2018 was a lot of things but at the top of my list was re-discovering my love of reading. In January I set a goal to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Once I realized I was going to surpass that goal, I set a new goal of 75 books read for 2018 and I met that goal. Here’s the breakdown:
- 75 books completed
- 26,121 pages
- Longest book – A Little Life, 720 pages
- 38 audiobooks (I drive A LOT)
- 30 five star books
- 13 nonfiction books
My Top 10 Books of 2018:
- Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
- A Little Life – Hana Yanagihara
- The Incendiaries – R. O. Kwon
- The Nix – Nathan Hill
- The Rules of Magic – Alice Hoffman
- Bitter Orange – Claire Fuller
- Bear Town – Fredrick Backman
- Heavy – Kiese Laymon
- Next Year in Havana – Chanel Cleeton
- Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows – Balli Kaur Jaswal
For me, the top 10 list is always the hardest to write so here are a few surprise favorites that didn’t quite make the list but should be on your To-Be-Read list:
- Behind Her Eyes – Sarah Pinborough
- Calypso – David Sedaris
- Rules of Civility – Amor Towles
- Shrill – Lindy West
- From Sand and Ash – Amy Harmon
The misses a.k.a the books other raved about that I didn’t love:
- The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah
- Still Lives – Maria Hummel
Both of these were misses for me for the same reason – graphic domestic violence/violence against women to the excess and wasn’t necessary to the plot.
My one abandoned book was Less by Andrew Sean Greer. I just didn’t get the Pulitzer award given to this book. And maybe I would have liked it more if it hadn’t had that hype before I picked it up to read.
2018 was one of the hardest years of my life both personally and professionally. On the personal front, I’m happy that our family is bringing this year to a close and we are all healing and healthier. On the professional front, we will have to see what 2019 brings but I’m encouraged by the direction I am headed and so very thankful for my husband and his unrelenting support and encouragement.
I am also thrilled to have reconnected with my love of writing here on my blog as well as other outlets and I’m looking forward to seeing where that takes me in 2019. In addition to that, the bookstagram community on Instagram is a wonderful and supportive place to find fellow bookworms and I am so happy to have connected with so many like-minded readers and writers.
And last but not least… two communities I connected with late in the year, The Himalayas of Literature and Book Club for Introverts. Both of these groups have been highlights of 2018 for me and I can’t wait to continue with both in 2019.
All in all, 2018 has been a year of goals met, lessons learned, new directions, and finding the things to be thankful even in the midst of the valleys.
Here’s to a new year full of promise! Happy New Year!