My average rating for this year was lower than the last couple of years, but I think my actual enjoyment went up. I zipped through most of the Campers and Criminals series by [a:Tonya Kappes|4423580|Tonya Kappes|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1595524752p2/4423580.jpg], and despite only giving them three stars each, they were fantastic escapes from reality. I enjoyed them and look forward to however many more she writes.

I reread [a:John Updike|6878|John Updike|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1419249254p2/6878.jpg]'s [b:S.|98110|S.|John Updike|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1380492331l/98110._SX50_.jpg|94568] for the umpteenth time, but this time along with a friend who is very familiar with that world. While I have always viewed this book as one (very out of the norm for Updike) about the power of a woman, my friend made me also see the value in some of what the wack jobs in the book were offering. Minus the embezzling and thievery, of course! We also discovered the docu-series on Netflix about this very commune. It was an all around treat!

I made my way through the entire [b:The Boys, Volume 1: The Name of the Game|1214485|The Boys, Volume 1 The Name of the Game|Garth Ennis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1224646048l/1214485._SY75_.jpg|2642984] by [a:Garth Ennis|14965|Garth Ennis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1242438038p2/14965.jpg], [b:Sweet Tooth, Volume 1: Out of the Deep Woods|6954438|Sweet Tooth, Volume 1 Out of the Deep Woods|Jeff Lemire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1406510539l/6954438._SY75_.jpg|7189635] by [a:Jeff Lemire|543719|Jeff Lemire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1568921362p2/543719.jpg], [b:Paper Girls, Volume 1|28204534|Paper Girls, Volume 1|Brian K. Vaughan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1656764541l/28204534._SY75_.jpg|49449510] by [a:Brian K. Vaughan|24514|Brian K. Vaughan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1557530189p2/24514.jpg] and the new issues of [b:Saga, Volume 1|15704307|Saga, Volume 1|Brian K. Vaughan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486028947l/15704307._SY75_.jpg|19113524] by him as well. While I didn't fall in love with either the comics or the Amazon series, I am always happy to get more Vaughan. He is a staple on my shelves!

I fell in love with [b:The Magicians|6101718|The Magicians (The Magicians, #1)|Lev Grossman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1313772941l/6101718._SY75_.jpg|6278977] by [a:Lev Grossman|142270|Lev Grossman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1386343699p2/142270.jpg] a few years ago and got the treat of his newest, [b:The Silver Arrow|50358143|The Silver Arrow (The Silver Arrow, #1)|Lev Grossman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598245001l/50358143._SX50_.jpg|75183810] this year. His writing is always sublime and I am ever on the lookout for his newest!

My beloved [a:Stephen King|3389|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1362814142p2/3389.jpg] gave me THREE books this year! [b:Billy Summers|56852407|Billy Summers|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618151020l/56852407._SY75_.jpg|88930370], [b:Gwendy's Final Task|59366265|Gwendy's Final Task|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710894l/59366265._SY75_.jpg|90438783] with [a:Richard Chizmar|20887189|Richard Chizmar|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [b:Fairy Tale|60177373|Fairy Tale|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1647789287l/60177373._SY75_.jpg|94912019]. [a:Richard Chizmar|20887189|Richard Chizmar|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] also surprised me with [b:Chasing the Boogeyman|55711747|Chasing the Boogeyman|Richard Chizmar|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1626009186l/55711747._SY75_.jpg|86884160] which was a homerun. I can hardly expect more than three a year from King, so this was a banner year in that regard!

I discovered [a:Sally Rooney|15860970|Sally Rooney|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534007127p2/15860970.jpg] this year and very quickly devoured [b:Normal People|41057294|Normal People|Sally Rooney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571423190l/41057294._SY75_.jpg|59141209], [b:Beautiful World, Where Are You|56597885|Beautiful World, Where Are You|Sally Rooney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618329605l/56597885._SY75_.jpg|88516904], and [b:Conversations with Friends|32187419|Conversations with Friends|Sally Rooney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638729263l/32187419._SY75_.jpg|52827120]. Added bonus were the two television series based on her books. Why did it take me so long?

I read quite a few thrillers, [b:The Maid|55196813|The Maid|Nita Prose|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1643228739l/55196813._SY75_.jpg|86048177] by [a:Nita Prose|20650250|Nita Prose|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1619360173p2/20650250.jpg], [b:Eight Perfect Murders|52225186|Eight Perfect Murders|Peter Swanson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562582942l/52225186._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71665754] by [a:Peter Swanson|7142445|Peter Swanson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506083984p2/7142445.jpg], and [b:The Last House on Needless Street|54621094|The Last House on Needless Street|Catriona Ward|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603323638l/54621094._SY75_.jpg|85222103] by [a:Catriona Ward|13801540|Catriona Ward|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1438105097p2/13801540.jpg] being my favorites, but there were so many good ones.

I fell in book love with [b:Bones & All|21570066|Bones & All|Camille DeAngelis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1426128162l/21570066._SY75_.jpg|40902521] by [a:Camille DeAngelis|317741|Camille DeAngelis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1418958395p2/317741.jpg]. It was beautiful writing and spoke to my heart in a way that just tore me up. Same thing with the movie, despite most people thinking it was awful. This will be a reread for me in the years to come because I think we all need reminding, on occasion, of what it means to be "the other" no matter what form that otherness takes.

I could recap with so many other books, but I'll stop here. It was a very good year of reading indeed.