Another year is (almost) over. Before we flip the calendar to 2016, and start new reading lists, let’s look back at the reading year that was. I’ll share if you reciprocate in the comments!
- How many books did you read this year? 50+. My numbers were held down by many heavy, lengthy books.
- Which genre prevailed? Nonfiction, by miles and miles.
- Which book was your fave? A Writer’s Diary by Virginia Woolf.
- Least fave? If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland. My loathing for this book knows no bounds.
- Recommend three books from your list. The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore; Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys by Viv Albertine; Van Gogh: The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith.
PART TWO WILL APPEAR IN THE NEW YEAR!
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 
Great post! The Secret History of Wonder Woman is on my reading list for 2016. I read 41 books, mostly fiction, in 2015 but really slacked off in November and December.
My favorite book? Hands down, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
My least favorite book was The Secret by Beverly Lewis. I read this book to fulfill a requirement for Popsugar’s 2015 Reading Challenge and was bored to tears.
Three recommendations from my list: On Writing by Stephen King, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, and The Golum and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.
Happy New Year!
Stephany
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Thanks for sharing your list. I’m going to add the Ivey and Wecker books to my TBR list for 2016.
I loved the Wonder Woman book.
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“If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland.”
You know, I know that you’re a positive person who doesn’t like to run others down, but I’d pay money to see your review of this book! I haven’t seen you really rip into something here before.
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Well, I hope to write about it soon. Why? Because I really, really hated it. And that bothers me.
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57 books read. It was a good year.
Prevailing Genre? Mystery
Favorite book? Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
Least Favorite? This is getting old: Zen thoughts on aging with humor and dignity by Susan Moon
My 3 recommended books are:
I Blame Dennis Hopper by Illeana Douglas. If you love movies, you’ll appreciate this book.
Passionate Minds by David Bodanis – interesting read about Voltaire and more importantly, Emilie du Chatelet
Arguably: Selected Essays by Christopher Hitchens. He will broaden you.
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You know that I want to read that Illeana Douglas book, as well as the Christopher Hitchens one.
And thanks for lending me your copy of Humans of New York. It was awesome!
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Thanks for the heads up re: Brenda Ueland’s book. Sounds like one to skip over.
# Books Read in 2015: 36
Biggest Genre: Non-Fiction (History)
Fave: “Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine & Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood” by William J. Mann
Least Fave: “We are All Completely Beside Ourselves” by Karen Joy Fowler (Disappointing)
Recommend: 1. “A Case of Exploding Mangoes” by Mohanned Hanif
2. “Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds & the Art of Fake News” by A. Brad Scwartz
3. “Merton of the Movies” by Harry Leon Wilson
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Yeah, that book was such a disappointment. I’ll write about it some day soon. I think part of it is that I am obviously not the target audience (more on that later), but the other part is that I found her to be condescending (more on that later, too).
I love that William J. Mann book. I read it last year, as well.
I would love to read your numbers two and three. I’m adding them to my TBR list.
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