My Reading Year

While 2007 hasn't quite finished (and I think I will get another book finished before midnight), I've tallied up my books, and concluded that thus far, I have read 173 books this year. The most productive month, reading-wise, was October, with 20 books to its name (with November a close second at 19) - the least was January, with only 9.

Inspired by Make Tea Not War's reading round-up (I counted up her books read, and she read 200 books this year! I've decided on this as my goal for next year - that's about 17 a month, and between 4 and 5 a week), I decided to do a little summary of my favourite reading experiences of 2007.

Most Exciting New Author Discoveries

Like every other teenage girl in the world (um, except that I am not a teenage girl. So I'm not sure why I said that), I read Stephenie Meyer's series about vampire love (Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse). While I loved the over-the-top Twilight, I became rapidly disenchanted with the series as it went on. Despite my irritation with its heroine, I will continue reading when the next book is published. Sadly, I'm a bit hooked.

I enjoyed reading Kylie Chan's series of fantasy romances based on Chinese mythology (White Tiger, Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon), and really loved discovering sci-fi author Karen Traviss after read the first two books of her Wess'har Wars series (City of Pearl, and Crossing the Line). I can't wait to get my hands on more books from this series.

Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale, was marvelous - can't wait for her to write something else.

Also read for the first time - Elizabeth Moon (love her space-opera sagas), Lois McMaster Bujold (some great fantasy, some not so great fantasy), and Richard K Morgan's intense sci-fi novels. Oh, and how could I forget - Elizabeth Peters' brilliant Amelia Peabody books. What a lot of wonderful new authors - let's hope 2008 will be as exciting.

Author Most Re-Read

I did a great deal of re-reading of Guy Gavriel Kay's books this year, discovering that I wasn't as enchanted by his style the second time around. I plan to do a whole lot of Terry Pratchett re-reading in 2008, and also re-discover Diana Wynne Jones.

Most Irritating Book

Probably Belle De Jour's Diary of an Unlikely Call Girl, which was self-conscious and boring in its attempt to titillate, and overly emphatic in its attempt to prove the sophistication and education of the author. I'm afraid I do not believe that there is the slightest bit of realism in this supposedly true story. A vastly better book concerning prostitution is Jeannette Angell's Callgirl.

Best Audio Books

Stephen Briggs' reading Terry Pratchett, and Rita Barrington reading Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear.

Best Non-Fiction Book

I really loved reading The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell - a fascinating book about dogs and dog training, which made me want to move to a sheep farm with a couple of border collies.

2008?

I'm reading Nancy Pearl's More Book Lust (a book of themed book recommendations), and have been adding books to my "to read" list like crazy. I also get book recommendations from various wonderful book blogs I read (like A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy, A Garden Carried in the Pocket, The Swivet, A Life in Books, A Striped Armchair, Moonlight Ambulette, and The Books of My Numberless Dreams). I'd like to read 200 books in 2008, more for the sake of doing it than anything else. I'd also like to read a bit more non-fiction - I did increase my non-fiction consumption in 2007, but it was still far outweighed by the fiction.