Kyrie
2017 was a bit of a mixed bag for me.
My original reading challenge was 400 books - the same amount I managed to read in 2016. Unfortunately, life - babies, mainly - got in the way of me being able to read as much as I would have liked. With Baby #2 six months old now, and on his way to a normal sleeping pattern, I'm hoping that I'll be able to make up for that this year.
Some of my other goals for 2017 were to read more non-fiction books (check) and to clear out some of my monstrous TBR lists. Which...er...I did cut out a lot of books that I was iffy about reading, or that I'd lost interest in. But for the most part, all I really did was shuffle everything around into a handful of incredibly specific TBR lists, to fool myself into thinking that I've got less to read than I actually do.
Starting with 2017, I've decided to keep a list of my top 5 favorite reads of the year (taken from my Favorites shelf before it gets dismantled and repurposed into the Favorites shelf for the new year). In the end, these were the books that I ended up feeling the most strongly about:
1. The Property of Hate - I saw this webcomic mentioned in a group that someone I follow is in. And since every other comic that I follow seems to be going to permanent hiatus, I was looking for something new to read. And HOLY HELL was this worth it. The story has a Phantom Tollbooth feel to it, and the artwork is AMAZING. It made me hunt down everything else Sarah Jolley has created, and it was not a mistake. (Side effect: I'm thinking about starting to read Duck comics now...that woman has sold me on Gladstone Gander.)
2. It Devours! - Big shock there. I was excited for this book the second it was a possibility. Night Vale is one of those series that just so perfectly fills a hole in my life that I never knew existed until the first time I listened to the podcast. I love the look it takes at faith vs science, and the character development for Carlos. I swear his arc in the book broke my heart.
3. The Secret History of Fantasy - Dude. This anthology is to blame for so many books being added to my newly shuffled-around TBR lists. But the main reason it makes my list of favorite books for the year is solely because of the Le Guin essay near the end. Despite how it may seem based on this list, I'm not often moved to emotion by what I read. But this was another read that made my heart feel things. And I'm a sucker for fantasy as a genre.
4. Winter Tide (The Innsmouth Legacy #1) - I need to spend more time reading HPL-fic...especially in this particular vein. I adored Lovecraft Country last year, and Winter Tide was amazing in its own right. I mean, the main character is a woman from Innsmouth, who is naturally part Deep One.
5. Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners - This was one of the books I hunted down as part of my resolution to read more non-fiction. I borrowed it from my library, but it was so much fun that I need to get myself a physical copy, so I can keep it forever and ever and ever. This was honestly one of the funniest books I read this year.
Honorable Mentions: These books didn't make the top 5, but they were memorable in their own ways.
* The Hating Game - It's very rare for me to find a romance novel that I actually love.
* From Holmes to Sherlock - A fascinating look at the sheer scope and dedication of the fan base. (The first story was published in 1887, and the fandom has never died.)
* Meddling Kids - I wish I could have loved this book more than I did...such potential.
In 2018, I plan on focusing some more on clearing out the endless TBR piles. Well, to try, anyway. I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that I'm not going to end up adding three books for every one I actually read.I'm also going to finally get around to reading all of the Sherlock Holmes stories...because it's getting a bit ridiculous at this point that I've read so many books about the writing of Sherlock Holmes without having read any of the stories. (Except Blue Carbuncle - that one got read a couple of weeks ago because of Christmas.)
We'll see how this goes! Here's hoping for a happy 2018 - I mean, it can't be worse than 2017. Right?...right???
2017 was a bit of a mixed bag for me.
My original reading challenge was 400 books - the same amount I managed to read in 2016. Unfortunately, life - babies, mainly - got in the way of me being able to read as much as I would have liked. With Baby #2 six months old now, and on his way to a normal sleeping pattern, I'm hoping that I'll be able to make up for that this year.
Some of my other goals for 2017 were to read more non-fiction books (check) and to clear out some of my monstrous TBR lists. Which...er...I did cut out a lot of books that I was iffy about reading, or that I'd lost interest in. But for the most part, all I really did was shuffle everything around into a handful of incredibly specific TBR lists, to fool myself into thinking that I've got less to read than I actually do.
Starting with 2017, I've decided to keep a list of my top 5 favorite reads of the year (taken from my Favorites shelf before it gets dismantled and repurposed into the Favorites shelf for the new year). In the end, these were the books that I ended up feeling the most strongly about:
1. The Property of Hate - I saw this webcomic mentioned in a group that someone I follow is in. And since every other comic that I follow seems to be going to permanent hiatus, I was looking for something new to read. And HOLY HELL was this worth it. The story has a Phantom Tollbooth feel to it, and the artwork is AMAZING. It made me hunt down everything else Sarah Jolley has created, and it was not a mistake. (Side effect: I'm thinking about starting to read Duck comics now...that woman has sold me on Gladstone Gander.)
2. It Devours! - Big shock there. I was excited for this book the second it was a possibility. Night Vale is one of those series that just so perfectly fills a hole in my life that I never knew existed until the first time I listened to the podcast. I love the look it takes at faith vs science, and the character development for Carlos. I swear his arc in the book broke my heart.
3. The Secret History of Fantasy - Dude. This anthology is to blame for so many books being added to my newly shuffled-around TBR lists. But the main reason it makes my list of favorite books for the year is solely because of the Le Guin essay near the end. Despite how it may seem based on this list, I'm not often moved to emotion by what I read. But this was another read that made my heart feel things. And I'm a sucker for fantasy as a genre.
4. Winter Tide (The Innsmouth Legacy #1) - I need to spend more time reading HPL-fic...especially in this particular vein. I adored Lovecraft Country last year, and Winter Tide was amazing in its own right. I mean, the main character is a woman from Innsmouth, who is naturally part Deep One.
5. Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners - This was one of the books I hunted down as part of my resolution to read more non-fiction. I borrowed it from my library, but it was so much fun that I need to get myself a physical copy, so I can keep it forever and ever and ever. This was honestly one of the funniest books I read this year.
Honorable Mentions: These books didn't make the top 5, but they were memorable in their own ways.
* The Hating Game - It's very rare for me to find a romance novel that I actually love.
* From Holmes to Sherlock - A fascinating look at the sheer scope and dedication of the fan base. (The first story was published in 1887, and the fandom has never died.)
* Meddling Kids - I wish I could have loved this book more than I did...such potential.
In 2018, I plan on focusing some more on clearing out the endless TBR piles. Well, to try, anyway. I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that I'm not going to end up adding three books for every one I actually read.I'm also going to finally get around to reading all of the Sherlock Holmes stories...because it's getting a bit ridiculous at this point that I've read so many books about the writing of Sherlock Holmes without having read any of the stories. (Except Blue Carbuncle - that one got read a couple of weeks ago because of Christmas.)
We'll see how this goes! Here's hoping for a happy 2018 - I mean, it can't be worse than 2017. Right?...right???