2015 | Reading Year in Review
12:01 PM
First off, yes, I have abandoned this blog for the last three months. I am a human disaster. I swear I will be better in 2016. I have no excuses, blog, I'm so sorry.
With that being said, 2015 is coming to a close! I know, I can't believe it, either. There will be a lot of different things in this post, so I will try my best to keep it as clear and easy to follow as possible. Here we go.
General Statistics
This year, I read 133 books.
Pages Read: 48,326 (this number is the one that Goodreads gave me in the Year in Books feature. I don't know if it takes same year re-reads into effect since those books only count as 1 towards my goal. As a result, this number is probably higher considering I read Fairest twice and Six of Crows three times [well, I am reading it for the third time when I post this].)
Average Rating: 3.4 Stars (I am happy with this number. It is just about average and I think that is a fair descriptor for my year in reading. I would definitely say that I had about as many great books as I did horrible books and, at the end of it all, everything evened out pretty well.)
Average Rating: 3.4 Stars (I am happy with this number. It is just about average and I think that is a fair descriptor for my year in reading. I would definitely say that I had about as many great books as I did horrible books and, at the end of it all, everything evened out pretty well.)
I read 59 books I own physically, 28 books I have on my Kindle, 38 books I checked out from the library, and 8 books I borrowed from others.
I put down 6 books before finishing them. This is new for me this year (since August, really, since I fell into a heavy slump) and, previously, I would always push myself to finish a book.
I read several books for the second time: the Lunar Chronicles series, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, most of the Harry Potter series (I'm not sure if I ever actually read books 6 or 7), and Six of Crows (I am reading it for the third time at the time of this posting).
Least Favorites/Biggest Disappointments
This section is split into two shorter lists. The first are the books that I just absolutely did not enjoy. The second are the ones that I was most disappointed with. The difference is in the ratings - some of my biggest disappointments still received a decent rating, while my least favorites received nothing higher than one measly star.
Least Favorites:
5. Damage Done by Amanda Panitch When I first made this list of least favorites, I didn't include this one - not because I thought it didn't make the cut, but because I had blocked it out of my mind. REVIEW
4. Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts Who knew the end of the world would be so boring? REVIEW
3. Althea & Oliver by Cristina Moracho The title is the name of the two main characters. I cannot stand the two main characters. REVIEW
2. Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker A bad boy with tribal tattoos has every woman ever falling at his feet. REVIEW
1. Dare Me by Megan Abbott Teen cheerleaders are the worst people on the planet. REVIEW
Biggest Disappointments
5. The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel I was obsessed with the TV show based off of this book that aired in the summer of this year. Like, I still miss it. The book was disappointing because it seemed oddly cold and procedural. REVIEW
4. The Martian by Andy Weir It seems like everyone and their mother are raving about this book and, in particular, it's main character. While it was addicting and a decent read, Mark Watney's sense of humor wasn't my cup of tea and I never felt that he was in any sort of mortal danger. REVIEW
3. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard When I read this in March, I liked it a lot. I gave it a pretty good rating. Sure, it had lots of familiar tropes and seemed to depend on those tropes instead of doing anything new, but it was fun. As we reach the end of the year, however, I have found that my interest in continuing this series has pretty much died away. Beautiful covers pulling me in. REVIEW
2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater This book, you guys. This series! So much hype, so many rave reviews. I just don't get it. Blue is a not-like-other-girls-girl. Everything was pretentious. I was bored. REVIEW
1. Winter by Marissa Meyer I love this series. I was so excited for this book. It let me down. I initially gave it 4.5 stars, but I have since downgraded it to somewhere in the 3-star range. Too many happy endings and too much similarity to another YA series with a revolution. REVIEW
I put down 6 books before finishing them. This is new for me this year (since August, really, since I fell into a heavy slump) and, previously, I would always push myself to finish a book.
I read several books for the second time: the Lunar Chronicles series, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, most of the Harry Potter series (I'm not sure if I ever actually read books 6 or 7), and Six of Crows (I am reading it for the third time at the time of this posting).
Least Favorites/Biggest Disappointments
This section is split into two shorter lists. The first are the books that I just absolutely did not enjoy. The second are the ones that I was most disappointed with. The difference is in the ratings - some of my biggest disappointments still received a decent rating, while my least favorites received nothing higher than one measly star.
