After looking ahead at the last two months of the year and realizing somewhat sadly that the only release I’m looking forward to is Fate’s Edge by Ilona Andrews on November 29, I made a list of what books I’m looking forward to in 2012 and what reading goals I have for the end of 2011. These are the books that I have prioritized to read before the year is out (in random order), either because they are very worthy books that have been languishing on the TBR for too long or I need to read them to complete a challenge:
Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn
Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer
The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta
Runners up:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Chime by Franny Billingsley
A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
It’s definitely doable but it doesn’t leave me a lot of room for other reads to come up. We’ll see what happens. Self-challenges are flexible. 
Since I needed some new releases to anticipate, here’s a list of auto-buy books coming out at the first of next year:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Jan 3) (currently reading)
Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale (Jan 3) (which I also already have from Netgalley *yay*)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Jan 10) (already preordered for a signed copy!)
Nine Uses for an Ex-Boyfriend by Sarra Manning (February 2)
Now that I’m at it I may as well add the spring TBR list (so far):
About that Night by Julie James (April 3)
The Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn (April 3)
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (May 1)
There’s something so comforting to me about making a mental list of books to look forward to right now to tide me over during the cold winter months.
I’ll save the rest of the year for later, but let me know if I’m missing anything from the first half of 2012 and if there’s anything I must read before the end of this year.
P.S. And I also want to make this:
Tutorial here.
That book bookmark is adorable, I’m a serial folder of corners on my own books, but never on borrowed ones! So a bookmark is essential.
My ‘excited about’ list gets longer every time I go online but the biggies are:
Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep (Nov 2011)
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch (Mar 2012)
Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch (Mar 2012) I’m actually only just at the end of book one, but he’s already an auto buy for me.
Timeless by Gail Carriger (Mar 2012)
Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane (Mar 2012)
So it seems March my magical month for awesome book releases, apparently.
Wow, you weren’t kidding, that is a lot in March. I really outta check out Gail Carriger sometime.
So many on your list are on my list. And adding The Shape of Desire to it. Also kinda eying Cinder – it sounds so interesting.
I’m glad I had something to add. I’m not very far in but Cinder is definitely interesting. I’ll let you know one way or another when I finish it.
Oh I didn’t know Fate’s Edge is coming out this month. I still have to read Bayou Moon.
Also, I really should pre-order The Fault in Our Stars.
Yes Tina. YES.
Love this list! Aside from Fate’s Edge, I can’t think of anything else that I’m really looking forward to within the year. Which is a good thing because I don’t have to buy that many books (I was thrilled when I realized I only bought one book last October – Wonderstruck) and I have more time to work on the giant TBR pile.
I say yes to all of the books in your bump up the TBR list except for Harmonic Feedback because I haven’t read that yet. And yes to all your anticipated titles for next year.
Thanks for the input. One book in October? That’s great for you.