2019 on Goodreads

ENERO▶La Sociedad de la Rosa ★★★★☆ ▶That Alien Feeling ★★★★★ ▶That Irresistible Poison ♥ ★★★★★ ▶Tortured ★★★☆☆ MARZO▶Stuck-up Suit ★★★★★ ▶Devoted ★★★☆☆ ▶La Reina (La Selección #0.4) ★★★★☆ ▶El Príncipe (La Selección #0.5) ★★★★☆ ▶La Selección ★★★★☆ ▶Talk to the Paw ★★★★☆ ▶Erase un Amor Futuro ★★★☆☆ ▶La Duquesa Cortesana ♥ ★★★★★ ABRIL▶Cada vez que Llueve ★★★★☆ ▶Destrózame ★★★☆☆ ▶Destroy Me ★★★★★ ▶La Hija del Tutor ★★★★☆ ▶Pretty Broken Dolls ★★★★☆ ▶Of Poseidon ★☆☆☆☆ ▶Yo, Simon, Homo Sapiens ★★★★☆ MAYO▶Por fin en Marshington Abbey ★★☆☆☆ ▶La Estrella de Medianoche ★★★★☆ JULIO▶¿Alex, quizás? ★★★☆☆ ▶Once Upon a Time ♥ ★★★★★ 

Close enough to the end of the year for me to have a crack at this.

Some “Best of the Year” books I have read:

Best Travel- Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar, by Paul Theroux.
A tightly contested category this one, as 90% of my books fit in here. Closely followed by Madman's Island , by Ion L. Idriess and First Overland , by Tim Slessor.

Best History - Dictatorland: The Men Who Stole Africa, by Paul Kenyon.
Closely followed by Too Many Spears, by Peter Pinney & Estelle Runcie.

Best Military - Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, by William Dalrymple.

Best Biography - El Raisuni: Sultan Of The Mountains, by Rosita Forbes.

Best Nautical - Pacific: The Ocean of the Future, by Simon Winchester.

Best Photography - Sir Edmund Hillary's Sagarmatha, by Ed Hillary.

Best Published by The Travel Book Club - Wind in the Sahara, by Ronald Victor Courtenay Bodley.

Best New Zealand Authored - Himalayan Hospitals: Sir Edmund Hillary's Everest Legacy, by Michael Gill.

Best Non-fiction Short Story Collection - Adventures Today, by W.M. Smyth (Editor), Jane Goodall, Bruce McLaren, William R. Anderson, Susan Terry, Peter Markham Scott, Hans Hass, Marika Hanbury-Tenison, Doddy Hay, Thor Heyerdahl, Helen Klaben, Jacques Piccard, Robert S. Dietz, Farley Mowat, Alain Bombard, Edmund Hillary, Nicolette Milnes Walker, Vivian Fuchs, James J. Haggerty Jr.
Closely followed by The Yellow Joss and Other Tales, by Ion L. Idriess.

Nearly there.

Best Fiction - The Comedians, by Graham Greene.
Closely followed by Colombiano, by Rusty Young.

Best Fiction Short Story Collection - Trouble is My Business, by Raymond Chandler

Best Ebook or online read - The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate, by Ted Chiang.

And downer of the year:

Biggest Disappointment: Try Nothing Twice: The Story of Two Dozen Jobs, by Frank Clune.

Some Statistics - Read 106 books this year, at around 27,100 pages. I had dropped in number of pages last year, and thought that was an anomaly, but have trended down again this year. It has been another busy year with work and home.

My average rating for books is a healthy 3.9 stars.

Longest book: Colombiano, by Rusty Young.

Of the 106 Books I rated:
23 books 5 stars
51 books 4 stars
28 books 3 stars
3 books 2 stars
1 book DNF and not rated

So these are the five star books from the year:
El Raisuni: Sultan Of The Mountains, by Rosita Forbes.
Gold Dust and Ashes, by Ion L. Idriess.
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State, by Nadia Murad.
Sir Edmund Hillary's Sagarmatha, by Ed Hillary.
Himalayan Hospitals: Sir Edmund Hillary's Everest Legacy, by Michael Gill.
The Comedians, by Graham Greene.
Arabian Sands, by Wilfred Thesiger.
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler.
Wind in the Sahara, by Ronald Victor Courtenay Bodley
Colombiano, by Rusty Young.
Too Many Spears, by Peter Pinney & Estelle Runcie.
First Overland, by Tim Slessor.
Ring of Bright Water, by Gavin Maxwell.
The Cattle King, by Ion L. Idriess.
Trans-Himalaya: Discoveries and Adventures in Tibet: Vol. 1 (of 2), by Sven Hedin.
Dictatorland: The Men Who Stole Africa, by Paul Kenyon.
Trekking in the Himalayas, by Tomoya Iozawa.
Try Anything Once, by Frank Clune.
Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar, by Paul Theroux.
The Castaways of Disappointment Island, by Herbert Escott-Inman.
Pacific: The Ocean of the Future, by Simon Winchester.
Madman's Island, by Ion L. Idriess.
Land of Dahori, by Olaf Ruhen.

