I read 66 books in 2017.
That is not a large number for me, but not terrible as things go. I admit that I vacillated between not being able to focus on anything except the huge dumpster fire happening in politics and wanting to escape everything through reading. My yo-yoing numbers reflect this. I have months where I read two books a week and others where I barely managed one every other week.
On a side note, writing has been the same way for me. It has been hard to get out of the reality of the dumpster fire and write something hopeful. I am trying, but this last book in the Turning Creek series is coming so slow. I hope to have it out this year, along with a bridge novella.
Here is a breakdown of the books:
Least in a Month – July with 2. I was packing and moving that month. Instead of reading, I binged Longmire on Netflix while I packed.
Most in a Month – October with 10. It’s my birthday month so I probably felt like indulging a bit more than normal.
My list this year contains more graphic novels than in past years. This is due to both necessity and access. I started a new job this year and part of that job is managing the graphic novel collection at my new library. I have finally been able to read some series I have had on my list for years: Saga, The Walking Dead, The Dark Tower (DNFed), and I finally am finishing up Chew. Other than these great series, there is the usual mix of YA, Romance, and fun stuff in space.
Favorite Book of the Year – As always, I read a lot of great books and I am going to resist the urge to break down my favorite books by genre. If I could only pick one to make you read, there is no contest. The Hate U Give by Angela Thomas is my favorite book of 2017. I think this should be required reading for everyone in America. The main plot is reason enough: a teenage girl watches her childhood friend get gunned down at a routine traffic stop by a cop. However, it is the other themes that Thomas has woven into the narrative that give this book a kick. The book also examines how communities are created, defined, and maintained and what the individual responsibility is to that community. The one that hit me hardest was the way the characters talk about the performance of race. This is a not to be missed book, which is being made into a movie, and I am in raptures to see what Thomas gives us next.
Least Favorite – Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier
This book is a classic example of the main character being TSTL (too stupid to live). Not only is the main character completely vapid, she allows herself to be pulled in whatever direction other people want for her, even if it is dangerous and she knows she should say no. This is made worse by the fact that the main character is surrounded by horrible people. I read this with my bookclub and we all detested it. This is one of those rare cases where the movie is definitely better than the book.
Favorite Reread – I finally got my copy of World War Z back from by brother and devoured it. I was pleased to find that the political discussions and scenarios are no less true eleven years later that they were when Max Brooks first penned this novel. This book is in my top five of all time and with good reason. It is heart-wrenching, suspenseful, hilarious, and reflective. There are scenes from this book that still haunt me. I loved it no less the third reading through.
Here is the month by month list. Starred items are rereads.
January – 5
Saving Grace by Julie Garwood*
Must Love Kilts by Anna Quarles
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R Carey
Ready to Fall by Olivia Dade
February – 3
Driven to Distraction by Olivia Dade
Diablo Lake: Protected by Lauren Dane
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
March – 5
A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood*
The Monster That Stole My Underwear by Kate Cleary
Wolves’ Triad by Lauren Dane
What It Takes: a Kolwalski Reunion Novel by Shannon Stacey
Beyond Control by Kit Rocha
April – 3
World War Z by Max Brooks*
Return of the Earl by Sandra Schwab
Under Her Skin by Adriana Anders
May – 3
The Demon Prince by Anne Aguirre
Wolf Summer by Sionna Fox
Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier
June – 7
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Pack by Jeanine Frost
For the Bear’s Eyes Only by Kathy Lyons
Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Hidden by Loic Dauvillier, Marc Lixano, Greg Dalsedo
Feathers by Jorge Corona and Jen Hickman
July – 2
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Radiance by Grace Draven
August – 8
Frostbite by Richelle Mead
Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
Hard to Handle by Christine Warren
How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks
Ms. Marvel: Crushed by Wilson, Miwazawa, Bondoc
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger v. 1
September – 9
The Walking Dead Book One by Robert Kirkman
Chew vol. 1 by John Layman and Rob Guillory
The Walking Dead: Book Two by Robert Kirkman
Maximum Ride by James Patterson and Narae Lee
Chew vol. 2 by John Layman and Rob Guillory
Chew vol. 3 by John Layman and Rob Guillory
Saga vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
A Seditious Affair by K. J. Charles
Yuletide Truce by Sandra Schwab
October – 10
Saga vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Saga vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
The Bridesmaid and the Hurricane by Kelly Maher
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
Daring Fate by Megan Erickson
Phoenix Warrior by Ella Drake
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
The Elite by Kierra Cass
The One by Kierra Cass
November – 3
Emma by Kaoru Mori
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Hamilton’s Battalion: a trio of romances by Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, and Alyssa Cole
December – 8
True to the Highlander by Barbara Longly
Beary Christmas, Baby by Sasha Devlin
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E.Schwab
A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Celia Grant
Emma vol. 2 by Kaoru Mori
Superman Wonder Woman Power Couple vol. 1 by Charles Soule and Tony S. Daniel
The Silent Duke by Jess Michaels
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
