A Few Books I'd Like To Read This Year!

* * * Inspired by the post I wrote at the beginning of last year I'm here with another tentative list of books I'd like to read this year. I say tentative because I didn't read all of the books I put on my list last year because I'm such a mood reader, but it was really interesting look back over it to see how my reading taste has changed so I wanted to compile another one.

And you know, I do love having a good ol' chat about books!

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How to be Both by Ali Smith
A novel containing two stories. Eyes follows a fifteenth-century artist and Camera is about a modern-day teenage girl. The stories intertwine and explore the versatility of art through stories of love and injustice.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love, but their country is under military dictatorship and if they can, people are leaving. Ifemelu goes to America and Obinze to London, where they have very different experiences. When both return home and rekindle their love for each other, they both face the most difficult decisions of their lives. Adichie is an incredibly talented writer and many regard this as her best work to date, so I'm looking forward to it for sure.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Although at first they seemingly have nothing in common, over time Aristotle and Dante discover that they share a very special friendship, the kind that lasts a lifetime and shows each of them the kind of person they want to be. I've heard that this is a special novel and I can't resist a good coming of age story.

The First Bad Man by Miranda July
Cheryl is a vulnerable woman who lives in an eccentrically ordered world. She is haunted by a baby boy she met when she was a young girl. She is also obsessed with Philip, a board member at the non-profit she works for. She believes they have been making love for many lifetimes although not, as yet, in this lifetime. Clee, a selfish and cruel young lady, moves into Cheryl's house for a little while and brings her back into reality with a bang.

The Incarnations by Susan Barker
A Beijing taxi driver is being pursued by his twin soul across a thousand years of Chinese history in an intriguing blend of historical fiction, magical realism and suspense.

No Logo by Naomi Klein
A journalistic non-fiction work exploring advertising and branding & the effects this has had and continues to have on society.

No Matter The Wreckage by Sarah Kay
A poetry collection by the wonderfully talented Sarah Kay, who manages to capture in words feelings of love and the power of celebrating the little things in everyday life.

My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff
A memoir that details Rakoff's journey as an assistant to the literary agent for J.D. Salinger. Tasked with responding to Salinger's fan mail she finds herself unable to send in return the agency's standard response and instead begins writing back herself.

The Illuminations by Andrew O'Hagan
The story of Anne, a documentary photographer in her youth and her grandson Luke, who has just returned home to Scotland after a tour of Afghanistan where he served as a Captain in the British army. They both have secrets that begin to emerge in Blackpool, where they watch the annual illuminations that brighten the seaside town as winter sets in.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
Potentially a group of pretentious people, doing pretentious things, whilst having pretentious conversations? This is how it has been described to me by more than one friend and I'm curious.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A group of eccentric, intelligent misfits at an elite New England College discover a way of thinking and living that is markedly different from their contemporaries, under the influence of one of their charismatic Professors. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality things begin to change. Again, this is either going to be excellent or horribly pretentious!

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
An exploration of character and family dynamics over 500 pages. Enid wants to have some fun, but her husband has Parkinson's Disease and her children are experiencing their own life issues. Despite all these things though Enid sets to work on bringing her family together for one last Christmas at home.

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Are there any books that you would particularly like to read this year?
xoxo