THE GOOD INTENTIONS TAG

Bookish tags are one of my guilty pleasures, and I’ve always found it impossible to resist their lure: in this particular case, instead of finding an intriguing challenge while browsing, I’ve been directly tagged by fellow blogger Lynn: how could I resist such an invitation? 😉

So here it goes – let’s start with the questions!

Exercise more : This is a book that is a real chunkster, in fact you will need help to even pick this book up:

BOOKBURNERS – Volume 1 (Various Authors)

From the first time I’ve seen the synopsis for this collection of stories from various authors I’ve been curious to read it: a series of novels about a Vatican-backed black-ops anti-magic squad, defined as a cross between Supernatural and The Da Vinci Code, does sound like a good premise, doesn’t it?  What kept me from starting it, so far, has been the page count which amounts to 700, give or take a few, and that always made me think twice before committing. But maybe 2022 will be the year I finally take the plunge…

Lose weight : A book that is not a chunkster; a short story or novella.  A book you could probably read in one sitting:

PENRIC AND THE SHAMAN (Penric and Desdemona #2), by Lois McMaster Bujold

I’ve read only the first novella in this series by one of my favorite authors (probably I mentioned her Vorkosigan Saga once of twice in recent times… 😀 ), but never moved beyond that: it’s high time I do something about it, before Miles sends some ImpSec operatives after me!

Eat healthy : A book that is good for you.  This is a book that made you feel so happy that you wanted to give it a big hug:

THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET (Wayfarers #1), by Becky Chambers

It’s no mystery that I prefer stories where conflicts spice up the plot, but now and then we all need a breath of fresh air, a ray of hope – particularly when troubled times are upon us – and the first Wayfarers novel from Becky Chambers provided exactly that, a sense of family and deep caring for each other that made the crew of the titular ship and their interactions a real joy to behold.

Fulfill your ambitions : A book that has a lot going on.  Plenty of different threads, points of views and action but everything eventually comes together in a very satisfactory fashion:

THE ILLUMINAE FILES trilogy, by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

ILLUMINAE, by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This space opera series combines a great number of intriguing elements: nasty corporations that don’t flinch at genocide to further their goals; a ship filled with refugees on the run for their lives; a very advanced A.I. whose decisions can have horrible consequences and whose personality is a mix of high intelligence and childish naiveté; and a group of young protagonists whose courage and inventiveness made me change my attitude toward YA characters. And much, much more – all combined into an electrifying story…

Spend more time with the family : A series of books that you love and that has developed more than you ever anticipated:

THE EXPANSE, by James S.A. Corey

I stumbled on the first volume of this series, Leviathan Wakes, by accident and now, some 10 years later, this amazing space opera saga reached its end with book 9: this is one of the cases in which I’ve waited with increasing expectations the publishing of each new book, while the crew of the Rocinante transformed from “mere” characters into people I perceived as real and three-dimensional. And now that the TV show inspired by the series has also reached its final season, I know I will miss this story and and its protagonists, but I also know it’s been a fantastic journey.

Tick off an item from your bucket list : Reduce the tbr.  Choose a book from Mount TBR that you would like to read this year:

Not one, but rather two:

RUIN and WRATH, books #3 and #4 in John Gwynne’s The Faithful and the Fallen

I discovered John Gwynne’s works through the first volume of his second saga Of Blood and Bone, and after enjoying it immensely I decided to backtrack to his previous series, The Faithful and the Fallen, but there has been a long hiatus between the second book and the next one in line – my fault, I am far too easily distracted! – and I need to complete the task because there is a new series out and it deserves my undivided attention.

Save money : A book that was an absolute bargain – you would have to be crazy in fact not to have bought this book:

To be truthful, I cannot think of any book to mention since to me books don’t represent an expense, but rather an investment – and one whose value often increases with time…

Get Organised : A book with a glossary, maps, useful words, lists of people – this book is one helpful book, it wants you to know ALL the things and it’s not afraid to use footnotes and other devices to help you do so:

The best example would (of course!) be Tolkien’s THE LORD of THE RINGS – one book to rule them all…

Enough said 😉

Start a new hobby : A book that is outside your comfort zone.  Perhaps everyone was raving about this book, maybe it was over-hyped, you hesitated to pick it up in fact, but when you did – you loved it:

BECOMING SUPERMAN, by J.M. Strackzynski

As I wrote in my review, I rarely read biographies, but I was intrigued by this one because of my admiration for the writing skills of the author, the creator of the SF series Babylon 5 (for me, the best EVER) and wanted to know more about him: what I discovered was the tale of a terrible childhood and the way in which stories and imagination kept JMS sane throughout it all, turning him into one of the best creative minds I ever encountered.

What are your good intentions for 2022? Don’t be shy, let us know! 😉