I don't pick any themes, though I used to just do a summer reading theme.

My goal is 40 F and 12 NF.

I think I’ll focus on “women in translation”. I already read a lot of women authors, but mainly those that write in English. It will be a good project to try to find some from different cultures.

The Earth Transformed by Peter Frankopan. I loved his earlier two books and this one looks even better!

I read the most 2023 Mark Helprin novel, The Ocean & the Stars, my first by him. I always assumed he wasn’t for me, but now want to spend the rest of the winter working through his other (long) novels.

There is a new Cormoran Strike book out I plan to read.

Sandra Day O'Connor just died and I am thinking about reading her biography, First, or the book she wrote about growing up, Lazy B.

Bump!

I really want to know what y'all are reading.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had thought about Compelling Villains but then thought it might be too much effort to put together a list when I need to make the entry point for reading easier not harder. I am, however, thinking of assigning myself a minimum number of classics.

Some classics with compelling villains to start your list (I haven't read East of Eden or Vanity Fair in a couple of decades and I am still obsessed with Cathy and Becky):

Grendel / Beowulf

Becky / Vanity Fair

Cathy / East of Eden

Uriah Heep / David Copperfield

Ahab / Moby Dick

Humbert Humbert / Lolita

Captain Hook / Peter Pan

Napoleon / Animal Farm

Wow! Thank you!

Anonymous wrote:I had thought about Compelling Villains but then thought it might be too much effort to put together a list when I need to make the entry point for reading easier not harder. I am, however, thinking of assigning myself a minimum number of classics.

Some classics with compelling villains to start your list (I haven't read East of Eden or Vanity Fair in a couple of decades and I am still obsessed with Cathy and Becky):

Grendel / Beowulf

Becky / Vanity Fair

Cathy / East of Eden

Uriah Heep / David Copperfield

Ahab / Moby Dick

Humbert Humbert / Lolita

Captain Hook / Peter Pan

Napoleon / Animal Farm

I had thought about Compelling Villains but then thought it might be too much effort to put together a list when I need to make the entry point for reading easier not harder. I am, however, thinking of assigning myself a minimum number of classics.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been thinking for a while of reading biographies of all the presidents. Maybe I’ll do that in 2024. If anyone has read any particularly good presidential biographies, I’d love some recommendations.

Agree with the John Adams by McCullough suggestion. One of my favorite biographies ever.

I also liked two by Ron Chernow - Grant and Washington

If you never read Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, it's about Lincoln and it's fantastic.

American Lion, about Andrew Jackson, was pretty good too, though not as good as the others I've mentioned.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been thinking for a while of reading biographies of all the presidents. Maybe I’ll do that in 2024. If anyone has read any particularly good presidential biographies, I’d love some recommendations.

I loved the John Adams one by David McCullough. He has one about Truman as well that I haven't read.

First up is Lies and Sorcery by Elsa Morante. I just ordered it from NYRB.

I have a goal of reading 50 books this year. It's a big deal for me -- I'm a reader and the last year I probably didn't finish 3 books. Untreated sleep apnea left me barely able to function. Doing much better. Looking forward to my favorite hobby again -- reading!

I love how you have done country/region and multi-part etc themes. I am not sure what I'm going to do. But I'm going to dust off my decade old unused Goodreads account and figure it out.

I’ve been thinking for a while of reading biographies of all the presidents. Maybe I’ll do that in 2024. If anyone has read any particularly good presidential biographies, I’d love some recommendations.

Does anyone have any reading plans or goals for 2024?

In the past I've picked a country or region to focus on over the year, or chosen a long, multi-part book to read over the year (like Proust, Dorothy Richardson, A Dance to the Music of Time), or a theme like Black Authors, Indigenous Authors, etc.

I don't have an idea for 2024 yet, so just looking for inspiration. Or maybe we could have a year-long thread of a theme if there's a group interested in the same one.