Here we are folks! One year finished and behind us, fading quickly in the road of life as we charge on and on into the unknown. In this moment of peace, between the holidays and work (for me anyway), I want to spend a minute, or two or three, considering the last year. What did I do? What did I learn? And most importantly, what did I read?
Today, we are focusing on what I read. Give or take a few graphic novels, I read a grand total of 69 books this year. Which averages to be about 6 books a month. Really, it just means I knock out a whole lot of books over the summer. 27 of them were nonfiction books. The rest were a smattering of mystery, fantasy, and contemporary reads.
The longest book I read was probably ‘Children of Ash and Elm’ by Neil Price. An ginormous book about the history and culture of the Vikings. The shortest book I read was ‘Basil of Baker Street’ by Eve Titus. A little romp through the mouse version of Victorian London.
Instead of choosing my favorite and least favorite book of the whole lot, I decided I would go through and choose my favorite book from each month, and skip the least favorite part altogether. Less decision making for me! Let’s get started.
January
‘The Girl who Drank the Moon’ by Erin Harrison. A middle grade novel casting a tiny dragon, a swamp creature, and a kind swamp witch. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a cozy magic story about found family and being afraid.
February
‘The Tombs of Atuan’ by Ursula K. Le Guin. This is the second book in the Earthsea series. I loved the first one, and I loved this one. I would definitely recommend you read the first one before this one. I loved the characters, they were courageous, but not arrogant, they were capable, but still needed help. In short, they were real people represented on a page.
March
‘The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry’ by John Mark Connor. It is a memoir/discussion about slow living by a pastor who chronicles his journey to slow down and enjoy life, instead of hurrying from one thing to the next. I loved his perspective on it, and am still mulling over some of the things he said months later.
April
‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens. I finally forayed into the realm of Dickens with success! After many false starts of other books, I found this one (which also happens to be one of the shortest books). Yes, he has amazing characters. But also, the way he describes a mood of a place, or a group of people seems effortless, but could it have come from anyone who didn’t pay attention to every detail?
May
‘The Black Count’ by Tom Reiss. Wonderful, wonderful biography about the man behind the Count of Monte Cristo. Not the author, the inspiration. This was a detailed snapshot into the French Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic era as seen through the lens of one man largely forgotten by history.
June
‘Where Angels Fear to Tread’ by E. M. Forster. I was on a Forster kick for much of the year, and this is one of my favorites. Though be warned, it is pretty sad at the end. Even so, I loved it for the spotlight it put on English class and foreigner prejudice in the 1800’s. Also, it looked squarely at the consequences of a hasty, immature decision not only to the person making it, but also to everyone around them.
July
‘Witch King’ by Martha Wells. I loved this book. It rocketed up to one of my favorite books of all time as soon as I read the last page. While set in a traditional fantasy world, it was not a traditional fantasy story. The war is over, the bad guys are defeated, the world has been saved. What happens to the heroes afterwards? This book dives into that question, and describes a world slowly recovering from the worst catastrophe they have ever known.
August
‘The Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame. A reread from childhood, still well loved, if not more so now that I am an adult. It is such a cozy book, with tea and picnics bookending romps in the woods and streams around the characters. I loved the way the author explains each season in all of its glory, from the lazy, shimmering days of summer to the crisp, cold days of winter.
September
‘A Severe Mercy’ by Sheldon Vanauken. Another sad book. Read at your own risk. The book is a memoir of one couples love story, from the heady days of falling in love, to the tender moments of caring for a spouse dangerously ill. I think I loved it most for the philosophic forays into what it means to love and be loved.
October
‘Homebody’ by Joanna Gaines. This book kicked off many beautiful changes in my home. The beginning of learning how to decorate and arrange furniture to make my home look lovely and feel cozy.
November
‘Death Comes for the Archbishop’ by Willa Cather. It sounds sad, but it isn’t, I promise. What I love about Willa Cather is how she describes the South Western United States. She is one of the only authors I have found who does this well. The sunsets and sunrises I see everyday are described in all their glory within the pages of her novels. When I read her books, I see my home in a different way, falling in love all over again with the stark beauty of the desert.
December
‘Happier at Home’ by Gretchen Rubin. Another reread. I enjoy reading these books at the season of new years resolutions and goals. Her happiness projects inspire me to take a good look at my life, do the hard things, and enjoy the journey.
And that’s a wrap folks! How was your reading year? Any good ones? Any I should avoid at all costs?
I hope this year is filled with just as many, or more, good books.
Shaina Merrick
The Beauty of a Story 