1. Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism by Barbara Emmerich
2. Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando
3. The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern*
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth
5. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
6. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana deRosnay*
7. Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse*
8. Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
9. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer*
10. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer*
11. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown*
12. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer*
13. An Off Year by Claire Zulkey
14. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer*
15. At Home by Bill Bryson*
16. Birthright by Nora Roberts
17. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach*
18. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
19. My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
20. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
21. Every Day by David Leviathan

Well. Let’s just start off by saying I didn’t even come CLOSE to hitting my goal of reading 45 books (and three classics) during 2012. I know that reading almost two books a month is a perfectly acceptable amount of reading to do in a year. Especially a year in which I had a two+ hour daily commute for 8 months, and oh yeah that whole planning a wedding business. (Having a tv in the bedroom during 2012 also really cut into my before-bed reading time.) In the 8 years that I’ve been keeping track of my reading each year here on the blog, I’ve read 23 books, 24 books, 51 books, 44 books, 40 books, 57(!) books, 52 books, and 21 books. My average, then, is 39, but I’ve read a total of 312 books since the beginning of 2005. In these 8 years, I’ve read the Harry Potter series and the Game of Thrones series all the way through twice each (and I actually thought those numbers would be higher, to be honest).

Even though there are good reasons, I can’t also say that I’m not disappointed in my reading this year. Almost half of the books were audiobooks, and it’s not like I’m proud to have finally read all of the Twilight books (even if they kept me engaged during my long commutes for many, many weeks). The best books of the year were by FAR Night Circus and Divergent, which I’d recommend so highly. I really loved the Art of Fielding, too, and Gone Girl was good if a little … bleak for my taste.

Still, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have a reading goal for 2013. I definitely want to get back to reading like a fiend, even if it’ll take a little adjusting. My goal is to get back up to my average, and read 39 books. I will read at least one classic that’s new to me, and at least 5 novels meant for adults (as opposed to YA, and mass market fiction like Nora Roberts definitely doesn’t count). Here’s to the new year, and lots of new books!

In Previous Years…
Books Read in 2011
Books Read in 2010
Books Read in 2009
Books Read in 2008
Books Read in 2007
Books Read in 2006
Books Read in 2005