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Goodreads Challenge 2014 - the year in numbers
I like to read. A lot. More than most people. I enjoy knowing things, even if those things are fiction...with elves...or the undead...or dragons. I really like dragons. I also love keeping lists of things that I readq. So you can imagine that when I found out about Goodreads I was thrilled. I was even more excited when I saw that they had a Reading Challenge which let you set some arbritrary goal for reading, and then track your progress as you mark books as "read". Last year I read 52 books, or an average of a book a week. That's pretty good, but I started the challenge late, around March or April, and wanted to really challenge myself. So I set out to read 100 books in 2014. I hit 120 yesterday. Here's my 2014 reading challenge Zeitgeist.
Ratings
I didn't give out any 1-star ratings this year, but I did give out the following:
- 25 5-star
- 53 4-star
- 41 3-star
- 1 2-star
Authors
I read books from 64 unique authors this year. By volume, my most read authors this year were:
- 6 books - Suzanne Collins
- 6 books - Charles Stross
- 6 books - Brandon Sanderson
- 5 books - Stephen R. Lawhead
- 5 books - Rick Riordan
- 5 books - Neil Gaiman
- 5 books - Brandon Mull
- 4 books - Peter Clines
- 3 books - Simon Morden
- 3 books - Marissa Meyer
- 3 books - Lev Grossman
- 3 books - Jason M. Hough
- 3 books - Cressida Cowell
- 3 books - China Mi�ville
- 2 books - Wesley Chu
- 2 books - Stefan Bachmann
- 2 books - Scott Meyer
- 2 books - Robert Kirkman
- 2 books - Max Barry
- 2 books - John Scalzi
- 2 books - John Stephens
- 2 books - Jesse Petersen
- 2 books - Jeremy Robinson
Series
With so many books read, you're bound to complete series. Here's a list of the series I read completely this year. Some of them still have books which have not yet been published. I still marked them as "completed":
- Fablehaven (5) - Brandon Mull
- Alcatraz Versus (4) - Brandon Sanderson
- The Merchant Princes (6) - Charles Stross
- Dire Earth Cycle (3) - Jason M. Hough
- Project Kaiju (2) - Jeremy Robinson
- The Magicians (3) - Lev Grossman
- The Lunar Chronicles (3) - Marissa Meyer
- Ex-Heroes (4) - Peter Clines
- The Heroes of Olympus (5) - Rick Riordan
- Magic 2.0 (2) - Scott Meyer
- Samuil Petrovitch (3) - Simon Morden
- The Peculiar (2) - Stefan Bachmann
- Underland Chronicles (5) - Suzanne Collins
- Tao (2) - Wesley Chu
Most read months
Here's a histogram of the months of the year. You can see that I started off strong, waned during the summer months, then pulled it off at the end. I was reading lots of Charles Stross during the summer and his books sort of drained me a little.
- 12 - January
- 14 - February
- 14 - March
- 10 - April
- 9 - May
- 6 - June
- 8 - July
- 9 - August
- 9 - September
- 9 - October
- 8 - November
- 12 - December
Pages Read
41,514. That's a lot of pages. The longest book I read this year was The House of Hades by Rick Riordan at 597 pages. While the shortest was a delightful read: a short tale called If Dragon's Mass Eve Be Cold And Clear by Ken Scholes which you can read for free on Tor.com. The average page length was 345 pages and the page breakdown was as follows:
- 1 - 1-99
- 11 - 100-199
- 25 - 200-299
- 43 - 300-399
- 28 - 400-499
- 12 - 500-599
Audiobooks Heard
Lots of people asked me how I was able to get through so many books, so quickly. I read faster than many, but I'm not a speed reader, I just have a system. I listen to audiobooks on the way to and from work, at double speed. it takes some getting used to, but it turns a 10-12 hour commitment into 5-6 hours. I can generally finish 2-4 audiobook chapters a day, and complete a book in about 1 1/2 weeks. I also read lots of eBooks on my iPhone. I read those while I'm eating breakfast, when I'm putting my kids to bed (while I'm waiting for them to fall asleep with the lights off). Finally I have a paper book that I read while I'm on the couch, or in bed at night. Of the 120 books I read this year, 32 were audiobooks, including 3 complete series, The Magicians, The Peculiar, and The Lunar Chronicles.