And so, to my overall Book of the Year, although I read it in early January, is El Raisuni: Sultan Of The Mountains, by Rosita Forbes.
It has probably just Pipped Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar, by Paul Theroux.

Thanks to those who labour through my reviews, and bear with my obscure reads.

Already a month into 2020 & I'm FINALLY doing this review. Sorry guys, I know I'm a big ol' slacker.


I have to say that 2019 was fucking great! SO.MANY.GOOD.BOOKS!!!

My Stats:

I read 18,497 pages across 56 books.

Shortest book: 63 pages

Longest book: 861 pages

My average rating: 4.1

Total DNFs: 5

I was very happy with my reading choices. I found my all-time favorite series (so far), which is:
The Hades Hangmen Series by Tillie Cole


I DEVOURED these books. Tillie Cole did an amazing job with the overall story and the characters.(Flame, Hush & Cowboy. OMG, Motherfucking Swoon.) This has a dark ass story line, it's not just about a bunch of badasses in an MC, it deals with something that most of us tend to overlook but know they're out there. Cults. Religious Cults. It was hard to read at times, it dealt with some hard topics such as: Rape, Pedophilia, Racism, and Abuse. It's graphic and it's definitely not for everyone, but there was so much more to this series than the bad shit that happened. Thankfully, it seems that this series is far from being finished. TC still has a couple of characters that she will be writing about in the upcoming years!

The Dartmoor Series by Lauren Gilley


THIS. This series was runner up for best series of the year. There is so much to say about this series that I honestly don't think that I can put into words.

Lauren Gilley makes an author's note at the beginning of these books stating that this isn't a love story. Ehhhhh....yes and no. All of these books have a love story in them, but this is probably the “realest” story about an MC that I have read. Each book was so well written, the plot was well thought out and the characters had such in-depth development.

Favorite Standalones:

These were fantastic. All of them should have a review on them if you wanna know why I loved them so much.

Honorable Mentions:


Most HATED book of the year:

Fuck this book. I know a lot of people liked this one, but I had hella issues with it. I did write a review on it, but continue at your own risk because it contains spoilers. Sorry, I just couldn't help myself. Really wished I would've DNF'd it so that I didn't have to put myself through that, but oh well, you live and you learn.


I can only pray that 2020 is as good to me. I'm starting the year off with a really good MC series, so I have hope!

37 books. https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2019/6852430

Non fiction.

The End by Ian Kershaw was the best non fiction book I read this year. An outstanding history.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/355940746?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The A Brief History serious produced a gem in A Brief History of the Crusades: Islam and Christianity in the Struggle for World Supremacy by Geoffrey Hindley.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/232290265?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

In terms of personal pleasure I really enjoyed Norfolk Island: A Revised and Enlarged History 1774-1998 by Merval Hoare. I suppose a visit to what seemed a quant speck in the ocean that I had no intention of ever visiting but enjoyed immensely helped.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2809884622?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Homage To Catalonia by George Orwell is a must read for anyone who has an interest in the thoughts and ideas that were the genesis for his great works of later years.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2986143074?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Russell Braddon's The Naked Island is a must read for anyone with the stomach for a brutal firsthand account of life as a POW under the Japanese in WW2.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2661986869?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Language Families of the World is an excellent primer for anyone with an interest in language but is not requiring too much depth on the subject. Perfect for the inquisitive.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3094540720?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Fiction
David Mitchell. 5 novels read this year. Superb writer.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6852430-fourtriplezed?shelf=david-mitchell&sort=date_read

Tamarisk Row by Gerald Murname.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2667091754?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

A trio of Brisbane novels that I found very fulfilling.
The Delinquents by Criena Rohan
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2699060809?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Praise by the late Andrew McGahan
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2404004468?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2809961896?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
I enjoyed them all for various reasons.

