Reflecting On My Own Year in Reading
After breaking down the "Best of" lists last week, I thought about how interesting it would be to look at my own year of reading YA in different categories and see what I did and did not get to. Then I read this post over at YA Highway about making a commitment to be a better reading in the upcoming year, and I knew it would be worth it to look and see what a year in my reading life really looked like. While I don't believe in making reading resolutions -- that's something I talked about at the beginning of this year -- I do think there is a value in looking at what I am reading and reflecting upon why and how those were the titles I chose to spend time with. I think there's merit, too, in considering what books I didn't read and how and where I can better expand my reading in the future.
My reading this year has been significantly impacted by being on a committee. This committee has made me read a lot of books outside my comfort zone. I'll be so bold as to suggest that I have read far more authors of diverse backgrounds when it comes to race, ethnicity, religious viewpoint, sexuality, and more than I ever have in my entire life. It's been an amazing experience, and I can't wait to talk a little bit more about it when my committee develops out final list at ALA Midwinter in January. Though I have read fewer titles this year than I have in recent years -- about 170 so far, as opposed to breaking over 200 the last couple of years -- I've read much wider and deeper than I think I ever have.
Because I can't really talk about the books I've read for that committee nor what those books look like quite yet, what I decided to do for this post was look exclusively at the YA fiction titles that I've read in 2013. As of this writing, I've read 72 YA titles in the past year.
What have I read? Here's a list, in moderately chronological order from the beginning of the year:
Pretty Girl-13Liz ColeyThe MurmuringsCarly Anne WestJust One DayGayle FormanThousand WordsJennifer BrownAll You Never WantedAdele GriffinBlack HelicoptersBlythe WoolstonThe Whole Stupid Way We AreN. GriffinI'm With StupidGeoff HerbachWild AwakeHilary SmithScowlerDaniel KrausCharm and StrangeStephanie KuehnBruisedSarah SkiltonMe, Him, Them, and ItCaela CarterDr. Bird's Advice for Sad PoetsEvan RoskosOut of the EasyRuta SepetysSex and ViolenceCarrie MesrobianPinnedSharon DraperRottenMichael Northrop17 & GoneNova Ren SumaPermanent RecordLeslie StellaOver YouAmy ReedIf You Could Be MineSara FarizanStarting From HereLisa Jenn BigelowThe Book of Broken HeartsSarah OcklerChasing BeforeLenore AppelhansCurveball: The Year I Lost My GripJordan SonnenblickFault LineChrista DesirYaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your AssMeg MedinaSecond ImpactDavid Klass / Perri KlassIf He Had Been With MeLara NowlinThe Chocolate WarRobert CormierSoldPatricia McCormickFreakboyKristin Elizabeth ClarkSex and ViolenceCarrie MesrobianSeptember GirlsBennett MadisonWingerAndrew SmithForgive Me, Leonard PeacockMatthew QuickTomorrowCK Kelly MartinThe ProgramSuzanne YoungThe Moon and MoreSarah DessenAll Our Pretty SongsSarah McCarryAll The Truth That's in MeJulie BerryMaggot MoonSally GardnerRottersDaniel KrausTo Be Perfectly HonestSonya SonesInfinite Moment of UsLauren MyracleTeethHannah MoskowitzRoomiesTara Altebrando / Sara ZarrFangirlRainbow RowellReality BoyAS KingThin SpaceJody CasellaThe Theory of EverythingKari LunaCinderMarissa MeyerOCD Love StoryCorey Ann HayduBright Before SunriseTiffany SchmidtDead EndsErin Jade LangeFriday Never LeavingVikki WakefieldMeet Me at the RiverNina de GramontEngines of the Broken WorldJason Van HeeThe Golden DayUrsula DuboraskyWaking DarkRobin WassermanChasing ShadowsSwati AvasthiThe In-BetweenBarbara StewartInheritanceMalinda LoSickTom LeveenJuvieSteve WatkinsInk is Thicker Than WaterAmy SpaldingHeartbeatElizabeth ScottWe Were LiarsE LockhartPrince of Venice BeachBlake NelsonThe Killing WoodsLucy ChristopherJust One Year Gayle Forman
Gender Breakdown
When it came to my own year in reading, I definitely read more female authors than I did male authors. This doesn't surprise me at all -- though it's also not intentional nor is it out of some principle I hold to read more female authors than male. I think the books I most wanted to read this year happened to also be written by female authors, and I do think because there are more females writing and publishing YA, the opportunity to read more females presents itself.
