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2018 Book List. It's Long. I Read a Lot. As in, a LOT a Lot.

As a kid I read all the time. And by all the time I mean I read not just at every meal (as long as I could get away with it -- parents have an odd fondness for kids actually interacting with others at the dinner table). I read while blow-drying my hair, brushing my teeth, walking down the hallway or going up and down the stairs in our house, and under the covers at night with a flashlight. I learned to read at age five thanks to a mom who was a schoolteacher and put flashcards on everything in the house. I read at blinding speed even without the benefit of an Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics course (I date myself right there).

My e-reader lets me carry a library of books with me wherever I go. My transportation habits give me reading time riding the bus, light rail or train if I'm not bicycling. And I do still occasionally regularly often stay up a little too late reading, although I no longer need the flashlight since the e-reader has its own backlighting.

These factors, and not having kids at home with schedules to be juggled, are why I can rack up such a long list of books read over the course of a year. I'm reconstructing this list based on book purchases and use of Kindle Unlimited so I can share some of my favorites, roughly working backwards from December to January although the chronology isn't exact. 

First, a note on local economies: You should shop at a local, independently owned bookstore. Or check these out through your local library -- did you know they can do that with e-books? Links below are Amazon Affiliate links. I've never made a penny from Amazon but these links give you access to more information and reader reviews. If I ever do make anything I'll donate it to a local nonprofit that helps people who need it most.

You'll note a definite fondness for book series. I love to enter into an author's world and live there a while -- it's better bingeing than Netflix can offer. Notes on what's included:
  • Because I'm reconstructing this list long after reading some of them this isn't a complete set of brief reviews like what I'd hoped to compile. Some have a sentence or two about what stuck with me or why I plan to read more by this author. 
  • Lack of a commentary doesn't indicate a lack of quality in the book. 
  • Where I could find a Twitter account for the author I've included that.
You may also notice that this list skews heavily toward works by women of color and people of color. I've made a conscious effort the past couple of years to make sure I'm reading works that introduce me to perspectives and traditions other than the ones I got so much exposure to as a young white girl growing up in Idaho. I pay attention to writers recommended by the ones whose work I admire (Twitter is especially good for this). If I read a review that says a book doesn't do a good job of representation I skip over it, although that's no guarantee that I always know about such a review. This has been a rich and rewarding experience and I highly recommend you think about what you do and don't get from your current reading lists.

With that, my 2018 reading list:
Related Reading
How I've Been Reading

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