2018 Reading re-cap

I’m going to level with you – the next few blog posts are definitely going to be re-cap type posts… I’m sure that appeals to some of you; which is great, but I’m also aware it’s kind of boring so if that’s not your jam that’s cool!

I don’t know if you remember but I set myself the challenge of reading 30 books this year; honestly, I wasn’t entirely thinking about hitting that target. I’ve done 50 books in a year in the past and it was great, but also a lot of work! 2018 turned into a year of trying to read things out of my comfort zone… which meant I was reading more slowly than usual and also I realised I hate reading things out of my comfort zone. There, I said it and I’m going to probably not try to do that as a thing anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let me cut to the chase; I didn’t achieve my 30 book goal this year… I don’t think. I highly doubt. Ok, I lost count. But that’s OK and, do you know why? Because I still read a lot of books, graphic novels and screenplays. To me, that’s a win right there. In 2017 I ended the year a little bit bummed out because I hadn’t really read anything and, mostly, it’s because I tend to try to write rather than read these days but that’s equally not great. My ideal life would be a 70/30 writing/reading split and last year it wasn’t that at all. This year I really think I found that split and it feels good. It actually feels great.

Sometimes I prefer the method of ‘failing’ over ‘winning’ at any cost. I could have blasted through books just for the sake of it but what would have been the point? To win a competition with who? Myself? Blargh – here’s a life lesson for you; life isn’t a competition. It’s a lesson. A long, arduous, and delightful lesson where the only thing you need to really figure out is yourself. How you fit into the world. What makes you happy. That might be too hippy dippy for you, but at the ripe old age of 33 I can say with my hand on my heart, that once you figure that out you’ll be happier. I found that by just trying to read more books I not only started to use my local library again (yay, I hope they’re ready for me next year!!) but also found some great nuggets of information out about myself like: I enjoy reading young adult books way more than regular fiction (which I knew but was rebelling against), I also figured out that reading TV show pilots and movie screenplays is really an experience I need to repeat more often.

I did try to keep a list of the books I read here and here but I’ll try to list some now, just so you don’t have to skip around looking for them.

 

The Diary of a Bookseller – Shaun Bythell

Prez (Vol 1) – Mark Russell, Ben Caldwell

The Long Earth (5 book series) – Terry Pratchett, Stephen Baxter

Gotham Academy (Vol 1) – Becky Cloonan, Brendan Fletcher, Karl Kerschel

Ready Player One – Ernest Cline

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

Red Sparrow – Jason Matthews

Time’s Convert– Deborah Harkness

Buffy Pilot Script

Fringe Pilot Script

Grey’s Anatomy Pilot Script

Orphan Black Pilot Script

The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer

Collection of Short Stories – Philip K Dick

Papergirls (vol 2) – Brian K Vaughan, Cliff Chiang

Life and Death (Twilight Reimagined) – Stephanie Meyer

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition – JK Rowling

Practical Magic – Alice Hoffman

 

I am sure there are more but roughly 22 books this year (and, yes, I count screenplays as books!) and I’m super happy about it. I have some graphic novels I could read this year still, because they don’t take long, which might get me up to speed to be honest but like I said before – I don’t want to read them just to get the number up!

What, if anything, did you read in 2018? I’m always looking for suggestions so send them my way!

Sam

 

*All links are affiliate for the sake of trying to grab some money if possible (a girl has got to eat or she’ll end up on the street) but I implore you with all my heart – support your local book stores and libraries. They need the money more than me!