2018 in Review - Looking Back on My Year in Books

This year was kind of a weird one; I moved back to Tampa, FL, where I work, so I no longer had a commute more than 15 minutes.  There went all my audiobook listening.  But I also  read my first picture book for review (Are You Scared Darth Vader by Adam Rex), which was really fun!  Overall, it was a pretty solid reading year. So without further ado, let's look at all the books I managed to read in 2018!

Lucky for me, (as I am lazy and bad at making graphics), Goodreads makes a handy "My Year in Books":

So I read a total of 70 books this year with a total of 18,997 pages.  That's one more book from last year, but 1,669 less pages.  I find that interesting, especially if you go by pages read and not amount of books read.

The average length of my books was 271 pages.  I read mostly YA again this year, but with a few Middle Grade books (which are always shorter) and quite a few graphic novel (I mean my shortest book was a graphic novel at only 24 pages), so that number makes sense.

Overall, I didn't read more than my Goodreads goal, and I had to be sneaky with the graphic novels at the end (I am proud that I read two actual books at the end of December though).  But the point is that I made it to 70, which was 10 more than my 2017 goal.

Here are all the actual books:

My average rating was a 4.2, which is fair as most of these were blog tour books, and I don't post those reviews unless they are a 4 or 5 star.  Additionally, I am an easy reader to please; I tend not to read something unless I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it.  But I'm also not super picky.  Even if the book has predictable tropes, ridiculous plot points, and vapid characters, I'll probably still like the book, if just for the hilarity factor.

So out of the 69 books I read this is how it breaks down format wise:

ARCs - 12

Novels - 28

Graphic Novels - 14

Audiobooks - 14

Picture Books - 1

E-Books - 1

Then, the age-range was:

Adult - 10

Young Adult - 52

Middle Grade - 7

Children - 1

Finally, the genre breakdowns:

Non-Fiction - 5

        Memoir/Personal Essay - 3

        Poetry - 1

        Historical - 1

Fiction - 65

        Contemporary - 25

        Fantasy - 16

        Sci-Fi - 15

        Thriller/Mystery - 5

        Romance - 3

        Mixed - 1 (this was an anthology)

Out of the 70 books, this is how the ratings broke down:

2 Stars: 3 books

• Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
• Who is AC? by Hope Larson
• The Stone Prince by Gena Showalter

3 Stars: 10 books

• The Pleasure Slave by Gena Showalter
• Everything Is Awful: And Other Observations by Matt Bellasi
• Mercury by Hope Larson
• Graveyard Shakes by Laura Terry
• Archie, Vol. 1: The New Riverdale by Mark Waid
• Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue DeConnick
• Chasers of the Light: Poems from the Typewriter Series by Tyler Knott Gregson
• Fence (Fence, #1) by C.S. Pacat
• Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) by Tahereh Mafi
• The Color of Lies by C.J. Lyons

4 Stars: 25 Books

• The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: The Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá
• Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
• Better Nate Than Ever (Better Nate Than Ever #1) by Tim Federle
• The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi
• P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2) by Jenny Han
• The Girl from Everywhere (The Girl from Everywhere #1) by Heidi Heilig
• We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen
• If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
• Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen
• Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
• Mayfly by Jeff Sweat
• Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 2: A Recipe for Disaster by Natalie Riess
• A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
• All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell
• Del Toro Moon by Darby Karchut
• The Tombs by Deborah Schaumberg
• Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara by Kris Waldherr
• Taproot by Keezy Young
• Like Never and Always by Ann Aguirre
• Watch You Burn by Amanda Searcy
• The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
• Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner
• Deadfall by Stephen Wallenfels
• Power of Five (Power of Five #1) by Alex Lidell 
• Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton

5 Stars: 32 Books

• Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi
• Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
• Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles #1) by Tamora Pierce
• The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen
• Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi
• Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe
• The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han
• Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe 
• You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery by Mamrie Hart
• Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire
• You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner
• Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire
• Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) by Seanan McGuire
• We Are Okay by Nina LaCour 
• Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 1: Lights, Camera, Snacktion by Natalie Riess
• The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
• Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks
• The Sand Warrior (5 Worlds #1) by Mark Siegel
• #notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale
• Bruja Born (Brooklyn Brujas #2) by Zoraida Córdova
• They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard
• Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm
• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
• Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne
• Star Wars: Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex
• My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn
• The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

My favorite books read this year, in no particular order:

1. Every Heart a Door Way by Seanan McGuire (5 Stars)
2. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (5 Stars)
3. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen (5 Stars)
4. The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons (5 Stars)
5. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (5 Stars)
6. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (5 Stars)
7. The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson (5 Stars)
8. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (5 Stars)
9. Sadie by Courtney Summers (5 Stars)
10. Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks (5 Stars)

I could get more in depth here (I love BooksandLala's Reading Year in Review videos -- check out 2018), but I think this is a good overview.  Maybe 2019 will be the year I'll try to keep track of more information.

I hope your 2018 reading year was awesome, and that 2019 will be even more so! 

HAPPY READING!

