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About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.
A prize-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize.
Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

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Summing up my reading for 2019

31/12/2019

8 Comments

 
I’ve read a lot of books this year. Sure, right, tell us something new! I surpassed my Goodreads  target. Don’t you always? Isn’t it because you set the barrier so low? Yet but I beat it by almost 50%. Surely it’s about quality, not quantity? Indeed, that’s why earlier this month I shared my 13 favourite reads of 2019. Thirteen? Not ten or a dozen? You like numbers? Come on, let me show you some! I’ve got some pretty graphs too.
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The Goodreads Oracle says I’ve read 144 books and almost 40,000 pages this year, very slightly down from 2018, which was itself slightly down from my all-time peak – or at least “since records began” – of 150 books in 2017. More interesting than these stark figures, however, is how my reading measured against my long-running goals regarding independent publishers, translations, female and/or BAME authors. Unlike last year, when I failed my target of 25% BME authors, I passed with flying colours on all four measures.

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Comparing this year’s chart with last year’s, the 2019 percentages are higher in all areas apart from independent publishers, so that’s something I’ll be watching more closely next year. In fact, my 5-star favourites (represented by the blue column) didn’t even reach 50%. Of course, I don’t rate a book according to who published it, but maybe I need to widen my net if I want to let more independents in.
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You’ll find short summaries of each of this year’s favourites, by clicking on the image to the left.




Below, in tabular form, are the results of my attempt to isolate the wow factor in the books I’ve particularly enjoyed. One point if it’s exceptionally strong on plot or character (pale blue background), with two points to be awarded across a choice of six other factors (pinky brown background).



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I’m not sure it tells me much other than that I’m interested in reading (and writing) about human and social issues and that, unlike last year, none of my choices stand out for their zaniness or humour. And that I’m getting the hang of spreadsheets and what they can do for obsessional minds.
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Wait! We’re not finished yet! Last January, I set myself another three specific goals for 2019 relating to reading diverse.



While I exceeded my ambitions regarding reading women in translation (click on the image for more detail on those books), I was less successful in Reading the world. I’d hoped to increase my list from 70 to 100, but only got as far as 81. Never mind, if I keep progressing at a similar rate, I’ll get there by the end of 2021.  

My third reading goal – to focus on supporting writers I can learn from and for whom that support has the potential to make a difference, however small, i.e. good writers but not necessarily the highest flyers – was too fuzzy to make much of, but I’ll keep it as an attitude if not an aim.
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I won’t set any specific targets for 2020, but I expect I’ll continue in a similar vein. If you’ve followed my reviews, dipped in occasionally, thank you! I do hope you’ll come back again next year.
 
I’ll sign off with a picture of the 14 novels I’ve reviewed in December: if you click on the image you can see the whole month’s reviews. All that remains is for me to wish you a heartfelt Happy New Year!
 
How was your reading year? Will you set any goals for 2020?

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Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
8 Comments
D. Avery link
2/1/2020 03:28:39 pm

Ah, the new year, when the prolific reader produces charts and graphs.If you are also laughing then I am in fact laughing with you and not at you. It's the second day of 2020. How many books have you read this year? Don't forget to write a few too.
Keep up the good Work and may it never be work. Happy New Year.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
2/1/2020 05:25:29 pm

Thanks for laughing with me! I always found statistics the least interesting aspect of mathematics but that was in the olden days before I could produce these pretty graphs so easily.
Would you believe around 40 hours in I’ve finished only one book? Goodreads tells me I’m on target to reach my official goal of 100 but they don’t know about my secret goal to read half as many again. Happy New Year!

Reply
Charli Mills
3/1/2020 09:42:05 pm

Impressive charting, Anne. The best goals are those that fit why we read in the first place, and are measurable. That way we can aim better next time. I appreciate how specific you get with your goals (which answers why you read books in the first place). I've known ever since I've followed you that you are an excellent reviewer and read with a writer's eye. In fact, I felt like I was cheating by reading your reviews instead of reading contemporary novels! Now that I'm an MFA student, I can't get away with avoidance. But I have reconciled what was hanging me up as a reader -- I came out of college with an extreme dislike for deconstructionism which had peaked in my time. I'm so glad I never bought into it, but it also led me to mixed emotions regarding contemporary fiction. Now, I'm learning other methods that include the author and reader in looking at how novels are constructed and at what impact. So, I thank you for keeping me connected! Now, I join you, though I will not read as prolifically. Three to five novels every ten weeks only adds up to a fraction of what you read. Perhaps you can give tips on reading faster without losing comprehension. Here's to reading in 2020!

Reply
Anne Goodwin
4/1/2020 08:39:39 am

Ha, I had to look up what deconstructionism even is! But I don't like that intertexuality stuff and I'm terrified of Derrida.
I don't actually read fast, it's just that it's my main evening activity and I don't leave it till bedtime.
Funny, I'm not sure how these goals got to be so specific. I'll be reviewing my writing goals soon and they're really wishy-washy. I suppose sometimes I want to set an attitude, and pretending it's a goal helps.
Huge thanks to you, Charli, for following these reviews. I get a huge boost from your thoughtful comments.

Reply
Charli Mills
8/1/2020 08:43:20 pm

The Father of Deconstruction is not someone I'd have coffee with! Wallace Stegner, in a heartbeat. Stegner points out in his book On Teaching and Writing Fiction, that great swaths of contemporary literature have been controlled by small cliques of narrow-minded people who wielded deconstructionism like a weapon. Power and control rises its ugly twin heads everywhere. Ironically, we've seen that literary control fall away with small and independent presses, authors and reviewers. Just in time to see the rest of the world burn, ha! Let us write and read and talk long over cups!

Anne Goodwin
10/1/2020 08:32:17 am

Yes, self and small presses are making publishing more diverse, although trad publishing might be becoming more restricted.
Just in time to comment on humanity's destruction but too late to save ourselves perhaps.

Pamela link
24/1/2020 08:47:34 pm

Wow! That's impressive. I'm a need-to-read-for-my-health reader also. But I don't challenge myself to read challenging books as you do. I need it for my sanity in this harsh world, so I prefer books that take me into (fictional) people and their relationships. This is fun here.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
26/1/2020 08:39:12 am

Thanks, Pamela, I was actually quite surprised how gruesome some of my choices were this year as I think I had more quirky/amusing titles last year. But my problem with some cheery books is that they reflect what seems to me a false vision of the world. I've just checked your books of the year post and we seem to have only one novel in common (The Dutch House) but I spotted some gritty titles in your list.

Reply



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