To be very honest, I got disenchanted with reading for a while. I didn't really want to read the books I had started and I didn't want to start any new ones. In fact, all I wanted to do was binge watch Daredevil and Jessica Jones (thanks Netflix...)
It didn't take much to fix this feeling though. All it took was a couple of good books. And changing genres.
I love reading historical fiction and non-fiction; I also love reading high fantasy and YA fiction. If I read too many books in a row of the same genera, however, I lose all interest. I didn't realize I needed to switch up my books until I couldn't even finish a book I had been waiting a year and a half to read. So I put that book down and picked up one of a completely different genera. It was then that I ripped through three books in less than a week.
I think I explained during summer last year that I needed a fluffy book because I was reading so many heavy books (I'm talking content wise), well the opposite happened at the end of the year. I was reading too much fluff and not enough meaningful subjects.
So if you're experiencing reading block, I suggest changing it up.
In other news, happy new year! I completed 48/50 books on time. I completed my 49th book on New Year's Day and am over half way through that (800 page) book I put down.
I've also already finished three new books, so there's more than enough for me already in 2016!
Before I move on to 2016 though, I'd like to reprise the tradition of summarizing the books I read this year, including my favorite books and total page count.
~ 2015 ~
50 Books
19,061 Pages
Shortest Book : King Charles III (well, it IS a play...)
Longest Book: Winter (824 pages)
$4.00 in library fees...
Read 12 books released in 2015
Oldest book: North and South (1854)
Re-reads: 2 (48 new books!)
Twenty-two 5 Star books
Seventeen 4 Star books
Eight 3 Star books
Three 2 Star books
Zero 1 Star books (I'm not heartless)
6 new series:
Mistborn, Half a King, Winner's Curse, Kiss of Deception, Red Rising, & Throne of Glass
Biggest plot twist:
Golden Son
My mind is still tripping over itself from that ending. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is the actual face I made when I read it. Morning Star cannot come out soon enough!
Most eye rolls:
TIE. Court of Thorns and Roses & Winner's Crime
You want to find out how ridiculous a book is? Have your little sister read the climax out loud to you and your entire family. I was SO sick of Court of Thorns and Blah, that's what I did. I think I permanently strained my eyes from that experience.
Funniest:
The Princess Bride
Imagine the movie, but funnier. Yeah.
Biggest Disappointment:
Queen of Shadows
Trust me. No one wants another rant. But you can read my other one and see some more spot on gifs HERE.
Most tears shed:
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Still crying.
~ TOP 10 ~
10. Code Name Verity
9. A Thousand Splendid Suns
8. Ember in the Ashes
7. Red Rising
6. Mistborn
5. As You Wish / The Princess Bride
4. Crown of Midnight
I'm still pretending Queen of Shadows doesn't exist so it's presence doesn't taint my love for Crown of Midnight. The heart in this book mixed with the amount of assassin awesomeness broke my heart and put it back together. #Chaolaenaforever #Chaolisendgame #GetawayfrommeAelin
3. A Pleasure to Burn
And what a pleasure it was. I read this book at work a lot and often had people stop me to see what I was reading. When I held the book up with a giant grin, most of them walked off without a word! It was just like magic. Such a poignant, captivating read for me.
2. Golden Son
As I explained above, and in my original review, I am incapable of talking about the end of this book without hysterics. I really enjoyed Red Rising, but Golden Son is on another level of mind blowing. I recommended this book to a couple of people who "like" it... but I still need someone to help me through this hard time (it's been a freaking YEAR) before Morning Star comes out. I never thought one of my favorite books would be sci-fi, but here we are.
I don't think I'll be able to top what I wrote in my original review, so go read that. I'll take this chance to say again that there was one point where I couldn't for the life of me flip the page fast enough. While parts of this book are beautiful and slow, there's definitely some page flipping, heart stopping action too. It's the mix of the two that captivated me and brought these characters so near to my heart. It's the mix of the two that makes it feel real and true to life. It's the mix of the two that won it the Pulitzer Prize. So do yourself a favor and read All The Light We Cannot See.
There you have it! A whole year in one post! And what a great year for reading it was. I got to read some classics that I had never read before such as The Hobbit, but I also got to read some brand new books and beginning what looks like a great series in An Ember in the Ashes. I read some books I'll never forget and some books I'm trying to forget. Goodreads says I averaged above a 4 Star rating in 2015 which may say something about how I rate books... or it may say that I read some really great books. I can't wait to see what 2016 bring me!
This year (at the end of this month in fact) I'm moving to Japan! So my book count is going to be less than 2015, but that's not terrible. As I'm thinking about setting a specific number, I'll continue to blog the books I've finished. So stay tuned!
Read on,
Jamie
Read on,
Jamie
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