Book Calendar: 2012 Edition, Part 1

My Christmas books are packed away, and another reading ritual is in process. I’m filling in my reading calendar for 2012. I love making this list of books I plan to read in the coming year, anticipating the story of a series character I’m already invested in, speculating about the direction of a plot to which I’ve been introduced in excerpts, wondering about new books of which I may know only the title. Three years ago, a friend suggested I share my calendar on Just Janga, and the response encouraged me to continue. This year I decided on two posts: one that covers January-June, the list below, and a separate one for July-December, which I’ll post in late June. My reasons for doing so are varied. The list for the first half of the year is quite long, more than 150 books. Information on books being released in the second half of the year is incomplete. I have only two books for December. Inaccuracies are more likely for books for which release dates are still six or more months away. One book I had noted as a 2012 release is currently marked as a 2025 release on one site.

Please remember as you check out my list that it is not comprehensive. This is a list of the books I expect to read or add to my TBR shelves in the first half of 2012. There are genres and subgenres that are not included because I don’t read them. The same holds true for authors. In romance fiction alone, thousands of titles are released each year (more than eight thousand titles in 2010, for example). I read only a small fraction of the new releases of any year. Romance dominates my list, but I also include some mysteries, women’s fiction, general fiction, and non-fiction. I expect other titles will be added as authors share news, friends recommend books, and online buzz persuades me to check out titles.

I look forward to some of these books with particular delight. The debut of my friend Manda Collins with How to Dance with a Duke on January 31 will be the culmination of a squee-fest that has been going on for many months. I’m excited about The House on Butterfly Way, a new single-title from Elizabeth Bevarly in February. Marilynne Robinson, whose fiction I find rich beyond measure, has a collection of essays coming out in March, When I Was a Child I Read Books. I loved the tiny tastes of Paris that Eloisa James shared in her tweets, and I am eager to partake of the banquet of her book-length memoir, Paris in Love, in April. I have waited for what seems like forever to read the story of Gwen, Lady Muir, and Mary Balogh is giving it to me with The Proposal in May. And June offers the second of Loretta Chase’s dressmaker stories, Scandal Wears Satin.

I have accepted the Goodread’s Reading Challenge for 2012. My goal is 365 books. Looking at this list makes me confident I’ll meet my goal. The more than half dozen titles that I’ve already read this month assure me that 2012 is going to be another great reading year.

