Thus Concludes 2015

Another enjoyable reading year "in the books."  This post recaps the year and presents what I consider the best of the bunch.

According to my spreadsheet, I completed 74  books this year, but read a percentage (10%-50%) of  11 more works. Those 'partials' totaled 1,353 pages read, so I feel obligated to include them- that's a lot of time.  So let's make it 85 books read, and those totaled  20,509  pages- about 56 pages a day.  That takes less than an hour- it's not nearly as imposing as some think, especially when 3,997 of those pages were listened to on my commute into work.

Of the 85 books, 13 were audiobooks, 7 were eBooks, and 25 came from the library or friends.  I rated 28 a solid 'A' or higher, and 8 a 'C' or lower.  By category, I read 26 graphic novels, 15 history, 12 religion, 6 leadership/business, 6 star wars (books; 23 of the graphic novels were also), 4 literature, 3 Arthurian/Robin Hood, 3 historical fiction,  and a smattering of other genres.

Here are my top ten reads from this year:

E.B. White: Charlotte's Web (review)
E.B. Sledge: With the Old Breed (review)
Robert Leckie: Helmet for my Pillow (review)
Barbara Duguid: Extravagant Grace (review)
Desmond Tutu: No Future Without Forgiveness (review)
F.F. Bruce: The Canon of Scripture  (review)
Barbara Tuchman: A Distant Mirror (review)
Pearcey & Thaxton: The Soul of Science (review)
Corrie Ten Boom: The Hiding Place (review)
Norman Davies: Europe: A History (review)

And five honorable mentions:

Various: The Best Blades (Star Wars Clone Wars Vol. 5) (review)
Peter Drucker: The Essential Drucker (review)
DK Publishing: World War I- Complete Visual History (review)
Dee Brown: Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee (review)
Edith Hamilton: Mythology (review)

Of these fifteen, ten were historical (in at least some aspect).  As time progresses, my reading interests seem to focus on history, classic literature, and Star Wars.  I'm drifting away from historical fiction- a good history book can be as thrilling/interesting as fiction, and more factual to boot.

Happy reading in 2016!