I read a total of 72 authors this year. I doubled up on two authors: Gayle Forman and Daniel Kraus. I counted them each only one time. Of those 72 authors, 80% were female and 20% were male.
Because I broke down the gender of main characters in the "best of" analysis, I thought I'd break down the gender of main characters in my own reading, too. This was tough because of multiple characters, but I found I'd had 84 main characters to pull from. Because it was too hard to tease out who were or weren't main characters in Robin Wasserman's The Waking Dark, I chose to keep that book out of this tally.
Like with the "best of" breakdown, the percentages are a little closer together than they were with gender of authors. There was one book featuring a trans main character, and I read 32 male characters and 51 female main characters.
Front List and Back List
What sort of distribution was there when it came to date of publication in my YA reading habits? Did I tackle more front list than back list?
It doesn't surprise me in the least that I read far more books published in 2013 than I did books published prior. There were a total of 60 books I read published in 2013, with 7 books published prior to this year. I also read 5 books that will be published in 2014.
Again, I don't put pressure on myself to reach certain reading goals, but I do think I want to spend a little more time in the coming year reading more books from the back list. I will say that this year I bought more books that were back list titles than I have in the past. I just haven't yet read them. Perhaps it's time to get working on that.
Books by Genre
I know I read primarily realistic fiction, and that was especially true at the beginning of this year when I was trying to wrap up reading some titles for my own book on contemporary YA. I also know I read quite a bit of horror, and that played out in an article I was able to write for School Library Journal in September.
But what did the actual distribution of YA genres look like this year for me?
Almost 70% of my reads this year were realistic, with historical fiction and horror in far second and third place. I read an equal number of science fiction and fantasy titles, as well as two titles I chose to classify as magical realism, rather than putting them in another category.
LGBTQ and POC Representation
I know one place I can definitely do better, and it is reading more titles written by or featuring LGBTQ or POC. I'm trying to be more observant of this because I want to make sure these are titles I'm spending more time reading and recommending not only here at the blog, but also in my own work in the library.
Out of the 72 books I read this year, I read a total of 9 books that were written by or featured LGBTQ characters or situations within them (by "situations," I mean it's a plot point or discussion when the main character may not identify). Some books do double duty, and the author and a character identify.
The books I put in this category include:
Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter (the main character's aunts are lesbians)Over You by Amy ReedIf You Could Be Mine by Sara FarizanStarting From Here by Lisa Jenn BigelowFreakboy by Kristin Elizabeth ClarkWinger by Andrew SmithTeeth by Hannah MoskowitzThe Waking Dark by Robin WassermanInheritance by Malinda Lo
When it came to POC in the books I read this year, I did a little bit better. But I could still improve in my reading. I read a total of 11 books written by or featuring POC characters or situations within them (again, by "situations," I mean it's a plot point or discussion when the main character may not identify, such as in Geoff Herbach's I'm With Stupid, where Felton's girlfriend/not-a-girlfriend is biracial). Some books do double duty, and the author and a character identify.
The books I put in this category include:
I'm With Stupid by Geoff HerbachCharm & Strange by Stephanie KuehnPinned by Sharon DraperPermanent Record by Leslie StellaIf You Could Be Mine by Sara FarizanThe Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah OcklerFault Line by Christa DesirYaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina Sold by Patricia McCormickChasing Shadows by Swati AvasthiInheritance by Malinda Lo
Debut and Seasoned Authors
The final category I looked at in my YA reading this year was whether the books I read were written by debut or more seasoned authors. I limited myself to the 60 books I read published in 2013.
