As this year comes to a close, many of us are focusing on completing our Goodreads reading challenges by December 31st. I am one of those people. 2021 has probably been a better reading year for me than 2020, but the bar was pretty low. Last year, I had a list of seven books I wanted to read between November and December, and I read a whopping total of two within that time frame. This year, I’d like to get to all five of these before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.
1. “The Cousins” by Karen M. McManus
Karen M. McManus is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her novel “One of Us Is Lying” is up there as a top favorite book of mine, too. “The Cousins” came out at the end of 2020, and I’ve been meaning to pick it up since then. Now that there’s a chill in the air, it seems like the perfect time to curl up in a blanket and finally read this one!
2. “The Fountains of Silence” by Ruta Sepetys
Because I read “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara last December, I, apparently, thoroughly enjoy reading heavy books at the end of the year. “The Fountains of Silence” seems like a good fit for this time. As a history major, I’m always down to pick up a good historical fiction novel, and Ruta Sepetys’ most recent release sounds like a good idea to me!
3. “Maybe in Another Life” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“Maybe in Another Life” has been on my radar for a couple of years now. Recently, I’ve really been craving a book that will get my wheels turning, and this book has been on my mind. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a fantastic writer, and I’ve read all of her historical fiction novels. I’m excited to give one of her realistic fiction books a chance.
4. “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo
A lot of my friends absolutely adore “Six of Crows” and the rest of the novels in the Grishaverse, and I’ve been hearing for a while that I just need to buckle down and pick up “Six of Crows.” I tried reading “Shadow and Bone” by Bardugo twice last year, and it did not go well. “Six of Crows,” however, sounds much more up my alley, and I’d love to get to it before season two of the Netflix adaptation rolls around.
5. “Under the Lights” by Abbi Glines
This is the sequel to “Until Friday Night,” which I’ve read twice. The first time I stepped into the “The Field Party” series, I was not a fan. But I couldn’t get the book off my mind. When I reread the first book, I really enjoyed my time with it. Let me say this though, it’s kinda cheesy and predictable but super fun. They’ve got everything I want in a book series: football, small towns, teen drama, and southern gentlemen. That’s enough for me to give the sequel a read soon.
Trying to read these five books by the end of the year may be a bit ambitious for me, but I hope I can do it. Good luck to everyone still trying to hit their Goodreads goals, and I hope you pick some good choices!