January is officially over. I set myself a pretty lofty reading goal every year of reading (and reviewing) 104 books. To reach that, I have to read 2 books per week. January had 4 full weeks this year, so my goal was 8 books. It’s safe to say I met that … and then some.
- 14 Books
- 4,582 Pages
- 147 Pages per day
As the month comes to an end, I always like to take a minute to analyze what I really read. I pride myself of varying up the genres I read. So I like to see if there’s anything that’s standing out or falling behind.
GENRE
- 1 Contemporary
- 3 Fantasy
- 1 Graphic Novel
- 4 Mystery/Thriller
- 1 Horror
- 2 Science Fiction
- 1 NonFiction
- 1 Paranormal Fantasy
Obviously, I do dabble in all sorts of things. But what happens if I look at it by age range and genre?
Interesting, NOW I see a pattern. It seems YA Fantasy and Adult Mystery/Thriller are dominating. Over the years I’ve come to terms with the fact that, although I read everything, these are probably my comfort zone genres. They’re what I turn to automatically, the ones that don’t usually fail me. It’s good to have those, I think. I just don’t want them to become all I read.
WHERE DID I GET MY BOOKS?
- 6 Borrowed from the library or someone else
- 4 Advanced Reader Copies or Review Copies from publishers or authors
- 4 Purchased outright over the years
This doesn’t surprise me at all, since I already know my own habits. But it always surprises other people. I borrow books all the time! In fact, here’s the breakdown by format.
As you can see, all of the ARCs and review copies I accepted this month were electronic. They’re easier to send via email and cheaper for publishers/authors. I have no problem accepting electronic copies. Most of the books I borrowed were audiobooks. My library participates in Libby, which means I can download an audiobook directly to my phone without ever leaving the house. It’s amazing!
Who Published the Books?
- 3 Independently Published
- 2 Traditionally Published Advanced Reader Copies
- 9 Traditionally Published Backlist Titles
It just worked out that so many of my books were traditionally published this month. I typically read a lot more independent stuff, but the backlist book wheel just swung in favor of traditional this month.
4 Star Worth Reading if you like this Genre:
I’m not going to spend a lot of time breaking down each book I read in the month (you can find that in other blog posts) but here are the 4 star books that are worth your time!
- Just Right Jillian, MG Contemporary. Excellent story about a young girl learning to be herself in the world and finding her voice.
- Ash Princess, YA Fantasy. Dystopian style story about a Princess who must find the strength to hold up the memory of her people, even when they’re basically enslaved.
- Fear No Evil, A Mystery/Thriller. The newest Alex Cross novel, perfect for fans of Sampson.
- Blighted Heart, YA Fantasy. The second in a series, this book is great for fans of darker fantasy who like magic and demons.
- Resistant, A Science Fiction. Great for readers who like their science in science fiction, this one follows a girl who may be the answer to the virus that wiped out the world.
- My Husband’s Wife, A Mystery/Thriller. This one is great for people who like a tale told out of order, bringing you inevitably closer to the ending you were allowed to preview.