Like every year, I would like to show you what I’ve read during the last twelve months.
Last year was the first one I participated in the 2013 Reading Challenge on Goodreads: I pledged to read 85 books, but in the end I didn’t get the challenge because I read a lot of them in English, as you’ll see in a moment, and I’m a very slow reader in this language (very-very slow).
I’ve finally read 76 books in 2013 and I’m planning to read a lot of them in English in 2014 too, so this year the challenge will be for 75 books. Fingers crossed!
Of those 76 books:
- 36 were written by women and 40 by men.
- 25 were written by authors whose mother language is Spanish.
- 27 were in English; 3 of them were actually audiobooks, my first audiobooks in English!
- 18 were on my To-Be-Read Pile since 2012.
- I read 6 non-fiction books.
- 3 of them were compilations of short stories.
- I’ve re-read 6 books; the three audiobooks I mentioned above are among them.
- I read 23 books on my kindle.
Now a book for each category:
- The author I read most books by was Arturo Pérez-Reverte: 3 books.
- A book I read twice in the same year: Lord of the flies; I read it in Spanish and English for the exam, and I didn’t like it that much!
- The shortest book: Territorio Comanche, by Pérez-Reverte (110 pages).
- The longest book: Under the dome, by Stephen King (1,130 pages).
- A book that made me cry: The snow girl, by Eowyn Ivey.
- The tenderest book: The incredible story of Henry N. Brown, by Anne Helene Bubenzer (it will be published in English in 2014).
- The scariest book: The passage, by Justin Cronin.
- The funniest book: Miss Pettigrew lives for a day, by Winifred Watson.
The worst books of 2013
One hundred years of solitude (Gabriel García Márquez): the world is divided into two kinds of people; the ones who think that García Márquez should have written a novel after the draft, instead of publishing directly the draft itself, and the ones who, for an unknown reason, like this novel.
The end of the summer (Alex Smith): I read it because it was for free on Amazon. I obviously made a mistake.
The best books of 2013
This is the list of the books I liked most, but not all of them have been published this year:
All creatures great and small (James Herriot): what a lovely book! These are the real anecdotes of the author’s first years as a rural vet, and it has been the second time I read it.
English Creek (Ivan Doig): this author is one of my favourites, and his stories are always special. Don’t miss how life in Montana was like at the beginning of the last century.
The life list (Lori Nelson Spielman): my first Netgalley read was awesome and I enjoyed every page.
The snow child (Eowyn Ivey): the atmosphere of this book is what made it unforgettable; the author describes very well the tough life of the first settles in Alaska, mixed with a magical story.
The passage (Justin Cronin): another re-read which has been one of the best of the year. This is not my genre, but it got me gripped from the beginning to the end.
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I hope you discover lots of wonderful books in 2014; I will try to do the same 😉
Marie said:
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! I’m glad to hear you had a good reading year in 2013, though not so happy to hear you didn’t enjoy One Hundred Years Of Solitude, which is one of my all-time favourites! I recently finished reading Justin Cronin’s The Twelve, and I hope you are planning to read it soon because it is an awesome sequel to The Passage.
Isi said:
Happy New Year for you too, Marie 😀
The twelve is on my shelves actually, so I’ll read it very soon. And well, after my review of One hundred years, I have got to know that Márquez has his own readers, and I’m not one of them 😉 But I have no regrets; I have discovered lots of wonderful books this year!!
Words for Worms said:
Hahahaha, oh 100 Years of Solitude. Marquez’s style has always been a bit of a stretch for me, I’m glad to see I’m not alone in that assessment!
Isi said:
I absolutely agree with you: Márquez has “his” style, which is not for me either. And seriously: you are not alone: on my Spanish blogs I discovered several readers who think the same 😉
Lori Nelson Spielman said:
Happy New Year, Isi! Getting acquainted with you and your blog have been a couple of the nicest things of 2013. Wishing you a wonderful 2014. (And thanks for your take on 100 Years of Solitude. My cousin gave it to me and I’ve been meaning to read it. Now I think I’ll pass!)
Isi said:
Happy New Year to you too, Lori! And thank you very much for your words.
Regarding 100 years, you shouldn’t go through such a torture 😉
Hugs!!
travelingwitht said:
Yay! This was a great summary of your reads! And you know my feelings on THE LIFE LIST- I Loved seeing that you enjoyed it as well!
