The Past Year in Reading

I started 29 books this year, finished 27 of them. This sounds really lightweight considering some of the book blogs that I have read today…where people have read anywhere from 100 to 200 books in the past year. I am feeling good about averaging over 2 books a month! In my defense, however, I do feel like I read some really BIG (long) books. I am gearing up for a great 2009 for reading. My official plan is to retire at the end of May, so let the reading begin!

Summary of 2008:

I read the last 4 Harry Potter books. I am not including them in my Top favorites list, because they are just a given!

22 of the books I read this past year were written by women, 7 by men; I find that interesting, but not surprising. However, 2 of the men made my Top lists.

My Top 5 favorites of 2008:

The River Wife-Jonis Agee

The Gravedigger’s Daughter-Joyce Carol Oates

In The Woods-Tana French

The Stand-Stephen King

Home-Marilyn Robinson

The Outlander-Gil Adamson

Sarah’s Key-Tataina De Rosnay

Ok, I couldn’t limit it to 5, so it is a Top 7 list!

And the runner-ups are:

No Country for Old Men-Cormac McCarthy

The Road-Cormac McCarthy

Those Who Save Us-Jenna Blough

Year of Fog-Michelle Richmond

The Worst Thing I’ve Done-Ursula Hegi

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox-Maggie O’Farrell

I have quite a list already of books that I would like to read in 2009. However, I am not into commitments right now, so we will just have to wait and see what I end up reading! There will never be enough time to read all that I want to read. I am over halfway finished with The Tenderness of Wolves. I am betting that it makes the Top list next year. More to come on that!