12 Books to Read During 2011

I'm going to participate in Roof Beam Reader's 2011 TBR Pile Challenge. Here are my 12 books from my tbr (to be read) pile:

The Darkness That Comes Before - R. Scott Bakker*
Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist
Consent to Kill - Vince Flynn
The Boxer Rebellion - Diana Preston
A History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell
The Polish Officer - Alan Furst
Woken Furies - Richard K. Morgan
I Married a Communist - Philip Roth
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Feast of the Goat - Mario Vargas Llosa
Occidental Mythology - Joseph Campbell*
Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco
Chicago: City on the Make - Nelson Algren
The Havana Room - Colin Harrison

* - alternates

The most amibitious book, I think, is "History of Western Philosophy," by Bertrand Russell. In the event I find it too daunting, I have "Occidental Mythology" by Joseph Campbell as a worthy alternate.

It's somewhat disconcerting to lay out these books as my reading list for all of 2011. I tend to be spontaneous with my picks, but maybe there is value in having this structure.

"Consent to Kill" would probably not be on my list if an acquaintance of mine hadn't already lent it to me and implored me to read it.

Giddy up.