Review of My 2020 Reading Year: The Stats, The Surprises, The Disappointments and the Best of the Best

 I am finally getting around to wrapping up my 2020 reading year.  The start of the new year really snuck up on me this year and I was unprepared for both new reading goals and wrapping up the year's reading.  I did a horrible job of tracking the stats for this year but I did a quick look back and came to these stats. 

2020 Reading Stats:

In 2020 I read a total of 265 books (give or take a couple that aren't on Goodreads)

broken down that is 30,955 pages and

944:26 hours (39 days, 8 hours and 26 minutes) of audio book time

of those books:

19 earned 5 star ratings

137 earned 4 star ratings

75 earned 3 star ratings

26 earned 2 star ratings
0 earned 1 star rating

and 

8 were DNFed

49 were Children's Books/Early Reader/First Chapter Books

27 were Middle Grade Books

45 were Young Adult Books
144 were Adult Books

19 were Graphic Novels

95 were Audio Books
60 were Print Books
91 were Ebooks

74 were Romance

55 were Fantasy
17 were Sci-Fi

11 were Mystery

Things I have discovered in 2020:

~ I took a clear turn in the favor of Adult books over Young Adult and Middle Grade compared to years passed. 
~ I read a lot more in Audio Book format from compared to previous years but not as heavily as I had expected.  I do see this trend continuing based on how busy life is for me, if I am not listening while doing tasks then I wouldn't get as much reading done.
~ I tried a new genre this year, Cozy Mystery, and was completely blown away and dove in head first. Granted I read mostly the same author so I am looking forward to seeing if I enjoy the genre even with different series and authors. 
~ My reading tastes are shifting yet again, I am making a swing back into Romance after several years spent focusing on Fantasy.  I still read the exact same amount of fantasy just added more romance.

~ With Munchkin now reading on his own, I am finding that I am reading less and less Children's books. I still plan to pick some up from the library from time to time but see those numbers continuing to dwindle. 

Biggest Disappointments:

So besides the 8 books I DNFed this last year, there were a few disappointments. It doesn't mean that these were bad books, or even that I hated them, just simply books I felt were going to be fantastic but just didn't live up to my expectations.

I don't think I am alone in my feelings with this one. The Selection is my favorite guilty read and I was so excited for something new but still somewhat similar from Cass.  I didn't connect with the characters at all, nor did the characters have any kind of chemistry between them to pull the story along.

This book sounded so magical and mystical with a bit of romance and a lot of intrigue. I was so excited to receive and ARC but I really struggled with it.  I was confused most of the time both about the characters and the world. 

Biggest Surprises:

I read some books this year that I wasn't sure about or that sucked me in far more than I ever expected. Some pulled me into new genres and others introduced me to new authors and worlds.

While I have been reading more Science Fiction in recent years, it is still a genre I am hesitant about.  This was a short novella so I thought I would give it a shot and I absolutely loved it! The isolation of a research vessel, the new and unusual worlds they travel to and the unknown being lifetimes away from the family and friends they knew. I am definitely going to make it a point to go back and read Becky Chambers series.

This was an interesting year, I never before thought I would find a Mystery I enjoy until discovering the world of Cozy Mysteries, they are a little more light hearted, a little more character focus as opposed to plot focus and oh so bingeable! I discovered Jenn McKinlay through her romance books and then found the Library Lover's Mystery series and quickly either purchased or borrowed every book in the series!

So you never really know what you are going to get with self published books, so while this one ticked all the boxes for me, I was still a bit hesitant. This book made me laugh so hard! It was quirk and funny and filled with crude language, which for some reason (maybe because I read it after being cooped up in the house, working full time and homeschooling full time for 3 months) found to be extremely relatable and comical. I can't wait for more in this series!

This book very nearly made it to my favorites of the year. I loved Neuvel's Themis Files series so was excited to try a novella. I listened to the audio book, it was very quick but so impactful that I actually had to stop what I was doing and just listen. It was terrifying and horrible but so engrossing and unique. I do understand that it has some issues that many readers found to be disrespectful and very off-putting but just based on the story itself and how much it captured my attention it was fantastic.

2020 Honorable Mentions
I don't normally do this but I read so many fantastic books this year that I just had to mention some that just barely missed out on my top books of the year.

I had to add the New Murderbot Novel to this list! After a series of Novellas, I wasn't sure how a full length book would go. I ended up really loving this book, with the addition of ART and some of the human characters from the previous book, it was such a great addition to the series! And even more exciting, there is more to come!

