Thursday Thirteen -- To Be Read

For today's entry, I'd like to share some of the books that I'm looking forward to reading at some point within, say, the next year or so. Some I already own, some I don't. One way or another, they're on my literary radar screen.

1. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson -- Since I've been using Good Reads, I got involved with a virtual Science Fiction and Fantasy book club. This is next month's selection. I'd heard elsewhere that it was a very good book though, so I'm not just going through the motions but really looking forward to reading it.

2. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -- It's been years since I read this book for the first time. When I did, I thought to myself "I want to teach this book some day." In a month or so, I will be. 

3. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan -- I heard an interview with Pollan on NPR's Talk of the Nation: Science Friday and it was fascinating to hear about modern food production. Theoretically, I'm going to be borrowing this from a colleague soon.

4. Five Acres and Independence by Maurice Grenville Kains -- It is, no doubt, a dated book, but it's been sitting on my shelf for a while. It's a start in reading toward living a self-sufficient life.

5. The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour -- And here's another step. 

6. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher -- It's where I am in my reading of Butcher's Dresden Files series. I guess I'm also looking forward to the rest of the books in the series, but first things first....

7. Jhegaala by Steven Brust -- The newest Taltos novel, scheduled to be published this June. Can't wait. I wish he'd hurry up with more books in the series too.

8. Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson -- Not published, no clear date set yet, but I heard rumors that the UK edition, which will be before the Canadian or U.S. edition, is due out this summer. It's the latest in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. It's another can't wait book. As are the two books that are set to follow it.

9. A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin -- Hasn't been completely written yet, but he says that if all goes well we're looking at fall 2008. Here's hoping. Since the start of the year, I've been working my way through this series. He'd better not pull a Jordan, that's all I'm saying. And yeah, I'm looking forward to the other books that will also follow this one--I won't try and guess how many that will be, since Martin himself doesn't really seem to know.

10. The Great Ordeal by R. Scott Bakker -- No idea when this one's coming out either. It's the first book in the series that follows up The Prince of Nothing series, which I really liked. I guess I'm looking forward to his Neuropath, a stand-alone sci-fi novel that he's written in the meantime. Really, I just wish he'd stay focused on the stuff I want to read. :)

11. Geary's Guide to the Great Aphorists by James Geary -- I read a review of this and I've always rather liked aphorisms. I haven't bought it yet, nor has anyone gifted it to me. Unfortunately.

12. Darwin's Paradox by Nina Muneanu -- I heard an interview with Muneanu on a podcast I listen to. She sounded interesting, the book sounded interesting. 

13.  The thirteenth is a bit uncertain. Of late, I've had an urge to re-read a few books, though there are so many books I haven't read for the first time yet that it's hard to justify re-reading things. Still, I'd rather like to revisit Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead and the rest of that series. Something in me also seemed to think that re-reading Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos would be a good use of time. Maybe I'll read one or the other. We'll see. 

What books are you looking forward to reading?

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