Happy (almost) 2021!! Here's hoping we have an excellent year full of health, happiness, and wonderful reading. I have so, so many books I want to read this month; there likely won't be time for all of them. Let's talk about my plans anyway...
Readalongs
I want to make space in my life to have more meaningful discussions with other readers about books. To this end, I am going to be taking part in two readalongs this month. Both are being hosted by BookTubers, with discussions happening on their respective Discords.
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
First up, we have some epic fantasy in the form of the entire Malazan Book of the Fallen series with the community of Mike's Book Reviews. I am super excited - but also a little intimidated - by this series and this readalong. I'm glad that Mike has spaced out the readalong over two years, but that still leaves the entire first book, Gardens of the Moon, to be read this month. At 650+ pages, this chunker sets the scene for what's to come in terms of books of ever-increasing size. Thankfully we get two months per book for most of the rest of the series!
If you're interest in joining the readalong (and I hope you are), you can get more details from Mike's video:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Second, we move from epic fantasy to space opera, with The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and the community of The Library of Allenxandria. I hear that this is a very character-driven sci-fi novel, which I'm totally here for. I realize that I end up reading a lot of fantasy and too little sci-fi, even though I love both genres with a fiery passion; so, I'm glad I'm getting the extra push to prioritize it via this readalong.
This book is the start to a series, but unfortunately the community is going to be moving to a series readalong of the Red Rising Saga starting in February. While I'll be hopping on board with that too, I might just have to continue with Chambers's Wayfarer series if I fall in love with this month's pick as much as I think I will.
If you're interest in joining the readalong (and I hope you are), you can get more details from Allen's video:
The Rest of the TBR
While my readalongs will be taking priority this month, I have a long list of other books I'd like to get to as well. As you'll see from the list below, I'm trying to make room for more sci-fi (albeit in short form this month) as well as comics, graphic novels, and manga - two kinds of reading I enjoy but don't prioritize as I should when I get swept along in the tide of fantasy and queer romance novels.
Adult/Young Adult Fiction
- Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
- Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
- Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
- The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
- All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Comics, Graphic Novels, & Manga
- Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman
- Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman
- Fence, Vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat (author), Johanna the Mad (illustrator), Joana LaFuente (colorist), & Jim Campbell (letterer)
- Bloom by Kevin Panetta (author) & Savanna Ganucheau (illustrator)
- Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki (author) & Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (illustrator)
Nonfiction
- Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky
This is quite the list, I know. I'm sure I'll get off track somewhere and start reading things that aren't even on the list. Wish me luck, though?