Category Archives: Annual Wrap-Up

How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
I read 116 books plus 4 graphic novels this year. My goal was 100 so I did beat it by a good amount. Those 116 books equaled just over 40,000 pages.

What story stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needing time to digest?
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. I have recommended it to so many people. It’s interesting to think about how the journey is what matters and if you don’t do something because it might not work out or it may end, well, you are missing out. Take the risk. It’ll be worth it.

What are some quotes that made you read them a second time?
At length, with a wild desperation at heart, I quickly unclosed my eyes. (Edgar Allan Poe)

I feel like an on-call OB/GYN in a Mormon polygamist compound. (The Case of the Not-So-Fair Trader by Jim Stevens)

“You could cook an egg on the sidewalk,” Tiffany argues.
“I don’t do dairy,” Doris retorts. (The Case of the Not-So-Fair Trader by Jim Stevens)

“But I don’t judge. I do not judge.” He notices Hephaestus’s gavel. “Apparently, you do, though.” (Lovely War by Julie Berry)

“Please,” he said, “if we’re going to be friends, I insist you call me ‘Your Majesty.'” (Lovely War by Julie Berry)

Cryptic in his famous Adam style that had once annoyed her to no end, but now she realized that if a girl cares enough to be constantly annoyed by a boy, then she must holds some primal interest in him. (Night Without End by DP Fitzsimons)

One cannot change one’s way of thinking as easily as one might, say, turn into a snow leopard. (The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan)

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was bothering anyone,” said Arthur, slightly abashed and then slightly more abashed at being abashed by a talking tree. (The First Round Table by Ben Gillman)

“I fought an army single-handedly. Lost my arm. Then literally fought them single-handedly.” (The First Round Table by Ben Gillman)

The international boycott movement had its origins and greatest resonance in the United States, a nation whose professed commitment to equality of opportunity in sports was not diminished by its actual discriminatory practices. (Nazi Games by David Clay Large)

So just before I left Terry for the last time, less than a year later, I went to an afternoon ‘tea, and when the Captain’s wife asked me, in front of the other ladies, what I intended to do to keep busy while the ship was gone to Vietnam, I replied, with a level gaze, ‘Well, I’ve heard that the topless go-go dancers around here make a lot of money, and have a lot of fun. I think I’ll find a job like that. They say you don’t have to be experienced!’
The captain’s wife dropped her teacup. (A Quiet Life in Bedlam by Patricia Bjornstad)

That was the only time I thought about murdering someone. But I didn’t know how to dispose of the body. (A Quiet Life in Bedlam by Patricia Bjornstad)

“…Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling)

“And, since they are theater people, they are all talking. All of them. Simultaneously. They do not need to be heard; they only need to be speaking.” (Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan)

“Nobody’s accusing you of anything, ma’am,” Drew says. “They’re just catching you in a lie, is all.” (Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier)

As the noted philosopher Britney Spears sang on her pop hit “Circus:” “There’s only two types of people in the world/ The ones that entertain and the ones that observe.” (The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch)

“Just because a place is fictional doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” (Ballad & Dagger by Daniel José Older)

Top 5 Books of the Year
Instructions for Dancing by Nichola Yoon
Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
The Perfect Family by Sholini Boland

Bottom 5 Books of the Year
Bringing Up Girls in Bohemia by Michal Viewegh
The Blackmail Club by David Bishop
The First Round Table by Ben Gillman
Murder by the Slice by Mary Maxwell
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

How many books are in your To Read pile right now?
673. For the first time in years my TBR pile went down. This is because I spent a lot of time going through my Kindle books and I discovered I’m just not the person I was when I got them a decade ago so I deleted them. Subtracting the books I read and the books I deleted and adding the many books I bought this year (211), I am down 238 books from exactly one year ago. (That’s 130 fewer than at the end of 2020, 86 fewer than 2019, 12 more than 2018, and 143 more than at the end of 2017 when I started keeping track.)

