This is always my favorite post to write at the beginning of a new year! Another year of reading has come and gone… and now we’re two weeks (!) into January already.
Tracking my reading is one of the most consistent habits I’ve ever kept, from the old pre-blog diary days of college through every life change since: marriage, cross country moves, multiple jobs, motherhood. By now it’s second nature, and since I’ve been keeping a reading log for the past few years, the end of each calendar is a fun time to use that information to reflect on my reading life and compare this year’s reading habits to previous years.
Click here for stats from:
Quick Life Recap: In 2016, we settled into our first home (no moving, woohoo!), I was pregnant for most of the year, and our first child was born in October. Pregnancy really threw me for a loop (not to mention motherhood) but reading did its part to keep me sane, for which I’m thankful!
A few stats gleaned from another year’s worth of reading:
How many books did I read, compared to past years?
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How many books did I put down, compared to past years? (Both abandoned and/or still reading as of 12/31/16 are included)
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What genres did I read?
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What kinds of book formats did I read?
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What books did I give an A+ Rating? (in no particular order)
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1), by Marissa Meyer
The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name, by David Cadji-Newby and illustrated by Pedro Serapicos
Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year, by Anne Lamott
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What books did I give a C (or below) rating?
Sweetbitter, by Stephanie Danler
The Last Boy and Girl in the World, by Siobhan Vivian
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Thoughts (in no particular order):
- I used Google Graphs two years in a row but vowed to find something cuter this year… enter Venngage! Free and super easy to navigate.
- This year was topsy turvy with big gaps of reading less than usual, so I’m surprised I hit 50+ books at all. There’s quite a few picture books to round up the numbers, although never as much as when I was a children’s librarian.
- My library count is way up, higher than any other format! I try to make the library my first stop for a new book, and now that my local library is convenient and offers ebooks, audiobooks, etc. I’m using it even more.
- Kindle books came in second for quantity, thanks to reading while nursing. It’s amazing how little bits of time here and there, reading on my phone, add up to entire books. My favorite source for eBook sale alerts is Modern Mrs. Darcy’s daily email subscription.
- I’m still working on the Nerdbery Challenge and really loved the ones I read this year, but I need to get focused again if I want to make more progress.
- The A+ list is the smallest it’s ever been – only 5 total, 2 of which were picture books and 1 of which was a re-read. With my limited reading time these days, I’m trying to be more selective in 2017 to find more books that leave a lasting impression.
- Audiobooks are still up, mostly due to the library, and I didn’t find as many good ones via SYNC this year (compared to last year, at least).
- Children’s Lit and YA Lit top the genre list again! Next year I’ll add a new category: Parenting (to replace Self-Help, which I read 0 of in 2016, ha!) As usual, gotta read more nonfiction next year… and maybe mysteries too!
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Whew, That was fun!
I’m happy that, as 2017 begins, I’m surrounded by books and a healthy To-Read list. Cheers to the new year!
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So impressed on so many levels!
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