Top 10 Fiction:
10. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler, by E.L. Konigsburg
9. The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
8. Thief of Corinth, by Tessa Afshar
7. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
6. The Enchanted Sonata, by Heather Dixon Wallwork
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling
4. And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie
3. The Warden and the Wolf King, by Andrew Peterson
2. Saving Amelie, by Cathy Gohlke
1. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Top 10 Nonfiction:
10. The Road Back to You, by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile
9. The Strength You Need, by Robert J. Morgan
8. Disappointment with God, by Philip Yancey
7. The Next Right Thing, Emily P. Freeman
6. God's Smuggler, by Brother Andrew
5. Take Back Your Time, by Morgan Tyree
4. Remember God, by Annie F. Downs
3. The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey
2. Brave is the New Beautiful, by Lee Wolfe Blum
1. Grace for the Good Girl, by Emily P. Freeman

Let's look back on my 2019 reading year! I used an older end of the year book tag, so it will be less chaotic. :pWithout further ado, let's begin. 2019 WRAP-UPBest book I read in 2019?I have to go with [b:Skyward 36642458 Skyward (Skyward, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531845177l/36642458.SY75.jpg 58411143] by Brandon Sanderson. It was my first time reading something by Sanderson and this one was on my shelves since it was released. I finally picked it up last year and I fell in love with his writing style and the characters he created inside Skyward. (Deffo picking up Starsight this year).Book I was excited about and thought I was going to love more, but I didn't?[b:Wildcard 29386918 Wildcard (Warcross, #2) Marie Lu https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526376554l/29386918.SX50.jpg 49635633] by Marie Lu. I really really thought I would love the sequel, since I ADORED Warcross, but alas, I really disliked book two. It was boring in my opinion and I didn't care about the characters anymore. It felt like the book had a drastic cast change which wasn't great. Most surprising (in a bad or good way) book I read?One book immediatly came to my mind when I was thinking of a book that surprised me in a bad way .. UNPOPULAR OPINION COMING, BEWARE. I'm talking about [b:The Cruel Prince 26032825 The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) Holly Black https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574535986l/26032825.SY75.jpg 45959123] by Holly Black. In my opinion this book was very troublesome. As a reader you're introduced to some very toxic characters, like Cardan. Cardan acted like such a little child. Can't stand him at all. For over 75% of The cruel prince nothing happens. It's just boring. I feel like it's way too hyped ....Book I pushed people to read the most?Defininetly [b:Scythe 28954189 Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1) Neal Shusterman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172676l/28954189.SY75.jpg 49179216], [b:Thunderhead 33555224 Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2) Neal Shusterman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505658534l/33555224.SY75.jpg 54332060] and [b:The Toll 43822024 The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3) Neal Shusterman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558117336l/43822024.SY75.jpg 59222476] by Neal Shusterman. I LOVED Scythe when I first read it in December 2018. I'm recommending The arc of a Scythe series to so many people when they ask me what to read. One of my best friends has it on his TBR, because I pushed him to read it :'). Best series I read in 2019?The whimiscal [b:Strange the Dreamer 29748925 Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1) Laini Taylor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1459436163l/29748925.SY75.jpg 48158509] by Laini Taylor. I had Strange the dreamer on my shelf since I got it in my Fairloot in March 2017. So I put it off for TWO years, because it's such a big book and I felt intimidated by it. wasn't an easy read. The writing style is very whimsical and it takes some time getting used to it, but after fifty pages I fell in love with the strange story of Lazlo. Favourite new author I discovered in 2019?Leigh Bardugo! I feel so ashamed to admit that I've read the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology for the first time in 2019!!! I did love them, great characters and I absolutely adore the setting of the books!Best book from a genre I don't typically read?In 2019 I've read books I had to read for school. I had this literature list I had to follow (35 books), so with some of them I was definitely out of my comfort zone! From my reading list I enjoyed [b:Jij bent van mij 39723057 Jij bent van mij Peter Middendorp https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522927827l/39723057.SY75.jpg 61402426] by Peter Middendorp. This book follows the perspective of a guy who's a murderer and a rapist, but doesn't think he is. It was such an interesting book to read. It definitely was scaring me, but I highly recommend this one. (Jij bent van mij (You are mine) is only available in Dutch and German).Favourite cover of a book I read in 2019?[bc:Aurora Rising 46026495 Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) Amie Kaufman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558982648l/46026495.SY75.jpg 50493990] Most memorable character of 2019?Thomas Cresswell! The character in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series who stole my heart from book one. I do have to say that he was even more fabulous in [b:Hunting Prince Dracula 33784373 Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper, #2) Kerri Maniscalco https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489420853l/33784373.SX50.jpg 50890346]. He's for sure the character that stayed with me. Book that shocked me the most? [b:The Wave 481743 The Wave Todd Strasser https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320402950l/481743.SY75.jpg 840805] by Todd Strasser. I've seen the movie Die Welle many many times and it scared me so much. The book was amazing. It captivates you from page one and it doesn't let you go long after you've finished the book. I still can't believe this book is based on true events!!!Book that made me (almost) cry?[b:Aurora Rising 46026495 Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) Amie Kaufman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558982648l/46026495.SY75.jpg 50493990] by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Some things happen in this book which made me cry so hard! ;-; (I still love every single bit in this book).Sequel I'm most anticipating in 2020?[b:The Winds of Winter 12111823 The Winds of Winter (A Song of Ice and Fire, #6) George R.R. Martin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465341854l/12111823.SY75.jpg 6570035] by George R. R. Martin! Probably just some high hopes by me, but I really hope this one is getting published this year!!! ;-;Book I'm most anticipating in 2020?[b:Chain of Gold 17699853 Chain of Gold (The Last Hours, #1) Cassandra Clare https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571379245l/17699853.SY75.jpg 19212510] by Cassandra Clare! It's about the children of two of my favourite characters from the entire Shadowhunter chronicles, WHAT ELSE DO I WANT?So this was my wrap-up! I've read 103 books in total in 2019, which is the most I've ever read in a year :3. How was your reading year?

