I don’t have a lack of reading plans or books to be read. If anything, I have an over-abundance of reading plans and books I want to read. But sometimes I have trouble narrowing down the list to the particular book I want to read next. I thought for the month of February, I’d try to read your recommendations—from my To-Be-Read list on Goodreads, which has grown to an unmanageable, out of control, over 800 books. These are all books that I saw recommended somewhere. Maybe I read a review. Maybe I read your review. Or I picked up the book at the library or bookstore, but haven’t managed to read it yet. My question is, of all these 800+ books, which are the priorities? Which ones should I read NOW, in February?
I you want to take a look at my TBR list and give me some advice, I will promise to take your recommendations very seriously and try to read one or more of the books that each of you recommends. Remember, your recommendations need to come from the list I already have of books I want to read. I don’t need to add any books to the list, although I probably will.
So, let’s have a book sharing party. Which of the books on my list should I read next? Let the comments begin.
17 thoughts on “What Should I Read Next?”
I have a hard enough time answering this for myself, much less anyone else, LOL! I looked through the first couple of pages. I was delighted to see a few I had read recently listed there.
One thing I often do when deciding is switch gears. If I have been reading classics, I’ll switch to something contemporary, or from adult fiction to YA lit., or fiction to nonfiction, just to change things up and keep my reading from becoming stale. Don’t know if that helps any. 🙂
I looked at your whole list, and while there are many favorites of mine there, the vast majority I haven’t read.
My recommendation is to read Rumer Godden’s The Dolls’ House, because it is fascinating as a children’s story, and as a story about dolls which the author said is a “murder mystery”! You can probably get it from the library, and it’s short, and it might spur you, as it did me, to go on to read her whole genre of books about dolls, which for some reason fed my soul so richly a couple of years ago. By this means you could mark quite a few on your list as “finished reading” in a short time 🙂
An anti-recommendation: Please don’t bother with The Year of Living Danishly, which I reviewed on my blog last year, unless of course you read my blog post first! 😉
I also recommend At the Back of the North Wind and When Breath Becomes Air (hmm – there is an airy theme there). Finn Family Moomintroll is lots of fun and is worth reading as a Finnish cultural phenomenon.
Now I will have to come back frequently and read how you have sorted out this project that does look challenging, but most enjoyable!
So many, most of which I haven’t read.
“The Family at One End Street” is hilarious. I couldn’t read it aloud properly because it made me laugh so much. Definitely worth reading.
A very different book is “David Brainerd’s Diary” which is a book that I should reread.
On to adding some of these to my “to read” list.
The One in a Million Boy was my favorite fiction read last year so that would be my vote though (true confessions) I didn’t quite scroll through the whole of your list ?
I just started looking through your list. 🙂 I can only recommend the ones that I’ve read and enjoyed. That said, I recommend Light Between Oceans and One in a Million Boy.
I loved David Copperfield, too.
So, of those I’ve read (some of your TBR’s are ones I share), I didn’t regret reading “The Kitchen Madonna,” “Something Other than God,” or Jennifer Fulwiler’s memoir. Sayers and Chesterton are always worth reading, though the ones on your list aren’t my favorites from them.
I really liked Robin McKinley’s “Shadows” (though I can see why some people might dislike her–she’s very atmospheric, and you either like it or don’t). Heyer’s “Venetia” is very fun (though a bit disturbing–vice shouldn’t be as fun as she makes it in that book). If you want to do Heyer, I’d start with “Sylvester: Or, the Wicked Uncle,” which is WONDERFUL and one of my perpetual rereads.
Trollope’s Barsetshire novels are well-worth reading, but I think “The Warden” (which is the first of them) is also the dullest.
I might have missed something in there that I’ve read and liked–forgive me!
I have not looked through your list, hut I agree with the One in a Million Boy recommendation.
I started looking through your list and became very distracted. 🙂 I also have enjoyed the Barsetshire Chronicles, but I disagree about The Warden. It doesn’t have a lot of action, but I don’t find think it at all dull, and I think it is worth reading first.
I looked through your list and have only read a few of the books. I’ve read all the D. E. Stevenson books mentioned and enjoyed them all. The Mrs. Tim books are my favorites that you have on there.
