A few years ago, my mum bought me a cute little notebook designed for ‘book notes’. I’ve been noting down everything I’ve read since 2008. Yes, I know the cool kids are using Goodreads these days…but sometimes you can’t beat good old pen and paper!
Anyway, it’s fascinating to go back and look at what I’ve read over the years. This year I’ve racked up more than ever (well, since records began), mainly down to my Kindle, which has meant I’m never short of something to read, and I can take it on my commute. I’m definitely not one of those ‘anti e-reader’ bores (‘Oh, but I just love books! I couldn’t possibly abandon paper!’) – not to say you can’t prefer one over the other, but I’m tired of people telling me I don’t love books because I’ve got a Kindle. Words are words, and my shelves are very small!
The range of genres for this year is fairly broad, although kid-lit/YA is heavily represented, for obvious reasons.
1. The Dolphin People by Torsten Krol (one of the weirdest books I have ever read!)
2. A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford (everybody loves those emerald eyes)
3. Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller
4. The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker
5. Blood Red Road by Moira Young (<3)
6. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
7. The Shadow of the Soul by Sarah Pinborough
8. The Chosen Seed by Sarah Pinborough
9. Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane (the Chess Putnam books are like crack…soooo goooood)
10. City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane
11. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
12. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
13. Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Christopher Edge
14. Lost Riders by Elizabeth Laird
15. Istanbul by Orhan Pamuk (my favourite travel destination this year – incredible)
16. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
17. Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
18. The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman
19. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (seriously, just read the Iliad…)
20. Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane
21. The Messenger Bird by Ruth Eastham
22. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (my book of the year. Blew me away. READ THIS)
23. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
24. Daughter of Smoke and Bome by Laini Taylor
25. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (raising my blood pressure…)
26. How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
27. The Thread by Victoria Hislop
28. My Heart be Damned by Chanelle Gray
29. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
30. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
31. Rebel Heart by Moira Young (book crush!)
32. The City and the City by China Mieville
33. The City’s Son by Tom Pollock
34. Hollow Pike by James Dawson
35./36. A beta read for a lovely writing friend 🙂
So! There we have it! Six more than last year, and plenty of amazing reads to keep me occupied in the never-ending traffic jam that is Mitcham Road.
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year – here’s to plenty more reading in 2013 😀
Catherine Queen 
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