2012 was a much better reading year in terms of quantity than 2011. I'm not sure why I had more time to read, or what changed, but I read almost twice as many books. Sadly, I didn't keep more than a basic list and I'm too lazy to go back and look up publication dates and page counts. Believe me, that won't happen again! I also didn't read much outside of my comfort zone and didn't have a ton of WOW books. I did have a very satisfying year though, with few books that were a struggle, so I'm counting it as a win.
The first thing I did was sit down and make my Best of 2012 List. Despite reading the list several times, only 8 books really stick out for me. Part of the problem is that I read quite a few trilogies or series that have overlapping characters and they kind of all blend together into one long book for me.
Here are the top 8, in order read:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (my mini review)
Split by Swati Avashti (my review)
Head over Heels by Jill Shalvis (my review)
Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach (my review)
The Half Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendon Halpin (my review)
The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel (my review)
Running Away to Home by Jennifer Wilson
A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn Macnamara (review to come)
I read 68 books this year.
Of those:
15 were Young Adult fiction
30 were Romance
9 were Paranormal/ Urban Fantasy/ Futuristic (but not Dystopian)
10 were Non-fiction
4 were none of the above
I read a lot of romance novels this year, many of them trilogies of books set in the same town or family. These are the authors I read more than one title from:
10 by Nora Roberts
7 by Jill Shalvis
5 by Lisa Kleypas
4 by JD Robb
3 by JR Ward
2 by Robyn Carr
I read 23 New-to- Me authors:
Patrick Ness
JA Konrath
Swati Avashti
Eleanor Brown
Jeffrey Zaslow
Donald Miller
Michelle Ray
Jennifer Reese
Lish McBride
Robyn Carr
JR Ward
Laura Dave
Alison Arngrim
Barbara Hanney
Jennifer Rosenstrach
RJ Palacio
Emily Franklin & Brandon Halpin
Victoria Dahl
Sherman Alexie
Jennifer Wilson
Ursula Poznanski
Ashlyn Macnamara
Randy O Frost & Gail Steketee
I also finally sat down this week and typed in the full lists of all the years I've been keeping track. Some of these were already done, but now you can read them all. Be warned, there are a lot of embarrassing romance titles on there!
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
(Or you can just click on one year and then use the sidebar over there to navigate between years.)
I've also been keeping up with the titles that Mike has read for the last three years:
2010 2011 2012
I haven't sat down to make any reading goals for next year yet. I'm hoping I can convince myself to abandon anything too ambitious and continue to read what I enjoy as it comes.
How did you do with your reading goals this year? Did you get to everything you wanted to read? Did you surprise yourself? What was your favorite book of the year?
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2012
End of year wrap up, part 1: The Survey.
This year for my end of year wrap up, I decided to participate in Jamie's 3rd annual end of year survey. I typically make up my own categories, but this year I'm feeling particularly lazy and her questions are just so great!
1. Best book you read in 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want.)
Romance: A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn Macnamara
Young Adult: Split by Swati Avashi or The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brandon Halpin
Non-fiction: Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach
2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more, but didn't?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - SO many people love this book. I found it mildly annoying.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson- I wanted to love this, it's exactly my type of history, but I did not enjoy her writing at all.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book in 2012?
Split by Swati Avashi- it's about abuse, but I ended up liking it a lot.
4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?
Probably Divergent by Veronica Roth, which I read last year.
5. Best series you discovered in 2012?
The Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis
6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?
Jill Shalvis, J. R. Ward, Ashley Macnamara
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or in a new genre for you in 2012?
I don't read a lot outside of my comfort zone, and even when I resolve to do so, I often fail. That said, I reread The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood this year and it was pretty uncomfortable. I didn't remember much from when I read it at 17.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
9. Book you read in 2012 that you are most likely to reread again next year?
In the Midnight Rain by Ruth Wind- this is my ultimate comfort read. I don't reread much, but I've read this one half a dozen times now.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?
I'm more influenced by bad covers than by good ones, but I really like this one. The most awful cover of 2012? I will never be able to read this one
because that cover is such a turn off to me.
11. Most memorable character in 2012?
Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.
12. Most beautifully written book in 2012?
I can't even answer this. I am rarely struck by how beautiful something is written. I'm much more likely to just sink in and enjoy it and not notice the actual words.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?
