It's time for one of my favorite events of the year....
It's Perpetual Page Turner's 9th Annual End-of-the-Year Reading Survey!
***2018 READING STATS***
Number of Books You Read:
415 books, with 55,199 pages
Fiction 308 vs. Nonfiction 107
Children 276 vs. Adult 139
Genre You Read The Most:
Children's Picture Books
Best book you read in 2018?
The best book I read was Excellent Women by Barbara Pym.
Book you thought you were going to love, but didn't?
I was terribly disappointed with Old in Art School.
Most surprising book?
I was surprised to find that I loved (almost) every classic---Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Kafka's Metamorphosis, Thoreau's Walden, Frankenstein, all the Jane Austen books---I read this year.
Book you pushed the most people to read?
I told everyone I met about American Wolf.
Best series you started in 2018?
I was wild about Holly Black's new series, The Folk of the Air. The first book is The Cruel Prince.
Favorite new author?
I have fallen in love with Jason Reynolds.
Best book from a genre you don’t typically read?
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was the rare scifi novel this year.
Most action-packed book?
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff was full of action and adventure. Wild Fang was amazing, too.
Book you read in 2018 you will be most likely to reread in 2019?
I predict that I will be reading lots of board books over and over to my grandchildren next year.
Favorite cover?
Take a look at Julián is a Mermaid.
Most memorable character?
I was happy to make the acquaintance of Charlie Hernández.
Most beautifully written book?
Winter by Karl One Knausgaard was a lovely read.
Most thought-provoking book?
Forest Bathing...a book about trees as living beings, with deep lives. I'll never think about trees the same way.
Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?
Most people seem to read Jane Austen in high school, but I waited until I was sixty-one to read Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion.
Favorite quote from a book you read in 2018?
"I am stockpiling antibiotics for the Apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites on the windowsill in the kitchen," Anne Lamott writes in Almost Everything.
Shortest and longest books?
The shortest was How to Say I Love You in 5 Languages, with 10 pages.
The longest was 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, with 960 pages.
Book that shocked you the most?
A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds was a difficult read.
OTP OF THE YEAR (You will go down with this ship!) (OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
Meant for each other: The boy, Ken McLaughlin, and his horse, Flicka.
Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year?
It was beautiful to read about the relationship that Fred Rogers had with every human being he met in The Good Neighbor.
Favorite book you read in 2018 by an author you read previously?
I was thrilled to get a review copy of the latest book by one of my favorite authors, Richard Powers. The book is The Overstory.
I also loved the latest Anne Tyler, the latest Barbara Kingsolver, the latest Patricia Polacco. Wonderful stories.
Best book you read in 2018 that you read solely based on someone else's recommendation?
The Sufi Book of Life was a book I'd never have read had not it been recommended to me.
Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?
Everyone should have a dad like Alma's patient and kind dad in Alma and How She Got Her Name.
Best 2018 debut you read?
I'd have to pick The Library Book by Susan Orlean.
Most vivid setting of the year?
Escape from Aleppo takes place during a violent war.
Book that was the most fun to read?
You mustn't miss Baking With Kafka. And Confederacy of Dunces.
Book that almost made you cry in 2018?
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan was a deeply moving read.
Hidden gem of the year?
Paris in the Present Tense was marvelous.
Book that crushed your soul?
Ah, Frankenstein.
Most unique book you read?
(I can't talk about most of the children's picture books I read this year, as I'm a sworn-to-secrecy-Cybils-judge.) I can tell you that you must read The Little Barbarian, (as it was not published in time for this year's Cybils).
And you really must read Bibliophile and 1000 Books to Read Before You Die.
Book that made you the most mad?
Reading children's picture books like The Old Man (homelessness), Night Job (boy's dad works nights), and Tomorrow by Nadine Kaadan (war) make me angry that children must suffer so much in the world.
One book you didn't get to in 2018 that you will read in 2019?
I am waiting to read An American Marriage until the author visits Houston in the spring of 2019.
Book you are most anticipating in 2019 (non-debut)?
I will read Anna Karenina. I will.
2019 debut you are most anticipating?
Lots of these: a new Angie Thomas, a book by the comic "Cathy" author, and a book about our news media.
TBR that you will read in 2019?
I have a ridiculous number (5) of Book of the Month Club books that I have not yet read. I will read these in 2019.
One thing you hope to accomplish in your blogging life in 2019?
I will blog more often. I will shake things up a bit. I will write more about my reading. I will visit more blogs. I will paint my own header.
A 2019 release you’re already recommending to everyone?
I adored Holly Black's new series, The Folk of the Air, and I can't wait to hear what people think about book #2, The Wicked King.
What were your favorites for 2018?
Leave me a link in the comments, please.
I'd love to see what you enjoyed this year.
I really want to get my hands on The Good Neighbor. I admired Fred Rogers so much.
ReplyDeleteWow, 415 books? You are a reading beast! I need to read more Jason Reynolds books. I’ve only read 1. It was okay, but I’ve heard that his other books are better.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Anna Karenina is one of my favorite books ever; I have read it more times than I can remember. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it. Your list was fascinating; so many titles I haven't heard of, let alone read. But, I am eager to get to my copy of Overstory as i always enjoy reading the books listed for the Man Booker Prize. My copy of Milkman, which won this year, is due back at the library sooner than I wish.
ReplyDeletegreat post, thanks! I just got Forest Bathing from my library
ReplyDeleteJason Reynolds really is impressive! I have read a few of his books, but want to continue reading the middle grade series that began with Ghost.
ReplyDeleteSuch a marvelous recounting of your reading accomplishments! You read a lot of books that I feel like I would enjoy if I just took the time. As a matter of fact, I just added nearly 100% of the ones I hadn't read from this post to my TBR. I have Barbara Kingsolver's new book as one of my many BOTM books I haven't read yet, so I'll have to get on that. Next week starts my Cybils reading, but in February I'll have more free reading time. Happy 2019!
ReplyDeleteI love this time of year and so enjoy seeing what everyone has listed as their favorite reads, although my TBR list grows by the dozens! I added the Barbara Pym book to my list since I am not familiar with her books, but I was raised in the Episcopal church (both my father and grandfather were Episcopal priests) and am now intrigued. I hope to get my list posted in the next week or so and will come back with a link.
ReplyDeleteAlways enjoy reading about your book time, Deb. I'll have my list of favorites for 2018 up by the end of next week, probably. LOL
ReplyDeleteYou had a great bookish year Deb. I loved The Julian is a Mermaid book and cover.
ReplyDeleteHope 2019 is a great year for you.
Yes, The Cruel Prince and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet were a couple of my favorite this year as well. :)
ReplyDeleteCheck out my End of Year Survey
Enjoyed your choices so much because I had NOT read many of them!
DeleteBetter late than never. Here's the link to my 2018 summary.
ReplyDelete