Year in Review Archives - Page 2 of 2

SABBATICAL: Year in Review 2016

Posted on July 7, 2021June 26, 2021 by Jaymie

One of my favorite activities as the year winds down is to take stock of what I have read and whittle down my favorites list to 10 or 12. My next few Sabbatical posts will be links to my past favorites. Today, it’s my list from 2016.

Not all of these books have full reviews on The Neverending TBR since I started posting in September. But this is a GREAT collection of books. More than half are books that I still think of fondly as some of the best I have read. And several are on my re-reading rotation. Check out this list of five great middle grade stories, two for teens, and three for adults.

Year in Review 2016

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2020 Favorites

Posted on January 2, 2021January 2, 2021 by Jaymie

There were moments in 2020 when I despaired of ever finding my reading groove. There were others where reading was the perfect escape. What a unique year in so many ways! Here are some of my reading statistics for 2020. (If you’d like to see my past Year in Review/favorites posts, you can go here.)

2020 Stats

Through the course of 2020 I read 342 books. There were 35 more that I started but did not finish. I started the year intending to take my time, maybe read FEWER books but really savor them – and maybe even remember them once the year was done. In reality, though, that didn’t happen. I committed to reading a large number of books for publishers which kept me turning pages all year long.

Of those 342, the break down for target audience is

47% adult
19% teen/young adult (including both prose books and graphic novels)
5% older middle grade for readers 10-14
18% middle grade (standard middle grade prose books as well as kids graphic novels)
8% picture books
2% transitional chapter books and early readers

The main genre breakdown is

24% Fantasy
18% Realistic/Contemporary
18% Romance
21% Mystery
6% Science Fiction
11% Nonfiction in various categories (36 books – My goal was at least one per month, so I exceeded that.)

This year most of the books I read were review copies from publishers – 216 books. (63% of the total – more than double what I read from publishers each of the last two years, and 4x 2017.) I also read 44 books from my To Be Read shelves, including 15 brand new books (read within 2 weeks of acquiring them), as well as 60 books from the library. I also re-read 16 favorites this year – not nearly as many as I wanted to re-read.

In 2020, I had a goal of reading 1 nonfiction book each month, specifically from a stack of spiritual growth resources I set aside for the year. As I mentioned, I met the numerical goal, but I didn’t get to every book in the stack. (And I added several books, too!) I used the Book Riot spreadsheet (which is customizable!) again, which was super helpful in tracking my books for the year as well as helping me with monthly stats. You can check out the 2021 version here. I already have mine customized and ready to go for my first read of the new year.

In 2021, I need to scale back my ARC reading. While I love discovering new books, new authors, and new series – as well as continuations of my favorite series – I found myself wrestling with what I needed to read vs. what I wanted to read all throughout 2020. I have committed to 80 ARCs already for 2021. That means weeks where I have two or three reviews to post per day in order to stay on track with release dates as much as I can. That becomes a reading obligation, which does not leave room to read whatever I feel like – or to take any time off for a break.

Speaking of breaks, I took 21 days off from reading in 2020. That’s more than double what I did in 2019 when I started keeping track. 2020 was intense at times, and it was hard to get lost in a book some weeks. I liked the freedom to do other things – and discovered I need some new hobbies since reading has become a job in a lot of ways – but it added to the pressure and feelings of obligation when I had fewer days to read the next week’s ARCs. So, in 2021 I am seeking better balance.

2020 Favorites!!

At the end of the year, I go back through my reading log and pull out the titles of the best of the best from the year. (Not every 5 star review makes it onto the blog, depending on my publishing schedule, but you can find many of the reviews here.) Then I compare them to one another until a list of 10 or so rise to the top. This year there were 53 that made it onto the list. And the results are fascinating. There are two re-reads on the list – my top two books from 2019. And there are two books on the list that haven’t even released yet. So, here are my most favorite favorites from 2020:

12. What’s Your Enneatype? – This is my favorite Enneagram resource from this year. The book is small, and packed with great information and color-coded graphics. I am looking forward to digging into this one again in 2021. You can read my full review here.

