Annual Books Read Post for 2022, With A Few Statistics

ere is this year’s Annual Books Read Statistics and Thoughts Post!

Here are the posts for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 (and the list), 2010, 2009 (and the list).

I’m doing things differently again this year, because this post became data-heavy, and not all the items from previous years need to be repeated each time.

The two main changes last year were as follows:
    Most recaps of items from previous years have been deleted
    The following categories have been removed: Shortest Book, Longest Book, Fluff but Fun (comic books, etc.), Books From the 19th Century and Earlier, and Books from 1900 to 1960

The three main changes this year are as follows:
    Miss E gets her own mini-stats!
    The post has photos interspersed with the text!
    The following categories have been removed: Average over 52 Weeks (because it hasn’t changed much and is usually, per week (not counting rereads of about 10 or more board books per day!), 3 books, 2 MG/YA books, 2 board books, 1 essay, and 1 poem); Authors Read; Research Books; and Nationalities of Authors (a fun category while it lasted!)

This post will be up over two weeks, as I take a little break and hopefully catch up on comments!

Books Read up to end-October 2022: 318, including the following:
104 novels and anthologies
115 MG and YA and board books
52 essays and essay collections and non-fiction and comics
13 short stories (standalones, i.e. not in anthologies)
34 poems (not in anthologies)

2021: 135 novels and anthologies, 133 MG and YA, 63 board books, 62 essays and non-fiction and comics, 46 short stories, fairytales, plays, and sample chapters, 41 poems
2020: 81 novels, 37 MG and YA, 60 board books, 87 essays and non-fiction and comics, 30 short stories, plays, and sample chapters, 28 poems:
2019: 36 novels, 181 board books, MG, and YA (plus ongoing rereads), 31 essays and non-fiction and comics, 14 short stories and scripts and plays, 16 poems
2018: 66 novels, 133 board books (plus ongoing rereads), 27 essays and non-fiction and comics, 14 short stories and scripts and plays, 21 poems, 23 YA/MG books
2017: 49 novels, 45 board books, but the railway books by Rev. Awry and the Beatrix Potter collection total 49 books (which involve ongoing rereads, including the board books from last year), 27 essays and non-fiction and comics, 24 short stories and scripts, counting the stories read in anthologies as one since I didn’t read all the stories, 17 poems, 13 YA/MG books
2016: 168 novels and MG/YA and essays, etc., 45 board books and over 30 books in the Folio Society collected works of Beatrix Potter, 28 short stories, and 25 poems; Journal of Inklings Studies and Tolkien Society’s Amon Hen and Mallorn issues (counted as one)
2015: 91 novels and MG/YA and essays, etc., 29 board books, and 12 poems
2014: 111 novels and short stories (plus essay collections, comics, and poetry)
2013: 188 novels and short stories (plus poetry)
2012: 142
2011: 124
2010: 92
2009: 131
2008: 101
Note: Not counted every year: ongoing rereads of board books from previous years, monthly readings of Amon Hen and annual readings of Mallorn, school readings, and tens of thousands of words written and read for writers’ houseparties on thelitforum.com, plus other forum writings, magazines, newspapers, etc., as well as all weekly French reader books, ongoing rereads of board books from previous years including Roger Hargreaves and Christmas books, and Laudate saint of the day entries


Most Books by One Author: Not counting authors appearing less than 4 times or various board books (and multiple rereads!), I read the following (this was the year of Lawrence Block and Alexander McCall Smith, both of whom I read for the first time!):
25 by Ann M. Martin
17 by Lawrence Block
14 by JK Rowling/Robert Galbraith (mostly rereads)

8 by Julia Donaldson
8 by Alexander McCall Smith
8 by Kait Nolan
8 by Peter May
6 by Gordon Korman
6 by Jim Davis
6 by Amy Marques
4 by Helen MacInnes
4 by Bill Watterson (mostly rereads)
4 by Fredrik Backman
4 by JRR Tolkien, including related books (half rereads)

An Orson Welles quote about Switzerland from Generally Speaking by Lawrence Block

Oldest Book: Oldest works (not the actual copies) were poems!

Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats
and
The Queen’s Flitting from Auchtachoan by Anonymous, which starts like this:

The Queen’s Flitting from Auchtachoan
The little croft of Auchtachoan sits snugly in the hills
Quite beautiful in summer time but bleak in winter chills
The house is damp and draughty and the roof lets in the rain
Which hurts Queen Nelly sorely for she gets rheumatic pains.

