I'm reading the last book in the Foundation Series. I think, if you loved the trilogy, then you will love the prequel books. I hope you can reach all your goals for next year.
Red Rising is basically The Hunger Games on Mars haha, so that will probably be a great book for you. Great list! Good to see the classics getting some love 😄 Good luck with Moby Dick, it's like 80% infodump about whales and 20% story haha.
I think the Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun is basically JRRT’s fan fiction about some parts of Norse mythology, written as epic poems and also acting as a study of that narrative tradition. It does sound fun!
You'll be rewarded in books 11-14 of Wheel Of Time,keep reading !!! A Memory of Light and The Gathering Storm are just so damn good ! :D At some point you really gotta read Joe Abercrombie and John Gwynne,you would love them ! Awesome authors :D
Great lineup of classics! Bronte is pronounced brahn-tay. Love Around the World in 80 Days! And I think A Christmas Carol is a great start to Dickens. Pretty approachable and it's short. If you at all can get to Twain's Connecticut Yankee, I highly recommend it. It's fantastic! And Robinson Crusoe is another favorite too! As for additional recommendations, I highly recommend The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells and Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.
If you liked Hunger Games, you should try find and read Battle Royale from Koushun Takami from which hunger games is a partly a copy of, but BR is a lot more violent and thus more cool and it’s also one of the most surprising and suspenseful books I’ve personally ever read
Bookshops and Bonedust is actually the second book in the series, the first was Legends and Lattes. Personally I didn't care much for it but you might like it, but not sure how much you'll enjoy book 2 if you skipped book 1. It is a prequel so maybe it will work I don't know
Many people say that second one "Bookshops and Bonedust" is much more enjoyable to read than first one "Legends and Lattes". So maybe skipping first one is not a bad idea. I'm still to read them but this is what I have heard in many reviews this year.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE try the audiobook for Red Rising!!!! The story was inspired by the Irish and the audio pays homage to it!! It's so beautiful and poignant!!!
I have never read "Agnes Grey" before and it is mentioned in a book that I'm currently reading " The Lost Bookshop" by Evie Woods, so maybe I should try to read in in a year 2025 as well. I would be curious to hear your review of this one. Would be good to know if it's worth reading.
I don't do a year long plan like this, just pick up what I'm in the mood for but every year I choose one mammoth book to conquer. This year it was Stephen King's It, in 2025 it will be Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. That's 1200 pages with the smallest possibly readable font so more like 1600 regular pages.
@@niklasl3880 Have you read The Fountainhead? I think Atlas will be it on steroids. Instead of 50 pages long monologue at the end it's suppose to have 200 pages long one. I hated the first half of The Fountainhead but fell in love with the second half, it's a fucking masterpiece. I'm hoping Atlas will improve on the flaws of The Fountainhead but I'm mentally prepared for the opposite.
We have similar tastes. I’ve read about half of the books on your list. I read Robinson Crusoe for the first time in 2024. It’s really good. If you didn’t like Path of Daggers, you’re not going to like Winter’s Heart or Crossroads of Twilight because, as you said, nothing happens. However, there is hope. If you can make it to the Brandon Sanderson installments, it’s smooth sailing. It’s a long road to get there, but worth it. He absolutely saved that series. Subscribed!
I started Name of the Wind a few days ago. So far it's good. I don't really care if Rothfuss finishes it. Some TV shows get canceled before they run their course...what can you do? I also just got the first three Wheel of Time books, so I'll finally see what the excitement over those is. Grapes of Wrath is great; I read Winter of Our Discontent and The Red Pony this year, and will get to East of Eden soon. I read Hunt For Red October back around '89, before the movie came out. It's good. After decades of putting it off, I finally read The Silmarillion this year, and was underwhelmed. The creation stuff at the very beginning was good, but the Quenta Silmarillion itself? Let's just say while intriguing to me as a Tolkien fan, I understand why this was never released when he was alive. It is not a cohesive and complete work. For me it just was endless introductions of characters, their travels and battles, and not enough time spent on who they were and thus why I should care about them. Lord of the Rings, as a piece of literature, is superior in every way. I've also read Children of Hurin (when it was released!) and Fall of Numenor, and those were decent.
