A look back on 2018
I started this blog in March, so I have not yet completed a full year since my return to blogging. I have really enjoyed the process and the social interaction that comes with blogging. I used to go out once a month with a group of local bookdrossers, and that was for the most part sufficient for me to have people to "booktalk" with (my husband does not enjoy reading), but since the arrival of our son, it has not been so simple to head off for these meet-ups. Blogging and the associated social networking has returned that much needed interaction with other book lovers to my life. Thank you to all who have been a part of it!As we slide from one year to the next, it seems only natural to reflect on things Here is a basic look back on my bookish adventures.
Some Basic Stats for 2018:
It has been a wonderful year with many wonderful stories!
When I set up my GoodReads 2018 Reading Challenge, I did not know that my audiobooks would be considered. Lesson learned! I did beat my challenge in either respect, but my 2019 goal will be more in line with how GoodReads counts.
- e-book and print (combined) 43 books totaling 13111 pages. Page counts ranged from 96 to 544 pages with an average page count of 344.83 pages. So here's a wake-up call for all you people who think you don't have time to read - My daily average or pages read in either print or e-book is only about 35! Squeezing in just a few pages here and there adds up!
- Audiobooks 60 audiobooks for a total 630.06 hours. Length of audiobook ranged from 3.77 hours to 18.68 hours with an average length of 10.82 (10 hours 49 minutes). The daily average of my audiobook listening time is about 1.72 hours of listening time per day - and most days I spend an hour alone in a vehicle driving! This is why I love audiobooks so much! Being able to "read" while I drive, file, cook dinner, etc. has given me 60 extra stories this year! Stories I would not have otherwise had time for. Sure, I prefer to sit down with a book and read it myself, but who has enough time in this busy world?
When all formats are combined, I have enjoyed:
8.33 stories per month or
1.92 stories per week
Favorites
Below are a few lists of my favorite books this year (in no particular order). You can click on any of the titles to see my review.
🍁My Favorite Canadian Titles of 2018🍁 :
HER PRETTY FACE, by Robyn Harding
THE HOME FOR UNWANTED GIRLS, by Joanna Goodman
FEAST, by Broms the Poet (Jeff Bromley)
TRICKSTER DRIFT, by Eden Robinson
THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB, by Craig Davidson
ALL THINGS CONSOLED, by Elizabeth Hay
My Favorite Thrillers & Suspense Titles of 2018
BRING ME BACK, by B. A. Paris
THEN SHE WAS GONE, by Lisa Jewell
THE WIFE BETWEEN US, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE, by Stuart Turton
THE LAST TIME I LIED, by Riley Sager
THE CHILD FINDER, by Rene Denfeld
LYING IN WAIT, by Liz Nugent
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
SOMETHING IN THE WATER, by Catherine Steadman
My Favorite Fantasy Titles of 2018:
WHAT BLOOMS FROM DUST, by James Markert
THE PLASTIC MAGICIAN, by Charlie N. Holmberg
WE ARE WHERE THE NIGHTMARES GO, by C. Robert Cargill
THE RULES OF MAGIC, by Alice Hoffman
CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE, by Tomi Adeyemi
SEA WITCH, by Sarah Henning
SPINNING SILVER, by Naomi Novik
VITA NOSTRA, by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko
My Favorite General Fiction Titles of 2018
THE HATE YOU GIVE, by Angie Thomas (no review link, i read this before starting this blog, but it is such an important story I did not want to omit it from my list)
THE PERFECT MOTHER, by Aimee Malloy
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, by Celeste Ng
THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS, by Amy Meyerson
THE TRAVELING CAT CHRONICLES, by Hiro Arikawa
HANNAH GREEN AND HER UNFEASIBLY MUNDANE EXISTENCE, by Michael Marshall Smith
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, by Delia Owens
So whats up for 2019?
My hopes for the blog are to be a little more proactive in my posts, and trying to work ahead whenever possible to post more consistently. There were a few periods when time was at a premium and my social media presence and blog posts were minimal. This shows up rapidly on the blog stats and has a pretty significant effect.Looking ahead, I have to say that 2019 is shaping up to be a stellar year for books! The first half of the year has already overwhelmed me with the quantity and quality of books that are going to be released.
My last review of this year was a 5 star review for an ARC of the book AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, which actually due for release on January 8th, 2019. So 2019 is going to start on a high note!
My most anticipated book of the first half of 2019 is THE BINDING, by Bridgett Collins. This book has already released in the UK, but has a North American Pub date of April 16 2019. If you love Fantasy, you will want to watch for this one!
Books for the second half of 2019 are not all announced yet, but Rene Denfeld, author of THE CHILD FINDER, has a sequel in the works, and she has recently stated on social media that while no firm date has been set as of yet, hopes are for a fall release. Canadian indigenous author Eden Robinson, who wrote SON OF A TRICKSTER, and TRICKSTER DRIFT should be adding the third title to the series at some point in the future, but I have not been able to find any information about a title or anticipated release date, but it is still something to watch out for as there is a good possibility it will happen in 2019.
I wish you the best of reading in 2019!
Happy Reading,
Christine
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