She has a talk with second son, the mighty Kaiser King
Who says they’ll get another home, and move out in the spring.
So to Millhouse first Lairdy’s sent on his good old trusty bike
Where he finds an empty cottage, with toilet behind a dyke.

Read the rest here! I learned about this from Kate Davies.


Newest Book: Books and stories published in 2022 (and a handful from 2021), including 15 Forumites and blogging buddies and authors from the Surrey International Writers’ Conference shown in bold:

1.             Escape From the Ghetto by John Carr (brilliant!)

2.             The Eyebrows of Doom by Steve Smallman and Miguel Ordonez (love this!)

3.             The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley

4.             Where God Does Not Walk by Luke McCallin

5.             The Night Gate by Peter May

6.             Mole’s Spectacles by Julia Donaldson

7.             Cat’s Cookbook by Julia Donaldson

8.             Squirrel's Snowman by Julia Donaldson

9.             Badger's Band by Julia Donaldson

10.           Blood Price by Barbara Nadel

11.           Here Be Monsters by Claire G (Our Flag Means Death; https://archiveofourown.org/works/40394250/chapters/101189568)

12.           First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts -- an Insecure Writer's Support Group Anthology

13.           Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay

13.           Then somebody told a story... by Alexander McCall Smith (poem)

15.           A Day In September: A Poem on Loss by Alexander McCall Smith

16.           The Reservoir by David Duchovny

17.           John Cooper Clarke autobiography

18.           The Great Tales Never End: Essays in Memory of Christopher Tolkien

19.           A Lost Tale, A Found Influence: Earendel and Tinúviel by Verlyn Flieger (essay in Mythlore)

20.           The Thursday Murder Club: The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

21.           The Tough Get Sushi by Amy Marques (short story; https://acrossthemargin.com/the-tough-get-sushi/)

22.           Daily Log: Week 18 by Amy Marques (poem, available at https://www.streetcakemagazine.com/issue.html)

23.           Seasons of the Ear by Amy Marques (poem; available at http://www.star82review.com/10.1/marques-seasons.html)

24.           You Won’t Remember by Amy Marques in Star Review 82

25.           I Regret to Inform You That Your Former Hitman Can't Take Your Call by Amy Marques (https://idleink.org/2022/10/01/i-regret-to-inform-you-that-your-former-hitman-cant-take-your-call-by-amy-marques/)

26.           What Not to Wear by Amy Marques (https://www.skyislandjournal.com/issues#/issue-22-fall-2022/)

27.           Come A Little Closer by Kait Nolan

28.           Rescued By a Bad Boy by Kait Nolan

29.           Mixed Up With A Marine by Kait Nolan

30.           Wrapped Up With a Ranger by Kait Nolan

31.           Stirred up by a SEAL by Kait Nolan

32.           Say You Will by Kait Nolan

33.           Hung Up on the Hacker by Kait Nolan

34.           Caught Up With the Captain by Kait Nolan

35.           The Timeless Rose by JA Decker (short story)

36.           Jane Anne Decker on substack https://janeannedecker.substack.com

37.           L'Affaire Alaska Sanders by Joel Dicker

38.           Seven Sisters by Susan Kaye Quinn (short story)

39.           Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes (questions of faith)

40.           Please Join Us by Catherine Mckenzie (ARC)

41.           essay about Kim Stanley Robinson (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/31/can-science-fiction-wake-us-up-to-our-climate-reality-kim-stanley-robinson)

42.           Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury (a transplant romance)

43.           The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

44.           Indians on Vacation by Thomas King

45.           Hello, My Name is Sonu by Amanda Palmer (short narrative)

46.           Breaking the Stained Glass Ceiling by Amanda Palmer (beasts AFP https://amandapalmer.substack.com/p/breaking-the-stained-glass-ceiling)

47.           Amanda Palmer podcast with Susan Cain (transcript)

48.           The Prospect by Kevin Brennan (recommended!)

49.           Argyll's Secret Coast by Kate Davies Designs

50.           Bluestockings by Kate Davies

51.           Everyday Kindness anthology including Leah Mercer

52.           A Secret in the Family by Leah Mercer

53.           A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot #1) by Becky Chambers

54.           Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay

55.           What It Means to Belong by Elif Shafak (essay: https://lithub.com/elif-shafak-on-what-it-means-to-belong-in-many-places-at-once/)

56.           The Night Watchman by Louise Eldrich

57.           Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish (foreword by Diana Gabaldon)
58.           Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson


Stories/Authors I Didn’t Like: This is the category under which I hide some honesty. Some of the books that I feel obligated to read (for review purposes or because I received them as gifts) leave me cold. I try not to be mean when doing a review post, especially when sharing a review on Amazon.

