Spring Update #MustReadin2018

Posted on April 4, 2018 by carriegelson

It’s time for our first #MustReadin2018 update!

Are you making progress with your list? Distracted by other titles? Have grand reading plans? Please share!

This year, my list is again 30 titles strong. I always have the goal of trying to read at least 20 of the books on the list. Often, new books lure me away from these reading plans but I love having a list like this to ground me.

I am doing okay with my reading – so far I have read 9/30 titles which is close to one third of my list – 4 months into a reading year and that seems pretty good to me.

Here are the titles I have read so far. Listed in the order that I read them.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser (MG)

A family to fall in love with. You will be rooting for the Vanderbeekers from the first pages.

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

I learned a lot with this book. Absolutely compelling.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (MG)

Aven Green is some kind of amazing. Born without arms and adopted by encouraging, loving parents as a toddler, Aven seems fearless. But life is a constant challenge as you face your own fears and help your friends confront their own.

The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh (MG)

This title is all about navigation and coming out the other side. Friendships. Identity. Individuality. Facing fears. Following your heart and your instincts. Taking risks. LOVED all of the characters!

Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess (YA)

This truly is a story of rock and roll, fathers and sons, addictions and recoveries, loves and loss. A beautifully executed novel in verse.

Knock Out by K.A. Holt (MG)

This is the story of little Levi – just a baby in House Arrest – now growing up and ready to have his own story. But when you have always been the one to protect, how do you find your way and engage with the world in big and brave ways?

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (MG)

Yes! This title was every bit as compelling as The War That Saved my Life. Ada is an unforgettable character.

Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart (MG)

Not at all what I was expecting and quite like nothing I have ever read. High energy, fast paced and wonderfully endearing.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (MG)

I just think about this book and smile. It’s amazing.

I also read and loved Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King (YA) which was on my #MustReadin2017 list and I never got to it. So glad I finally picked it up. It was the first novel I read in 2018 and I really found it engaging.

If you have been participating in #MustReadin2018 and written an update post, please share using the #MustReadin2018 hashtag!

Leave your link in the comments if you have written a post. Please try to visit a few of the other #MustReadin2018 bloggers/readers and get inspired! And of course, everyone loves comments to know that you have visited!

Want to know more about #MustReadin2018? Read here This post also includes links to all of the bloggers who wrote Must Read lists. This is a community of inspiring readers!

Next update will be on September 6th 2018!

HAPPY READING EVERYONE!

#MustReadin2018

Posted on January 1, 2018 by carriegelson

For anyone out there with a To Be Read list that seems like it will never end, this challenge is for you! This is all about making your own personal list of books that you want to commit to reading in 2018.

10? 20? 30? more? It’s up to you

Books can be published in any year, be from any genre, and from any category: adult, YA, MG, Graphics, NF, etc. titles. All that matters is that they are books you want to be sure not to forget as that TBR list continues to grow! These aren’t the only titles you will read over the year, but a list to help guide your reading. A list to lure you back to a reading path you have set for yourself. Many, many new books will tempt you! Go ahead and read them but having a list like this ensures you will not forget some titles you were determined to read. At least that’s the plan 🙂

If you would like to create and share a list, contact me on twitter (@CarrieGelson) or leave a link in the comments and I will add your list to the #MustReadin2018 lists below. Everyone is welcome! I will update regularly so if you are just seeing this now – go make a list! We’ll be waiting for you.

If you want to use the image above in your sidebar, here is the image URL code: https://thereisabookforthat.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/mustreadin2018.jpg

Three updates seemed to work best so we will continue this again. If you also leave me your twitter handle (if you are on twitter) I will send you a reminder. For those not on twitter, please mark these dates in your calendar. Update posts can be shared on or around these dates – just leave your link in the comment section of my post and share it on twitter using #MustReadin2018

Spring update: Thursday April 5th, 2018

Fall update: Thursday September 6th, 2018

Year end update: Thursday December 27th, 2018

Update posts are purely optional!

They can take whatever format you wish: highlighting your favourites, reasons for not reading, simply a list of what you have read, etc. Here are last year’s update posts on my blog as an example: spring, fall, year-end. Other bloggers do much more creative things than me.

Ready for some inspiration?

Check out the lists.

Mine (Carrie Gelson) is here: My Must Read novels of 2018

Aaron Cleaveley shares a long Must-read-in-2018 list

Lisa Maucione shares her list here: Books I Plan to Read in 2018

Michele Knott shares her efficient system in this list: #mustreadin2018 list

Linda Baie shares her list here: #MustReadIn2018

Laura Mossa joins us for the first time with her list: My Must Reads in 2018

Jill Merkle shares a list of 2018 releases here: #mustreadin2018

Kendra Limback shares 40 titles on her list: Must Read in 2018! The Fabulous 40!

Two lists in one place from Kellee and Ricki of Unleashing Readers: Kellee and Ricki’s #MustReadin2018

Crystal Brunelle has a fantastic list inspired by this list 46 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2018 Crystal’s list is here: #MustReadin2018

Hannahlily Angus shares a detailed list here: Must Read in 2018

Leigh Anne Eck joins us again with this list: #MustReadin2018

Holly Mueller shares her list here: #MustReadin2018

Akilah from The Englishist includes her #MustReadin2018 as part of her wonderful Goals for 2018 post

Tricia Pfeil shares her smile worthy list here: #MustReadin2018

Cheriee Weichel shares her comprehensive lists here: #MustReadIn2018: Fiction, Nonfiction and Indigenous Authors

Dani Burtsfield joins us for the first time with her list: #MustReadin2018

Michelle Simpson shares her longest list to date: Must Read in 2018

Jennifer Green joins us this year with her list: #MustReadin2018

Bev Baird adds her #Must Read in 2018 list

Christina Carter (CeCe Librarian) joins us this year with this list: Must Read in 2018

Elisabeth Ellington contributes this list: #MustReadin2018: A Crowd-Sourced List

Shelly Moody joins is with her list: #MustReadin2018 #MustReadin2018

Ramona from Pleasures from the Page joins us with a baker’s dozen: #MustReadin2018

My Must Read Novels of 2018

Posted on January 1, 2018 by carriegelson

For those readers and list makers, nothing is more exciting than January! The time to make an amazing list of books to read for the year!

Where will our reading lives take us? What adventures and emotions will we experience through the books we read? Always, there are endless possibilities.

So many books. Limited time.

New books to distract us from other books.

A must read list ensures not all are forgotten!

Join the #mustreadin2018 community!

To read more about the challenge and add your list, read here.

Here are the 30 titles I am going to try and read over this year. As always these titles will represent only a portion of my reading. My goal? To read most of these. I use this list like a a road map of where to turn next when I come to a pause in my reading choices. It is always waiting to guide me. But it also waits patiently when I am distracted by new books.

Making a list like this – a To Read list – also allows us to reflect on the reading that we want to do. I know I want to emphasize middle grade novels. I also want to ensure that I am reading from various genres but honour that I will typically gravitate to realistic fiction.

This year I split my list in two. Half of these books are titles published in 2017 or earlier and the rest published in 2018. Hopefully, this will be a nice balance of newly published titles and titles that I have discovered from my fantastic PLN as not to be missed.

2017 or before

These first two titles are from my #mustreadin2017 list that I still want to read

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse