With 2019 officially behind us, I thought I should get around to doing a full year wrap up. Going through everything I read and my bookstagram account, I’m surprised by how similar by 2018 was to my 2019. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, but I didn’t accomplish some of the goals I mentioned in my 2018 wrap up post.
Such as, I wanted to write more reviews! And that totally didn’t happen. Out of the 117 books (not as many as 2018) I read, only 4 of them turned into real reviews posted here and I had 4 reviews in 2018 as well. Didn’t exactly strive to increase my goal, did I? In 2019 I also started posting my monthly reading wrap ups here instead of only on my bookstagram but I didn’t stay consistent enough with it. It’s nice using the blog to say a bit more about each of the books, even if it’s only a couple of sentences, instead of being limited to Instagram and only using the stars I gave each book. First 2020 goal: Consistently blog post monthly reading wrap up, share a couple of sentences of what I liked/didn’t like about each book, and if I don’t have anything to say about it, that’s fine too.
Some of the other stats I was putting together of my yearly reading wrap up, I found I listened to 27 audiobooks in 2019 but that number was at 45 last year! I only listen to them at work and quite frankly I was busier in 2019 than I was in 2018. It doesn’t surprise me to see that number is so much lower than the previous year and helps explain why I didn’t reach my reading goal of 130. That number might not get better in 2020 and I’m ok with that. Audiobooks are more of a supplement to reading books and I listen to books that I know I won’t get around to the physical book of, so it’s almost like a bonus read.
The other stat that was off from 2018 versus 2019 were the number of books I gave 5 stars to. I have 16 books 5 stars in 2019 but in 2018 I gave 21 books 5 stars. Typically, I find that I give comics/graphic novels 5 stars more often than books, but I read 10 additional comics/graphic novels than I did in 2018. Maybe I was more cynical in 2019 than I have been in previous years.
Second 2020 goal: Grow my bookstagram account, post better pictures more consistently, engage in the community more, reach 500 followers. The last couple of months of 2019 I started to engage in the bookstagram community more and I hope to continue to grow that this year.
Jamie from Perpetual Page-Turner posted a 2019 Reading Stats questionnaire on her blog and I filled it out to get a sense of what I thought about what I read. I used the same books for a lot of the questions, which I’m not sure is the point, but hey, if I liked the book, I liked the book. So here we go!
2019 Reading Stats
Number of Books You Read: 117
Number of Re-Reads: 0
Genre You Read the Most From: Fantasy (and ARC’s even though that isn’t technically a genre)
Best in Books
Best Book You Read in 2019?
The Emperor’s Soul (Fantasy)
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (Graphic Novel)
Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More but Didn’t?
Growing Things and Other Stories
Most Surprising (in a good or bad way) Book You Read?
The Haunted (good)
Choke Box (bad)
Book You “Pushed” the Most People to Read (And They Did)?
Middlegame
Best Series You Started in 2019?
The Gilded Wolves
Best Sequel of 2019?
Tunnel of Bones
Best Series Ender of 2019?
Descender Vol 6 (comic series)
Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2019?
Kate Racculia
Best Book from a Genre You Don’t Typically Read/Was Out of Your Comfort Zone?
Historical – The Gilded Wolves
(not that it was out of my comfort zone, but I don’t read a ton of historical fiction)
Most Action-Packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book of the Year?
The Beautiful
Punk Rock Jesus (graphic novel)
Book You Read in 2019 That You Would Be MOST Likely to Re-Read Next Year?
Paper Girls (comic series)
Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2019?
Watersnakes (graphic novel)
Most Memorable Character of 2019?
Jenneke from White Stag
Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2019?
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (graphic novel)
Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2019?
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (graphic novel)
Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2019 to Finally Read?
The Emperor’s Soul
The Sculptor (graphic novel)
Favorite Passage/Quote from a Book You Read in 2019?
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (graphic novel) (the entire graphic novel is one long favorite quote)
Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2019?
The Emperor’s Soul – 175 pages
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – 607 pages
Book That Shocked You the Most?
Walking Dead Book 14 (comic series)
Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year?
Ash and Solomon from Destroy All Monsters
Favorite Book You Read in 2019 from an Author You’ve Read Previously?
The Emperor’s Soul
Best Book You Read in 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation from Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, etc?
Punk Rock Jesus (graphic novel)
Newest Fictional Crush from a Book You Read in 2019?
Bastien from The Beautiful
Best 2019 Debut You Read?
White Stag
Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Binti
Book That Put a Smile on Your Face/Was the Most FUN to Read?
Scott Pilgrim (graphic novel)
Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2019?
Dead Edward
Hidden Gem of the Year?
Destroy All Monsters
Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Destroy All Monsters
Most Unique Book You Read in 2019?
The Survival of Molly Southbourne (which turned out to be the second book and now I need to find the first book)
Book That Made You the Most Mad (Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You Didn’t Like It)?
House of Salt and Sorrows
Your Blogging/Bookish Life
New Favorite Book Blog/Bookstagram/YouTube Channel You Discovered in 2019?
Fabled Phantoms
Favorite Post You Wrote in 2019?
From NYCC about getting a commissioned art print by Pia Guerra – Oct 5th
Favorite Bookish Related Photo You Took in 2019?
The Gilded Wolves – Jan 15th
Best Bookish Event That You Participated In (Author Signings, Festivals, Virtual Events, etc)?
NYCC – Y: The Last Man panel
Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life in 2019?
Finding new small businesses to support
Most Challenging Thing About Blogging or Your Reading Life This Year?
Actually writing reviews
Most Popular Post This year on Your Bookstagram (Whether It Be By Comments or Views)?
Boomerang of The Sculptor – 63 views on Feb 5th
Post You Wished Got a Little More Love?
Shelfie post – Dec 1st with 33 likes
Best Bookish Discover (Book Related Sites, Book Stores, etc)?
Folklore Candle Co and Madame Alchemie
Did You Complete Any Reading Challenges or Goals That You Had Set For Yourself at the Beginning of This Year?
Write more reviews, which I didn’t
Looking Ahead
One Book You Didn’t Get to in 2019 But Will be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?
Gideon The Ninth
Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2020 (non-debut)?
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
Saint X
Series Ending/Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?
The Silvered Serpents
One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging Life in 2020?
Post and blog more consistently
A 2020 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend to Everyone?
Dear Edward
Jumping Shelves 