It's time for the 2010 Book roundup!
My goal for 2010 was a "conservative" 80 books, which I far exceeded. Considering the slow start to the year, I was worried I wouldn't even make 50, but around March I seemed to hit my reading stride, averaging about eight books a month, for a grand total of 104! Wow. The things you can accomplish when you get rid of cable!
I also had a goal to read at least four "classics," read more male authors, and read more new-to-me authors. Done, done and done! See the 2010 Reading List above for a run-down of what was read. Here's a look at my 2010 reading habits. Feel free to copy and post to your own blog, adding or deleting questions to suit your own reading habits. Let me know if you play along so I can visit!
Books read in 2008: 66
Books read in 2009: 85
Books read in 2010: 104
New-to-me authors read: 41 -- see list on 2010 Reading Challenges page.
New-to-me authors read more than once: 8
Authors read more than once: Kay Hooper, Nora Roberts, Johanna Lindsey, Nancy Atherton, Rett MacPherson, Aaron Elkins, Suzanne Collins, Cathie Linz, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Ann Voss Peterson, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Annette Blair, Julie Campbell, Susan Wittig Albert, Madelyn Alt, Donald Bain, Dorothy L Sayers, Cristy Evans
Most-read Author of 2009: Charlaine Harris (seven books from three different series). Rett MacPherson, Johanna Lindsey, Nancy Atherton, and VLT all tied for second place with four apiece.
Authors I plan to read again: Nora Roberts, Toni Blake, Charlaine Harris, Jennie Bentley, Sheila Lowe, Sheila Connolly, Johanna Lindsey, Aaron Elkins, Kate Collins, Nancy Atherton, Rett MacPherson (provided I can find the next 7 books in her no-longer-in-print series!), Madelyn Alt, Susan Wittig Albert, Alice Kimberly, Annette Blair
Genres read: Romance, romantic suspense, mystery, thriller, classics, chick lit, literary fiction, biography, childrens/YA.
Number of books won: Eight -- three from blog contests, and five from GoodReads (one of which I am still waiting for).
Favorite romance of the year: Sugar Creek by Toni Blake.
Favorite mystery/suspense: If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle and Aunt Dimity's Christmas by Nancy Atherton.
My goal for 2010 was a "conservative" 80 books, which I far exceeded. Considering the slow start to the year, I was worried I wouldn't even make 50, but around March I seemed to hit my reading stride, averaging about eight books a month, for a grand total of 104! Wow. The things you can accomplish when you get rid of cable!
I also had a goal to read at least four "classics," read more male authors, and read more new-to-me authors. Done, done and done! See the 2010 Reading List above for a run-down of what was read. Here's a look at my 2010 reading habits. Feel free to copy and post to your own blog, adding or deleting questions to suit your own reading habits. Let me know if you play along so I can visit!
Books read in 2008: 66
Books read in 2009: 85
Books read in 2010: 104
New-to-me authors read: 41 -- see list on 2010 Reading Challenges page.
New-to-me authors read more than once: 8
Authors read more than once: Kay Hooper, Nora Roberts, Johanna Lindsey, Nancy Atherton, Rett MacPherson, Aaron Elkins, Suzanne Collins, Cathie Linz, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Ann Voss Peterson, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Annette Blair, Julie Campbell, Susan Wittig Albert, Madelyn Alt, Donald Bain, Dorothy L Sayers, Cristy Evans
Most-read Author of 2009: Charlaine Harris (seven books from three different series). Rett MacPherson, Johanna Lindsey, Nancy Atherton, and VLT all tied for second place with four apiece.
Authors I plan to read again: Nora Roberts, Toni Blake, Charlaine Harris, Jennie Bentley, Sheila Lowe, Sheila Connolly, Johanna Lindsey, Aaron Elkins, Kate Collins, Nancy Atherton, Rett MacPherson (provided I can find the next 7 books in her no-longer-in-print series!), Madelyn Alt, Susan Wittig Albert, Alice Kimberly, Annette Blair
Genres read: Romance, romantic suspense, mystery, thriller, classics, chick lit, literary fiction, biography, childrens/YA.
Number of books won: Eight -- three from blog contests, and five from GoodReads (one of which I am still waiting for).
Favorite romance of the year: Sugar Creek by Toni Blake.
Favorite mystery/suspense: If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle and Aunt Dimity's Christmas by Nancy Atherton.
Favorite book of the year: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Favorite Series: I can't choose just one! I loved the Lily Bard (Shakespeare) series by Charlaine Harris, the Gideon Oliver series by Aaron Elkins, and The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
Challenges participated in: Too many to enumerate! In addition to the year-long challenges listed on the 2010 Challenge page, there were monthly theme challenges in the Cozy Mysteries group at GoodReads. Of the "official" challenges to which I committed, I was 10/12 in the historical challenge, 4/4 in classics, 1/1 in really old classics, 20/20 in the Cozy Mystery challenge, 17/26 in the A-to-Z author challenge (there are some letters that are really hard to get!), and so far I am 22/51 in the Read-the-USA Mystery challenge (which continues into 2011).
Classics read: Poetics by Aristotle; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros ; Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut; A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Most imaginative world: Hands down, the world of Suzanne Collins in The Hunger Games trilogy.
Weirdest read: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Reading goal for next year: I have committed to reading 100 books in the 2011 Reading Challenge over at GoodReads. *Gulp* Let's see how close I get! I also plan to finish the Read the USA Mystery challenge and aim for six classics this year. I also need to concentrate on favorite authors/series currently sitting on my TBR shelves and read fewer new-to-me authors this year. I know I won't get completely through some authors' backlists, but at least I can pare them down a bit!
What about you? What was your year in books like? What was the best book you read?
Last year's report
7 comments:
Update I am already on book four for this year, and am already 1/6 for classics. That's three more books read than I had at this time last year!
Oh, I *heart* Charlaine Harris! I didn't think I would, because fantasy isn't my go-to genre. It's become more so in 2010, mostly because of her! Which is your favorite series so far?
Hi Lynn!
When Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series was recommended to me, I didn't think I would like them as I really wasn't that into vampires. But after hearing so much about them, I finally caved and bought the 7-book set when Amazon had it on major discount. Boy was I glad I sprang for all seven at once! I read the entire series over ten days and have been hooked ever since. Granted, some books have been better than others, but wanting to see what happens has kept me interested.
After Sookie, I tried the first two Aurora Teagardens and thought her okay. I have books 3, 4, 5, and 7 on the TBR pile, and plan on getting to them sometime this year.
Then I found Lily Bard, and I think that is my favorite of her mystery series. I was disappointed to hear there won't be any more books there as Harris is now concentrating solely on Sookie. Boooo!
The only series I have yet to try is Harper Connolly, and based on what I have heard from others in the GR Cozy Mysteries group, I am not sure if I would like it. I suppose I will get round to trying it eventually, though.
I actually read 60 books last year and was impressed with myself. lol I tend to go through phases on reading. I'll read two or three in a row and then go weeks without picking up another book. Either too busy, too tired or just not into anything on my shelves.
Kudos to you, though, for exceeding your goal this year! :)
Thanks, Jana. Believe me, I've gone through the occasional reading slump myself. There have been years where I've read fewer than 40 books, and not very long ones, either. And then there are years I feel more on track, like the last couple.
Cable isn't what slows me down in reading. It's the internet.
Yes, that can definitely be an impediment as well. Which is why I started taking at least one full day off every weekend (I pre-schedule most of my weekend posts).
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