2013 Reading wrap up, and my favorites

2013 was a crazy reading year for me. It was my first year back at work since we moved to Pierre and I really didn't expect that I would get a lot read. As it turns out, I ended up reading MORE than any year since I had kids but my reading choices fit a very narrow pattern. While I was finding time to read, I just wasn't finding the energy to explore new things and I tended to default to tried and true authors that I knew would deliver.  I didn't hit many of my goals, but I did far exceed the number of books I hoped to read. I also did not sit down this year and break my reading out into categories and authors and publishers, as I have in the past.

I did keep track of the titles (full list to follow) and so can tell you the following:

I read 73 books.
Of those 56 were Romance novels, 11 were Young Adult/Juvenile fiction, 4 were non-fiction and 2 were general fiction.  I am not at all bothering by this as I feel like just reading anything was an accomplishment.

I read multiple books by the same author, including a handful of re-reads. The most popular authors were:
Nora Roberts at 8 titles, and 3 more written as JD Robb.
Tessa Dare with 6 titles.
Courtney Milan with 5 titles.
Jill Shavis with 5 titles.
Susan Mallery with 3 titles.

I discovered that while I do enjoy Shalvis' Lucky Harbor books and Mallery's Fool's Gold, that when I look over a years worth of books that none of them stand out. The titles are completely unmemorable and I can't remember if I even really loved them. I have to look up each one to remember then story, and then can tell you if it were great or not. This is great for in the moment, because I know I can pick one up and enjoy it, but not so great for the author overall, as I can't ever recommend an individual title. The same is true for the JD Robb In Death series.

I started reading almost exclusively e-books this year. I get two 15 minute breaks at work each day, and I look forward to those breaks more than is healthy. My job isn't hard or bad, but for those 15 minutes NO ONE AT ALL interrupts me and I can sit and read and it is lovely. I find that since I'm already carrying my iPad or Nook with me, I don't want the extra weight of a book too. Then when I get home I carry my phone or iPad around the house and just never seem to pick up paper books. I didn't purposely track this either, but my best estimate is that out of the 73 books, 17 of them were paper, and those were all read in the first half of the year.   I read a lot of books from NetGalley this year, which allowed me to stay somewhat current with my reading, and I loved it.

I didn't take the time to really sit and ponder a best of list, instead choosing to go with reading over the list and jotting down titles as they jumped out as memorable. I discovered several authors this year that I really enjoy and since I read their books back to back it's really hard to choose a favorite.  I can without reservation recommend Courtney Milan and Tessa Dare, and I really liked Anne Barton's book a lot, as well as the Carla Kelly ones I read.

After reviewing my reviews, I still can't pick a favorite so in no particular order but roughly the order I read them:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. (WHY have I not read the next in the series??)
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (and really the second one as well)
Marrying the Royal Marine by Carla Kelly (Nearly perfect romance here.)
Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare
The Duchess War and The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan (TCC not yet reviewed, but soon.)
This Song Will Save your Life by Leila Sales
Louder Than Love by Jessica Topper
Once She Was Tempted by Anne Barton
The Conquest by Edith Layton
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
His Uptown Girl by Liz Talley


My reading goal for 2014 is once again to read 52 books (yes, I have hit this easily the last two years. I don't make a goal in an effort to read MORE, my goal is just to read steadily, a book a week.) I'd like to read more than a handful off this list, and finish reading The Great Gatsby. If I were to pick a classic for this year, it would be Rebecca.  I'd like to write at least a few sentence review of each book I read.

The complete list of books for 2013:

1. The Other Side of Us by  Sarah Mayberry
2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
3. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
4. Wild For the Sheriff by Kathleen O'Brien 
5. Zeus: King of the Gods by George O'Connor YA Graphic Novel
6. Too Wicked to Wed by Cara Elliot 
7. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
8. South Dakota Outlaws & Scofflaws by John Andrews, Bernie Hunhoff
9. The Lady Most Willing by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway 
10. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
11. A Good American by Alex George
12. All He Ever Desired by Shannon Stacey 
13. Back to the Good Fortune Diner by Vicki Essex
14. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
15. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
16. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
17. Marrying the Royal Marine by Carla Kelly
18. The House on Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
19. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
20. Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly
21. The Surgeon's Wife by Carla Kelly 
22. All He Ever Dreamed by Shannon Stacey 
23. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson 
24. A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare
25. American Savage by Dan Savage 
26. A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare
27. A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare
28. Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare
29. Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare
30. Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare
31. The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
32. The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
33. A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan
34. The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Harnagrane
35. Undone by Shannon Richard
36. It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis
37. The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan
38. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
39. Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols 
40. Big Sky Christmas by C.J. Carmichael
41. A Most Devilish Rogue by Ashlyn MacNamara
42. Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts
43. Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts
44. A Weaver Beginning by Allison Leigh
45. Always on my Mind by Jill Shalvis
46. What Happens Between Friends by Beth Andrews 
47. His Christmas Sweetheart by Cathy McDavid
48. Face the Fire by Nora Roberts
49. Louder Than Love by Jessica Topper 
50. Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis
51. Vision in White by Nora Roberts
52. Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts 
53. Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts
54. Happily Ever After by Nora Roberts
55. Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas
56. Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi
57. To All the Rakes I've Loved Before by Anne Barton 
58. Once She Was Tempted by Anne Barton
59. Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery
60. A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery
61. The Conquest by Edith Layton
62. Treachery in Death by JD Robb
63. New York to Dallas by JD Robb
64. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
65. Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery
66. A Christmas to Remember by Jill Shalvis, etc.
67. Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
68. His Uptown Girl by Liz Talley
69. Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery
70. The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan
71. Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis
72. Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
73. Celebrity in Death by JD Robb

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!

2007- The Best and the Worst

This is the first year I've really tried to keep up with ratings on my reviews. I'm not sure I like that part of reading (might be the only thing I don't like!) I gave 11 books (out of 65) a 5/5.

So. (Wow, this is HARD!) The best book I read in 2007 was:
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

with a very close second place going to:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The best YA novel goes to
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling, but I also want to mention Looking for Alaska by John Green and The Giver by Lois Lowry.

For urban fantasy/paranormal books, I gave 5/5 to:
Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

I also really loved Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes and The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.

The books I rated lowest can be found here. I was particularly disappointed with Anne of Green Gables, The Westing Game and Little Women.

There were a few books that I did not finish, but most of them are books easily read in multiple sittings, so there is a very good chance I'll go back. For example, Book Lust, The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time, and a collection of essays and excerpts about Italy. The only book with a straight plot that I did not finish (yet) is Twilight, which I fully expect to finish tomorrow as my first book of 2008. I sent a handful of books on through Paperbackswap after only reading a few pages, but none of them so memorable that I could list them. There were two books I gave up on halfway- The Inheritance of Loss by Desai and Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass.