I usually don’t plan on what to read over the year, but after perusing my loaded bookshelves, I plucked out a few that were calling to me and created my own reading challenge. Here is my list.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. I read this when it was released in 1977 and decided it was time for a reread since it’s always been one of my favorite romantic sagas.

Cashelmara by Susan Howatch. I don’t know how many times I handled (and caressed) the library copies of this dramatic family saga over the years, and it’s been on my TBR list for years.

Green Darkness by Anya Seton. This is another reread from my long-ago past. I first ran across this back in 1973 when I was hired to work at the West Salem Library. This was one of the first epic time-travel romantic sagas, and I continue to recommend it for those who like the Outlander series.

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. I read this at age 13, which was a bit above my grade level, but I talked the librarian into letting me check it out. I was transfixed. I recently read Gill Paul’s SCANDALOUS WOMEN, a novel about Susann’s journey when writing this, so I decided it was time to do a reread to see if it would still be considered as sordid as I remember.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. I have read everything by this author except this, and I hear it’s one of her best, so I’ll definitely have a great reading experience.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. This is a dense, odd, and complicated horror novel set in a haunted house. I’ve heard it will blow your mind and make you afraid, very afraid. However, I’m not sure I’m smart enough for this, as one reviewer said, “A love story by a semiotician. Danielewski has a songwriter’s heart as attuned to heartache as he is to Derrida’s theory on the sign.” Okaaaay…

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai. This is on the Booker shortlist and is loved by Ann Patchett, so what can go wrong? I do hear it’s long and fragmented, so we’ll see if I ultimately finish it.

The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty (Daevabad Trilogy). I’m not much of a fan of epic fantasy, but I decided to vary out of my lane a bit. This is the series that rose to the top when I queried my fellow librarians for a good, accessible speculative work of fiction.

And last but not least, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Clocking in at over 1200 pages, this has seen a surge in popularity. I need something to replicate the reading experience I had with the Seven Sisters series, so this may fill the bill.

Do you have any reading lists for the coming year?