JANUARY

January 1

1.      The Cowboy’s Secret Son (Harlequin American Romance—HAR), Teagues of Texas #1, Trish Milburn

2.      The Lure of Song and Magic (Fantasy-Contemporary Romance—F-CR), Patricia Rice

January 3

3.      Mad About the Earl, (Historical Romance—HR), Ministry of Marriage #2, Christina Brooke

4.      A Promise of Safekeeping (CR), Lisa Dale

5.      At the King’s Pleasure (Historical Fiction—HF), Secrets of the Tudor Court #4, Kate Emerson

6.      Bride by Mistake (HR), Devil Riders #5, Anne Gracie

7.      Love Lifted Me (Inspy), Songbird #3, Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck

8.      Tempted Again (CR), Cathie Linz

9.      On Lavendar Lane (CR), Shelter Bay #3, JoAnn Ross

10.   A Hero in the Making (Harlequin SuperRomance—HSR), North Star #6, Kay Stockham

11.   Colorado Dawn (American Historical—AH), Runaway Brides #2, Kaki Warner

January 10

12.   Copper Beach (Romantic Suspense—RS), Dark Legacy #1, Jayne Ann Krentz

January 17

13.   Gone West (H Mys), Maisie Dobbs #20, Carola Dunn

January 24

14.   Ravished by the Rake (Harlequin Historical—HH), Danger and Desire #1, Louise Allen

15.   Forbidden (YA Fantasy), Syrie James

16.   A Lady Never Surrenders (HR), Hellions of Halstead Hall #5, Sabrina Jeffries

17.   Undeniably Yours (CR), The Kowalski Family #2, Shannon Stacey

January 25

18.   Unhinged (Mys), Kate Holly #4, Charlotte Hughes

January 31

19.   Lucky Penny (CR), Catherine Anderson

20.   How to Dance with a Duke (HR), Ugly Ducklings #1, Manda Collins

21.   Home Front (Women’s Fiction—WF), Kristin Hannah

22.   She Tempts the Duke (HR), Lost Lords of Pembroke #1, Lorraine Heath

23.   File M for Murder (Mys), Cat in the Stacks #3, Miranda James

24.   Third Grave Dead Ahead (PR), Charley Davidson #3, Darynda Jones

25.   Secrets of the Lost Summer (CR), Carla Neggers

26.   The Summer Garden (CR), Chesapeake Shores #9, Sherryl Woods

FEBRUARY

February 1

1.      Secrets of an Accidental Duchess (HR), Donovan Sisters #2, Jennifer Haymore

2.      Last Chance Beauty Queen (CR), Last Chance #3, Hope Ramsay

February 6

3.      Fatal Flaw (RS), Fatal #4, Marie Force

February 7

4.      The House on Butterfly Way (WF-CR), Elizabeth Bevarly

5.      A Scandalous Countess (HR), Malloren World #12, Jo Beverley

6.      A Texas Chance (HSR), Deep in the Heart/MacAllisters #6, Jean Brashear

7.      One Book in the Grave (Mystery—Mys), Bibliophile Mystery #5, Kate Carlisle

8.      Between Love and Duty (HSR), A Brother’s Word #1, Janice Kay Johnson

9.      What Happened to Hannah (GF), Mary Kay McComas

February 14

10.   I’ve Got Your Number (WF), Sophie Kinsella

11.   Heart of Glass (AH, Inspy), Irish Angels #2, Jill Marie Landis

February 16

12.   The Garden Intrigue (HR, CR, Mys), Pink Carnation #9, Lauren Willig

February 21

13.   Seduced by the Scoundrel (HH), Danger and Desire #2, Louise Allen

14.   The Revenge of Lord Eberlin (HR), Secrets of Hadley Green #2, Julia London

15.   Time Out (Harlequin Blaze—HB), Jill Shalvis

16.   Yours to Keep (CR), Kowalski Family #3, Shannon Stacey

17.   When a Scot Loves a Lady (HR), Falcon Club #1, Katharine Ashe

February 22

18.   Death of a Kingfisher (Mys), Hamish MacBeth #29, M. C. Beaton

February 28

19.   Redwood Bend (CR), Virgin River # 18, Robyn Carr

20.   Spellbound Falls (CR), Spellbound Falls #1, Janet Chapman

21.   Sonoma Rose (GF), Elm Creek Quilts #19, Jennifer Chiaverini

22.   Rainshadow Road (CR), Friday Harbor #2, Lisa Kleypas

23.   Blame It on Bath (HR), The Truth About the Duke #3, Caroline Linden

24.   A Rogue by Any Other Name (HR), Fallen Angels #1, Sarah MacLean

25.   Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea (HR), Royal Entourage #1, Sophia Nash

