Ahoy there me mateys! As me crew is aware, this Captain be moody about all things but especially what ports to plunder at any given time. But good adventures sometimes require the right and proper plannin’ for success. Me 19 in 2019 was a win. I have been hearin’ the crew talk about certain ports for forever and they keep askin’ me why they haven’t been visited yet. So ye nattering, raving scalawags, I hereby me making a list of 20 ports for plunder (i.e. books to be read list for ye landlubbers) that I have to pillage in this here New Year. I will still read based on me mood but come hell or high water I shall visit these ports in 2020.
HOWEVER this year there be a twist. I have finally officially tallied all the physical books in the hold. This included purging and pruning the hoard so the ship isn’t in danger of capsizing. Of the ones I kept, I have 102 that have not been read yet. Out of those 34 be standalones. So in 2020 all 20 books have to be from the standalone list. Arrrr!
Side note: the book covers come from Goodreads and ye can click on the book titles to add the books to yer own Goodreads’ Ports for Plunder List. Arrrr!
Here be the particulars (by genre):
SCI-FI
I haven’t read a Stephenson book in forever. The First Mate recommends this one. I like the fish on the cover.
the great abraham lincoln pocket watch conspiracy (Jacopo della Quercia)
This steampunk alternate history stars much maligned 27th president and tenth chief justice of the supreme court William Howard Taft. I kinda love poor Taft. And then there are the real life conspiracy theories tied in. I should have read this long ago!
This was a cover impulse buy at a library sale. It sounds weird and creepy.
the tar-aiym krang (Alan Dean Foster)
This is a sci-fi with a “telepathic catalyst, shoulder-riding stray Pip, a venomous Alaspinian mini-dragon.” I don’t remember who told me about this but I bought it because of that description. I didn’t know it was a 15 book series. I am treating book one as a standalone. But I want to know about the dragon!
the after war (Brandon Zenner)
Okay this be a kindle book and the exception. I won this from a Goodreads Giveaway in February 2018 and so reading it be overdue.
FANTASY
the red tree (Caitlín R. Kiernan)
This is a fantasy horror about an evil tree. Sounds weird but fun. I got this as part of the 2016 Maine haul. About time to actually read it.
the ladies of grace adieu and other stories (Susanna Clarke)
I have wanted to read these ever since I read jonathan strange & mr norrell. These stories are set in the same world. The author has a new book coming out in 2020 (Arrrr!) so I want to read these before it releases.
the ugly princess (Henderson Smith)
A fairy tale with a non-standard princess. Arrrr!
I thought this was historical fiction based on the blurb. Apparently it has fantasy elements. Goodreads spoiled the twist. Still sounds interesting!
the dragon waiting: a masque of history (John M. Ford)
This be a crazy mashup. I have a soft spot for possibly maligned Richard III (thanks Shakespeare). And another for the Medici family history. This deals with vampires, magic, and alternative history. It won World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984.
YOUNG ADULT
sword of the rightful king (Jane Yolen)
I loved king arthur stories back in the day and then got burned out on retellings and have never gone back. However I love Yolen’s work and am interested to see her take on this.
the westing game (Ellen Raskin)
This mystery won the Newbery medal in 1979.
The nephew loved this one so I am gonna read it.
OFF THE CHARTS (non sci-fi, fantasy, or YA)
ex-libris (Ross King) – historical fiction
I loved this author’s book about Brunelleschi’s Dome. This one deals with a missing manuscript in the 17th century.
blow me down (Katie MacAlister) – romance
I learned about this one from Matey Melanie @ Grab the Lapels and thought it sounded like a silly pirate read. I bought in 2018 and meant to read it in 2019. So 2020 it is!
endurance (Alfred Lansing) – history
The Ma read this when she went to Antarctica. I still have her copy.
orkneyinga saga (Anonymous) – history
The Ma read this on our trip to the land of the midnight sun in 2019. I still have her copy. This saga was written around 1200 AD. Cool!
jane-emily, and witches’ children (Patricia Clapp) – horror
This apparently sounded so interesting that I had two copies in the hold!
the monster of florence (Douglas Preston) – true crime
I enjoyed the author’s book the lost city of the monkey god so I picked up another book by him at a library sale. This one is true crime which I don’t normally do.
women of the air (Judy Lomax) – history
This be a super tiny history of female aviators. It is old but I found it in a “Little Free Library” haul adventure. After reading nothing but sky about barnstormers, it seems time to check out this one.