This year, it’s not so much that I didn’t like these books, as that I gave myself permission to not finish them.

House Swap by Rebecca Fleet (skimmed)

Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey (skimmed)

All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay (ARC; I think I could have given this book more of a chance if I had had a paperback copy)

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (still hoping to read the second half sometime!)

Some of my parents' old MAD Magazines. I felt like rereading a few, but didn't have time

Books That Made Me Cry: In the last few years I’ve tried to remember to keep track of this throughout the year because it’s not very accurate at year-end when I can’t remember. The Lord of the Rings always makes me cry, but at different parts (this year it was Merry in the Houses of Healing).

Here are the ones I remembered to note:

Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin


Most Surprising Book: I had trouble choosing one, so this year I’m going to merge it with the category below!

Books/Authors I’d Recommend: Besides the poems, the rereads, the classics, and so on, a few of the books and authors I’d recommend are:

all the Lawrence Block! I can’t believe I’ve never read him before!

The Spy in the Elevator and three other stories by Donald Westlake (brilliant!)

The Eyebrows of Doom by Steve Smallman and Miguel Ordonez (love this!)

Escape From the Ghetto by John Carr (brilliant!)

Tiger, Tiger by Lynne Reid Banks (brilliant!)

War Stories by Gordon Korman (brilliant!)

A Christmas Holiday by Somerset Maugham (that last line)

The Prospect by Kevin Brennan (recommended!)

Many Moons by James Thurber (fun and sweet)

Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner (slice of time)

84, Charing Cross Road, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, and Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff (another slice of time)

Holes and There's A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Life Savings in the anthology The Night Train by Allan Ahlberg (inspiring)

St Francis' Canticle of the Creatures by John Watts (inspiring)

books that make me sad about the state of the world: Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell, The Silver Darlings by Neil Gunn, One Man's Meat by EB White, and The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd


Beta Reads: 2

2021: 11
2020: 12
2019: 2
2018: 4
2017: 7
2016: 7
2015: 4
2014: 3
2013: 2
2012: 4


Books read by E!

New category: Stats for E!
Books read: 165
Plus all the Jean Little, Geronimo Stilton, J'apprends lire avec Sami et Julie, weekly non-fiction books for school, weekly library books, and various books on the tumblebooks site that I didn’t note separately, plus all the rereads of previous years’ holiday books and various rereads of Ann M Martin, Enid Blyton, Judy Blume, Lois Lowry, Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, etc.!
Authors read: 65
Oldest book: Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Newest book: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Secrets of Dumbledore by JK Rowling and Steve Kloves (screenplay)

