EOFY. What a ridiculous acronym. I reckon I saw it around for at least two years before I figured out what it actually stood for. Anyway, happy new year financial planners and accountants: let’s tell the story of my reading so far this year IN NUMBERS!
- Books started: 55
- Books finished: 47
- Books given up on: 3
- Books I still intend to finish: 5
- Female authors: 24
- Male authors: 31 (I usually read a lot more women than men – not sure what’s going on this year)
- Authors of colour: 12
- Books came from: secondhand bookshop 4; gifts 10 (thank you Facebook book pyramid scheme); library 11; Amazon & Booktopia 9 (including 4 Kindle); indie bookshops and publishers 15; borrowed from friends 3
- Authors were from: Latin America 4; Eastern Europe 2; Middle East 1; Australia 20; US & Canada 14; Britain 6; Ireland 5; East Asia 4; South Asia 2; New Zealand 2. (Can anyone recommend any authors from Ethiopia, Somalia or Sudan?)
- 22 books were published in 2017; 15 were published in 2016; 6 were published in 2015; 9 between 2000 & 2014; 2 in the 1990s and 1 in 1953.
- I loved 19 books.
- I liked 23.
- I didn’t like 7 (I’m looking at you, ‘A little life’.)
- Six books were translated; two were books of short stories; five were novellas; nine were non-fiction and one was poetry.
My favourite books so far this year have been La Rose by Louise Erdrich, Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (what a surprise), Universal Harvester by John Darnielle, Psynode by Marlee Jane Ward, Rubik by Elizabeth Tan and Carrion Colony by Richard King.
Jane Bryony Rawson 
Nnedi Okorafor is American-Nigerian but Who Fears Death and Book of Phoenix are ‘set in’ South Sudan. My review https://theaustralianlegend.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/womens-sf/ (it even mentions you!)
Thank you!
… and Don’t Tell Me You’re Afraid is set in Somalia, by an Italian guy, but from the pov of a Somali girl. My review https://theaustralianlegend.wordpress.com/2016/12/09/dont-tell-me-youre-afraid/
and thank you again!
It is a weird acronym, I agree.
Enjoyed your EOFY recap, Jane. Nice change from and EOCY one! I haven’t heard of most of your top books which is embarrassing. Makes my reading feel very staid. I do though, want to read more Erdrich, and have had one in my TBR for the longest time.
LaRose is great! The others are all from this year, except Carrion Colony which is, in my opinion, an overlooked Australian classic.
I love Australian classics but I don’t know King or this at all. Will add it to my list.
From “an”, not “and”!
LaRose and Lincoln on my TBR list. I loved A Little Life but can totally understand why you didn’t.
Thanks Kate.
I always assumed that EOFY was the name of one of the lesser known characters in Lord of the Rings who liked to buy a lot of stationery in June.
This is accurate.