Hello, dear readers,
We are approaching the end of the year at full speed, Christmas is at our door, and I will be spending the next days with family in the Netherlands. I will bring Eliot’s Romola (1863) & Jeffries’ Grand Hotel Abyss: The Lives of the Frankfurt School (2016) with me, as I am craving some hefty tomes for the holidays. I don’t think I will finish those books nor post any reviews here in the coming week – so, my loves, I am calling it a day. Let’s look back over the books we’ve read in 2018 and pick our favourites, shall we?
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BUT FIRST, SOME STATS
(If you prefer, you can skip the stats and jump to my retrospective of the reading events in 2018, my projects for 2019, my best reads of 2018, or to a small Christmas present I made for you ;))
About my reading
This year, I’ve read 120 books, comprising a total of 31.724 pages:
Number of books | Average of Pages | Min of Pages | Max of Pages | Sum of Pages | Percentage | |
Total in 2018 | 120 | 264,4 | 40 | 661 | 31724 | 100,00% |
jan | 10 | 228,6 | 89 | 352 | 2286 | 8,33% |
fev | 10 | 266,6 | 80 | 448 | 2666 | 8,33% |
mar | 9 | 341,0 | 112 | 571 | 3069 | 7,50% |
abr | 12 | 317,9 | 86 | 607 | 3815 | 10,00% |
mai | 14 | 244,4 | 128 | 336 | 3421 | 11,67% |
jun | 8 | 376,3 | 150 | 649 | 3010 | 6,67% |
jul | 14 | 207,4 | 67 | 350 | 2904 | 11,67% |
ago | 10 | 246,1 | 136 | 416 | 2461 | 8,33% |
set | 9 | 301,2 | 154 | 661 | 2711 | 7,50% |
out | 4 | 138,3 | 40 | 326 | 553 | 3,33% |
nov | 11 | 223,3 | 127 | 448 | 2456 | 9,17% |
dez | 9 | 263,6 | 136 | 432 | 2372 | 7,50% |
58% of the books were four-star, and 13% were five-star reads, which makes for a fairly good reading year. However, 25% of my reads were just ok (3 stars) and 7% rather bad (2 stars), which corresponds to my feeling that this reading year was rather underwhelming. Last year, 26% of the books I read were 5 stars, twice as much as this year. Still, my average rating in the year is above the one I got in 2016, 2015 and 2014. Perhaps, 2017 was just an unusually good reading year…
Rating | Number of books | Percentage |
2 | 9 | 7,50% |
3 | 25 | 20,83% |
4 | 70 | 58,33% |
5 | 16 | 13,33% |
About the books
As I look back on the books I read in 2018, I notice that some topics kept coming back, randomly, throughout the year: dysfunctional families, fictional writers trying to write, existential crisis & ennui, and totalitarianism. Not a rosy picture, I know.
- Dysfunctional families:
- The Piano Teacher, by Elfriede Jelinek tr. Joachim Neugroschel (1988. Die Klavierspielerin, 1983)
- Breathing into Marble, by Laura Sintija Černiauskaitė, tr. Marija Marcinkute, 2016 (Original: Kvėpavimas į marmurą , 2006)
- The Mussel Feast, by Birgit Vanderbeke, tr. Jamie Bulloch (2013. Original: Das Muschelessen, 1990)
- The Blue Room, by Hanne Ørstavik, tr. Deborah Dawkin (2014. Original: Like sant som jeg er virkelig, 1999)
- Ghost Wall, by Sarah Moss (2018)
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman (2017)
- The Autobiography of My Mother, by Jamaica Kincaid (1996)
- Vera, by Elizabeth von Arnim (1921)
- Fictional writers
- The Red-Haired Woman, by Orhan Pamuk, tr. Ekin Oklap (2017. Original: Kırmızı Saçlı Kadın, 2016)
- Crudo, by Olivia Laing (2018)
- Based on a True Story, by Delphine de Vigan, tr. George Miller (2017. Original: D’après une histoire vraie, 2015)
- Forest Dark, by Nicole Krauss (2017)
- Existential crisis & ennui
- My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh (2018)
- So Much for that Winter, by Dorthe Nors, tr. Misha Hoekstra (2016. Original: Det var så den vinter, 2016/ Minna mangler et øvelokale, 2013 & Dage, 2010)
- The Pisces, by Melissa Broder (2018)
- Totalitarianism
- Totalitarianism, by Hannah Arendt (1968)
- The Death of Truth, by Michiko Kakutani (2018)
- The White Rose: Munich, 1942-1943, by Inge Aicher-Scholl, tr. Arthur R. Schultz (2011. Original: Die Weiße Rose, 1952, biography)
- The Mussel Feast, by Birgit Vanderbeke, tr. Jamie Bulloch (2013. Original: Das Muschelessen, 1990)
- Erika und Therese: Erika Mann und Therese Giehse – Eine Liebe zwischen Kunst und Krieg, by Gunna Wendt (2018)
- Soviet Milk, by Nora Ikstena, tr. Margita Gailitis (2018. Original: Mātes piens, 2015)
- A Kingdom of Souls, by Daniela Hodrová, tr. Véronique Firkusny and Elena Sokol (2015. Original: Podobojí, 1991)
40% of the books I read this year were published in the 2010’s, and 25% of those were published in 2018. By publication date, The Scholars, by Wu Jingzi (1750) was the oldest book I finished this year.
