Good Afternoon everyone,
A new year has just started and that means I get to publish one of my favourite posts, the one where I can share some stats of the books I read last year, and most importantly, where I can share with you my list of favourite books!
In 2019 I wanted to read 35 books and was able to surpass that objective by reading 42, which is not a high number, but it still leaves me proud. In 2020 I’m once again aiming at 35 because by now I can tell that’s very close to my limit. I love reading, but I also love going out, travelling, watching TV, creating manual postcards or bookmarks etc., so 35 seems about right for me and my lifestyle
This year my average of pages read per book was 241 with the shortest book read having 63 pages, and the longest 513. The longest book read was actually a re-read I did of A Heart for Milton, which I decided to read in Portuguese this year 🙂 This book was also the least popular of the 42 I read this year on Goodreads, and I believe that is only because it is the Portuguese version. A Heart For Milton is very popular and definitely a book I recommend to everyone who wants more of John Thornton and Margaret Hale.
Another curiosity is that I only read two books in Portuguese this year and they are both the least popular and the most popular on Goodreads. You may recognise the most popular as The Notebook from Nicholas Sparks, which I enjoyed but didn’t love as much as Message in a Bottle which made me weep for hours!
The highest rated book on Goodreads that I have read was Falling For Mr. Thornton which was the other North and South book I read this year. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it!
The Goodreads stats this year was very peculiar because it showed books that were not the norm, but the exception.
I only read two books in Portuguese and two North and South books, and they are precisely the ones present in GR stats, so I decided to create a few charts of my own, to better understand my reading habits this year and how they influenced my favourite books.
It wasn’t much of a surprise to see that 50% of the books I read were variations because this is definitely my favourite sub-genre and it has been my trend since 2012, however, this year the percentage of other genres grew exponentially, reaching 26%. I believe this happened because of my need to read something different. I love JAFF, but after so many years reading so many JAFF books, I started to feel that something new was required. I love to read more then I love to read JAFF, so getting immerse in other type of stories this year felt really good. Modernizations came third on my breakdown per genre, and that is very curious because a few years ago I hated modernizations, however, the need for different things took me down this path 🙂
Obviously Pride & Prejudice is the novel I give preference to, 77% of the books I read this year were about P&P, but I also read a few related to Persuasion and Emma. Next year I’ll continue reading Persuasion books because that’s my second favourite novel, but I think I’ll stop reading Emma variations or sequels. I really dislike Emma… I tried, I really did, but it is my least favourite book from Austen.
North & South has a low percentage, but that is simply because there aren’t that many books out there, and I’ve read most of the ones that already exist, so writers, please, please write more!
E-books are still the format I read the most, but Audiobooks are growing and I do expect to change this chart in 2020. I want to listen to more audiobooks and read more paperbacks! E-books are easier to obtain and more practical to read when travelling, but I do love paperbacks, and in 2020 I want to have the pleasure of turning a page more often 🙂
After all these pie charts I believe it is time to let you know which were my favourite books this year. I’m only considering for this list the books I read in 2019, regardless of their publication date, which means some were published in previous years but only read this year.
As you saw previously, a big percentage of what I read in 2019 was not JAFF and for the first time I’m including in my list of favourite books some that are not austenesque. If they hadn’t been sooooo good I would not add them, but the trilogy I’m including was truly mind-blowing and it is only fair to include them in my favourites list.
You’ll notice I haven’t reviewed some of my favourites, but rest assured, the reviews will be coming during this month. Now without further ado, here is my list of 2019 favourite reads 🙂
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The Keeper: Mary Bennet’s Extraordinary Journey – Don Jacobson
Publication year – 2017
Number of Pages – 354
Sub genre – Secondary Character
What I loved about it –The plot, the complexity of the story and the time travel element. This is a series I am definitely be reading in 2020.
Review coming soon Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Available in Kindle Unlimited – Yes
Available in Audible – Yes
Nefarious – Nicole Clarkston
Publication year – 2019
Number of Pages – 482
Sub Genre – Pride & Prejudice Variation
What I loved about it – The writing, the intensity of the character’s feelings and relationship, and the witty dialogues.
Review coming soon Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Available in Kindle Unlimited – Yes
Available in Audible – Yes
The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen – Shannon Winslow
Publication year – 2014
Number of Pages – 266
Sub Genre – Persuasion Inspired
What I loved about it –The writting, the romance, the ability to engage the reader and the hope of an happy ending.
Review coming soon Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Available in Kindle Unlimited – No
Available in Audible – Yes
The Journey Home to Pemberley – Joana Starnes
Publication year – 2019
Number of Pages – 339
Sub Genre – Pride & Prejudice Variations
What I loved about it – The writing, the intensity of feelings it generates in the reader and the journey ODC took to happiness…oh, and chapter 16 🙂
My review Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Available in Kindle Unlimited – Yes
Available in Audible – Yes
Falling for Mr. Thornton – Several authors
Publication year – 2019
Number of Pages – 396
Sub Genre – North & South Anthology
What I loved about it – Mr. Thornton; Mr. Thornton and Mr. Thornton… And the diversity that I found in the stories which makes this an incredible tribute to N&S.
My review Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Available in Kindle Unlimited – No
Available in Audible – Not Yet
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Poet- Jennifer Joy
Publication year – 2019
Number of Pages – 342
Sub Genre – Pride & Prejudice Variation
What I loved about it – Darcy’s character, the simplicity yet engaging story and the romance.
My review Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Available in Kindle Unlimited – Yes
Available in Audible – Not yet
Speechless – Jesse Lewis
Speechless – Jesse Lewis
Publication year – 2019
Number of Pages – 166
Sub Genre – Pride & Prejudice Variation
What I loved about it – Can I say I loved everything about it? The cozy feeling of the story, ODC’s relantionship and their dialogues stand out, but trully, everything about it!
Review coming soon Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Available in Kindle Unlimited – Yes
Available in Audible – Not yet
Stargate SG-1 – Hostile Ground – Sally Malcom & Laura Harper
Publication year – 2014
Number of Pages – 298
Sub Genre – Sci-Fi; Post Apocalyptical; Stargate Variation
What I loved about it –The surprisingly exciting plot, O’Neill’s character development, how in line the characters were with the original and the pace of the adventure.
Available in Kindle Unlimited – Yes
Available in Audible – No
Stargate SG-1 – Exile – Sally Malcom & Laura Harper
Publication year – 2015
Number of Pages – 310
Sub Genre – Sci-Fi; Post Apocalyptical; Stargate Variation
What I loved about it – The ability to surprise the reader, the mix of SG-1 and Atlantis world and O’Neill and Carter’s relationship! If you are a shipper this is the book for you!
Not yet available in KU or Audible.
Stargate SG-1 – Exile – Sally Malcom & Laura Harper
Publication year – 2016
Number of Pages – 241
Sub Genre – Sci-Fi; Post Apocalyptical; Stargate Variation
What I loved about it –The conclusion of a perfect trilogy which I could not recommend enough! Apart from everything that made this book perfect, the Carter/O’Neill relationship was taken into a whole new level that I haven’t found in any other book! Seriously, this trilogy was PERFECT in every way!
Not yet available in KU or Audible.
Do you share any favourites with me? Have you read all austenesque books that are on my list? If you haven’t, I really recommend them. I have only read 42 books this year, but those 7 are the ones that truly stand out.
What about the Stargate novels, are they your cup of tea? I imagine they will only interest a very small niche of readers, but they have many characteristics that make them perfect for me, and I don’t seem to get enough of them lately. The 3 I mentioned in this post will have to be re-reads in 2020 🙂
Can you tell me which were your favourite books in 2019? I would love to hear your opinion and maybe get a few suggestions of great books to read this year, especially if they are books published a while ago. I’m really trying to go back and read all the great ones I missed.
This list is a little different from my previous lists, but you can still check my favourites from previous years on the links below, and you’ll see that some authors always find their way into my top 10.
2015 From Pemberley to Milton’s Favourite books
2016 From Pemberley to Milton’s Favourite Books
2017 From Pemberley to Milton’s Favourite Books
2018 From Pemberley to Milton’s Favourite Books
Wishing you all a lovely 2020, full of books and reading hours 🙂
From Pemberley to Milton 
I’m so happy to be on a list with Stargate and so many wonderful authors! Thank you, Rita ❤
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You deserve it Jennifer 🙂 It was your book that brought me back to JAFF after a long interlude this year 🙂
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Good choices Rita! I loved Nefarious, The Journey Home to Pemberley (especially chapter 16!), Falling for Mr Thornton, Fitzwilliam Darcy Poet and Speechless.
I used to watch Stargate when my son was at home but I don’t think I will read the books (unless the Stargate takes them to Pemberley? 🙂 )
I’m also not tempted by other Austen variations as yet but maybe one day.
Good luck with this year’s target. I aim to read the books on my TBR list, which would be easier if I didn’t keep adding to it 🙂
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It’s good to know we share some favourites Glynis :)) Stargate won’t go to Pemberley, but there is also some romance it this trilogy :))) But I admit, these books will only be interesting for people who loved the TV series.
I am confident we will both be able to conquer our TBR 🙂
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Thank you so much for including me in your favourites list, Rita! I’m thrilled you enjoyed Speechless and especially honoured that it ranked in your estimation along with such other worthy titles. Congratulations to everyone on the list and happy new year to you all!
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It was one of the last I read this year but definitely one of the best! It is PERFECT Jessie 🙂
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I am so excited to be part of this outstanding group of creative thinkers. Thank you so much!
