Let's Bust a Recap : 2018

Y'all. We are on the eve of 2019, and this has been my best reading year yet. When I made my very first personal book list back in 2015 (the year I started this blog), I way overshot it and didn't even read half the books on that list. I've done better and better each year, and I realized last month that in 2018 I have more than tripled the amount of books I read that first year. You guys. That's exciting to me. I may not be hitting numbers in the hundreds like some of you amazing bloggers out there, but I'm feeling good about what I've accomplished and resolved to keep chipping away at my impossible LIFE LIST.

So what was my total?? Well, first, let me remind you that my official goal for 2018 was to read the 24 books on my list. If you've been with me for a couple years now, you might remember that I also make a secret goal for myself that I don't share until the end of the year if I actually nailed it. My secret goal this year was to read three books each month. Not an overall average to read 36 books but to complete three full books each calendar month. I barely squeaked by with my three books in November and December, but I stuck to it and I made it. Not only that, there were several months that I exceeded my three book goal to bring my final tally for 2018 to 45 books. Before I give you the list of what I read this year, I just want to encourage you to read more. Quantity doesn't matter; reading does. If you read one book in 2019, that is better than reading zero books.

Here's my final 2018 list. You can click the title if you're interested in reading more about what I thought of each book. (Although I didn't write recaps for every single one, so if you want my thoughts on Anne Shirley, I'll tell you: she's fabulous.)

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (re-read) : completed 1/5
So nice to start the year off with a visit with Anne Shirley. Especially...

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle : completed 1/17
...when followed by this children's classic that I thought was a complete waste of my time.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck : completed 1/19
Sad per usual for Steinbeck, but I liked this better than Of Mice and Men. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald : completed 1/29
After finally reading it, I think this short novel is way overhyped, but I'm glad I checked this one off this year.

I Believed in 'Issa, I Met Jesus by Jamel Attar : completed 1/30
Excellent way to end my January reading.

Outrageous Grace by Grace L. Fabian : completed 2/13
Still in awe over this woman's incredible story of bravery and faithfulness. 

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (re-read) : completed 2/19
Haley over at Carrots for Michaelmas wrote a post this year saying this is the best Anne book, and, while I truly love it, I can never never never choose a favorite Anne book. 

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare : completed 2/27
Super fun, but Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew are still duking it out for my top-billing Shakespearean comedy. 

James Madison: A Life Reconsidered by Lynne Cheney : completed 3/14
Okay but certainly not the best biography I've read and definitely not as good as the other Madison biography I read this year. 

The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers : completed 3/21
Anything by Francine Rivers is always a pleasure. 

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum : completed 3/29
I'm still not over those silver slippers, you guys. 

Night by Elie Wiesel : completed 4/8
Heavy but worth it. 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini : completed 4/26
The freaking worst. 

Sisterchicks Do the Hula! by Robin Jones Gunn : completed 4/30
Needed this after the last two. Thanks, Robin!

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks : completed 5/20
This one gets the Made Me Cry the Most award. I could not see through my tears reading that last chapter. 

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak : completed 5/24
Fun but definitely not on the same level as The Book Thief. 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy : completed 5/29
My first Russian novel was not as hard as I thought it would be! 

The Professor by Charlotte Brontë : completed 6/11
This was my least favorite Brontë novel to date. 

Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery (re-read) : completed 6/20
This book often gets such a bad rep for being people's least favorite Anne book, but how do you people not adore Aunt Kate, Aunt Chatty, and Rebecca Dew??

God Is Able by Priscilla Shirer : completed 6/26
I can still visualize Ephesians 3:20-21 clearly in my mind because of this book. So excellent. 

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck : completed 6/30
One of the best books I read this year. Tragic but beautiful. Highly recommend.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom : completed 7/13
This one made me sad and happy at the same time. I want to live life to the end with dignity like Morrie did. 

Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn (re-read) : completed 7/16
I decided to revisit Glenbrooke this year, and I have zero regrets about that.

The Three Lives of James Madison by Noah Feldman : completed 7/30
For sure the superior Madison biography of the two I read this year.

31 Days of Praise by Ruth & Warren Myers : completed 7/31
Loved, loved, loved this precious devotional.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Shaffer & Barrows : completed 8/2
BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. Instantly added to my all-time favorites list.

Song of Deborah by Bette M. Ross : completed 8/7
An entertaining take on the life of the Old Testament prophetess. 

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman : completed 8/16
Such a hard book, but really good (excepting that whole past/present tense issue). 

Othello by William Shakespeare : completed 8/22
Iago is one lowdown dude. Worst Shakespearean villain I've seen.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster : completed 8/27
Such a delight. Still can't get over the fact that I missed out on this one when I was a kid. 

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis : completed 8/30
Jack never disappoints.

Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery (re-read) : completed 9/5

Whispers by Robin Jones Gunn (re-read) : completed 9/9

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens : completed 9/21
Dickens is earning his place in my book as one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era.

The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson : completed 9/27
Probably the most academic book I read this year, and I really appreciated the content.

Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard : completed 10/9
Very sweet and encouraging.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern : completed 10/23
I wasn't sure how I would like this one but I enjoyed it a lot more than I anticipated.

Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn (re-read) : completed 10/25

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie : completed 10/29
I'm still sitting here grinning thinking about that wrap-up.

Alcatraz From Inside by Jim Quillen : completed 11/14
Glad I read this. Compassion and justice are not mutually exclusive.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers : completed 11/27
You know, I'm finding Mary Poppins herself to be a less likeable character than I anticipated, but these books are a lot of fun.

Mary Poppins Comes Back by P.L. Travers : completed 11/30
I'm thinking I will write one all-inclusive recap of the Mary Poppins books once I have finished them all.

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy : completed 12/24
Y'all. This was the book that nearly knocked me off my secret goal this year. I actually saved it for the end of the year because I enjoyed Tess of the D'Urbervilles so much and thought this one would be enjoyable as well. But I was wrong. It was a slog. I still have a couple Hardy novels on my Life List, but this one has dampened my enthusiasm a little bit. Not sure if I'll take the time to write a recap for this one. Let me know in the comments if you'd be interested in one.

Mary Poppins Opens the Door by P.L. Travers : completed 12/28
Three down, two to go with Mary Poppins.

Sunsets by Robin Jones Gunn (re-read) : completed 12/31
Okay, full disclosure. At the time I publish this post, I haven't actually finished this book yet, but I have nothing else on my agenda for this New Years Eve than to be snuggled up in my coziest Christmas pj's reading this book and eating Ben&Jerry's Half-baked ice cream while my husband is at work like the full-on hermit that I am. If I somehow don't finish this book by midnight, I will come back and edit this post and take it all back because this is my third book for December so if I can't get to the end of it, I will have failed my secret goal for 2018. Say a prayer.

And there you have it! Tune back in tomorrow for my 2019 book list and have a safe time partying tonight. Like I said, I'll be at home with my dogs and my book.

What did you read this year? Don't be shy about putting your full list down there in the comments or linking to your year-end wrap-ups. Did you accomplish any 2018 resolutions that you're proud of? Take a little time to reflect before we plunge into the madness of a brand new year!