Weekend Reads #32: 2016 Reading Plans

Weekend Reads is a weekly discussion on a variety of topics. At the end of the post, I’ll include what I plan to read on the weekend.

This weekend’s question:

What are your reading plans for the new year?

I don’t plan ahead when it comes to my reading and blogging and if I do I only plan halfway. I hate being restricted. Of course, planning would come in handy sometimes, especially for topics for these Weekend Reads posts, but I like to make things hard for myself, obviously.

Books I Mos’ Def Want to Read This Year

I read based on my emotions. Whatever book I feel like reading, I read. But there are a few that I would like to read this year either because I didn’t get to them last year or because I’ve been obsessed with them for a while. They are:

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

— I wasn’t interested in it when everyone was gushing about the story but after listening to a wonderful discussion of it on the Slate Audio Book Club Podcast, my interest in it grew and I allowed myself to swept up in the hype. I read a sample of it this morning soon as I woke up and it snapped the last vestiges of sleep from eyes. Now I REEAALLY need to know what happens after page 42.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

These were on my 2015 Fall TBR. I think I prefer to do a yearlong TBR whenever I choose to do such things. Wide Sargasso Sea is the story of the woman locked in the attic in Brontë’s book. My plan is to read Jane Eyre (hopefully I don’t find it as boring as the first time I read it) and then jump to Wide Sargasso Sea (hopefully it’s not as confusing as the first time I read it) to see what my professor wanted me to understand when she assigned this for homework way back when.

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

This will be the make or break book of the series because I heard this one is really good and I should read it before quitting. Fine. If I like it, I’ll read the seventh book. If not, I’m done with the Wheel of Time series.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

It’s about time I read it. I should have done so ages ago.

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

This I should have read last year but somehow I didn’t. I like the series. I want to continue with it. I must read this book.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

I’ve wanted to read it since reading about its use of language (or was it that the narrator is obsessed with words?) in Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Novels Like a Professor.

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

I usually read Riordan’s books soon after getting them. I don’t know why I didn’t do the same with this one.

Challenges I’m Participating In

I think last year was the first time I participated in a reading challenge other than the Goodreads Reading Challenge. As stated in my 2015 reading reflection, I plan to read 60 books this year for my Goodreads Reading Challenge. I also plan to participate in these other challenges as well. [Links are on the challenge names.]

2016 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge

I’ll participate in this again because it pushes readers to try a diverse set of books. I didn’t do so well in 2015 so maybe 2016 will be better.

2016 Horror Reading Challenge

I found out about this on Scifi and Scary and received some book recommendations from her for the challenge. It is hosted by Tracy at Cornerfolds and Stormi at Book, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and runs from January 1 to December 31, 2016. Readers can join at anytime before October 15 (you don’t have to be a blogger), but all books must be read and reviewed in 2016.

The challenge has different levels, 4 total, and there are badges and prizes awarded for each completed level. The highest level is for 16+ books read. My scaredy ass is reaching for level 1, Running Scared, which is for 1-5 books read and reviewed. A few of the books I might read for this challenge are:

Bird Box by Josh Malerman, Beneath Claire’s House by Corey J. Popp, and Sorrow’s Point by Danielle DeVor

— These were recommended by Scifi and Scary. Bird Box and Beneath Claire’s House really intrigue me.

The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey

— It’s the second book in his Monstrumologist series. I enjoyed the first and am looking forward to the second.

Salem’s Lot and The Shining by Stephen King

— For a while now, my plan has been to read King’s books in the order they’re published. I read Carrie a while back but didn’t like it as much as I do the movies. These ones are next. We’ll see if I make it to The Shining.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

— I have a copy of the illustrated book by Becky Cloonan. I wonder if it will make the story more interesting. I attempted to read it before but I got bored.

That’s more than 5 books but maybe I’ll surprise myself and not be a wuss.

2016 Ancient Greek Reading Challenge

I found out about this one over on Classical Carousel and decided to participate because there are a few Ancient Greek literature I’d like to read. The challenge is hosted by Keely at We Went Outside and Saw the Stars and it runs from January 1 to December 31, 2016. Readers can sign up at any time and they don’t have to blog about the texts if they don’t want to. The purpose of the challenge is simply to read Ancient Greek literature, or a modern text about Ancient Greek literature, in any form: plays, essays, poetry.

This challenge also has various levels, 5 total with the highest for 12+ texts. I will be shooting for the lowest, which is for 1-4 texts, because I think that’s more practical for me. I plan to read a few or all of these:

The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer

— I’ve always wanted to read The Odyssey and since reading Jason and the Argonauts, my interest in reading that poem grew. But I think I should read The Iliad before jumping to it.

Medea by Euripides

— This is what I was looking for when I picked up Jason and the Argonauts. I wanted to read about when Medea killed her babes to see what made her do so.

The Histories by Herodotus

— Another I’ve wanted to read.

The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius

— Ditto above but this time it’s because I’m nosy. Does it count as Ancient Greek though it’s about Rome?

2016 Bardathon Challenge

The Shakespeare readathon I initially planned to participate in was cancelled, unfortunately. Luckily, I visited Classical Carousel again today before updating this post and discovered the 2016 Bardathon Challenge. It runs from January 1 to December 31, 2016 and is in honor of Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary. The challenge is not just about reading Shakespeare’s work. It also includes watching adaptations, participating in a production, and attending concerts, operas, and such.

I really like this challenge but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to accomplish any of the tasks. My plan is to do what I want and see where I am at the end of the year. As such, I’m shooting for the Mix-and-Match Shakespeare level, for which one can read, watch, perform, or listen to Shakespeare’s works on at least 5 different occasions. We’ll see how that goes.

My goal is to read three of Shakespeare’s plays. These are the most appealing to me right now but, me being me, I might read totally different ones.

Cymbeline

— The Goodreads description says it’s based on “legends concerning the early Celtic British King Cunobeline.” Don’t ask me why I think it’s interesting. I’ve already forgotten.

Romeo and Juliet

— An unoriginal choice since everyone has either read it or has heard of it so often that they know what it’s about. I’m in that second group so I’d like to read it myself.

Richard II

— I have no idea what it’s about except that a dude named Richard is in it. I want to read it because I have a copy of the play.

And that’s my reading plans for the year. It looks like a lot so I’ll try not to think about it too much.

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In this section, I’m supposed to mention what I read this weekend. The answer is nothing. I was in the mood for doing nothing so that’s what I did apart from blogging. But during the week, I will read these:

That’s it for these reflection/resolution posts.

Read, read, read! 😛

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