good reads 2012

Rebecca's prompt today is,  'What books did you read this year? Which were your favorites? Why did they mean so much to you?' a perfect time to do a little update on my list.

No. 42 (and no. 41 and 43 for that matter), are the same. Read 20 books in ____. I had this on my last list and I continued it over onto this list, if only to remember what I've read.*

I read a lot and have hit the twenty mark well before the end of each year. Last year I read a record amount even for me, but then books have always been the way I escape, and reading was a beautiful way to push through my grief. 

This year, I read a lot of great books. 

I loved The Night Circus and The Sense of an Ending. I was completely engrossed with Nightwoods and the not very heavy but very enjoyable read, the witchy-vamp series by Deborah Harkness was great for all the traveling I did this fall.

The Light Between Oceans was written so well. What a beautiful novel! The rhythm and cadence of the story matched the ocean and all that encompasses life by the sea. It was almost my favorite book this year (and I really did love it so much),  but at the end of the day it's City of Thieves that I will have to say was my best read for 2012.**  A clever story with the most compelling plot, it was completely engrossing right up until the end. 

*on more than one occasion, i've bought a book and realized as i've begun to read,  that i'd already read the book.

**although i'm 1/3 of the way through cloud atlas and if i do finish it before the end of the year (which is unlikely as it's wordy and I'm not speed reading this one), it might just change my answer...