I love nothing more than reading. It’s how I unwind and escape from the frustrations and boredom of everyday life. Left to my own devices, I wouldn’t need a TV and you wouldn’t catch me watching videos online. I’d much rather read a book than a blogpost or magazine or look at social media (although I do those things a lot too).
I read every night before I go to sleep and every lunchtime when the kids aren’t home (I can’t concentrate enough to read when they’re around). If I’m sat waiting in the car or in a waiting room, I will be reading a book. And it is always a book, never a device. I have never read anything on a device.
I’ve read a lot of brilliant books this year, a lot of good ones and just a few I haven’t been so keen on. I had a really bad run at the start of the year and was underwhelmed by the first four books I read. Thank goodness things turned around a bit after that!
This year I’ve read 37 books, which is slightly more than last year’s total. This actually surprised me as I haven’t had any long train journeys this year (absolutely the best time to read), with no blogging conferences and no days away working.
In addition to the books I read for myself, I read children’s books for work. They can be anything from pre-school picture books to 500 page YA novels. I was reading five a month until May and four a month for the rest of the year, so that’s an extra 53 books this year.
This year I’ve read:
- Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin
- Content Provider by Stewart Lee
- The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink
- Look at Me by Sarah Duguid
- Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
- The Stranger in My Home by Adele Parks
- Why Did You Lie? by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King
- Adventureman by Jamie McDonald
- Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent
- The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
- The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza
- Spectacles by Sue Perkins
- A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart
- The Fire Child by S K Tremayne
- I Let You Go by Claire Mackintosh
- What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
- The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon
- The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza
- The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
- The Undesired by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
- Falling by Jane Green
- The Breakdown by B A Paris
- Swing Time by Zadie Smith
- Dark Water by Robert Bryndza
- The Adversary by Emmanuel Carrere
- The Girls by Emma Cline
- Last Breath by Robert Bryndza
- Blood Sisters by Jane Corry
- I See You by Clare Mackintosh
- Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land
- Sirens by Joseph Knox
- The Humans by Matt Haig
- The Dry by Jane Harper
- The House by Simon Lelic
- Arrowood by Laura McHugh
- The Hanging Club by Tony Parsons
So what were my favourite books of the year?
It’s a tough choice because I’ve read so many brilliant ones, but I think they are:
- The Dry
- Why Did You Lie?
- Lying in Wait
- The Trouble With Goats and Sheep
- I Let You Go
I must also give a special mention to Robert Bryndza’s DI Erika Forester series, which I have absolutely loved reading this year.
How many books did you read in 2017? What were your favourites?
January 9, 2018
I do enjoy your book recommendations, I have read a couple of them this year. I read a Boy Made of Blocks and I’ve just finished I Let You Go. I enjoyed both of them and really appreciated the recommendations, thank you.
Nat.x
January 9, 2018
Thanks very much! It’s good to know that someone follows my recommendations and enjoys them! My book reviews are easily my least popular posts, but I do them for the love of it, because I always want to tell people what I’m reading about! x
January 10, 2018
I blew 2016 out of the water and read 95 books this year – 75 fiction and 20 non-fiction. Definitely my highest number since having kids!
The only books that intersect both of our lists are The Couple Next Door, which I confess I did not like all that much, and Swing Time.
My favourites this year (ie I could imagine re-reading them) included The Story of Your Life and Others; Seveneves; Lincoln in the Bardo; Son of a Trickster; Imagine Me Gone; Commonwealth; and The Break. My total includes rereads of Mrs Dalloway; Giovanni’s Room; and the Aubrey-Maturin series (20 books, took me 2 months!).
January 10, 2018
Wow, that’s an incredible total! The only time I read more than I read in 2017 was when my eldest was a baby and I was reading while breastfeeding! I devoured so many books then.
You and me must have quite different tastes in books. The Couple Next Door didn’t make my favourites list, but it’s the sort of book I read a lot of and would have ranked about middle of my list for the year. But I will still look up some of your recommendations! I never re-read books because there is always something else I want to read.
January 10, 2018
What a fantastic list. I have not been reading anywhere near as much. A lot of good books here though. I read maybe 20. Must try harder x
January 15, 2018
I started last year recording the books I’ve read but stopped after a couple of months, there weren’t so many! I’m interested to hear that you still read real books, I have only read books on my phone when I was stuck without something to read, otherwise it’s got to be a real book for me.
#ReadWithMe
January 15, 2018
You read a lot especially considering your job is to read books too!! A great diverse list of books there. Thank you for sharing with #readwithme
January 15, 2018
I went ahead and bought The Couple Next Door after reading your review. I haven’t read it yet but I’ve picked the books I’m going to be reading for my challenge this year and it’s on the list.
I’m pleased I didn’t use my book tokens for it though because it came in the charity shop where I volunteer the same week you did your review so I got it for a pound instead of £7.99!
January 15, 2018
I read The Couple Next Door following your review, very good so thank you! Love reading about what you’ve been reading, just need to do a bit more of my own reading 😉 #readwithme
January 16, 2018
I’m always happy when I hear that people have followed my recommendations and enjoyed them. That was one of the biggest selling books of the year.
January 15, 2018
I don’t know how many I read but I did about 40 reviews. My favourite was The Second Son by Andy Blackman #readwithme
January 16, 2018
Wow, you read a lot! I reviewed all the books I read, plus a small number of the kids’ books I read too. I’ll have to look out for that one, I think you and I have similar tastes in books.
January 16, 2018
A lot of my spare time is spent in reading. I love to find a quiet corner to read. Much prefer it to watching tv.
January 17, 2018
Wow! You have read a lot – well done! I’ve just shared The Humans on my blog too! Not one I would have picked up but loved it! And I’ll be having a closer look at your top list and adding to my TBR pile! #readwithme
January 18, 2018
Thanks, I do love my reading! I make a conscious decision to put reading first these days as I enjoy it more than TV and going on the internet.Glad you enjoyed The Humans too, it was unlike anything I’d read before!
January 21, 2018
Wow, that’s an impressive amount of books! I enjoyed The Trouble With Goats and Sheep too. Another book I really liked was Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo, so well written. #readwithme
January 22, 2018
I haven’t heard of that one! I will have to look out for it. I’ve just bought Joanna Cannon’s latest, even breaking my own ‘no hardbacks’ rule because I don’t think I could wait too long for it!
January 26, 2018
There are so many great books in here! I’ve wanted to read The Humans by Matt Haig for the longest time, it’s been sitting on my book shelf for months! I read one of his books back in August called How To Stop Time, that’s REALLY good. <3
January 27, 2018
You should definitely read The Humans! I’ve heard good things about How to Stop Time.