At the beginning of January, I started tracking the books I read at Goodreads. Curiosity, mostly, and maybe to cut down on buying duplicates. Also because everybody else was. (Yes, if I wasn’t afraid of heights and water, I’d probably jump off a bridge if all my friends did.)
So according to this non-scientific, probably not exactly accurate tally, I read 62 books in 2010. (We’re not going to discuss how many I bought. I actually stopped keeping track of that a few months in because seeing the number of books I was buying made me feel some pressure to buy fewer and…to hell with that.)
Keeping in mind I chose the categories for these and that some overlap (like contemporary categories, for example), the rough breakdown is:
Contemporary romance — 37
Category romance — 16 (I’m surprised that’s not higher, but there were some great single title contemporary romances this year, which ate up some time.)
Erotic — only 1 that I’d classify as erotic romance, though some of the others were quite steamy
Historical — 11, and all 11 were medieval
Paranormal — just 1 (the latest BDB)
Romantic suspense — 9
Steampunk — 1 (Well, technically 1.5, I guess, because I read the novella that was a prequel to the novel, but I didn’t mark it down because I didn’t read the other 3 novellas in the anthology)
Westerns — 3 (all contemporary McKettricks)
Non-romance — only 4: 2 Stephen Kings, Nicholas Sparks (WTF was I thinking?) and Fantasy In Death.
In looking over my list, I know I missed some. For instance, I read Jaci Burton’s All She Wants For Christmas. And Hidden Away, the third KGI book coming 3/11 from Maya Banks. (Yes, I am a lucky girl!)
And I read Jaci Burton’s….you know what? This paragraph needs some hot and sweaty.

There. That’s better.
Continuing with my I’m a lucky girl theme, I got to read Hot, Sweaty Football Guy (I think its real title is The Perfect Play) early, but everybody can stroke the cover—I mean read the book—on February 1st. And just to ensure that you get Hot, Sweaty Football Guy at the earliest possible second, you should preorder it! (Because, yes, the story is as delicious as the cover!) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Where was I? This always happens when I see Jaci’s cover…
Oh yeah. Reading. So that would be 65? I’m not going to drive myself nuts trying to remember titles I read but forgot to enter into Goodreads, so I’m calling it good.
Overall, I wish I’d read more. Not because I’d like a higher number, but because that would have meant I got to read more. But I also wrote 2 books and a novella, so I’m happy with it.
As the calendar flips over into 2011, I’m currently still listening to Jennifer Crusie’s Maybe This Time on audio, and I’m reading Jo Goodman’s Marry Me. I don’t even have words for how much I’m loving it.
My favorite book of 2010: I don’t even have to think about it. The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook.
To repost my Goodreads comments:
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’ve been holding off marking this book as “read” because I really wanted to write a review for it. Reviews aren’t something I write particularly well, however, and there are already so many excellent and comprehensive reviews of this title on the ‘net, so in list form: Brilliant. Emotional. Amazing. Rich. Breathtaking. Multi-layered. Engrossing. Imaginative. Action-y. Romantic.
I wasn’t sure how I’d like steampunk but, not only am I anxiously awaiting the next Iron Seas novel, but I’m looking for more steampunk reads. I’m afraid I won’t find any as good as this one, though.
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I love you, Shan.
xoxoxo