I wasn’t always a big reader in my adult life, but I changed that two years ago. I loved reading as a kid and I wanted to get back into it. After reading 12 books in 2016, I read 53 books in 2017 and 76 books in 2018. My goal in 2019 was to read 70 books and I read 64. Here’s a recap about my year of reading!
My Books of 2019
Here are the stats:
- Books Read: 64
- Pages Read: 21,630
- Average rating: 3.7
- Audiobooks: 25
- Memoirs: 10
- Fiction: 48
- Non-fiction: 16
- Poetry: 1
- Science Fiction/Fantasy: 10
- Romance Fiction: 7
- Young Adult Fiction: 15
- Shortest Book: 79 pages, Blue Horses
- Longest Book: 870 pages, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Average Length: 337 pages
Favorite Books of 2019
Refuge by Dina Nayeri
A gritty historical fiction novel about immigrant life, illustrating what immigration does to families and their concept of home.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
A fun novel about love and life as a curious and unconventional woman in New York City in the 1940s.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
A novel about four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters who learn through their mothers’ stories.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
A vivaciously imaginative novel (book #4 in the series) about Harry Potter and his on-going battle against Lord Voldemort. I think this one was my favorite in the series followed closely by Deathly Hallows.
Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg
A novel about a genius photographer and her journey through her ambition and motherhood.
Other Book Notes
Goals vs Reality
Last year I wanted to read more science fiction and fantasy and ended up reading 10 of them. I teased about reading the whole Harry Potter series and I jumped in after Will started them. We both finished the series and watched the first three movies. I also wanted to read more classics, which I did not do but will put on the list for next year.
Common Theme: The Wild
I read several books about the wild and grand outdoor adventures. The Great Alone, The Simple Wild, and Braving It were all set in Alaska. The Dirty Life was about a woman’s transition from city life to farm life. To Shake a Sleeping Self was about a 16-month cycling trip from Oregon to Patagonia. I like the idea of big, outdoor adventures but don’t usually have them in my life.
Young Adult Fiction
A few young adult fiction novels made it to my read list. A Wrinkle in Time was a classic I hadn’t read. I picked up the new book, The Rest of the Story, by one of my favorite authors as a teen, Sarah Dessen. Dumplin’ and Puddin’ were about high school girls in a small Texas town. On the Come Up and Little & Lion tackled heavy subjects of racism and mental health, and I was glad to see those books as resources for young adults. I typically pick out books from recommendation, not knowing much about the book details or subject, so it was surprising to see I read many young adult fiction novels.
Romance Novels
This was the year I dived into romance/chick-lit novels! I read the first one because I was curious about this genre and found that they were quick, light-hearted, and fun reads.
Don’t Believe the Hype
Do you ever finish a highly recommended book and wonder if you were the only one that didn’t like it? I usually pick books randomly based on recommendation lists and I read several books that I didn’t understand why they were highly rated. It’s a reminder that people have different tastes and perspectives!
Reading Goals for 2020
My goal this year is to read 65 books. The classics are still on my list and more science fiction and fantasy are too. I want to try at least one book in the horror and mystery/thriller categories. I want to read more food-related books. Every month, I’ll read a non-fiction book for my soul (something spiritual), for love (something for my relationship), and for power (something to improve a skill). I’m going to join in Book Riot’s Read Harder challenge.
If you’re looking for a reading challenge, check out this big list from GirlXOXO.
What’s your favorite book you read this year? Do you have any book recommendations?
P.S. Here are my book recaps for 2018 and 2017. I track books I’ve read and want to read on Goodreads. See my profile here.
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