The Chamois, by Hilaire Belloc

Here’s the organized list of books read by Miss E:
Penguin Book of Stories for 8-Year-Olds
Poems for 8-Year-Olds
Poems for 7-Year-Olds collected by AF Harrold
Little Miss Magic by Roger Hargreaves
Mr Men Christmas Party
Little Miss Chatterbox and the Frog Prince
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman
Hogsel and Gruntel by Dick King-Smith
The King's Equal by Katherine Paterson
The Great Mom Swap by Betsy Haynes
Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library by Eth Clifford
Leah's Song by Eth Clifford
Be A Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes
The Great Mom Swap by Betsy Haynes
The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
Emily's First 100 Days of School
Flik et Flak (Swatch book)
The Ha Ha Bonk Book by Janet Ahlberg
Globi at School
The Glitter Fairy
The Kitten Fairy
The Tiara Club Butterfly Ball
Mog's Christmas Calamity by Judith Kerr
The Berenstain Bears Go to the Dentist
Stone Age Tales: The Great Storm (Skara Brae) by Terry Deary
Elephant and Piggie: Pigs Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems
Elephant and Piggie: Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems
Elephant and Piggie: I Love My New Toy by Mo Willems
My Mum’s Going to Explode! by Jeremy Strong
The Pain and the Great One: Friend or Fiend by Judy Blume
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Doctor Dolittle Tales by Hugh Lofting
Milo and the Restart Button by Alan Silberberg
Mr Majeika and the Dinner Lady by Humphrey Carpenter
Discovering Barcelona (board book)
Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson
Squirrel's Snowman by Julia Donaldson
Badger's Band by Julia Donaldson
Cat’s Cookbook by Julia Donaldson
Mole’s Spectacles by Julia Donaldson
The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson
We Love You Mr Panda by Steve Antony
A Strange Birthday in Vevey
The Fall Festival by Mercer Mayer
What A Good Kitty by Mercer Mayer
Mai’s Lesson by Elizabeth Nielsen
The Emperor's Panda by Alison Reynolds
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
The Case of the Double Cross by Crosby Bonsall
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
music books for kids: Rock n Roll
music books for kids: Mozart
Calvin and Hobbes: The Days Are Just Packed by Bill Watterson
Calvin and Hobbes: The Revenge of the Baby-Sat by Bill Watterson
Calvin and Hobbes: Weirdos from Another Planet! by Bill Watterson
Calvin and Hobbes Collection 1 by Bill Watterson
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
Fantastic Beasts screenplay 1 by JK Rowling
Fantastic Beasts screenplay 2 by JK Rowling
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Secrets of Dumbledore by JK Rowling and Steve Kloves (screenplay)
Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling
But We Love You, Charlie Brown by Charles Schulz
Garfield: Light of My Life by Jim Davis
Garfield: Pick of the Bunch by Jim Davis
Garfield: Classics Volume Two by Jim Davis
Garfield: Double Trouble by Jim Davis
Garfield: Great Impressions by Jim Davis
Garfield: Admit It, Odie’s OK by Jim Davis
A Dog's Life by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Sleepover by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Grandmothers by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Prize by Ann M Martin (ghostwriter Stephanie Calmenson)
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Ghost by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Surprise by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's New Year by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's in Love by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Goldfish by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Brothers by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Home Run by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Goodbye by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's Carnival by Ann M Martin
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen's New Teacher by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Little Witch by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Doll by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's School Trip by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Pen Pal by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Ducklings by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Big Joke by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Tea Party by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Cartwheel by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Kittens by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Bully by Ann M Martin
Babysitters Little Sister: Karen's Pumpkin Patch by Ann M Martin
The Secret Seven 1 by Enid Blyton
The Secret Seven 2 by Enid Blyton
The Secret Seven 3 by Enid Blyton
Mallory Towers Summer Term
The Naughtiest Girl in the School by Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton The Secret Seven book 1
Enid Blyton The Secret Seven book 2
Enid Blyton The Secret Seven book 3
Good Idea, Amelia Jane by Enid Blyton
Amelia Jane Collection book 1 by Enid Blyton
Amelia Jane Collection book 2 by Enid Blyton
Amelia Jane Collection book 3 by Enid Blyton
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Finally 12 by Wendy Mass
13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
The Last Present by Wendy Mass
Graceful by Wendy Mass
Looking Back by Lois Lowry
Thirteen Never Changes by Budge Wilson
Lorinda's Diary by Budge Wilson
Gangsta Granny by David Walliams
Mr Stink by David Walliams
Becky's Horse by Winifred Madison
The Worst Witch Strikes Again by Jill Murphy
The Worst Witch All At Sea by Jill Murphy
The Worst Witch To the Rescue by Jill Murphy
Cat Tales by Linda Newbery
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl
The Twits by Roald Dahl
Rhyme Stew by Roald Dahl
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl
The Caliph's Vacation
Karlson on the Roof by Astrid Lindgren
The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren
Karlsson on the Roof by Astrid Lindgren
Jacob Two Two and the Hooded Fang by Mordecai Richler
Jacob Two Two and the Dinosaur by Mordecai Richler
Jacob Two Two's First Spy Case by Mordecai Richler
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne: Buffalo Before Breakfast
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne: Tonight on the Titanic
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne: Hour of the Olympics
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne: Viking Ships at Sunrise
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne: Day of the Dragon King
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne: Vacation Under the Volcano
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne: Polar Bears Past Bedtime
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne: Dolphins at Daybreak
Ancient Egyptian Pyramids by Anne Giuleri
Playtime Ball Sports (school non-fiction book)
Mary Poppins by PL Travers
Mary Poppins Comes Back by PL Travers
Mary Poppins Opens the Door by PL Travers
Mary Poppins in the Park by PL Travers
Sami en classe de mer
Sami et Julie champions de ski
Different Dragons by Jean Little
Far From Home by Jean Little
Kate by Jean Little
My Name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton
Geronimo Stilton and the Diamond Robbery
Thea Stilton and the Cherry Blossom Adventure
Geronimo Stilton Singing Sensation

My publications!
Yes, I have my own books to add to the list!
2017
Summer Fire, available everywhere!