MARCH

March 1

1.      A Recipe for Love (WF), Katie Fforde

2.      The Piccadilly Plot (H Mys), Thomas Challoner #7, Susanna Gregory

3.      Touch of a Rogue (HR), Touch of Seduction #2, Mia Marlowe

March 6

4.      When Maidens Mourn (H Mys), Sebastian St. Cyr #7, C. S. Harris

5.      The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne (HR), Fairbourne Quartet #1, Madeline Hunter

6.      From Father to Son (HSR), Janice Kay Johnson

7.      The Runaway Countess (HR), ebook from Samhain, Leigh Lavelle

8.      Wedded in Scandal, Bridal Favors #1, Jade Lee

9.      More Than One Night (HSR), Sarah Mayberry

10.   Cowboy to the Rescue (HAR), Teagues of Texas #2, Trish Milburn

March 13

11.   Hush Now, Don’t You Cry (H Mys), Molly Murphy #11, Rhys Bowen

12.   Another Piece of My Heart (WF), Jane Green

13.   When I Was a Child I Read Books: Essays, Marilynne Robinson

March 20

14.   Married to a Stranger (HH), Danger and Desire #3, Louise Allen

15.   Some Assembly Required (Nonfiction), Anne Lamott

16.   Lady Folbroke’s Delicious Deception (HH), Three Ladies #1, Christine Merrill

17.   Much Ado About Rogues (HR). Blackthorne Brothers #3, Kasey Michaels

March 26

18.   Starting Now (WF), Blossom Street #9, Debbie Macomber

March 27

19.   A Week to Be Wicked (HR), Spindle Cove #2, Tessa Dare

20.   At Your Pleasure (HR), Meredith Duran

21.   Hot Under Pressure (CR), Rising Star Chef Challenge #3, Louisa Edwards

22.   Taming an Impossible Rogue (HR), The Scandalous Brides #2, Suzanne Enoch

23.   Imperial Scandal (HF), Teresa Grant

24.   The Seduction of Lady X (HR), Secrets of Hadley Green #3, Julia London

25.   Barefoot Season (WF), Blackberry Island #1, Susan Mallery

26.   Trouble Me (CR), Rosewood Trilogy #3, Laura Moore

27.   The Art of Duke Hunting (HR), Royal Entourage #2, Sophia Nash

28.   Confessions from An Arranged Marriage (HR), Burgundy Club #4, Miranda Neville

29.   Woodrose Mountain (CR), Hope’s Crossing #2, RaeAnn Thayne

30.   Elegy for Eddie (H Mys), Maisie Dobbs #9, Jacqueline Winspear

APRIL

April 1

1.      Master of Sin (HR), Courtesan Court #4, Maggie Robinson

April 3

2.      The Duke’s Perfect Wife (HR), Highland Pleasures/MacKenzies #4

3.      On His Honor (HSR), Deep in the Heart/MacAllisters #7, Jean Brashear

4.      Deadly Dance (RS), A-Tac #5, Dee Davis

5.      Betrayal (RS), Scarlet Deception #3, Christina Dodd

6.      How to Ravish a Duke (HR), Vickie Dreiling

7.      Death Comes Silently (Mys), Death on Demand #22, Carolyn G. Hart

8.      The Wedding Dress (Inspy), Rachel Hauck

9.      About That Night (CR), Julie James

10.   The Call of Bravery (HSR), Janice Kay Johnson

11.   The Flower Reader (HF), Elizabeth Loupas

12.   If I Fall (HR), Kate Noble

13.   The Book of Madness and Cures (Historical Fiction—HF), Regina O’Melveny

14.   Miss Julia to the Rescue (Mys), Miss Julia #13, Ann B. Ross

15.   Just Down the Road (CR), Harmony #4, Jodi Thomas

16.   The Beginner’s Goodbye (GF), Anne Tyler

17.   The Princess and the Peer (HR), Princess Brides #1, Tracey Anne Warren

April 12

18.   The Secret Life of William Shakespeare (GF), Jude Morgan

April 16

19.   The First Last Unicorn and Other Beginnings (Fantasy), Peter Beagle

April 17

20.   Twisted (RS), Tracers #5, Laura Griffin

21.   Paris in Love (memoir), Eloisa James

22.   Lady Priscilla’s Shameful Secret (HH), Three Ladies #2, Christine Merrill

23.   The Garden of Happy Endings (WF), Barbara O’Neal

24.   The Witness (RS), Nora Roberts

April 24

25.   Sunrise Point (CR), Virgin River #19  , Robyn Carr

26.   The Good Father (GF), Diane Chamberlain

27.   Somebody to Love (CR), Kristan Higgins

28.   All for You (time travel), Lynn Kurland

29.   Lyon’s Bride: The Chattan Curse (HR), Cathy Maxwell

30.   Crystal Gardens (Paranormal Historical Romance—PHR), Ladies of Lantern Street #1, Amanda Quick

31.   The Saint Who Stole My Heart (HR), Regency Rogues #4, Stefanie Sloane

32.   The Shoemaker’s Wife (HF), Adriana Trigiani

33.    The Apple Orchard  (WF), Susan Wiggs

April 26

34.   Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch (Mys), Aunt Dimity #18 , Nancy Atherton

