Aarika’s 2021 Reading Challenge

Aarika's unruly TBR Shelf

 This is a hard one for me to write. I have commitment issues and when I committed to this, I didn’t realize how committed I was going to have to be. 

Some lady in one of my Facebook book groups was like, “Okay, I am going to be doing the 52 books challenge in 2021! What fun it will be to pick 52 books off my TBR pile and shorten the stack.” And in my mind, I was like oh. I could totally do this. It won’t be so hard.

My husband laughed at me.

My TBR pile laughed at me.

It took me two days of stress and staring at my TBR shelves to pick 52 books. 52 books is A LOT. These are the books I have decided to conquer:

 Slyvia Day has her Crossfire series. I started it at the beginning of COVID. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Now I have two books left in the series.

1. Captivated by You

2. One with You

 Kendare Blake has her Three Dark Crowns Series. I started these in the middle of COVID. They are pretty good, but I have commitment issues. Now I have two left in the series.

3. Two Dark Reigns

4. Five Dark Fates

Deborah Harkness has her All Souls Trilogy. Please tell me everyone is seeing a pattern here!

5. The Book of Life

Ally Condie has her Matched Series I started in the middle of COVID.

6. Crossed

7. Reached

Nora Roberts has In the Garden Trilogy. I started in the Middle of COVID.

8. Black Rose

9. Red Lily

Erika Johansen has her Queen of the Tearling Series. I also started this in the middle of COVID.

10. Invasion of the Tearling

11. Fate of the Tearling

Then all the books that are less chosen due to my whole guilt complex.

12. The Abhorsen Chronicles by Garth Nix

13. Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

14. Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

15. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

16. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas

17. Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

18. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

19. Red Rising by Pierce Brown

20. The Dutchess by Amanda Foreman

21. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

22. The Lost World by Michael Crichton

23. Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King

24. Red Right Hand by Levi Black

25. Black Goat Blues by Levi Black

26. White Girl Problems by Babe Walker

27. Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo

28. Batman by Marie Lu

29. Catwoman By Sarah J Maas

30. Superman Matt de la Pena

31. Fred and Rose by Howard Sounes

32. The Lady and Her Monsters by Roseanne Montillo

33. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

34. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

35. Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klostrerman

36. Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klostrerman

37. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

38. Kiss the Bride by Melissa McClonge, Robin Lee Hatcher, and Kathryn Springer

39. The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve

40. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave

41. Haunted by Joyce Carol Oates

42. A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas by Chuck Klostrerman

43. A Brief History of Secret Societies by David V. Barrett

44. Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

45. Lucky Girl by Amanda Maciel

46. Eve and Adam Michael Grant

47. The Vampire by Anne Rice

48. I Love, I hate, I Miss by Amelie Sarn and Y. Maudet

49. Still Alice by Lisa Genova

50. Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb

51. Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb

52. Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb

 

Let’s see if I can stick with this year long commitment. Honestly, when I set out to do things like this, I wonder how in the world I am still married. I can’t commit to a book series, but I committed to a human until death.

Feel free to donate to my therapy fund so we can get to the bottom of this! 



Aarika Baxter manages a hotel in her spare time. She is a true crime fanatic and a book hoarder. She lives with her husband, Lance, and daughter, Fynn. When she's not podcasting, managing the hotel, reading, or acting as Fynn's personal jungle gym, she's watching the Office. 

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