Publishing date | Number of books | Percentage |
<1800 | 1 | 0,83% |
<1900 | 11 | 9,17% |
1910-1919 | 3 | 2,50% |
1920-1929 | 3 | 2,50% |
1930-1939 | 4 | 3,33% |
1940-1949 | 3 | 2,50% |
1950-1959 | 5 | 4,17% |
1960-1969 | 4 | 3,33% |
1970-1979 | 5 | 4,17% |
1980-1989 | 8 | 6,67% |
1990-1999 | 14 | 11,67% |
2000-2009 | 11 | 9,17% |
2010-2019 | 48 | 40,00% |
Almost half of the books I read were novels. 25% were nonfiction books:
Literary form/ Genre | Number of books | Percentage |
Non-fiction | 31 | 25,83% |
Novel | 59 | 49,17% |
Play | 1 | 0,83% |
Poetry | 11 | 9,17% |
Short-stories | 5 | 4,17% |
Novella | 13 | 10,83% |
Circa 30% of the books I read were between 200-299 pages long. The longest book was Testament of Youth, by Vera Brittain (1933, 661 p.).
Number of pages | Number of books | Percentage |
<100 pages | 7 | 5,83% |
100-199 pages | 32 | 26,67% |
200-299 pages | 38 | 31,67% |
300-399 pages | 27 | 22,50% |
400-499 pages | 11 | 9,17% |
500-599 pages | 2 | 1,67% |
600-699 pages | 3 | 2,50% |
34% of the books I read were paperbacks, far less than in 2017, where almost half of my read books were in this format. The amount of ebooks stayed the same in 2017 and 2018. However, the amount of audiobooks I ‘read’ increased substantially, when compared to 2017, when only 7% of my read books were in audio format.
Format | Number of books | Percentage |
Audio | 28 | 23% |
Ebook | 34 | 28% |
Hardback | 17 | 14% |
Paperback | 41 | 34% |
More than 80% of the books I read came from my TBR, an increase in comparison to 2017, where they were about 60% – a result of my conscious effort to read the books I already own in 2018.
Source | Number of books | Percentage |
Library | 17 | 14,17% |
Review copy | 4 | 3,33% |
TBR | 99 | 82,50% |
About the Authors
I read books written by authors from 34 different countries, and 65% of them were European – an increase in comparison to 2017, which may be due to my participation in the Backpack Through Europe Summer Reading Challenge in 2018. I read far less books from Asia, Africa, and South America this year, and I would like to rectify that in 2019!
80% of the books I read were written by women, and this percentage has remained stable for the last four years.
Gender | Number of books | Percentage |
Female | 98 | 81,67% |
Male | 20 | 16,67% |
Both | 2 | 1,67% |
About the blog
I published 218 posts in 2018, and a total of 172,029 words, according to WordPress. The most viewed post was my review of The Bell, by Iris Murdoch (1958). The countries that visited my blog the most were the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, and Brazil. Thank you, folks, whoever you are out there ❤
A curious fact: the most used search term that led to my blog was “virginia woolf vita sackville-west” ❤ ❤
Contrary to my plans, I did not manage to review every single book I read this year (which, now, I think is a crazy goal anyway), but the amount of reviewed books increased in comparison to last year:
Years | Number of Books | Percentage |
2018 | 120 | 100,00% |
|
53 | 46,83% |
|
67 | 53,17% |
2017 | 111 | 100,00% |
|
73 | 65,77% |
|
38 | 34,23% |
2016 | 86 | 100,00% |
|
46 | 53,49% |
|
40 | 46,51% |
It is also interesting to compare the stats about the books I read & the books I end up talking about on my blog.
