Reading list 2017

There is still 5.5 hours left in California before the New Year and I’m already thinking about 2017.

Each year, Goodreads.com issues a reading challenge: you set for yourself how many books you plan to read that year and then go for it! Once you are done with a book, simply log the date you finished it. For the past two years since I started competing, I have met my goal and then surpassed it. In 2014, I set originally 50 books then upped it to 60 books as the target. In 2015, I set 50 books and did not change.

I’m going to do something slightly different in 2017. I’m going to set book categories and series and include books I bought in 2016 but have not finished (or even started in few cases).

Category 1: History

1. Need to finish James Holland’s Italy: Year of Sorrows – World War 2 1944-45
2. Need to finish a book on Alan Turing
3. Need to finish a book on Q-ships in World War 1.
4. A new area of history that I am not familiar with before, like Avars and Bulgars of the 7th century world.
5. An existing area of history that I know well but would like a new perspective on.

Category 2: Sci-fi  & Fantasy

1. 1. re-reading for the first time in decades Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern. I found the omnibus. This counts as 3 books.
2. Vaughn Heppner’s the Lost Starship series. I read book one. There are 4 more.
3. Marc Alan Edelheit’s Chronicles of an Imperial Legionary Officer #3: The Tiger’s Fate.
4. Jim Robert’s Code of War series books 2, 3, and 4.
5. Whatever new Honorverse novel by David Weber and co. (if there is one)
6. Whatever new Destroyermen series novel by Taylor Anderson (if there is one)
7. Whatever A Desert Called Peace series by Tom Kratman (if there is one)
8. William Forstchen’s The Lost Regiment series. That’s 9 books.
9. Allen Allston’s Star Wars Wraith Squadron: Mercy Kill.

The Lost Regiment series and the Destroyermen series follow the same trope: a Earth military unit is displaced on another world and have to survive. They have no way of going back and end up helping one of the native groups in their war. Usually this unit is far more advanced technologically and decide to use their advantage to help, not conquer.

Category 3: Theology

1. N.T. Wright’s book on the Gospels.

Category 4: Re-reads

1. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I always read them once a year, every year.
2. John Ringo’s Paladin of the Shadows (5 out of 6) series.

Category 5: Others

1. Barrett Tillman’s Warriors

That should be close to 50.

What is on your list?