2013: A Year in Review

2013 was my third full year of blogging. I continued my challenge-joining maniacal ways--joining and completing a grand total of 34. I started out the year saying I was going to try and control myself on the number of challenges I signed up for....I guess you could say I was somewhat successful--I joined three less than last year. :-)

I also continued as challenge host in 2012. The Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge continues to be popular and I'm still so very pleased to find so many out there in the interwebs who share my love of older mysteries.  Every year I switch things up and 2013 was no different as I gave my challengers a dose of Vintage Scattergories--with over thirty categories to choose from to fulfill their challenge goal.  The Color Coded Challenges was also popular.  But the overwhelming favorite remains the Mount TBR Challenge with participants in the blogging world as well as on GoodReads. Thanks to everyone who joined me in my own personal brand of challenge-madness!

A continuing regret is that somehow I managed to lose several hours of blog-surfing time during the last two years.  I just don't seem to be able to get out and comment as much as I did in my first year and a half.  I'm still peeking in on most of you--but it's more of a fly-by, I'm afraid.  I did manage to get through nearly all of the reviews--especially for the Vintage Mystery Challenge where I made promises about a scavenger hunt.

Thank you once more to all of the wonderful people out here in the blogosphere--those who follow and just take a peek now and then, those who comment, and those who have become close blogging buddies--especially those of you who share my love of vintage mysteries; I have appreciated your knowledge and how much you've added to my TBR list. Thanks as well to all who sponsored the many challenges which helped feed my reading/challenge habit--they were all great fun!  I hope you all have a fabulous New Year!


And, finally, my year-end stat totals:

Total Books Read: 181
Total Pages: 43,939
Percentage by Female Authors: 48%
Percentage by US Authors: 56%
Percentage by non-US/non-British Authors: 12%
 
3 Australian
5 Canadian
1 Danish
2 French
1 Icelandic

4 Irish
1 New Zealand 
1 Russian
1 Swedish
1 Welsh


Percentage Mystery: 64%
Percentage Fiction: 91%
Percentage written 2000+: 30%
Percentage of Rereads: 8%
Percentage Read for Challenges: 100%  
Number of Challenges fulfilled: 34 (100%)


The Best Reads of 2013 (no rereads allowed)

Five Stars: 
Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr. [text by Burt Boyar]
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell
The Private History of Awe by Scott Russell Sanders
The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Four & 1/2 Stars:
India Black & the Shadows of Anarchy by Carol K. Carr 

Slippage by Harlan Ellison
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Four & 1/4 Stars:
The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier