#kaitreads

So this is less of a cultivated list and more of a ‘I pulled the easiest books to remove from my bookshelf’ pile, but it’s still all women writers and really awesome books! #thereadingwomen #readathon @thereadingwomen #kaitreads #24hourreadathon

Inspired by this post, I thought I’d share my books read in 2015. At the end of 2014 I decided I wanted to read more, and I committed myself to reading 100 books for my Goodreads challenge. I ended up knocking that down to 75 books (which I didn’t quite make either), but I still read a lot more this year than in many of my university years combined. I’m currently reading Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before, and she suggests accountability as a method of creating new habits. While being accountable to my Goodreads challenge worked wonders this year, I think I’m going to take it easy in 2016. Amy McLay Paterson, in her article on Vox.com, wrote, “If I have a goal, it’s to read under 100 — to make sure that every book matters not to the world but to me.” I’m going with this method in 2016 :) 1. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen - Riveting, if a bit off at times (the balance between high fantasy and dystopia was confusing). 2. Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson - A fun contemporary YA romance, and I liked the parts about running, but kind of forgettable. 3. The Stonehenge Letters by Harry Karlinsky - Fascinating, imaginative, and a quick read…this imagines another Nobel Prize that solves the mystery of Stonehenge. 4. The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan - Did NOT enjoy this…to me, Keegan came across as privileged and conceited. While some essays showed promise the collection as a whole was not worthwhile for me. 5. What is Stephen Harper Reading? by Yann Martel - A fun concept—Martel sends books to Harper along with a letter—but best read over a long period (it took me a year). By the end it was getting tedious. 6. The Pact by Karina Halle - Wasn’t sure what I was getting into, and I did learn erotic romance isn’t really for me. 7. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn - I really like Quinn, but this was not a favourite and was ultimately forgettable. 8. Fire by Kristin Cashore ⭐️ - I love this book a lot, and this was about the fifth rereading. It’s still standing the test of time for me. 9. Slaves Waiting for Sale by Maurie D. McInnis 🎓 - A very interesting look at slavery in America through the lens of a single painting. 10. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore 🎓 - Interesting story but still not loving the graphic novel as a form. 11. Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn 🎓 - I think I’m outgrowing JQ…did not love this one either. 12. Peace, Power, Righteousness by Taiaiake Alfred 🎓 - A look are issues related to Canada’s indigenous peoples; at times repetitive, but an important message. 13. Lost & Found by Brooke Davis 🎓 - Loved this look at two elderly “friends” and their attempts to help an abandoned girl. 14. Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper 🎓 ⭐️ - An all-time favourite that was beautiful and thought-provoking and delightfully Canadian. 15. Still the One by Jill Shalvis - I delight in Shalvis for fun romances; this one was solidly mediocre for me. 16. How She Does It by Anne Bogel - I picked this up because I really like Bogel’s blog, but it just wasn’t very applicable to me. 17. Soucoyant by David Chariandy 🎓 - Moving and thought provoking, but didn’t connect with me. 18. It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell - The premise sounded relatable but it felt repetitive and was less of an exposé than I anticipated. 19. Barnheart by Jenna Woginrich 20. Seeing through Race by Martin A. Berger 21. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks 22. Tangles by Sarah Levitt 23. The Coming Insurrection by The Invisible Committee 24. Big Sky Mountain by Linda Lael Miller 25. Making a World of Difference by James Overton 26. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 27. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight 28. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord 29. All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews 30. Once They Were Hats by Frances Backhouse 31. All Fall Down by Ally Carter 32. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 33. Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis 34. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan 35. Will to Live by Les Stroud 36. Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel 37. The Bear by Claire Cameron 38. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 39. The House At Riverton by Kate Morton 40. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling 41. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas 42. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 43. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 44. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 45. All I Want by Jill Shalvis 46. The Lake House by Kate Morton 47. Leave Your Mark by Aliza Licht 48. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert 49. The Look of Love by Sarah Jio 50. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen 51. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald 52. I, Justine by Justine Ezarik 53. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard 54. Brazen by Katherine Longshore 55. Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson 56. Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight 57. Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol 58. West Coast Wild by Deborah Hodge 59. Grant and Tillie Go Walking by Monica Kulling 60. Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers 61. Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt 62. Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marlier 63. Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner 64. EPUB Straight to the Point by Elizabeth Castro 65. A Year Without Mom by Dasha Tolstikova 66. My Kind of Wonderful by Jill Shalvis 67. Where I Belong by Alan Doyle 68. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan 69. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathan Philbrick 70. Trauma Farm by Brian Brett