My Year in Books, 2015

With a lot of print screen commands and some careful resizing, I am able to present to you the books I read in 2015 – information and stats courtesy of Goodreads.

2015 books summary 1

2015 books 1 2015 books 2 2015 books 3 2015 books 4 2015 books 5 2015 books 6 2015 books 7 2015 books 8 2015 books 9 2015 books 10

My total came in at 82, way above my goal of 52. And, almost all of them were read on my Kindle. I prefer the Kindle because it’s lightweight, it goes easily in my purse, I can read outside in the sunshine, I can read in bed without the light on, and (although I can’t prove this scientifically) I swear I read faster. I very rarely buy books for the Kindle, I get them through Overdrive at the library.

I have been following a thread on Facebook where people were debating electronic devices vs. printed books and someone said they prefer a book because there is magic in holding a book. While I love books and I can (sort of) understand that mentality, I truly believe that the magic, my friends, comes from the words you read not from the way you read them. But it’s all good because what really matters to this librarian is that people are reading.

 

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This Post Has 25 Comments

  1. What a wonderful year of books! (yeah, the debate about HOW we read bugs me, too!) I really appreciate the thoughtful reviews you share on Goodreads; I’ve made many a good decision about what to read (or not) thanks to you! Looking forward to another year with a lot more reading!

  2. I agree about the Kindle. I got one for Tony too, for his birthday, because he tends to buy a new book at the airport every time he travels, but rarely finishes one because he forgets it the next time he leaves. And they’re heavy and take up a lot of room in his briefcase. The Kindle is the perfect solution. Now he just has to remember to take it with him.

    I do tend to buy my Kindle books from Amazon, and I get lots of free ones via Bookbub, but I also get audio books from my library, import them into iTunes, and listen on my iPod. I’d say that I probably “read” 50% of my books that way – while cleaning, cooking, crafting, etc.

  3. Wow – that’s a lot. Did you have a favorite and a least liked book?

    I have a kindle and I rarely finish a book on it. It is good for traveling, but day-to-day, I prefer a printed book.

  5. I tried a kindle a few years ago and just found it clunky to hold and use. It might be because my hands are small and my eyes are not as young as they used to be. I love books especially for travel since they are lighter, never banned or inspected and if I lose one (not yet) it’s not expensive. But the magic is in the words for me, not the format.

  6. Wow! That’s a lot of books. I need to look into Overdrive. I go back and forth on the whole electronic vs. printed. I like both for different reasons. Have a great day Carole.

  7. Impressive number of books read in 2015! I’m totally baffled as to why I don’t read more in the 7 years since I retired. i do read every day but usually for only a half hour after lunch and a half hour before bed. I truly need to give this some thought this year! Love my new Kindle.

  8. I love to read and have enjoyed some of the same books you did in 2015. I think I am one of the last people on earth without a kindle….maybe this year!

  9. You rock librarian! I use the Kindle app on my iPad mini and I love it. I love that I always have a book with me and I love that I can download them right from the library.

  10. There’s enough overlap on our lists to lead me to believe I would enjoy the ones you’ve read that I haven’t. Off to check Overdrive …

  11. I am so with you on the Kindle! It’s great to be able to carry a library on a device! Thanks for the ratings and ideas for reading (like I really need more books on my “want to read” list lol!

  12. Wow…what a great list, Carole – thanks so much for sharing! I get my best reading recommendations from blogs – especially yours and Kym’s as we tend to have very similar tastes in books. I purchased a Nook Glo-Light a few years ago before a trip to Hawaii and I love it! It’s very light weight, has great lighting for bedtime reading, and fits easily into my purse. I’m on the board of my local library and since I’m in there a lot, I also will grab a “real” book to read. It’s all good no matter what process you choose!

  13. My husband has Parkinson’s and to keep his voice strong we read aloud to each other every day. This year we read 25 books and at least 10 of them are on your list. The library is our favorite resource. Thank you for sharing.

  14. No matter how a book is printed it is a treasure. I read print books, Kindle books, and audio books. A book is a book! It’s the words, the ideas, the thoughts provoked, it is so much more than the way it’s published. You have read many fabulous books. Your patrons must know you’re the person to ask if they need a good read.

  16. Very impressive! I’m happy to say I got some great recommendations from you this year. And I read on all devices…including my phone! Which isn’t as painful as it may seem. 🙂

  17. That’s a lot of books! “A Spool of Blue Thread” is my book club’s next read…

    The only type of book I’ve found that I truly prefer in paper is a cookbook, particularly when it comes time to locate a recipe again. All of the cookbooks on my Kindle “look” the same, and I realized how much I use my tactile memory along with visual to help recall something like that.

  19. What a great collection. I haven’t read most of those. I am hosting a book club through the quilt store this year and I hope it stretches my literary horizons.

  20. You read a wonderful collection of books last year! I saw some of your titles and thought “Oh I loved that book!”, like The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Nightingale. Here’s to a great 2016!

  21. I am speechless. I bow to your reading supremacy! I only wish I could get that kind of reading in. I’m currently tearing through audio podcasts and always keep an audio book from Overdrive handy. I do a lot of driving. I only wish our little town library had a wider selection of holdings with Overdrive. I have a Kindle and love it. But sitting-to-read time is scarce right now. It will return eventually.

  22. So many books! I couldn’t agree with you more — it doesn’t matter if you want to hold a “real” book or look at your screen or listen in your ears . . . it’s the WORDS, the STORY. It’s all good!

  23. Wow-that’s a lot of reading. I have a Kindle but rarely use it as I can’t see spending a lot of money for an e-book that I can share. I try to use my local library as much as I can, and if it’s a book I just have to read I’ll purchase it. That way at least I can donate it when I’m finished. Since we are moving again in a few months, my goal is to read all the physical books that have been sitting on my shelf so I don’t have to pack them.

  24. I dislike that debate about reading a physical book vs. reading on an electronic device, too; it’s the content that matters. (Although I think I read that there is research that reading on an electronic device tends not to make a deep an impression on the reader.)

    There is a fair bit of overlap between your 2015 books and mine. Great minds think alike!

  25. I agree with you on the Kindle!
    I was at an all time low in 2014 with only 36 books read. My DH bought me the Kindle for Christmas and I read 100 books in 2015!
    Most of my books come via Overdrive too. I’ve always been a big library patron. I read too much to buy – and store! that many books.
    For a long time I thought that I only liked “real books” but having the Kindle is so convenient.

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