I feel like I waited so long for this book and it was definitely worth the wait! I loved getting back into this book and characters. It didn't capture me quite the same way as A Plague of Giants which is why it didn't end up on my favorites list but it is still so so good with some great plot development and character growth and even growth in the world as it expands even more! I am once again dying for the next book in this series!

I have heard so many other readers talking about this book but it kind of gave me YA vibes, which I am not a fan of YA Contemporary Romance, but this ended up being more of a New Adult Romance. This is a book that started off a bit rocky but you were quickly drawn into the story. You can't help but fall in love with characters and really pull for them as the story continues. This is definitely a book that stands out this year as something I keep thinking about, now I get all the hype.

and finally

The Best of the Best Books in 2020:

So here we go with my top books of 2020! I don't think a single one of these books were on my Anticipated Release List or TBR for the year, so they really came out of the woodwork and blew me away. Again, I have such a variety with my favorite picks, on which is from a genre I don't even read! 

So this was a book that was at least on my radar and I was lucky enough to win a Goodreads Giveaway for an ARC. I wasn't sure how it was going to go, not only was the character unique in the fact that she was transgender but it is also a debut book. But OMG I fell in love with Razia! She is so confident and proud of who she is, she doesn't let anyone take that away from her. The way she grows and proves herself again and again is so inspiring. Then you throw in Arjun and then the amazing setting and the zahhaks and I just loved every minute of it! I am so excited to see another book coming out this year!

This is a backlist book of Jenn McKinlay's that I picked up, it was the second book in a romance series (see above where I gush about one of her mystery series). While I enjoyed the first book I wasn't sure if it was a series I really was going to follow but picked this one up anyway.  I am so glad I did because I think I met my all time favorite book animal! I can't tell you much about the romance or the characters but I can tell you all about Ike the parrot because he totally made this book for me.  He was a bit of an unexpected inheritance, and he has a bit of a foul mouth and tends to spout off at the worst possible times. He added such a light and fun element to the story.  (on a side note: what does it say about me that 2 books on this list are here due to foul language?! LOL)

Finally a book I never expected to end up on this list, or even be read by me for that matter, due to it being a horror book, something I NEVER pick up. There was so much hype around this book and it ended up being a Book of the Month pick so I thought I would give it a try because I do love classic gothic novels.  That is one thing this book got so right, it gave me all the gothic vibes, it was dark, it was twisty and atmospheric in all the best ways. It gave great spooky vibes without absolutely terrifying me. Definitely in a way of screaming at the character 'no, don't go in there. Just leave, something bad is going to happen if you don't leave.'  It was so good and it left you thinking about all the twists and puzzling about it long after you were finished with the story. 

So what were some of your favorite books of 2020? Have you read any of mine? Will you be picking any of these up this year?

Review of 2019 Reading Year: The Stats, The Surprises, The Disappointments & the Best of the Best

I am finally getting around to wrapping up my 2019 reading year.  There were a lot of stats to calculate this time around since I didn't do such a good job of tracking throughout the year.

2018 Reading Stats:

In 2019 I read a total of 268 books (give or take a couple that aren't on Goodreads)

broken down that is 34,439 pages and

571:19 hours (23 days, 19 hours and 19 minutes) of audio book time

of those books:

15 earned 5 star ratings

147 earned 4 star ratings

77 earned 3 star ratings

17 earned 2 star ratings
1 earned 1 star rating

and 

7 were DNFed


58 were in the 0-50 page range
48 were in the 51-150 page range
70 were in the 151-300 page range
60 were in the 301-400 page range
19 were in the 401-500 page range
6 were in the 501-650 page range
2 were over the 650 range

31 were Children's Books

20 were Early Reader Books

66 were Middle Grade Books

63 were Young Adult Books
88 were Adult Books

33 were Graphic Novels

67 were Audio Books
80 were Print Books
88 were Ebooks

47 were Romance

55 were Fantasy
19 were Sci-Fi

only 2 were by local Rhode Island Authors


Things I have discovered in 2019:

~ I have gotten extremely stingy with my ratings, so few books are getting 5 star ratings anymore. Books really have to wow me in order to get that rating and I am kind of feeling bad about it.
~ I am super happy with the balance of my reading in both formats and age groups. 
~ I am also happy that I continue to give Sci-Fi a chance and am able to find books to enjoy in the genre.
~ I have also discovered that I am a bit of a mood reader, I just have gotten very good at selecting my TBRs that I don't even notice I am selecting based on my predicted moods.
~ I also tend to read chunkier books and binge read series earlier in the year and later in the year tend to pick up shorter books and dabble with new authors and genres. 

