Reading review for 2019

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A couple of years ago, I realised that tracking and reviewing what I read helps me to be more intentional of my choices and it has made my reading experience more stimulating and rewarding. Here is a summary with some key data, as well as my plans for 2020.

In 2019 I had a surprisingly good year in terms of reading. I read more than I expected reaching 54 books, with on average one book a week, for a total of about 14400 pages.  24% of those books were written by men (13), so I feel like this year I did a great job at exploring more women’s voices. The authors of were from all around the world: UK, USA, India, Italy, Ireland, Hong-Kong, Comoros Islands, Palestine and France.

This year I read a very diverse batch of novels, self-help and non-fiction books, both light and deeper topics. I really enjoyed expanding my horizons on topics such as slavery, the environment and genres like dystopia.

Over the year, I treated myself to a few books to support my local bookstore, but most of the others were from the public library, the little free libraries, gifted to me or borrowed from friends and colleagues.  Eight of these books we read with our book club and had lively discussions about over good coffee. Next to the book club, I have lately been enjoying chats about books with my colleagues as we make our way through the lunch queue at work.

What I haven’t included in my overview are short stories, which I read a lot of this year, in the context of my writing course to get inspiration for my own writing.  Being transported in a few pages to totally different worlds and styles is wonderful and has led me to encounter authors I’d never heard of.

Looking at this summary, I realise that in 2020 I’d like to read more books by authors from a wider range of countries, to support translated works and discover voices that are new to me. I will try to be more conscious of this when I list books on Goodreads. I will also continue to read books on topics such as feminism and social injustice to broaden my understanding of complex issues.

I welcome your reading suggestions, please feel free to write them in the comments! Thanks and happy reading in 2020:)

*****

You can find my overviews of 2018 and 2017, and further book lists.

7 thoughts on “Reading review for 2019

  1. Hi Fanny, The two books that most impressed me in the last years are:
    *Idaho, by Emily Ruskovich
    *Gun Love, by Jennifer Clement
    The books are so well written, reading them was almost a physical experience. Both have heavy subjects, but in the end, for me the books are about humanity and connection.
    Best, Liesbeth

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Liesbeth, thanks so much for your book tips! I will add them to my list immediately, they both sound great! We actually read an extract from Gun Love in my writing class, and indeed the style was great! I’ll keep you posted when I get around to reading them:-)

      Like

  2. Pingback: How to organise a dream board session | Cultivating joy

  3. Pingback: 2020 reading review | Cultivating joy

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