Books of 2018

Goodreads tells me that I have read 36 books this year out of 30 I had as a a goal. I set my readings goals low nowadays because I choose long, slow reads, and I almost don't read any quick-paced YA novels or picturebooks, and I read very little criticism for work.

Once upon a time I read several hundreds of books every year, particularly when I was on the national book award jury (120-150 books in just a couple of months) and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award jury (too many to account for), and of course I skim-read a lot of professional literature. I am glad I don't have to do it any more. I still have to read books that my students write about, but that's different than reading for pleasure. As we all know.

Here are some books from 2018.

Best book: Touch, by Claire North
Next best book: Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson

Best book with many sequels: Cazalet chronicles, by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Best nonfiction: Enlightenment Now, by Steven Pinker

Quickest (and highly enjoyable) read: In Paris with You, by Clémentine Beauvais 

Old favourite re-read: Mary Poppins, by Pamela Travers 

Book on which a movie I had seen was based: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer

Book I had been planning to read for a long time: The Tin Drum, by Günter Grass

Book I should have read long ago: The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett

Weirdest book: Killing Commendatore, by Haruki Murakami

Author I have read most: Claire North (seven books!)

Biggest disappointment: Bookworm, by Lucy Mangan

To see all my 2018 books visit my Goodreads.