While silky smooth, molten-gold liquid silently seeping through to circulatory system, enriching the palate and nose; I must confess that year 2015 “ended” on high note. With all the New Year resolutions in-check as usual, though not completely in influence of the single malt I was consuming; I decided to be adamant enough to stick to them at least for a while in year 2016. Of all the other resolutions, I am pretty much confident enough to complete the one: Reading Challenge 2016. Last year I set goal for single book per month which I successfully completed without much fuss and hence I am doubling the target in year of 2016 so that I must have 24 books completed by the end of year 2016.
Thanks to the lovely reading-habit supporting site Goodreads, I am able to summarize very easily my reading journey in terms of numbers and statistics for year of 2015 which I am presenting as a blog. So here is the glimpse of year 2015 in Reading.
Though as shown, longest book I read was J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, I must say that I started reading it way back in 2005. After completing first two books (i.e. Part 1 of LotR), my mind deviated to other reading ventures. At the eve of release of first part of Hobbit Trilogy by Peter Jackson, I was intrigued again to return to middle earth and complete the entire LotR saga. So I started reading again from beginning in year 2014. So it happened that all the books of LotR had been completed in 2015, that year got the privilege to get the honor of having beautiful LotR. (And that’s why the massive page count)
I can sense that I have very unpredictable and erratic reading pattern. 2015 was mix bag, containing all the varieties of fiction and genres; sci-fi, classic literature, historical fiction, crime, adventure, epic fantasy, modern graphic novels, superhero, noire….. To name the few. Though I missed out on non-fiction and my favorite Charles Dickens, I turn towards dependable (And Dickens’s friend) Wilkie Collins to satiate my literary appetite. Then there was also “Lord of the Flies” with other “Lord”.
“The Girl with All the Gifts” was most surprising and engaging read of the year competing hard and won marginally over “Hyperion”. I know that genres are totally different where former is novelty take on zombie apocalypse and the latter is hard-core sci-fi. But still “The Girl with All the Gifts” is that kind of read where once you started, you are compelled to finish it in a single swift go.
“The Terror” was my most anticipating read of the year. And it didn’t disappointed. Slow build, amazing characterization and great adventure mixed with unknown. It made me put Dan Simmons in the list of “Must Read Authors”.
In terms of graphic novels, if you have anything with Alan Moore as writer then it is not fair competition to others. I started Swamp Thing saga and would like to continue in year 2016, but best part was “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”. Wow…. How could I allowed myself to be away from such brilliant novel in Graphic medium?
In crime fiction, I am much obliged to give Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) a go.
So that’s how 2015 ended, and now I’ll allow my mind to wander wildly, unpredictably and erratically in new Year to come up with something fresh and some classics to discuss about. Feedback/suggestions for New Year read are most welcome. Wish all my reader good Reading.
Reference Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2015/23689104
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