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Hopeful Books for 2017

Ani reading the Sibley while watching the ducks

If there's one thing I love about a new year, it's a new batch of titles I'm excited to read over the coming 12 months. My 2016 list was a bit full, and what I found out over the last two years-here's 2015's- (I think I was in denial in January last year), is that I need to start with a small list, because the book club books, new releases I can't wait for, and recommended books by my favorite people, podcasts, or magazines inevitably are the ones I read. I have so many awesome thrift store books-upwards of 20-that have been vying for my attention, so a lot of this list are those hopefuls. I average 60+ books a year, and if I have 30 on that list? Well, I can count on maybe 10 of those getting read. Maybe. 
This year I'm finally being realistic. Right now on my list are 2 that I'm currently reading and will finish by the end of the week. One is a book club pick that I'll be picking up in about 2 weeks, one is sitting, started, on my bedside table and 2 I'm super excited to read when they release this Spring. What I'm saying is, out of the 16 listed here (16! so paltry!), I have read, at least 7 of them by March. I want to keep my expectations low...only so I can be unfettered when I inevitably add All The Books. Happy Reading in 2017!


*The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp
*Whatever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard J. Maybury
*Essentialism by Greg McKeown
*Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
*The Irrational Season by Madeline L'Engle
*One Year Off by David Elliot Cohen
*Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein
*Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
*Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
*The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
*Call the Midwife #2: Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth
*Lila by Marilynne Robinson
*Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
*Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott
*At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider
*The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel 

What are you excited to read this year? 
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Renae said…
I read the title of this post and at first thought of it as Books That Will Inspire Hope, and I thought that's a tall order. As I was waiting the few seconds for the post to load, I wondered what kind of hopeful books I would put on a list. The single book that came to mind was Boys in the Boat. Ha, and there it is on your list. I hope you do get to read it this year and also that it inspires hope. :)

I have been working on a very similar post in my head, and now yours has given me the push I need to make that post reality on my blog. I didn't consciously remember that this is a post you do, but I did think all along that it is something Sarah would do, so I must have subconsciously remembered. In any case, I give you total credit for the inspiration of the post I'm hopefully going to finish this afternoon. Stay tuned! ;)
January 5, 2017 at 1:46 PM
Sarah M said…
Haha, Renae, you're so funny! I love the way your mind works.
January 6, 2017 at 2:27 PM
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