The countries I read the most were England (34 books), United States (28), Germany (7), Scotland (5), Ireland (5), Russia (3), Norway (3), France (3), Brazil (2), Finland (2), Sweden (2), Australia (2), New Zealand (2), and China (2).
The countries I reviewed the most were England (20), United States (14), Germany (5), Norway (3), France (3), Australia (2), Ireland (2), Russia (2), and Sweden (2). So, we can see that my reviews are even more eurocentric than my readings… Tsc, tsc…
(The first graph below corresponds to the books I read, the second to the ones I review)
As for the comparison of the literary forms I read x review:
It’s also interesting to compare the decades I read x review the most:
Finally, the authors I read the most in 2018 were Dorothy Richardson (3 books), Muriel Spark (3 books), Iris Murdoch (3 books), Katherine Mansfield (2 books) and Karl Ove Kanusgaard (2 books). The authors I reviewed the most on my blog were Dorothy Richardson (3 books), Iris Murdoch (2 books), and Karl Ove Kanusgaard (2 books).
My Reading Spreadsheet
If you are curious about how my reading spreadsheet works, I made a video about it here (Warning: the audio quality is terrible, so try to wear a headphone while watching). You can read the corresponding blog notes here.
My Book Journal
I also kept a book journal this year, and I found that it has helped me a lot to organise my reading & blogging activities. I made a video about how it works, and you can also find the corresponding blog notes here.
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EVENTS & PROJECTS
This year I took part in many delightful reading events! In February, Jessie hosted the Persephone Readathon (February 1st through February 11th), during which I read a lovely Victorian children’s book, The Runaway, by Elizabeth Anna Hart (1872). For Didi‘s #ReadSoulLit, also in February, I read one of my favourite novels of 2018, The Autobiography of My Mother, by Jamaica Kincaid (1996), a nice collection of essays, Feel Free, by Zadie Smith (2018), and a poetry collection, Ordinary Beast, by Nicole Sealey (2017).
In March, Cathy and Niall hosted Reading Ireland Month, and I read an intriguing, multi-layered novel, The Bell, by Iris Murdoch (1958). In April, Karen and Simon hosted The 1977 Club (16 April – 22 April), and I read a rather disturbing book, Passion of the New Eve, by Angela Carter (1977). Also in April, I read Invitation to the Waltz, by Rosamond Lehmann (1932), for the Virago Monthly Reads over at the LibraryThing group.
In May, I took part at the Bout of Books 22, from May 14th to 20th, and I had great fun! For Monica Dickens’ birthday (the 10th May) at Jane’s Birthday Book of Underappreciated Lady Authors, I read a lovely novel, The Winds of Heaven (1955). In June, Jessie hosted a Mini-Persephone Readathon (June, 1- 3), where I read The Home-Maker, by Dorothy Canfield-Fischer (1924). Also in June, Jessie and I had a lovely readalong of Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon (2015).
