Stories that Matter
So Many Books, So Little Time…
Is anyone out there besides me NOT ready for Christmas? I feel like this year has zipped past me at the speed of light. I honestly don’t know where the time went! I do know that this year has been a great one for me. I feel as though I accomplished a lot. Among other things, something I’m really happy about is that I read a lot of books this past year!Ā 
I can honestly say that if I did not have an iPad, the sad truth is, I wouldn’t have read half the books I did. The sheer convenience of being able to download a book and begin reading it in twenty seconds is just something amazing. My days of placing huge orders from Amazon or my local bookstore and waiting weeks for the shipment are long past. As much as I love and respect the paperback, I admit that these days I do most of my reading on my iPad. I even downloaded my own book! š That was actually really cool…but I digress…
Here are some of the books I’ve read this past year, in no particular order:
The Preacher’s Bride – Jody Hedlund
The Doctor’s Lady – Jody Hedlund
Always The Baker, Never The Bride – Sandra D. Bricker
The Big 50! – Sandra D. Bricker
The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins
Jesus, My Father, The CIA and Me – Ian Morgan Cron
The Homecoming Ā – Dan Walsh
The Swan House Ā – Elizabeth Musser
This Fine Life Ā – Eva Marie Everson
Winter Garden – Kristin Hannah
Blood Ransom – Lisa Harris
Dry As Rain – Gina Holmes
Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer – Kristin Lamb
We Are Not Alone – The Writer’s Guide To Social Media – Kristin Lamb
A Hope Undaunted – Julie Lessman
The Apothecary’s Daughter – Julie Lessman
Heiress (Daughters of Fortune) Susan May Warren
The Mountain Between Us – Charles Martin
Wrapped In Rain – Charles Martin
The Shape of Mercy – Susan Meissner
The Beach Trees – Karen White
Nightshade – Ronie Kendig
Save The Date – Jenny B. Jones
Her Best Catch – Lindi Peterson
Sarah’s Key – Tatiana D’Rosnay
I know a lot of you voracious readers have probably read twice that many!! For me, this isn’t too bad for also editing two novels and writing a full-length book myself this year – there are also several books I didn’t list here, some I started and just didn’t finish for whatever reason. And then there are all those books I WANT to read…that list is endless! At the moment I’m reading Lakeside Reunion by Lisa Jordan, and I just started While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin.
As you can tell, I do tend to choose a lot of CBA authors – some because I know them, others because I’ve heard good things about their books. My stable of mainstream authors pretty much stays the same unless its a book people are raving over. So I guess if I have to narrow it down, I choose my books by word of mouth first over cover and back cover copy. And I also read the reviews, which I guess is word of mouth, duh. I enjoy books that make me laugh. Books that make me cry. Books that make me think. And I love, love, love those rare stories that stay with me long after I’ve turned the last page.
So how about you? What determines whether or not you buy a book? What have you read this year and what books do you want to read?
Nice variety of books listed… did you NOT finish any that you downloaded? Just curious.
I couldn’t get through The Paris Wife. I might go back to it at some point, but I got bored about halfway through. š Same with The Postmistress, still haven’t finished that one. Oh, and ROOM. Always seems to be the ones I think I’m going to love based on what I read and hear about them that end up being the ones I don’t really like. I wasn’t going to finish Dry As Rain, but I went back to it – it was just nothing like Crossing Oceans. š And I still have to finish Thicker Than Blood. Wasn’t really into that one either and got distracted. That’s about it I think, I usually finish a book unless it’s just not sitting well with me for whatever reason.
Cathy, I can’t begin to guess how many books I’ve read this year, but the answer is “Not as many as I’d like.” I’ve even dipped into the work of some authors with whom I was previously unfamiliar when their books were free downloads to my Kindle. Some I liked, some not.
Thanks for sharing.
Okay – you should try Room again! It gets SO intense!! Like, I was riveted.
I’m trying to think which books I’ve read this year….
Maybe more than I think because I listened to quite a few on audio.
– The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
– Sarah’s Key
– Yesterday’s Tomorrow š
– Hunger Games
– The Last Letter from your Lover
– Crossing Oceans
– The Doctor’s Lady
– The Language of Flowers
– Room
– Rebecca
– Lakeside Reunion
– A Bride’s Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas
– Something Borrowed
– Watch Over Me
– Paper Angels
– Water for Elephants
– The Joy Luck Club
– Save the Date
– Heaven is for Real
I’m sure there’s more, but I can’t think of them!
Right now I’m reading Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy and am excited to read Meg Moseley’s When Sparrows Fall.
Ah, I know you liked ROOM, that’s actually why I got it. Meh. I’m not sure why it didn’t hit me, maybe I will try again. I really want to read The Language of Flowers, just waiting for the price to go down on Kindle!! Did you like Something Borrowed? I read that one too. It was good writing but the whole concept of the story just made me sick. I told my daughter not to watch the movie, of course she ignored me and then agreed with me after she saw it!! Patti and Meg are on my TBR pile as well as Carla Stewart – we just have too many wonderful writers in ACFW – and of course there’s this Katie Ganshert chick, I hear her book is going to be amazing…
Ha, ha! I hear Katie Ganshert is kinda a weirdo. Might want to stay away from her. š
I did NOT like Something Borrowed. I mean, I liked the voice and the writing was really good. But like you, the whole story line just wasn’t my cup of tea!