The Man With the Sawed-Off Leg by Daniel J. Wakin

I don’t think the author quite knew what The Man With the Sawed-Off Leg was supposed to be about. He kept going back to the Rubel Ice holdup (and the man with the sawed-off legs), but there wasn’t enough to make a whole book about that so he wrote about occupants of other buildings in the row of luxury townhouses where the man’s legs were sawed off. Most of what was written about them could be found on a Wikipedia page and was just extremely basic information. Nothing much about living their lives or things they did. It was quite disjointed and also quite boring. Occasionally descriptions of what happened during and after the Rubel Ice holdup were exciting and interesting to read, but that’s about all that was engaging about the entire book. Unless you have some weird interest in that part of Riverside Drive or like boring recitations of basic fact, this is a book you can skip.

2 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 102
Pages Read in 2022: 35,626
Graphic Novels: 3

How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
I read 93 books this year. I beat 90 which is the goal I ended up with, but I still haven’t gotten up to the number of books I read prior to adopting all the little ones. I was surprised that I read almost 30,000 pages. That’s way more than I expected I would.

What story stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needing time to digest?
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Stuff like that hits a little closer to home now that I have my littles. It was frustrating, but so real. I resisted reading it for so long because of the U in the title, but I understand it now and I’m so glad I finally gave in and read it.

What are some quotes that made you read them a second time?
He always has it on the Friday of spring break because you need Saturday to recover and Sunday to repent. (The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas)

“That depends on whether or not you are alive.”
“I feel alive,” Tris retorted.
“Then yes.” (Warden’s Vengeance by Tony James Slater)

Compared to Kasey’s, Sal’s, Tarkington’s, Wong’s, and now Laney’s, George’s life was a walk in the park, since he was still alive. (Cell by Robin Cook)

“You don’t look very edible. Sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.” (Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi)

“Do whales have uvulas?”
“How am I supposed to know if it’s a girl whale?” (Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi)

But of course he cared very much; and he was so full of wrath against grown–ups, who, as usual, were spoiling everything, that as soon as he got inside his tree he breathed intentionally quick short breaths at the rate of about five to a second. He did this because there is a saying in the Neverland that, every time you breathe, a grown–up dies; and Peter was killing them off vindictively as fast as possible. (Peter Pan by JM Barrie)

Dictatorships may seem strong and unified, but they are always weaker than they appear. They are governed by the whim of one man, who can’t draw upon a wealth of discussion and debate, as democracies can, because he rules through terror and the only truth permitted is his own. (The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee)

I imagined this is what cadavers must feel like—you know, if they weren’t dead, and still had the ability to feel. (Full Circle by Andrea Barber)

“I’m an Internet comedian, and I’m not even sure if that’s a real job, but it means I can have hair like this!” (Rhett and Link’s Book of Mythicality)

It may seem unnecessary for two fully grown men to immerse themselves in cereal. That’s because it is. (Rhett and Link’s Book of Mythicality)

I cannot leave my children orphans, if I ever have any. (Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart)

Like most of my fellow countrymen, I preferred not to learn too much about dysfunctional countries until after my government invaded them. (American Shaolin by Matthew Polly)

Horatio raised an eyebrow at him. “If I still had my tongues,” he said, “I’d slap you with all of them.” (The Desolations of Devil’s Acre by Ransom Riggs)

Why the devil would one need to pitchfork victuals into his mouth if he has hands?” (When the Moon Has No More Silver by Connie Lapallo)

A fleeting thought crossed my mind that it would be highly unfair if the most attractive man I had ever seen turned out to be my brother—until I reminded myself that I had sworn off men. (The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen)

He touches my cheek and, even though we’re in a room full of people, crowded by laughter and conversation, slowly kisses me.
“Whoa there, Tobias,” says the man to my left. “Weren’t you raised a Stiff? I thought the most you people did was . . . graze hands or something.”
“Then how do you explain all the Abnegation children?” Tobias raises his eyebrows.
“They’re brought into being by sheer force of will,” the woman on the arm of the chair interjects. “Didn’t you know that, Tobias?”
“No, I wasn’t aware.” He grins. “My apologies.” (Insurgent by Veronica Roth)

