
2018 Reading Challenge
I love books. More than almost anything else, actually. More than wine, more than coffee, I could learn to live without ice cream, cardigans, and houseplants – but not books. Before I was a writer, I was a reader, my nose in Ramona, Nancy Drew and Anne with an E, since before I can remember. I still consider myself a reader first – both because reading is always enjoyable, (while writing not so much,) and because writers have to be readers in order to be any good at what we do. You wouldn’t trust a Chef who doesn’t eat, would you?
So, every year, for work (HA!) and for pleasure, I stuff myself with as many books as I can. In 2017, during my first year of my MA, I planned to read 36 books, and read 46 instead. When I made my goal for 2018, I kept the fact that I was still going to be a student for the whole thing in mind, and made my goal 48. I made it.

Titles I Read in 2018:
(I bolded the ones I think you can’t miss)
- 42nd Parallel – J. Dos Passos
- An American Marriage – T. Jones
- As I Lay Dying – W. Faulkner
- Blood Meridian – C. McCarthy
- Cane – J. Toomer
- Charleston – M.B. Thornton
- Country Dark – C. Offut
- Coyote Songs – G. Iglesias
- Cross Her Heart – S. Pinborough
- Fair and Tender Ladies – L. Smith
- Feast of Snakes – H. Crews
- Gods of Howl Mountain – T. Brown
- Goodbye, Vitamin – R. Khong
- Gradle Bird – J.C. Sasser
- History of Wolves – E. Fridlund
- In the House of the Wilderness – C. Dodd White
- Jesus’ Son – D. Johnson
- Lethal White – R. Galbraith
- Macon – R. Page
- Maranatha Road – H. Bell Adams
- Nothing Gold Can Stay – R. Rash
- One Day in December – J. Silver
- One Foot in Eden – R. Rash
- One Good Mama Bone – B. McClain
- Our Kind of Cruelty – A. Hall
- Rivers – M. Farris Smith
- Running Out – D. Essinger
- Saints at the River – R. Rash
- Shrill – L. West
- Small Treasons – M. Powell
- Southernmost – S. House
- Station Eleven – E. St. John Mandel
- Sunburn – L. Lippman
- Swimming Lessons – C. Fuller
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – J. Le Carre
- The Coal Tattoo – S. House
- The Fighter – M. Farris Smith
- The Line That Held Us – D. Joy
- The Lying Game – R. Ware
- The Mars Room – R. Kushner
- The Patron Saint of Ugly – M. Manilla
- The River of Kings – T. Brown
- The Woman in the Window – A.J. Finn
- Trash – D. Allison
- Two Girls Down – L. Luna
- What You’re Getting Wrong About Appalachia – E. Catte
- When Katie Met Cassidy – C. Perri
- Zero Saints – G. Iglesias
Writing book reviews feels like school work. So instead:
Books that have stuck with me:
– A History of Wolves: I still think about the plot of this novel a lot. It’s horrific in that mundane way that will make you look sideways at all your neighbors and wonder what is really going on behind their doors.
– Coyote Songs: This book will break your heart. It makes me wish that I wrote stories about more important things. All of my “sad girl” stories feel very ‘first world problem’ after this, and it has made me wonder if I’m just really not that deep. Definitely the most important book I read this year, and it possibly has caused an existential crisis.
– The Line That Held Us: David Joy is one of my favorites, and he’s only getting better. This story’s antagonist is one of the most interesting/complicated I’ve read in a long time. Plus – nods to O’Connor and McCarthy, what could be better?
Repeated Authors: You’ll notice that I read a lot of Ron Rash, Michael Farris Smith, Taylor Brown, Silas House and Gabino Iglesias this year. These are books that I really enjoyed and got me digging around for more work from these terrific authors.
Read More Women: There are a lot of terrific male writers in my genre. This year I worked hard to read more Appalachian/Southern Fiction written by women and I found Heather Bell Adams, Bren McClain, and J.C. Sasser and I couldn’t be happier. They are all debut authors, and I can’t wait for their next books.
I’m planning to read 60 books in 2019 and I’m thrilled. For 2019 I’m going to continue to read more female authors – I’m aiming for 2 of every 3, and I’d like to read more by authors of color, from the LGBTQ community and books from indie publishers.
Do you have a plan to read in 2019? Or a book suggestion? Drop me a comment and tell me about it!


2 Comments
Glenda C. Beall
I have always been a reader, too. But in recent years, I like to read short pieces that I can put down when I need to get on with something else. But, I am enjoying Audible and I listen to many books when I am on the road or when I am in bed at night. I like your site, Meagan and will come back again.
meagan
Thanks, Glenda! You’re not the first person to tell me of their love of audio books lately. I might need to try them – I commute pretty often, but enjoy NPR when I’m on the road. I could use a back up, though, for those days when I just can’t deal with the politics! Thanks for your comment and for stopping by!