Biggest Disappointments:

So besides the 7 books I DNFed this last year, there were a few disappointments. It doesn't mean that these were bad books, or even that I hated them, just simply books I felt were going to be fantastic but just didn't live up to my expectations.

 

I know, you can all lynch me now.  But honestly the hype was not worth it for me, I understand everyone is super thrilled with the love/hate relationships and the plotting and twisted fae world but for me it really didn't present anything new I hadn't seen before and it didn't do it better either in my opinion. I am not even going to finish the series.

Everyone who reads MG has been raving about this series, but I should have known better when they kept comparing it to Harry Potter. I barely managed to get through this one (and it is a shame both the books had such pretty covers).

I just didn't get it, maybe I am not aware enough of the rich & famous to recognize the name dropping of designers or describing of beautiful furniture and clothing. I just couldn't picture it and the constant referring to family ties without a family tree just got annoying for me. I think the movie would suit me better this time.

Biggest Surprises:

I read some books this year that I wasn't sure about or that sucked me in far more than I ever expected. Some pulled me into new genres and others introduced me to new authors and worlds.

When Munchkin picked this book out at the library, I thought it would be one we tried and ended up returning to the library unread, but we consistently read it every night for a month and really enjoyed the story. We liked it so much we picked up our own copy along with the next book.  Munchkin is already re-reading it.

This is what I thought Crazy Rich Asians would be! Someone trying to fit in to the higher class.  Not only was it that but it was so much more! I loved the representation in this one and the family ties were amazing.  I absolutely loved the writing style and will be reading more of Helen Hoang in the future.

This is a book I randomly picked up because it looked really cool and it was on sale. I had no idea what I was getting into, and honestly have no idea what I even read or what to believe about this book. But it was amazing and so unique. I really hope I can find more like it in the future!



2019 Honorable Mentions
I don't normally do this but I read so many fantastic books this year that I just had to mention some that just barely missed out on my top books of the year.

I loved the sudden rush of books inspired by Joan of Arc and I am so glad I got to read this one, it was a unique and well researched format and was beautifully written. Even if poetry or historical books aren't your cup of tea, give this one a try anyway!

This is a series that I will forever be raving about! If you haven't started it, definitely go pick it up! Usually I am not a fan of final books in a series but even though we knew ahead of time how this series would end, Chee did an amazing job of keeping the reader clinging to every page.

This was everything I want in a holiday story, a bit of Christmas magic, friends, a little love and a happily ever after ending.  I flew through this story but loved every minute of it and it definitely left me in an upbeat mood even in the midst of my own holiday chaos.

Speaking of Christmas, or more of an anti-Christmas romance, I randomly picked this book up right at the end of the holiday season when I was just a bit sick of the other Christmas books I had been reading and I loved the dark, snarky character and the sunny beach setting, so different from all the other holiday books I had been reading and it still stands out!

 

This series has been calling to me for quite some time, both from the shelves at the bookstore every time I visited and then again from my own shelves once I gave in, but they are just so darn large! I wish I hadn't been intimidated by the size because even though they are so big, they are pretty easy to read.  I get really drawn into the story quickly and the pages really fly, I regret waiting so long to read them and am really going to push to finish the series early in 2020.

and finally

The Best of the Best Books in 2019:

So here we go with my top books of 2019! I did not expect a single one of these to land at the top, but they have all clearly earned the right to be here. Much like last year, my favorite books have such a variety, and I love that about my reading, any book can become a favorite at any time no matter the target age, genre or format! So in no particular order here are my top books of 2019. . .

I was on a search for strong female role models in books and stumbled across this book at the library and thought I would give it a try, little did I know how inspiring it would be.  While I have very little in common with Ibtihaj, her determination, bravery and work ethic are so inspiring and so is her story and journey so far in life. Proud: Living My American Dream is definitely worth picking up!

  

 

I know, I did it again and put an entire series (at least so far) on my favorites list, but The Queen's Thief series so belongs here!! I had been eyeing this series for a while but so many other readers I trust either didn't like it or DNFed the first book.  But then I saw an interview with Megan Whalen Turner and saw the new covers and I just couldn't resist.  While this series might not be for everyone, it is a bit slow moving and has a very intricate plot full of intrigue with even the smallest detail being possibly important in a later book.  I inhaled this series in a single month and am so beyond excited that the next (and I think final) book is scheduled to come out in 2020 *fingers crossed*

Another example of not picking your favorites until the year is over! One of the final books I picked up and read in 2018 ended up being a book that completely blew me away. This book is stunning with the handwritten calligraphy and simple sketched images, along with simple yet profound statements make this the most beautiful book I read this year and it might even earn it a spot in my all time favorite books!

