2014 Reading by the Numbers

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It appears that I didn’t write this recap post last year. What a shame. No one else may be interested but I like looking back over my reading year!

The Stats
I set my GoodReads goal at 75 books for the year but I finished up with 90. Yay for me! That was largely due to the huge increase in audio books. I’ve previously only listened to them in the car or on my runs but I finally realized that I like listening to them as I putter about the house when I’m home alone as well. That somehow led to a huge increase.

I listened to 25 audiobooks, up from 17 last year.

I read 17 books on my nook, about the same as 2013. I can’t help it–I just prefer my real books. The nook definitely has its place at the gym or on vacation though.

I read 9 middle grade and 15 young adult novels. Those numbers increased a bit.

My longest book was A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin at 978 pages. No surprise there.

I read 20,069 pages, down about 2,000 from last year. But with an increase in audio books, I’m not sure that means anything.

I read 39 books by men and 47 books by women. The other four were anthologies. I’m always surprised that I keep that fairly balanced.

Categories

The breakdown of the categories I read. I did not choose any re-reads as favorites, nor did I choose a book for more than one category. If I haven’t reviewed a book yet, I linked to a synopsis.

Audio
Read: 25
Favorite: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Banned/Challenged
Read: 6
Favorite: The Witches by Roald Dahl

Classics
Read: 3
Favorite: The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Contemporary Fiction
Read:5
Favorite: The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick

Ebooks
Read: 17
Favorite: Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

Fairy Tale
Read:3
Favorite: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

Fantasy
Read: 14
Favorite: The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Graphic Novels
Read:4
Favorite: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel by default (It was very good but the other three were more to my taste)

Historical Fiction
Read: 18
Favorite: Tough call. These are all very different. In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L. A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren

Horror
Read: 3
Favorite: Locke & Key Volume I: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez

Humor
Read: 6
Favorite: Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Middle Grade
Read:9
Favorite: The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall, read by Susan Denaker

Mystery
Read:9
Favorite: A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley, read by Jayne Entwistle

Nonfiction
Read: 13–I felt like I really struggled with choosing good nonfiction this year. I need to learn to put books aside when they don’t interest me.
Favorite: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb

Romantic
Read:5
Favorite: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Science Fiction:
Read: 0. Not one of my favorite genres.

Southern Literature
Read: 5
Favorite: This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash

Young Adult
Read: 15
Favorite: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Reading ChallengesSouthern Literature (hosted here)–5 read with a goal of 4
Nonfiction (hosted here)–13 read with a goal of 11
Books in Translation (hosted here)–3 books read with a goal of 1
Off the Shelf–24 books read with a goal of 15
Audio Book–25 read with a goal of 12
Eclectic Reader–12 of 12 books read, but only 4 reviewed
European–5 books read with a goal of 4
Immigrant Stories–2 read with a goal of 3
Banned Books–6 read with a goal of 5