From June 1st to September 3rd, Cathy hosted one of my favourite reading events, 20 Books of Summer, during which I read nine of the twenty books on my original list:
- Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon (2015)
- The Home-Maker, Dorothy Canfield-Fischer (1924)
- Mathilda, by Mary Shelley (written between 1819 and 1820, and published posthumously in 1959)
- Valentine, by George Sand (1832)
- Artemisia, by Anna Banti, tr. Shirley D’Ardia Caracciol (2003. Original: Artemisia, 1947)
- A View of the Harbour, by Elizabeth Taylor (1947)
- Vera, by Elizabeth von Arnim (1921)
- The Matriarch, by G. B. Stern (1924)
- Flights, by Olga Tokarczuk, tr. Jennifer Croft (2017. Original: Bieguni, 2007)
Also during Summer, from July, 2 to September, 30, the folks at The Reader’s Room hosted Backpack Through Europe Summer Reading Challenge and, although it took me more time than expected, I managed to complete my travels:
- England: Mathilda, by Mary Shelley (written between 1819 and 1820, and published posthumously in 1959)
- France: Valentine, by George Sand (1832)
- Belgium: Cosmétique de l’ennemi, by Amélie Nothomb (2001. The Enemy’s Cosmetique, not translated yet)
- The Netherlands: The Laws, by Connie Palmen, tr. Richard Huijing (1993. De Wetten, 1991)
- Germany: The Rings of Saturn, by W. G. Sebald, tr. Michael Hulse (1998. Die Ringe des Saturn. Eine englische Wallfahrt, 1995)
- Switzerland: I Am The Brother of XX, by Fleur Jaeggy, tr. Gini Alhadeff (2017. Original: Sono il fratello di XX, 2014)
- Italy: Artemisia, by Anna Banti, tr. Shirley D’Ardia Caracciol (2003. Original: Artemisia, 1947)
- Austria: The Piano Teacher, by Elfriede Jelinek tr. Joachim Neugroschel (1988. Die Klavierspielerin, 1983)
- Partial wrap-up 1
- Czech Republic: A Kingdom of Souls, by Daniela Hodrová, tr. Véronique Firkusny and Elena Sokol (2015. Original: Podobojí, 1991)
- Poland: Flights, by Olga Tokarczuk, tr. Jennifer Croft (2017. Original: Bieguni, 2007)
- Lithuania: Breathing into Marble, by Laura Sintija Černiauskaitė, tr. Marija Marcinkute, 2016 (Original: Kvėpavimas į marmurą , 2006)
- Latvia: Soviet Milk, by Nora Ikstena, tr. Margita Gailitis (2018. Original: Mātes piens, 2015)
- Estonia: Shape of Time, by Doris Kareva, tr. Tiina Aleman (2010. Original: Aja kuju, 2005)
- Russia: The Boarding-School Girl, by Nadezhda Khvoshchinskaya, tr. Karen Rosneck (2000. Original: Pansionerka, 1861)
- Finland: Doña Quixote and Other Citizens, by Leena Krohn, tr. Hildi Hawkins (1996. Original: Donna Quijote ja muita kaupunkilaisia: Muotokuvia, 1983)
- Sweden: Complete Poems, by Karin Boye, tr. David McDuff (1994)
- Norway: The Blue Room, by Hanne Ørstavik, tr. Deborah Dawkin (2014. Original: Like sant som jeg er virkelig, 1999)
- Denmark: So Much For That Winter, by Dorthe Nors tr. Misha Hoekstra (2016. Original: Det var så den vinter, 2016/ Minna mangler et øvelokale, 2013 & Dage, 2010)
- Germany: Mephisto, by Klaus Mann (1936)
In July, I participated in Paris in July, hosted by Thyme for Tea, during which I read two great books set in Paris: Based on a True Story, by Delphine de Vigan, tr. George Miller (2017. Original: D’après une histoire vraie, 2015); and The God of Carnage, by Yasmina Reza, tr. Christopher Hampton (2008. Original: Le dieu du carnage, 2007). On July, July 27th, we had some fun with the Reverse Readathon, hosted by the folks at Deweys Readathon.
I also took part in the Spanish and Portuguese Reading Months, hosted by Stuart and Richard, in July & August, when I read the books Sinuca embaixo d’água, by Brazilian author Carol Bensimon (2009, ‘Underwater Snooker’, not translated yet); Um teste de resistores, by Brazilian poet Marília Garcia (2014, ‘a test of resistors’, not translated yet); Nueva Correspondencia Pizarnik, ed. Ivonne Bordelois and Cristina Pina (2014. Selected Letters by Argentinian author Alejandra Pizarnik, not translated yet); and O amor dos homens avulsos, by Brazilian author Victor Heringer (2016, ‘The Love of Singular Men’, not translated yet). During the event, I also wrote a series of posts with poems by the Brazilian writers Ana Martins Marques, Alice Sant’Anna, Angélica Freitas, Ana Guadalupe, Adélia Prado, Henriqueta Lisboa, Lívia Natália, Marília Garcia, Cecília Meireles, Laura Liuzzi, Adelaide Ivánova, Cora Coralina, Ana Cristina César, Ricardo Domeneck & Hilda Hilst.
