It's time to officially wrap up my 2019 reading year. Yay! We've gone through a lot the past week or so, we've discussed my Best Books Of 2019, My Worst Books Of 2019, Most Disappointing Books Of 2019, and the Most Surprising Books Of 2019. But if you're a nerd like me you're asking the important question - Where are the stats!? In this hefty blog post I'll be answering the questions to this years Reading Survey, and I'll be going through my book stats for fun. Hope you enjoy!
Let's start with the best part, the stats..
Books Read: 117
Out of those books, I read..
- 56 books I own
- 27 physical books from the library
- 31 audiobooks from the library
- 12 ebooks
(some I double counted if I switched between the physical and ebook)
83 of the books were stand-alones, while 34 were in a series.
My average star book rating was 3.8.
My most given rating was 5 stars (yay!)
⋆⋆⋆⋆/31
⋆⋆⋆/31
⋆⋆/13
⋆/1
Not bad, not bad. Time for the questions..
How many books did you read? Did you meet your goal?
From the time I'm writing this post, I have completed 117 books in 2019. My goal was set a classic 100, so I can happily say that I surpassed my goal with sparkling colours. For 2020 I'm raising the stakes by aiming to read 125 books. Wish me luck.
Most read genre?
I've been a little boring this year and my most read genre was undoubtedly the good ole general fiction. With 45 books being in categorised as 'general fiction' and my runner up being fantasy with 25 books. Yeah, it wasn't even close.
Longest and shortest books you read.
My longest was Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix at 870 pages. My shortest was The Night Before Christmas which was quite the struggle at a whole 3 pages. Honestly don't know how I managed it, heh. In all seriousness, my husband read this classic Christmas tale to me on Christmas Eve, so if we're just talking about books I read myself then it would be We Should All Be Feminists which was 55 pages. So still quite small.
Favourite book published in 2019?
This is an easy question to answer as my favourite book published in 2019 was also my favourite book of the entire year - Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This fictionalised story surrounding a band from the early 70's quickly stole my heart with it's quirky interview format and strong female characters who each demonstrate feminism in her own way. I was already a fan of Reid's work after reading The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo in 2018, but I was still surprised to discover that her writing wasn't a 'one hit wonder' for me. Would recommend to absolutely everyone. I'll link to my full review at the end of this post.
Favourite debut book in 2019?
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. I didn't know that this was a debut novel when I borrowed it from my library, so that came as a pleasant surprise when the Goodreads Choice Awards came around. Queenie tells the story of a 20-something Jamaican British woman who lives in London and is going through some man troubles which are really only the band aid on top of a troubled young woman. This was brilliantly written with witty characters and a realistically flawed protagonist. A truly great debut novel, I look forward to seeing what else the author comes out. I also read Miracle Creek by Angie Thomas which got released this year, but it just didn't entirely live up to the hype that I'd heard so though I rated it the same as Queenie, it didn't feel right to choose it.
Favourite book not published this year?
Surprising to even me, I have to go with Valley Of The Dolls by by Jacqueline Susann. I never would've predicted my love for this 1966 released novel. A story of three young women living in New York right after the end of WWII. I've already written a full review for this book, which I will link to at the end of this post. But yes, I absolutely loved it and the story has just glued itself to my heart for some odd reason.
A book that lived up to the hype.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This novel had been on my TBR pile for years but I was always reluctant to pick it up as I never knew what the tone of the book would be (I've never watched the movie adaption). It most definitely lived up to the hype. The story was charming, heartfelt, and I held a fondness for all the women involved in the story. So many people say that this is one of the all-time great modern books, and I can now hardheartedly agree with that. If you've been putting this book off, go ahead and pick it up. You won't regret it.
A book that did NOT live up to the hype.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I had seen so many glowing reviews for this arguably modern classic, and having read The Goldfinch earlier in the year and enjoying it, I was super psyched to pick this up. Alas, I loathed this book. Not bad enough to give a 1 star, thank God, as the writing was most definitely beautiful but the story and characters were close to unbearable. I'd sooner rip a nail out before ever giving this a reread.
Book that felt like the biggest accomplishment?
Different prompt, same author. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. This book has the capability to commit a murder with how huge it is - 784 pages. Ad though I did rather enjoy it, it's the definition of a dense read so it felt like such a huge achievement when I turned that final long-winded page.
