This time last year I did this same post for books I read in 2017 on my previous blog Becky in China. Then I set myself a reading goal of 30 books for the year, and surprised myself by surpassing it and reading 34. This year, I decided to challenge myself, not only to see if I could do it, but also because I wanted reading to be more a part of my life. I used to read a lot as a teenager, and then as a university student, but after that balancing work life and a social life became more important. Binge watching TV shows and seeing the latest movies became easier somehow, so this year I decided to ditch the shows in favour of a good book. And you know something? I love it. I’ve never been fussed with TV anyway, and now I find that I will always choose to pick up a book than to stick the Box on. Since returning to the U.K. from China I have joined my local library and reading has never been easier.
Thus, at the beginning of 2018 I set myself a goal of 40 books. Once I got to 45 I secretly challenged myself to read 52 books – one for each week of the year. I am super proud of myself for having exceeded even this amount and reading 56 books!
I haven’t yet thought whether I’ll set a reading goal around this figure for 2019 yet. I’m not sure what I have planned yet and don’t want to disappoint myself at the end of the year if I don’t manage to read enough to fulfil my goal due to other commitments. However, this year has been an awesome one reading wise, and I’m super happy!
So what exactly have I read this year? Here my list, in the order in which they were read:
Key:
Bold – review available to read on my blog, just click the link!
🌟- these are 5/5 in my opinion and as you can see, I’ve read a lot of them this year!
💖 – favourites of the year!
1. A New York Christmas Fairy Tale – Sarah Morgan – 3/5
2. Moonlight over Manhattan – Sarah Morgan – 5/5 🌟
3. One Christmas Kiss in Notting Hill – Mandy Baggot – 4/5
4. Finding You – Jo Watson – 4/5
5. The Honey Farm on the Hill – Jo Thomas 5/5 🌟
6. Bet Me – Jennifer Crusie – 4/5
7. Death on the Nile – Agatha Christie – 5/5 🌟
8. Hunllef – Manon Steffan Ros (in Welsh) – 4/5
9. Catfish and Mandala – Andrew X. Pham – 5/5 🌟💖
10. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows – Bali Kaur Jaswal – 4/5
11. Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris – 3/5
12. Educated: A Memoir – Tara Westover – 5/5 🌟💖(See review here)
13. Born a Crime – Trevor Noah – 5/5 🌟 (See review here)
14. Artemis – Andy Weir – 4/5
15. The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah – 5/5 🌟💖(See review here)
16. The Year of Less – Cait Flanders – 4/5
17. The Tenderness of Wolves – Stef Penney – 4/5
18. The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde – 5/5 🌟
19. Lost in a Good Book – Jasper Fforde – 4/5
20. Summer at Coastguard Cottages – Jennifer Bohnet – 5/5 🌟
21. Summer at Skylark Farm – Heidi Swain – 4/5
22. You had me at Bonjour – Jennifer Bohnet – 3.5/5
23. The Chestnut Tree – Jo Thomas – 3.5/5
24. Circe – Madeline Miller – 5/5 🌟💖
25. Random Acts of Kindness Part 1 – Victoria Walters – 3/5
26. Ready Player One – Ernest Cline – 4/5
27. The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris – 5/5 🌟 💖 (See review here)
28. The Bed and Breakfast on the Beach – Kat French – 4.5/5
29. After the Rain – Jo Watson – 5/5 🌟
30. The Red Sky at Night – Jo Thomas – 3/5
31. The Homecoming – Rosie Howard – 3/5
32. First they killed my father – Loung Ung – 5/5 🌟 (See review here)
33. The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd – 5/5 🌟(See review here)
34. The Long Ride Home – Rupert Issacson – 5/5 🌟
35. The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder – Sarah J. Harris – 3/5
36. Jigs and Reels – Joanne Harris – 5/5 🌟
37. The Astonishing Colour of After – Emily X.R. Pan – 5/5 🌟
38. The Little Café in Copenhagen – Julie Caplin – 5/5 🌟
39. America for Beginners – Leah Franqui – 4/5
40. Timeline – Michael Crichton – 5/5 🌟
41. The Little Brooklyn Bakery – Julie Caplin – 5/5 🌟
42. Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage – Heidi Swain – 5/5 🌟