2021
“One to Another” in the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology Dark Matter: Artificial

Voices on the Way Up (poem) in the anthology Sauti: Poems of Healing (Mental Health Strategy, United Nations

2022
Druid’s Moon, now available!

vignette in the anthology Poems for the Ride (poets from the Amanda Palmer Patreon community) 

Druid's Moon in the wild

Here's the full, slightly edited list, sorted by type (novels and anthologies; MG and YA and board books; essays and essay collections and non-fiction and comics; short stories (standalones, i.e. not in anthologies); and poems (not in anthologies))

1.      The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien
2.      The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi (first five chapters sneak peek on Amazon)
3.      Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome (Lock In #0) by John Scalzi
4.      84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (reread)
5.      The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff (reread)
6.      Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff
7.      Say You Will by Kait Nolan (ARC)
8.      Come A Little Closer by Kait Nolan (ARC)
9.      Rescued By a Bad Boy by Kait Nolan (ARC)
10.     Mixed Up With A Marine by Kait Nolan (ARC)
11.     Wrapped Up With a Ranger by Kait Nolan (ARC)
12.     Stirred up by a SEAL by Kait Nolan (ARC)
13.     Hung Up on the Hacker by Kait Nolan (ARC)
14.     Caught Up With the Captain by Kait Nolan (ARC)
15.     Please Join Us by Catherine Mckenzie (ARC)
16.     All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay (ARC)
17.     Everyday Kindness anthology including Leah Mercer
18.     A Secret in the Family by Leah Mercer
19.     First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts -- an Insecure Writer's Support Group Anthology
20.     Indians on Vacation by Thomas King
21.     Assignment in Brittany by Helen MacInnes
22.     Prelude to Terror by Helen MacInnes
23.     Cloak of Darkness by Helen MacInnes
24.     The Hidden Target by Helen MacInnes
25.     The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
26.     The Thursday Murder Club: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
27.     The Thursday Murder Club: The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
28.     A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (cried!)
29.     Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
30.     Beartown by Fredrik Backman
31.     Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
32.     Blacklight Blue by Peter May
33.     The Critic by Peter May
34.     Freeze Frame by Peter May
35.     Blowback by Peter May
36.     Cast Iron by Peter May
37.     The Night Gate by Peter May
38.     The Man With No Face by Peter May
39.     Coffin Road by Peter May
40.     House Swap by Rebecca Fleet (skimmed)
41.     Where God Does Not Walk by Luke McCallin
42.     beta read (T McD)
43.     beta read (novel by RB)

44.     Our Flag Means Death fiction by CG
45.     Here Be Monsters by Claire G (Our Flag Means Death; https://archiveofourown.org/works/40394250/chapters/101189568)
46.     The Cat Who Came to Breakfast by Lilian Jackson Braun
47.     Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey (skimmed)
48.     The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham
49.     A Christmas Holiday by Somerset Maugham (that last line)
50.     H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
51.     Oh Dear Silvia by Dawn French
52.     Shosha by Isaac Bashevis Singer
53.     Wifey by Judy Blume
54.     Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
55.     The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley
56.     The Night Watchman by Louise Eldrich
57.     The Reservoir by David Duchovny
58.     Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher (so lovely!)
59.     Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury (a transplant romance)
60.     The Prospect by Kevin Brennan (recommended!)
61.     The Gypsy Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (skimmed)
62.     Love Like Blood by Mark Billingham
63.     The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
64.     L'Affaire Alaska Sanders by Joel Dicker
65.     The Silver Darlings by Neil Gunn
66.     Escape From the Ghetto by John Carr (brilliant!)
67.     Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes (questions of faith)
68.     Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
69.     A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
70.     A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot #1) by Becky Chambers
71.     An Unnatural Life by Erin K. Wagner
72.     Blood Price by Barbara Nadel
73.     chapters from Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
74.     The Nose by Nikolai Gogol
75.     Cautionary Tales by Hilaire Belloc
76.     Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
77.     Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell
78.     Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay
79.     The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid
80.     The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
81.     The Night Train (anthology) by Allan Ahlberg (reread)
82.     When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block
83.     Out on the Cutting Edge by Lawrence Block
84.     A Ticket to the Boneyard by Lawrence Block
85.     A Dance at the Slaughterhouse by Lawrence Block
86.     A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block
87.     The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (annual reread)
88.     The Devil Knows You're Dead by Lawrence Block
89.     A Long Line of Dead Men by Lawrence Block
90.     Even the Wicked by Lawrence Block
91.     Everybody Dies by Lawrence Block
92.     Hope to Die by Lawrence Block
93.     All the Flowers Are Dying by Lawrence Block
94.     A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block
95.     The Night and the Music by Lawrence Block (short story anthology)
96.     The Spy in the Elevator and three other stories by Donald Westlake (brilliant!)
97.     The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
98.     The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (book 1) by Alexander McCall Smith
99.     No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency: Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith
100.    No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency: Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith
101.    No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
102.    The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith (possible reread?)
103.    Down Adown Derry by Walter de la Mare (poetry anthology)
104.    The Unicorn and Other Poems by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 

