Have promised myself to read every book listed for the monthly discussions. My creaking bookshelves cannot take any more weight so shall be borrowing them from our local library. Some drawbacks to that policy - been waiting three weeks for Ambrose's "Undfaunted Courage". Of my own have Jared Diamond's "Collapse" just begging to be read. About the collapse of civilisations and how our own effort just teetering with many of the seeds of collapse already sown. Loved his "Gun, Germs and Steel" so am anticipating a good depressing read. Also have Richard Dawkins "The Ancestor's Tale" - my fave topic, evolution - in the wings. Not going to read much fiction except for monthly discussion titles. Really disappointed in a lot of recent fiction. Ready to lead assassination squads on Eco, DeLillo and Rushdie. Larry

I always keep an ongoing list of books anticipated by my favorite authors, or follow-ups to debuts, or just ones that simply sound fun. Here's mine so far for 2006:.........Already Dead by Charlie Huston; Memory In Death by J.D. Robb; Speak of the Devil by Richard Hawke; Three Octobers by Donald Harstad; SorrowÂs Anthem by Michael Koryta; The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais; Echo Park by Michael Connelly; Snow Blind by P.J. Tracy; Damn Near Dead (Anthology); The Hard Way by Lee Child; The Next Time You Die by Harry Hunsicker............IÂm especially looking forward to Damn Near Dead, an anthology of mystery stories where the protagonists are all, shall we say, over a certain age?

I have some favorite authors with new books coming next year. Karen Armstrong's "The Great Transformation", Jeanne Marie Laskas (author of "Sixty Acres and a Poodle") has "Growing Girls: The Mother of All Adventures" arriving in March, Nora Roberts has at least two new romances coming out late in the year, I'm waiting for the last Jan Karon to come out in paperback, and I'm really looking forward to Adam Jacot de Boinod's "The Meaning of Tingo" ............................................. However, most of the books on my "Must Read" list are the ones I already have but haven't gotten to yet -- and they number over 150. I've been borrowing a great deal from the library, which is wonderful, but the TBR pile is reaching frightening proportions.......................................................................... Although I'm dismayed that our main library will be closing for 13 months for renovations and to accommodate massive mall/condo construction around it, I'm trying to cheerfully look on this as an opportunity to make a dent in my books at home :^).

I guess this may sound more like a New Year's Resolution than a list, but here it goes. My aim is to read more classics this year; the authors at the top of my list (at the moment) are Edith Wharton, Henry James, George Orwell, and I'm sure I can add a few more after another cup of coffee. I also want to add more non-fcition, but even if I do say so myself, whilst not up to some of your amazing reading levels, I do rather well in the non-fiction category. I just want to do better. ------ Do you make a list of books you want to read? Do you plan a reading calendar?~~~~~~PAM

Thanks to a review that I saw here (by Dynomutt????) I've got James Meek's "The People's Act of Love" on my wish list right now (thanks RP!). I also want to read more classics this year and continue to explore more Sci Fi/Fantasy. I might actually pick up the Harry Potter books this year (I have still not joined that band wagon).