I am someone who loves to read and my goal on Goodreads is usually between 80-100 which I usually go over. It has been on the lower end lately because of school since I haven't had as much free time. I enjoy reading just about everything but am not as interested in romance books. For me it is ok is there is some romance in a book I just don't enjoy the heavy romance books. The genres I enjoy the most are mysteries, thrillers, young adult, science fiction, and fantasy. As long as the book has some suspense or something to figure out I usually enjoy it. Most of the book I am able to read right now is audiobook that I listen to on my way to work and when I am able to get exercise in. Audiobooks can sometimes be hit or miss because not every reader is good but the ones that are, bring the story to life with the production. One of my goal in the next few years is to turn my office into my own personal library by adding more bookshelves and of course more books. This will give me the ability to go in and find a book at any time that I may want to read. Here are some of my personal picks for last year and my top five books and series that I enjoyed reading:
The topic 5 books that I read last year are:
- Three Dark Crown by Kendare Blake (3 sisters with different gifts fighting for the crown only one can live in the end)
- City of Lies by Victoria Thompson (historical fiction that talks about the suffragette movement, really liked that she used actual know people for supporting characters)
- Bone Gap by Laura Ruby (This was a book I read for one of my classes but I enjoyed trying to figure out how the story was going to end. This book was a mix of realism with fantasy which is an interesting mix)
- Burned by Ellen Hopkins (Written in versus talking about a family struggle to survive in an abusive family)
- Night by Elie Wiesel (This is a heartbreaking book about Elie surviving in concentration camps during WWII)
The topic 5 books and series that I enjoy:
- Harry Potter by JK Rowling
- The Stephine Plum series by Janet Evanovich
- The Selection series by Kiera Cass
- The Martian by Andy Weir
- A Thin Dark Line by Tami Hoag
Wow! I hope that one day my goal on GoodReads will be 80-100 too! I totally agree on your view on romance in books. I don't mind that there is romance, but it can't overwhelm the story. Plus, sometimes those parts aren't needed. I like how well rounded your tastes are...I tend to stay in the same genre. :) For a reader who doesn't read much fantasy or science fiction, what book would you recommend? I'm trying to look for books out of my comfort zone!
ReplyDeleteOne science fiction book I really enjoyed was "The Martian" by Andy Weir. The movie was good to. I just finished his 2nd book "Artemis" which wasn't as good as his 1st but was still worth reading. Most of the fantasy books I read are YA book. Some of my favorites that I read recently are "Three Dark Crowns" by Kendare Blake, "The Selection" by Kiera Cass, and "The City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare. I hope this help and that you get a chance to try something new.
DeleteLaura, It's so nice to see a familiar name! I, too, share your love of audio books! They are so very efficient! Our family has listened to...ALL? of the YA books at our library [ok, maybe not ALL, but it feels like it]. My 4 yr old loved Harry Potter because of the dramatization of the audio reading. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI saw that you enjoy suspense and thrillers. As part of my senior outreach services, I have run across many seniors who cherish the Clive Cussler books. Have you read/ listened to any of his works? What are your thoughts?
Thank you!
I haven't read any of the Clive Cussler books. I think it because of the size of the book that I haven't picked one up yet. I do see them go out all the time. I also really enjoy listening to Harry Potter because of the dramatization. Another one that I have listen to that I really enjoyed because of the dramatization is "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien. The reader make a full production out of the story going as far as singing the songs in the book. If you haven't listen to this one you should.
DeleteHi Laura, I've read Harry Potter and the Selection series. I loved both of them. My book club is reading the first book of each this year. I haven't listened to many audiobooks, but I love listening to the reader for the Harry Dresden series.
ReplyDeleteHi Laura!
ReplyDeleteWere we in the same Materials for Youth class? I remember reading Bone Gap for that class and thought it was a great book! I also completely agree with you about audiobooks. They do not always have the best narration. What puzzles me about them is that the narrators sometimes do several characters, but there are so many people wanting acting jobs. I wonder why the companies don’t assign the characters to separate actors and actresses? I think that would help readers with keeping track of what is going on in the story. I get confused easily if the same narrator is doing two or three different voices. It’s also great to see another person in Readers’ Advisory who also likes reading Children’s and Young Adult literature!
Wonderful reading profile! I too am an avid audiobook listener. It's literally the only way I can complete my goodreads goals!
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