We Love Lists: Books Rose Red Wants To Read Before 2019

For me, 2018 has been the year of the reading slump. I may have completed my Goodreads Challenge goal but I'm woefully behind on my unofficial goal to read 100 books. I was trying to figure out when was the last time I read so little in a year and the answer was 2013, my first year of grad school for the PhD that didn't quite happen.

There's not much I can do about how the rest of the year has gone but I am determined to finish the year off strong. There's 48 days left in 2018 and I'm guessing that I can read 15 books that aren't manga before it ends even with factoring in the busyness of the holidays. So to hold myself accountable, I'm making a year end TBR. I'm not promising I'll get to all of these books. I might read others because, let's be real, I have a ton of books in my possession that I want to read ASAP and I'm not real good at sticking to TBR lists. But as of right now, these are the books that I really want to read before the year is over.

1. Chainbreaker by Tara Sim

 It's about time for the third and final book in this series to come out and I've decided that I need to quit procrastinating picking it up because I'm scared of what's coming. I want to be ready to pick Firestarter up the minute it hits my kindle so I'm planning on reading over the Christmas holidays.

2. A Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

 I got caught up on this series earlier this year specifically so I could read the ARC I got of this book and I still haven't read yet. I don't know why other than I've been in that dratted reading slump. I know I'll love this book, I just need to pick it up.



3. Balefire by Jordan L. Hawk

I'm still baffled at the fact that I have a Whyborne & Griffin book in my possession that I haven't read. It quickly became one of my favorite series after I binge read the first nine books in less than a week last year. I think part of the reason I haven't picked this up yet is because it's the second to last book in this series and I'm not ready for it to be over. But that's no excuse. I need to read this book soon because I need more of Whyborne's and Griffin's shenanigans in my life.

4. Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
You know this year is all sorts of wrong in the reading department when I haven't picked up an Anastasia retelling that has the unofficial tagline of GAYS IN SPACE! I'm so behind on all the books but I need to read this one this year so I'm ready for the sequel to come out next year!

5. Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

Yet another ARC I was so excited to get but never picked up. I got this as a gift from a friend and I'm still excited to read it! This book is based on Japanese mythology and has kitsune in it! Two of my favorite things! Good thing this is this month's book club book so I know I'll get it read before the end of the month!

6. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
I don't feel so bad about not having this one read as it just came out. I'm so excited to read it! BRANDON SANDERSON WROTE A YA SCI-FI SERIES! I've heard nothing but great things about this book. I really have no idea what it's truly about except it was described to me as How to Train Your Dragon meets Top Gun IN SPACE! I was sold with it just being a new Sanderson book but now I'm really sold on it!

7. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
I'm pretty sure this book has been on every TBR Bingo card I've made this year and I still haven't read it. I even read the first few chapters for my Try A Chapter post and still haven't finished it. I recently rewatched the Studio Ghibli movie with my nephews and it completely resparked my interest in reading it. I just have to finish the series I'm in the middle of right now.



8. The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue was one of my favorite books of 2017 and I've been dying to get my hands on Felicity's book since it was announced. As with most books on this list, my reading slump has really put me behind on reading my most anticipateds. I can't wait to read more of Felicity's adventures and meet her science girl gang!



9. The Omega Objection by G.L. Carriger

You guys know how much I love a good queer love story and how much I love Gail Carriger's books. So after adoring The Sumage Solution, I've been looking forward to this next book in this series so much and it's finally here! I'm so excited to read Tank's story and see more of the San Andreas Pack!

10. London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy by Bec McMaster

I know this is a series and not just a book but I'm already almost done with Mission: Improper and I know I should be done with the series in the next week or so if I keep up the pace I reread the previous series at earlier this month.



11. The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

I know. I know. Another series. If you add the page counts for each novella, they would equal the length of one book so it totally counts, right? I read All Systems Red a couple months ago and I adored it! I bought the rest of the books in the series but my reading slump really put a kink in my reading plans. I'm hoping to listen to all of these on audio over the next few weeks.

12. Witchmark by C. L. Polk
I really haven't heard much about this one. My best friend brought a copy over, dropped it in my lap, and demanded that I read it as soon as possible. I'm going to admit that I'm totally here for it after reading the synopsis. Magical families, a mage who faked his death, and what looks to be a queer romance! I'm sold! It sounds just like my kind of book!
 

13. Banishing the Dark by Jenn Bennett
I was steadily making my way through the Arcadia Bell series before my reading slump really hit and I was loving it! I just need to read this book to complete the series. I'm equal parts scared after the ending of book three, excited to see how things end, and sad to see it end. This is one of those series where I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read it.

14. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Is November 2018 the November I will finally sit down and read The Scorpio Races? I certainly hope so! I've been saving this book to read in November for like four years now. Enough is enough! I need to read it this year and finally get it off my TBR pile.

15. How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger
I've been wanting Channing's story ever since we got Lyle and Biffy's novella last year and I'm so excited to have it in my hands finally! This book sounds hilarious and cute! Channing's always been one of the more mysterious but grumpy characters in the Parasolverse and I just need to know more about him like yesterday!

I have roughly 48 days to read the 20 books (7222 pages) on this list! It's totally doable! I just need to read 150 pages every day between now and the end of the year. Wish me luck!

What books are you hoping to get read before it's 2019?