1.      Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary

2.      Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary

3.      Ribsy by Beverly Cleary

4.      Duggee and the Christmas Badge

5.      Best Friends by Stephen Kellogg

6.      The Travels of Oggy by Ann Lawrence

7.      Many Moons by James Thurber (reread)

8.      Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (finally reading this! love it!)

9.      Yesterday's Doll by Cora Taylor (reread)

10.     Don't Care High by Gordon Korman

11.     War Stories by Gordon Korman (brilliant!)

12.     Unsinkable by Gordon Korman (Titanic trilogy)

13.     Collision Course by Gordon Korman (Titanic trilogy)

14.     S.O.S. by Gordon Korman (Titanic trilogy)

15.     Holes by Louis Sachar

16.     There's A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar

17.     A Dog's Life by Ann M Martin

18.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #9: Karen's Sleepover by Ann M Martin

19.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #10: Karen's Grandmothers by Ann M Martin

20.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #11: Karen's Prize by Ann M Martin (ghostwriter Stephanie Calmenson)

21.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #12: Karen's Ghost by Ann M Martin

22.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #13: Karen's Surprise by Ann M Martin

23.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #14: Karen's New Year by Ann M Martin

24.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #15: Karen's in Love by Ann M Martin

25.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #16: Karen's Goldfish by Ann M Martin

26.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #17: Karen's Brothers by Ann M Martin

27.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #18: Karen's Home Run by Ann M Martin

28.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #19: Karen's Goodbye by Ann M Martin

29.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #20: Karen's Carnival by Ann M Martin

30.     Baby-Sitters Little Sister #21: Karen's New Teacher by Ann M Martin

31.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Little Witch

32.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Doll

33.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's School Trip

34.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Pen Pal

35.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Ducklings

36.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Big Joke

37.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Tea Party

38.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Cartwheel

39.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Kittens

40.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Bully

41.     Babysitters Little Sister by Ann M Martin: Karen's Pumpkin Patch

42.     Far From Home by Jean Little (reread for me)

43.     all Jean Little that we have!

44.     My Name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton

45.     Geronimo Stilton and the Diamond Robbery

46.     Thea Stilton and the Cherry Blossom Adventure

47.     Poems for 8-Year-Olds

48.     The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

49.     Milo and the Restart Button by Alan Silberberg (realised this is the UK edition of Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze, which I've read!)

50.     Mr Majeika and the Dinner Lady by Humphrey Carpenter (Tolkien's biographer!)

51.     The Secret Seven 1 by Enid Blyton

52.     The Secret Seven 2 by Enid Blyton

53.     The Secret Seven 3 by Enid Blyton

54.     Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling (reread)

55.     Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (reread)

56.     Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (reread)

57.     Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (reread)

58.     Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (reread)

59.     Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (reread)

60.     Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (reread)

61.     Fantastic Beasts screenplay 1 by JK Rowling (reread)

62.     Fantastic Beasts screenplay 2 by JK Rowling (reread)

63.     Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Secrets of Dumbledore by JK Rowling and Steve Kloves (screenplay)

64.     Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling (reread)

65.     Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling (reread)

66.     plus kindle collections from Pottermore (reread)

67.     The Fall Festival by Mercer Mayer

68.     What A Good Kitty by Mercer Mayer

69.     short pieces by Mercer Mayer and Carl Sandburg in the March 1983 issue of Cricket

70.     Goodnight Songs by Margaret Wise Brown

71.     The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown

72.     Discovering Barcelona (board book)

73.     The Scarecrows’ Wedding by Julia Donaldson

74.     What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson

75.     The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson (reread)

76.     Squirrel's Snowman by Julia Donaldson

77.     Badger's Band by Julia Donaldson

78.     Mole’s Spectacles by Julia Donaldson

79.     Cat’s Cookbook by Julia Donaldson

80.     Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson

81.     We Love You Mr Panda by Steve Antony

82.     Elephant and Piggie: I Love My New Toy by Mo Willems

83.     Elephant and Piggie: Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems

84.     Elephant and Piggie: Pigs Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems

85.     A Strange Birthday in Vevey

86.     Mai’s Lesson by Elizabeth Nielsen

87.     The Emperor's Panda by Alison Reynolds

88.     Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

89.     Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

90.     The Case of the Double Cross by Crosby Bonsall

91.     Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

92.     music books for kids: Mozart and Rock n Roll

93.     Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (reread)

