I already own but haven’t read, I was thinking I might read The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen.

  818. Erin says:

    I really enjoyed A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, it has lingered in my imagination. My TBR list this year includes The Wright Brothers, Lord of the Rings, Middlemarch, and rereading Anne of Green Gables (thanks to your frequent mentions). I’m also working my way through the Inspector Gamache series.

  819. Amy says:

    Hi Anne!

    I’m hoping to read more this year than I did last year! This challenge is so perfect for me and taking me out of my reading comfort zone. Some of the books on my list are, “We Have Always Lived in a Castle”, “Hannah Coulter”, “Nathan Coulter”, “The Forgotten Garden”, “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “1984”, “Fahrenheit 451”, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”…just to name a few! 😉

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  820. Anne says:

    I am currently reading Still Life, I will be reading The Lake House and I want to read Fire Shut up in my Bones. I would love to add your giveaway to the list.

  821. Niki Blake says:

    Love your lists, love you blog….get so many reading lists from here. :))

    I WILL read “The Tidying up” book, and I will try to get through THE BOOK THIEF once again….am I the only one who can’t get through it? 🙂

    Lots of other good titles on my nightstand….

    Niki Blake

  822. Kate says:

    I hate to admit this in public, but I have never finished a Jane Austen book except for Pride and Prejudice for 9th grade English. So I would like to read one of hers in 2016 as a book I previously abandoned. I’d like to expand from my usual fiction/novels and read some non-fiction, perhaps a good biography or autobiography. I’m nearly finished with Rosemary and it’s very well written. I’ve enjoyed it.

  823. Aime says:

    I already know the answer to a book that intimidates me: War and Peace. (Russian literature generally intimidates me) And I should have read to kill a mockingbird a longtime ago but never was required to in school. And I liked your recommendation, Anne, for a banned book. I’m excited for the challenge again this year!

  824. Angela says:

    I’m starting with Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time” for a book that was banned at some point. I think I’ll read Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” for a book that intimidates you. Her writing is hard for me to read, which is why it intimidates me. I kinda feel like I have to apologize to you, Modern Mrs. Darcy, for not having read any Austen book in its entirety. Oh the shame, but I will redeem myself this year!

    • Jessica says:

      Don’t feel bad!! I’ve never been able to finish one in its entirety either! Which I kinda hate to admit here too. Haha. I have Pride & Prejudice on my list too but maybe I should move that one to my “book that intimidates me” selection too!

  825. Cindy says:

    I’m reading Jaber Crow on your recommendation this year. These look great and to win them would be amazing.

  826. Katie says:

    Thank you so much for this post! I didn’t even realize there was a prequel book to Anne of Green Gables! I can’t even count the number of times I read and re-read those books growing up. The prequel will be the first book on my list to read this year!

  827. Jennifer P says:

    Thanks for the list and so many great ideas. I do love your variety in genres. I am determined to get through “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. I didn’t know about the new Kondo book. That will be next on my list. I talk to my clothes every time I fold them, thanking them and asking myself if they even spark one iota of joy….As far as a book I put down, I want to get back to “Outlander” and the series. It seems like a good story, I just couldn’t get “hooked” at the time. Happy reading!

  828. Jennifer says:

    March (for book previously abandoned. Bit not because it’s not good!!! It’s amazing, it’s just something came up in life and it got bumped)

    Anna Karenina as a book that intimidates me

    Badge of Courage as a book to read in a day

  829. Christy Qualin says:

    Oh my goodness! I hope I’m not too late to enter this give-away’cause it’s a good one! I love all the book suggestions that you have made and want to read through all the comments–over 1200–to see what other readers suggest as well. I have The Martian uploaded for tonight on my kindle. I have fallen in love with reading Scandinavian noire and thrillers so am currently reading Arnaldur Indridason’s books in order. He’s Icelandic, very dark, but great writing. Happy to have found this blog!

