Welcome to the last Monday update post of 2018! And, it’s been an awesome reading year for me even though I didn’t meet my Goodreads goal of 100 books (I came close). More on that in next week’s End-of-Year Reading Stats post. But, know that I’ll be changing up my goals for 2019 based on what I learned this year.
As for my recent reading, I’ve started on 2019 releases and I’m 2 for 2 so far! I’ll take this success rate any day!
Podcast
Only 2 days until the first full length episode of the Sarah’s Book Shelves Live podcast! Episode 1 featuring bestselling author Georgia Hunter (We Were the Lucky Ones) will launch on Wednesday, January 2, but you can listen to a trailer NOW anywhere you listen to podcasts! More details here!
New on the Blog
- January 2019 Book of the Month picks are out! I’ve got commentary on all the books…
- Best Books of 2018 Lists: The Best Audiobooks I Listened to in 2018 (Second Half), Best Books of 2018, Most Underrated Gems of 2018, Which Best Books of 2018 Lists Do You Agree With?, 2018 Books That Deserved the Hype…and Those That Didn’t and Best Debuts of 2018
- 2019 Rock Your Reading Tracker – I used my “Rock Your Reading Tracker” this year to track all my reading stats in real time and figure out who my best recommendation sources are…and, my reading QUALITY improved 42% from last year! The new and improved 2019 tracker is now available for $14.99…get more details here!
Hosted by The Book Date.
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I finished reading…
An Anonymous Girl
Hooray! A rare thriller I actually liked! Especially a nice surprise since I DNF’d The Wife Between Us (Pekkanen and Greer’s debut novel). This one is a mind-f*ck rather than relying on outrageous plot twist. Spoiler discussion to come.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
I’m currently reading…
The Dreamers
Y’all, I’m loving this book! It’s like a more literary The Fever (by Megan Abbott) and has me on the edge of my seat without feeling like a thriller. I’m about 75% through.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Upcoming reading plans…
Otherwise Engaged
I’m always on the hunt for smartly written Brain Candy and Ashley Spivey (of #SpiveysClub Facebook Group) loved this novel about an engaged couple in NYC. Gabe publishes a thinly veiled novel about his steamy relationship with his ex-girlfriend…and she of course re-enters the picture.
I was reading…
One Year Ago: It was New Year’s Day.
Two Years Ago: I’d read some great backlist books.
How was your reading week?
Otherwise Engaged looks adorable!
You’ve convinced me to give An Anonymous Girl a try! I wasn’t interested in The Wife Between Us do to all the hype surrounding “the twist” but now that I’ve read your thoughts on AAG this sounds like something I’d like. I hadn’t heard of Otherwise Engaged but I requested it, love the premise.
I never got an ARC of An Anonymous Girl, so think I’m going to make it my first audiobook of the year. Julia Whelan ins one of the narrators and she’s one of my favorites. And The Dreamers…loved. Glad 2019 is off to a great start!
I can’t wait for your podcast Sarah! The fact that you liked An Anonymous Girl makes me think I shouldn’t have ruled it out as quickly as I did…
Otherwise Engaged looks fun. Good luck with your new podcast!
I also loved An Anonymous Girl…it was one of my favorites of the year, although I had so many contenders it didn’t make the top ten.
Enjoy your reading and have a Happy New Year.
Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
Glad to hear you liked An Anonymous Girl and The Dreamers, both of which are on my TBR! Congratulations on the upcoming podcast!
An Anonymous Girl sounds good. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Come see my week here. Happy reading and happy New Year!
Have fun with the podcast. My last update for the year
Good luck with the podcast. See what I read at Girl Who Reads
I just finished The Dreamers and Anonymous Girl too and loved both of them.
I had an ARC of The Au Pair which I found to be a poorly written mess and DNF’d it at 25%. I should have DNF’d it even earlier.
Looking forward to tuning in to your podcast tomorrow!
Good to know about Au Pair…I’d had my eye on that one!
Okay, I might have to cave on an anonymous girl! I’m not usually a thriller fan either, but I’m seeing so many good reviews..
Me neither 🙂