94.     Matthew's Dragon by Susan Cooper (reread)

95.     Jonathan Cleaned Up, Then He Heard A Sound by Robert Munsch (reread; plus all our other Munsch books)

96.     The Eyebrows of Doom by Steve Smallman and Miguel Ordonez (love this!)

97.     The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (reread)

98.     The First Woman Doctor by Baker

99.     Postman Pat Hello, Pat (board book)

100.    Magic Treehouse #17 Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne

101.    Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

102.    A Big Collection of Little Golden Books

103.    Disappearing Acts by Betsy Byars

104.    Tiger, Tiger by Lynne Reid Banks (brilliant!)

105.    Thank You for Looking After Our Pets by Tim Hopgood

106.    Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars by Debbie Tarbett

107.    Don’t Do That Mop by Jillian Harker

108.    Little Miss Magic by Roger Hargreaves

109.    Mog's Christmas Calamity by Judith Kerr

110.    The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl

111.    The Berenstain Bears Go to the Dentist

112.    Stone Age Tales: The Great Storm (Skara Brae) by Terry Deary

113.    My Mum’s Going to Explode! by Jeremy Strong

114.    The Pain and the Great One: Friend or Fiend by Judy Blume

115.    The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith

 1.      The Great Tales Never End: Essays in Memory of Christopher Tolkien
2.      A Lost Tale, A Found Influence: Earendel and Tinúviel by Verlyn Flieger (essay in Mythlore)
3.      St Francis' Canticle of the Creatures by John Watts (reread)
4.      Step by Step: A Pedestrian Memoir by Lawrence Block
5.      A Conversation Between Lawrence Block and Robert Silverberg, parts 1 and 2 (https://www.mulhollandbooks.com/books/a-conversation-between-lawrence-block-and-robert-silverberg-part-ii/)
6.      Generally Speaking by Lawrence Block (essays on philately)
7.      essay about Kim Stanley Robinson (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/31/can-science-fiction-wake-us-up-to-our-climate-reality-kim-stanley-robinson)
8.      Hello, My Name is Sonu by Amanda Palmer (short narrative)
9.      Breaking the Stained Glass Ceiling by Amanda Palmer (https://amandapalmer.substack.com/p/breaking-the-stained-glass-ceiling)
10.     Amanda Palmer podcast with Susan Cain (transcript)
11.     Jane Anne Decker on substack https://janeannedecker.substack.com
12.     Feel Better in 5: Your Daily Plan to Feel Great for Life by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
13.     Doing Good Better by William Macaskill
14.     Atomic Habits by James Clear
15.     Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish (foreword by Diana Gabaldon)
16.     The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd
17.     Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson
18.     Emily Carr: Two addresses
19.     Turner's Secret Sketches (art book)
20.     Dave Barry in Cyberspace
21.     The Complete Guide to Bernese Mountain Dogs by Andrea Brown Bermen
22.     Chicken Soup for the Soul 20th Anniversary Edition
23.     What It Means to Belong by Elif Shafak (https://lithub.com/elif-shafak-on-what-it-means-to-belong-in-many-places-at-once/)
24.     How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Eat the Damn Eyeball by Dongwon Song (https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/learned-stop-worrying-eat-damn-eyeball/)
25.     Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
26.     Le Leman: Un lac a decouvrir (skimmed)
27.     John Cooper Clarke autobiography
28.     Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
29.     essay by Caitlin Flanagan (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/12/cancer-teeth-loss/621103/)
30.     essay by Caitlin Flanagan (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/09/how-tell-children-truth-about-cancer/620040/)
31.     The Truth About Stories by Thomas King
32.     The Summing Up by Somerset Maugham (reread)
33.     A Writer's Notebook by Somerset Maugham
34.     The Art of Exile by John Freely (sooo envious!)
35.     Labels by Evelyn Waugh
36.     One Man's Meat by EB White
37.     The Sky Above, The Kingdom Below by Daniel Allen (travelling in the footsteps of Coryat)
38.     Vesper Flights by Helen MacDonald (essays)
39.     Bluestockings by Kate Davies
40.     Argyll's Secret Coast by Kate Davies Designs
41.     Flight 714 to Sydney by Herge (Tintin!)
42.     Garfield: Light of My Life by Jim Davis
43.     Garfield: Pick of the Bunch by Jim Davis
44.     Garfield: Classics Volume Two by Jim Davis
45.     Garfield: Double Trouble by Jim Davis
46.     Garfield: Great Impressions by Jim Davis
47.     Garfield: Admit It, Odie’s OK by Jim Davis
48.     Calvin and Hobbes: The Days Are Just Packed by Bill Watterson
49.     Calvin and Hobbes: The Revenge of the Baby-Sat by Bill Watterson
50.     Calvin and Hobbes: Weirdos from Another Planet! by Bill Watterson
51.     Calvin and Hobbes Collection 1 by Bill Watterson
52.     But We Love You, Charlie Brown by Charles Schulz

