Books 2014

For the last few years I've been keeping track of what books I've read throughout the year. This started off when I realised that since starting my Grad Dip in Early Childhood Education in early 2008 the only things I seemed to read were academic papers and children's picture books, followed by a binge of re-reading old favourites once I finished my studies.

The aim was to read 52 books in a year, it didn't matter whether they had a few hundred words or a couple of thousand pages, they all counted unless they were read ad infinitum to small children! I've also been challenging myself to read auto/biographies, more non-fiction (as long as it isn't a text book for the purposes of essay writing!) and genres that I generally don't read much of if any. I've been trying to read more new books than re-reads and explore new authors.

2014 certainly broke all records in terms of the number of books I got through, mainly because I spent the first half of the year not being able to do very much and listening to audio books became not just a coping mechanism but a survival tool. Reading has always been my way of coping so when migraines ruled that out there was mild panic until it dawned on me that the audio books I had didn't just have to be saved for travelling! I felt rather proud of myself that instead of going straight for the comfort 'reads' of Pern and Harry Potter books (yet again!) I continued my explorations of Valdemar through the centuries. 

In 2003 the BBC compiled the 100 Big Reads list; having realised at the time I'd read a goodly number of them I decided to work my way through the rest. However a couple of years later I emigrated here and threw myself into reading Kiwi novels in an attempt to absorb as many cultural reference points as I could in an easy way, and then of course I started studying. So another aspect of my reading challenge each year has been to tick a few more off that list - I've now read 68 of them and currently have two more in progress. Luckily Dawn is also trying to work her way through them all too so we're able to encourage each other along when faced with 2,000 pages of a literary 'classic' that is really hard to get to grips with!

I was more lenient on myself about re-reads last year, especially when I unwittingly skipped several books in the Liaden Universe series, of course re-reading the whole lot from the beginning (almost) in chronological order and slotting the missed volumes in was the obvious way to rectify that! I'm currently trying to convince myself that the new Outlander book warrants a re-read of the entire series too, but that is an entire shelf full of thick books! I might instead just re-read the one before it, we'll see... 

Whilst I haven't counted books read at work etc over the years I have counted the books I read to Seany whilst visiting them in Hokitika as all but one had 10 chapters and I certainly felt like I'd earned the right to include them!

Anyway, rather than waffle on any further, here is my list of books read/listened to in 2014:

* - I'm still reading it

italics - a re-read

January - March 2014

i. Being Salt and Light - 6th World Conference of Friends book (started last year)

ii. To Be Broken and Tender - Margery Post-Abbott (started last year)

iii. Middlemarch - George Elliott (started last year)

iv. White Gryphon (Valdemar: Mage Wars, #2) - Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (audio book) (started last year)

1. Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book - Albert Uderzo

2. Silver Gryphon (Valdemar: Mage Wars, #3) - Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (audio book)

3. Fortunately, the milk... - Neil Gaiman

4. Foundation (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles, #1) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

5. Intrigues (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles, #2) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

6. Changes (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles, #3) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

7. Magic's Pawn (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #1) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

8. Magic's Promise (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #2) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

9. Magic's Price (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #3) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

10. Brightly Burning (Valdemar) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

11. Exile's Honour (Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar, #1) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

12. Exile's Valor (Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar, #2) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

13. Take a Thief (Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar, #3) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

14. Arrows of the Queen (Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar, #4) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

15. Arrow's Flight (Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar, #5) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

16. Arrow's Fall (Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar, #6) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

17. Oathbound (Valdemar: Vows and Honor, #1) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

18. Oathbreakers (Valdemar: Vows and Honor, #2) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

19. * Oathblood (Valdemar: Vows and Honor, #3) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book – file incomplete)

20. Kerowyn's Tale: By the Sword (Valdemar) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

21. Winds of Fate (Valdemar: The Mage Winds, #1) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

22. Winds of Change (Valdemar: The Mage Winds, #2) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

23. Winds of Fury (Valdemar: The Mage Winds, #3) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

24. Storm Warning (Valdemar: The Mage Storms, #1) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

25. Storm Rising (Valdemar: The Mage Storms, #2) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

26. Storm Breaking (Valdemar: The Mage Storms, #3) - Mercedes Lackey (audio book)

27. Owlflight (Valdemar: Darian's Tale, #1) - Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (audio book)

28. Owlsight (Valdemar: Darian's Tale, #2) - Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (audio book)

29. Owlknight (Valdemar: Darian's Tale, #3) - Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (audio book)

30. Swordspoint - Ellen Kushner (audio book)

April - June 2014

31. The Stonekeeper's Daughter - Linda McNabb

32. The Crystal Runners - Linda McNabb

33. The Last Summoner - Sherryl Jordan

34. Trickster's Choice - Tamora Pierce

35. Close Your Pretty Eyes - Sally Nicholls

36. Rowan of Rin - Emily Rodda

37. Mouse and Dragon - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

38. Winnie-the-Pooh in Scots - translated by James Robertson

39. Dragon Ship - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

40. Kitchen Organisation Made Easy - Sherrie Le Masurie

41. Unclutter Your Life! How to Tame Your Mess, Calm Your Life, Lighten Your Load - Jen Williams

42. The Courage to Change - Cary Bergeron

43. Crystal Soldier - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

July - September 2014

44. Crystal Dragon - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

45. Balance of Trade - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

46. Local Custom - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

47. Scout's Progress - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

48. Conflict of Honors - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

49. Trade Secret - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

50. Agent of Change - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

51. Carpe Diem - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

52. Plan B - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

53. Fledgeling - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

54. Saltation - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

55. I Dare - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

56. Ghost Ship - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

57. Dragon Ship - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

58. The Trouble With God - David Boulton

59. South Coast (Shaman Tales 1) - Nathan Lowell (audio book)
60. * David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

October - December 2014

61. A Wrinkle In Time - Madeleine L'Engle

62. Slaves of Socoro (Brotherband book 4) - John Flannagan

63. Tagus the Horseman (Beast Quest 4) - Adam Blade, read to Seany

64. Nanook the Snow Monster (Beast Quest 5) - Adam Blade, read to Seany

65. Epos the Flame Bird (Beast Quest 6) - Adam Blade, read to Seany

66. Zepha the Monster Squid (Beast Quest 7) - Adam Blade, read to Seany

67. Claw the Giant Monkey (Beast Quest 8) - Adam Blade, read to Seany

68. The Dreamkeeper - Robert Ingpen, read to Seany

69. The Broken Bridge - Philip Pullman

70. Ravenwood - Nathan Lowell (audio book)

71. Finding Our Voice - Australian YFs, Backhouse Lecture 2010