I read a total of 23 novels by debut authors this year and 37 written by more seasoned authors. I'm pretty impressed with this divide, actually: I read far more debut novels this year than I thought I did.
What I'm Taking From This
I'm not sure there is a whole lot to "take" from breaking down my own YA reading this year, though it does offer insight into the kinds of books I tend to gravitate towards. Part of this was certainly related to outside projects going on in my life -- I saved a number of books I was really looking forward to reading as rewards for getting through committee reading. I also front loaded this year on realistic fiction so I could write about them in some way.
Part of me wonders what it would look like if I broke down my year in writing reviews and features here on STACKED. I wonder if I don't talk enough about diversity or about other topics outside my own comfort zone. But then I think about those things I did write about: female sexuality, body politics, and more, and I'm seeing that the way I read really does impact what I'm writing about, whether I'm calling something out specifically or not. It all influences my thinking and my perspective on reading and on writing about reading.
Which brings me back to that YA Highway post and a quote from Haruki Murakami that has been one of my all-time favorite quotes for years: If you only read the same books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
The more I push myself to read outside my comfort zone, the more I think I'm able to write outside my comfort zone and the more I'm able to read those books I love reading and which are comfortable to me in a manner that makes them have more power or impact -- whether it's because I discover I like them more or because I discover they might be problematic or speak to an issue in a way I never thought about before. While my YA reading year didn't feature as much diversity as I hoped, my committee reading certainly has, and I see where the ideas I've read about there and the voices I've experienced have impacted my thinking about the other things I've read.
For those who love reading and those who love to talk about reading, particularly those who spread their love of reading to other readers or emerging readers, I think spending time to reflect upon your own reading is invaluable. I don't think you have to set goals or resolutions to read or do certain things in your habits. But I do think when you look at the hard data and admit to yourself where you're weak, you're acknowledging something about yourself and about the perspective you have. Even though I don't set goals, I see where I have some holes and I find that I want to do better. Not only does it make me a better reader and a better global citizen, but it helps me better encourage other readers to do the same thing.
When it comes to the end of the year and reflecting upon your own reading, do you notice any trends? Are there things you wish you did better? Or are there things you're impressed you did do, even if it didn't feel like it in the moment? I'd love to hear what you see in a year's worth of your own reading.
My reading this year has been significantly impacted by being on a committee. This committee has made me read a lot of books outside my comfort zone. I'll be so bold as to suggest that I have read far more authors of diverse backgrounds when it comes to race, ethnicity, religious viewpoint, sexuality, and more than I ever have in my entire life. It's been an amazing experience, and I can't wait to talk a little bit more about it when my committee develops out final list at ALA Midwinter in January. Though I have read fewer titles this year than I have in recent years -- about 170 so far, as opposed to breaking over 200 the last couple of years -- I've read much wider and deeper than I think I ever have.
Because I can't really talk about the books I've read for that committee nor what those books look like quite yet, what I decided to do for this post was look exclusively at the YA fiction titles that I've read in 2013. As of this writing, I've read 72 YA titles in the past year.
