How many books did I actually read in 2019? You and I are about to find out. All I know is that it was a lot more than I'd read in the previous two years. This was a combination of a couple things:

- Reading takes much less mental effort than writing, and I felt a lot less guilty spending two hours reading a whole book than three hours trying to squeeze out a paragraph when I didn't have the time for either.

- My editor recommended me to join a Facebook group of Christian fantasy and sci-fi authors. This place is super friendly, people are ALWAYS asking for recommendations and gushing about their latest read, and it's pretty much impossible for someone like me to not get involved.

- I got comfortable using my debit card for online spending (though I do hate saying bye to the money, I no longer feel like I'm going to make some mystical error in judgment and explode the universe or my bank account while making a transaction)

- Finally, nightwraith17 demanded to know my reading wishlist before I came to visit her, and borrowed from the library accordingly.

So, without further chit-chat (and in no particular order)...

1-7. Tales of Goldstone Wood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. These were recommended to me by Ellowyne, and I read the first five at Night's house. Eventually I purchased the latest two so I could read those as well, and someday I'll get around to buying the first five... XD

These are books of contradiction. The stories never go the way one expects at the outset, yet one is seldom disappointed. The unique style of prose is evocative yet very straightforward. Instances of the high and the beautiful are juxtaposed with charmingly down-to-earth elements. The faults in characters are so human and so glaring as to make us cringe, yet there is admirability in them of such heights as to make us marvel. These are stories of superlativity that somehow manages to seem very, very real. They are, quite simply, fairy tales.

8. The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling. A library pick by one of my siblings. London steampunk. Not a work of literary genius, but quick and memorable with great characters.

9. Divergent by Veronica Roth. This one impressed me with the author's ability to weave tension, but not much else.

10. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I heard about this book EVERYWHERE before I finally picked it up from the library. Could barely put it down to go to work that day. All the good things people say about it are true. It didn't make me cry as much as I expected to, though, maybe because I had heard so much about the tragic ending that I was mentally fortified for it when it happened.

11. Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I wanted to read this ever since Illeandir mentioned it to me, and got it from the library along with The Book Thief.

This book was actually not at all what I expected. I had envisioned something along the tone of Alas, Babylon (which I read in high school and highly enjoyed). This was more visceral, more blunt, with an appalling climax and conclusion. I liked the concept and found the story gripping, though the introspective style was peculiar: sometimes almost immature and other times so abstract I could barely tell what was going on. A four-star read for me.

12. A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones. I've been curious about Jones ever since, while reading an analysis of Tolkien's impact on literature, I saw the author reference her book Fire and Hemlock (as an example of fantasy not ripping off Tolkien).

This book was not hugely my thing. I've noticed I have a trend of disliking time travel stories, and I think that overall the writing, story, and characters would appeal to a younger audience. Still not a bad book; fascinating. Ironically, I enjoyed the cameo parts in England best.

13-14. Shield of Stars and Sword of Waters by Hilari Bell. These were the first two in a series of three. I think our library must not have had the third, but I was not the one who borrowed them, only read them seeing as they were available.

These were pretty solid, mostly non-magical stories. I say mostly because there was some weird card-reading, fortune-telling stuff that seemed supposed to work, though like most fortune telling concepts it was cryptic and generally unhelpful. The religious aspects of the books, and the preachy feministic messages in book 2 ("I hate wearing dresses! All these shallow women who only care about embroidery suck!"), annoyed me. But the writing and story was decent, and I think that the second book might have redeemed itself by the end.

15. Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher. The things I remember best about this book is that I liked the kid characters and their arcs pretty well, the magic system was shaky, the action was fast-paced and sometimes confusing, and the lack of parental involvement frustrated me. I don't like it when the parent should be in the picture but the author comes up with excuse after excuse to get him/her out. Also the author pretended to kill a character I really liked and then brought him back from the dead only to kill him later. I can't remember most of the critical plot points or how it ended. I would not read a sequel unless I had nothing else.

16. The Stolen Papyrus by our very own bibliolumbricus (Cate M. Turner). 😄 Suspenseful archaeology with some tempestuous enemies-to-friends romance? Yes, please.

17. The Book of Secrets by our very own person I already tagged earlier in this chapter. I'm not sure if I solidly reread this book in 2019 but I know I read parts of it, and I hardcore skimmed the whole thing at least once while helping Night look for typos. Go forth, my friends, and read of shrugcats.