By the time we leave, I have red lips and curled eyelashes, and I’m wearing a bright red dress. And there’s a knife strapped to the inside of my knee. This all makes perfect sense. (Insurgent by Veronica Roth)

“The poor fellow has nothing to say: he’s dead, alas!” (Frederica by Georgette Heyer)

Iran has dealt with its fair share of strife and political unrest. And while I’m not one to point fingers or lay blame… the United States and Britain were totally at fault. (Americanized by Sara Saedi)

My sister and I tried to find common ground with our half-American cousins, but that took a while to pan out. It didn’t help that we’d infiltrated their space AND that my sister’s favorite pastime was sending me off to bite them. I guess the rumors are true. Illegal immigrants are violent and dangerous. (Americanized by Sara Saedi)

I was also the student body president of our elementary school. Yeah, I was an undocumented immigrant who’d been elected to public office. How you like me now, ICE? (Americanized by Sara Saedi)

My dad even tried to impress him by telling him that my parents had seen Ozzy Osbourne in concert.
“Really?” Slash asked.
“Yeah,” my dad answered. “He was onstage with all his brothers and sisters.”
“Those were the OSMONDS!” my mom corrected. (Americanized by Sara Saedi)

Top 5 Books of the Year
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Abduction by Gillian Jackson
Awaken by Maggie Sunseri
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Bottom 5 Books of the Year
Foster and Adoptive Parenting by Kenneth A. Camp
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky
Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart
Raising Multiracial Children by Farzana Nayani

How many books are in your To Read pile right now?
911 (That’s 108 more than at the end of 2020, 152 more than 2019, 250 more than 2018, and 381 more than at the end of 2017 when I started keeping track… I really need to do better at this reading/collecting thing considering I added a total of 201 books this year between number read and additional to be read)

How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
I read 66 books this year. I beat 52, but I read far fewer books than I have the last few years. Adopting six kids 5 and under certainly had a lot to do with that!

What story stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needing time to digest?
The Risk of Us by Rachel Howard. It was written in a really unusual way. I never knew how it was going to end as I was reading it and I really wanted to know more about the characters once it was finished.

What are some quotes that made you read them a second time?
“One is a knife that shoots bullets, and the other is a gun that shoots knives. I might be making that up. Even I can’t tell anymore.” (Only Dead on the Inside by James Breakwell)

“This book now contains one real fact. It’s officially educational.” (Only Dead on the Inside by James Breakwell)

 “‘Listening to the news! Again?’
‘Well, it changes every day, you see,’ said Harry.” (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling)

“‘Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about.'” (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling)

“‘This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world.'” (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling)

Top 5 Books of the Year
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
The Risk of Us by Rachel Howard
The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? by Vanessa Gray Bartal
A Thief Obsessed by Heather Sunseri

Bottom 5 Books of the Year
Bring the Jubilee by Ward Moore
Stop Staring at Screens by Tanya Goodin
Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sonderby
Pasta, Pinot & Murder by Jamie Lee Scott
The Shrigley Abduction by Abby Ashby and Audrey Jones

How many books are in your To Read pile right now?
803 (That’s 51 more than at the end of 2019, 142 more than 2018, and 272 more than at the end of 2017 when I started keeping track… I am definitely going in the wrong direction here…)

How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
I read 126 books this year. I beat 52 and 104 by a lot. I upped my goal by 10 at a time after 104, so I beat 120, but didn’t reach 130.

What story stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needing time to digest?
1984 by George Orwell. It’s such a part of our pop culture now. There were things that made me nervous about just because of the parallels to today. But it was the end that really stayed with me. It was sad and hopeless and creepy all at the same time.

