The State of Reading for the Year (So Far)

I can't believe that November is just a week away! Besides being the beginning of the end of the semester, November is the beginning of the craziness of the holiday season. It also has the annual NCTE conference and ALAN Workshop, two of my favorite professional development events.

However, before diving head-first into November, I wanted to reflect on the reading I've done so far this year. While I don't know how much more I'll be able to accomplish in the next two months (grading and traveling will be eating up a lot of time), I'm pretty proud of the number of books I have read. My official count is 60 books, and while I still at least 14 to go if I want to catch up with the number I read in 2014, it is still a decent accomplishment. Here are some of my favorites books from this year so far:
Favorite Re-Read: I've always been perplexed when people tell me that they don't re-read books (this is especially true when students object to a book on the grounds that they've already read it). While there are some books that I don't feel the need to read more than once, there are many that I love revisiting. This year, I haven't done much re-reading, since there have been so many new and new-to-me books I've wanted to read. However, I did my annual reread of Game Change. However, the book takes a special resonance now, as we approach the end of the Obama administration and prepare for 2016 election. It is easy to forget how electrifying the 2008 election was, but this book serves as a lively reminder.

Favorite YA Books: I haven't read as much YA as I would have liked, but what I have lacked in quantity I have more than made up in quality. So far, I've read and loved Life on Mars by Jennifer Brown, Drama and Smile by Raina Telgemeier, The Revelation of Louisa May by Michaela MacColl, and Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen.

Favorite Challenging Book: I finally decided to read Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City, and while it was a fantastic book, it was very challenging in some ways. The structure, where the chapters alternated between the architects of the Chicago World's Fair and the serial killer's machinations, and the sheer number of individuals referenced required a certain level of concentration that I initially hadn't expected. However, the book is an engrossing and educational read, and I highly recommend it as preparation for seeing the film.

Favorite Memoir: For some reason, I read a lot of memoirs this year. Besides the aforementioned Smile and Popular, I also read Samantha Bee's I Know I Am, But What Are You?, Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns), Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life, and Cary Elwes's As You Wish. However, my favorite memoir from this year was Samantha Ellis's How to be a Heroine: Or, What I've Learned from Reading too Much.

What have you read in 2014 (so far)? Do you have any reading goals for the rest of the year? Please feel free to share below!