Happy New Year!
2014 has been a wonderful blogging year for me, finding my feet, finding my voice and unexpectedly finding a new audience and new online friends! I read more books than I planned to and stuck to my promise not to buy anything new. Amazing!
I know 54 books out of 746 isn’t a great dent, but it’s better than nothing and the TBR is headed in the right direction. Now, if you guys would all stop writing great reviews about interesting books, I might not be so tempted!
So, here is a quick Best of/ Worst of for 2014 here at 746 Books.
Best Read: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
It was going to be The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell, but a late entry in December just crossed the line first!
Worst Read: The Silent Wife by ASA Harrison
I just didn’t care. And that is not good. At least Tampa made me angry and Hollywood Wives made me laugh…..(at it, not with it)
Favourite Challenge: March Madness
Thanks to Cedar Station for convincing me to take part, the fact of reading 11 books in March definitely got me into the 600s before the end of the year
Favourite New Author
There has to be a tie here between Shirley Jackson and Edith Wharton, two authors I would never have got round to reading were it not for the enthusiasm of the book blogging community.
Most Popular Post
Top Ten Cover Art. I enjoyed taking part in Top Ten Tuesday’s this year, although a lot of the topics didn’t really appeal or apply, but this mix of art and books certainly proved popular.
Favourite Bookish Hashtag
#readwomen2014 – I managed to make 50% of this year’s reading works by female writers, I just wish it had been a little more. Read Women 2015 then?
Blogging Highlight of the Year
Being nominated for an Irish Blog Award was a big thrill, as was hosting my own challenge,
20 Books of Summer, which will make a reappearance in 2015.
However, the undoubted highlight has been all the fantastic bloggers I’ve met and got to talk books with. It’s been so much fun and I’m so grateful to all you smart, generous and supportive bloggers out there. I’ll leave 2014 with my favourite New Year’s song from The Unthanks.
Toast the New Year Bid farewell to the old Throughout the year When we sing this song Old friends and new friends Sing along May good fortune be with you From all sorrows refrain Till that happy time When we all meet again
Uncategorized Edith Wharton Esme Lennox Maggie o'farrell shirley jackson
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
746books.com 
You had an awesome year, Cathy! So happy for you, and I can’t wait to see your progress in 2015. Thank you for the March Madness shout-out — I didn’t realize you had read 11 books that month! I hope you’ll be doing 20 Books of Summer again, too. I really liked that one. But whatever you decide to do, I’ll be here reading. 🙂 Happy new year.
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Thanks to you, I really enjoyed March Madness, although it was mad!! Yes, 20 Books of Summer will be back in 2015 (with options for any multiple of 5!) so hopefully you’ll join in. Happy New Year x
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A great reading year – here’s to another in 2015! I love The Unthanks – great end to the post 🙂
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I love them too, going to see them in February I hope! Happy New Year!
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Happy reading in 2015 to us all !
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Agreed!
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It really was a great year! 🙂 I very much enjoyed reading your blog, and seeing it grow, and I’m looking forward to another year of reading and blogging with you! Happy New Year! 🙂
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Thanks so much, and you too! x
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Happy New Year, Cathy! I hope you do 20 Books of Summer again this year because I am hoping to participate. Here’s to a great reading year in 2015!
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I certainly will be Priscilla, will be great if you join up. Happy New Year x
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I love your quick sum-up of the year. There are so many different end-of-year lists, and I find myself loving how different they all are and trying to decide what bits and pieces I would like to steal from people for next year. Ha! I think it would be very hard to choose just one book, although last year The Orenda stood out for me, so maybe it just depends on the year.
One thing I really find interesting is which are the most popular posts. Your Top 10 book art post was good!
Happy New Year! 🙂
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Thanks Naomi, I was surprised at the popularity of the Book Cover post too, although it was one of my favourites to put together. I have heard a lot of good things about The Orenda, so I must try and get my little mitts on it at some point! Happy New Year and here’s to 2015!
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You’ve been superbly restrained, Cathy, not buying any more books – and you’ve made a great dent in your pile! I only started blogging this year too (basically, I was sick of having no-one to talk to about books!), and for me too the real joy has been meeting so many lovely people who are so enthused about books! A Happy New Year Cathy, when it comes – I can see you getting close to 600 this time next year!
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Thank you, I can’t wait to read more of your blog in the coming year. I keep thinking ‘could I get to 600 in 2015?’ but that’s a lot of reading. Not unless I just pick really short books…..
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I’m going to scoot and check out your Tampa review, as I have it on my Kindle to read, and hope to get to it soon. I didn’t mind The Silent Wife, tbh. Although I think I’m too kind about everything I read!
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Be warned, I hated Tampa. Really hated it. Others didn’t so don’t let it sway you.