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BLOG TOUR --- Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce [Review + Giveaway]

Title: Tempests and Slaughter
Author(s): Tamora Pierce
Edition: Harcover, eBook, audiobook; 480 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - iBooks - Audible

Tour Schedule

Week One:

2/1/2018- Fiction Fare- Review

2/2/2018- herbookstacks- Review

Week Two:

2/5/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

2/6/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

2/7/2018- Book-Keeping- Review

2/8/2018- Eli to the nth- Review

2/9/2018- LILbooKlovers- Review

Week Three:

2/12/2018- Jump Into Books- Review

2/13/2018- BookHounds YA- Review

2/14/2018- Jessabella Reads- Review

2/15/2018- YA Bibliophile- Review

2/16/2018- Nerdophiles - Review

Week Four:

2/19/2018- Book Briefs- Review

2/20/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review

2/21/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Excerpt

2/22/2018- YA Books Central- Excerpt

2/23/2018- The Book Nut- Review

Week Five:

2/26/2018- A Backwards Story- Review

2/27/2018- The Book Shire- Review
2/28/2018- Falling Down The Book Hole- Excerpt

The Summary

Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for trouble.

Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie. 

In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies.

Act fast! The first printing of the hardcover includes a collector’s edition poster!

(Goodreads)

My Review

Tamora Pierce has been my go-to author since I first discovered Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic #1) when I was 9 years old (that's 1997 for reference).  This was not Pierce's first foray into fantasy however, and Sandry's Book led me from the world of Emelan to the world of Tortall, where her fantasy worlds all started, with a book titled: Alanna: The First Adventure.  

This brings us to her newest book, Tempests and Slaughter, the latest tale from Tortall.  But this book is set apart from all the others in two big ways.  First, this is Pierce's first full novel with a male protagonist, and second, this is her first novel where the past of a character is explored when the character has already been introduced.  That character is no other than Numair Salmalín, a powerful mage within the Tortall universe.  For old fans, that name will be so familiar and beloved, but for new readers, wow you're in for a treat because you get to experience how the young boy named Arram Draper became the Great Mage Numair Salmalín with brand new eyes!

Speaking of Arram, we meet him two years into his mage training at the Imperial University of Carthak.  Already well beyond his peers in ability, Arram is an outsider and prone to "accidents" of the magical variety.  Here he meets two other outsiders, Ozorne, the last in line prince, and Varice, a girl with an glossed over talent.  The three of them become fast friends and navigate the world of magic and politics together.

Now for the old crew, you need to forget all we know about Numair, which I will admit was very hard for me.  You know things that Arram doesn't about a multitude of characters in this book, and it will frustrate you to not be able to warn him.  But you also get to see the good side of those same people who will betray him later, so it creates a very conflicting dynamic in your mind as you read.  It is so good because of that, and highlights one of the things Pierce does best: character development.

I love Pierce's books for the world building, the rules of magic, and the people she has inhabit her books.  She thinks of all the details, and pulls in so many things from her previous books to really build this book up.  The way all of her books are crafted give a complete sense of this wondrous universe she's developed, and Tempests and Slaughter give even more depth to the Carthaki Empire than ever seen before.

I don't want to give too much away because this is a book that builds on itself, and really should be enjoyed with very little knowledge going in.  For the old fans, just know you will fall in love even more with our beautiful man Numair, and new fans (because you will become fans), you will be sucked into a fun story full of adventure, magic, and intrigue.  

Once you're done with Tempests and Slaughter, you will want to run to the bookstore and pick up all of Tamora Pierce's books.  Here is a handy link to the order of the books (Tempests and Slaughter falls second in the overall universe, technically); I suggest starting with the classic, Alanna: The First Adventure.  Also, once you're done with the Tortall books, check out all the Emelan books (super fun and very different magic in these)!  You won't be disappointed whether you're a hardcore fantasy lover, or just a dappler in the genre.  Pick up Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce today!!!!

Final Rating

About the Author

Tamora Pierce is a bestselling author of young adult fantasy books that break past the traditions of the fantasy genre to feature teenage girls as knights, wizards, and above all: heroes. A #1 New York Times bestseller and the recipient of the 2013 Margaret A. Edwards award, Tamora has written over 30 books, including the recently published TORTALL: A SPY'S GUIDE (Oct. 31, 2017) and the upcoming TEMPESTS AND SLAUGHTER (Feb. 6, 2018). 

Now, with over 30 critically-acclaimed books to her name, Pierce lives in upstate New York with her husband Tim and their menagerie of nine cats, two birds, a flock of pigeons, various raccoons and squirrels, and one opossum. "It's a pretty good life, if I do say so myself. Struggling along as a kid and even through my twenties, it's the kind of life I dreamed of but never believed I would get. Yet here I am, after a lot of work, a lot of worry, a lot of care for details, and a massive chunk of luck, the kind that brought me such strong friends and readers. Pretty good for a hillbilly, yes? And I never take it for granted."

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads 

Giveaway

3 winners will receive a finished copy of TEMPESTS AND SLAUGHTER

US Only.

Ends at MIDNIGHT on MARCH 2, 2018!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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