Holly's Year in Review

I was really hoping to get a post done that summarized my year in reading. What more fitting day to do that than December 31st! :-)

I try not to set goals for myself in reading or join reading challenges just because I like to read whatever I'm in the mood for at that time. I do read my book club books most months and I try to read ARCs I receive in a timely manner so I guess those are the most goal-oriented books I get to. Everything else just sort of goes with the flow. However, as 2008 was coming to a close I noticed I was very close to 52 total books for the year which would have been an average of one book per week! Considering I had about 35 books in 2007 and 23 or 24 the couple years before that. This year has been very productive in the reading department! I set 52 as a goal for myself. But got distracted by some knitting projects and the holidays so alas, I fell just a bit short at 50. But I'm pretty proud of my almost a book a week progress this year and hold to keep that up in 2009. I'm also pondering a couple challenges. There's an Art History Challenge that is calling my name. So we'll see. I may jump on the challenge bandwagon in '09.

Here's a list of many of the books I read in 2008 by rating:
Five Star Rating (I'm very stingy with this rating):
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Four and A Half Stars:
Masterpiece by Elise Broach
The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci
Bobbie Faye's Very (very, very, very) Bad Day by Toni McGee Causey
Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson #2) by Rick Riordan
Amadi's Snowman by Katia Novet Saint-lot
Naptime is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Taylor-Wilder

Four Stars:
Fiendish Deeds (Joy of Spooking #1) by P.J. Bracegirdle
Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain
America America by Ethan Canin
Bobbie Faye's (kinda, sorta, not exactly) Family Jewels by Toni McGee Causey
Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
The Innocent by Harlan Coben
Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
Diary of a Fairy Godmother by Esme Raji Codell
In the Woods by Tana French
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris
Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
The Beasts of Clawstone Castle by Eva Ibbotson
Marco Flamingo by Sheila Jarkins
The Power of Three by Laura Lippman
The Eight by Katherine Neville
The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
39 Clues: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Three and a Half Stars:
Killer Heels by Sheryl J. Anderson
Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge
The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
Schooled by Anisha Lakhani
The Fire by Katherine Neville
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Darla Snadowsky

Three Stars:
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
Off the Deep End by W. Hodding Carter
Iris, Messenger by Sarah Deming
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Two and a Half Stars:
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

Two Stars:
Cinderella (As if you didn't already know the story) by Barbara Ensor
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

And here is a list of a few books I hope to get to in the early part of 2009:
Etta by Gerald Kolpan
One False Note (39 Clues #2) by Gordan Korman
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn
The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman
The Ophelia and Abby Mystery Series by Shirley Damsgaard
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Magyk by Angie Sage
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year's Eve!!!