My Favorite Reads of 2017In Alphabetical Order

Of the 98 books I read in 2017,
these 16 were my favorites!

By the NumbersNovember/December 2016

Number of books read: 20.

Fiction: 15.
Non-fiction: 5.

Audiobooks: 5.

On the Kindle: 10.
(One of these I borrowed from the public library, and I own the other nine. I read four of these while traveling in Japan for Christmas.)

Male authors: 8.
Female authors: 15.

5-star rating: 6.
4-star rating: 7.
3-star rating: 6.
2-star rating: 1.

Cumulative number of books read this year: 100.
(My goal was to read a total of 104 books in 2016, but I'm not terribly disappointed that I didn't make it.)


How did your 2016 reading add up?

By the NumbersSeptember/October 2016

Number of books read: 18.

Fiction: 11.
Non-fiction: 7.

Audiobooks: 10.

On the Kindle: 2.
(One of these I own, and I borrowed the other from the public library.)

Number of books read with "Natalie's Book Club": 1.
(Ruta Sepetys' Salt to the Sea ‐ which we loved ‐ was our September read. In October, the pick was Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, which I'd previously read.)

Books by male authors: 5.
Books by female authors: 13.

5-star rating: 2.
4-star rating: 7.
3-star rating: 8.
2-star rating: 1.

Cumulative number of books read year-to-date: 80.
(My goal is to read a total of 104 books in 2016, so I've to got to read 24 more books before year-end. That's a lot ‐ but I remain hopeful!)


How is your 2016 reading adding up?

By the NumbersJuly/August 2016

Number of books read: 13.

Fiction: 12.
Non-fiction: 1.

Audiobooks: 5.
(Four of these I "read" during my commute, and the other one I "read" on my iPod as incentive to exercise.)

On the Kindle: 8.
(Two of these I had purchased, and the other six I borrowed from the public library.)

Number of books read with "Natalie's Book Club": 2.
(Both Fahrenheit 451 and Just Mercy gave us lots to discuss!)

Books by male authors: 4.
Books by female authors: 9.

New-to-me authors: 6.

5-star rating: 1.
4-star rating: 8.
3-star rating: 3.
2-star rating: 1.

Cumulative number of books read year-to-date: 62.
(My goal is to read a total of 104 books in 2016, so I'm currently seven books behind schedule.)


How is your 2016 reading adding up?

By the NumbersMay/June 2016

Number of books read: 14.

Fiction: 12.
Non-fiction: 2.

Audiobooks: 7.
(Four of these I "read" via CD during my commuting time. The other three were e-audiobooks, two of which I borrowed from the county library and "read" on my iPod as incentive to exercise and the other of which I "read" via Audible.)

On the Kindle: 4.

Number of books read with "Natalie's Book Club": 2.

Books by male authors: 0.
Books by female authors: 14.

5-star rating: 3.
4-star rating: 5.
3-star rating: 4.
2-star rating: 2.

Cumulative number of books read year-to-date: 49.
(My goal is to read a total of 104 books in 2016, so I'm currently three books behind schedule.)


How is your 2016 reading adding up?

By the NumbersMarch/April 2016

Number of books read: 23.

Fiction: 16.
Non-fiction: 7.

Picture books: 4.

Audiobooks: 7.
(Four of these I "read" via CD during my commuting time. The other three were e-audiobooks: I borrowed Identical from the county library and "read" on my iPod as incentive to exercise; I borrowed Off the Page from the library via One Click Digital and listened to much of it in the mornings while getting ready for the day; and The Master Magician was my first "read" via Audible, purchased to complement the Kindle book.)

On the Kindle: 10.
(I purchased seven of these, including Off the Page and The Master Magician, to which I also listened to e-audiobook versions. I borrowed the other three from the county library.)

Number of books read during Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon: 9.

Number of books read as part of a book launch team: 1.
(I hadn't heard of Alexandra Kuykendall when her new release Loving My Actual Life came onto my radar screen - but it was perfect for this year when my One Little Word is YES and I am so glad I was able to be part of the launch team.)

Books by male authors: 8.
Books by female authors: 15.

5-star rating: 1.
4-star rating: 15.
3-star rating: 5.
2-star rating: 2.

Cumulative number of books read year-to-date: 35.
(My goal is to read a total of 104 books in 2016, so — thanks to the read-a-thon — I'm actually one book ahead of schedule. At least for the moment.)


How is your 2016 reading adding up?

By the NumbersJanuary/February 2016

Number of books read: 12.
(My goal is to read a total of 104 books in 2016, so I'm about five books behind schedule.)