Least Favorites:
5. Damage Done by Amanda Panitch When I first made this list of least favorites, I didn't include this one - not because I thought it didn't make the cut, but because I had blocked it out of my mind. REVIEW
4. Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts Who knew the end of the world would be so boring? REVIEW
3. Althea & Oliver by Cristina Moracho The title is the name of the two main characters. I cannot stand the two main characters. REVIEW
2. Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker A bad boy with tribal tattoos has every woman ever falling at his feet. REVIEW
1. Dare Me by Megan Abbott Teen cheerleaders are the worst people on the planet. REVIEW
Biggest Disappointments
5. The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel I was obsessed with the TV show based off of this book that aired in the summer of this year. Like, I still miss it. The book was disappointing because it seemed oddly cold and procedural. REVIEW
4. The Martian by Andy Weir It seems like everyone and their mother are raving about this book and, in particular, it's main character. While it was addicting and a decent read, Mark Watney's sense of humor wasn't my cup of tea and I never felt that he was in any sort of mortal danger. REVIEW
3. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard When I read this in March, I liked it a lot. I gave it a pretty good rating. Sure, it had lots of familiar tropes and seemed to depend on those tropes instead of doing anything new, but it was fun. As we reach the end of the year, however, I have found that my interest in continuing this series has pretty much died away. Beautiful covers pulling me in. REVIEW
2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater This book, you guys. This series! So much hype, so many rave reviews. I just don't get it. Blue is a not-like-other-girls-girl. Everything was pretentious. I was bored. REVIEW
1. Winter by Marissa Meyer I love this series. I was so excited for this book. It let me down. I initially gave it 4.5 stars, but I have since downgraded it to somewhere in the 3-star range. Too many happy endings and too much similarity to another YA series with a revolution. REVIEW
Favorites
These aren't in any particularly strict order (except for number one). I included re-reads (Aristotle and Dante... and the two Harry Potters books) in the honorable mentions list because, while they remain wonderful, they have (or would have if I made lists such as this when I first read Harry Potter) already held a spot on my favorites list.
Honorable Mentions:
10. Sounds Like Me by Sara Bareilles I love Sara Bareilles and this book offered me so much insight into her life and artistic process. REVIEW
9. The Bone Season and The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon An incredibly fulfilling world and characters that I grew really attached to. This series is extremely promising. BOOK TWO REVIEW
8. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson Just a ton of fun. REVIEW
7. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh Lush writing, actual chemistry between the leads, and a main character to cheer for. REVIEW
6. The Young Elites/The Rose Society by Marie Lu I am completely captured by this series. REVIEW/REVIEW
5. All the Rage by Courtney Summers Important, important, important. Unflinching. REVIEW
4. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson The main character gets her period, which is an even bigger inconvenience when she is trying to pass as a boy during the Gold Rush. REVIEW
3. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Is there anything to say about this book that hasn't already been said? REVIEW
2. Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman An incredible ride with twists that actually had me gasping for air. REVIEW
1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Hands down my favorite release (and read) of the year. I have read it more than once and I still find myself thinking about it for no particular reason. The characters are so thorough and the world is even more impressive than it was in the Grisha trilogy. Bardugo's storytelling skills have improved so much. I can't wait for the sequel next year. REVIEW
These aren't in any particularly strict order (except for number one). I included re-reads (Aristotle and Dante... and the two Harry Potters books) in the honorable mentions list because, while they remain wonderful, they have (or would have if I made lists such as this when I first read Harry Potter) already held a spot on my favorites list.
Honorable Mentions:
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz REVIEW
- Forgive Me If I've Told You This Before by Karelia Stetz-Waters REVIEW
- Fairest by Marissa Meyer REVIEW
- Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple REVIEW
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling REVIEW/REVIEW/REVIEW
- NOS4A2 by Joe Hill REVIEW
- Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie REVIEW
10. Sounds Like Me by Sara Bareilles I love Sara Bareilles and this book offered me so much insight into her life and artistic process. REVIEW
9. The Bone Season and The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon An incredibly fulfilling world and characters that I grew really attached to. This series is extremely promising. BOOK TWO REVIEW
8. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson Just a ton of fun. REVIEW
7. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh Lush writing, actual chemistry between the leads, and a main character to cheer for. REVIEW
6. The Young Elites/The Rose Society by Marie Lu I am completely captured by this series. REVIEW/REVIEW
5. All the Rage by Courtney Summers Important, important, important. Unflinching. REVIEW
4. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson The main character gets her period, which is an even bigger inconvenience when she is trying to pass as a boy during the Gold Rush. REVIEW
3. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Is there anything to say about this book that hasn't already been said? REVIEW
2. Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman An incredible ride with twists that actually had me gasping for air. REVIEW
1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Hands down my favorite release (and read) of the year. I have read it more than once and I still find myself thinking about it for no particular reason. The characters are so thorough and the world is even more impressive than it was in the Grisha trilogy. Bardugo's storytelling skills have improved so much. I can't wait for the sequel next year. REVIEW
2015 Popsugar Reading Challenge Overview
You can see my 2015 Popsugar Challenge Goodreads shelf here. Obviously, this shelf doesn't tell you which books were for which challenges, but I'm too lazy to do that, if I'm honest. The prompts for the challenge can be found at the Popsugar website here. I wanted to use this space here to talk about my overall experience with the challenge and give my thoughts on favorite prompts, too easy prompts, etc.
