2014: A Year in Books & Next Year's Books

I haven't done too badly this year, despite having a baby and a full time job (before I went off on maternity leave), I managed 61 books. Delights have included the Patrick Melrose novels, most of the Barchester chronicles (although I have completely slowed down on these lately and need to finish The Small House at Allington and The Last Chronicle of Barset) and Penny Vincenzi novels. As far as the BIHNR list is concerned, I managed the first book in A Dance to the Music of Time and Anna Karenina on top of the Trollope. I read a bit more chick-lit and woman's fiction, but that was fine. At the moment, I'm not putting too much pressure on what I'm reading and I'm not likely to next year either as I have to get used to working full time as well as being a mum. 

Next year's biggest resolution is going to be no more buying cheap e-books in 2015. I realise that this has become a bit of a habit I need to break as I am not even sure how much I am spending on e-books, I just go on Kindle when I need cheering up or something then somehow end up buying a couple which I then feel like I will never have time to read. Plus there is the ethical implications of supporting a giant tax avoiding conglomerate that will potentially destroy the publishing industry and independent bookshops. I've got plenty of books on the TBR shelf that I want to read, so I am going to look at seeing if I can get through some of those. I'm making it a rule that I can go to the library and add things to the TBR list, but not buy any, and I can complete challenges without buying any books.

I'd also like to read a few more books from authors from other cultures. I'm aware I get put off sometimes, which isn't great.

Other than that, finish some of the series I've started, particularly the Trollope and the current Churchminster series I've borrowed from the library and I'm close to finishing. I've also started the Mapp and Lucia series recently. I finally finished some of the books that had spent the longest on the reading list, but I still have The Cornish Trilogy and Pillars of the Earth lurking around there (they are quite heavy to read in bed with a book light both physically and metaphorically) and I've barely got anywhere with Tales of Angria. I know the Wolf Hall TV series is coming up too, and that's been on the TBR list for ages, it was one of the first e-books I paid for. So, lots of stuff to read. My challenge is 50 books and, although it seems like I am setting myself a lot of rules, I am just going enjoy it even if I end up reading mostly chick lit.