I love Goodreads. It is such a useful site/app to track both what I’ve read and to find new books to read. The yearly Reading Challenge really does keep me motivated to read more. This year I surpassed my goal of 50 books by 38% – that’s an extra 19 books! I owe those extra books to some travel we did and my commute to work (extra reading time is one of the few advantages of my car/train/subway commute into the office). I’ll also acknowledge sunny days on my back deck, my favourite spot on the couch and reading in bed while Sean watches sports as other good times for reading.
As you can see from the below list, I read my usual mix of contemporary fiction, biographies/memoirs, “delightfully trashy” romance and a smidge of non-fiction. My fascination with Nantucket summers and ‘summer cottage fiction’ has continued, along with biographies of aging rockers.
What can I say, I am a multi-faceted woman.
I enjoyed all the books on this list – some more than others of course. There were a few I didn’t finish that did not make this list. I’m relieved that I’ve finally allowed myself not to finish books I’m not enjoying.
The books I’d really recommend that you read if you haven’t already are:
- The Best Kind of People, by Zoe Whittall
- This was a complex, fascinating read. No easy answers here.
- Real Artists Have Day Jobs, by Sara Benincasa
- I’m likely a touch older than the audience intended for this book but I love how encouraging it is.
- This is Where it Ends, by Marieke Nijkamp
- People either seem to love this book or hate it. The subject matter is intense, but I read it almost non-stop in one evening so it definitely kept me interested.
- The Choices We Make, by Karma Brown
- This story covers a lot of heavy issues with a lot of heart: heart-warming, heart-wrenching, heartbreaking. Have tissues handy.
What did you read this year? I’d love your recommendations.