Top Reads of 2019These are all the (new) reads from 2019 that got 4.5 stars or higher from me.1) [b:Tiamat's Wrath 28335698 Tiamat's Wrath (The Expanse, #8) James S.A. Corey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522779721l/28335698.SY75.jpg 48382890] - 5 Stars - (My Review)2) [b:Underlord 40502274 Underlord (Cradle, #6) Will Wight https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549953283l/40502274.SY75.jpg 62830100] - 5 Stars - (My Review)3) [b:The Burning White 30169100 The Burning White (Lightbringer, #5) Brent Weeks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533264732l/30169100.SY75.jpg 50608625] - 5 Stars - (My Review)4) [b:The WoW Diary: A Journal of Computer Game Development 42594746 The WoW Diary A Journal of Computer Game Development John Staats https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562512607l/42594746.SX50.jpg 66288030] - 5 Stars - (My Review)5) [b:The Liar's Key 22852698 The Liar's Key (The Red Queen's War, #2) Mark Lawrence https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415906270l/22852698.SY75.jpg 42416602] - 4.5 Stars - (My Review)6) [b:Ship of Smoke and Steel 34618380 Ship of Smoke and Steel (The Wells of Sorcery, #1) Django Wexler https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526961717l/34618380.SY75.jpg 55772540] - 4.5 Stars - (My Review)For the rest of my review here's the report generated by my GoodReads Parser Application and some general comments about the numbers. ^_^***** Yearly Report ****Year: 2019Total Books: 75Total Backlog Books: 32 (42.67%)Rereads: 4 (5.33%)My reading dropped off quite a bit in 2019. This is for a few reason. I've gotten back into gaming a lot more than I have in past years. I've also cut back my bike riding a bit (I was overdoing it). In general too I was just less interested in reading and found myself listening to music or reading a news article where normally I'd be listening to an audio book or reading a book.I've decided my years of pushing myself to read constantly are over. It was fun for awhile, but now it feels like work. I've fallen behind on my reviews several times and just don't feel motivated to catch back up most of the time.On the plus side I really worked down my backlog this year. Nearly half of my reads were stuff I already owned.I suspect my reading in 2020 will drop a bit further, but I'm ok with it. I'm sure the books I do read will be that much better since I'm not in such a rush to do as many as I can anymore.****** Format Breakdown ******Total AUDIO_BOOK Count: 46 (61.33%)Total BOOK Count: 4 (5.33%)Total EBOOK Count: 9 (12.00%)Total GRAPHIC_NOVEL Count: 16 (21.33%)Despite the drop off in my overall reading my percentages remained about the same. I'm doing about 60% in audio and 20% graphic novels so only 20% are books I'm reading with my eyeballs. ******* Genre Breakdown ******Total FANTASY Count: 51 (68.00%)Total MYSTERY Count: 4 (5.33%)Total NONFICTION Count: 4 (5.33%)Total SCIFI Count: 16 (21.33%)Hey look I read a lot of fantasy and a fair bit of Sci-Fi. I kept that line from my previous reviews, because it continues to be very true every year. Despite my attempts to read more other genres I had another big spike in fantasy again. This is partially due to all the graphic novels I read being primarily fantasy based stuff. Unlike past years I didn't read any Thrillers although I did read a few mysteries instead. I have several non-fiction books on my backlog so hoping to keep plugging those in between SFF reads in 2020.******** Author Gender Breakdown ********Total MALE Count: 56 (74.67%)Total FEMALE Count: 19 (25.33%)My ratio is about 1% worse than last year, and still pretty unbalanced. I'm still not necessarily looking for a 50% balance, but it'd be nice to get it closer. ** Ratings ****Average Rating: 3.8Total 2 Count: 3 (4.00%)Total 3 Count: 14 (18.67%)Total 4 Count: 53 (70.67%)Total 5 Count: 5 (6.67%)My average rating continues to be about a 3.8 compared to 2018. Percentage wise I'm still at about a 4% on books I didn't enjoy much. Unlike years past 2/3 of my 2 star reads were ones I picked out myself.My percentage of 5 star reads is also down. I only added 4 new books to the mix, the other was from a re-read of [b:Heir of Novron 44777327 Heir of Novron (The Riyria Revelations, #5-6) Michael