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2018 in Review- What I Read

In 2018 my goals went sideways. The only thing I succeeded in was reading.

Which isn’t a bad thing. But I would have liked to have written more, or at least finished something. I take that back I did finish a short story which will come out very soon.

But that’s it.

2018 in Review

I read 108 books. My goal was 90.

I read 29,358 pages.

Shortest book Ruth’s First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Most popular book The Illustrated Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Longest book Timeline by Michael Crichton

 

I broke those numbers down into gender and genre…because it seemed like fun at the time. Yes, I know my numbers don’t add up to 108. Math is not my favorite and I did this late at night.

Mystery Books:  65

Fantasy & Sci/fi books: 28

General fiction: 17

(no big surprise there)

 

Male authors: 20

Female authors: 88

(also no big surprise)

 

Later I was curious to know how many of these books I owned, borrowed, or recently bought.

Library loan: 21

Kindle (I own): 40

Audio (borrow): 9

Borrowed (friend or family): 3

Mine:  New purchase: 21

            Old purchase: 9

I learned 2 things from this list.

(1) I love my Kindle and (2) I don’t read books that have been sitting on my shelf for a while. I’ll read new books that recently grabbed my attention. Translation- I’m easily distracted.

One of my goals for 2019 is read what’s on my shelf! No more buying books.

-CK

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Mother-Daughter Reading Challenge 2019

It’s a little late but here is the:

Mother-Daughter Reading Challenge 2019

  1. Read a BIG book.
  2. Read a book with illustrations.
  3. A historical fiction.
  4. A non-fiction of your choice.
  5. A book set in a state you want to visit.
  6. A book set in a different country.
  7. A book written by a an author different, in some way, from you.
  8. Read a classic.
  9. Read a biography or autobiography.
  10. A book made into a movie.
  11. A book published in the decade you were born.
  12. A book with a character that has a job that interests you.
  13. Read a graphic or manga novel.
  14. Pick a book based on the cover.
  15. Read a banned book.
  16. Read a book you own but have never read.
  17. Read a book someone gave you.
  18. Read a book published in 2019.
  19. Read the next book in a series.
  20. Reread a favorite.
  21. A book nominated for a award but didn’t win.
  22. Read a book with a mythical creature.
  23. Read a book set on a different continent.

 

As always, this challenge is open to interpretation. You can read a book for each one or use a single book for more than one entry. It’s up to you. My goal is to read more and enjoy what I read.

Don’t stress, enjoy the read.

-CK

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Top 5 Tuesday- That Trope Has Got to Go

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bionic Book Worm. Click here for the October topics.

Last week I shared my favorite tropes. This week are my most hated (or least favorite). I’ve had this post ready since Sunday, but I saved it as a draft instead of publishing it. Sorry.

Tropes that have to go!

  1. Love triangles. Gross. Gag. I just read a book centering around a woman who had not 2 but 3 men who wanted to marry her. And get this- they were all friends. Please.  Not only is it unrealistic but it’s annoying. She could not make up her mind and the men just happily waited to be chosen. Yuk.

Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke

2.  Love that bad boy who treats me bad. Get over it. This is not only a cliche it’s also just bad… Why push the notion that women only like men who mistreat them? That’s crazy. I admit the bad boy (Rebel without a cause) can be sexy. But that is it.  A quick word about Twilight– this book takes the bad boy relationship to the next level. This one truly just wants to kill you by draining you of your blood. Which leads me to #3…

Twilight (Twilight, #1)

3. Weak female characters who have to be rescued. Again- Twilight. Really Bella. Trouble follows. Life threatened. Needs a man to rescue her. Weak. Weak. Weak. Okay, no more picking on Twilight.

4. The Girl gets the guy. Maybe it’s my age but I no longer like my endings tied in a neat bow. Why does the book only end after the main character and her love interest finally become a couple? Life isn’t like that. It’s messy. Sometimes things go unresolved. I’m okay with that.

Geekerella

5. The Stupid Police Department. I read a lot of mysteries. In some, the local police department is portrayed as Gomer Pyle. Really? Their incompetence leads to a nosy neighbor solving the crime.  Or the cop is angry and can’t listen to the little people around them. Enough.

Bread of the Dead (Santa Fe Cafe Mystery, #1)

Some of these books listed were good reads. One I even loved (Geekerella) but the trope is worn out and needs to go.

What’s one of your least favorite tropes?

-CK

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Top 5 Tuesday- Favorite Tropes

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bionic Book Worm. Click here for the October topics.

Topics for October are a little different, a little harder to decide.

Today is my top 5 tropes. Tropes? A trope is a common or overused theme in literature. Every book and genre has them. If you look at your favorite books you may find a similar thread that links them. Also, my choices have my personal trope titles. In other words, I’m making it up as I go along.

Top 5 Tropes

  1. Female Sleuth. In a small town. Novice. I could add elderly to the list but most of the ones I read are closer to my age 😉 I also meet all three of that criteria. Maybe I should solve a crime. BUT that’s the point. Like most people, I like to read about characters similar to me that I can relate to. (shocking) I don’t know if Agatha Christie started this trope but she wrote 12 novels featuring the sharp, crime-solving lady.

The Body in the Library (Miss Marple #3)Shades of Earl Grey (A Tea Shop Mystery, #3)2. The ensemble cast. Some plots require a huge cast of characters. Some get more page time than others, but the reader has plenty to love. Granted, some fantasy books have a few too many characters but I like variety. Can you imagine Frodo’s journey without Merry, Pippen, and the gang?

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)

3. There can be only one. This trope gets a lot of heat. There’s only one person who can stop the villain from destroying the world.  But I like that. It adds a bit more tension. Call it the chosen one if you want, but I like it. Maybe someone other than Harry could have killed Voldermorte but I’m glad it was Harry.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)

4. Someone’s got to die. I made this one up. I read a lot of mysteries. Usually, almost always, the story is kicked off by a murder/death. I’ve read a few where the body count was zilch. I didn’t like it. I want a dead body with the possibility of a higher body count as the story goes on. Bonus points if the main character has her life threatened in some way. Now, I don’t want blood and gore. Just a nice clean body, in the subway impaled by knitting needles.

And Then There Were None

5. If there’s a hobby there’s a series. This may not be as much of a trope as a trend. If you cruise the shelves of the mystery section of your local bookstore, you will notice a slew of books based on hobbies. And they all solve crimes. Cupcake baker by day, crime solver by night. There’s even a paranormal twist to some.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who... Book 1)Crunch Time: A Novel of Suspense (Goldy Schulz Book 16)Assault and Beadery (A Cora Crafts Mystery)

 

What’s your favorite trope?

-CK