What are some quotes that made you read them a second time?
“Once the Irish landed in America, the sympathetic feelings disappeared. Americans feared the destitute, emaciated emigrants, many so weakened from hunger and disease that they could not work. The Americans also feared the spread of typhus and other infectious diseases. They also worried that the newcomers would take jobs away from them and drag down wages.” (Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti)

“Mao, the dictator, had been the friend of the devils. He had wanted China in perpetual turmoil so that he could rule forever. He’d had a simple philosophy: peace and leisure bred unrest and resentment against leaders, while a sense of crisis strengthened his own leadership.” (China’s Son by Da Chen)

“It is not always necessary to grant things not asked for, for by doing so such things are often viewed as of little value or are taken for granted. However, when the need of something is sensed, that thing becomes valued in the eyes of the one who has recognized the need.” (Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan)

“Nazi flags had appeared on every office building and home, until it became dangerous not to have one. Until dissent became unpatriotic. Unit it became criminal to not stand and salute the fuhrer. And then worst part was that Germany hadn’t suddenly ‘become’ racist and evil. That rot had been there, under the surface, the whole time. Hitler’s hate-filled speeches had allowed the seeds of German bigotry to grow like weeds until the choked out anything else that might have flowered there.” (Allies by Alan Gratz)

Top 5 Books of the Year
We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Refugee by Alan Gratz
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Allies by Alan Gratz
(Yeah, that’s six… sue me)

Bottom 5 Books of the Year
Women Under the Knife by Ann Dally
Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
Who Killed My Daughter? by Lois Duncan
Bruno’s Dream by Iris Murdoch
Drown by Junot Diaz
The Appointment by Herta Muller
(Again six… oh, well)

How many books are in your To Read pile right now?
752 (That’s 91 more than at the end of 2018 and 229 more than at the end of 2017 when I started keeping track… I don’t think I’m doing this whole read the books you already have thing quite right…)

How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
I read 142 books this year. I always set my initial goal at 52, then double it. Once I got to 104, I set my goal at 130 and then 140 when I passed 130. I beat my final goal by 2.

What story stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needing time to digest?
Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick really stayed with me. It’s about life in North Korea and follows specifically the lives of several people who have defected. I found so much of it fascinating and for several days after I finished it, I just kept thinking about things the people featured have gone through.

What are some quotes that made you laugh?
“It turned out that Blas had spent most of his time wandering around the station looking for things to rob.
Tris knew this because when he saw Blas and asked him what he was up to, the big man replied, “Just wanderin’ around, looking for stuff to rob.”
Which at least made him honest. Kind of.” (Warden’s Folly by Tony James Slater)

“I think the Creator must have an inordinate fondness for beetles.” (Understanding Temple Symbols by Jack M. Lyon)

“Books are the most intensive of all current media. People are willing to spend hours and hours with a book. Additionally, people are still willing to pay for them.” An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green)

“Pipo wondered if it was already too late to teach her how to be a human being.” (Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card)

“‘It’s not acceptable to sell other people’s private parts, especially while leaving your own.'” and “(This often happens while we sleep—the witch children can take our heads and return them before morning, all without us knowing. It’s a serious problem.)” (The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba)

Top 5 Books of the Year
Covenant Keepers by Wendy Watson Nelson
God Wants a Powerful People by Sheri Dew
Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
In Praise of Wasting Time by Alan Lightman
Half a Heart by Karen McQuestion

Bottom 5 Books of the Year
The Temple Experience by Wendy Ulrich
The Bill of Rights Primer by Akhil Reed Amar and Les Adams
Operation Hail Storm by Brett Arquette
Out of the Blue by Gretta Mulrooney
News of the World by Paulette Jiles

How many books are in your To Read pile right now?
661

How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
I read 173 books (plus 20 short stories/kids books I read to the boys or pre-read for Adrian for school). I always set my initial goal at 52, then double it. After I passed 104, I kept setting new goals that were prime numbers (since 2017 is a prime number) just above the number of books I have already read. I ended up setting my goal at 173 and had to cram in a lot of reading at the end of the year to meet it.