Currently on my second reading of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit and I intend on doing that for The Lord of the Rings. Other than those, I have the first six Wheel of Time books which will probably keep me busy for the next 12 months of 2025 up until 2026! So yea, Merry Christmas and a Happy New year 🍻🥂🎉
Wind and Truth was so good, took me 3 days to read haha. Would highly reccomend. Also, the Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun is so incredibly good, if you like something like Beowulf (which I thought was great). If not, it probably isn't a book for you. It is not "essentially by his son", it was simply edited & published by his son. The book was still nearly entirely written by JRR Tolkien. Also absolutely loved Robinson Crusoe.
Unfortunately, Red Rising is not a trilogy. There are 7 books with the last being published in 2025. There is a time jump after book 3, so it could be used as an ending point, but the story isn't over.
Well, this happens to anyone who catches up with the author :). But I guess for some really long series I could understand if someone would take a break to keep things fresh but I've never done it intentionally.
19:10 I would hate to discourage anybody from reading any classic but as someone who was excited to read some Oscar Wilde, I found "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to be one of the most boring and terrible novels I have ever read. Despite its short length, the book could've been 80 per cent shorter and told the exact same story. If you do read it I will be very interested in your opinion.
I've read Dorian Gray a good number of years ago, and, how shall I put it?, it wasn't was I expected. I thought I would read a horror story but the horror, and to be honest the story overall, was lacking. I am a plot guy and this book is not the best in this respect. Yet, I enjoyed it a lot more than I should have because of Wilde's delightful writing. I don't care about "beautiful prose" and it wasn't the prose as such but the many witty bits in the book that made me chuckle quite often as I read through the book. That's why I'm ambivalent about the novel. As a horror story, it doesn't deliver (in my opinion) but it is an entertaining read nonetheless (at times).
@jensraab2902 agreed on the humor. I've enjoyed some of his plays for the humor too, especially The Importance of Being Earnest. They are short and quick!
Is he your favourite author? I have never read any of his books, so I added some to my TBR for 2025. So in case you are a fan of his works, any recommendations welcome.
I was in the same spot as you were while I was reading the Wheel of Time. I was questioning myself if I should continue the series or not after Winter's Heart. I'm glad I did because Knife of Dreams is amazing (Crossroads are just as terrible as Daggers and Winter's Heart). However, I do regret reading past Knife of Dreams. I don't think that Sanderson did an amazing job with this series. He butchered almost every single character (Mat and Aviendha especially). Combine that with his signature lackluster prose, dialogue and character work, and you get some mediocre books at best. I don't hate Sanderson (I do read his books from time to time), but I do think that he is an average author at his best, and he tried finishing something that was way out of his range.
I think reading and analyzing Twain in school takes all the fun out of his novels. I reread both you mentioned as an adult and loved them.
I'm reading the last book in the Foundation Series. I think, if you loved the trilogy, then you will love the prequel books. I hope you can reach all your goals for next year.
The first book in the Red Rising series is YA. I don't think I'd call the rest of the series YA. It gets pretty gritty.
Seires is by no means YA. It’s grimdark sci fi. The first book is awful tho
Godspeed, Mike, have a great year & good readings!
Red Rising is basically The Hunger Games on Mars haha, so that will probably be a great book for you. Great list! Good to see the classics getting some love 😄 Good luck with Moby Dick, it's like 80% infodump about whales and 20% story haha.
Didn't think I'd be so interested in whales, but it was a good read.
My favorite classic that I have read multiple times and always come back to is Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. 😊
I think the Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun is basically JRRT’s fan fiction about some parts of Norse mythology, written as epic poems and also acting as a study of that narrative tradition. It does sound fun!
You'll be rewarded in books 11-14 of Wheel Of Time,keep reading !!!