For Elizabeth Von Arnim’s birthday (the 31st August) at Jane’s Birthday Book of Underappreciated Lady Authors, I read the gripping novel Vera (1921). In August, I also participated in the Women in Translation Month, hosted by Meytal over at the Biblibio blog. Here are the books I read for the event:
- Artemisia, by Anna Banti, tr. Shirley D’Ardia Caracciol (2003. Original: Artemisia, 1947)
- The Piano Teacher, by Elfriede Jelinek tr. Joachim Neugroschel (1988. Die Klavierspielerin, 1983)
- Nueva Correspondencia Pizarnik, ed. Ivonne Bordelois and Cristina Pina (2014. Selected Letters by Alejandra Pizarnik, not translated yet)
- A Kingdom of Souls, by Daniela Hodrová, tr. Véronique Firkusny and Elena Sokol (2015. Original: Podobojí, 1991)
- Flights, by Olga Tokarczuk, tr. Jennifer Croft (2017. Original: Bieguni, 2007)
- Invisible Links, by Selma Lagerlöf, tr. Pauline Bancroft Flach (1899. Original: Osynliga länkar,1894)
For All Virago/All August, hosted by the Librarything Virago Readers Group, I read:
- A View of the Harbour, by Elizabeth Taylor (1947)
- Vera, by Elizabeth von Arnim (1921)
- The Matriarch, by G. B. Stern (1924)
From August 20th to 26th, I had some fun takinf part in the Bout of Books 23, hosted by Amanda & Kelly. For The Classics Spin #18, hosted by the Classics Club, I read the intriguing short-story collection Invisible Links, by Selma Lagerlöf, tr. Pauline Bancroft Flach (1899. Original: Osynliga länkar,1894). For Mary Stewart’s birthday (the 17th September) at Jane’s Birthday Book of Underappreciated Lady Authors, I read The Ivy Tree (1961). Here you can find my Summer Reading recap & my Most anticipated releases for the second-half of 2018.
Then, Summer was over, and it was time for R.I.P. – R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril. Created by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings, RIP has moved to a new home, hosted by Heather from My Capricious Life. I’ve been taking part in it ever since I started book blogging, and this year I read Breathing into Marble, by Laura Sintija Černiauskaitė, tr. Marija Marcinkute, 2016 (Original: Kvėpavimas į marmurą , 2006); Lois the Witch, by Elizabeth Gaskell (1859); and A Wicked Voice, a short-story by Vernon Lee (from the book Hauntings. Fantastic Stories, 1890).
October was time for Victober, a month-long readathon hosted by Kate, Katie, Ange, and Lucy, during which I read Jill, by Amy Dillwyn (1884); Zoe, by Geraldine Jewsbury (1845); Lois the Witch, by Elizabeth Gaskell (1859); A Wicked Voice, a short-story by Vernon Lee (from the book Hauntings. Fantastic Stories, 1890); and The Night is Darkening Round Me, by Emily Brontë (2015. The poems were first published in 1846 – 1850). Also in October, Karen and Simon hosted The #1944Club, for which I read Absent in the Spring, by Agatha Christie (published under the nom de plume Mary Westmacott, 1944).
Then, we had Nonfiction November, a month-long celebration hosted by Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness, Julie at JulzReads, Sarah at Sarah’s Book Shelves, Katie at Doing Dewey, and Rennie at What’s Nonfiction. During the event, I read Erika und Therese: Erika Mann und Therese Giehse – Eine Liebe zwischen Kunst und Krieg, by Gunna Wendt (2018); The White Rose: Munich, 1942-1943, by Inge Aicher-Scholl, tr. Arthur R. Schultz (2011. Original: Die Weiße Rose, 1952); The Poets’ Daughters: Dora Wordsworth and Sara Coleridge, by Katie Waldegrave (2013); I Am I Am I Am, by Maggie O’Farrell (2017); The Death of Truth, by Michiko Kakutani (2018); and Totalitarianism, by Hannah Arendt (1968, third part of The Origins of Totalitarianism). I also wrote three retrospective posts on my year in nonfiction: 18th-century women writers, biographies, and essay collection & memoirs.
We also had Novellas in November, hosted by Rick over at Another Book Blog and Laura over at Reading in Bed, and I read some good novellas: The Mussel Feast, by Birgit Vanderbeke, tr. Jamie Bulloch (2013. Original: Das Muschelessen, 1990); The Blue Room, by Hanne Ørstavik, tr. Deborah Dawkin (2014. Original: Like sant som jeg er virkelig, 1999); Nihilist Girl, by Sofia Kovalevskaya, tr. So Much For That Winter, by Dorthe Nors tr. Misha Hoekstra (2016. Original: Det var så den vinter, 2016/ Minna mangler et øvelokale, 2013 & Dage, 2010).