Fiction: 8.
Non-fiction: 4.

Audiobooks: 6.
(Four of these I "read" via CD during my commuting time. The other two were e-audiobooks, which I borrowed from the county library and "read" on my iPod, mostly as incentive to exercise.)

On the Kindle: 5.
(I purchased three of these. I borrowed the other two from the county library.)

Books by male authors: 4.
Books by female authors: 8.

4-star rating: 8.
3-star rating: 4.


How is your 2016 reading adding up?

By the NumbersFor the Year 2013

Total books read: 82.
(I read 80 books in 2012, but I read 93 in 2011 - and my goal remains to read 104 books in one year. Maybe in 2014!)

Fiction: 69.
Non-fiction: 13.

Audiobooks: 36.
(Twenty-seven of these I "read" via CD during my commuting time. The other nine were e-audiobooks, which I borrowed from the county library and "read" on my Kindle or on my iPod, mostly as incentive to exercise.)

On the Kindle: 23.
(I purchased 12 of these. I borrowed the other 11 from the Kindle Lending Library.)

Published in 2013: 19.
Published prior to 2000: 2.

Books by male authors: 15.
Books by female authors: 68.
(One book I read - Half the Sky - was co-written by a husband and wife.)

Books that are the first of a series: 6.
Books that are part of a series I started prior to 2013: 9.

Historical fiction: 16.

Biography, autobiography, or memoir: 4.

Young adult: 27.
Middle grade: 9.
Picture books: 2.

Review copies: 2.

Re-reads: 2.

Read for my Teaching Through Literature class: 4.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 6.
Read with the Book Buddies: 3.
Read with the 52 weeks, 52 books group on goodreads: 6.
(Obviously I didn't keep up - although I had previously read another nine of the titles chosen for this group.)
Read for my annual women's retreat: 1.
(I really enjoyed the discussion we had of Home by Marilynne Robinson.)

5-star rating: 8.
4-star rating: 57.
3-star rating: 16.
2-star rating: 1.

How did your 2013 reading add up?

By the NumbersOne-Half of 2013

Total books read year-to-date: 38.
(At this point last year, I had read 36. Sadly, though, my total for 2012 was the lowest in five years. So I'd really like to pick up the pace in the second half of 2013!)

Fiction: 33.
Non-fiction: 5.

Audiobooks: 18.
(Thirteen of these I "read" via CD during my commuting time. The other five were e-audiobooks, which I borrowed from the county library and "read" on my Kindle or on my iPod, mostly as incentive to exercise.)

On the Kindle: 9.
(I purchased four of these. I borrowed the other five from the Kindle Lending Library.)

Published in 2013: 6.
Published prior to 1990: 0.

Books by male authors: 7.
Books by female authors: 32.
(One book I read - Half the Sky - was co-written by a husband and wife, so I've got one more author than I do books.)

Books that are the first of a series: 4.
Books that are part of a series I started prior to 2013: 3.

Historical fiction: 8.

Young adult: 10.
Middle grade: 3.

Review copies: 1.

Re-reads: 1.

Read for my Teaching Through Literature class: 4.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 3.
Read with the Book Buddies: 2.
Read with the 52 weeks, 52 books group on goodreads: 2.
(Obviously I'm not keeping up - although I had previously read another six of the titles chosen for this group.)
Read for my annual women's retreat: 1.
(I really enjoyed the discussion we had of Home by Marilynne Robinson.)

5-star rating: 6.
4-star rating: 20.
3-star rating: 12.

How is your 2013 reading adding up?

By the NumbersFor the Year 2012

Total books read: 80.
(Sadly, for the first time since 2007 - the year I created this blog - I failed to read more books than I had read the previous year. Eighty equals my total for 2008, and in 2011 I read 93. I can't really pinpoint all the causes of the lesser output in 2012, but I think I worked more hours than in previous years. According to goodreads, I also read more pages in 2012 than I did in any year since 2007 except 2011 - so, although I know the page count isn't entirely accurate, perhaps I simply read longer books this year. No matter the cause, I'm planning for a higher count in 2013!)

Fiction: 64.
Non-fiction: 16.

Audiobooks: 32.
(I guess I've got to be glad that I can "read" during my commuting time!)

On the Kindle: 16.
(I purchased seven of these. I borrowed the other nine from the Kindle Lending Library.)

Published in 2012: 12.
Published prior to 1990: 1.

Books by male authors: 18.
Books by female authors: 62.

Books that are the first of a series: 8.
Books that are part of a series I started prior to 2012: 14.

Historical fiction: 13.

Biography, autobiography, or memoir: 9.