11. Microphones and Murder – I loved this first-in-a-new-series mystery. Book 2 in the Podcasting Sisters series, Up Next, Murder, is out now. You can read my full review here.

10. Undercover Bromance – Book 2 in the Bromance Bookclub series was even better than the fantastic series starter. There are three books in the series so far, and book 4, Isn’t It Bromantic?, will release this summer. You can read my full review here.

9. Talk Nerdy to Me – Book 4 in the fantastic Bookish Boyfriends series I have adored since the beginning. Book 4, Get a Clue, releases later this month. You can read my full review here.

8. Cast in Firelight – This amazing YA fantasy story will release later this month. It was originally supposed to release in November, so I read it and prepared my review only to discover the release date had been pushed back. This is well worth the wait. Do NOT miss this one! My full review will post in a couple weeks.

7. Chasing Vines – The second nonfiction book of this year’s list is a fascinating exploration of vines and vineyards and vine growers, both from scripture and from the author’s experience in Italy. Don’t miss this one! You can read my full review here.

6. Gina, the Girl Who Broke the World – This is the second 2021 release on my 2020 favorites list. This one doesn’t release until February. But I adored the first six-book story arc so much, I read this one the second I was approved for the review copy. All of my favorite characters are back, adjusting to the fallout from the earlier books. But this launches everyone right into a new, harrowing adventure with a MAJOR cliffhanger. The only downside to reading this so soon is that I have to wait that much longer for the next book. Put this one on your February list and watch for my review.

5. Polaris Rising – It’s probably unfair to include old favorites in the list, but I re-read this one, and the sequel, Aurora Blazing, to get ready to read book three, Chaos Reigning. And it really stands up well to re-reading. I just love it. The perfect mix of science fiction and romance with tons of sass. When I have time, I want to re-read the whole series. This was my most favorite book of 2019. You can read my full review here.

4. Crush the King – This is the final book in the outstanding Crown of Shards series after Kill the Queen (my most favorite book of 2018) and Protect the Prince. This series was excellent. The spin off series, Gargoyle Queen, launches with Capture the Crown this summer. You can read my full review here.

3. The Princess Knight – This is book 2 in the Scarred Earth Saga after The Blacksmith Queen, the book that tied with Polaris Rising for my most favorite of 2019. Both are fantastic (but violent). You can read my full review here.

2. The Blacksmith Queen – My second most-favorite book of 2019 (after a tie with Polaris Rising), and my most favorite re-read on the list. This series is often shelved with romance, but for me it is a straight-up fantasy series, far more violent than what I usually read, but truly fantastic in humor and in storytelling. I have never posted a full review of this one to the blog, but you can see my Goodreads review here.

1. Crownchasers – Even while I was in the process of reading this book, I knew it had the potential to be my most favorite book of 2020. This was the perfect fit for me as a reader, and I am eager to re-read it as I wait for the sequel. Out of the 340+ books I read this year, this one has consistently stuck in my memory, and in my heart, as exceptional. You can read my full review here.

Honorable Mention

For honorable mention here are some other favorites by category:

Most Favorite Picture Books

Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite – This delight will not release until June 1, but you will want to put it on your list.
Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog

Most Favorite Middle Grade (that have been released so you can enjoy them now!)

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor
Hilo: All the Pieces Fit – The final book in the original story arc.
Tune It Out – This is targeted to older middle grade readers between 10 and 14.
Primer

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2019 Favorites

Posted on January 4, 2020December 30, 2020 by Jaymie

I read a lot of books every year. I like to keep track of what I read every year and see how it stacks up to years before. Here are some of my reading statistics for 2019.

2019 Stats

Through the course of 2019 I read 400 books. There were 75 more that I started but did not finish. My stated goal for the year was 300, but I was hoping to get to 365 – and I did! I’m a little behind last year’s record-setting pace (418 books read), but I am okay with where I landed. I’m pretty proud of all the reading I did this year, and even more proud of walking away from books that weren’t working for me.

Of those 400, the break down for target audience is

43% adult (173 books)
18% teen/young adult (70 books)
19% middle grade (76 books)
13% picture books (51 books)
7% transitional chapter books and early readers (30 books)

And of those, 23 were graphic novels for various ages.