43. How To Stop Time – Matt Haig – 4.5/5 (See review here)
44. The Snow Child – Eowyn Ivey – 5/5 🌟💖(See review here)
45. Eleanor & Park – Rainbow Rowell – 3.5/5
46. Holes – Louis Sachar – 4/5
47. The Clockmaker’s Daughter – Kate Morton – 5/5 🌟💖(See review here)
48. To The Bright Edge of the World – Eowyn Ivey – 4.5/5
49. Wild by Nature: One Woman, One Trek, One Thousand Nights – Sarah Marquis – 4/5
50. The Great Ex-Scape – Jo Watson – 3/5 (See review here)
51. This Must Be The Place – Maggie O’Farrell – 5/5 🌟(See review here)
52. Snowflakes & Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland – Heidi Swain – 3/5 (See review here)
53. Everything Everything – Nicola Yoon – 3.5/5 (See review here)
54. One Day In December – Josie Silver – 5/5 🌟 (See review here)
55. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them screenplay – J.K. Rowling – 5/5 🌟💖
56. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton – 5/5 🌟💖
Favourites:
1.Catfish and Mandala –
This was a very moving book, and I enjoyed it more because I bought it whilst actually in Vietnam. It recounts an incredible journey. Just amazing.
2.Educated –
What can I say about Educated? This memoir is in the Goodreads best of 2018 lists for a good reason. It is sad and horrific in many ways but very interesting and beautifully crafted.
3.The Great Alone –
I loved the setting. I can’t imagine a better place for this novel than the Alaskan wilderness. What an amazing novel. Beautiful though heartbreaking and definitely memorable.
4.Circe –
Just where to start?? Amazing novel, elegantly written, and one I will remember for a very long time. Just spellbinding.
5.The Tattooist of Auschwitz –
This one is heartbreaking, compelling, thought provoking, and at times so unbelievably disturbing. Incredible true story.
6.The Snow Child –
Magically beautiful and poignant, with wonderful characters and an incredible setting in the Alaskan wilderness.
7.The Clockmaker’s Daughter –
Another a historical fiction masterpiece by Kate Morton, the characters and time periods all intricately woven together to creat this beautiful novel.
8.Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them –
Because I love everything by J.K. Rowling, particularly everything set in her magical world. Easy to read and a lot of fun too, it’s a great expansion on the Harry Potter universe.
9. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle –
Oh my goodness. This book is WOW. Incredible murder mystery with a huge twist, and a main character who has little idea of who he really is. Just wow!
Most surprising (in a good way!):
1.The Astonishing Colour of After –
A YA novel that covered so much more than expected. Hard hitting, tear jerking and magical.
2.The Tenderness of Wolves –
My parents have read it, but it surprised me how much I loved this book.
Least favourite / Disappointments:
Honestly? I’ve been lucky this year! Not having a bookshop in China has helped me a lot with my paperback purchases. I now only buy books I really want to read, and restrict myself to one per time. This has kept my physical TBR pile very low, though I still have a ton on my Goodreads shelf!
I do however have a couple of books I didn’t enjoy as much as I thought I would:
1. Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland –
I just wasn’t into it, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous ones I’ve read by her.
2. Eleanor and Park –
I’ve heard great things, perhaps it was just too built up and didn’t deliver what I was expecting?
In conclusion:
I’ve enjoyed my reading experiences this year. I’ve had a variety of genres, lengths, and languages (Hunllef was my first Welsh novel for years, and I read it to see if I still could read and understand a Welsh novel. I loved that I could indeed do both, and thoroughly enjoy it too!). I’ve surpassed my reading challenge and am looking forward to seeing what next year brings to my shelf!
Happy New Year fellow bloggers and readers, may 2019 be filled with pages and travels and happiness.
Bookish Wanders 