Hello friends. How has life been treating you? Are you settling into the new year?

I’m finally, here to bring you my annual list of books read in 2019. Hard to believe it’s my fourth year of compiling this list on my blog. Time really flies!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record… I’m a bit disappointed with the amount of books I read. I didn’t set a specific number for myself, but every year I say I’m going to get back into the rhythm, and “read all the things”! I’m still reading a lot, and studying, so I guess I need to adjust my expectations and not be so hard on myself. Life changes, routines change, and sometimes that’s just how life goes. In truth, I feel like I might have done more reading than I ever have before, just not the kind that builds up my library. I think I’ve done enough yammering, so let’s move on to the list!

Rating: 1/5 stars

Favorites in: bold

Classics:

1.  Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen 4
2. Napoleon of Notting Hill, by G.K. Chesterton 3
3. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury 5
4. The Mystery of Edwin Drood, by Charles Dickens 4
5. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens 5

Non-Fiction:

1. Structuring Your Novel, by K.M. Weiland 5
2. Finding Your Way Without Map or Compass, by Harold Gatty 4
3. The Creator and The Cosmos, by Hugh Ross 5
4. I’d Rather Be Reading, by Anne Bogel 5
   
5. Walden, by Henry David Thoreau 4

Sci-Fi/Fantasy:

1.  The Dark Between, by Sonia Gensler 2
2.  Dune, by Frank Herbert 3
3.  The Fork The Witch and The Worm, by Christopher Paolini 5
4.  Skyward, by Brandon Sanderson 5
5.  Flashback, by Shannon Messenger 4
6.  The Year of The Griffon, by Diana Wynne Jones 4
7.  The Raven Boys, by Maggie Steifvater 4
8.  Itachi’s Story: Daylight, by Takashi Yano & Masashi Kishimoto 2
9.  Romanov, by Nadine Brandes 5
10.  The Silent Corner, by Dean Koontz 4
11.  Wicked Fox, by Kat Cho 4
12.  The Expeditioners, by S.S. Taylor 1
13.  Shadow Keeper, by Hope Ann 5
14. Healers Bane, by Hope Ann 5
15.  The Merlin Conspiracy, by Diana Wynne Jones 5

Total: 25

There it is folks. No surprise that I read mostly fantasy, but I did try to break away now and then, and pick up a classic or something non-fiction.

And Speaking of non-fiction, one of my favorite reads was, The Creator and the Cosmos, by Hugh Ross. If you find the cosmos to be utterly fascinating, and amazing, I highly recommend this book. Back in the day I studied a bit of astronomy, and ever since I’ve grown a deep appreciation for space. This book offers an in depth look at the creation of the universe, from a biblical perspective, and I found it beautiful to learn of the exquisite design and attention that went into our Universe. Though some of it was over my head, I admit, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Also, if you enjoy reading books, on the very topic of reading, I think you’d like, I’d Rather Be Reading. It was a lot of fun to talk about all of the different things related to the life of a reader.

In the fiction realm, one of my favorites was, The Merlin Conspiracy. I never knew much about the original Merlin…and I still don’t! This book had nothing to do with the old Merlin, at all, but instead, wove a magical and chaotic tale, as only Diana Wynne Jones can. By the end of each Jones book I read, I’m left struck by the way she creates such wild stories, and yet ties them all up nicely in the end. Her style, and creativity is one that I greatly admire.

Secondly, I was pleasantly surprised by, The Fork The Witch and the Worm. The Inheritance Cycle, also by Paolini, is one of my all-time-favorites, and reading this book reminded me of the good old days, when I marathoned the series. It was nice to settle back into the land of Alagaësia, even if my favorite characters didn’t get a lot of screen time.

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So there you have it. How about you? Did you reach your reading goals in 2019? Did we read any of the same books? Leave a comment and let me know, I’d love to hear from you!

As always, thank you for reading,

Lady S