The main genre breakdown is

31% Fantasy
19% Realistic/Contemporary
15% Romance
13% Mystery
10% Science Fiction
4% Nonfiction (27 books – my goal was at least one per month)

This year most of the books I read were from the library (114 or 29%). I read 101 books from my To Be Read shelves (which are overflowing), including brand new books, as well as 106 advanced reader copies from publishers. I also re-read 39 favorites this year. Next year I want to prioritize my truly “TBR” books that have been on my shelves for awhile.

In 2019, I had a goal of reading 1-2 nonfiction books each month and I did. I also added a spreadsheet to my tracking process to see if I can better track authors and characters of color and other factors and I loved it. You can find the 2020 version of the Book Riot spreadsheet (which is customizable!) here.

In 2020, I plan to be intentional with nonfiction reading once again and make a concerted effort to get through more books on my TBR shelves. I am also participating in one book challenge.

2019 Favorites!!

At the end of the year, I love to pull the titles of all of my favorites and then compare them to come up with my favorites for the year. I might not remember every detail about them, but I remember how I felt about them. These are the books I recommend time and time again, the ones I re-read and long to re-read.

You can see my list of favorites from 2016 here and 2017 here. The list from 2018 is here.

When I went back through my list of the 400 books I read in 2019, I pulled the best of each month (something I track) for a total of 71 books in my top tier. This year, because of some re-reads that made it into the list and the way the numbers fell, it was better to go with 12 than 10. So here they are – my 2019 favorites:

12. A Duke by Default – Book 2 in the Reluctant Royals series. You can read my summary of the series here. This book was my favorite of the series, and a favorite from 2019, because of the characters, especially Portia. I loved reading about her efforts to improve herself and work on her personality quirks.

11. Star Trek Discovery: The Way to the Stars – Sylvia Tilly is my favorite character on Star Trek Discovery, and this book just reinforced that love. This reads a bit like a YA coming-of-age-story to me, which is a feature, not a bug. I adored reading this, and I’m looking forward to reading it again in 2020. (The latest Discovery novel, Dead Endless, focuses on other characters, but that author does a terrific job with Tilly, too.)

10. Well Met – A woman coming home to help her sister after an accident is roped into participating in the local Renaissance Faire. Her lighthearted take on the faire puts her in conflict with the man responsible for the volunteers who bears the weight of his family’s legacy. This was a delight from the first page! I already have book 2 on my wish list. This is one I will read again. (♥♥♥♥♥)

9. Deadly Little Scandals – Book 2 after the delightful Little White Lies. While I rated this a 4.5 and most of the books on this list were 5s, the intricate, twisty plotting of this was something I couldn’t forget. When I compared this to other books on the list, that masterful level of plotting helped this rise above other titles.

8. The Storm – This is book 6 in the Sons of Destiny series, a romance/fantasy series I re-read usually once every year. It’s unusual for a re-read to make my top favorites of the year, but there are two on the list this year. I’ve written about this book before because it focuses on my favorite of the 8 brothers in the series. I especially enjoyed my re-read this year. I felt like I picked up on nuances with the character that I hadn’t considered before, which is why this rose to the top of the stack when compared to some of the other books I read this year. The emotional depths of this particular book get me every time. (♥♥♥♥♥)

7. Prince in Disguise – The second re-read that made my top 12 this year is this delightful YA romance by Stephanie Kate Strohm. The first time I read it, I rated it a 5+++, which is my way of saying a book is among the best of the best. (You can see some other five-plus reviews here.) In my re-reading, that rating held fast, which doesn’t always happen. I find this book to be a perfect “comfort read” when I need a book I know I am going to adore.

6. Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram – This is the only nonfiction book to make my favorites list this year. I didn’t read a ton of nonfiction in 2019, and what I did read, while mostly enjoyable, didn’t stick with me enough to rise to the top of the list. But I got so much out of this book, and I think about the things I learned when I read it. I have it in a stack of resources I want to read through again in order to glean some more of its wisdom. You can read about this book, and the other Enneagram books I read in 2019, here.

5. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill – 2019 was the year of romance and romantic comedies for me. And this was one of my favorites! In fact it’s another book on the list that received a 5+ rating. One of my favorite features of this book, in addition to the terrific story, is the smart, snappy writing. It begs to be read aloud. You can read my full review here.

4. The Boy Next Story – Book 2 in the Bookish Boyfriends series after A Date with Darcy. I adored the first book so much, I was afraid book 2 couldn’t possibly live up to my expectations, but it actually exceeded them. I knew back in April when I first read this that this book would end up on my 2019 favorites list. This was another 5+ book for me and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this terrific YA series. You can read my full review here.

3. 10 Blind Dates – This YA romance was hysterical, and I absolutely adored it. The premise is fantastic and clever, and the execution was even better. This was the book I was telling everyone about this fall. Here’s my full review.

2. The Blacksmith Queen – A prophecy about a rising queen to replace the recently dead king angers his sons who want no part of anything that would force them to give up the throne. When it looks like the new queen will be her younger sister, a blacksmith gathers supporters to help her defend her family.

There was a tie for first place in my tally at the end of 2019. When I list the top book, I’ll tell you how it edged out this one for first place, but both are fantastic. This is a quirky book, and I cackled my way through it from the first page to the last. When I see this in the book store, it’s often shelved in romance, but I think it makes more sense in fantasy as that is the bigger plot line, at least in my opinion. It’s more violent (and gruesome) than I usually find in romance stories, and at times it was even more than I expected from a fantasy story. But I was hooked by the premise and drawn in by the humor and the characters. I can’t wait for book 2.

1. Polaris Rising – I read this awesome sci-fi/romance twice in 2019, and BOTH times it ended up on my best-of-the-month lists, which is why I gave this the top spot for 2019 after the tie with The Blacksmith Queen. I loved the characters in this and the world building. You can read my review here. Book 2, Aurora Blazing, was also great. And book 3, Chaos Reigning, can’t get into my hands soon enough!

Honorable Mention

None of the middle grade, mystery or picture books that I enjoyed this year made it to the top 12. But here are the top two in each category.

Middle Grade: Broken Strings AND Finding Orion

Picture Books: Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog AND Pluto Gets the Call (follow the link here for a description)

Mysteries: Murder Once Removed AND Restaurant Weeks Are Murder (follow the link here for a description)

What were YOUR favorite books in 2019?

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2018 Favorites

Posted on January 5, 2019June 26, 2021 by Jaymie

I read a lot of books every year. I like to keep track of what I read every year and see how it stacks up to years before. Here are some of my reading statistics for 2018.

2018 Stats

Through the course of 2018 I read 418 books. There were 66 more that I started but did not finish. My stated goal for the year was 250, but I was hoping to get to 365. My highest number since I started keeping track was around 340. I’m pretty proud of all the reading I did this year, and even more proud of walking away from books that aren’t working for me.

Of those 418, the break down for target audience is

36% adult (151 books)
21% middle grade (87 books)
20% teen/young adult (83 books)
18% picture books/early readers
5% transitional chapter books
And of those, 27 were graphic novels for various ages.

The main genre breakdown is

39% Fantasy
19% Realistic/Contemporary
14% Mystery
9% Science Fiction
6% General Nonfiction (26 books – my goal was at least one per month)

This year most of the books I read were from the library (30%). I read 93 books from my To Be Read shelves (which are overflowing), including brand new books, as well as 110 advanced reader copies from publishers. I also re-read 60 favorites this year. Next year I want to split out my new books and my truly “TBR” books that have been on my shelves for awhile. I’d like to make more progress getting through the books that I’ve had for awhile in 2019.

When someone asks me my favorite genre, I automatically answer “mystery,” but my actual reading did not reflect that in 2018. Last year my genre reading was more balanced between Fantasy, Mystery and Realistic/Contemporary. This year I really went all in on Fantasy, although my top three genres were the same. I’d like to read more mysteries this year. I really focused on adult books again this year, but my reading for kids – middle grade and teens – was more balanced. I’d like to keep this balance in 2019.