So there ye have it, the 20 books for 2020. Of course I do hope to read more than 20 books total this year. Hardy har har!
x The Captain
Looks like a great list! I want to read more Stephenson also, and I’ve been curious about The Monster of Florence. I like Douglas Preston and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The monster of florence sounds so weird. Have ye read lots of other Preston books?
x The Captain
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well… No. Lol. It’s his fiction that actually interests me the most (the Pendergast series, which is one of those Crichtonish 90’s scifi horror deals I love so much), though now that I’m thinking of it, a lot of his non-fiction has ended up on my TBR too (Lost City of Z? Or the Monkey God? I always get them confused).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read both of those and have no idea which one is which because I get the titles mixed up too. I do have relic on me list to read too. But I be hesitant to start any more series.
x The Captain
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that series is one where the titles can kind of act as a stand-alone, like there’s no long reaching plot arc that requires you to read all 27 of them lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to know. It means that when I am in the mood for that type of story I will be less hesitant to pick one of those up.
x The Captain
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Westing Game is one of my favorite books and I’ve read it multiple times since I was a kid. Hope you enjoy it!
LikeLike
This is a great list, Captain! So many of these are new to me– I love it when people read their shelves because I’m always exposed to so many books I never would have heard of. I’m with you about The Tar-Ayim Krang— I want to know about the dragon too!
And stupid Goodreads for spoiling the twist. This happens way more often than it should! I hope that you enjoy The Quick regardless!
LikeLike
Wow – your mother sounds quite a lady, Cap. No wonder you love roaming the seven seas… I am thoroughly intrigued by your list as they are all new to me and sound nicely quirky:)). I look forward to hearing what you make of them.
LikeLike
Wonder was a book that convinced me to read more middle grades. The book was just beautiful! The message, Augie, his family — I just adored it! I hope you like it too
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank ye kindly for the endorsement of wonder. Any book that captivated me nephew is worth reading. He turned teenager so he doesn’t read now but I tried encouraging him as much as I could when he was younger. I hope he picks it back up when the teenage years be done. Thanks for reading!
x The Captain
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also want to read The Dragon Waiting! I haven’t read anything by Ford except one of his short stories for Liavek which is one of my favorite fantasy stories ever. I’ve been wanting to read more of his stuff since then. I think I have a copy in my TBR, if you feel like doing a buddy read of that one let me know. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have never read anything by Ford that I know of. I would be willing to do a buddy read of the novel in the later part of the year. Ye would have to explain how it would work as I have never done one before. Arrrr!
x The Captain
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never really done one either? I think we just read the book at the same time and then we could each do a post on our thoughts? I’ll have to ask some other bloggers. 🙂 Later in the year would work for me, I’m in no rush. 🙂
LikeLike
Good luck with your 20 in ’20! I read The Westing Game in 2019 and enjoyed it, so hopefully you will too. At least it’s short, so it should be a fast read. But mini dragons and evil trees? I’m really curious to see what you think of the books in this list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The list is random that’s for sure. The books kept piling up and got to the point where I didn’t even know what I owned. Glad to hear ye enjoyed the westing game. I was told to read that before reading Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts as there be similarities I guess. We shall see. And aye, I be excited for mini-dragons and evil trees too! Thanks for the comment.
x The Captain
LikeLike
Ooh, now I’m even more curious about Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts.
LikeLike
Looks like some great picks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks matey. They are weird but hopefully good. Arrrr!
x The Captain
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sorry, did you write that your mom went to ANTARCTICA?? What was she doing there? I tried listening to the Shackleton book, but for some reason I got bored really fast. It might be that the narrator read slowly, so all the descriptions right away slogged. In physical form it may be a non issue.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aye, the Ma is a world traveler. She wanted to see the penguins. She has been to all 50 states, all 7 continents, and LOTS of other countries. I lost count. We didn’t have much money growing up but she had a love of travel then which she gave to me. Lots of roadside tent camping and such. Once she was finished raising us kids, she began traveling with a vengeance. Has me beat and I don’t think I will catch up!
x The Captain
LikeLike
I love it.
Your mom: “I wanna see penguins!”
Your mom: *flies to Antarctica*
LikeLike
I know you’ve mentioned your mom went to Antarctica in other posts. Each time I see this I get Where’d you Go Bernadette? scenes in my head. Brilliant. But I’m sure your mother didn’t just run away to Antarctica like that… maybe…
LikeLike