Young adult: 31.
Juvenile: 4.

Review copies: 5.

Read for my Teaching Through Literature class: 6.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 10.
Read with my long-time book club: 7 (counting one that I also read with the "book lunch girls").

5-star rating: 6.
(These were Between Shades of Gray [a fabulous young adult historical novel, not to be confused with a certain similarly-named erotic romance], Doomsday Book [which was a re-read for me], Flunking Sainthood, Liar & Spy, One Thousand Gifts, and Unbroken.)
4-star rating: 56.
3-star rating: 17.
2-star rating: 1.

What were your reading numbers for 2012?

What are your reading goals for 2013?

By the NumbersOne-Half of 2012

Total books read year-to-date: 36.
(At this point last year, I had read 44 books. In each year beginning with 2007 - the year I created this blog - I read more books than I did the previous year. If I'm going to repeat that result in 2012, I think I'm just going to have to read faster!)

Fiction: 26.
Non-fiction: 10.

Audiobooks: 13.
(That more than one-third of my "reading" happened during my commuting time is somewhat disconcerting to me.)

On the Kindle: 5.
(I own three of these. I borrowed the other two from the Kindle Lending Library.)

Published in 2012: 0.
(Of all these numbers, this one surprises me most!)
Published prior to 1990: 1.

Books by male authors: 6.
Books by female authors: 30.

Books by new-to-me authors: 22.
(Some of those are debuts but most are just my first experience with the author. In most cases, I will be looking for more of the author's work!)

Books that are the first of a series: 4.
Books that are part of a series I started prior to 2012: 5.

Historical fiction: 5.

Biography, autobiography, or memoir: 6.

Young adult: 15.
Juvenile: 2.

Review copies: 2.

Read for my Teaching Through Literature class: 4.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 6.
Read with my long-time book club: 5 (counting one that I also read with the "book lunch girls").

5-star rating: 4.
4-star rating: 22.
3-star rating: 9.
2-star rating: 1.

How is your 2012 reading adding up?

By the NumbersFor the Year 2011

Total books read: 93. (My goal for the year was 104 books. As late as Thanksgiving, I thought I might meet that goal. Alas. My goal for 2012 will again be 104 books.)

Fiction: 81.
Non-fiction: 11.
Poetry: 1.

Audiobooks: 24. (I'm amazed that one-fourth of my total "reading" happened via my ears!)

On the Kindle: 6. (Obviously, my Kindle - which I've had since May - isn't replacing traditional books, but it is a nice addition.)

Books by male authors: 31.
Books by female authors: 62.
Anthologies: 1.
(Note: These numbers don't add up because one book I read - The Future of Us - was a collaboration between a woman and a man.)

Published in 2011: 24.
Published prior to 1990: 6.

Re-reads: 1.

Historical fiction: 15.

Biography, autobiography, or memoir: 7.

Young adult: 46. (Wow! Almost half of my reading was YA.)
Juvenile: 8.

Read for my Teaching Through Literature class: 7.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 10.
Read with my long-time book club: 7.

5-star rating: 5. (These were The Handmaid's Tale, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Okay for Now, Open, and Sisterhood Everlasting.)
4-star rating: 66.
3-star rating: 22.

What were your reading numbers for 2011? What are your goals for 2012?

By the NumbersThree-Quarters of 2011

Total books read year-to-date: 73. (My goal for the year is 104 books. Right now I'm only about 4 books behind the pace I need to reach that goal!)

Fiction: 63.
Non-fiction: 9.
Poetry: 1.

Audiobooks: 20.

On the Kindle: 5. (Obviously, my Kindle - which I've had since May - isn't replacing traditional books, but it is a nice addition.)

Books by male authors: 24.
Books by female authors: 48.
Anthologies: 1.

Published in 2011: 14.
Published prior to 1990: 4.

Historical fiction: 11.

Young adult: 40.
Juvenile: 7.

Read for my Teaching Through Literature class: 4.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 8.
Read with my long-time book club: 5.

5-star rating: 5.
4-star rating: 50.
3-star rating: 18.

What are your reading numbers for 2011 to date? What are you going to read in the last quarter of the year?

By the NumbersOne-Half of 2011

Total books read year-to-date: 44. (My goal for the year is 104 books. I'm 7 or 8 books behind right now, but I'm still hopeful that I'll reach the goal. I've got a weekend get-away and a week-long vacation coming up - during both of which I plan to do some serious reading. I'll also likely be working fewer hours during the next several months - which will free up some time for reading.)

Fiction: 37.
Non-fiction: 6.
Poetry: 1.

Audiobooks: 15.

