End of the Year

Ok, if you don't know me (and seriously, if you don't, why the heck are you reading this? You can't possibly be bored enough to read these rambles.), I love to read. I mean, I read like most people breathe. I always, always have a book on the go, and most often have a book with me. So, on the assumption I'm not going to read any new books today, I present to you my book stats for 2005. I didn't count rereads of old favourites and I didn't count any of the trashy romances I read.

Grand Total: 131 (compared to the grand total in 2004 of 130 - I think that's kind of weird that it's so consistent!)

Mystery/Thriller - 65 (49.6%) (2004 - 45)
Fantasy/Scifi - 52 (39.7%) (2004 - 67)
Fiction - 5 (3.8%) (2004 - 17)
Non-Fiction - 9 (6.9%) (2004 - 1)

I rarely hand out 5 amulets/stars - this year's winners go to Jessica Snyder Sachs for her non-fiction book Corpse, Greg Iles for his WWII mystery Black Cross, Tamara Siler Jones for Ghosts in the Snow, JK Rowling for the latest Harry Potter, and George Martin for the long awaited A Feast of Crows. If you haven't read Ghosts in the Snow, it is the one I recommend the most. A murder mystery set in a medieval fantasy world.

I gave 2 amulets/stars to 5 books, all mysteries/thrillers by authors I've never heard of. My next lowest was a 2.5 to Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, a non-fiction book. While I loved the ideas in this book and the thoughts it generated, I hate this man's writing style. I really really want to read his new one, Collapse of Societies (I think), but I just can't subject myself to his grade 9 essay format.

Most read authors included Suzanne Brockmann (4), Sara Douglass (6), Katharine Kerr (5), Jane Lindskold (4), and Tamora Pierce (4).

As for that other End of the Year Stuff - New Year's Resolutions. To my shock, I have discovered I have actually kept last year's resolutions!!! They were:

1) To Be Healthier
2) To Be More Sociable

In the To Be Healthier category, I joined a gym, worked out almost regularly :), and with the added benefit of diet, I managed to lose almost 60 pounds!

In the To Be More Sociable category, I think I did very well. I got a day job, joined the world of sunlight, and went out more. And then I did the unthinkable and tried Speed Dating. As you know, it worked out quite well for me. No more details are necessary at this time :)

2005 was a very very good year for me.

So - 2006's Resolutions:

1) Reach and maintain Target Weight.

Ok, that's the only one I'm really truly serious about, but it would also be nice to:

2) Blog weekly!
3) Become a better listener. (errr, how do I go about that?)
4) Be debt-free for at least 4 seconds.


Best wishes to you all in 2006!