2008 in Review

It's the beginning of the new year. I will be typing 2008 instead of 2009 for the next few weeks. Now is the time to round up the reads of 2008... now that I have finally posted all the reviews. (Are you inundated yet?)

Reading Goals v. Reality
Read a total of 100 books = I hit 64 and was okay with that (a total of 18,854 pages)
Read 8 classics = Only got around to 1
Read 15 non-fiction = Came close, I read 12
Update reading blog within a week of finishing = epic fail
Don't buy any books = score! I only bought a Vince Flynn which was within the authors allowed

The Year in Genres

Literature = 1 (my one classic)
Memoir = 4
Juvenile = 5
Non-Fiction = 8
Graphic Novels = 13
Romance = 15
Fiction = 18

The Year in Ratings
Like 2007, a slightly better than average year. There were no standouts (nary a 10 in sight) but there were a few 9s.

10 = 0
9 = 3
8 = 6
7 = 12
6 = 17
5 = 10
4 = 9
3 = 3
2 = 1
1 = 3

The Ten Best Books of 2008
This list includes all my 9s and 8s, plus the 7 I thought was the best.

10. Jarhead by Anthony Swofford
9. I Am America (And so can you!) by Stephen Colbert
8. The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo
7. The Dangerous Gentleman by Julia London
6. Shooting War by Anthony Lappe
5. Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue
4. La Cucina by Lily Prior
3. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
2. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
1. Where War Lives by Paul Watson