As a wrap up, here's the complete list of books for your perusal.
| Title | Author | Rating | Date Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stardust | Neil Gaiman | 5 | 01/03/2014 |
| The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief | Francis S. Collins | 4 | 01/04/2014 |
| The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, #1) | Rick Riordan | 4 | 01/11/2014 |
| The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, #2) | Rick Riordan | 4 | 01/14/2014 |
| Matchstick Men: A Novel About Grifters with Issues | Eric Garcia | 3 | 01/15/2014 |
| The Dog Stars | Peter Heller | 4 | 01/17/2014 |
| 47 Ronin | John Allyn | 3 | 01/18/2014 |
| Railsea | China Mi�ville | 5 | 01/23/2014 |
| The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus, #3) | Rick Riordan | 4 | 01/26/2014 |
| Married With Zombies (Living with the Dead, #1) | Jesse Petersen | 3 | 01/27/2014 |
| Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles, #1) | Suzanne Collins | 3 | 01/29/2014 |
| Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? | Philip K. Dick | 3 | 01/31/2014 |
| The Ocean at the End of the Lane | Neil Gaiman | 5 | 02/01/2014 |
| The Problem of Pain | C.S. Lewis | 4 | 02/02/2014 |
| The Last Colony (Old Man's War #3) | John Scalzi | 4 | 02/05/2014 |
| The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus, #4) | Rick Riordan | 4 | 02/06/2014 |
| Flip This Zombie (Living with the Dead, #2) | Jesse Petersen | 3 | 02/07/2014 |
| Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Underland Chronicles, #2) | Suzanne Collins | 3 | 02/08/2014 |
| Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, #1) | Brandon Sanderson | 4 | 02/11/2014 |
| Scarlet (King Raven, #2) | Stephen R. Lawhead | 3 | 02/11/2014 |
| Allegiant (Divergent, #3) | Veronica Roth | 3 | 02/16/2014 |
| The Godfather | Mario Puzo | 4 | 02/19/2014 |
| The Family Trade (The Merchant Princes, #1) | Charles Stross | 4 | 02/21/2014 |
| Holes (Holes, #1) | Louis Sachar | 4 | 02/22/2014 |
| Lexicon | Max Barry | 4 | 02/23/2014 |
| Kraken | China Mi�ville | 3 | 02/26/2014 |
| The Hidden Family (The Merchant Princes, #2) | Charles Stross | 3 | 03/02/2014 |
| Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones (Alcatraz, #2) | Brandon Sanderson | 3 | 03/03/2014 |
| The Peculiar (The Peculiar, #1) | Stefan Bachmann | 4 | 03/06/2014 |
| Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia | Brandon Sanderson | 3 | 03/08/2014 |
| Tuck (King Raven, #3) | Stephen R. Lawhead | 4 | 03/09/2014 |
| Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Underland Chronicles, #3) | Suzanne Collins | 4 | 03/11/2014 |
| A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1) | Madeleine L'Engle | 3 | 03/15/2014 |
| The Color of Magic (Discworld, #1) | Terry Pratchett | 2 | 03/15/2014 |
| The Rithmatist (Rithmatist, #1) | Brandon Sanderson | 4 | 03/16/2014 |
| Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens (Alcatraz, #4) | Brandon Sanderson | 4 | 03/22/2014 |
| Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, #1) | Pierce Brown | 5 | 03/23/2014 |
| Influx | Daniel Suarez | 5 | 03/28/2014 |
