Forty Non-Fiction Books I Want To Read in 2016

My goal in 2016 is to read 50 non-fiction books, with 40 of them being "pre-assigned". This is in an effort to read more substantial non-fiction. These are in no particular order, and selected from my TBR list, my library holds list, and from books I already have at home.

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My 2016 reading goals

I read a lot of books in 2015. All together I read 37 non fiction books, 5 classics, 5 read out loud chapter books, and 78 other works of fiction. So, when I tell people I want to set some reading goals for 2016 they might think I'm a little crazy. I know my bookworm friends will understand my intention to read with more purpose though. Assuming that I will keep up about the same total, I'd like to bring my non-fiction numbers up to 50 and replace a lot of the cookbooks and celebrity memoirs with books about brain science, presidential biographies, books on goal setting, and books that will help at work. I would also like to keep on reading more of the classic books that I either missed or didn't appreciate in high school. Finally, now that my kids are older and can better appreciate reading chapter books out loud, I'd like to increase that number to eight.

Because I read like it's my job, and not because it is my actual job, I want to leave some room for whimsy in my reading life. If someone gives me the title of a book that they think I need to read RIGHT AWAY I'm not going to tell them no because I have 50 works of non-fiction to read first. Plus fiction will always be a large part of my reading life. For that reason, I'm going to "assign" myself 40 non-fiction books, 5 read out louds, and 8 classics to read in the year 2016. To read my assigned reading lists, click on the links below:

Non-fiction

Classics

Read-Out-Loud

The 8 books I gave 5 star ratings to in 2015

As of today, I have read 125 books in 2015. Almost all of them were rated 3 stars or above, simply because I have no qualms about abandoning anything that I don't like. It takes something special to rate 5 stars though. Here are the eight books that I ranked with 5 stars in 2015.

Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space -- an amazing biography that made me want to dust off my physics degree and launch myself into space.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 -- I listened to the audiobook with my kids, and it's just as good as it was when I was 8.

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell -- I didn't think I would like this book, but ended up not being able to put it down. Being stuck in a snow storm in Cleveland with this book is one of my best memories of 2015.

Above All Things -- This was fiction told so vividly you felt like you were there. If you're a fan of Into Thin Air read this one.

On Writing -- I read this once a year. It remains a five star book. Don't just read this if you want to learn about writing. Read it to learn about life.

Destiny of the Republic -- Another great audiobook. I got a lot of extra ironing done when I was listening to this.

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk -- The tips in this book really work. They should hand it out to every new kindergarten parent.

Doctor Sleep -- This was another book I put off reading. I finally took it on vacation with me, and couldn't put it down. This is the older brother to many of King's early hits. Just a bit more calm and rational, but still very, very good.

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Because I needed more books on my TBR: what I've added lately

In my world, all of the best of books lists that come out this time of year are more exciting than Christmas morning. I've been devouring them for the past week or so, and now I have hundreds of new to me books on my to-be-read list. Here are some of the highlights:

I can hardly wait! Happy reading!

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Quick Lit December 2015

My reading this month has been pretty diverse - from cookbooks to drug dealers I've read it all. Most of the year I stick pretty closely to my reading lists, and spend a fair amount of time reading ARCs. This time of year though I just read what I want. It's kind of like my attitude towards desserts this time of year. If I see it, and I want it, I go for it!

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner isn't a fluffy chick lit novel. It takes on the serious topic of addiction. The main character makes many, many mistakes, and is a somewhat unreliable narrator. However she was likable, and I found myself rooting for her. 

I really liked Cooked by Jeff Henderson. I found it at the library when I was looking for something else, and read it on a whim. If you missed this book when it came out, I suggest you give it a try. It really gives an inside look at the life of a drug dealer, and what it takes to come back from a prison sentence.

Until we read The Adventures of a South Pole Pig by Chris Kurtz out loud, I didn't know a pig could be so inspiring. This kept my 7 year old boy and my 4 year old girl interested, and it made a great next read after Charlotte's Web.

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center wasn't the best book I've read all year, but it had some good spots. It worked as an audiobook.

I listened to All The Wrong Questions - Shouldn't You Be In School by Lemony Snicket in my car while I was driving to get groceries or running my kids around. I usually find these in the kid's section of the library, but I think a lot of it goes over my kids' heads. At least I know there's not going to be any swearing so they're car safe.

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The Best of The Best Books Lists of 2015

I love this time of year for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is because of all of the best books lists come out. I spend hours scouring them all, and adding books to my TBR. Here are some of the ones I found to be the most fruitful this year:

Publisher's Weekly

The Guardian Part One and Part Two

The Washington Post

School Library Journal

Goodreads (even the voting led me to add to my TBR)

Do you love these lists too? What was your favorite book of 2015?