Reading is one of my favorite activities. There is nothing like relaxing on my sofa, sipping a hot coffee, and losing myself in a good book. I also fall asleep better when (or rather while) reading. I think my love for reading also becomes obvious in the number of books I read every year. In 2018 I read a total of 68 books – I always keep track on Goodreads [follow me there]. That is a little more than one book per week, which I think is a pretty good number. Saying that I read much more during vacations and as a teacher I just have a little more of that than other people. I also read some books specifically for school because I teach them. So my job basically requires me to read :-). And I also have more reading time since my boyfriend moved to New York City and I travel there by bus a lot.
I think it becomes very obvious how much I like fantasy literatur. I have read several series last year like Six of Crows, the Grisha trilogy, Royal Institute of Magic, and the Sisters Grimm. I also started to read once more the whole Harry Potter series at the end of the year. But in general I read everything that sounds interesting to me. The other genre I really like are detective novels. And there are many novels with a kind of fantasy detective – perfect for me.
My 5 favorite books from 2018 are:
- Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardudo* (part 3 of the Grisha trilogy)
- Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer*
- Blood Brothers by Ernst Haffner* (I read it in English, but it is originally German: “Blutsbrüder”)*
- The Council of Mirrors by Michael Buckley* (part 9 of The Sisters Grimm)
- Harun und das Meer der Geschichten by Salman Rushdie*
I have read the majority of these books as e-books. Esp. when I moved last summer, I noticed again how inconvenient it is to own many books. Please don’t get me wrong, I love physical books, but I still move too often to keep a big library. Most book boxes are even still in my basement because I haven’t bothered to unpack them. I still keep certain and still many books because I attach special meanings to them. But there simply isn’t really any space in my studio to put them anywhere. Therefore it is far more convenient to read e-books on my tablet.
This year I hope to read just as much. I also want to read a few physical books I still have lying around and that I already know I only want to read once before giving them away. There will be a few sequels I am very excited about. I also plan to read a little more non-fiction because I feel that is the best way for me to learn about new ideas and concepts.
I am very interested in these 5 books in 2019:
- Becoming by Michelle Obama*
- Reign of Mist by Helen Scheuerer*
- I Heart Hawaii by Lindsey Kelk*
- Der nasse Fisch by Volker Kutscher* (the first novel that TV series “Babylon Berlin” is based on)
- King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo*
How much have you read last year? Do you have any book recommendations for me?
© janavar
* contains affiliate links
