With a Tear in our Eye...

...we say goodbye to 2011. I make my book count this year at 65 (okay, that should probably be 64 since one of them is a repeat).

So here are a few stats:

Top 5 of 2011

1. The Enemy – Lee Child
2. Collide – Megan Hart
3. The Keeper of Lost Causes – Jussi Alder-Olsen
4. X Plagues – Mary Nealy
5. White Wind – Susan Edwards

This would have been a Top Ten, but I didn’t read enough books this year to have ten that I absolutely loved. If I had to pick five more, they would likely come from Lee Child and Susan Edwards. And maybe one David Baldacci.

Favorite new-to-me authors:

1. Mary Nealy (X Plagues)
2. Jussi Alder-Olsen (The Keeper of Lost Causes)
3. Susan Edwards (White Dawn, White Dusk, White Shadows. White Wind)
4. Harry Dolan (Bad Things Happen)

There were more new-to-me authors this year, but these three were my favorite. I’ll keep an eye out for Mary Nealy to see if/when she writes another book, Jussi Alder-Olsen has written three books in his Department Q series, but since I don’t read Danish, I’ll have to wait for the other two to be translated to English and released here in America, and the next four installments in Susan Edwards’ White series will be out in February 2012.

I would like to add a fifth “honorable mention” favorite author: Steven James. I’m still reading his first book, The Pawn. Since it’s the year end and I’m still reading it, it hasn’t made my review list yet, but I already know I like his writing and he’ll be one of my favorites in 2012.

So thanks to my busier schedule, I haven’t read as much this year as I did last year (79 books in 2010, 65 in 2011), but with good reason. Going to the gym several days a week took some reading time away—though I compensate by listening to audio books as I work out—and starting school in October took away even more. I don’t like that I spend less time reading for pleasure, but given what I’m gaining in exchange (lost almost 60 lbs and working on a college degree), I’d say it’s for the better. I hope to read at least as many books in the coming year.

2010 saw a lot of Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz and 2011 was a blitz of Lee Child. I know 2012 will have a lot of Susan Edwards as I read the remainder of the White series, but I hope to discover more new-to-me authors that I will love as much as these.

How about you? Have you been inspired to read more in the new year?

Oh...and I suppose it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, yes, this blog will continue into the new year.