Running Away to Home by Jennifer Wilson was great for teaching me what I don't need. Split by Avashi was fairly emotional as well.
14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2012 to finally read?
Death Masks by Jim Butcher. I stalled out about halfway back in 2010 and it took me until this fall to pick it back up.
15. Favorite passage/ quote from a book you read in 2012?
I don't mark passages, so gonna have to skip this one.
16. Shortest and Longest book you read in 2012?
For the first time in 20 years I didn't track a page count. I KNOW! But looking at my list I'd bet A Monster calls by Patrick Ness is the shortest and Death Masks by Jim Butcher is the longest. I did not go look either of those up, so I could be wrong.
17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it? Be careful of spoilers.
Nothing really. I didn't even get to whatever the WTF moment is in Gone Girl before it poofed off my e-reader. I'm back on the list for it.
18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2012? (friendship, romance, etc.)
Angel and Isaiah from The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel or Sophia and Rufus from A Most Scandalous Proposal. I also really liked the brothers relationship in the Inn Boonsboro trilogy by Nora Roberts.
19. Favorite book you read in 2012 from an author you had read previously?
The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel aka Ruth Wind. See question 9.
20. Best book you read based solely on a recommendation from someone else?
I read quite a few from Janssen's best of 2011 list. The best one was Split by Swati Avashi.
Back soon with Part 2: My top ten and stats!
1. Best book you read in 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want.)
Romance: A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn Macnamara
Young Adult: Split by Swati Avashi or The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brandon Halpin
Non-fiction: Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach
2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more, but didn't?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - SO many people love this book. I found it mildly annoying.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson- I wanted to love this, it's exactly my type of history, but I did not enjoy her writing at all.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book in 2012?
Split by Swati Avashi- it's about abuse, but I ended up liking it a lot.
4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?
Probably Divergent by Veronica Roth, which I read last year.
5. Best series you discovered in 2012?
The Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis
6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?
Jill Shalvis, J. R. Ward, Ashley Macnamara
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or in a new genre for you in 2012?
I don't read a lot outside of my comfort zone, and even when I resolve to do so, I often fail. That said, I reread The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood this year and it was pretty uncomfortable. I didn't remember much from when I read it at 17.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
9. Book you read in 2012 that you are most likely to reread again next year?
In the Midnight Rain by Ruth Wind- this is my ultimate comfort read. I don't reread much, but I've read this one half a dozen times now.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?
I'm more influenced by bad covers than by good ones, but I really like this one. The most awful cover of 2012? I will never be able to read this one
because that cover is such a turn off to me.11. Most memorable character in 2012?
Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.
12. Most beautifully written book in 2012?
I can't even answer this. I am rarely struck by how beautiful something is written. I'm much more likely to just sink in and enjoy it and not notice the actual words.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?
Running Away to Home by Jennifer Wilson was great for teaching me what I don't need. Split by Avashi was fairly emotional as well.
14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2012 to finally read?
Death Masks by Jim Butcher. I stalled out about halfway back in 2010 and it took me until this fall to pick it back up.
15. Favorite passage/ quote from a book you read in 2012?
I don't mark passages, so gonna have to skip this one.
16. Shortest and Longest book you read in 2012?
For the first time in 20 years I didn't track a page count. I KNOW! But looking at my list I'd bet A Monster calls by Patrick Ness is the shortest and Death Masks by Jim Butcher is the longest. I did not go look either of those up, so I could be wrong.
17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it? Be careful of spoilers.
Nothing really. I didn't even get to whatever the WTF moment is in Gone Girl before it poofed off my e-reader. I'm back on the list for it.
18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2012? (friendship, romance, etc.)
Angel and Isaiah from The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel or Sophia and Rufus from A Most Scandalous Proposal. I also really liked the brothers relationship in the Inn Boonsboro trilogy by Nora Roberts.
19. Favorite book you read in 2012 from an author you had read previously?
The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel aka Ruth Wind. See question 9.
20. Best book you read based solely on a recommendation from someone else?
I read quite a few from Janssen's best of 2011 list. The best one was Split by Swati Avashi.
Back soon with Part 2: My top ten and stats!
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