In a lot of ways writing this was hard. It’s sad to look at my goodreads challenge and see how sadly lacking it is.
For me.
I have read 51 books this year. I realize that’s a lot for most people. I would guess that my pre-child, pre-writing number of books read could easily been over 150. I wouldn’t trade my life as it is now for more reading time. I wouldn’t trade having to listen to audio books in the car and in snatches for rocking babies or the fun of discovering my own tales. So I should suck it up.
Anyhoosen: I enacted only one rule. I’m not including books I read in previous years. These are books that I read for the first time this year.
5. Wool
I 100% read this one because someone told me that Hugh Howey made 50k+ a month, and he was an indie author. Who wouldn’t want to see what the shiz was happening there? It was good. It haunts my mind. I find myself thinking about Bernard and what’s her name and the poor sad couple from the first story. You should check it out. Excellent stuff.
4. Fortunately, the Milk
Neil Gaiman. Enough said.
3. MASH
Yes that MASH. This is the shocking one. I bought the audio on a whim. I started it right away because I liked the blurb. Too few hours later I was looking for more books by the author. (No such luck.) Check MASH the heck out. It’s like Bulldog Drummond humor with blood and guts and overlooming tragedy. I loved it. I seriously thought it might make my number one spot until I remember that I was on the year of Maggie Stiefvater.
2. Forever
1. The Dream Thieves
If I had included re-reads, this top 5 would have been all Maggie Stiefvater. I re-read Shiver, The Raven Boys and intended to hop back into Scorpio Races. I also read for the first time Linger. Sinner is out now. (Woot.) Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Can. Not. Wait) is coming soon. If you like YA, read Maggie Stiefvater. Now. If you kinda like YA, read Maggie Stiefvater. If you like books, read Maggie Stiefvater. Just read her. Go ahead. Do it. I love her and can not imagine my number one book for this year being anything other than The Dream Thieves or Blue Lily, Lily Blue. In fact, maybe I’ll re-read Raven Boys and Dream Thieves right before Blue. After all…it’ll have been weeks or something since my last time through.
LOVE.
LOVE.
LOVE.
~Amanda
PS. Check out Maggie.
Amanda A. Allen 