Misc Monday | 27 Books to Read in my 27th Year

Today I turn 27! It is both exciting and terrifying because I feel like now I’m fully into my late 20s and that’s scary.  It doesn’t help that I feel like I haven’t achieved a lot in my life, though people who know me will give me a pep talk and tell me that teaching isn’t nothing.  And that’s very true, it isn’t nothing. I am very proud of my teaching and love my job very much. That doesn’t make 27 any less scary and that doesn’t stop me from making comparisons to other people in my life.

That being said, today is a celebration of me, not a day where I stress about the future.  Today I want to live in the moment, and I want to set a goal for this year.

Every year around this time, magazines and websites start coming out with reading challenges for the year.  I always get swept away by those and really excited for them. (I already have the Pop Sugar one saved on my phone to be quite honest with you.) However, I don’t always have the best luck when it comes to actually completing them.  In fact, at this time last year, Kari and I found a reading challenge that we were going to do and we were going to make it a challenge that we did on this blog, but we never really did. I can’t make any promises that I won’t succumb to the siren call of those challenges, but I wanted to make a challenge of my own.

So, without further ado, here are 27 things I want to read in my 27th year of life:

1. Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

I will admit that I’ve already started reading this one.  It’s just super hefty and I am very intimidated by it. My friend, Tara, introduced me to this series a couple of years ago and I devoured the first five.  I loved the series and I am very scared to see how it ends. I want all of my babies to come out of this book alive but there’s a part of me that acknowledges the fact that it seems very unlikely that that will be true.  I’m predicting all of the feels.

2. Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

This one comes out tomorrow!!! That’s so crazy.  I’m also scared for this one, even though I know little to nothing about the plot of the book.  I’m pretty sure that it is the last one in the trilogy, but don’t quote me on that. Either way, after reading the previous book in this series, I have been eagerly and also nervously anticipating this one.  I don’t want any of my babies to die (this might be a common thread for some of these books on my list).

3. Finale by Stephanie Garber

I fell in love with Caraval when I read it, and while Legendary took me longer to get into it, I still fell in love with the story and with the characters.  I feel like it goes without saying that I can’t wait to read Finale when it comes out.  Again, I have no ideas about the plot but the last two were great and I can’t wait to see how it all comes to an end.

4. More Shakespeare

This is such a general one.  I know that he wrote approximately 37 plays and to list them all individually would take over my list.  I have been saying this for awhile, but I really just want to read more of his plays. I have read several plays, and teach several of them every year, but I want more than that.  I want to get to know the plots, and I want to take advantage of the copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare that I own.

5. The Wicked King by Holly Black

I was late to The Cruel Prince party, but after doing a buddy read with my friend, Cheyenne, I fell in love with it.  I am really excited to read it. Again, I haven’t read into plot at all, but I ordered the Fae Crate Hangover Kit (with the book) so that I can enjoy the read and some nerdy things to go along with it.

6. Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

I was late to the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before party was well.  I read it because I heard there was a movie coming out and felt like I should go see it.  It was super cute and I loved it a lot. Since then, I have read the sequel and now I just need to finish off the last book and I will have read the lot.  Then I’ll have to try more cute contemporaries because they make me happy.

7. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

I was so excited when I heard the new John Green book was coming out last year.  I really wanted to read it and asked for it for Christmas, but I still haven’t gotten to it.  I know that he can be a controversial type of writer for some people, but I have personally always enjoyed his books and I’m hoping that this one will be just as good.

8. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

I have had this one on my shelf for eons, but here’s hoping that this is the year that I will get to it.  I will admit that I’m not super excited about it, but I have it and I feel like I should read it.

9. The Towering Sky by Katharine McGee

This is another concluding book in a trilogy (I think) and I loved the first two.  I was excited when this one released and pre-ordered it. I never did end up getting to it this year, but I am looking forward to reading it when I get around to it.

10. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

One of my friends, Cheyenne, raves about this one and I feel like I need to check it out.  However, she also said it’s one of the few books that ever made her cry (I think) and so that’s alarming to me.  Either way I am looking forward to it.

11. To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Everyone on bookstagram has been raving about this one, especially when it first released.  I have this and it’s sitting on my shelf, I just need to push myself to get to it and actually read it.

12. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

This book is so hyped.  I have the first and the second and I genuinely can’t wait to read it.  However, I totally get into this spiral of having all these books I want to read but never actually get to them because I am tempted in too many different directions.

13. Three Sides of a Heart: Stories about Love Triangles

I have really been loving short story collections this year.  I recently got this one in my last book outlet order, and it’ll be perfect for spring.  I love the occasional love triangle, though I know it can be a tired trope, but either way I’m really excited.

14. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Again, this is one that everyone has been raving about.  I get nervous about hype, but I’m also very susceptible to it.  I really want to read this one, or it wouldn’t be on my list, but that doesn’t help that I’m still daunted by so many people loving it.  What if I don’t?

15. Roar by Cora Carmack

This one has been sitting on my shelf for a long time.  I need to do better at checking things off my TBR and my shelves this year so I don’t become the living embodiment of that comic where the guy is crushed by his unread books.

16. The Power by Naomi Alderman

My librarian friend read this book last year and she was obsessed with it.  I have heard some really good things about it and I’m really intrigued by the plot.  It seems like a powerful read and I’m all for powerful reads.

17. The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton

I bought this one when I visited Victoria over spring break.  I really liked the cover and I am intrigued by the plot. The reviews I’ve heard have been mixed, unfortunately, but I’m going to reserve judgement til I read it.

18. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (and more of him in general)

I follow Jay Kristoff on Twitter and he seems like a fantastic human being.  I have heard all kinds of crazy good things about the books he’s written and I want to read more.  Nevernight is high on my list.

19. Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

Muse of Nightmares is the sequel to Strange the Dreamer, which was recommended to me by my librarian friend.  She loved the story and so I read it, and I definitely enjoyed it.  I really loved the beauty of the story, and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

20. Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

Rebel Belle was a surprising read for me this year.  I really enjoyed the story and listening to it on audiobook was fantastic.  My library doesn’t have the other two on audiobook, but I’d still like to read them.

21. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

I read Royals, which is now under a new name, this summer and I loved it.  I’m not usually a huge contemporary reader, but summer is the perfect time for cute contemporary reads and that’s when I read Royals. I am very eager to read the sequel, which is about wlw.

22. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

The Cormoran Strike books are some of my favourite mystery books.  I have been eagerly anticipating this one since I read Career of Evil.  I need to know what’s next for Cormoran and Robin.

23. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

I fell really hard for the Grishaverse after reading Six of Crows.  I want to know how it’s going to continue along.  Also, I loved Nikolai and I am stoked for a book where he’s the lead.

24. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

I have heard so many good things about this series, and I feel like I need to find out what all the fuss about it is.

25. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I didn’t realize until this year that Jurassic Park was based on a book.  I have seen the movie once, but I am definitely intrigued by a novelization of that premise.  So I want to seek this book out and read it.

26. The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

Kari and I buddy read the first book in this series this year, and it was my first buddy read.  I loved the story that was told and I really wanted to read the next one. However, I’ve been waiting for it to come out in paperback so that my editions can match.  I really want to know how the story continues one.

27. Harry Potter: A History of Magic by British Library

I’m Harry Potter trash, what can I say? I love all things to do with it.

So that’s what I’m planning on reading in my 27th year.  I’ll probably read way more than that, but it’s a place to start.  What are you planning on reading this year? Do we have any of the same books on our TBRs? Let me know in the comments.