This year I discovered that I do better reading nonfiction if I have a physical book. To stay focused, I need to be able to underline and dog-ear and make notes. In 2019, I want to keep reading 1-2 nonfiction books each month. I am also going to add a spreadsheet to my tracking process to see if I can better track authors and characters of color and other factors.

2018 Favorites!!

At the end of the year, I love to pull the titles of all of my 5 star favorites and then compare them to come up with my favorites for the year. I might not remember every detail about them, but I remember how I felt about them. These are the books I recommend time and time again, the ones I re-read and long to re-read.

You can see my list of favorites from 2016 here and 2017 here. Last year I had one middle grade book, five YA books, and four books for adults (including two nonfiction). When I went back through my list of the 400+ books I read in 2018, I came up with about 35 that were candidates for the best of the year. I whittled that list down to ten – 7 books for adults and three middle grade books. And here they are:

10. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl – I adored this middle grade novel about a girl who was struck by lightning, which made her a genius. You can read more about it here.

9. Aliens Abroad – Book 16 in the Gini Koch series that I adore. I read the whole series once or twice a year. I read this book twice in 2018, and it was excellent both times! You can read my full review here.

8. The Reckless Club – I felt like this was a mash up of The Breakfast Club and Golden Girls. The elderly folks in this novel are just as engaging as the kids. This was a book I wanted to hug. You can read more here.

7. Six Cats a Slayin’ – Book 10 in the awesome Cat in the Stacks series by Miranda James/Dean James. Right now this is my favorite book in the whole series. Read a full write up on this one here.

6. Captain Superlative – I have been talking about this book to everyone I know – kids, teachers, booksellers. I even wrote about it for another blog about books for kids. I fell in love with the characters in this one. Read about them here.

5. ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas – This Christmas series is a staple for me every November/December. Both books so far have had fantastic mysteries, and I adore the setting and characters. Read more here.

4. A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder – I just got around to reviewing this one this week, but I have loved this since I first read it last summer. The mystery is fantastic. I already have book two on my wish list for summer 2019. You can see my review here.

3. Lark the Herald Angels Sing – Book 24 in one of my all-time favorite cozy mystery series. I didn’t get to do a full review of this one in 2018, but it was an excellent combination of Christmas cheer, a great mystery, and the quirky characters I adore. You can read a little more in this post of Christmas books from 2018.

2. Ella: An Amish Retelling of Cinderella – I have adored this entire series, but Ella is my favorite of the three books. I’d love to see more books in this series, but I don’t know if that is the publisher’s plan. You can read these in any order, and I highly recommend all of them, including Belle and Sadie. You can read more about Belle and Ella here.

1. Kill the Queen – The cover is what first caught my attention on this one, but the book was even more fantastic than the cover promised. This is my favorite book from 2018. I already have book 2 on my wish list for 2019. I can’t believe I never had a chance to post a full review on this one in 2018!! I’ll be posting a full review as soon as I have an open spot, but you can read the Book News summary here.

Honorable Mentions

None of the Young Adult Books I read this year made my top ten, but here are my three most favorite YA books from 2018:

Grace and Fury

More Than We Can Tell

Fire and Heist

None of the Nonfiction I read made the top 10 either. Here are my top three Nonfiction reads from 2018:

The Path Between Us

Braving the Wilderness

I’d Rather Be Reading

My top three picture books from 2018:

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates

Can I Be Your Dog?

Santa Bruce

What were your favorite reads in 2018?

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2017 Favorites

Posted on January 6, 2018December 30, 2020 by Jaymie

I read a lot of books every year. I like to keep track of what I read every year and see how it stacks up to years before. Here are some of my reading statistics for 2017.

2017 Stats

Through the course of 2017 I read 308 books. There were 26 more that I started but did not finish.

