Authors I Want to Read Every Year

There are some authors that I really want to read more books by, in order to get even more familiar with their work. So, I decided that I’ll try to read at least one book by each of the authors mentioned below every year, starting in the next one, since 2017 is fast coming to an end. I don’t intend to read the entirety of their back catalogue, but there are quite a few books by these writers on my wish list.

While I’ve only read one book by some of these authors, I’ve read various by others. However, all these writers have one thing in common: the books I have read by them left me curious enough to continue delving into their published work. I may even end up reading more books than I’m currently planning to, since some of these writers are still alive and continue to work on new material.

There are obviously more authors that I want to read additional books by, but these are the most predominant ones on my wish list. The only way I believe that I’ll ever get to read them all (and at the same time continue to enjoy books by other writers) is if I commit to read at least one every year.   

 

Margaret Atwood

I’ve read The Handmaid’s Tale in the first half of the year, and totally recommend it. I’m really eager to read more of Atwood’s books and currently have eleven on my wish list! Among them are Alias Grace, The Penelopiad, The Blind Assassin, Oryx and Crake and Hag-Seed, just to mention a few.

 

Charles Dickens

Another author I have also only read one book by is Charles Dickens, but there are many more I want to get to, more precisely nine. My first time experiencing Dickens was with Great Expectations, and although it isn’t a perfect novel and isn’t one of my favourite classics, I still want to read more of his works, including Bleak House, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield.

 

John Burnside

Last year I’ve read The Dumb House and loved its beautiful prose and dark plot. I have five more of Burnside’s books on my wish list: Glister, Summer of Drowning, The Devil’s Footprints, Black Cat Bone and Ashland & Vine.

 

Ian McEwan

So far, I’ve read seven of Ian McEwan’s books. I haven’t liked all of them, but enjoyed the majority and loved Atonement. That is reason enough to continue reading his books. At the moment, I have five more on my wish list: Nutshell, Amsterdam, Black Dogs, The Cement Garden and The Child in Time. Some others may join this list in the future as he publishes more books.

 

Daphne du Maurier

I’ve read my first two Daphne du Maurier’s novels this year. Rebecca is definitely my favourite, but I also liked My Cousin Rachel. I now want to read at least nine more of her books. I already have The King’s General on my shelves and also want to buy Jamaica Inn, Frenchman’s Creek, The House on the Strand, and The Birds and Other Stories, for example.

 

José Saramago

I’m currently reading Ensaio sobre a Cegueira (Blindness) by the Portuguese author José Saramago, and, while doing so, remembered that I enjoyed the three books I read previously by him, my favourite being O Ano da Morte de Ricardo Reis (The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis). My wish list features eight books by him, including O Homem Duplicado (The Double), História do Cerco a Lisboa (History of the Siege of Lisbon), Todos os Nomes (All the Names) and Ensaio sobre a Lucidez (Seeing).

 

Mia Couto

Vinte e Zinco by the Mozambican author Mia Couto was one of my favourite books from last year. It remains the only book I’ve read by him so far, though I already have other two on my shelves waiting to be read: A Confissão da Leoa (Confession of the Lioness) and As Areias do Imperador: Mulheres de Cinza. And my wish list comprises other five books by him, such as Terra Sonâmbula (Sleepwalking Land), O Último Voo do Flamingo (The Last Flight of the Flamingo) and Cada Homem É Uma Raça (Every Man is a Race).

 

Have you read any books by these authors? Which is your favourite? Tell me in the comments!

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