Wrap Up // 2015 Reading
Well, can you believe it? 2015 is over. Over! I thought I'd take this opportunity to give you guys a little wrap up of all the AMAZING books I read this year. In the comments below let me know what your favourite reads have been in 2015 and the book you most want to get to in the new year!
Number of books read: 120
Pie chart statistics:
I'm going to split my favourites into a variety of categories and let you know the best one I've read for each. It's a little bit like a bookish award show! I know many other bloggers/vloggers use this format, so this isn't my own original idea, but I hope you enjoy it none the less!
FEMALE AUTHOR: Erin Morgenstern
2015 was the year that I finally read The Night Circus; and, boy, did I love it! The writing is so beautiful and magical in a way that I hadn't discovered before. Morgenstern hasn't published anything else, but I sincerely hope that she's got more stories in the works because she's incredibly talented at what she does.
MALE AUTHOR: Markus Zusak
I read The Book Thief in 2014 but this year, I read I Am the Messenger which has surpassed The Book Thief on my leader board. Zusak has an incredible way of telling stories, and I always feel that I learn something from him. The messages in his books are strong and the writing is easy and accessible to many people.
FANTASY: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
I probably wouldn't have picked this up if my Book Club hadn't been reading it. Personally, I find Gaiman's work to be a bit of a hit-or-miss as I greatly enjoyed Coraline but didn't get along with The Ocean at the End of the Lane at all. Luckily, I found this book to be great and I really appreciated the story. This has restored my faith in Gaiman and I hope to pick up some of his other works!
CONTEMPORARY: Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach
This is a contemporary novel, but also a thriller which took me outside of my comfort zone and encouraged me to try other genres. This was the first thriller I've ever picked up, and I must say, it didn't disappoint me in any way. It's not too scary and was a really enjoyable novel once you got into the story.
HISTORICAL FICTION: The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester
Possibly one of my favourite books of all time, this novel combines suffragettes, the circus and a plot to blow up parliament. Interested? Yeah, me too! Not only is the story enthralling, but this is also a debut novel which makes this masterpiece all the more impressive. I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for whatever Ribchester's got up her sleeve!
GRAPHIC NOVEL/COMIC: Fables:Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
2015 was the year that I discovered the comic book, and I have to say, from my little foray I'm very impressed. Fairy-tale re-tellings are everybody's favourites and this comic book was no exception to the rule. I borrowed this from my local library, and I plan on doing the same for the rest of the series in the new year. Hopefully in 2016, I'll experiment a little bit more and discover some more graphic novels/comics!
BIGGEST SURPRISE: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Sure, I'd heard good things about this book, but did I think I'd enjoy it? Not really. I don't read a lot of classics (something I'm going to work on in 2016!) so I wasn't sure if this would be my cup of tea. Thankfully, I was proven wrong and now TKAM is one of my favourite books of all time. The moral of the story is so clear and I appreciated that a lot. It may be 50 years old, but TKAM certainly hasn't lost its charm.
SERIES BEGINNER: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
The Heroes of Olympus series is incredible and I'm so pleased I got round to reading it this year. Sometimes the first book of a series can be a bit slow and take some getting used to, but as usual, Riordan sucks you straight back into the world so the adventures can really begin! I've never doubted Riordan when it comes to his work, and he proved me right again with this book.
SERIES FINALE: Winter by Marissa Meyer
Oh my. Where do I even begin with this one? The whole of the Lunar Chronicles series is a masterpiece and I'm so pleased that I decided to read it. I love the characters, I love the story, I love the concept. This series is just perfection. I had a couple of problems with Winter, but overall it was an epic ending to a phenomenal series.
RE-READ: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Perkins has a real talent for creating relatable characters and re-reading Anna gave me all the feels again. The characters in this novel are what make the story so worthwhile, and despite the cheesy title, you don't ever regret reading these gorgeously delightful stories. If you haven't read them yet, I highly, highly recommend.
So, that was some of my favourite books from 2015, I hope you enjoyed!
A x
Number of books read: 120
Pie chart statistics:
I'm going to split my favourites into a variety of categories and let you know the best one I've read for each. It's a little bit like a bookish award show! I know many other bloggers/vloggers use this format, so this isn't my own original idea, but I hope you enjoy it none the less!
FEMALE AUTHOR: Erin Morgenstern
2015 was the year that I finally read The Night Circus; and, boy, did I love it! The writing is so beautiful and magical in a way that I hadn't discovered before. Morgenstern hasn't published anything else, but I sincerely hope that she's got more stories in the works because she's incredibly talented at what she does.
MALE AUTHOR: Markus Zusak
I read The Book Thief in 2014 but this year, I read I Am the Messenger which has surpassed The Book Thief on my leader board. Zusak has an incredible way of telling stories, and I always feel that I learn something from him. The messages in his books are strong and the writing is easy and accessible to many people.
FANTASY: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
I probably wouldn't have picked this up if my Book Club hadn't been reading it. Personally, I find Gaiman's work to be a bit of a hit-or-miss as I greatly enjoyed Coraline but didn't get along with The Ocean at the End of the Lane at all. Luckily, I found this book to be great and I really appreciated the story. This has restored my faith in Gaiman and I hope to pick up some of his other works!
CONTEMPORARY: Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach
This is a contemporary novel, but also a thriller which took me outside of my comfort zone and encouraged me to try other genres. This was the first thriller I've ever picked up, and I must say, it didn't disappoint me in any way. It's not too scary and was a really enjoyable novel once you got into the story.
HISTORICAL FICTION: The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester
Possibly one of my favourite books of all time, this novel combines suffragettes, the circus and a plot to blow up parliament. Interested? Yeah, me too! Not only is the story enthralling, but this is also a debut novel which makes this masterpiece all the more impressive. I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for whatever Ribchester's got up her sleeve!
GRAPHIC NOVEL/COMIC: Fables:Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
2015 was the year that I discovered the comic book, and I have to say, from my little foray I'm very impressed. Fairy-tale re-tellings are everybody's favourites and this comic book was no exception to the rule. I borrowed this from my local library, and I plan on doing the same for the rest of the series in the new year. Hopefully in 2016, I'll experiment a little bit more and discover some more graphic novels/comics!
BIGGEST SURPRISE: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Sure, I'd heard good things about this book, but did I think I'd enjoy it? Not really. I don't read a lot of classics (something I'm going to work on in 2016!) so I wasn't sure if this would be my cup of tea. Thankfully, I was proven wrong and now TKAM is one of my favourite books of all time. The moral of the story is so clear and I appreciated that a lot. It may be 50 years old, but TKAM certainly hasn't lost its charm.
SERIES BEGINNER: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
The Heroes of Olympus series is incredible and I'm so pleased I got round to reading it this year. Sometimes the first book of a series can be a bit slow and take some getting used to, but as usual, Riordan sucks you straight back into the world so the adventures can really begin! I've never doubted Riordan when it comes to his work, and he proved me right again with this book.
SERIES FINALE: Winter by Marissa Meyer
Oh my. Where do I even begin with this one? The whole of the Lunar Chronicles series is a masterpiece and I'm so pleased that I decided to read it. I love the characters, I love the story, I love the concept. This series is just perfection. I had a couple of problems with Winter, but overall it was an epic ending to a phenomenal series.
RE-READ: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Perkins has a real talent for creating relatable characters and re-reading Anna gave me all the feels again. The characters in this novel are what make the story so worthwhile, and despite the cheesy title, you don't ever regret reading these gorgeously delightful stories. If you haven't read them yet, I highly, highly recommend.
So, that was some of my favourite books from 2015, I hope you enjoyed!
A x
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