A Memory of Light and The Gathering Storm are just so damn good ! :D
At some point you really gotta read Joe Abercrombie and John Gwynne,you would love them ! Awesome authors :D
You'll have a whale of a time reading Wheel of Time
Many great books, you are going to have a great reading year :)
Great lineup of classics! Bronte is pronounced brahn-tay. Love Around the World in 80 Days! And I think A Christmas Carol is a great start to Dickens. Pretty approachable and it's short. If you at all can get to Twain's Connecticut Yankee, I highly recommend it. It's fantastic! And Robinson Crusoe is another favorite too! As for additional recommendations, I highly recommend The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells and Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.
If you liked Hunger Games, you should try find and read Battle Royale from Koushun Takami from which hunger games is a partly a copy of, but BR is a lot more violent and thus more cool and it’s also one of the most surprising and suspenseful books I’ve personally ever read
The book and the movie was good. The second movie... I would say it was just ok.
I read Around the World in 80 Days and Picture of Dorian Gray this year. I enjoyed both quite a lot.
I haven't really read a book at all this year 😞 in 2025, I want to read "His Dark Materials" and "The Book of the New Sun"
Read the Da Vinci code in September and I absolutely loved it. It was a movie in my head
Bookshops and Bonedust is actually the second book in the series, the first was Legends and Lattes. Personally I didn't care much for it but you might like it, but not sure how much you'll enjoy book 2 if you skipped book 1. It is a prequel so maybe it will work I don't know
Many people say that second one "Bookshops and Bonedust" is much more enjoyable to read than first one "Legends and Lattes". So maybe skipping first one is not a bad idea. I'm still to read them but this is what I have heard in many reviews this year.
@agatastaniak7459 wow I've only ever heard the opposite, but I'm glad some people like it
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE try the audiobook for Red Rising!!!! The story was inspired by the Irish and the audio pays homage to it!! It's so beautiful and poignant!!!
I have never read "Agnes Grey" before and it is mentioned in a book that I'm currently reading " The Lost Bookshop" by Evie Woods, so maybe I should try to read in in a year 2025 as well. I would be curious to hear your review of this one. Would be good to know if it's worth reading.
I don't do a year long plan like this, just pick up what I'm in the mood for but every year I choose one mammoth book to conquer. This year it was Stephen King's It, in 2025 it will be Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. That's 1200 pages with the smallest possibly readable font so more like 1600 regular pages.
Atlas has been sitting on my shelf for years now because I'm scared of it and heard much bad about it...
@@niklasl3880 Have you read The Fountainhead? I think Atlas will be it on steroids. Instead of 50 pages long monologue at the end it's suppose to have 200 pages long one.
I hated the first half of The Fountainhead but fell in love with the second half, it's a fucking masterpiece. I'm hoping Atlas will improve on the flaws of The Fountainhead but I'm mentally prepared for the opposite.
I’m hopefully going to read The Iliad this year. BTW isn’t that Bookshops and Bonedust a sequel?
I want to read "The Silly Dad" next year
We have similar tastes. I’ve read about half of the books on your list. I read Robinson Crusoe for the first time in 2024. It’s really good.
If you didn’t like Path of Daggers, you’re not going to like Winter’s Heart or Crossroads of Twilight because, as you said, nothing happens. However, there is hope. If you can make it to the Brandon Sanderson installments, it’s smooth sailing. It’s a long road to get there, but worth it. He absolutely saved that series.
Subscribed!
I started Name of the Wind a few days ago. So far it's good. I don't really care if Rothfuss finishes it. Some TV shows get canceled before they run their course...what can you do?
I also just got the first three Wheel of Time books, so I'll finally see what the excitement over those is.
Grapes of Wrath is great; I read Winter of Our Discontent and The Red Pony this year, and will get to East of Eden soon.
I read Hunt For Red October back around '89, before the movie came out. It's good.
After decades of putting it off, I finally read The Silmarillion this year, and was underwhelmed. The creation stuff at the very beginning was good, but the Quenta Silmarillion itself? Let's just say while intriguing to me as a Tolkien fan, I understand why this was never released when he was alive. It is not a cohesive and complete work. For me it just was endless introductions of characters, their travels and battles, and not enough time spent on who they were and thus why I should care about them. Lord of the Rings, as a piece of literature, is superior in every way. I've also read Children of Hurin (when it was released!) and Fall of Numenor, and those were decent.