What story stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needing time to digest?
Aaru by David Meredith. The author actually contacted me on Twitter to ask me to read his book. I am so glad he did! I still think about the implications of being able to “save” someone to a hard drive so they never really die and all the questions that brings up (are they alive? what make you you?) sometimes and it’s been a few months since I read the book.

What are some quotes that made you laugh?
“I’m homeschooled,” Jameson observed. “Can I just give myself A’s too?” (Absolution by Karen McQuestion)

“If by that you mean that I dislike celebrity magazines, prefer food to anorexia, refuse to watch TV shows about models, and hate the color pink, then yes. I am proud to be not really a girl.” (Let it Snow by John Green)

I glanced at my mother and wondered if she recalled my exact age. (“You Look Like That Girl…” by Lisa Jakub

My favorite type of physical activity usually involved reading or watching a movie. The Black Masquerade by Andrea Pearson

Top 5 Books of the Year
Aaru by David Meredith
Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo
The Only Witness by Pamela Beason
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Upstairs at the White House by JB West

Bottom 5 Books of the Year
Zera and the Green Man by Sandra Knauf
Wulf the Saxon by GA Henty
Traditional Irish Fairy Tales by James Stephens
God’s Battalions by Rodney Stark
Ultraviolet by RJ Anderson

How many books are in your To Read pile right now?
523

Where did your reading take you this year?
I hung out in Britain a lot this year. I found a couple amazing authors (self-published). I entered Narnia (for the first time) and Oz (for the first time beyond The Wonderful Wizard). I went to ancient Greece. And I discovered Cozy Mysteries to be a lovely and fun mind vacation to go on on occasion.

How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
I read 132 books. I don’t set specific goals anymore, really. Mostly just to read at least two books a week on average and I easily beat that. I’d love to reach an average of 3 books a week, but I don’t think that’ll ever happen. I beat my previous record of 126 books, but not page count.

What countries and time periods did you visit?
Mostly, Britain from Roman times through the Middle Ages. This was not planned. It just happened.

What were your most favorite stories? Any stories that stayed with you a long time, left you wanting more or needed to digest for a while before starting another? Which books became comfort reads?
My favorite stories were the young adult dystopian ones. I didn’t realize just how much I enjoy that genre.

The Breadwinner series stayed with me. They changed me, really. I am much more inclined to help people in any way I can. I’ve become determined that even though fixing everything is literally impossible, I can find the Starfish in need and help them. Spending time digesting that series really made me look for opportunities to help. Also, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I really have never even considered what it is like and the issues surrounding Native Americans living on reservations. I’m still mulling that one over, actually. I think both that book and the Breadwinner series have helped me to become a kinder, more compassionate person.

The Deltora Quest series became, or, really, already were comfort reads. I read them to my older children several years ago. I read them to myself 7 or 8 years ago. I read them to my little boys this year. Every time I return them, they are like visiting a friend I’ve missed, but didn’t quite realize I did.

What is the one book or the one author you thought you’d never read and found yourself pleasantly surprised that you liked it?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I’ve heard lots of negative stuff about it so I have avoided it. It was a Kindle Deal of the Day so I decided for two bucks I could see what the fuss is about myself. The negativity really misses the point. Completely. I’m glad I read it.

Did you read any books that touched you and made you laugh, cry, sing or dance?
The Fifth Floor made me sad, but hopeful at the same time. It made me dance because the author was amazing and when a self-published author is that good, it’s like the angels are singing in the background while you read. All the Tony James Slater books I read made me laugh. A lot. Out loud. The Breadwinner series made me cry at various points.

Any that made you want to toss it across the room in disgust?
Coffee, Tea or Me made me want to toss it across the room for lack of the Oxford comma in the title. Please Don’t Tell My Parents I Blew Up the Moon and Please Don’t Tell My Parents I’ve Got Henchmen made me want to toss them across the room because they were so, so bad after the first book in the series, Please Don’t Tell My Parents I’m a Supervillain, was so incredibly good.

