As the final hours of 2012 creep into 2013, it’s a good time to reflect on my book reading experience of the past 12 months. In many ways I can label it ‘A Year of Firsts’:
- the first year I ever kept track of what I was reading and
- the first year I joined and actively participated in groups like GoodReads and LibraryThing and
- the first year I gave myself some reading goals and
- the first year for my blog (actually the anniversary isn’t until February 2013).
End of Year Report Card
I ended the year having read 40 novels in total. The figure might be low in comparison to the eye watering numbers clocked up other LibraryThing members and bloggers but I’m not fazed by this. A comment recently posted by Laura on her Musings blog struck a chord with me – like Laura, the amount of books I read isn’t anywhere as important as the experience for me. I’d rather feel I was enjoying the books I was reading rather than racing to get one finished so I could get on with the next.
Of those 40
- 9 were Booker prize winners. I thought I would have read more of these from my Booker challenge list but I did get sidetracked somewhat. I also read 2 of the 2012 long listed novels
- 3 were from my Classics Club list . A little disappointing that I didn’t read more from this s0 need to make a conscious effort next year
- 26 of these novels were by authors whose work I have never read before. I’m delighted with this since I really want to broaden my reading horizons
Not everything I’ve read this year has been enjoyable (some of the early Booker prize winners like David Storey’s Saville were a bit on the dull side) but here are my favourites from 2012.
My favourite reads of 2012
The Siege of Krishnapur by J G Farrell. A Booker prize winner. The subject matter seemed grim (British settlers starving to death during a siege in India) but the writing sparkled. A totally unexpected experience
Saraswati Park by Anjali Joseph. A debut novel that was thoroughly engaging. A novelist I want to watch out for the future.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Shame on me for not getting to read this classic until now. But it was well worth the wait
Pure by Andrew Miller. A wonderful historical novel that oozes with the smells of pre Revolutionary Paris
And finally, the outstanding book of the year – Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. Wolf Hall was brilliant but this was even better.
Beyond the numbers, I’ve been thrilled by the multiple opportunities this year to connect with people who share similar interests whether through blogs or challenges. Thank you to everyone who has followed by blog, or made a comment or replied to comments I’ve left on their site. Thanks also for the many suggestions and recommendations on what else to read. That’s the kind of interaction I really want to see continue in 2013.