Last year I wrote a post about a couple of books that were coming out in 2015 and to which I was looking forward to. I attempted to make a new list this year, but I didn’t get very far. There are a couple of books that I’m looking forward to and a couple more were I’ll be keeping an eye on the reviews they get when they’re published, but it all felt a bit too precursory. So instead I came up with a list of books that I really want to get to this year.

I already published a books I really want to read list in September of last year, with eight books I wanted to get to before the end of the year. I managed to read four of those, which means there are already four books on my list for this year: Hollow City, Burial Rites, Snow Child and The Night Circus. Ignoring those, here are seven other books I want to read in 2016!

1. Crow by Ted Hughes & 2. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

I believe I heard of these books via Jen Campbell’s booktube channel. Crow by Ted Hughes is a poetry collection, about the character Crow, which leans heavy on mythologies. The second book, Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter, is features Hughes’s Crow. Crow comes to stay with a grieving family, of which the father is writing a book about Ted Hughes’ Crow. The whole set-up of these two books and the way they’re intermingled makes me very curious. I got Grief is the Thing with Feathers on new year and I’ve just ordered Crow, so I’m looking forward to reading both!

3. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

After reading Vicious at the beginning of last year I was completely sold to V.E. Schwab’s writing. I knew she’d just published a new book in a series, I even put it on my “Books I”m looking forward to in 2015” list, but I put reading it off for months, because I hate starting an unfinished series. By the end of last month I finally caved. I picked up A Darker Shade of Magic and flew through the story. The main characters, Lila and Kell; the world building, pretty much everything about this book was exactly what I wanted it to be (You can find my review on Goodreads). I could slap myself after reading it, because the second book in this series, A Gathering of Darkness, won’t be published until February 23rd. I already read an 150 pages excerpt to calm my curiosity (#fail) and I can tell there’s so much in store for Lila and Kell. So yes, this one will definitely get read in 2016, although I’ll have to wait for the third (and maybe fourth) book even longer.

4. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind is one of those books that keeps popping up on BookTube and bookblogs. It has so many positive reviews! In fact, I haven’t seen a Booktube review that wasn’t positive and that has made me very curious. So even though this book is the first book in an unfinished series and even though it’s 660 pages (and even though the second is 990 pages) I’m itching to start reading this series in 2016!

5. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

I’m guessing 2016 will be the year of hefty books and more serious fantasy series (I’m trying to keep away from YA fantasy because I read too many mediocre books last year), because the Gentlemen Basterd’s series by Scott Lynch is another high fantasy series I really want to start reading this year. I can’t recall when the first book in the series, The Lies of Locke Lamora, first popped on my radar but it’s been far too long.

6. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is a collected novel containing the tree novels in the His Dark Materials series: Northern Lights, The Subtle Life and The Amber Spyglass. I’ve heard so much about this series and I bought the book last year, but even though I really wanted to read it, the size did put me off a bit. Reading large book is always a bit of a commitment and last year I was putting winning the 50 books challenge before reading the books I really wanted to read. No more this year!

7. How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

It’s getting a bit repetitive, but I seem to be scared to start reading some books. Mostly because of the time commitment. How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran falls also in the stalling category, but not because of the commitment. This is one of those books where I have real high expectations off and I’m a bit scared this book will let me down. I’m also very curious what Moran has to say about the topic, so I’ll just have to dive in this year.

I know seven is a bit of an odd number, but these are the books I’m currently most curious about. I didn’t want to make my list too long, because, knowing me, halfway through the year I might get interested in other things. Are there any books you really want to get to this year? Or is there a particular book that’s been on your to-be-read list for ages?