The 10 Year Challenge - A Book Tag

So I don’t really do look backs as I tend to think the past is done and I’m more about the future – one reason I don’t like New Years I suspect; but in keeping with the challenges I’ve seen on book tube a set of questions that tied nicely as when I was cleaning my shelves last week I found my little black book! No not that kind!!! Back in the early decade of the 21st century (blimey that sounds long ago) I recorded before goodreads what I read in a little journal.

Its interesting to see that back then I noted what I read and saw with a little one-line review (hardly changed).

2009 I was in a job that was about to get very unpleasant and would remain so for three more years. I was diagnosed with diabetes, but I was in a lovely flat and starting to so things other than sit in a flat all weekend. 2009 was me heading for a fall but I like to think I used the next ten years to get myself in a much better place.

Book wise I read only 39 books. I read only 5 books by women. I seem to have been on a Phil Rickman reading catch-up but still!!

This Book Tag was found via Claire Rousseau’s Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ClaireRousseau but originated with Rincey. The questions are: -

1) What was your favourite book in 2009?

Ooh I had two Nation by Terry Pratchett and 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. Nation was an unusual standalone that had a great set up and some brilliant fierce defending of reason. I still miss not having Pratchett around to rail against the injustices of today. 20th Century Ghosts was Joe Hill’s first story collection. He’s a writer I’ve been following for a few years and continue to look out for. Two of his story collections are in Mount TBR…imminently.

2) What is your favourite book of 2019?

Well my annual list of faves is here but the one I am going to tempt for ages is Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri which is awesome sauce

3) What was your least favourite book of 2009?

Child 44 got 4 out of ten with the note “poor-slow-disappointing” and I recall little else of it!

4) What was your least favourite book of 2019?

I finally gave up on trying to Anathem by Neal Stephenson after eleven years of trying it once a year. Sadly the pace for me felt glacial

5) What was a book published in 2009 that you still want to read?

I have no idea but I will confess the next oldest book in my Mount TBR is House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. This is apparently weird and frightening but also it’s huge and been awaiting me for ages. I have started it now at last

6) What was a book published in 2019 that you still want to read?

Ooh so many but Gideon the Ninth, Starless Sea, Children of Ruin and Ancestral Night are high on the list

7) What is a genre you used to read a lot of that you don’t read as much of anymore?

Annoyingly non-fiction from what I can see in the black book. Not for any reason I’ve a lovely pile in TBR but I sorta fell into pure fiction reads. One for the 2020 challenge!

8) What is a new genre you’ve discovered since 2009?

I think it has to be YA which I’ve discovered isn’t just for teens; welcomes diversity and can be often more challenging than some adult fiction

9) What is a reading or book habit you are hoping to leave behind in this decade?

I’d like to finish series and not feel that I’m not entitled to that finale until everything else on my to do list is done!

10) What is a new reading goal or habit you want to create in the upcoming decade?

I’d love to read more short stories in magazines and not just collections

So feel free to do your own or add in the comments!