And the Award Goes To . . .

. . . Kim Stone, for successfully achieving her goal of reading 170 books in a one-year period!

Thank you, thank you all! It has been a real challenge, but I'm so proud to have reached the point in my life where I can sit on a couch for six hours at a time and read a book cover to cover! In fact, that sounds like a rocking Friday night.

I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this, however, without a few key players. First of all, I would like to thank my partner in reading, the man I can always find on the couch with me--though whether he's reading or fast asleep, one never knows. Without you by my side, I would have been just another one of those weird girls who sits at home alone reading lots of books. Thanks for validating the experience.


I'd also like to thank the little creature who's had to sacrifice countless trips to the park because her parents were being lame and reading again. Your patience has been extraordinary.


Truthfully, I would never have been able to accomplish my goal without the most ingenious invention of all time. The device that has fueled my addiction and need for instant gratification in all things. A true member of the Stone family. My Kindle. Your global wireless function melts my heart.


And of course, this task would have been beastly, inhumane, and unmanageable without the riveting stories themselves. So in an effort to highlight a few of the more enjoyable reads, I bring you the real stars of the show:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman:
A fabulous (literary) book that delves into a deep examination of American values and the power of the American spirit. Will and I both loved you.

After the Fall by Kylie Ladd:
Another literary novel (gasp!) written by an Australian author, as many good books are. This particular story focuses on the nature and repercussions of an affair, as told from the point of view of the four people involved. Extremely well-written and thoughtful, you kept me stuck in my seat at Borders (back when I was conducting my Borders scam... I don't do that anymore, thanks to affordable books on the Kindle)

And moving on to Young Adult, as we all knew it would:

Mortal Instruments Trilogy by Cassandra Clare:
Thank you City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass for catching me in your Shadowhunter grip and not letting me go. You gave me many a sleepless night, even long after I finished you.
I love you, Jace and Clary!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (and the sequel, Catching Fire):
A thrilling read about a post-apocalyptic United States in which a dictatorial regime forces a yearly reality show on the populace. The objective? America's youth must kill the other contestants, or be killed in return. I know, it sounds morbid (and it is) but it's also fascinating! (and will make you watch American Idol in a whole new light)

And the inevitable vampire mentions:

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice:
Thank you, Anne Rice, for proving that vampire novels are more than cheap thrillers! A true cornerstone of the vampire canon, this book uses the figure of vampires as an exploration of the meaning of good and evil, sin and salvation, morality and damnation. But don't worry, there's still plenty of blood sucking!

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K Hamilton:
And thank you, Laurell K Hamilton, for writing vampire novels that are cheap thrillers... even though you do lose your touch around the sixth book or so. I guess seventeen books is a hard pace to keep up... although it beefed up my reading list quite a bit.

And that, as they say, is that. I'm not disillusioning myself by thinking that my reading list is ever going to creep up to this number again. In fact, a lot of circumstances had to line up in order to even make it possible, and I don't intend to allow those particular circumstances to line up again. There are simply too many new goals to try one's hand at. But in the meantime, it was fun. Maybe I'll keep tracking my reading over the course of my time in Australia. And maybe even afterward. I'd love to know how many books I've read over my entire lifetime, but I guess it's a little late for that count.

But who's to say you can't start now?