So what were some of your favorite books of 2019? Have you read any of mine? Will you be picking any of these up this year?

Books of 2017: Stats, the Disappointing, the Surprises and the Best of the Best (& Giveaway)

I guess it is about time I wrap up my 2017 reading year since we are well into 2018 already (like I said I need an unassigned week between the years to wrap things up and get set for the new year).  So you can see my Stats , Least Favorite Books and Favorite Books of 2016 in those three posts, but since I am behind schedule this year, I thought I would cram them all together in one post.

2017 Reading Stats:

In 2017 I read a total of 330 books (give or take a couple that aren't on Goodreads)

broken down that is 51,233 pages and

335:13 hours (13 days, 23 hours and 13 minutes) of audio book time

of those books:

28 earned 5 star ratings

156 earned 4 star ratings

116 earned 3 star ratings

27 earned 2 star ratings

and 

3 were DNFed

68 were Children's Books

54 were Early Reader Books

28 were Middle Grade Books

62 were Young Adult Books

30 were Graphic Novels

46 were Romance

75 were Fantasy

35 were Audio Books 

26 were by local Rhode Island Authors

Biggest Disappointments:

For this I am not including the 3 DNF books (Neverwhere, The Book of Bera and The Mating).  This does not mean that these books were terrible, it just means that they did not hold up to my expectations.

This book might be one of the most beautiful to hold in your hands, the cover is stunning, the synopsis sounds amazing and those deckled edges! But it just didn't hold up, the story was blah, the romance was blah, the imagery was blah.

I have heard so many people rave about this series and how it is a great tale of sisterhood and not romance.  I really had to push through this one and even though I had also purchased the second book in the series I ended up unhauling both books! The world, characters and magic system were all underdeveloped and confusing. 

Yup, I had to put this up there.  I cannot believe I wasted so many hours on this series to have such a anti-climatic ending. Someone significant needed to die in the end and not he who should not be named. 

On that trend this one also needs to be listed, but I did enjoy this book for the most part. The bits thrown in to appease the crowds and the lack of consequences of epic battles just left me feeling cheated.

And speaking of pandering to the masses, this book was so hyped, a standalone fantasy (which is now a trilogy) with a female/female love story.  To me it ended up falling short on the world building, character development and story line to cash in on the sexual diversity push.

Biggest Surprises:

These may not be in my favorites but these are ones I picked up not expecting anything in particular but finding I held a gem in my hands.

This book sat on my TBR shelf for over a year after receiving it in a subscription box, I finally picked it up when I saw the cover for the second book. This is such an awesome high fantasy with great world building and story to it. I cannot wait to read the second book this year!

This was quite the surprise at the end of the year, a unique magic system and a not so happy hunky dory relationship between the characters makes it so much more multi-dimensional.

 

I was so disappointed in the Throne of Glass series that I was really hesitant to pick these books up but I am so glad I did! I absolutely loved the way the inspiration (Beauty and the Beast & Hades and Persephone) was interwoven into the story and of course like everyone else I completely fell for Rhys (but I must say that Azriel might have the bigger part of my heart).

  

I have heard some really great reviews and some really ranting reviews of this series but when I found it available from the library I thought why not give it a shot.  It started out really rough and I almost didn't continue but I am glad I did, I ended up loving the mental games played and both the Laurent and Damien wormed their way into my heart.

and finally

The Best of the Best Books in 2017:

Here are my absolute favorite books that I read in 2017! This is entirely my opinion, I pick my favorites not only in my enjoyment of them at the time but also on how they have stood out to me in the mix of 330 books from this year.

You would think that one of the first books of the year would be easily forgotten, but Cat and Griffin have haunted me all year waiting for their conclusion (Heart on Fire was just released yesterday). I love this second story in the series, especially Cat's spunky attitude and Griffin's solid determination.

When I saw the cover of this book I knew I wanted to read it and was approved on Netgalley, but then I saw the synopsis and that the main character was gender fluid and I got really nervous that it would be a disappointment like Of Fire and Stars. Thank goodness I decided to read it anyway! It was an intense story full of plots, brutality and a main character that you can't help rooting for, I seriously can't wait for the next book in this Duology!!

