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I have a confession. I am a slow reader. My reading habit is to go to bed with the book, by which point I am falling asleep from a full day of writing, marketing and teaching and can barely finish a chapter. Occasionally, I have some time on the weekends to sit on my sofa with a book, but more often than not, I am just busy meeting friends or working on my projects.
If I remember rightly, I did not meet my Goodreads challenge of 2018. I managed eight books out of my target of ten. Pathetic. Can I justify that by saying five were super long and the equivalent of two shorter books? Oh, and the fact that my life was pretty hectic last year.
For 2019, I set my goal at a realistic twelve—one per month—and I am proud to say I have reached my goal early!
WOHOO!! CELEBRATION CUPCAKE!
Perhaps I will get one more in this year—I say one because I am currently reading a book that seems as long as the Bible—and a sequel to one of the tomes of 2018.
I am still ashamed of my book count. A Goodreads user suggested that I double my goal for 2020. I am tempted by the challenge, but finishing two books per month seems an unrealistic challenge—unless I deliberately pick short length books! Since 2018’s goal was 10 and 2019’s goal was 12, and I think I could have gone higher.
Therefore, I think I will set my 2020 reading challenge as 15! That seems reasonable, right?
Now, let me give you a rundown of what I read this year and some thoughts.
1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I heard so much about this author it was about time for me to check her out. Absolutely my favourite book this year. There were moments I felt confused by the randomness of the world, Hunger Games meets Fairytale meets Way of Shadows but finally, I got into it and ordered the second book while reading—I suffered a book hangover for a few days after finishing. The main character is relatable and tolerable (female leads can really annoy me), and the two main men by her side are great. Can't wait to read the next in the series.
2. The Vegetarian by Han Kang
I picked this up for three reasons: It is short. It is by a Korean author. I don't read literary fiction and wanted to give it a shot.
Plus it has such high praise! NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Publisher's Weekly • Buzzfeed • etc... blah blah...
My thoughts. I finished it feeling highly confused and weirded out. I gave it a generous 2 stars simply for writing style.
Not for me.
3. The Ultimate Agent by Derek Borne
Written by a fellow author friend of course I had to check it out.
Full of action, adventure and romance, this book is doesn't stop!
Perhaps fans of The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson will dig it.
Speaking of which:
4. & 5. Firefight and Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson has a way of creating unique stories that are real page-turners.
According to my review, I gave Firefight 3 stars and Calamity 4 but I can't remember why. I will assume it had something to do with my mood at the time. This series is action-packed and addictive. Sanderson writes short chapters that all end on cliffhangers—it's so hard to stop reading!
6. & 7. The Folks of Air by Holly Black
My main reason for reading these was to jump into the Fae world of other authors. I am glad I gave it a shot. Holly is a talented author and gifted world builder. These two are also at the top of this year's list and I anticipate the last in the series (out this month eeeekkk).
8. Power of Five by Alex Lidell
Alright. I'll admit it. I got this purely for the cover. It was my first attempt at Reverse Harem so I really didn't know what to expect.
This book turned out to be so racy. It was basically erotica—which isn't my thing. So I will not be continuing with this series.
9. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
He's a big name in the literary world. So I had to check him out (also a good author friend recommended it). When I found it on sale, of course I picked it up. The story was good enough, but I think I am just too old to get into it. I liked it, but I don't intend on reading the rest of the series. Riodan is a great writer, so I am willing to try another title.
10. Starfall by R. M. Anderson
The reason for finding this wee gem was because a blogger had compared this and my first book. So the author and I both read each other's work.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this story—it was like a folktale if my memory serves me right.
11. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Another really popular book among fantasy and YA readers, I picked this up on sale in a second-hand store. It was my first read of a fairytale retelling, but I wasn't so sure about reading it because I'm not a sci-fi fan—fantasy all the way, folks! I ended up really getting into it and love the two leads. I'd be willing to pick up the next in the series, though my desire isn't as strong as with Holly of Sarah's books.
12. Trickery by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington
My second attempt at Reverse Harem and recommended by readers who prefer a cleaner version of the genre.
This was much better than The Power of Five, and I'd be happy to get into the next book if my current shelves weren't overflowing.
I am not sure how much I like the lead of this tale, she is one of those ridiculously clumsy women, but the supporting characters were likeable.
As for the rest of 2019...
Currently reading: The Devil's Thief by Lisa Maxwell
You can see the results of my Goodreads Challenge here.
Looking for a November read? Check out this list. I think it is obvious I am highly anticipating The Queen of Nothing.
One more thing:
Check out a new interview with me over at Many Books.
Until next month
Stay Gold