Most years I dedicate some time to looking back at the last twelve months right before the new year hits. But honestly this year the idea of doing that felt overwhelming, I think in part because it comes along with ending a new decade. And how an I supposed to look back over ten entire years? My family also traveled this Christmas, which made me feel like the New Year came even sooner. So, I don't know when I'll "process" everything that happened in 2019, or if I ever will. But I think what really matters, or rather, what I actually want to take advantage of, is the new perspective that I take into this next year. Maybe I'll leave looking back on past moments to when I feel especially nostalgic.
That being said, there is one area I want to wrap up for the year, which doesn't seem so overwhelming or time consuming. And it's the reading I did in 2019. I think it might seem like I read a lot of books this year since I post so much about them, but I really didn't. I did read more than I had in awhile. But I didn't have any actual goal besides reading at least one book a month, which I succeeded at and surpassed. And that's enough for me. :)
So, to start with, here are my five favorite books I read this year. Naturally, 4 out of 5 of them are classics...
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
I know this book (which has been my favorite for years) shouldn't technically count because it was a re-read, but I did read it this year for the first time in awhile, and I feel like I really fell in love with it again. I might even appreciate it more now than I did before. While I'm really tempted to pick it up again soon, I think I'll save that experience for months later, when it can surprise me all over again.
2. Wide as the Waters by Benson Bobrick
This was one of the few nonfiction books I read this year, and the only history book. While I love reading about history, it is very time consuming (most history books are packed with detail, and make for slower reads in general). This one truly kept my interest the whole way through though. It was such a moving and well-told story of how the English Bible came to be, starting from a time when the only Bible allowed to exist was in Latin. I learned a lot I didn't know before, and the story is one I'll never forget.
3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
I'd been wanting to read Lord of the Rings for awhile, and this year I finally read through the first book in the main trilogy. It took me awhile to get through because it moves quite slowly, but it was so beautifully written and as profound as I expected it to be. I don't know when I'll get around to finishing the other books, but we'll see. For now, I'm excited to re-watch the movie having read through the book.
4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
This was the first book I've read by Anne Brontë, so that now I've read books by all three Brontë sisters. It wasn't exactly what I expected, and though it wasn't in the Romanticism style (which I love) like Emily and Charlotte's books, it was such a powerful, modern story and I'm glad it was one of my first reads of the year.
5. Villette by Charlotte Brontë
Though I still have mixed feelings about this book, it was without a doubt the most complex one I read this year, and its story left a big impression on me that I don't think will fade for awhile. The more I think about this book, the more impressed I am by it. Someday I'll re-read it and see if I can get myself to like the love interest a bit more.
Honorable mentions: Mansfield Park, Persuasion, The Rest of the Story, Le Petit Prince.
Looking back over this list, it's pretty clear to me that the reason I didn't read that many books is partly because I continue to pick up long classics that take longer to get through. But I can't quite help it. I love classics, especially those set in the nineteenth century.
I'm still thinking about the kind of books I'd like to read in 2020, but for now I just know I want to try and keep my goal of reading at least one novel per month.
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