 

Again, The Reader is a book that sat on my shelf for nearly a year. I finally got the urge to pick it up and good gordy am I glad I did! If you read my review earlier this year, you know that this may not be a book for everyone but if you have the patience for this slow building and super intricate story, it will be so worth your time! The Speaker definitely continued to build on the first without that second book slump and more pieces are put together but still some don't quite fit yet. I am anxiously awaiting the next book and hoping it will come out this year!

And finally the best book I read this year, A Man Called Ove! I had seen a few people raving about this book and on a whim decided to pick it up even though it isn't in my usual reading genres. Wow! I was raving about this book even as I was currently reading it.  I could see so much of myself in Ove and I ended up adoring everyone in the neighborhood. You will laugh, you will cry, you will probably end up loving this book too!

So there you have my final wrap up of my 2017 reading year. As you may know, in previous years I have given away my top favorite books.  I am still planning to do that but I am trying to line up interviews and guest posts with some of those authors for a little extra treat for all of you.  In the mean time, I will have a giveaway for A Man Called Ove to hold you over.

As always there are some rules:

~Open internationally (you are responsible for customs fees beyond shipping)

~ Must be 18 or over (or have your parent's permission as I will need your shipping address)

~ Must give me a mailing address to send them to (believe it or not I have had winners in the past who didn't want to give an address so was unable to claim their prize)

~ Giveaway runs from now through January 11th at 12:00am EST

~Rafflecopter will randomly select the winner

2017 Graphic Novel Challenge Wrap Up & Favorites

Today I thought I would wrap up my Graphic Novel Challenge for the year (even though I plan to read one more before the end of the year - I will just tack it on to next year maybe).  Again you can see my original challenge post for the year HERE.  I had set a goal of 25 Graphic Novels (which yes I know doesn't apply to all of those listed here as most are Trades and not actual Graphic Novels but for ease of tracking I put them all together on this list).  I definitely accomplished that goal by reading a total of 30 this year!

1. Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Vol. 1

2. The Last Unicorn

3. Princeless Vol. 1
4. Will & Whit
5. The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 1: The Faust Act
6. Nimona
7. The Sculptor
8. Huck: Book 1 - All American
9. Donald Duck: Vicious Cycles
10. Over the Garden Wall Vol. 1
11. Saga Vol. 5
12. Saga Vol. 6
13. Angel Catbird Vol. 1
14. Local
15. Supergirl Vol. 1: Last Daughter of Krypton
16. Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Year One
17. Monstress Vol. 2: The Blood
18. The Tea Dragon Society
19. Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too
20. Saga Vol. 7
21. This One Summer
22. Huntress: Crossbow at the Crossroads
23. The Shadow Glass
24. Frankenstein Underground
25. She and Her Cat
26. Klaus
27. Piper
28. Northlanders Vol. 5: Metal and Other Stories
29. Northstars Vol. 1: Welcome to Snowville
30. This One Summer

Top Graphic Novels Read in 2017

As with years passed I have really bounced around a lot in this genre, I have dabbled in different types of novels, from Middle Grade to fantasy to super hero to memoir, there are so many options and definitely something for everyone.  But these are my favorites that I read this year . . .

This doesn't appear to be a popular opinion, but I really enjoyed this slightly different approach to a super hero book.  The art work in it is right up my alley and I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading it, sadly there doesn't appear to be any kind of plans to continue with it.

I am glad the investment in this one was worth it, I really enjoyed this play on good and evil for Santa's back story. A slightly darker read for the holidays but still with that same feel good at the end. The art is also so detailed and amazing that I just wanted to keep looking at it!

I read this one so early in 2017 that it almost slipped my mind but I really enjoyed this new take on fairy tales and empowering girls to help themselves.  I will definitely be tracking down more in this series in the next year or so because it was full of some really quirky characters and fun story lines.

Honestly, even if you aren't into comics or graphic novels, this might still be a must read book! The characters are so well developed, quirky and multi dimensional that you can't help but come to care for them.  The story is also revolves around good and evil but with some great play with the gray areas that readers can relate to in real life.  

This one is so me that I couldn't help but add it to this list, I adore everything about it, the art style, the characters, the story line, and most of all the unique creativity of it. If you want something cutesy but with a great fantasy story don't hesitate to pick this one up!

Again, I would love to hear about your favorites of the year! Have you read any of these? Do you have any recommendations for me for the coming year?