It's that time of year where all readers and writers alike take inventory of the books they've read and pick their favs.
I'm a girl who follows her heart in the realm of reading, sticking to the genres I enjoy, because reading is supposed to be fun! You won't find any horror or dystopian titles on my list. I stick to mystery, historical fiction, clean romance, fantasy, and of course, an array of non fiction.
You may be asking, what about kid lit? In truth, I had a few kid lit titles on my TBR but alas, I did not get to them this year.
I did nothing fancy in the way of cataloging my reads. I simply wrote each one down as I went. I read my books in many versions---audiobooks, e-books, and print. This year my total was 46. I don't create reading goals because I know myself and this would stress me out big time. Sometimes I go weeks without reading anything. Life is about balance. Don't let a hobby become a chore.
So! Here are my top picks by genre:
Fiction
Fantasy:
This was the final book in the epic saga of the Wheel of Time series. The ending was satisfying but also so bittersweet to say goodbye to the beloved characters that I've read off and on for the last 3 years.
Historical fiction:
Set in the medieval times, this book has so many schemes that it made my head hurt. I found the writing so interesting as it was the POV was third person present. Great read that made me terribly happy to not live in that time period, ha.
Runner up:
Fascinating story of 4 fictional characters who did the very real job of tending the switchboards in WW1. The first female corps who put their lives on the line.
Mystery:
This one has been a best seller for years and wow, I can see why. Clever writing and amazing character development, plus a mind bending mystery to solve. The end left me numb!
Runner up:
Yep you read that write. I had to give this one a shout out. Claudia Gray takes our beloved Austen characters, smashes then together to create a delicious murder mystery. She's followed this one up with two others that are just as wonderful. If you love Austen and regency, this is a must read. (Move to mystery).
Romance:
Another award winner, this regency era novel was the authors debut and it was a knock out. I could not put this down! It was extremely entertaining with a fun plot, witty narration, and well-developed characters.
Non fiction
Christian:
An exploration on the character of Christ and how much deeper it goes than what we perceived and even believe. It will deepen your love for Christ as you think upon his love for you.
Parenting:
This was a quick read (or listen) to snap the mama out of her pity party (anyone else?). Yes, a lot about Christian parenting is down right difficult, but that in itself does not mean we should begrudge the task and mope as we do it. Step up to the standard.
Psychology/ Social Awareness:
I had to wait months to get this one from my library as so many had it in hold! But I can see why. There's a lot of smack talk about the next generation and their work ethic or entitlement or attitude. This book reminds the reader that children are products of their environment...the kids are not growing up because the parents are not letting them. He calls the mobile phone "the longest umbilical cord" and challenges the idea of knowing where and what the kids are doing at all times. Independence and resiliency is born through adversity, after all. This tiny summary does nothing to grasp the whole picture so I greatly encourage all parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers to read this one.
Honorable mention:
Another very informative exploration of current parenting trends related to media, social movements (such as SEL, child therapy, etc.) and the pitfalls causing harm.
Writing craft :
This book was invaluable in helping me smooth out the kinks in my WIP. It made me re-do my outline yet again but I know this time I've got an air tight plot.
Let me know in the comments what your favourite books were this year!
Happy Reading!
-R
*All opinions are my own and not endorsed by a third party. Links will bring you to amazon, goodreads, or the author's website so you can discover more.
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