Category: Literature

The New Year is nearly upon us, and as we reflect on 2019 (what we accomplished and what we want to achieve in 2020) many in the #bookstagram community are swapping reading lists! You see, for readers, part of the fun at the end of a year is to compare how many books one read AND gush about their favs!

So, OF COURSE, I want in on that action. Don’t you!?

This year I set a goal of reading 65 books, and while sadly, I didn’t make that goal, I  did read approx. 45 books (I’m still hoping to finish one or two by New Year’s)!

Considering I also published two books (one of them being written this year), I’m pleased that I was still able to read so much. Also, let’s be honest… not that we have to get into a competitive comparison of page counts, etc… BUT IF WE WERE, I did read 5 Wheel of Time books this year. So, you know, I may have only read 45 books, but some of them were QUITE LARGE so I’m happy with my 2019 reads.

I definitely have BIGGER reading goals for 2020. I think I’ll keep my goal at 65 books for the New Year. What about you? Even if you’re not much of a reader, you could still partake in the fun. Shoot for 5 or 10 books, or 100 if you’re feeling crazy motivated.

Some of my favorite 2019 reads (and #bookrecommendations) are:

Fantasy- Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan If you’ve hung around me or my page for about a minute you’ve probably heard me gushing about this series (see a previous post here). It is still my favorite, and I’m thoroughly enjoying this re-read. I am so impressed with all the foreshadowing and love the characters (Rand, Mat, Nynaeve, Elyane, and Siuan probably best). That said, this year I read books 6-10 (and I’m currently reading book 11). I hit the slower lull that many readers complain of with this series, but since I already know that it gets FREAKING EPIC, I pushed through. I am sooooo excited to get to the final books in 2020.

Sci-Fi/YA- Skyward and Starsight by Brandon Sanderson  Now being an avid Sanderson fan, I didn’t hesitate to jump right in to this series, even though I’m truly not a Sci-Fi girl. I like heroes who fight with swords in a medieval or fantastical setting, not out in space. That said, SKYWARD is for me. I absolutely love Sanderson’s writing, and I devoured both his books this year. I’m planning on reading these again in the near future with my daughter. I listened to the audiobooks, and I have to say, I loved Suzy Jackson’s narration.

Historical-Fiction- Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell (and also his Gallows Thief)  My dad has been telling me for years that I need to read some of Cornwell’s stuff. He has some highly recommended series but since I’m alllllll in with Wheel of Time right now, and writing my own series, I chose to read a couple of his stand alone novels instead. I really enjoyed them, and can tell that I’ll like his writing. I enjoyed his take on Shakespeare, the gallows–all of it.

Children’s/MG- Land of Stories by Chris Colfer, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and The Wings of Fire by Tui Sutherland.  This year I had the privilege of reading some awesome books with my daughter, whether listening to an audiobook in the car or reading at bedtime. We are on the last books of these series and hope to complete them in 2020 (if possible). While I’ve enjoyed Narnia and Wings of Fire, I have at times lost interest in the books and only continued for my daughter… with Land of Stories though, heck, I’d read those books with or without a kid present. THEY ARE SOOOO ENTERTAINING. Colfer just knocks it out of the park with these endearing, FUNNY, imaginative tales. That’s why I actually included them in a “Book Recommendation” article I wrote for Simply Family Magazine earlier this month. (Read it here).

Romance- Abundance series by Shanna Swenson  Now I’ll just say it, I am NOT *typically* a fan of Romance novels. Nothing against them, they’re just not my thing. I’m kinda looking for more of a guy with armor and a sword, a bit of magic, and probably a dragon or two for good measure. However, I will say that I was quickly sucked in as I followed the Camerons and Jack Kinsen. Think Nora Roberts! I was so shocked by the intensity and suspense throughout the first three books that I’ve read so far… the bad guy is SO bad, I still get shivers thinking about him!! Now, that’s good writing… learn more here.

New Books- I can’t write a book blog without a quick mention of my fantasy series, Nav’Aria, which published this year. I’m super excited to read the books AGAIN before diving into fully writing book three, Nav’Aria: The Winged Crescent *coming in 2020-fingers crossed*.

Non-Fiction- Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis  While I enjoyed Hollis’ book Girl, Wash Your Face, I found helpful and tangible content in this second book. I finished it feeling super motivated! I went all in this year, breaking apart my dream of becoming an author and writing my sequel into smaller, manageable goals… and I succeeded. I went for it using Hollis’ mantra “Go all in” as my own all year long. Fantastic book for dreamers and goal-setters!

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What about you? What did you read this year? What were your favorite books you came across? Were there any that you didn’t enjoy, or gave up on half-way through (no shame!)?

Also, have you watched “Witcher” yet!? I LOVED IT–OMG, it’s SO awesome. I plan on reading some of the books in 2020. Have you read those? Do you know which one I should start with?

So, there are my top reads of 2019.

What do you think about a reading goal? Want to join me, and thousands of others in 2020 by signing up for a Goodreads Reading Challenge?

Let me know if you do, and connect with me there.

Happy Reading!