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The Keeper was definitely one the best from 2019, can’t wait to read the next books in the series :)))
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Woohoo! I’m thrilled, Rita, that you loved and names The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen among your special favorites of the last year! I find myself in lovely company, too. It’s a good start to 2020 for me. Thank you. 😀
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I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner Shannon! It is a page turner! I absolutely loved it!!! It’s so romantic and engaging 🥰🥰🥰
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Wow, wow, wow! You had quite a year, Rita, with both traveling and reading and all the other things on your plate. Thank you so much for all your support of authors and your thoughtful reviews this year. I am over the moon excited that you enjoyed Nefarious! And Falling for Mr. Thornton was such a labor of love for so many, I am ecstatic to see it on this list of other incredible books. Here’s to an amazing 2020 for JAFF and Gaskell!
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Congratulations to all the authors in your ‘Favorites List.’ Of course, MY favorite would have to be Nefarious. I mean… Nicole rocked that one. Next, I was in love with Joana’s book and then Speechless was a favorite. Gosh, it is hard to pick when I had lots of 5-star reads this year. I am looking forward to reading my way through 2020. Blessings to all our authors and I wish y’all a very Happy New Year.
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Totally enjoyable breakdown of your yearly stats! And congrats! #ILoveBestOfListSeason
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wonderful stats!
d
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Hi Rita,
Great list of books, some of which I’ve read and loved.
Can I recommend the following,which I thoroughly enjoyed last year?
-The Disconcerting Happiness by Christina Morland.
-Seasons of Waiting by Christina Morland.
-The Colonel by Beau North.
-Letters from the Heart. Kay Bea.
Such wonderful stories that made us in a much better place! ☺️
Thank you,Rita. Happy reading!!
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Thank you so much for the suggestions Mary! I’ve read Letters from the Heart and really loved the book! I even considered adding it to my favourites list of 2019, but then others came to mind that I loved even more.
The Colonel is definitely on my TBR pile and now I’m adding at least one from Christina Morland. I’ve never read anything from her. Which one do you suggest I should read first?
Happy New year Mary!
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Loved the fact that you didn’t include only JAFF books.
I can’t read only JAFF because I tend to mix the different Darcys, something quite unfair to all the effort the writers put on the task.
Of course some Darcys do stand up (oh, yes!) and are engraved in my memory, so it’s extra good to see we have similar tastes. 😉
(I’m not very fond of Notebook and Nickolas Sparks.)
Have a great New Year! I wish you –and your blog– the best!
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I’m such a stats geek. I love that you broke down your reading year with the charts and percentages. 🙂
Oh yes, I’ve read two of your favs and totally agree about how fabulous they were. I will eventually get to a few more from your list.
Wishing you a new year full of great reading, Rita!
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Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (she has a Persuasion book coming out in May). I love modern versions. Also love gender reversal and that we get both their viewpoints.
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Yay for your charts!! I love them! I’m glad you read some Emma and Persuasion stories this year! And what a terrific list of favorites! Just like you said on my post, I will tell you that I had Shannon Winslow’s The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen on my list of favorites in 2014 -Gah!!! I love that one and want it to be nonfiction instead of fiction! And I’m really glad (although not surprised) to see Speechless and The Journey Home to Pemberley on your list since I am reading them both this month!
Thanks so much for sharing!!
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Thanks so much, Rita, for adding ‘The Journey Home…’ to your list of faves! Have a great 2020, and I hope it brings you here again. We haven’t been to Pemberley together for a whole year!!
Congrats, Don Jacobson, Nicole Clarkston, Shannon Winslow, Team Thornton, Jennifer Joy and Jessie Lewis! Happy New Year and all the best!
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The only one of your list that I’ve not read is the John Thornton anthology (on my Wish List ever since it was published!). All of the others are personal favourites of mine, too. I first read TPOMJA when it was first published but I listened to the audio version in 2019.
Another favourite listen for me was The Ladies of Rosings Park. The performance by Marian Hussey for the four different characters was amazing. I have to include Mr. Darcy’s Enchantment too, which I part read and part listened too. Last month I also listened to Harry Frost’s sublime performance of the Yuletide anthology. He does it so well, whether it’s a modern or Regency tale. Another one I loved is A Baby for Mr. Darcy by J. Dawn King.
Now, don’t get me started on SG-1! I absolutely adore that TV series (got it all in box sets). I’m simply going to HAVE to investigate that trilogy, Rita. I’ve been in love with Jack O’Neill (definitely the one with the two ‘ll’s, the other guy has no sense of humour!) since I saw the very first episode (with apologies to the gentlemen from Derbyshire and Milton) and was rather sad when Richard Dean Anderson started to take a back seat towards the end of its run. Some favourite episodes include A Hundred Days, Window of Opportunity, Upgrades and Divide and Conquer, plus any episode that ventured into the alternative universe via the quantum mirror.
Happy New Year to you all!
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