MAY

May 1

1.      The Proposal (HR), Bedwyn World #9, Mary Balogh

2.      Mrs. Jeffries Defends Her Own (H Mys), Mrs. Jeffries #30, Emily Brightwell

3.      Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal (HR), Windhams #5, Gwen Burrowes

4.      Too Tempting to Resist (HR), Lords of Midnight #2, Cara Elliot

5.      The Long Shot (HSR), Ellen Hartman

6.      The Cowboy Sheriff (HAR), Teagues of Texas #3, Trish Milburn

7.      No Longer a Gentleman (HR), Lost Lords #4, Mary Jo Putney

8.      The Last Boyfriend (CR), Inn Boonsboro #2, Nora Roberts

9.      Barefoot in the Sand (CR), Barefoot Bay #1, Roxanne St. Claire

10.   Beguiling the Beauty (HR), Fitzhugh #1, Sherry Thomas

May 8

11.   Tides of Memory (WF), Mary Alice Monroe

12.   Home (Literary Fiction), Toni Morrison

May 22

13.   The Taming of a Scottish Princess (HR), Hurst Amulet #4, Karen Hawkins

14.   Marriage of Mercy (HH), Carla Kelly

15.   Unbuttoning Miss Hardwick (HH), Deb Marlowe

16.   Lucky in Love (CR), Lucky Harbor #4, Jill Shalvis

May 29

17.   Rescue Me (CR), Rachel Gibson

18.   A Night Like This (HR), Smyth-Smith #2, Julia Quinn

19.   Along Came a Duke (HR), Elizabeth Boyle

20.   Home for the Summer (CR), Chesapeake Diaries #5, Mariah Stewart

JUNE

June 1

1.      “A Little More Scandal” (HR), Christies 1.5, Carrie Lofty

2.      Summer Days (CR), Fool’s Gold #7, Susan Mallery

3.      Unexpected Family (HSR), Sequel to His Wife for One Night, Molly O’Keefe

June 5

4.      Unraveling the Past (HSR), The Truth About the Sullivans #1, Beth Andrews

5.      Bring Him Home (HSR), Special Forces #3, Karina Bliss

6.      A Life Rebuilt (HSR), Deep in the Heart/MacAllisters #8, Jean Brashear

7.      Quilt or Innocence (Mys), Southern Quilting #1, Elizabeth Craig

8.      Little Night (WF), Luanne Rice

9.      Bride of the High Country (AH), Runaway Brides #3, Kaki Warner

June 12

10.   The Red House (GF), Mark Haddon

June 19

11.   A Bad Day for Mercy (Mys), Stella Hardesty #4, Sophie Littlefield

June 26

12.   How to Be a Proper Lady (HR), Falcon Club #2, Katharine Ashe

13.   Willow Springs (CR), Destiny #5, Toni Blake

14.   A Duchess to Remember (HR), Ministry of Marriage #3, Christina Brooke

15.   Scandal Wears Satin (HR), Dressmakers #2, Loretta Chase

16.   Starlight (HR), Christies #2, Carrie Lofty

17.   Can’t Buy Me Love (CR), Crooked Creek #1, Molly O’Keefe

18.    At Last (CR), Lucky Harbor #5, Jill Shalvis

19.    Ocean Beach (WF), Beach #2, Wendy Wax

20.    Midnight Promises (CR), Sweet Magnolias #8, Sherryl Woods

What books are you most eagerly anticipating in the first half of 2012?

And remember that I'm giving away a copy of Eloisa James's most recent New York Times bestseller, The Duke Is Mine to one randomly selected commenter.

       Congratulations to Jane, winner of a copy of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas.