Friends! It’s that time of the year when I remind you how completely neurotic I am!
Ever year, I keep a color-coded spreadsheet of all the books I buy and all the books I read. Why do I do this? I really have no idea, except that it’s bizarrely satisfying to me. I can’t keep my closet or my files organized to save my life, but there’s something about all those little rows of data that warms my weird heart.
And what’s better than neurotic oddness besides SHARING your neurotic oddness? (Nothing. The answer is nothing.) Therefore, behold, my book-buying and reading statistics for 2014!
THE BUYING STATS:
In total, I bought 131 books this year, which is actually DOWN one from last year! (My buying total has risen steadily each year since I started keeping track in 2010, so I think I deserve a round of applause.) Here’s the breakdown:
41% YA;
18% middle grade;
21% adult fiction;
9% nonfiction;
11% graphic novels.
These numbers have been pretty much the same year to year up until now, but this year is markedly different. Lots more adult and lots more graphic novels than usual!
11% of those were ebooks, which is down from last year, despite the fact that I had an e-reader this year and didn’t have one last year.
8% of these were audiobooks, which is a new phenomenon for me this year. I love them.
I bought 55% of my books at indie bookstores and the other 45% at Barnes and Noble. As always, I did not buy a single book from Amazon.
10% were books I’d already read as ARCs but felt the need to own anyway.
79% of the books were written by women.
I only finished 66% of the books I bought, which is down from last year’s 75%. Curses!
First book I bought this year: SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL, Trish Doller
Last book I bought this year: THIS SHATTERED WORLD, Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Month I bought the most books: February and August, with 16 each
Month I bought the fewest books: July, with 5 (such restraint!)
I’m not going to tell you how much money I spent on books because it is ABSURD. It was, however, up 8% from last year, despite the fact that I bought fewer books. This makes sense, as I have discovered a deep love for graphic novels this year, and those things are freaking expensive.
THE READING STATS:
I read 143 books this year, up one from last year! (Man, I’m consistent.) The breakdown was as follows:
50% YA;
10% middle grade;
19% adult fiction;
20% graphic novels;
9% non-fiction.
This is also WAY more balanced than last year. Good job diversifying, me!
10% of those books were rereads.
15% of those books were ARCs.
9% of these books were audiobooks.
80% of those books were written by women (and that’s actually DOWN from last year.)
Month I read the most books: September, with 16
Month I read the fewest books: October, with 7 (I guess I was burned out from September?)
First book I read this year: SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL, Trish Doller
Last book I read this year: ONE MORE THING, BJ Novak (and oh, how strange it was.)
Stay tuned; tomorrow I’ll post my favorite reads of the year!