Swallows and Amazons is a longer book and wordy. I read it as a read aloud and although we enjoyed it, we all decided that it would have been better if we read it ourselves.
Mr. Prenumbra’s 24 Boodstore is a fun and quick read. It’s not a great book but a good one that I’m glad I read.
Kidnapped is a good classic if you are in the mood for a classic. My son really enjoyed Beric the Briton but I have not read it. Hope this helps. You have quite a list.
Thanks to everybody who took the time to give me suggestions. I’m looking forward to reading as many of these as I can in February. Anyone else want to chime in?
I highly recommend both Light Between Oceans and The Shoemaker’s Wife.
I read through your entire list, steeling myself against adding to my TBR.
Hands down, I’d urge Mere Motherhood.
The Quotidian Mysteries is short but nourishing.
*I’d be glad to lend you one or both of those books.*
The Glass Cage is highly excellent; no slogging.
Island of the World is another favorite.
Penny Plain is one of my favorite comfort reads—and I think it is free on Kindle.
I found Coolidge an interesting audio read.
Here’s a no obligation offer: I would be willing to read along with you, if you chose:
Gunnar’s Daughter
Puck of Pook’s Hill
When I Was a Child I Read Books
Infidel
A Gentle Madness
The question of God and Bandersnatch are both books on my to read list, and I’d love to see your reviews.
The second “Outlaws of Time” book – ND Wilson, because the first one was enjoyable and a quick, easy read. Also, if you have not seen his board books, they’re a favorite at our house.
“Girl on a train” is 2 hours I wish I could have back.
Thanks, Carol and Emily. I think I can get Quotidian Mysteries from the library, and Mere Motherhood is one I want to own. So thank you, Carol, for the offer, but I’ll take a rain check. I think I’ll concentrate on the books that people have recommended in February, and if I have time later in the month or in March I may take you up on your lovely idea of reading Gunnar’s Daughter or one of the others together with you.
Thank you both for your time in suggesting books for me. It’s going to be a good reading month.
I’m late to the party, but I looked through your whole list. Island of the World is on my list of best 10 books ever. It’s the only non-classic on that list. That book will stay with you forever. The Winged Watchman is one of my best 10 read alouds ever, so if you’re looking for a read aloud, that’s my recommendation. And Mere Motherhood was my favorite book from last year. I laughed and cried while gobbling the whole thing down less than 24 hours after its arrival in my mailbox. (My family had to find their own dinner — and that’s never happened because of a book before.)
I have a hard enough time answering this for myself, much less anyone else, LOL! I looked through the first couple of pages. I was delighted to see a few I had read recently listed there.
One thing I often do when deciding is switch gears. If I have been reading classics, I’ll switch to something contemporary, or from adult fiction to YA lit., or fiction to nonfiction, just to change things up and keep my reading from becoming stale. Don’t know if that helps any. 🙂
I looked at your whole list, and while there are many favorites of mine there, the vast majority I haven’t read.
My recommendation is to read Rumer Godden’s The Dolls’ House, because it is fascinating as a children’s story, and as a story about dolls which the author said is a “murder mystery”! You can probably get it from the library, and it’s short, and it might spur you, as it did me, to go on to read her whole genre of books about dolls, which for some reason fed my soul so richly a couple of years ago. By this means you could mark quite a few on your list as “finished reading” in a short time 🙂
An anti-recommendation: Please don’t bother with The Year of Living Danishly, which I reviewed on my blog last year, unless of course you read my blog post first! 😉
I also recommend At the Back of the North Wind and When Breath Becomes Air (hmm – there is an airy theme there). Finn Family Moomintroll is lots of fun and is worth reading as a Finnish cultural phenomenon.
Now I will have to come back frequently and read how you have sorted out this project that does look challenging, but most enjoyable!
So many, most of which I haven’t read.
“The Family at One End Street” is hilarious. I couldn’t read it aloud properly because it made me laugh so much. Definitely worth reading.
A very different book is “David Brainerd’s Diary” which is a book that I should reread.
On to adding some of these to my “to read” list.