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Your blog was a great discovery in 2014 and I look forward to reading more in 2015. Happy New Year! 🙂
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Thank you, as was yours! Here’s to 2015!
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It’s an absolute joy to blog with someone so committed to reading their backlog of books, your reviews are always interesting and make me want to check out my TBR – The Edith Wharton featured is a case in point. Happy New Year and I look forward to connecting via books even more in 2015.
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Thank you so much! I’m wondering what treasures I might come across in 2015 that I have completely forgotten buying or owning! Here’s to a great year x
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Well done on sticking to your plan – you’re an inspiration to those of us with our own groaning TBR piles. And your 746 always makes me feel good about my own. 😉 Looking forward to reading more of your reviews in 2015 – have a great New Year!
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I think I’m less inspiration and more cautionary tale! Happy New Year!
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What a lovely post 🙂 Brilliant to bloggy meet you. I’m absolutely astonished and totally impressed you managed NOT to buy any new books! Don’t worry……..I bought them for you 😉
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I did get some new books as gifts, so that helped. We’ll see how I go this year, I have a feeling it’s going to be harder now that the novelty has worn off! Happy New Year to you, looking forward to more bookish chats in 2015!
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Happy New Year, Cathy! Kudos on keeping to your book buying ban. That is absolutely amazing. I know I could not do that.
I’ve read several of Edith Wharton’s books. The House of Mirth is my favorite of the ones I’ve read and probably one of my top twenty all-time favorites. I think Ethan Frome might have been the first one I read also.
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Ethan Frome was my first Wharton and I really liked it. I’m hosting an Age Of Innocence Read-a-Long in February if you fancy joining! Happy New Year!
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I just might do that, Cathy, if I can fit it in. I haven’t read all of her books and it’s been ages since I read one. Will it be hosted here on your blog or elsewhere?
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Here and on JacquiWine’sJournal!
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Alright! I’ll try to fit it in and hope to see everyone there. I made a note of it – now if I can only remember to look at my note, lol.
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Very near categories here. You did a terrific job in adding more to your Read List.
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Thanks and Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year!
Sounds like you’ve had an amazing bookie year, 54 is definitely an impressive dent. I think I only read as much as I did because I avoided life haha.
50% of books by women is a great balance, I’m not sure I managed that much, but I definitely made a conscious decision in 2014 to read more books by women.
I’ve found so many fabulous blogs this year (yours included I believe), it’s been a lot of fun.
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We are hoping to move house this year Alice, so I’m hoping the focus on saving money will keep the book buying temptation at bay! I’d love to get to 600 by the end of 2015 but that might be stretching it a bit!
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I love seeing your favorites laid out this way! I adored The Art of Fielding, too, so I’m always happy to see it find another fan. 56 is definitely a great dent in your pile and I can’t wait to see which books you get to next year!
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Thanks so much! Happy New Year!
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What an amazing way to organize your reading. I look forward to following you this year – your reading site definitely inspires mine.
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Aw thank you!
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Happy New Year! If I do say so myself, I think 54 is a pretty big number. Also, your best book is the one I’ve had on my TBR shelf for a while but never got around to reading it. I’m hoping within the next month to start it at least. Can’t wait!
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Oh, I hope you like it Jack. It’s a big book, but once I started, I was done in a few days. Couldn’t put it down. Happy New Year!
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Your books look very beautiful all together like this, bet they make your shelves look nice, if overstacked. Good luck with your reading for 2015.
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Thank you!
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You’re not giving yourself enough credit. 54 books is a good achievement You’re 54 books closer to 746 than you were a year ago!
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Cedar Station is hosting March Madness again.
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all the best for the New Year. you had a brilliant blogging 2014!
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Happy New Year Cathy.
A whole year with no purchases, Blimey! That’s willpower! Love your 2014 sum up & must look out The Art of Fielding that pipped Vanishing Act of Esme (one of my favourites) as best read…
Looking forward to reading your blog through 2015 🙂
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Thanks! If you get to The Art of Fielding, let me know what you think. A little bit of my head is still in that book (if you know what I mean)!
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I will & yes, I do… Esme ‘haunts’ me like an aggrieved relative that needs avenged!
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Is it weird that I go back occasionally and read the last couple of pages of Esme all over again?
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Do you? It’s years since I last read it – yet promoted it at every opportunity – hope to reread it this year to see if it still has such a profound affect.
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I’m late getting here to say Happy New Year to you. I think 54 books is a very good job. Yours has been one of my favorite blog finds of the year.. I know that you didn’t make 746 books as a “gimmick”, but it’s a great idea for a blog, reading 746 books from your TBR stack. It has also made for very interesting reading.
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Thanks so much James, that is so nice to hear! Happy New Year!
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