J. Sullivan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554303044l/44777327.SY75.jpg 16022532]. I didn't have that many 4.5 star reads either. Still plenty of 4 star reads which continue to be the typical rating I give my books, so generally happy with my book selection.Years Published:Total 1968 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1972 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1980 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1984 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1986 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1989 Count: 2 (2.67%)Total 1991 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1992 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1993 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 2007 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 2008 Count: 2 (2.67%)Total 2009 Count: 2 (2.67%)Total 2010 Count: 3 (4.00%)Total 2011 Count: 2 (2.67%)Total 2012 Count: 3 (4.00%)Total 2013 Count: 2 (2.67%)Total 2014 Count: 4 (5.33%)Total 2015 Count: 2 (2.67%)Total 2016 Count: 2 (2.67%)Total 2017 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 2018 Count: 14 (18.67%)Total 2019 Count: 27 (36.00%)Decade Published:Total 1960 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1970 Count: 1 (1.33%)Total 1980 Count: 5 (6.67%)Total 1990 Count: 3 (4.00%)Total 2000 Count: 5 (6.67%)Total 2010 Count: 60 (80.00%)Most of my reading continues to come from books published since 2010, and a good number (27) of my total were published in 2019. Only about 4% of the books I read were published before I was born.Additional Stats:Number of Books: 29Total Pages: 7306Total From Backlog: 14Longest Book: [b:Seven Blades in Black 40389431 Seven Blades in Black (The Grave of Empires, #1) Sam Sykes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1536228116l/40389431.SY75.jpg 62700695] by [a:Sam Sykes 3252210 Sam Sykes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1320698169p2/3252210.jpg] - 704 pagesShortest Book: [b:The Boys, Volume 3: Good For The Soul 4184715 The Boys, Volume 3 Good For The Soul Garth Ennis https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353827662l/4184715.SY75.jpg 4232030] by [a:Garth Ennis 14965 Garth Ennis https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1242438038p2/14965.jpg] - 206 pagesAverage Pages: 251.93Number of Books (Excluding Graphic Novels): 13Total Pages (Excluding Graphic Novels): 4683Average Pages (Excluding Graphic Novels): 360.23Number of Audiobooks: 46Total Audio Hours: 750Total From Backlog: 18Longest Book: [b:The Burning White 30169100 The Burning White (Lightbringer, #5) Brent Weeks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533264732l/30169100.SY75.jpg 50608625] by [a:Brent Weeks 1370283 Brent Weeks https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1232012513p2/1370283.jpg] - 39 hoursShortest Book: [b:Artificial Condition 36223860 Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2) Martha Wells https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505590203l/36223860.SY75.jpg 56357518] by [a:Martha Wells 87305 Martha Wells https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg] - 3 hoursAverage Hours: 16.3Overall not my best year of reading, but still an enjoyable one. There are some big reads I'm looking forward to in 2020, so even if my reading continues to decline I'm sure it will be great too.

This was a great reading year for me. My average rating across all my 2019 reads was 3.6, and my average for the Popsugar challenge was 3.8.

Lessons learned:
- I reinforced that I shouldn't force myself to read something I'm not enjoying
- Using a challenge to slightly expand my scope is good, but so is bending prompts to fit things I already want to read
- Anthologies are usually uneven, but the best stories are worth reading the book for
- In addition to Weird Fiction and Science Fiction, my genre jams include Gothic Fiction, Reimagined Folktales, Feminist Comic Books, and the admittedly narrow Post-Apocalypse Reconstruction Murder Mystery
- If in doubt, re-read Jane Austen

Five-Star Books:
Fingersmith
All Systems Red
Artificial Condition
The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Supernatural Enhancements
The Visible Filth
Pride & Prejudice
The Language of Thorns
Bitch Planet #2
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Papergirls, vol 1-6