Reading Recommendations: A Challenge

In Which I Challenge Myself to Leave My Reading Choices at the Mercy of Others

I’ve been thinking quite a lot lately, friends, about the books that people tell me I need to read. Those particularly egregious books I’ve missed that people think I would love, or the books that everyone else has read that I haven’t managed to work into my schedule yet. You know, the books that make people go, “AMY. WT ACTUAL F. WHY HAVEN’T YOU READ THIS YET, YOU SLACKER/DUMMY/PERSON WITH QUESTIONABLE PRIORITIES.” Since this seems to be happening more frequently lately, and since I just had TREMENDOUS success with a beyond solid recommendation to read Juliet Marillier’s DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST  (thanks, Alyssa and April!), I’m going to make reading books that are recommended to me officially A THING. That’s right folks: I’ve created a reading challenge for myself.

So what are the guidelines of this project that I’ve just created kind of on the spot? Basically, I’m going to give myself until the end of May to read the following books. I’m not going to make myself nuts by planning on reading 10 books because that’s not really possible in addition to the other books I need to read. Besides, I don’t think there are 10 books that fit my admittedly fluid idea of “books that are recommended to me.” I’m trying to pick books that people who know my tastes at least a little bit have said, “Amy, I think YOU would love this book.” That kind of thing. There might be a few more general recommendations of books that lots of people have loved, too, but I’m really interested in reading books suggested to me by people who’s opinions I trust. And so, THE LIST:

The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell (April @ Good Books and Good Wine)

April knows how much I LOOOOOVE middle grades, so when she’s told me–a few times–that I need to read Kathleen O’Dell’s THE AVIARY, I realized i kind of have to listen at some point, and now is as good a time as any.

Bill Willingham’s Fables (Heidi @ Bunbury in the Stacks and Alyssa @ Books Take You Places)

These two ladies love the fairy tale retellings and so do I. Reading this series of graphic novels at their recommendation is a MUST.

Under the Never Sky (Hannah @ So Obsessed With and basically the whole world)

I know, I know. EVERYONE has read this book. Hannah raves about it, though, and so I told her to yell at me to read it already. Which she did. I LISTENED, HANNAH.

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books)

Alexa loves this book, and she’s mentioned to me several times that I need to read it. What luck! I’ve HAD it on my kindle for a while, so it’s right under my fingertips!

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (Quinn @ Quinn’s Book Nook)

New rec! This one has been on my radar for a while. As a superfan of Shannon Hale, I feel like a slacker for not having read it yet. So when Quinn told me today that SHE loves THE GOOSE GIRL just like I do but that this book is her fave Hale and that I should read it, adding it to this list was a no brainer.

Anything by Sarah Ockler (Tara @ Hobbitsies)

My girl Tara is Sarah Ockler’s biggest fan. I think she sometimes doesn’t want to admit to being my friend whenever she remembers that I have yet to read a single one of Sarah Ockler’s books. Don’t know which one I’ll read, but I’ll pick one.

The Scorpio Races audiobook (Asheley @ Into the Hall of Books and Hannah @ So Obsessed With)

YAY! THE SCORPIO RACES is my favorite Maggie Stiefvater book. Asheley and Hannah both told me separately that, as a huge fan of this book, I MUST listen to the audio. When I told them that I finally snagged a copy of this audiobook, they both told me that I will never ever do a better thing IN MY LIFE. I mean….

SO. That’s my list. I accept this task I set for myself. LET’S DO THIS THING, FRIENDS.