Ever since I was given my first Famous Five book on my 6th birthday, I’ve been hooked on reading. I’d read all of the Famous Five books by the time I was 7 and I’ve had a book on the go ever since. I was reading Agatha Christie books before I left primary school and was reading Thomas Hardy before I did my GCSEs. I tailed off with my reading a little bit when I did my A Levels and was at university, but got hooked again when I ws 23 and got my first proper job working in London. I was getting lots of trains and spending a lot of time on my own – both situations which require lots of books! When I had my biggest boy, I was digesting two or three books a week while I was breastfeeding.
A few years ago, I started keeping a record of the number of books I read in a year. It tended to be around 16 books a year. I read 19 in 2015, so I’m not really sure what happened in 2016. Because somehow I managed to read 33 books.
I always read actual, physical books, rather than on a device. About two-thirds of the books I read, I have bought myself, with people lending me the other third. I always read when I go to bed and I read while I’m eating lunch when I’m working at home on my own. I will never sit in a waiting room without a book and sometimes snatch a few minutes’ reading before the school run in the afternoon.
I read Midnight Sun in a day and it took me the entire summer holidays to read The Girl in the Spider’s Web, but on the whole I was averaging a book every 11 days in 2016.
In addition to the books I read for myself, I do a job which involves me reading five children’s books a month. Some of these are chapter books for 5-7 year olds, but I read a lot of 400 page YA novels too. So you could say I actually read 93 books this year.
This year I’ve read:
- The Ice Twins by S K Tremayne
- A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
- Disclaimer by Renee Knight
- Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo
- The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
- The Slaughter Man by Tony Parsons
- Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
- Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
- Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
- The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett
- After the Crash by Michel Bussi
- I’m Travelling Alone by Samuel Bjork
- Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin
- Strip Jack by Ian Rankin
- Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
- Queen: The Definitive Biography by Laura Jackson
- Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbo
- Tempting Fate by Jane Green
- The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz
- Harry Potter & the Cursed Child by J K Rowling
- The Lake House by Kate Morton
- Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas
- Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris
- Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
- The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
- After You by JoJo Moyes
- The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
- Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi
- The Black Book by Ian Rankin
- The Accident by C L Taylor
- Shoes for Anthony by Emma Kennedy
So what are my favourite books of the year?
It’s a difficult choice, because I’ve read so many brilliant ones, but my top five has to be:
- After the Crash
- Career of Evil
- I’m Travelling Alone
- The Hunger Games
- Me Before You
How many books have you read in 2016? Which are your favourites?
January 3, 2017
58 books in 2016 – about 90% fiction (novels, poetry and plays) and 10% non-fiction (primarily memoirs and popular science).
I barely buy any books because we live about 200 yards from the library and I can order books on my phone – though I have usually used up my 50 free holds by September. Our proximity to the library is honestly one of my favorite things about our house!
Pre-kids I read about twice that amount … plus I had longer vacations that I could dedicate solely to reading.
Hoping to make it 60+ in 2017 – which will mean less messing around on the internet 😉
January 3, 2017
That’s an impressive total! I usually read a couple of biographies a year, but didn’t read any in 2016. I think I’ve spent a bit less time on the internet lately to free up more reading time and I’ve found it very rewarding!
I haven’t been to the library in years. They never seem to have the books I want, so it’s easier just to buy them. It’s good that I have people to borrow off too to keep my costs down!
Good luck with reaching your 60+ books for 2017!
January 3, 2017
I’ve got a list of books to read this year and After the Crash is one of them. At the moment I’m reading Me Before You – which has a somewhat familiar plot in an interesting but unexpected way! I love reading your book reviews and I trust your recommendations for your top books of the year so I’ll be checking back when I’m ready for some more!
Nat.x
January 4, 2017
I’m sure you’ll love both Me Before You and After the Crash! It’s good to hear that you enjoy my book reviews. They are my least read posts by some considerable distance, but I write them because I love reading and I love talking about books! x
January 4, 2017
You have read so much! Well done 🙂 Last year I read more than I had in years! I intend to keep it up this year. Me Before You and After the Crash are both on my list.
January 4, 2017
I’m sure you’ll love both of them! Personally, I found having a baby was the perfect excuse to get lots of reading done, although some people say they can’t concentrate on it. If you can concentrate, you can have lots of lovely months of reading!
January 9, 2017
A great list of books there, aiming for 40 this year maybe? Thanks for sharing with #ReadWithMe
January 10, 2017
Thanks very much! It would be good to read 40, but I’ve got off to a very slow start! I’m not even halfway through a relatively short book I started on 28th December!
January 9, 2017
Wow! That’s a pretty impressive list! I need to keep a record of what I read this year. I’m hoping for at least one book a month for me alongside the books that I read aloud to my daughter,
Good luck with your reading for 2017!
#ReadWithMe
January 10, 2017
Thanks very much! I’ve already got a big pile of books to read for this year – and some vouchers lined up for myself.
A book a month for yourself sounds good. I read to my daughter too, but she reads the same book herself, so I end up reading about half of it!
January 9, 2017
I’ve just got the two Michael Bussi ones out from the library so look forward to reading those; I have heard good things. pre children I would read 3/4 books a week – I’d read on to and from work as well as in the evenings. Now I have children I don’t read as many books for me as I would like, but I am getting back into it slowly x
January 10, 2017
I’m sure you’ll love the Michel Bussi books! Three of four books a week is very impressive! It’s definitely harder to read with kids around as there’s always something else you need to be doing.
January 9, 2017
Since having children I find it really hard to find time to read. But I’ve just joined a book group which I love and am reading before bed every night. I read The Light Between Oceans at the end of 2016, heart-wrenching but a great read. #readwithme
January 10, 2017
Reading before bed is the best time, although I always find my eyes get tired sooner than I would like! The book group sounds fun!
January 9, 2017
Oh wow that is so impressive. I love reading but never seem to find the time. I am going to go and have a look now at books 🙂 thanks for the inspiration
January 10, 2017
Thanks very much! It’s hard to find the time with kids and I definitely haven’t read this many books for a long time!
January 9, 2017
Looks impressive as a list. I think I must have read between 40-50 books last year, excluding kids books 3readwithme
January 10, 2017
40-50 books is a lot! I do also read to my daughter every night, but I only read half a book as she reads on her own too.
January 9, 2017
Wow 93 books crikey. I love children’s books and young adults. #readwithme
January 10, 2017
Thanks. I enjoy some young adult books, but I can’t bear anything about vampires or mermaids or anything similar!
January 9, 2017
I’ve read quite a few of those and i’d say we have very similar reading tastes! I’m starting a book journal this year. My aim is to record every book I have ever read just by drawing the spine with the name on the page. Should be fun! #readwithme
January 10, 2017
What a lovely idea! It’s nice to discover someone with similar reading tastes. I’ll have to keep checking out your reviews for inspiration!