Top 5 Books I Want to Read by the End of the Year

Welcome back! There are lots of books I want to read by the end of the year, and with a lot less time to read at the moment my reading list has really been piling up.

So today I thought I would write a post about 5 books I really want to read by the end of the year. These are all books I’ve been wanting to read for a while, with some of them relatively new releases- and others old classics that made their way onto my list a long time ago.

Below is a list of 5 books I want to read by the end of the year

1. ‘The Testaments’ by Margaret Atwood

This new book by Atwood is on my list because I read ‘The Handmaid’s Tale‘ last year and the story was so powerful that it really stayed with me.

I’m looking forward to the chance to read more of Atwood’s terrifying but brilliant writing and I’ll definitely be picking this one up soon.

2. ‘1984’ by George Orwell

Now I realise this is an old one, but everyone who has read this book raves about it, and it’s so well known that I really want to give it a go.

I remember reading ‘Animal Farm’ in school and finding it really interesting so I look forward to reading this book in the months to come- as well as trying any other books by George Orwell.

3. ‘Franny and Zooey’ by J. D. Salinger

I recently read ‘The Catcher in the Rye‘, and I really enjoyed Salinger’s writing style- and so I’d like to give some of his other fiction a go.

My friend also recommended this book to me recently as she’s a fan of Salinger, and so it seemed the perfect addition to my list 🙂

4. The Girls’ by Emma Cline

I’ve actually been wanting to read this book for a while now- ever since my mum recommended it. It’s loosely based on the Charles Manson cult, and the girls involved in the Hollywood murders.

While this may not be the most pleasant subject, I love books from female perspectives, especially when they discuss the way in which certain events have affected women- and so I’m really looking forward to giving this book a go.

5. ‘Valley of the Dolls‘ by Jacqueline Susann

This is another book that I’ve only recently been interested in reading, but again it features plenty of female perspectives, and the glamour, tragedy and heartbreak of the Valley of the Dolls will definitely make for an interesting read.

Have you read any of these books? Is there any others you would recommend for me? What are you planning on reading by the end of this year?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x

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59 thoughts

  1. oooh 1984 has been on my to read list for forever, but somehow I just never get around to reading it! I’ve also heard so many amazing things about it though so I do really need to get on it!
    I’ve actually never heard of ‘Zooey and Franny’ before but I might have to add it to my list though as I loved ‘The Catcher In The Rye’ which I only read for the first time this year. Great post and congrats on reaching 1000 followers, that’s an amazing achievement!

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  3. 1984 has been on my long list of classics to read for quite a while now. I don’t know when I will get round to reading it but it will probably be when I re-read Animal Farm. I know I read and watched that at school when I was 13 or so and I think most of it just went over my head.

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  7. If you’re interested in Salinger’s writing, I definitely recommend his short story collection, Nine Stories! I’ve only read a couple of them, but I find them more enjoyable than The Catcher in the Rye, in my personal opinion at least

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  8. I really want to read 1984 too! I actually started it years ago, but I never got round to finishing it for some reason. I think it would have more of an impact if I read it now anyway 😊 The Testament is also on my list too!

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  9. I read 1984 ages ago. I’ve read The Catcher in the Rye, but I want to re-read it in 2020. I haven’t read anything from Margaret Atwood, but I’ve heard good things about The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments. I do want to read Valley of the Dolls at some point. I think I’ll add that to my TBR post in January!

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  10. What a fantastic, meaty list of books to get your teeth into. I actually studied the Handmaid’s Tale at high school and it killed it for me, but I’ve been thinking lately I should give it another go. 1984 is always a classic too.

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  11. I’m most looking forward to reading ten thousand doors of January, but since it’s new and popular, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get it from the library before the end of the year 🤞

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  15. Oooh. 1984 is a good book although it’s not that fun to read. The Testaments and The Catcher in the Rye is also on my TBR.

    What interests me on your list is the one loosely adapted to Charles manson cult. I’ll check this one out!

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  16. I also want to read The Girls, ever since it came out, but I still haven’t got around to it.
    I also don’t own my copy yet…😐
    Anyway, good luck and I hope you’ll get to read all of them!
    Also, congrats on 1000 followers. That is amazing!!😉

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  17. I’m in a Agatha Christie binge right now. I listen to them as audio books while doing stuff around the house like cleaning or folding laundry. I’ve even been shopping while listening to them. It’s such cozy stories perfect for autumn weather 😊 always makes me want to drink tea and eat little finger sandwiches hehe.

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  23. I love ‘1984’! It is such a powerful and heartbreaking novel (and a favourite of Atwood’s so it kind of fits with your other reading material). Hadn’t heard of ‘Valley of the Dolls’ so I might check that one out.

    Thanks for the post!

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  25. I’ve actually not read any of these but I’m always looking for recommendations. I finally got around to reading Animal Farm. I’d heard so much about it so I think next stop 1984…

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  29. I would love to read more this year. I have bought the handmaids tale but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. I was inspired to buy it and read it after all the good reviews about the Testaments. Hopefully you find it as good as the handmaids tale. Also I would love to read in 1984 by George Orwell I need to add this to my list to read this year too.

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