Thursday, January 1, 2009

2008 in review

Well. I didn't make my goal of reading 100 books, I only got to 97. But - I missed January and this is definitely more than I have ever read in any one year anyway so I still feel good about it. Plus I discovered so many great authors. Plus I made some good friends around the world. I loved my first year of blogging!

As I said, I read 97 books in 2008. Here are some end-of-year stats:

Total read: 97
Fiction: 87
Non-fiction: 10 (I really want to work on this)
New-to-me authors: 77
By women: 60
By men: 37
In translation: 7 (I clearly need to work on this)
In Polish: 6
Classics: 12
Favorite discovered authors: MaryJanice Davidson, Joseph O'Connor, Markus Zusak, Laurie Halse Andersen, Joanna Harris, Jane Yolen

And my top-20 for 2008:

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda

It's been a great reading year and I am looking forward to 2009!

Happy New Year everyone!

10 comments:

Ana S. said...

I'm very happy with 2008 blogging and reading/wise too. I love your list of favourites! Happy New Year, Joanna :)

Lezlie said...

You did great! Good luck with all your 2009 goals!

Lezlie

J.C. Montgomery said...

All I got through was 25, so 97?? Great job!!

joanna said...

Nymeth - Happy New Year to you too!

Lezlie - thanks! :-)

J.C. - blogging got my reading going like nothing else has!

Sherry said...

The Saturday Review at Semicolon this Saturday is dedicated to book lists. You’re invited to share a link to yours on Saturday.

Marg said...

97 is a great effort!

Here's to a fantastic 2009.

Kailana said...

I always miss my goals by two or three, too! So frustruating, but I try!

Happy New Year!

raidergirl3 said...

97 is awesome!
I have read 11 of your top 20, and while I wouldn't include the Atwood, the rest look great and I will have to look into your other 9.

joanna said...

Sherry - oops, I missed it! :-(

Marg - thanks, I think so too :-)

Kailana - it doesn't really matter in the end does it...

raidergirl - if I had to make a shortlist I wouldn't include it either. Hope you enjoy the others!

Iliana said...

So close! I bet you can get those 100 books read this year :)