Finally, it was time for German Lit Month, hosted by Lizzy and Caroline in November. For the event, I read
- Erika und Therese: Erika Mann und Therese Giehse – Eine Liebe zwischen Kunst und Krieg, by Gunna Wendt (2018)
- The Mussel Feast, by Birgit Vanderbeke, tr. Jamie Bulloch (2013. Original: Das Muschelessen, 1990)
- The White Rose: Munich, 1942-1943, by Inge Aicher-Scholl, tr. Arthur R. Schultz (2011. Original: Die Weiße Rose, 1952)
- Mephisto, by Klaus Mann (1936)
- The Wild Muse: The Poetry of Annette Von Droste-Hulshoff, edited and translated by Marion Tymms (2013)
During the year, I took part in many delightful readalongs.
Liz is hosting the Iris Murdoch Readalong (from November 2017 to December 2019), for which I read The Bell (1958), in February, and The Unicorn (1963), in May. Ali hosted the Muriel Spark Readalong (#ReadingMuriel2018, a year long reading event for Muriel Spark’s centenary), and I read The Comforters (1957), in February; The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), in April; and The Driver’s Seat (1970), in June. I also participated in the Tales & Co. Goodreads Group, hosted by A Skeptical Reader, and read Almost Famous Women, by Megan Mayhew Bergman (2015), in January; The Last Quarter of the Moon, by Chi Zijian, tr. Bruce Humes (2014. Original: Erguna he you an, 2005), in February; Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon (2015), in June; and Butterflies in November, by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, tr. Brian FitzGibbon (2014. Original: Rigning í nóvember, 2004), in December.
As for my personal reading projects, I managed to read one poetry collection a month:
- January: Calling a Wolf a Wolf, by Kaveh Akbar
- February: Ordinary Beast, by Nicole Sealey
- March: Good Bones, by Maggie Smith
- April: Bright Dead Things, by Ada Limón
- May: Nature: Poems Old and New, by May Swenson
- June: Midnight Salvage, by Adrienne Rich
- July: Circadian, by Joanna Klink
- August: Shape of Time, by Doris Kareva, tr. Tiina Aleman
- September: Complete Poems, by Karin Boye, tr. David McDuff (1994)
- October: The Night is Darkening Round Me, by Emily Brontë (2015. The poems were first published in 1846 – 1850)
- November: The Wild Muse: The Poetry of Annette Von Droste-Hulshoff, by Marion Tymms (2013)
- December: The Black Unicorn, by Audre Lorde (1978)
I also managed to read one book by each of the new-to-me authors I wanted to get to know in 2018:






- Fleur Jaeggy: I Am The Brother of XX, tr. Gini Alhadeff (2017. Original: Sono il fratello di XX, 2014)
- Muriel Spark: The Comforters (1957), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), The Driver’s Seat (1970)
- Maggie O’Farrel: I Am I Am I Am (2017)
- Dorothy Richardson: Pilgrimage I (1915-1917)
- Delphine de Vigan: Based on a True Story, tr. George Miller (2017. Original: D’après une histoire vraie, 2015)
- Carole Maso: Ava (1993)
Finally, for the local book club I take part in, I read 08 of the 12 books we discussed:
- Sleepwalking Land, by Mia Couto ✓
- The Laws, by Connie Palmen ✓
The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid- The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek ✓
- Beloved, by Toni Morrison ✓
The Circle, by David Eggers- Monsignor Quixote, by Graham Greene ✓
- Baltasar and Blimunda, by Jose Saramago ✓
Inez, by Carlos Fuentes- The death of the heart, by Elizabeth Bowen ✓
Imperium, by Christian Kracht- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark
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I WILL FAIL BETTER
I didn’t do well at all on my Classics Club list in 2018, and have only read 7 books for it – far less than in the previous years. Next year, I will rectify that!
Years | Number of Books Read |
2016 | 23 |
2017 | 15 |
2018 | 7 |
Total Read/ Total List | 45 / 156 |
For my Century of Books list, I also read 7 books, far less than I was planning. In order to catch up, I plan to read manily 19th-century books in 2019!