What have I read? Here's a list, in moderately chronological order from the beginning of the year:
Pretty Girl-13Liz ColeyThe MurmuringsCarly Anne WestJust One DayGayle FormanThousand WordsJennifer BrownAll You Never WantedAdele GriffinBlack HelicoptersBlythe WoolstonThe Whole Stupid Way We AreN. GriffinI'm With StupidGeoff HerbachWild AwakeHilary SmithScowlerDaniel KrausCharm and StrangeStephanie KuehnBruisedSarah SkiltonMe, Him, Them, and ItCaela CarterDr. Bird's Advice for Sad PoetsEvan RoskosOut of the EasyRuta SepetysSex and ViolenceCarrie MesrobianPinnedSharon DraperRottenMichael Northrop17 & GoneNova Ren SumaPermanent RecordLeslie StellaOver YouAmy ReedIf You Could Be MineSara FarizanStarting From HereLisa Jenn BigelowThe Book of Broken HeartsSarah OcklerChasing BeforeLenore AppelhansCurveball: The Year I Lost My GripJordan SonnenblickFault LineChrista DesirYaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your AssMeg MedinaSecond ImpactDavid Klass / Perri KlassIf He Had Been With MeLara NowlinThe Chocolate WarRobert CormierSoldPatricia McCormickFreakboyKristin Elizabeth ClarkSex and ViolenceCarrie MesrobianSeptember GirlsBennett MadisonWingerAndrew SmithForgive Me, Leonard PeacockMatthew QuickTomorrowCK Kelly MartinThe ProgramSuzanne YoungThe Moon and MoreSarah DessenAll Our Pretty SongsSarah McCarryAll The Truth That's in MeJulie BerryMaggot MoonSally GardnerRottersDaniel KrausTo Be Perfectly HonestSonya SonesInfinite Moment of UsLauren MyracleTeethHannah MoskowitzRoomiesTara Altebrando / Sara ZarrFangirlRainbow RowellReality BoyAS KingThin SpaceJody CasellaThe Theory of EverythingKari LunaCinderMarissa MeyerOCD Love StoryCorey Ann HayduBright Before SunriseTiffany SchmidtDead EndsErin Jade LangeFriday Never LeavingVikki WakefieldMeet Me at the RiverNina de GramontEngines of the Broken WorldJason Van HeeThe Golden DayUrsula DuboraskyWaking DarkRobin WassermanChasing ShadowsSwati AvasthiThe In-BetweenBarbara StewartInheritanceMalinda LoSickTom LeveenJuvieSteve WatkinsInk is Thicker Than WaterAmy SpaldingHeartbeatElizabeth ScottWe Were LiarsE LockhartPrince of Venice BeachBlake NelsonThe Killing WoodsLucy ChristopherJust One Year Gayle Forman
Gender Breakdown
When it came to my own year in reading, I definitely read more female authors than I did male authors. This doesn't surprise me at all -- though it's also not intentional nor is it out of some principle I hold to read more female authors than male. I think the books I most wanted to read this year happened to also be written by female authors, and I do think because there are more females writing and publishing YA, the opportunity to read more females presents itself.
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I read a total of 72 authors this year. I doubled up on two authors: Gayle Forman and Daniel Kraus. I counted them each only one time. Of those 72 authors, 80% were female and 20% were male.
Because I broke down the gender of main characters in the "best of" analysis, I thought I'd break down the gender of main characters in my own reading, too. This was tough because of multiple characters, but I found I'd had 84 main characters to pull from. Because it was too hard to tease out who were or weren't main characters in Robin Wasserman's The Waking Dark, I chose to keep that book out of this tally.
.png)
Like with the "best of" breakdown, the percentages are a little closer together than they were with gender of authors. There was one book featuring a trans main character, and I read 32 male characters and 51 female main characters.
Front List and Back List
What sort of distribution was there when it came to date of publication in my YA reading habits? Did I tackle more front list than back list?
It doesn't surprise me in the least that I read far more books published in 2013 than I did books published prior. There were a total of 60 books I read published in 2013, with 7 books published prior to this year. I also read 5 books that will be published in 2014.
Again, I don't put pressure on myself to reach certain reading goals, but I do think I want to spend a little more time in the coming year reading more books from the back list. I will say that this year I bought more books that were back list titles than I have in the past. I just haven't yet read them. Perhaps it's time to get working on that.
Books by Genre
I know I read primarily realistic fiction, and that was especially true at the beginning of this year when I was trying to wrap up reading some titles for my own book on contemporary YA. I also know I read quite a bit of horror, and that played out in an article I was able to write for School Library Journal in September.
But what did the actual distribution of YA genres look like this year for me?
.png)
Almost 70% of my reads this year were realistic, with historical fiction and horror in far second and third place. I read an equal number of science fiction and fantasy titles, as well as two titles I chose to classify as magical realism, rather than putting them in another category.LGBTQ and POC Representation
I know one place I can definitely do better, and it is reading more titles written by or featuring LGBTQ or POC. I'm trying to be more observant of this because I want to make sure these are titles I'm spending more time reading and recommending not only here at the blog, but also in my own work in the library.