On the Kindle: 2. (My Kindle was a Mother's Day gift. I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not, but I'm enjoying it very much!)

Books by male authors: 17.
Books by female authors: 26.
Anthologies: 1.

Published in 2011: 4.
Published prior to 1990: 1.

Historical fiction: 7.
Young adult: 24.
Juvenile: 4.

Read for my Teaching Through Literature class: 3.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 4.
Read with my long-time book club: 4.

5-star rating: 1. (I adored The Invention of Hugo Cabret!)
4-star rating: 30.
3-star rating: 13.

What are your reading numbers for 2011 so far?

By the NumbersOne-Quarter of 2011

Total books read year-to-date: 21. (My goal for the year is 104 books. I think I'm going to have to work less and read more if I'm going to have any chance of meeting that goal! I do think I'll be able to exceed last year's total - which was 86 - without too much difficulty.)

Fiction: 16.
Non-fiction: 4.
Poetry: 1.

Audiobooks: 8. (Two of these were books - Sarah's Key and Before I Fall - that I started on CD but ended up finishing in the traditional fashion over a weekend because I couldn't wait until Monday's commute to resume!)

Books by male authors: 10.
Books by female authors: 10.
Anthologies: 1.

Published in 2011: 1.
Published prior to 1990: 1.

Historical fiction: 3.

Young adult: 11.
Juvenile: 1.

Read for my Teaching Through Literature class: 2.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 3.
Read with my long-time book club: 2. (I'm still working on March's pick - A Tale of Two Cities.)

4-star rating: 14.
3-star rating: 7.

What are your reading numbers for 2011 so far?

By the NumbersFor the Year 2010

Total books read this year: 86.

Fiction: 77.
Non-fiction: 9.

Young adult: 46.
Juvenile: 7.

Historical fiction: 16.

Published in 2010: 21.
Published prior to 1990: 7.

Re-reads: 3.

Read with the fifth- or sixth-grade book group: 8.
Read with the "book lunch girls" (aka Natalie's Book Club): 9.
Read with my long-time book club: 7.
Read with the Book Buddies: 5.

5-star rating: 8.
(Those were Matched, If You Come Softly, The Happiness Project, Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness, To Kill a Mockingbird, Slob, A Northern Light, and Harriet the Spy.)
4-star rating: 42.
3-star rating: 32.
2-star rating: 4.

How did your reading add up in 2010?

By the NumbersThree-Quarters of 2010

Total books read year-to-date: 59. (I read twenty-five of those - nearly half - after July 1. That makes me hopeful that I can at least exceed the numbers of the past three years - 83 books in 2009, 80 books in 2008, and 76 books in 2007 - if I cannot meet my goal of 104 books for the year.)

Fiction: 52.
Non-fiction: 7.

Historical fiction: 13.

Published in 2010: 16.
Published prior to 1990: 6.

Young adult: 27.
Juvenile: 6.

Read with the fifth grade book group: 7.
Read with the "book lunch girls": 8.
Read with my book club: 5.
Read with the Book Buddies: 3.

5-star rating: 6.
(Those were The Happiness Project, Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness, To Kill a Mockingbird, Slob, A Northern Light, and Harriet the Spy.)
4-star rating: 30.
3-star rating: 21.
2-star rating: 2.

What are your reading numbers for 2010 so far?

By the NumbersMidway 2010

Total books read year-to-date: 34. (This is well below the pace required to meet my goal of 104 books for the year. It's below my pace for the past few years, as well. But since I finished a five-year work commitment on June 30, I have high hopes for the second half of 2010 ... and beyond!)

Fiction: 32.
Non-fiction: 2. (Both were biography-memoir.)

Historical fiction: 9.

Published in 2010: 5.
Published prior to 1990: 5.

Young adult: 16.
Juvenile: 6.

Read with the fifth grade book group: 7.
Read with the "book lunch girls": 5.
Read with my book club: 4.
Read with the Book Buddies: 2.

5-star rating: 3.
(Those were Slob, A Northern Light, and Harriet the Spy.)
4-star rating: 17.
3-star rating: 12.
2-star rating: 2.

What are your reading numbers for 2010 so far?

By the Numbers

In 2006, I read a total of 56 books.
In 2005, I read 94 books.
In 2004, I read 96 books.

In 2000, I read 82 books.
In 1999, I read 76 books.
In 1998, I read 88 books.
In 1997, I read 87 books.
In 1996, I read 59 books.
In 1995, I read 119 books.
In 1994, I read 115 books.
In 1993, I read 113 books.
In 1992, which is the first year I started keeping track, I read 55 books.