  830. Milica says:

    I am going to spend my evening compiling my list – already asked my husband to give me an assignment – my hardest is going to be Books I Abandoned – I usually only do that if I find a book to be COMPLETELY insufferable. I did abandon an audiobook because I thought it would be so much better in print, so I think I will sub in that- The Good Luck of Right Now.

  831. Shawntaye Hopkins says:

    First I just have to say that Cloud Atlas is one of my favorite books of all time. If you enjoy it, I suggest reading Bone Clocks next. Some books on my 2016 list: Hamilton, Dubliners, Bobbie Ann Mason’s In Country, Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels and Anna Karenina (finally).

  832. Abby says:

    My TBR list includes: Jayber Crow, Brideshead Revisited, and the Silo Series. Looking forward to it!

  833. Michelle McCray says:

    Oh, what a lovely selection of books. The prequel to Anne of Green Gables would be wonderful. I enjoy reading through your lists. I am reading All the Light We Cannot See as my first read of 2016.

  834. Karen says:

    I love you list and I love this challenge. I plan on rereading Lonesome Dove this year. It is such a beautiful story. I am also hoping to pick up Wizard of Oz. I cannot believe that I have not read it.

  835. Anne says:

    I’ve been meaning for years to start the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series – thanks for the reminder! I’ve printed out the challenge and look forward to creating my own list!

  836. Annette says:

    I love this list! It’s always fun to have a little structure for choosing the next book to read 🙂 Looking forward to hearing what you think about Spark Joy!

  837. Melissa P. says:

    I have not formed my whole list yet, but one that is coming out this year that I MUST read is David Dark’s Life is Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious. It is coming out next month. Up now: The Zookeeper’s Wife. Yr suggestions are always welcome and fabulous.

  838. Barbara Sutton says:

    I haven’t read in forever but this reading challenge intrigues me.
    So far, I’ve decided to read To Kill a Mockingbird, Cloud Atlas, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and All the Light We Cannot See.

    Thanks for the challenge and the giveaway!

  839. Tom D. says:

    My wife and I — as she noted above — are taking up the challenge together, and we’re both excited about it. We’ve started with a book you’ve always wanted to read, and my choice is Sam Kean’s “The Disappearing Spoon,” about the periodic table.

    I haven’t quite sussed out the rest of my list, but I know I’ll have fun trying. Meantime, I read “We Always Have Lived in the Castle” after seeing it on a Buzzfeed (no judging) list of short novels you can read in a day … and I LOVED it. Enjoy, and happy reading!

  840. Leslie says:

    I’m so excited about this challenge! So far, I’ve read Ready Player One, and now I’m working on The New Jim Crow. I love your choices!

  841. Brandi says:

    I joined epantry! I’m super excited to get new cleaning supplies.
    A book series I’ve never read is The Chronicles of Narnia. I’m probably the only one. A couple of friends have recommended the Outlander series which I would like to start this year. I bought Seth Haines book today Coming Clean and already read through the first couple of chapters. I really like to mix up historical fiction and Christian non fiction. I’m reading The Mingling of Souls. I would like to read 4 hour body. I would like to read The Orphan Train and All The Light We Cannot See. I read The Nightingale last year and I still have book hangover from that one.

  842. Sue says:

    Great list of types of books to read! I always read so randomly! On my list for 2016 are Harry Potter books (I want to start reading them with my 7 yo daughter – I have not read them before), the two other books in the Oryx and Crake series from Margaret Atwood, Essentialism by Gregg McKeown…and so, so, so many more! But, we’ll see if I can actually start reading more regularly (it is one of my goals).

  843. Christy H says:

    I am still working on my list, but I am looking forward to reading Cress & the remaining Lunar Chronicles, The Lake House by Kate Morton, East of Eden by Steinbeck & hopefully many more! I love your blog & I have discovered many wonderful authors & books on here.

  844. Brenda Rhodes says:

    I want to read Cloud Atlas. I don’t usually keep a list and I don’t always read bestsellers. I usually read what grabs me as I skimming through Kindle unless someone recommends something. And then sometimes I get a urge to go back and read the classics that I should have read in high school. And maybe I did, but I appreciate them more now. I love to read and would love to get these books!

