My 2017 in Books [+ 10 Best Reads]

2016 was perhaps my best reading year of all time. I read 66 total books and was so impressed with myself that I promptly set a crazy high goal of reading 52 books in 2017. Suffice it to say that between my various part-time jobs and keeping two humans alive, I did not reach my goal. I didn't even come close.

Although the year is not yet over, as of today, I've read 29 books this year. I will likely finish a 30th by the end of the month (I'm currently reading Food Freedom Forever by Melissa Hartwig). I love seeing other people's reading habits, so here are a few of my own stats from the past year:

My 2017 in Books

TOTAL BOOKS READ: 29

10% audiobooks (3)
72% e-books (21)
17% hardcover & paperbacks (5)

This is a complete shift from last year where only 27% of my books were e-books. I was a Mom of two this year and e-books outweigh physical books in the convenience category by a landslide. Additionally, I no longer worked full-time so I was no longer spending hours in my car. I listened to three audiobooks in the Spring while driving for my seasonal, part-time job before Charlie somehow managed to break my car stereo. #momlife

14% were male authors, 86% were female.
No surprise here. I've always gravitated more toward female authors. I'm proud to say that the men I did read were Rep. John Lewis, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Nick Offerman. There was one additional male author in there, but I hated his book so I'm not including him on my list.

83% were from the library, 7% were pre-owned, 7% were borrowed from someone, 3% were ARCs through NetGalley or Goodreads. 
All I have to say is, THANK YOU, Ohio Digital Library.

62% were nonfiction, 38% were fiction.
I really enjoy celebrity memoirs and quite honestly, it's all I had the attention span and mental energy for this year. Some included Lauren Graham, Drew Barrymore, and Anna Kendrick.

Star rating breakdown:
★★★★★- 28%
★★★★- 38%
★★★ - 24%
★★ - 7%
★ - 3%

I reserve my 5-star ratings for books that really emotionally impact me, make me think, or that I know I'm going to remember for months or years down the road. The fact that I had so many 5-star reads is really good for me!

The first book I read: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham
The last book I read: Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

TOP 10 BEST READS IN 2017

For me, a 5-star read is not synonymous with a favorite. For instance, The Handmaid's Tale garnered a 5-star rating from me because it's a book that will always stick with me. However, because of the subject matter and the fact that it's scary and depressing as hell, it's definitely not among my favorites. On the other hand, books like The Magic of Motherhood might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I read it during a time when I needed it, so it makes the list.

These are in chronological order based on the date read, because I can't begin to rank them:

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

   

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Magic of Motherhood: The Good Stuff, the Hard Stuff, and Everything In Between by Ashlee Gadd

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

      

It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig

Toddlers Are A**holes: It's Not Your Fault by Bunmi Laditan

Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers by Nick Offerman

> > >

I've been working on my 18 Goals for 2018 and thinking about what my reading goals should look like. I'm definitely going to decrease my overall books to a more manageable and realistic number. I'd also like to branch outside my comfort zone and read one or two classics as opposed to strictly contemporary literature. 

What were your favorite reads of 2017?