Please share a favorite quote.
“A gal can cope with anything when her shoes match her bra.” ~A Trifle Dead

“She’s homeschooled because she can’t pass for human.” ~Please Don’t Tell My Parents I’ve Got Henchmen

“__________, __________, and __________ __________ __________! __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________. And before we knew it, we were on the plane home.” ~Can I Kiss Her Yet? (This is from the chapter about their honeymoon. Tony said he actually wrote words in those blanks and made it as incredibly boring as he possibly could.)

“She would have despised the modern idea of women being equal to men. Equal, indeed! she knew they were superior.” ~Cranford

“Still, Lex ran unopposed for city council and won every time.” ~The Last Bookstore in America

“Remember that misuse of language can lead to miscommunication and that miscommunication leads to everything that has ever happened in the whole of the world.” ~Welcome to Night Vale

How many books did you read this year and did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
I beat all my goals. First, I wanted to read more than 100 books. Second, I wanted to do the special 52 book challenge in among my books. And, third, I wanted to read more books and pages than I ever have before. I read 126 books and 37,104 pages (294 pages per book on average). That’s one more book than my previous record (2014) and 7,955 more pages (2012).

Share your top 5 favorite books.
Messenger by Lois Lowry
Moonraker’s Bride by Madeleine Brent
Petey by Ben Mikaelsen
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

Which books or authors you thought you’d never read and were pleasantly surprised to like them?
The 100 Series. My daughter begged me to read them. I was surprised how much I enjoyed them!

One book that touched you – made you laugh, cry, sing or dance!
Petey by Ben Mikaelsen

Share your most favorite character, covers and/or quotes?
Character: Miri from Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters

Covers:

Quotes:
“Are we absolutely certain he’s a wight?” asked Addison.
“Do cats grow on trees?” Emma replied.
“Not in this part of the world.”
“Then of course we aren’t. But when it comes to wights, there’s an old saying: If you’re not sure, assume.”
(Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs)

“Don’t worry, Herman, the Russians won’t bomb this place [a nursing home].”
(Petey by Ben Mikaelsen)

One book you thought you’d love but didn’t?
Call the Nurse by Mary J. MacLeod

What countries or centuries did you explore?
Ancient history.

What books would you recommend everybody read?
The Gregor the Underlander series
The Giver series
The Wave by Todd Strasser
Petey by Ben Mikaelsen

What was your favorite part of the challenge?
My favorite part was doing the special 52 book challenge. It encouraged me to find books in categories I might not have otherwise read.

How many books did you read and did you meet your own personal goal?
I read 125 books. I exceeded my personal goal. That is the most books I’ve ever read in a year, but not the most pages.

Most thrilling, oh my goodness, I want to read it again, unputdownable book?
The best book I read this year was Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler. I think it’s the only one I wished I could rate higher than 5 stars.

Top 5 favorite stories?
My top five favorites this year, aside from Calling Me Home, in the order I read them, are Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell, Michael Vey 4: Hunt for Jade Dragon by Richard Paul Evans, Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I did not choose any books that I reread this year because of course those are some of my favorites already!

Least favorite book?
I really did not like Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

New author discovery? New genre discovery?
I didn’t discover any new authors this year. I did discover that I don’t hate almost all classics. I really thought I did, but enjoyed many over the course of the year. In a way I suppose I “discovered” L. Frank Baum. I had read The Wizard of Oz before, but this year I read two other Oz books and really enjoyed them. At some point I want to read all the rest of the Oz books as well. He was a really good author.

One book that touched you – made you laugh, cry, sing or dance.
Definitely Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler. I think it made me do all of those things!

Are you ready to do it all over again?
Absolutely!

Do you have any goals to check out different genres or authors, read translated books or stories in another language for 2015?
In 2015, my daughter and I are both going to do a reading challenge she found somewhere. It requires a pretty large variety. My daughter’s already figured out nearly every book she’s going to read for the challenge. I’ll figure it out as I go along.