It’s the penultimate day of 2012. Time for my last post of 2012.
This was the year of the challenges. I have to thank the fabulous Book’d Out blog for setting this challenge and in the 12 months I sort of completed it.
By sort of, I mean that I read books in the 12 genres (I’m making a stretch on one of them), but part of the deal was writing a review of each book and posting it on the blog. As mentioned previously, I fell behind in my blogging over the last few months so didn’t want to bombard you with loads of book reviews at the end of the year.
See, I’m kind like that!
I set myself a target of reading 24 books in 2012 and thanks to cramming late in the year (I was the boy who did his homework on the bus on the way to school. Naughty boy!), I hit the target today. One day to go. It is ALL about timing!
I read one trilogy (The Hunger Games), three by Dean Koontz (Odd Thomas series) and two in Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter series and David Baldacci’s Camel Club stories. So TEN of the books by only FOUR authors.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the genres I’ve read this year. A definite improvement on my usual reading. I am ECSTATIC about having nearly DOUBLED my previous best for the number read in a calendar year. Twenty-four might not be many books to some the way they devour them, but to me it is a massive number.
My sister has already leant me three books to kick-start my 2013 reading and, thanks to an Amazon voucher gifted to me for Christmas, I’ve bought NINE books in the last few days for my Kindle.
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Book of the year for me was: The Hunger Games. Totally absorbing.
Surprising Genre of the year: Fantasy. I have Greaveburn and The Flower Bowl Spell to thank for that.
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Books read in 2012:
1. Literary Fiction
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Read my review from 26 September 2012
2. Crime/Mystery Fiction
Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay. Read my review from 8 April 2012
Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. 4★ review on Goodreads. Comfort in reading familiar characters, particularly when they are so devilishly good.
Driver by Hardit Singh. 3★ review on Goodreads. It was a good read, but needed more editing (for errors, typos and grammar) and depth to the characters.
3. Romantic Fiction
Can’t Live Without by Joanne Phillips. One of the ones with no review on the blog. 4★ review on Goodreads
4. Historical Fiction
Lennox by Craig Russell. 3★ review on Goodreads. More Crime than Historical though set in the 1950s so does that count?? Started brightly, but lost it halfway through and disappointed by the end.
5. Young Adult
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Read my review from 7 May 2012
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Read my review from 9 June 2012
6. Fantasy
The Flower Bowl Spell by Olivia Boler. Read my review from 21 April 2012
Greaveburn by Craig Hallam. Read my review from 13 November 2012
7. Science Fiction
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Read my review from 30 May 2012
The Artemis Effect by Kasia James. Read my review from 29 December 2012.
8. Non Fiction
Megacatastrophes by David Darling, Dirk Schulze-Makuch. Read my review from 29 July 2012
9. Horror
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. Read my review from 19 May 2012
Forever Odd & Brother Odd by Dean Koontz. This is a great series. Love them. 4★ reviews on Goodreads
The Neighbors by Ania Ahlborn. 4★ Review on Goodreads
10. Thriller /Suspense
Hell’s Corner by David Baldacci. Read my review from 4 February 2012
The Camel Club by David Baldacci. This is another great series though I thought the first book was not as good as the following four. 4★ review on Goodreads
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Read my review from 7 March 2012
12. Your favourite genre Plus Others
Drowning Rose by Marika Cobbold. Read my review from 29 January 2012
Sandcastle and Other Stories by Justin Bogdanovitch 4★ review on Goodreads.
My Barsetshire diary by Lord David Prosser. Read my review from 3 July 2012
Spitting Devil by Jonathan Stride. 4★ review on Goodreads
Some of the books I’ve read this year.
If you’re interested in taking this challenge on in 2013 you can find out the genres on the Book’d Out blog. Interesting choices for the genres and whether I take part or not, I plan on keeping my reading as varied as possible from now on.
Thank you for all your suggested reading for this year. Half the books I read were as a result of recommendations.
Happy reading in 2013.
Pete Denton 
Phew, just as well you didn’t start the Game of Thrones series too….. You managed a very eclectic mix there Pete. Hope you have a Great New Year’s Eve and a Fantastic 2013.
Thanks, David. Game of Thrones just doesn’t appeal to me. Not yet at least.
Happy New Year yourself. 🙂
I call that an excellent year!
Thanks 🙂
I’ve read some great books during 2012 and only a few that I wish I hadn’t bothered with. I like that ratio!
Happy New Year
Fantastic spread! Must try this kind of reading soon…I just pick books off my overflowing shelves….no categories, no genres, just read. Have a good word year!
Thanks. I used to read like that, but as I only seemed to buy the one genre that was all I read. I’ve enjoyed branching out. Hopefully I can continue. Thanks for stopping by.
Good on you for hitting so many genres. I tend to hit the same ones over and over, as do most readers (probably). You’re an inspiration.
Hahaha, thanks, James. Inspired to read more than crime novels!
I’ve read some really good books in the last 12 months and plan to keep ringing the changes.
That is a great reading year
Thanks, Kate. Hopefully 2013 is as good a mix.
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Congrats on reading all those books in 2012! Appreciate you not posting lots of book reviews back to back, but I really do enjoy your book reviews. Maybe you can push them to 2013? 🙂
Thanks, Kourtney. I might just do that. Spread them out a little.
Good job, Pete! Not bad at all for a guy who crammed on the school bus! Good reading in 2013.
D
Hahaha, thanks, Doug. I’d like to think that I’ve come a long way since then. But, who am I kidding 😉
I think you’re a trooper for reading that many books, and a lot of good ones too. I won’t be able to read that much this year, I’m already far behind on my list as it is. But I love reading reviews to see certain books are faring.
Sorry for the delay in responding. WordPress keeps eating my responses!
I’ve yet to even start reading anything this year. Still the target is 24 for the year and I’m sure I’ll catch-up. I look for good reviews to tip the balance on what I might read next.
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i can use this post as a reference! thanks!
Any time, Jen
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