| The Whatnot (The Peculiar, #2) | Stefan Bachmann | 3 | 03/28/2014 |
| Ready Player One | Ernest Cline | 4 | 03/30/2014 |
| The Clan Corporate (The Merchant Princes, #3) | Charles Stross | 4 | 04/06/2014 |
| Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #1) | Ransom Riggs | 4 | 04/08/2014 |
| Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Underland Chronicles, #4) | Suzanne Collins | 4 | 04/12/2014 |
| How to Train Your Dragon (How to Train Your Dragon, #1) | Cressida Cowell | 3 | 04/14/2014 |
| Gregor and the Code of Claw (Underland Chronicles, #5) | Suzanne Collins | 4 | 04/17/2014 |
| Equations of Life (Samuil Petrovitch, #1) | Simon Morden | 4 | 04/20/2014 |
| The Golem and the Jinni | Helene Wecker | 3 | 04/27/2014 |
| The Merchants' War (The Merchant Princes, #4) | Charles Stross | 4 | 04/27/2014 |
| Off to Be the Wizard (Magic 2.0, #1) | Scott Meyer | 4 | 04/29/2014 |
| The Emerald Atlas (The Books of Beginning, #1) | John Stephens | 4 | 04/29/2014 |
| Screw The Galaxy (Hard Luck Hank #1) | Steven Campbell | 4 | 05/04/2014 |
| How to Be a Pirate (How to Train Your Dragon, #2) | Cressida Cowell | 3 | 05/05/2014 |
| The Fire Chronicle (The Books of Beginning, #2) | John Stephens | 4 | 05/09/2014 |
| Ex-Heroes (Ex-Heroes, #1) | Peter Clines | 4 | 05/11/2014 |
| The Revolution Business (The Merchant Princes, #5) | Charles Stross | 3 | 05/15/2014 |
| We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves | Karen Joy Fowler | 3 | 05/18/2014 |
| Ex-Patriots (Ex-Heroes, #2) | Peter Clines | 4 | 05/26/2014 |
| Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War, #4) | John Scalzi | 4 | 05/29/2014 |
| Ex-Communication (Ex-Heroes, #3) | Peter Clines | 4 | 05/30/2014 |
| Fortunately, the Milk | Neil Gaiman | 5 | 06/01/2014 |
| Machine Man | Max Barry | 3 | 06/07/2014 |
| The Skin Map (Bright Empires, #1) | Stephen R. Lawhead | 5 | 06/12/2014 |
| Ex-Purgatory (Ex-Heroes, #4) | Peter Clines | 5 | 06/16/2014 |
| The Trade Of Queens (The Merchant Princes, #6) | Charles Stross | 3 | 06/24/2014 |
| The Bone House (Bright Empires, #2) | Stephen R. Lawhead | 4 | 06/26/2014 |
| Theories of Flight (Samuil Petrovitch, #2) | Simon Morden | 3 | 07/01/2014 |
| Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line | Michael Gibney | 5 | 07/02/2014 |
| How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon, #3) | Cressida Cowell | 3 | 07/07/2014 |
| Next | Michael Crichton | 3 | 07/07/2014 |
| Degrees of Freedom (Samuil Petrovitch, #3) | Simon Morden | 4 | 07/17/2014 |
| George and the Dragon | Philip Tolhurst | 3 | 07/17/2014 |
| Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0, #2) | Scott Meyer | 4 | 07/20/2014 |
| The City & the City | China Mi�ville | 4 | 07/23/2014 |
| The Darwin Elevator (Dire Earth Cycle, #1) | Jason M. Hough | 4 | 08/02/2014 |
| The Lives of Tao (Tao, #1) | Wesley Chu | 4 | 08/02/2014 |
| Boneshaker (The Clockwork Century, #1) | Cherie Priest | 4 | 08/05/2014 |
| Fablehaven (Fablehaven, #1) | Brandon Mull | 4 | 08/07/2014 |
| Odd and the Frost Giants | Neil Gaiman | 5 | 08/14/2014 |
| The Deaths of Tao (Tao, #2) | Wesley Chu | 4 | 08/16/2014 |
