A two-for-one bookish meme post in which I announce I’m signing up for
Bout of Books 27 (goal this time: read on a majority of days this week).

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 27 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

I managed a chapter or two of Jennifer Chiaverini’s Christmas Bells on the train amidst my dozing and am continuing to listen to the audiobook of Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia.

The Day 2 challenge is to share my bookish resolutions for the new year.

I’ve set a challenge of reading 52 books for the year, which should be perfectly manageable. I’d like to continue working to make my reading more diverse — both in terms of authors and in terms of topics. The former seems far more likely than the latter, since I just have a hard time forcing myself to sit down and spend time reading things I don’t want to read about.

I’m also sharing the top ten dozen new books I’m looking forward to in the first six months of the year (thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting yet another great topic for Top Ten Tuesday):

1. Libby Page’s The 24-Hour Café (I really enjoyed her debut novel, The Lido, last year.)
2. The Night Country by Melissa Albert (It’s the sequel to The Hazel Wood!)
3. Kate Milford’s The Thief Knot (This is the next story in The Greenglass House world.)
4. Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed (Two great YA authors? I mean, obviously!)
5. Sarah-Jane Stratford’s Red Letter Days (I loved Radio Girls and look forward to another historical fiction from her.)
6. A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn (This is the latest in the Veronica Speedwell series.)
7. Stamped by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi (I can’t wait to see how this nonfiction adaptation & collaboration turns out!)
8. Check, Please! Book 2 by Ngozi Ukazu (I’m hoping this graphic novel includes some recipes in the back material, since the first book concentrated on talking hockey.)
9. Rebecca Stead’s The List of Things That Will Not Change (I love her middle-grade novels.)
10. Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (I’ve loved every sci fi book they’ve collaborated on, even if this series isn’t as good as The Illuminae Files.)
11. Elizabeth Acevedo’s Clap When You Land (Everything she’s written has been great, and this looks like it will be too.)
12. Shuri by Nic Stone (I mean, Nic Stone and the most kick-ass African princess and scientist? Yes, please!)

How about you? Are you joining in the fun of the Bout of Books this time? And what books are you looking forward to being published between now and summertime?