Favourite character.
This is the most difficult question on this survey for me as I'm not sure. My initial mental answer was Daisy Jones. But then after thinking about it, I realised that she wasn't a favourite character of mine from the book, I just found her so refreshing. She's the most realistically written feminist that I've read about, and that made my brain run away with my heart. However after sitting on this answer for a few days, I just have to go with Nana from The Travelling Cat Chronicles. Not only is he a cat, but he's a well written character who you can't help but love.
Least favourite character.
Every single character in The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn. I loathe this book, I loathe the characters, and I would quite happily use it's pages to start a fire.
Most shocking book/moment.
Though not really a 'shocking' moment I was very surprised by the last few chapters of The Last Letter To Your Lover by Jojo Moyes. That story took some turns that I did not see coming, and it was truly a nice change of pace from some historical fiction that lays all it's cards out on the table before the book has even kicked off.
Favourite couple/OTP.
Though not the main focus of the book, I have to go with Ove and Anita from A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. They were the definition of a charming couple, and though the story wasn't focused around their romance, they truly stole the show.
The best written book you read this year.
Though I read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott this year and liked it, I have to go with A Long Way To A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. This is a sci-fi character driven story that doesn't become a mess with the mass amount of information Chamber had to give us. I never felt lost in the story, and it never seemed like a info dump of species and space battles. It flowed beautifully and I came to care for all the characters, which I didn't expect given the many crew members we meet.
Book that you pushed the most people to read in 2019.
It's not really surprising that my answer is Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - fitting as it was my favourite book, eh? I've recommended Daisy to so many people both in real life and in the world of Bookstagram. It's perfect for everyone!
Favorite book cover of the year.
My answer for this was hard to decide on, as my gut wants to say Less by Andrew Sean Greer as I really like the illustration, the mix of blue and pink, and the simpleness of it. But I equally want to choose Educated by Tara Westover as I think the cover is both beautiful and approachable, which is unlike most non-fiction book covers. Let's face it, non-fiction tends to look hella boring.
Favorite book adaptation.
In 2019 I didn't watch any adaption that I had also read, even though I read The Goldfinch purely so I could go watch the movie. Yay! The adaptions I watched that I hadn't read were IT Chapter II, Good Omens, Let It Snow, Pet Cemetery, and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. I didn't wholeheartedly love any, so there's that.
What book made you cry the most?
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. I needed to down a few hydration pills after finishing this fictional story about the bond between a lonely man and cat. What I really liked about this was that the story wasn't written with the intention to be sad, unlike some animal-themed books that tend to play on your emotions. This was a truly beautiful story, which I urge anyone to pick up. I cried both happy and sad tears during the short read, which is truly a testament to how well-written it was.
What book made you laugh the most?
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. This is a non-fiction read that lands somewhere between being a memoir and a book on self help. In it Lawson discusses her own personal struggles with mental health and chronic pain, but she does so with such wit and almost crude-like honesty that you can't help but laugh as tears fall from your eyes from relating to the woman. I've never felt more heard when reading a book, non-fiction or fiction, which is never not a beautiful thing.
A new favourite author you discovered this year.
Celeste Ng author of Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You. I read both these contemporary books back-to-back and it was a great time. I fell in love with Ng's style of writing. I can't wait to see what else she comes out with.
Guilty pleasure read of the year.
A tie between The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and The Hating Game by Sally Throne. Both are women's fiction with unrealistic plots and whirlwind romances that make you want a glass of red and a bubble bath as you read, but I loved them. I devoured both books with an impressive speed, and the characters have truly stayed with me. Ultimate guilty pleasure.
Favorite book you re-read this year.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I try and give this a reread every year, and it always pulls at my heart strings and helps me fall back in love with reading.
What is the best non-fiction book you read this year?
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. I've already mentioned this book during this survey so I won't go on about it, but yes, an incredibly hilarious yet warm book on mental health and chronic pain. If you can relate to what she goes through, you'll feel like you have a new best friend when the book comes to an end.
Were you happy with your reading year?
Yes and no. I'm happy with the quantity but I don't really feel like I made a dent in my physical TBR. Next year I want to focus more on the books that have been sitting around for years on my shelves, and make books I think I'm going to love more of a priority.
Here's hoping for a great 2020 reading wise.
What's the first book you're hoping to get to in 2020?
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