1.      various poems by Thomas Herlofsen
2.      The Queen’s flitting from Auchtachoan by anonymous/unknown (poem)
3.      Then somebody told a story... by Alexander McCall Smith (poem)
4.      A Day In September: A Poem on Loss by Alexander McCall Smith
5.      Family Album by Wyslawa Szymborska (poem)
6.      In Blackwater Woods by Mary Oliver (poem)
7.      Commendatory Verses Upon Mr. Thomas Coryat’s Crudities by John Donne (poem)
8.      Warning by Jenny Joseph (poem; reread)
9.      Talisman by Maggie Smith (poem)
10.     How Dark the Beginning by Maggie Smith (poem)
11.     One Art by Elizabeth Bishop (poem)
12.     At home amidst, from "The House of Belonging" by David Whyte (poem)
13.     Daily Log: Week 18 by Amy Marques (poem, available at https://www.streetcakemagazine.com/issue.html)
14.     Seasons of the Ear by Amy Marques (poem; available at http://www.star82review.com/10.1/marques-seasons.html)
15.     poem by JM
16.     War (Rhyfel) by Hedd Wyn (poem)
17.     March by Emily Dickinson (poem)
18.     Invictus by Willian Ernest Henley (poem; reread)
19.     Achieving Perspective by Pattian Rogers (poem; https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/02/18/achieving-perspective/)
20.     I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground by Edna St Vincent Millay (poem)
21.     Brown Furniture by Katha Pollit (poem)
22.     Saltwater by Finn Butler (poem)
23.     Keeping Things Whole by Mark Strand (poem)
24.     Epitaph to a Dog by Lord Byron (poem; reread)
25.     I Am by John Clare (poem)
26.     The Trees Are Down by Charlotte Mew (poem)
27.     On Days When by Dean Atta (poem)
28.     Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats (poem; reread)
29.     Leisure by WH Davies (poem; reread; what is this life if, full of care, / we have no time to stand and stare)
30.     Bee! I'm Expecting You by Emily Dickinson (poem)
31.     Waking Up by Eleanor Farjeon (poem)
32.     Always, the Doubt by Maja Lukic (poem)
33.     I Can't Work Like This by Neil Gaiman (poem; https://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/696157559602692096/i-recently-read-your-ekphrastic-poem-i-cant-work)
34.     The time of my end rushes by Kevin Brenna (poem; https://kevinbrennanbooks.wordpress.com/2022/04/18/my-first-published-poem/)

1.      Seven Sisters by Susan Kaye Quinn (short story)
2.      Clean Slate by Lawrence Block (short story)
3.      Only the Dead Know Brooklyn by Thomas Wolfe (short story)
4.      The Trophy by Gordon Korman (short story)
5.      Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
6.      Two Truths and A Lie by Sarah Pinsker (short story; https://www.tor.com/2020/06/17/two-truths-and-a-lie-sarah-pinsker/)
7.      Grizzly Bear Conflict Manager by John Scalzi (https://whatever.scalzi.com/2022/04/05/a-new-story-for-you-grizzly-bear-conflict-manager/)
8.      The Road to Verdun by Kathleen Burke (chapter I The True Philosophers (the foolishness of worry))
9.      The Timeless Rose by JA Decker (short story)
10.     You Won’t Remember by Amy Marques in Star Review 82
11.     I Regret to Inform You That Your Former Hitman Can't Take Your Call by Amy Marques (https://idleink.org/2022/10/01/i-regret-to-inform-you-that-your-former-hitman-cant-take-your-call-by-amy-marques/)
12.     What Not to Wear by Amy Marques (https://www.skyislandjournal.com/issues#/issue-22-fall-2022/)
13.     The Tough Get Sushi by Amy Marques (short story; https://acrossthemargin.com/the-tough-get-sushi/) 

Art by Mary Fairburn that reminds me of Druid's Moon

What was your favourite book this year?