The One in a Million Boy was my favorite fiction read last year so that would be my vote though (true confessions) I didn’t quite scroll through the whole of your list ?
I just started looking through your list. 🙂 I can only recommend the ones that I’ve read and enjoyed. That said, I recommend Light Between Oceans and One in a Million Boy.
I loved David Copperfield, too.
So, of those I’ve read (some of your TBR’s are ones I share), I didn’t regret reading “The Kitchen Madonna,” “Something Other than God,” or Jennifer Fulwiler’s memoir. Sayers and Chesterton are always worth reading, though the ones on your list aren’t my favorites from them.
I really liked Robin McKinley’s “Shadows” (though I can see why some people might dislike her–she’s very atmospheric, and you either like it or don’t). Heyer’s “Venetia” is very fun (though a bit disturbing–vice shouldn’t be as fun as she makes it in that book). If you want to do Heyer, I’d start with “Sylvester: Or, the Wicked Uncle,” which is WONDERFUL and one of my perpetual rereads.
Trollope’s Barsetshire novels are well-worth reading, but I think “The Warden” (which is the first of them) is also the dullest.
I might have missed something in there that I’ve read and liked–forgive me!
I have not looked through your list, hut I agree with the One in a Million Boy recommendation.
I started looking through your list and became very distracted. 🙂 I also have enjoyed the Barsetshire Chronicles, but I disagree about The Warden. It doesn’t have a lot of action, but I don’t find think it at all dull, and I think it is worth reading first.
I looked through your list and have only read a few of the books. I’ve read all the D. E. Stevenson books mentioned and enjoyed them all. The Mrs. Tim books are my favorites that you have on there.
Swallows and Amazons is a longer book and wordy. I read it as a read aloud and although we enjoyed it, we all decided that it would have been better if we read it ourselves.
Mr. Prenumbra’s 24 Boodstore is a fun and quick read. It’s not a great book but a good one that I’m glad I read.
Kidnapped is a good classic if you are in the mood for a classic. My son really enjoyed Beric the Briton but I have not read it. Hope this helps. You have quite a list.
Thanks to everybody who took the time to give me suggestions. I’m looking forward to reading as many of these as I can in February. Anyone else want to chime in?
I highly recommend both Light Between Oceans and The Shoemaker’s Wife.
I read through your entire list, steeling myself against adding to my TBR.
Hands down, I’d urge Mere Motherhood.
The Quotidian Mysteries is short but nourishing.
*I’d be glad to lend you one or both of those books.*
The Glass Cage is highly excellent; no slogging.
Island of the World is another favorite.
Penny Plain is one of my favorite comfort reads—and I think it is free on Kindle.
I found Coolidge an interesting audio read.
Here’s a no obligation offer: I would be willing to read along with you, if you chose:
Gunnar’s Daughter
Puck of Pook’s Hill
When I Was a Child I Read Books
Infidel
A Gentle Madness
The question of God and Bandersnatch are both books on my to read list, and I’d love to see your reviews.
The second “Outlaws of Time” book – ND Wilson, because the first one was enjoyable and a quick, easy read. Also, if you have not seen his board books, they’re a favorite at our house.
“Girl on a train” is 2 hours I wish I could have back.
Thanks, Carol and Emily. I think I can get Quotidian Mysteries from the library, and Mere Motherhood is one I want to own. So thank you, Carol, for the offer, but I’ll take a rain check. I think I’ll concentrate on the books that people have recommended in February, and if I have time later in the month or in March I may take you up on your lovely idea of reading Gunnar’s Daughter or one of the others together with you.
Thank you both for your time in suggesting books for me. It’s going to be a good reading month.
I’m late to the party, but I looked through your whole list. Island of the World is on my list of best 10 books ever. It’s the only non-classic on that list. That book will stay with you forever. The Winged Watchman is one of my best 10 read alouds ever, so if you’re looking for a read aloud, that’s my recommendation. And Mere Motherhood was my favorite book from last year. I laughed and cried while gobbling the whole thing down less than 24 hours after its arrival in my mailbox. (My family had to find their own dinner — and that’s never happened because of a book before.)
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