A number of people have these book challenges but I have never found one that I would have actually read. So I decided to make my own list for 2014. I consider this a starting point. Some of these books should have been read last year but I forgot that they were coming out. Some have been on my shelf for years.

Ian in our reading nook since I don’t have a more appropriate image.

Fiction

Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett

I have already ordered this book. I will read it as soon as it comes even if that leaves another book half done. Does any one else do that and have multiple books on the go? I have read all of the Discworld series, which now number 40.

Earth Afire by Orson Scott Card

This is a prequel to the Ender’s Game series and tells the story of first Formic War. This is the second book in what will be a trilogy.

The next three all came recommended by Howard Tayler at Schlock Mercenaries, a web comic that I like.

Bowl of Heaven By Gregory Benford & Larry Niven

How could I have missed a new Larry Niven book???

Existence by David Brin

From Howard’s description it looks to be up my alley but other than that I have no idea.

Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks

He was actually recommending Hydrogen Sonata but this is the first book in the series. It is always good to start at the beginning.

The Goliath Stone by Larry Niven & Matthew Joseph Harrington

This one I came across while looking for the Bowl of Heaven. Two Larry Niven books that I didn’t know about??? I’m slipping.

Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

The is the upcoming second book in the Steelheart series. There was more of enough revelations in the end of the first book that I can’t wait to read the second one. Unfortunately it is not coming out until fall.

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

When I mentioned on the blog that I had finished reading Steelheart, Becca over at One Homeschool Journey mentioned that her oldest had just finished this one.

Non Fiction

I bought these first two years and years ago. I have read parts of them but I have never finished them. Have I already mentioned having multiple books on the go?

Elements of Fiction: Characters & Viewpoints by Orson Scott Card

The first is by Orson Scott Card who is one of my favorite authors. I saw it at a science fiction book store in Vancouver so I bought it and the one next to it.

Elements of Fiction: Beginnings, Middles and Ends by Nancy Kress

This is the book that was next to it so I bought it as well. In searching for the first two books I found a number more. I don’t get to buy any of them until I have read the first two.

Discipline that Lasts a Lifetime by Dr. Ray Guarendi

I bought this one at the Catholic Men Conference in Vancouver last year. He was the speaker and really made a good impression on me. The funny part is that he said he didn’t want us to buy them to only have them sit on shelves. One other cool item was that all of his kids were adopted and homeschooled.

Linking Up at:

September has been an off month for me regarding reading. It has just been too busy so I keep falling asleep with the book in my hand. I have a number of books that I want to read so I will list them here so I will have more motivation to actually read them. The only book that I have read in September is:

Dodger is a wonderful book so far set in Victorian London. The main character is inspired by the Artful Dodger character from Charles Dickens Oliver Twist. That link is further strengthened when it is revealed that one of the other main characters is named Charlie Dickens. I have read most of what Terry Pratchett has written and I am a big fan of the Discworld series. This book has some of the same fun but is a little darker. Some of the jokes rely on some knowledge of the Discworld universe.

For October there are a number of books that I want to read. First I need to finish Dodger. After that their is a new Novella by Howard Tayler. He is the author of my favourite webcomic, Schlock Mercenaries. He has branched out a couple of times now to write in other arenas. I have bought all but one of these, horror is not for me. He is my favourite up and coming author. Two of the stories are set in role playing game world that I have never played. I enjoyed the first one so I will be buying this new one now that it is out. The book is a collection that I am buying for one story.

The next one is Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson. He is an author that I have not read yet but he comes highly recommended by Howard Tayler above. The description on Amazon is right up my alley so I will make this the first, of what I will hope will many, books of his I read. Basically some humans get superpowers but they are not nice at all. A group forms to find their weaknesses and take them out. Our hero is one of those people and he is after one that it thought to be indestructible.

Both Howard Tayler and Brandon Sanderson are part of Writing Excuses. Writing Excuses is a podcast on Writing that is very good. We have listen to a number of their podcasts as part of our homeschool.

The third one is Earth Afire by Orson Scott Card. The first book of his that I read was Ender’s Game. I have pretty much kept my reading of his books to that universe. This book is in that universe but goes back to the first Formic war. This is actually the second book in this arc. The first was Earth Unaware. That book pulled me in, at the end I wanted to book right then. Of course now it is a year later and I can be patient.

Two actually novels and a novella should be doable. I would like to get back to reading more but this is a good start for now.

Linking Up at: