In the Happy New Year 2014 post, I said there wouldn't be a numbesr post for 2013... Well I lied LOL. Although it wasn't intentional. At the time, I really thought there wouldn't be one because my spreadsheet was months outdated! However, as other bloggers's numbers posts started popping up, I got curious... I wanted to know what my numbers were! And so on New Year, I spent the whole afternoon updating my spreadsheet ^_^;
I tried my best and these numbers are as accurate as they could be, given the retroactive updating of my spreadsheet... So here we go, my numbers post!
Number of books read
146
Once again, my goal for the year was 205 books... However, it became quickly evident to me that I wouldn't achieve it. Starting off the year in Germany just set up the tone for the rest of the year. I don't seem to get much reading done while I'm away from home... whether I'm on a trip or at the hospital LOL. Anyway, I just couldn't seem to get into a reading rhythm this year... Whenever I'd start one, it'd either get disrupted by me going away or a reading slump :(
In the end, I only managed 146. In December, when I realized that I was close to 150, I tried for it... but LOL, holidays and reading slump ^_^; 146 is really the lowest number I've had in years. Although in actuality, I read more than that since whenever I'm in a reading slump, I re-read... However, I don't count re-reads in my tally. Then again, I never count re-reads, so that's the same in previous years. Okay, I'm getting lost. Just to say that I wished I've read more than 146 books, but given the really busy year I've had, I'll take it.
The good news for 2014 is that I can only do better... right? :P Also this year, I've decided not to pressure myself too much and so lowered my reading goal to 175. I've already have 2 books under my belt, so... so far so good :)
Number of books bought
95
Wow, this number is getting better and better as years go! LOL. Compared to last year, it's -31 less books bought!! Coincidentally, it's the same decrease as in 2012 :) However, I really doubt I can go lower than that!
This year, I've pretty much stuck to my auto-buy authors list when it came to purchasing books. I've pre-ordered pretty much everything online and as such, there were very few impulse buys. It didn't help that I rarely went to the bookstores and also rarely browsed the aisles :( It's kind of sad, but I guess that's how my book buying habit has evolved :( Here is my break-down:
Bought print online = 51
Bought print in-store = 29
Bought e-books = 15
A few years ago, I would never have thought I'd be buying more books online than in-store. One of the reasons these two numbers have swapped is Book Depository. When I pre-order books there, I save almost 2$ per paperback. Such a deal!! As a result, I now pre-order all the books from my auto-buy authors list. As for e-books, well it's still my last option... unless the books are self-published. That's because buying e-books is not cheaper than buying print. Given the pricing, then I'd rather have something I can hold than not.
Speaking of pricing, guess how much I saved this year? Drumroll please... 343.31$ Another awesome number! It's less than last year, but then, I also bought less, so it makes sense to me :) I've kept the habit of buying hardcovers and trade-sizes online and now, have added paperback pre-orders at Book Depository. Almost all the books I've bought in-store was done so during a promotion and e-books, with a coupon. Those are some habits I plan on continuing :P
Finally, out of those 95 books, I read 73! That's 76.8% of books bought read which is another good number in my opinion and quite similar to last year's :)
What did I read?
Contemporary = 37
Category romance = 22 (Contemporary = 22)
Urban Fantasy = 21
YA = 17 (Contemporary = 8, Fantasy = 3, Paranormal = 1, Sci-Fi = 2, Steampunk = 1, UF = 2)
Historical = 14 (Regency = 14)
Romantic Suspense = 11
Paranormal romance = 8
Mystery/Thriller/Cosy Mystery = 4
New Adult = 4 (Contemporary = 4)
Fiction = 2
Chick-lit/Women's Fiction = 2
Fantasy romance = 1
Erotica = 1
m/m = 1
Steampunk = 1
Contemporary romance came on top again this year... No surprise given it is my favorite genre :) I might complain about contemporary romance market being over-saturated by small town romance books, but at the end of the day, I do pick them up LOL. However, I do think my complaint is the reason why my number of category romance books is up. I find the setting for contemporary category romance, especially the Harlequin KISS and SuperRomance lines to be interesting and refreshing. Most of them take place overseas or in big cities and that's really an appeal for me.
Urban Fantasy, YA, RS and Paranormal romance numbers have been pretty constant. I think it's because I'm quite specific as to what I want to read in those genres and there's not that many books that fit my criteria ^_^; For example, I prefer to read YA novels that do not feature high school life; cops, PI and FBI agents as main characters in RS instead of military men/women, etc. Also, always on the look-out for UF series, so please feel free to make any suggestions! If it wasn't for the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, my UF number would be way down - say 7 books down LOL.
One genre whose number exhibited the most change is Historical romance and that number is way down in 2013, from 33 to 14. One of the reasons is because I prefer regency historical romance... and well they're all quite similar one to another, author to another ^_^; I don't think the genre is dead, but I think it could use some new ideas, settings, etc.
What does 2014 has in store for me? I have no idea. I'm quite sure Contemporary romance will remain number one LOL. And unless I get hook on a new series with quite a backlist, I think that UF will take a hit. One genre that will probably increase is New Adult, simply because there are so much of it being published... What are your predictions?
Who published them?
1. Penguin (Berkley, NAL, ROC, Putnam, etc.) = 38
2. Harlequin (HQN Books, Mira, SuperRomance, KISS, Mills & Boon, etc.) = 29
3. Harpercollins Publisher (Avon, Avon Impulse, etc.) = 14
4. Simon & Schuster = 10
5. Hachette (Grand Central Publishing, Headline, etc.) = 9
5. Self-published = 9
7.DAW = 8
8. Hyperion/Scholastic/Bloomsbury = 7
9. Kensington, Random House Publishing = 6
10. E-Publishers (Samhain, Entangled) = 4
11. Macmillan (St. Martin's Press, etc.) = 3
12. Sourcebooks = 2
13. Subterranean Press = 1
As usual, top publishers are Penguin and Harlequin. Really not surprising since most books I read are from Berkley and New American Library. Harlequin is my source of category romance, so right there, it's 22 books! Wait, only 7 books from HQN Books and Mira?! Oh no, wait, there's one from LoveSwept and another from Entangled... Still, only 9 from HQN Books and Mira?! I used to love Mira books, but the current trend is not really to my taste :(
I'm one of those readers that do take into consideration the publishers when I pick up a book, but then this year... well I've pretty much been reading according my auto-buy author list and so I've followed more the authors than the publishers. Might as well since I feel most publishers have been stagnant in 2013 in their publishing.
Have to say, two publishers I'd like to see publish more interesting books/romance are Grand Central Publishing and Macmillan. Ever since Ms Rose switched publisher, Grand Central Publishing has kind of lost me as a reader. They do publish a lot of RS which is good, but it's almost all military men... and their contemporary romances, well it's quite similar to everyone else. As for St. Martin's Press, they have great covers... but story-wise... not impressed.
When were they published?
2013 = 116 (79.5%)
2012 = 13
2011 = 7
2010 = 7
2009 = 2
2006 = 1
As usual, I'm pretty current on my reading :) On one hand, I'm surprised I haven't read anything published before 2005... and on the other hand, well I know I do have a prejudiced for romance books before 2000 ^_^; I feel like 2000 marks a shift in romance novels writing... and I'm just so used to the style after 2000. I doubt the trend will change in 2014.
How did I enjoy the books?
A = 7 (A+ = 0, A = 0, A- = 7)
B = 82 (B+ = 20, B = 34, B- = 28)
C = 51 (C+ = 17, C = 19, C- = 15)
D = 3
DNF = 2
No Grade = 1
I am very stingy with As. I don't know why, but I have difficulty giving them out... and even when I do, well it seems like it's mostly A-s ^_^; I guess I need to be less stringent.
As for the rest, well as you can see, the bulk is in the B and C ranges. I do enjoy almost all of the books I read to a certain degree :) However, I have to say this year, I was probably a bit tougher. For example, if it was between a B+ and a B, I would go with a B; between a C and a C-, it'd be a C-... I feel this is indicative of how 2013 felt like to me... Everything was just so predictable, authors going through the motion, etc. Hopefully, 2014 will be different.
The no grade book is Darkest Powers Bonus Pack 1 by Ms Armstrong which is a collection of novellas she's written for the Darkest Powers series. Because most of these novellas were very short, I just didn't want to assign a grade.
Did I share my thoughts with you?
Full reviews = 38
Week-End's Minis = 5
Mini-reviews from Monthly Reads posts = 23
That gives me a grand total of 66 reviews. 20 of them being for books I've read in 2012. This is half of what I reviewed in 2012, but given the blogging year I've had... I'll take it! I hope to do better in 2013 - shouldn't be that hard ^_^; - and starting from a clean slate will take off a lot of the pressure to "catch up."
Random Numbers
New-to-me Authors = 32
For a girl who supposedly stuck to her auto-buy author list for her book purchases, I did read quite a good amount of new authors LOL. That's mainly due to reading so many category romance, especially with the new Harlequin KISS line - had to pick out new authors.
Books part of a series = 107
This number is quite consistent with last year's % and once again, is not surprising. That's how the publishing industry works nowadays. A lot of the books that were not part of a series were the category romance, some of the YA and all the fiction and chick-lit books LOL. As usual, I wouldn't mind for more stand-alone books, but I'm not holding my breath over it :P
***
And voila, my numbers post! Lots of work involved, but always a fun post to read :) What do you think? Good numbers? I think so. Obviously, there's room for improvement for some of them... but at the end of the day, I'm just glad to see I'm consistent-ish LOL. Seriously though, I can't believe 2013 is over... Then again, starting fresh with 2014 is not bad either :)