I originally intended to do this challenge as a random monthly draw. I wrote the prompts out and would pick a few to complete each month. This started out okay but, as the year wore on, I found myself not drawing as much. Instead, I would just pick up a book that I wanted to read and find where I could fit it into the challenge or I would just pick the prompt that seemed the funnest to me at the time, that fit the reading mood I was in. Either way, I did complete the entire challenge, so I guess it didn't really matter how I chose the prompts, just as long as I did them.
I did alter a few of the prompts. I live in a very, very small village of like no more than 500 citizens. Needless to say, there are no books set in my hometown. I changed this prompt to be set in my home state (Michigan). For a book at the bottom of my to-read list, I chose the book that had been on my Goodreads to-read shelf the longest, instead of a book that I didn't really want to read but left it on my list regardless (which I'm assuming is what was meant by this). Thirdly, I had a really hard time with finding a book I was supposed to read in school but didn't. Apart from college textbooks, I could not think of one that I had been assigned to read and did not actually read it. Eventually, I settled on reading The Giver and changed the prompt to "a book I think I read in high school but I'm not actually sure if I ever read it but I feel like I should read it again just to say that I did."
With prompts like a funny book or a book that made me cry, I went about them in a different way. I didn't want to say I read a book for either of these challenges if I didn't, in fact, laugh or cry so, instead, I went back and filled them in after I finished a book. If I cried, check. If I laughed, check. I didn't necessarily change the prompt, I just changed the way I completed them.
funny/made you cry
Overall, I enjoyed this challenge. I do like some of the prompts for the 2016 challenge better (I will go further into that in my 2016 Reading Goals post), but I had a good time this year. I was only truly unimpressed by the "read a book written by a woman" prompt. As the majority of my reading does consist of female authors, this wasn't difficult for me and it was actually a bit insulting.
Final Thoughts
I read some amazing books this year. I read some horrible books this year. I had a major reading slump and worked my way out of it. I learned that I can put books done before finishing them and that I am okay with that. I found new authors, new favorites, and books I wouldn't mind reading again and again until I can't read anymore.
On to 2016.
I originally intended to do this challenge as a random monthly draw. I wrote the prompts out and would pick a few to complete each month. This started out okay but, as the year wore on, I found myself not drawing as much. Instead, I would just pick up a book that I wanted to read and find where I could fit it into the challenge or I would just pick the prompt that seemed the funnest to me at the time, that fit the reading mood I was in. Either way, I did complete the entire challenge, so I guess it didn't really matter how I chose the prompts, just as long as I did them.
I did alter a few of the prompts. I live in a very, very small village of like no more than 500 citizens. Needless to say, there are no books set in my hometown. I changed this prompt to be set in my home state (Michigan). For a book at the bottom of my to-read list, I chose the book that had been on my Goodreads to-read shelf the longest, instead of a book that I didn't really want to read but left it on my list regardless (which I'm assuming is what was meant by this). Thirdly, I had a really hard time with finding a book I was supposed to read in school but didn't. Apart from college textbooks, I could not think of one that I had been assigned to read and did not actually read it. Eventually, I settled on reading The Giver and changed the prompt to "a book I think I read in high school but I'm not actually sure if I ever read it but I feel like I should read it again just to say that I did."
With prompts like a funny book or a book that made me cry, I went about them in a different way. I didn't want to say I read a book for either of these challenges if I didn't, in fact, laugh or cry so, instead, I went back and filled them in after I finished a book. If I cried, check. If I laughed, check. I didn't necessarily change the prompt, I just changed the way I completed them.
funny/made you cry
Overall, I enjoyed this challenge. I do like some of the prompts for the 2016 challenge better (I will go further into that in my 2016 Reading Goals post), but I had a good time this year. I was only truly unimpressed by the "read a book written by a woman" prompt. As the majority of my reading does consist of female authors, this wasn't difficult for me and it was actually a bit insulting.
Final Thoughts
I read some amazing books this year. I read some horrible books this year. I had a major reading slump and worked my way out of it. I learned that I can put books done before finishing them and that I am okay with that. I found new authors, new favorites, and books I wouldn't mind reading again and again until I can't read anymore.
On to 2016.
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