If you follow this blog even distantly, you can see that it’s mostly book reviews. That’s a change I made this year to focus on what we all have in common—a love of reading!

To help me refocus my own reading efforts, I joined two reading challenges this year. The first was by book count: I set a goal of reading 50 books in 2019; I read 93. My other challenge was thematic—I was given a list of book types and I had to find one that fit into that category. I liked that challenge because it made me get out of my comfort zone. The book reviews are already posted, but here’s a look at the books I read (and their categories) in 2019:

A friend/family member recommended: Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter
Based on a true story: Indivisible by Travis Thatcher
That has won an award: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
Set in your home state: Wish by Jake Smith
With a blue cover: Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
With a one-word title: Night by Elie Weisel
Written by a male author: The Celebrity by Robert Elmer
Originally published in a different language: The History of Bees by Maja Lunde
With a number in the title: The Three Miss Margrets by Louise Schaffer
An author’s debut novel: At First Glance by Susan Tuttle
Has at least 500 pages: The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier
By a new-to-me author: Hey Big Spender by Gemma Halliday
Independently or self-published: Betrayal of the Bands by Sarah Tipton
Chosen strictly on cover appeal: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Set in World War II: The Diplomat’s Daughter by Karin Tanabe
By an author with my initials: Not by Sight by Kate Breslin
That I could read in a day: Lena’s Lucky Charm by Tami Franklin
Protagonist has the same occupation as me: Rival Hearts by Tara Randel
Outside of my comfort zone: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Made into/in the process of being made into a movie: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
A coming-of-age story: The Long Journey to Jake Palmer by James L. Rubart
With north, south, east, or west in the title: South of Superior by Ellen Airgood
Published this year: Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton
Set in the mountains: Mercy’s Rain by Cindy Sproles
A humorous book: Turtles in the Road by Rhonda and Kaley Rhea

I’m looking forward to another great year of reading in 2020. What about you—what book(s) are you most looking forward to in the new year?