Of those 308, the break down for target audience is

127 adult
98 middle grade
63 teen/young adult
10 picture books/early readers
9 transitional chapter books
as well as 19 graphic novels for various ages

The genre breakdown (some books are counted in two categories) is

77 mystery
73 realistic
72 fantasy
35 science fiction
18 romance
17 non-fiction
6 Christian fiction
5 Christmas
4 historic fiction
3 memoirs/autobiographies
2 dystopian
3 suspense

This year most of the books I read were from the library (104). I read 59 books from my To Be Read shelves (which are overflowing), as well as 58 advanced reader copies from publishers. I also re-read 47 favorites this year.

I read more fantasy and nonfiction last year and more realistic fiction and science fiction this year. And I can see what difference not teaching has made in my reading. Last year I read a lot more picture books and early readers. This year there were more books for teens and adults.

2017 Favorites!!

I read a lot of books every year. I often don’t remember all the details, but I remember how they made me feel. I remember which books follow me throughout the year – how I feel when I see them in the bookstore or library or online. These are the ones I want to go back and read again. These are the ones I recommend over and over and over.

You can see my list of favorites from 2016 here. Last year I had five middle grade books, two YA books, and three books for adults (all fiction). When I went back through my list of the 300+ books I read in 2017, I came up with 50 that were candidates for the best of the year. I whittled that list down to ten – only one middle grade this time, five YA books, two adult fiction books and two nonfiction. And here they are:

10. Nothing to Prove – A fantastic non-fiction book. I hope to read it again this year and complete the Bible study that goes with it. You can read a little about this here and my full review here.

9. Barking Up the Wrong Tree – I loved this romance book, second in a series. I reviewed the third and final book in the series earlier this week. You can read my review of book one here. Book 2 is even better than the first! I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters.

8. Draw the Circle – This is a forty day prayer journey. This is one I will go back to again and again. You can read a little about this book here. I’ll be doing a full review later in 2018.

7. Alien Education – This is book 15 in the Alien series by Gini Koch. This is my favorite fiction series. I included book 14 in my list last year. Book 16 releases in February. I just finished a re-read of the whole series, and I was struck again by how fun this particular book is. I know it is because so much of the story centers on the kids. I can’t wait to see what happens next! You can read my thoughts about this book here.

6. The Names They Gave Us – This book stuck with me all year because there were so many times in it where I felt known and understood in the description of the main character. You can read my review here.

5. It’s Not Me, It’s You – This book was not at all what I expected – in all the best ways! I loved the unusual format and the terrific characters. I actually have two books by this author on my list for 2017! You can read my review here.

4. Greetings from Witness Protection – This has a fantastic premise and the main character is a delight. I hope there will be more books with these characters. You can read my review of this one here.

3. Letters to the Lost – Another fantastic book for teens and young adults. I am chomping at the bit for her new book that comes out this spring since this one was so great! You can read my review here.

2. Prince in Disguise – This was a late addition to my list as it came out in December. Reading it was like eating a favorite dessert. I savored each page, giggling. The writing is so smart and the characters are delightful. This is the second book I have on my list from Stephanie Kate Strohm. You can read my full review here.

#1 – A List of Cages – Oh, this book. Whenever I see it I think about how the characters impacted me. They have followed me all year long. It’s a difficult read, but worth every tear and every tissue. You can read my review here.

As always, if you are looking for even more fantastic books, you can always check out my Five Star Reviews to see all of my favorites! I had a hard time choosing only 10 from all the terrific books in 2017. I have high hopes for great reading in 2018!

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2016 Favorites

Posted on January 7, 2017December 30, 2020 by Jaymie

I read a lot of books every year. A lot of times, I don’t remember all the details about the books I read. But I always remember how I felt when I finish. I remember which books follow me throughout the year – how I feel when I see them in the bookstore or library or online. These are the ones I want to go back and read again. These are the ones I recommend over and over and over.

When I went back through my list of the 304 books I read in 2016, I came up with 28 that were candidates for the best of the year. I whittled that list down to ten. And here they are:

10. The Scourge by Jennifer Nielsen

I read this one earlier this year, so I don’t have a review posted here at The Neverending TBR. This is a fantastic middle grade fantasy from the author of The False Prince. You can read more about The Scourge here.

9. Alien Nation by Gini Koch