  845. Jennifer says:

    On my bedside table: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Daring Greatly (half read), Being Mortal (almost finished), Girl on a Train (currently reading). I have Prodigal Summer on my Kindle as well as Go set a Watchman (did anyone like that book?).
    I love Mrs. Meyers and Epantry so much!

  846. I have my reading journal and my category list printed for the challenge however I have a lot of reading slumps if I try to over plan my books ahead of time. The “plan” is just to pick a book or category and then mark off one each month depending on what book(s) attract my fancy at the time. I have plenty of books between the overstuffed shelves and my kindle library.

  847. Karen says:

    Right now I’m reading the Ruby Red Trilogy and then I plan to finish the Never Never Trilogy by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher. I also want to read Krista and Becca Ritchie’s new spin off of the addicted series. So many books! Too little time!

  848. Sarah says:

    A book I’ve read: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.
    A book I own but haven’t read: The Mozart Conspiracy by Scott Mariani.
    A book I should have read in school but didn’t: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
    I am really excited about this book challenge- my girls are going to do it with me!

  849. Cathy says:

    I just finished A Banquet of Consequences–Lee Child’s latest book, and The Happiness Project will be next!

  850. Jenn M. says:

    I love this idea of choosing these 12 books in categories. I find it “releasing” to admit that I am going to read “To Kill a Mockingbird” because I should have read it in high school but never did…and then still didn’t as an adult! I emailed our town librarian and she was so gloriously happy to recommend a book for my list that she said she needed time to think about it. I have shared this list idea with people at work and it has been fun to connect with each other around something other than “work work work”. Thank you for this idea and Happy New Year of Reading to you!

  851. Darla says:

    I am reading Atchison Blue by Judith Valente – beautiful! Next to read are “Stoned – Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World” recommended to me by my nephew because I am in the jewelry biz. Thanks, Ryan! :). After that, “Find the Good – Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small Town Obituary Writer” by Heather Lende. I am concurrently reading “The Healing Kitchen” by Alaena Habor and Sarah Ballantyne, so much beneficial health information packed into this amazing book – Really helping to guide my family into better nutrition choices. These books are my starters for 2016, will add more to the challenge when I am able! Love your wonderful recommendations! 🙂

  852. Alissa says:

    Great list! A few I plan to read this year are: All the Light We Cannot See, The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian (published this year), Nancy Drew (books I’ve read at least once), and The Nightingale (book recommended by a friend).

  853. Laura Sugden says:

    I love you suggestions. I too always have a reading goal for the year. Reading is my passion and my escape. Keep the incredible information flowing. On my TBR 2016 list My name is Resolute, Young Skins, Case Histories, The clasp and Mrs. Poe.

  854. Pam M. says:

    I’m a middle school ELA so I read a LOT of YA lit, so I have several of those on my list. My recommendation from my college age daughter is Their Eyes Were Watching God, my abandoned book is Catcher in the Rye, book before I was born, Jane Eyre. I can’t believe I haven’t read that one! There are many, many others! I’m rereading the Harry Potter series, I’m using it as the carrot, I get to read an HP after each book that I’m a bit intimidated or unsure of. I use the same strategy with my students when I want them to read something out of their comfort zone.
    Happy Reading and thanks for the challenge!

  855. Traci says:

    I am terrible with reading challenges…… I start but lose focus. The booksI choose depend on the time I have so while I read a lot I don’t often challenge myself. So my biggest goal is to read a few more difficult books….. books that take more focus. I love mysteries so Agatha Christie and Louisa Penny are on my TBR…not normally what I would choose. Thanks for all your great thought-provoking posts.

  856. Mandy Hartley says:

    I’ve just recently found your blog and am so excited about this challenge! I read like a crazy person, but I’ve never done a challenge like this. I always just read haphazardly. But…a few I’m planning on for 2016: Goldfinch (Donna Tartt), Better than Before (Gretchen Rubin), War & Peace (Tolstoy), To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf) and A Homemade Life (Molly Wizenberg)

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