18. The Staff and the Sword trilogy by Patrick W. Carr. These are also recommendations from Illeandir. The first book feels a lot like Eragon, but better written, and with the minor difference that the protagonist is not only illiterate, he's the village alcoholic. His journey, suffering, and transformation is ultimately one of the most staggeringly beautiful stories I have read.

19. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. This was the first of the eight books I read at Night's house. Excellent and thought-provoking, with Lewis' signature wit and telling logic. I disagreed with a few of his doctrinal points, but that only served to further stimulate my reading experience.

20. Seventh City by Emily Hayse. Have I gushed about this one on here yet? Y'all, so good. Alaskan fantasy. Stark northern landscapes, humanity at its best and worst, slow songs by the campfire and reckless plans to save a sibling. And love unfolding out of hatred.

21-22. Ice and Fate duology by H.L. Burke. Months later, I'm still feeling bad because I can't pin down what I didn't like about these books. I had trouble connecting emotionally to the characters, which I don't understand because I related to them quite well and they were written just fine. I did feel that the second book didn't quite deliver on the first, though I loved its epilogue. Ultimately, I rated the two 4 and 3 stars respectively. Still feel bad that I can't figure out my reticence.

23. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. This was fantasy so immersive and complex that it was actually a mental workout to read. But an enjoyable mental workout.

24. Fairest Son by H.S.J. Williams. A quick little novellette read: genderbent Snow White retelling with a bit of a twist. I loved the messages and the tone of this story, although I think the writing style isn't fully matured. Also, it has gorgeous illustrations by the author and I'm now following her on Instagram (SHE DOES SILMARILLION FANART)

25-27. The Books of Bayern 1-3 by Shannon Hale. I'm not terribly familiar with the Goose Girl tale, but whether that had any bearing on the matter or not, I loved this retelling and the subsequent stories set in the same world. Like the author of Seventh City, Hale writes with a beautiful insight into human nature that makes her stories particularly rich.

28. Oath of the Outcast by C.M. Banschbach. I had such a hangover after this book that I had to write the author fanmail to get it out of my system. Lots of good, complex themes and so like my talkplays with my sister that it was almost surreal and a bit like treating myself to a guilty pleasure.

29-31. Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. I'm still niggling over how to write my Goodreads review, but wow. This guy can write a book.

This time the book hangover drove me to Pinterest where I drowned my feelz in the fanart and textposts and groaned because there was not enough to fill my wounded soul.

32. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I picked this up from our library's used bookstore half because I wanted to read it and half because it was such a nice edition (Barnes & Noble hardback with a dust jacket). It was interestingly philosophical, not quite what I expected, and mildly stressful. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it.

33. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. I almost forgot about this book. It disappointed me. It was even worse than the severely abridged edition I read as a kid. As a portrayal of war, it may have some merit, but as a novel, it leaves much to be desired.

34. Dear Author: Letters from a Bookish Fangirl by Laura A. Grace. An uplifting, heartfelt booklet of letters, as the title states, from a bookish fangirl. I was on the street team for this book and wholeheartedly recommend.

35. For the Love of a Word by various authors. I read an ARC of this anthology, also a series of letters to authors, but this time from the perspective of authors themselves. Also a very uplifting and comforting book, with something for authors of every stripe.

36. Fawkes by Nadine Brandes. I knew I was forgetting something! *cries in feels*

37. Servant, Mercenary, Brother by Selena R. Gonzalez. This is a prequel/side story to a book that's coming out in 2020. I read it when it was an email subscriber gift, but now it's on Amazon instead, so I get to stick it on my list, I guess. XD Fun snapshot chapters tracing the protagonist from childhood to manhood.

38. Silas Marner by George Eliot. I read this early in the year (one of my sister's schoolbooks) but I'm pretty sure it was 2019. I'm running out of energy to talk about books and this one was awhile ago so I'll just say I like the name Eppie.

And that closes out the 2019 books I can pull from memory and/or my bookshelf.

I know I reread some books over the course of the year, but which ones and how many? I don't know. A couple theology/devotional books, a couple novels, a couple kiddy books that I randomly pick up while eating breakfast. I think it's safe to put my grand total around fifty.

I also beta-read three lengthy novels (all near or upwards of 100,000 words), excellent works, that I look forward to seeing published in the coming year or two.

Well, that was fun, but still sorry I couldn't get a fully conclusive count. Guess I'll have to keep better track this year XD (Who am I kidding, I don't have time for that...)