Books I want to read before the end of the year

Happy Friday, friends! Today, I thought I would discuss some of the books I want to read before the end of the year. My goal is to read 50 books, and I’ve read 45 so far. I also have some books that I have planned to read, so I thought I would talk about the books I want to read before the end of the year!

BookTube Spin books

My friend, Rick MacDonnell, does a thing on BookTube called the BookTube Spin, where you make a numbered TBR, Rick spins a numbered wheel, and whatever number the wheel picks is the book you read. This quarter, there were two numbers, 5 and 8. You can see my TBR on my twitter (follow my twitter!). The two books were two books I had already planned to read in October, and two books I own, so a win on both fronts.

• The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh: I’ve had this book for ages and it’s been on my top TBR list for a while, and I was planning to read it this month for Buzzword-a-thon, so I’m glad the spin picked this book! It’s a dystopian fantasy (I think) about women? idk but I remember it sounding like something I wanted to read.
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: I started this book this week, and have been really enjoying it so far! It follows Nora, who commits suicide and ends up in a library where she can see what her life would be like had she made different decisions. I’m low-key buddy reading it with my coworker Ashna, so I’m excited to see what she thinks.

2021 TBR

I made my 2021 TBR way back in January, and some of them books are definitely not priorities anymore. But these three are books I own, which I’m trying to make a priority. So these are the ones I want to focus on.

• The Project by Courtney Summers: this follows a journalist who infiltrates the cult her deceased sister was a part of, which are two topics I love to read about. I read the first (couple?) chapter(s) a few months ago, and it seems promising. I definitely want to get to it ASAP.
• A Little Life by Hanya Yangihara: I feel like I am the last person in the world to read A Little Life, and I finally got a copy this past Christmas so I’m hoping to read it before the end of the year! It seems like a good fall read.
• Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thein: being totally honest, I’m not completely sure what this book is about. I know it’s written by a Canadian and has won/was nominated for a few awards, and a lot of people I know have enjoyed it. Hopefully I’ll be able to read it soon!

Books on hold at the library

I have a BUNCH of books on hold at the library, some of which have been there for a while. But these are the three I’m most excited for right now.

• Last Call by Elon Green: this is about a serial killer in New York in the 80s and 90s who targeted gay men. I recently received the audiobook from the library, so I’m really excited to read it.
• Fault Lines by Emily Itami: this is a recently-released book that has been compared to Sally Rooney, and follows a Japanese housewife who has an affair. It sounds very fun and exciting, and I’m really excited to read it (hopefully my hold comes in before the end of the year).
• A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ni Ghriofa: my library actually bought this for me because I requested it so much, and I recently got my hold! Being totally honest, I saw the cover for this book, read that it was about dual timelines, and decided I had to read it.

Other random books

There are some other books I want to read before the end of the year, either because I’ve started them already or because I’m just really excited for them.

• Check, Please! Volume 2: Sticks and Scones by Ngozi Ukazu: I started this for graphics-a-thon, and just never finished it, which is sad because it would take me like an hour to finish it. So I really just need to get to it and finish it.
• Red Comet by Heather Clark: I’ve been listening to this audiobook, which is a biography of Sylvia Plath’s life, for literal months now. It’s so long, but I feel like I’m finally making a dent in it. I’m just waiting for my library hold to be released again.
• The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa: I got this in my recent book swap, and I couldn’t be happier. This is a classic Japanese dystopian that was recently translated, and it follows an island where, when things go missing, they get forgotten by everyone forever. I’m so excited to read it, so it’s definitely a priority.
• Birthday by Meredith Russo: this was my pick for December’s buzzword-a-thon, and even though I’ve been slacking on buzzword-a-thon recently (voluntarily), I want to stick to this one. It follows two friends who have the same birthday and always celebrate that birthday together. It sounds like something I’d love, so hopefully I do.

So those are the books I want to read before the end of the year! It’s a pretty lofty goal tbh, but I’m hopeful. Wish me luck!

Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts? Do you have any books you want to read before the end of the year? Let me know!

Ally xx

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