The Full 2024 To Be Read List of Raven

Good evening all and happy holidays. 2024 is rapidly approaching us. If there's one thing I love it's having time capsules to look back on. That, and I also love planning things out. Sticking to that plan is a completely different matter in itself. However, I decided to give us all a nice little post to help set up my new year for success and be something we can look back on and compare to next year.

So welcome all to "Raven's Full 2024 To Be Read List". Perhaps a catchier title is needed, but I didn't just want to throw the acronym "TBR" (To Be Read) at you with no context. I also posted a video sneak-peak of my TBR list on my Instagram (@ravensbookcorner on Instagram). Either way, let's get into my little plan and goals for the new year.

Looking back on 2023 I had read a total of 9 books. Now you've probably seen Bookstagramers and Booktokers who have reading lists for the year in the triple digits. As I expressed in my 2023 Rewind list, I am proud of going from barely reading to almost reading one each month. However, my goal for 2024 is to read a total of 15 books. Now my TBR list may appear a bit more ambitious if you are familiar with some of these works. Regardless I am willing to stick to this goal and pick up this list. So without further delay here is the lineup.

1. Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones. Now this book has been on TBR list for well over two years now. I remember setting up my bookshelf senior year of college and placing it in a prominent spot thinking that would motivate me to pick it up sooner. It didn't happen then, but it's gonna happen now. I have a deep love for the creative works of Henson and all things Muppets. This biography, however, is a tome. At 608 pages long this read is a challenge, however I am going to use the audiobook to my advantage. In truth, I have already listened to Chapter 1 since I needed something while at the gym the other day. Hopefully, this book will not take months and months to complete as we have 12 months to read 15 books.

2. A Girl Needs Cash by Joan Perry. Yes, I know everyone loves to diss and trash self-help books. I'm a nonfiction reader as well as a lover of speculative fiction. I'm also a teacher, meaning I am dedicated to learning and improving. I never think any one book has the answers to how we should live, but I like taking any advice and breaking down what could be helpful. My mother had recommended this book that was given to her as a graduation present and she even gave me her original hardcover copy. While the information may be a little dated in that regard, some of the advice can be reworked and the basic concepts still apply. So I am going to give this one a shot.

3. To Serve God and Wal-Mart by Bethany Moreton. I was at an item swap and saw the title alone and grabbed the book. I was extremely glad I did the more I looked into what this work is and is all about. It's another nonfiction read about Evangelicalism and class consciousness. What more could I ask for? This one might be the one I am most excited to read, and it might be another super quick read for me like Unmask Alice. However we'll just have to wait and see, I have a strong feeling that this will be one I am constantly posting about on my Instagram page.

4. Bluebeard's Castle by Anna Biller. There is some media I attribute to changing something about me. One is The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter's retelling of Bluebeard, and the other is the movie The Love Witch by Anna Biller. Biller had announced this was in the works while I was still writing my thesis which focused heavily on The Love Witch. As soon as it hit the shelves I snatched a copy, but I didn't start it right away. Sometimes I am afraid to finish the work I have waited so long to see. I am getting over that fear. I will be reading this book. If nothing else I want to make sure I still read and enjoy fiction and story telling, so I like making sure I get fictional works in every now and then.

5. Plagues and People by William H. McNeil. Right back to my nonfiction fix. I had been wanting to read this book for over a year now. However I struggled to find a copy that wasn't priced super high. Randomly an Amazon listing for a paperback copy popped up and I did not hesitate to order it. Now the last book about plagues I read did not go over well for me (a little hint towards the next review). I am more optimistic about this one. Hopefully I do not regret this later on and have to place two different plague books on my DNF list.

6. Meme Wars by Joan Donovan, Emily Dreyfuss, and Brian Friedberg. Now this one is political. I know non fiction isn't everyone's cup of tea, and political non fiction may also be a stretch for some. However as someone who has grown up online I think it's important for me to understand how the Internet has evolved into this tool of political power and discourse. With all that being said I think it's important as well for me as a content creator to engage with this work.

7. Tinker Belles and Evil Queens by Sean Griffin. What can I really say. I hear that a book has been plagiarized I have to seek out the original source material. After watching the absolute bombshell of a video about plagiarism put out by hbomberguy on YouTube, I made it my mission to support the true sources that had been stolen from. This led to me receiving a copy of several other works as well but this one is probably top of that list for me.

8. The Ever King by LJ King. Look at me reading something different. This book came highly recommended to me. While I tend to come off as studious and serious with my readings, I do have a soft spot for somethings. This one struck a chord with me and I hear the sequel will be out in 2024 so I figured to go ahead and indulge. Maybe this will be the ride that turns my reading interests back to romance and fantasy. Or it just causes me to double my TBR lists. Either way I'm excited to try it out.

9. The Fires of Lust by Katherine Harvey. After reading a romance novel what could be better than to follow it up with a novel about sex in the middle ages. I really don't know what brought me here. I'm excited for it none the less.

10. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. Shifting my focus back to American politics I am always interested in discussions of class. This book is also noted for being a part of Oprah's Book Club of 2020. I figured getting back into this discourse around the time the school year started again would be interesting for me so that's why I'm trying to place this book in the later half of the year. Either way, I'm excited to hear the perspective.

11. Work by James Suzman. Now when picking up current discourse I try to vet the authors and be informed of who people are before fully commiting to purchasing a book and reading their full ideology. However for this one I was simply entranced on hearing anything on the subject whether I agree or disagree. Alongside conversations of class anything about labor and the idea of work also sparks interest in me.

12. The Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Yes I am often inspired by YouTubers to read books. Yes I watch Wendigoon. No I have not watched his video on it yet. When his video on that book dropped I was deep in to my reading of The Indifferent Stars Above. I wanted to watch the video but I took his advice and decided I would read the book first. Then I kept forgetting about it (despite all of my local bookstores having a table dedicated to McCarthy sometime after the video dropped). So I am finally going to buckle down and read it. And I am going in as blind as possible. I may regret that, but it's worth a shot.

13. They Knew by Sarah Kendzior. Were you also fascinated with conspiracy theories as a kid? As an adult I've often been alarmed by theories and disinformation and how often experts on topics are overshadowed by ideas not based in reality. But here's the thing, plenty of conspiracies are also based on some level of truth. That's where a work like this comes in for me. I have to know more before speaking on the issue of course.

14. The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman. In addition to all my other interests, I love true crime. Cases that are shrouded in mystery are a bonus. Enter a book about strange disappearances across North America. If nothing else as a resident of North Carolina I have a healthy fear of the wilderness (thank you Appalachia) and reading this book may reinforce my house rules of keeping the windows covered by sunset.

15. On Palestine by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappé. Yes, again I am a political person and care deeply about being educated. During my initial research into the topic most of the books I saw about Palestine were all from Ilan Pappé. I don't know if that was a bias in my search terms but it was striking to notice. I settled on this one as well because of Chomsky. When studying class and modern social discourse Chomsky gets thrown around a lot. Despite that, I had never read much longer than an article or two from him. While I don't know the division of work in this book presently I am still dying to hear from both of them on such a serious issue.

With all of that being said this is my current 2024 TBR list. I hope you all are excited for a year of book reviews with me as well as some other fun posts along the way. Be sure to be on the lookout for the next R. L. Stine review as well. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a happy New Year. Let's make 2024 a good year.