Out of the 72 books I read this year, I read a total of 9 books that were written by or featured LGBTQ characters or situations within them (by "situations," I mean it's a plot point or discussion when the main character may not identify). Some books do double duty, and the author and a character identify.
The books I put in this category include:
Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter (the main character's aunts are lesbians)Over You by Amy ReedIf You Could Be Mine by Sara FarizanStarting From Here by Lisa Jenn BigelowFreakboy by Kristin Elizabeth ClarkWinger by Andrew SmithTeeth by Hannah MoskowitzThe Waking Dark by Robin WassermanInheritance by Malinda Lo
When it came to POC in the books I read this year, I did a little bit better. But I could still improve in my reading. I read a total of 11 books written by or featuring POC characters or situations within them (again, by "situations," I mean it's a plot point or discussion when the main character may not identify, such as in Geoff Herbach's I'm With Stupid, where Felton's girlfriend/not-a-girlfriend is biracial). Some books do double duty, and the author and a character identify.
The books I put in this category include:
I'm With Stupid by Geoff HerbachCharm & Strange by Stephanie KuehnPinned by Sharon DraperPermanent Record by Leslie StellaIf You Could Be Mine by Sara FarizanThe Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah OcklerFault Line by Christa DesirYaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina Sold by Patricia McCormickChasing Shadows by Swati AvasthiInheritance by Malinda Lo
Debut and Seasoned Authors
The final category I looked at in my YA reading this year was whether the books I read were written by debut or more seasoned authors. I limited myself to the 60 books I read published in 2013.
.png)
I read a total of 23 novels by debut authors this year and 37 written by more seasoned authors. I'm pretty impressed with this divide, actually: I read far more debut novels this year than I thought I did.
What I'm Taking From This
I'm not sure there is a whole lot to "take" from breaking down my own YA reading this year, though it does offer insight into the kinds of books I tend to gravitate towards. Part of this was certainly related to outside projects going on in my life -- I saved a number of books I was really looking forward to reading as rewards for getting through committee reading. I also front loaded this year on realistic fiction so I could write about them in some way.
Part of me wonders what it would look like if I broke down my year in writing reviews and features here on STACKED. I wonder if I don't talk enough about diversity or about other topics outside my own comfort zone. But then I think about those things I did write about: female sexuality, body politics, and more, and I'm seeing that the way I read really does impact what I'm writing about, whether I'm calling something out specifically or not. It all influences my thinking and my perspective on reading and on writing about reading.
Which brings me back to that YA Highway post and a quote from Haruki Murakami that has been one of my all-time favorite quotes for years: If you only read the same books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
The more I push myself to read outside my comfort zone, the more I think I'm able to write outside my comfort zone and the more I'm able to read those books I love reading and which are comfortable to me in a manner that makes them have more power or impact -- whether it's because I discover I like them more or because I discover they might be problematic or speak to an issue in a way I never thought about before. While my YA reading year didn't feature as much diversity as I hoped, my committee reading certainly has, and I see where the ideas I've read about there and the voices I've experienced have impacted my thinking about the other things I've read.
For those who love reading and those who love to talk about reading, particularly those who spread their love of reading to other readers or emerging readers, I think spending time to reflect upon your own reading is invaluable. I don't think you have to set goals or resolutions to read or do certain things in your habits. But I do think when you look at the hard data and admit to yourself where you're weak, you're acknowledging something about yourself and about the perspective you have. Even though I don't set goals, I see where I have some holes and I find that I want to do better. Not only does it make me a better reader and a better global citizen, but it helps me better encourage other readers to do the same thing.
When it comes to the end of the year and reflecting upon your own reading, do you notice any trends? Are there things you wish you did better? Or are there things you're impressed you did do, even if it didn't feel like it in the moment? I'd love to hear what you see in a year's worth of your own reading.
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