Twenty Books for 2017

As 2016 comes to a close, I am (as usual) pondering goals, ideas, and plans for the new year. And while I don’t have a detailed list of “New Year’s Resolutions” written up at this point, I do have a list of books I would like to read in 2017.

Sadly, at least two of these books were on my 2016 list and just never got read. I admit: I’m just not very good at prioritizing reading these days. But there’s nothing like the turn of a new year to say, “Hey, let’s try this again.” And so I will.

Nine of these books are middle grade or young adult fiction. I wrote recently about why I’m enjoying middle grade fiction these days, and honestly, the thought of diving into these books makes me smile. I’m looking forward to getting lost in worlds of imagination and adventure.

Seven of these books are nonfiction. Nonfiction is always harder for me. It requires more time, more focus, more silence…and those commodities can be hard to come by some days. I haven’t decided whether I will force myself to intersperse these books throughout the year, “rewarding” myself with a fun novel after finishing one, or whether I’ll simply read whichever book appeals to me next.

Without further delay, here is my list of “20 books I’d like to read in 2017.”

[disclosure]

Middle Grade & YA Fiction

	Outlaws of Time: The Legend of Sam Miracle by N.D. Wilson
	Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
	The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart
	The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
	The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
	Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
	The People of Sparks (The City of Ember) by Jeanne duPrau
	The Prophet of Yonwood (Ember, Book 3) by Jeanne duPrau
	The Diamond of Darkhold (Ember, Book 4) by Jeanne duPrau

General Fiction

	Night Road by Kristin Hannah
	The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
	I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce Mystery, Book 4) by Alan Bradley
	The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley

Nonfiction

	Why Everything Matters: The Gospel in Ecclesiastes by Philip K. Ryken
	None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That's a Good Thing) by Jen Wilkin
	The Story of Everything: How You, Your Pets, and the Swiss Alps Fit into God's Plan for the World by Jared C. Wilson
	Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
	More Than a Rock: Essays on Art, Creativity, Photography, Nature, and Life by Guy Tal
	On Being a Writer: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life that Lasts (Masters in Fine Living Series) by Ann Kroeker
	Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me by Karen Swallow Prior