| Eleven Twenty-Three | Jason S. Hornsby | 4 | 08/23/2014 |
| The Exodus Towers (Dire Earth Cycle, #2) | Jason M. Hough | 4 | 08/24/2014 |
| The Lure of the Basilisk (Lords of Dus, #1) | Lawrence Watt-Evans | 3 | 08/30/2014 |
| The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1) | Soman Chainani | 3 | 09/03/2014 |
| Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven, #2) | Brandon Mull | 3 | 09/07/2014 |
| The Palace Job (Rogues of the Republic #1) | Patrick Weekes | 3 | 09/09/2014 |
| The Sisters Brothers | Patrick deWitt | 4 | 09/13/2014 |
| The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) | Lev Grossman | 5 | 09/18/2014 |
| NPCs | Drew Hayes | 4 | 09/21/2014 |
| Ringworld (Ringworld, #1) | Larry Niven | 3 | 09/26/2014 |
| The Plague Forge (Dire Earth Cycle, #3) | Jason M. Hough | 3 | 09/26/2014 |
| Project Nemesis (Kaiju, #1) | Jeremy Robinson | 5 | 09/27/2014 |
| Project Maigo (Kaiju, #2) | Jeremy Robinson | 5 | 10/03/2014 |
| Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven, #3) | Brandon Mull | 4 | 10/07/2014 |
| Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) | Suzanne Collins | 5 | 10/08/2014 |
| The Intern's Handbook: A Thriller | Shane Kuhn | 5 | 10/09/2014 |
| James and the Giant Peach | Roald Dahl | 5 | 10/15/2014 |
| Gun Machine | Warren Ellis | 5 | 10/18/2014 |
| The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1) | Agatha Christie | 3 | 10/19/2014 |
| The Magician King (The Magicians, #2) | Lev Grossman | 5 | 10/20/2014 |
| Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven, #4) | Brandon Mull | 4 | 10/30/2014 |
| Makers | Cory Doctorow | 3 | 11/06/2014 |
| Peter Pan | Wendi Lowery | 3 | 11/09/2014 |
| The Magician's Land (The Magicians, #3) | Lev Grossman | 5 | 11/12/2014 |
| The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus, #5) | Rick Riordan | 5 | 11/16/2014 |
| Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, #5) | Brandon Mull | 5 | 11/23/2014 |
| Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) | Marissa Meyer | 4 | 11/25/2014 |
| A Snicker of Magic | Natalie Lloyd | 5 | 11/27/2014 |
| In the Hall of the Dragon King (The Dragon King, #1) | Stephen R. Lawhead | 3 | 11/29/2014 |
| Neverwhere | Neil Gaiman | 4 | 12/04/2014 |
| Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) | Marissa Meyer | 4 | 12/14/2014 |
| The Walking Dead, Vol. 09: Here We Remain | Robert Kirkman | 3 | 12/17/2014 |
| The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become | Robert Kirkman | 3 | 12/17/2014 |
| Starship Grifters | Robert Kroese | 3 | 12/20/2014 |
| The Gilded Chain (King's Blades, #1) | Dave Duncan | 3 | 12/20/2014 |
| Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) | Marissa Meyer | 4 | 12/24/2014 |
| If Dragon's Mass Eve Be Cold And Clear | Ken Scholes | 4 | 12/25/2014 |
| Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook | Anthony Bourdain | 5 | 12/25/2014 |
| Mother Earth Mother Board | Neal Stephenson | 3 | 12/26/2014 |
| Disenchanted | Robert Kroese | 5 | 12/28/2014 |
| The Alloy of Law (Mistborn, #4) | Brandon Sanderson | 5 | 12/28/2014 |