The Hunt For Red October is fantastic. Enjoy!
The Hunt For Orange January
Currently on my second reading of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit and I intend on doing that for The Lord of the Rings. Other than those, I have the first six Wheel of Time books which will probably keep me busy for the next 12 months of 2025 up until 2026! So yea, Merry Christmas and a Happy New year 🍻🥂🎉
I hob it's rewarding for you 😄
Wind and Truth was so good, took me 3 days to read haha. Would highly reccomend.
Also, the Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun is so incredibly good, if you like something like Beowulf (which I thought was great). If not, it probably isn't a book for you. It is not "essentially by his son", it was simply edited & published by his son. The book was still nearly entirely written by JRR Tolkien.
Also absolutely loved Robinson Crusoe.
Robinson Crusoe was definitely not a favorite for me, though plenty of others love it so i’m curious as to what your thoughts will be.
Can't go wrong with a Sherlock Holmes story. ❤
I recommend Name of the Wind even though the series isn't finished
The odyssey translated by ev rieu is the closest to epic language in prose. It feels like an old epic fantasy to how tolkien wrote
Hey Mike, have you read/heard of the Gormanghast trilogy?
Isn't it a quadrilogy? In German it contains four books.
Unfortunately, Red Rising is not a trilogy. There are 7 books with the last being published in 2025. There is a time jump after book 3, so it could be used as an ending point, but the story isn't over.
Is it normal to take a break from reading a series read other things and then go back to that series down the line?
Oh yeah. Depends on the series but a palate cleanser read like something easier or manga is perfect in between to prevent burnout
Well, this happens to anyone who catches up with the author :). But I guess for some really long series I could understand if someone would take a break to keep things fresh but I've never done it intentionally.
WOT let's gooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
19:10
I would hate to discourage anybody from reading any classic but as someone who was excited to read some Oscar Wilde, I found "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to be one of the most boring and terrible novels I have ever read. Despite its short length, the book could've been 80 per cent shorter and told the exact same story. If you do read it I will be very interested in your opinion.
Fr! 30% of the book was just lists. I skimmed past all that and still liked the book overall. I found it has some really good quotes in there.
I've read Dorian Gray a good number of years ago, and, how shall I put it?, it wasn't was I expected.
I thought I would read a horror story but the horror, and to be honest the story overall, was lacking. I am a plot guy and this book is not the best in this respect.
Yet, I enjoyed it a lot more than I should have because of Wilde's delightful writing.
I don't care about "beautiful prose" and it wasn't the prose as such but the many witty bits in the book that made me chuckle quite often as I read through the book.
That's why I'm ambivalent about the novel. As a horror story, it doesn't deliver (in my opinion) but it is an entertaining read nonetheless (at times).
@jensraab2902 agreed on the humor. I've enjoyed some of his plays for the humor too, especially The Importance of Being Earnest. They are short and quick!
❤
No Brandon Sanderson??
Is he your favourite author? I have never read any of his books, so I added some to my TBR for 2025. So in case you are a fan of his works, any recommendations welcome.
I was in the same spot as you were while I was reading the Wheel of Time. I was questioning myself if I should continue the series or not after Winter's Heart. I'm glad I did because Knife of Dreams is amazing (Crossroads are just as terrible as Daggers and Winter's Heart). However, I do regret reading past Knife of Dreams. I don't think that Sanderson did an amazing job with this series. He butchered almost every single character (Mat and Aviendha especially). Combine that with his signature lackluster prose, dialogue and character work, and you get some mediocre books at best. I don't hate Sanderson (I do read his books from time to time), but I do think that he is an average author at his best, and he tried finishing something that was way out of his range.
yeah, I completely disagree, as most of the fandom probably does as well lmao. The final 3 books are easily the best.
@user-ly2ll5od1r I just don't see what's so special about them. The final chapter was such a snoozefest. But, hey, to each their own, I guess
Yikes. Da Vinci Code.