A Year of Reading: 2013

This year, my friend Lydia (of paperbackmugs and Lydia Reads), introduced me to Goodreads, and it was the best thing ever. The last job I had allowed me next to no time for reading, so while I was still picking up books, I was getting through them at a shameful rate. Even when I changed jobs, the reading lull seemed to stick with me, and though I was reading more, I had hardly made a dent on my 'to-be-read' pile, despite my desire to get back into the swing of things. I guess I just needed a little push. And that push came in the form of Goodreads.

I set myself a goal of reading 30 new books this year, and ended up reading 39 (plus re-reading an additional 2), which Goodreads says amounted to 12743 pages. And I loved every second of it.

Favourites from this year: 'Rebecca' by Daphne Du Maurier, 'The Virgin Suicides' by Jeffery Eugenides, 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt, 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan, 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins & 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving.

Wastes of time this year: 'The Taker' by Alma Katsu & 'Ghosts of Manhattan' by George Mann.

I think I'm going to set my goal for 2014 to 45 new books. I want to slip some non-fiction in too (mainly political and historical books touched on in college) so we'll see how we go!

What I'm excited to read in 2014: 's.' by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst, 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' by Muriel Sparks, 'The Testament of Mary' by Colm Tóibín, 'Cracks' by Shelia Kohler & 'The Luminaries' by Eleanor Catton.

You can follow my reading adventures on Goodreads or over on Youtube.