Isi said:
Oh yes, “The life list” was one of the best without any doubt. I’m glad you liked the summary. Hope 2014 comes full of great books for you!
travelingwitht said:
I wish the same for you 🙂 🙂 I can’t wait to see what you’ll be reviewing in 2014!
Bettina Grissen said:
Happy New Year, I hope you have a great year with beautiful books in 2014. Great to see your best/worst lists of 2013. I always like these kinds of overviews.
Kind regards
Isi said:
Thank you Bettina!
Hope you have wonderful readings in sight for this year!
Ciska (@_Ciska_) said:
Happy New Year Isi! Hope your reading in 2014 will be as great as your reading in 2013. Good luck with your challenges, will be cheering for you!
Isi said:
Thanks, Ciska! Now that you are here cheering, I’m sure I will get them!
Andi (@estellasrevenge) said:
Very impressive! I simply can’t imagine reading this many books in a language that is not my first! But practice makes perfect. Keep up the great reading in 2014!
Isi said:
Exactly Andi, you have to practice on and on. I read very slow and I look for so many words when I read, but I love it and I know I’m improving, so in the end it’s not so hard 😉
Jennine G. said:
I picked up The Passage based on your review alone! I’m going to read it for the Chunkster Challenge. Great lists!
Isi said:
I remember it, so I’m looking forward to hearing what you think. If you don’t like it (not that is going to happen!), at least you can put in for the challenge!
Charlie said:
76, especially when you’re reading some of them slowly, is absolutely brilliant, Isi! The Snow Child is a wonderful book, I must agree. Happy new year!
Isi said:
Thanks Charlie! I’m really proud of myself 😀
Happy New Year for you too!
lauratfrey said:
Oo them’s fighting words on 100 Years of Solitude. I prefer Love in the Time of Cholera though so I’ll let it go 🙂 I really want to read The Snow Child.
Isi said:
hahaha well, I’ve also heard that Love in the time of cholera is very good, BUT for the moment I don’t dare to read it 😛
The snow child is magical, hope you like it!
RebeccaScaglione - Love at First Book said:
That’s awesome that you included the books you couldn’t stand on this list, too! I also think that reading books in another language is super impressive, even if it means you didn’t reach your goal. Can I add a book to your “worst of 2013”? Don Quixote. Blech! You were soooo right about that read.
Isi said:
Don Quijote included, then! 😀
I love to advice also about books I don’t recommend because sometimes it’s even more useful than listing the recommended ones, don’t you think?
And there are always bad books throughout the year.
DoingDewey said:
I also really liked All Creatures Great and Small. It was just such a cute story!
I agree with everyone else – it’s so impressive that you’re reading so much in a foreign language! Congrats on your first English audiobook 🙂
Isi said:
Thanks!!
I’m actually “audioreading” books I’ve already read in Spanish becasue I’m afraid of not being able to understand every thing, but I’m so happy I can do it!
And yes, I’m reading a lot in English, and planning to read a lot more!
Lianne @ caffeinatedlife.net said:
Happy New Year! Looks like you had a great reading year in 2013, wishing you a happy reading for 2014 🙂 Sorry to hear btw that you didn’t enjoy One Hundred Years in Solitude; I fall under the latter half that liked the novel xD
Isi said:
Ohhh well, hope we can still be friends, despite García Márquez 😛
Hope you read wonderful books this year too!
Allison @ The Book Wheel said:
You rock! And it’s so cool that you read so many books in English. VERY impressive.
Isi said:
Thanks, Allison! My ego is bigger than ever 😀
bibliobulimica said:
you did extremely well, specially reading in english 😉 congratulations!
Isi said:
Thank you very much, Ale!
Melinda said:
Happy New Year Isi! I love that picture! You have read alot of books in 2013, so don’t worry about not meeting your challenge. I want to read The snow girl and I must finished one of your “worst books of 2013” 🙂 Good luck with the reading for this year.
Melinda said:
PS: I need to read more by Arturo Pérez-Reverte 🙂
Isi said:
Mel, you will love Pérez-Reverte novels, I’m sure.
About “our friend” García Márquez, I think you don’t have to do it. Seriously, there are better things to do 😉
Hope you have wonderful readings this year!
Melinda said:
I only read one by Arturo Pérez-Reverte – The Club Dumas. I must pick up some more of his novels!
Isi said:
The Alatriste series are so much fun. And he has novellas that are interesting too; I’ve recently read one about two war journalists, and it amazed me.