I read around 40-50 books last year. It was the first year in a long time where I didn't set myself a target, and I felt much more relaxed and enthusiastic about reading. It’s an approach I'll be extending into 2019. Setting myself a goal to read a certain number of books within the year often makes reading a chore and the habit would inevitably grind to a halt or I’d race through books just to tick them off as another one read. What's important is the quality of books you read and how much you get from them, not the quantity.
In the last half of the year I really made the most of my local library; I borrowed more books than I downloaded or purchased. I'd often drop by to collect my reservations only to come out with a stack of books I'd grabbed on impulse. On more than one occasion I struggled to walk home with arms full of books after picking up a few too many.
Thanks to browsing in the library I started reading a more varied range of genres. So, to kick off the new year, I trawled the GoodReads Book Awards and will be working my way through some of the titles from all the categories. These are the most notable books I read in 2018, and my reading list for 2019.
Best Books of 2018
★★★★★
Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. A must-read for everyone.
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes. I sobbed when I finished this book.
On Living by Kerry Egan. A celebration of life and death.
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. An exciting true-crime adventure that's as much about obsession as it is theft.
The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer. A tough long read that's so worth it.
★★★★☆
Educated by Tara Westover. Interesting even if, like me, you're not into memoirs.
Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy. Dark, hopeless, and beautiful.
The Most Good You Can Do by Peter Singer. It's given me a lot to think about how I spend my time and my money.
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. The story slowly reveals itself and I couldn't stop thinking about it.
The Path by Michael Puett. Chinese philosophy and how it can help us to live more fulfilling lives.
★★★☆☆
How Bad Are Bananas? by Mike Berners-Lee. A useful resource for learning about our carbon footprint.
A Life Less Throwaway by Tara Button. A great place to start if you want to learn about shopping sustainably.
Reading List For 2019
1. Beyond Beliefs by Melanie Joy
2. Circe by Madeleine Miller
3. Braving The Wilderness by Brené Brown
4. The Outsider by Stephen King
5. Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
6. I’ll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara
7. The Rise and Fall Of The Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte
8. Calypso by David Seders
9. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
10. Popular by Mitch Prinstein
11. Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker
12. Raptor: A Journey Through Birds by James Macdonald Lockhart
