Fellow book whores,

So… as you all know… I have a yearly ritual.

I read a shit tonne of books.

Then I share about what I read and the best books of the year in an annual blog post.

You can read the archive here: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.

Oh! Yay! So that means it’s the fifth anniversary! AWWWWW!

I didn’t realise that till just this moment… but it makes me even more squeeful.

This year, I did something a little different.

I kept an illustrated reading log, and rated each book out of 5 hearts.

You can download and read it right here.

And as always, the usual disclaimers apply:

• many of these books have been around for a good while. This isn’t a list of 2015 best new releases. This is an autobiographical look at my own personal reading list.
• if you are looking for common sense reviews that concisely detail the thematic undercurrents of the book… you’re in the wrong place. Leonie-reviews are a blend upon themselves.

THE STATE OF THE READING HABITS

But first – a my regular report on my reading habits.

HOW MANY BOOKS I READ

I read 85 books this year, 35ish of those being trashy romantic novels. Specifically, my genre of trash is sweet Victorian/Regency romance (think spinsters fucking dukes) where there’s a bit of smut, but not the whole plot.

My goal was 52 this year, so I feel groovy with that. It’s not my biggest number yet – I think I read over 250 the year that I discovered trashy romance  on my Kindle. Still, much of those were small novellas, whereas now I read longer trashy romance.

WHAT I READ MY BOOKS ON

Over the years they have gone from:

• paper books only to
• Kindle obsessed to
• a turn back to paper books (keeping Kindle to read trashy romance novels on) to
• paperbooks and including audiobooks in the mix.

I didn’t change how I read this year apart from I leant even further away from Kindle. I think I only read one or two books this year on Kindle.

I discovered instead that I could buy my beloved trashy romance novels fairly cheap at bookstores, and in second hand stores, so I’ve taken to buying them by the barrelful, and then exchanging them at the second hand store when done.

Honestly, I love reading on paper, and feeling like I am totally away from screens. Feels more relaxing.

I’ve also started taking regular long baths. Paper books are way better for bath reads than Kindle!

WHERE I BUY MY BOOKS FROM

• Most books: Book Depository (cheaper than stores, bigger range, free international shipping, cheaper than Amazon for Australians)
• Books bought IRL (more expensive but dammit I love swanning about in real bookstores): Dymocks Tuggeranong and Paperchain Manuka
• Favourite secondhand bookstore: Canty’s
• Audiobooks: Audible

NOW… WHAT BOOKS DID I DANG WELL READ?

Click here to download my illustrated reading log!

Don’t Forget!

I, you know, write and illustrate and self publish my own best-selling books too!

Ones that apparently are a little bit popular (used by over a quarter of a million people worldwide).

Click here to order yours!

Happy reading, my sweet bibliophiles!