Years | Number of Books |
2017 | 5 |
2018 | 7 |
Total Read / Total in the List | 12 / 100 |
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A GLIMPSE INTO 2019
Inspired by Liz, Sarah and Jane, I will persevere with Dorothy Richardson’s Pilgrimage: this year I intend to finish, at least, the volume 2 in the series (The Tunnel & Interim). As I need to catch up with my Classics Club list, I already signed up for the Back to the Classics, hosted by Karen at Books and Chocolate, as well as for the Victorian Reading Challenge, hosted by Becky at Becky`s Book Reviews, and the European Reading Challenge, hosted by Gilion.
As usual, I will also take part in the Virago Month, Africa Reading Challenge, Reading Ireland Month, Women in Translation, 20 Books of Summer, Victober, RIP Challenge, and German Lit Month. In January, Ali will be hosting a readalong of Some Tame Gazelle, by Barbara Pym (1950), over at her group Barbara Pym Virtual Tea Party, and I plan to participate.
Also in January, I will be reading Cassandra at the Wedding, by Dorothy Dodds Baker (1962), for the Classics Spin #19. Karen and Simon will be hosting The #1965Club, from April, 22nd to 28th, and I am already making a reading list for it! I will also take part in the Women of the World Goodreads Group, hosted by Kirsty and Katie, and in the readalong of Henrik Pontoppidan’s Lucky Per, which will behosted by Dorian in May.
As for personal reading projects, I will continue with Read More Poetry, with the goal of reading one poetry collection a month. I would also like to read, at least, 40 books on my Classics Club list; 5 books on my Virago Modern Classics list; 3 books on my Persephone Books list; 3 books on my Fitzcarraldo Editions list; 3 books from my Speak its name challenge; 3 books by authors from countries I never read before; 5 books by new-to-me authors for my 19th-century Women Writers Project; 5 books from my list of most anticipated releases for the second-half of 2018; and 10 books for my Century of Books challenge. Yes, I know, it sounds challenging, but, needless to say, these projects will inevitably overlap with each other!
I would also like to do something similar to the Backpack Through Europe Reading Challenge, but for Latin America this time. I will continue to read the books listed for the Literary Criticism Readalong, hosted by Tom, and I would like to read the books shortlisted in 2019 for the Man Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.
Finally, I made a list of twelve new-to-me authors to read in 2019: Radclyffe Hall, Fanny Burney, Sarah Orne Jewett, Ouida/ Maria Louise Ramé, Ann Quin, Renata Adler, Violette LeDuc, Elena Garro, Carmen Laforet, Christina Stead, Annie Ernaux, and Brigid Brophy. Have you read anything by any of them? Which books would you recommend?
In case you are curious, this is the way I organised all the 2019 projects on my book journal:
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THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
Best novels (in no particular order)
- Winter, by Ali Smith (2017)
- The Autobiography of My Mother, by Jamaica Kincaid (1996)
- Forest Dark, by Nicole Krauss (2017)
- The Easter Parade, by Richard Yates (1976)
- The Unicorn, by Iris Murdoch (1963)
- Vera, by Elizabeth von Arnim (1921)
- Pilgrimage I, by Dorothy Richardson (1915 – 1917)
- Ghost Wall, by Sarah Moss (2018)
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark (1961)
- Bitter Orange, by Claire Fuller (2018)
Favourite short-story collections
- I Am the Brother of XX, by Fleur Jaggy, tr. Gini Alhadeff (2017. Original: Sono il fratello di XX, 2014)
- Doña Quixote and Other Citizens, by Leena Krohn, tr. Hildi Hawkins (1996. Original: Donna Quijote ja muita kaupunkilaisia: Muotokuvia, 1983)
Favourite poetry collections
- Calling a Wolf a Wolf, by Kaveh Akbar (2017)
- Good Bones, by Maggie Smith (2017)
Favourite books in translation
- The White Book, by Han Kang, tr. Deborah Smith (2016. Original: 흰, 2016)
- Flights, by Olga Tokarczuk, tr. Jennifer Croft (2017. Original: Bieguni, 2007)
- So Much for that Winter, by Dorthe Nors, tr. Misha Hoekstra (2016. Original: Det var så den vinter, 2016/ Minna mangler et øvelokale, 2013 & Dage, 2010)
- The Rings of Saturn, by W. G. Sebald, tr. Michael Hulse (1998. Die Ringe des Saturn. Eine englische Wallfahrt, 1995)
Favourite Non-Fiction books
- I Am, I Am, I Am, by Maggie O’Farrell (2017)
- Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, by Charlotte Gordon (2015)
- Testament of Youth, by Vera Brittain (1933)
- The Quarry: Essays, by Susan Howe (2015)
- Feel Free: Essays, by Zadie Smith (2018)
Disappointments
- The Laws, by Connie Palmen, tr. Richard Huijing (1993. De Wetten, 1991)
- Autumn, tr. in Ingvild Burkey (2017. Original: Om høsten, 2015), & Winter, tr. Ingvild Burkey (2018. Original: Om vinteren, 2015), both by Karl Ove Knausgård
- The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin (2018)
- The Passion of Artemisia, by Susan Vreeland (2001)
- My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh (2018)
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman (2017)
- Crudo, by Olivia Laing (2018)
- First, We Make The Beast Beautiful, by Sarah Wilson (2018)
*
THANK YOU
Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog. Our blogging community is a source of joy to all os us. May the new year be gentle on us; may we be generous towards one another.
As a small present, and inspired by the book journal I’ve been keeping, I made some free printables for you. Simply click on the upper-right arrow to open the image below in a new window & then download the printable. Hope you enjoy 🙂
I’ve also made a simplified version of my reading spreadsheet for you, and I briefly explained how it works on this video. Click on the upper-right arrow to open the spreadsheet below in a new window & then download it. N. B. It will only work in Excel.
I’ll be signing off now, folks, and will be back in January. I wish you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! I leave you with the poem On New Year’s Eve, by Evie Shockley (the new black, 2011):
“we make midnight a maquette of the year:
frostlight glinting off snow to solemnize
the vows we offer to ourselves in near
silence: the competition shimmerwise
of champagne and chandeliers to attract
laughter and cheers: the glow from the fireplace
reflecting the burning intra-red pact
between beloveds: we cosset the space
of a fey hour, anxious gods molding our
hoped-for adams with this temporal clay:
each of us edacious for shining or
rash enough to think sacrifice will stay
this fugacious time: while stillness suspends
vitality in balance, as passions
struggle with passions for sway, the mind wends
towards what’s to come: a callithump of fashions,
ersatz smiles, crowded days: a bloodless cut
that severs soul from bone: a long aching
quiet in which we will hear nothing but
the clean crack of our promises breaking.”
Yours truly,
J.

120 books is quite an achievement, I am humbled by your capacity to take so much in and on top of that to continue to write such thoughtful reviews. I hope you hit your reading plans for 2019, but even if you don’t I expect it will still be a fascinating reading journey. Wishing you all the very best for 2019. I look forward to reading more of your beautiful (both written and visual) reviews.
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Thank you for your kind words, Belinda! As I said, I am in the middle of this conflict – wanting to pause at each book, while also wanting to read everything at once… Let’s see how this will unfold in 2019. I wish you a happy reading new year 🙂
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Impressive stats and impressive post, Juliana – and thank you for sharing your journal and spreadsheet. I am also dipping into Grand Hotel Abyss – fascinating so far! 😀
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Thank you, Karen! Our blogging community is a source of joy for all of us, so I thought the journal & spreadsheet could be a small present 🙂 And I am loving Grand Hotel Abyss so far!
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You’ve had a fabulous reading year, Juliana. Thank you so much for all the fascinating reviews and features. A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 😊
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Thank you, Paula! Merry Christmas & all the best for 2019! Happy reading 🙂
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This post is so inspiring! I love your book journal set-up and I think the practice of looking back on your year of reading events in addition to your year of books is brilliant. I made some notes and I will be setting up my own book journal soon.
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Thank you, Amanda! I started my book journal this year and it helped a lot! I will be looking forward to seeing your book journal, too! 🙂
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Your stats and charts are so impressive! I like the idea of a challenge for Latin America similar to your Backpacking Through Europe. I’ve read so few books set in or by authors from Latin America. It’s a big gap in my reading. Happy New Year!
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Thank you, Christina! I will make a TBR later this month and you are welcome to join in 🙂 Happy New Year to you, too!
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Wonderful to see your stats, Juliana. And interesting.
There are books on your best of list I liked as well like The Easter Parade or The Prime . . . And Vera Brittain. Too bad about the disappointments, some are on my stacks. I read Bitter Orange too. I should have reviewed it, it was fascinating.
All the best for the new reading year.
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Thank you, Caroline! I agree, Bitter Orange is a fascinating read – I would love to read your review of it. 🙂
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And thank you for the printable gifts. I like them very much.
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Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed ❤
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