Hi dear readers! I am in disbelief….I cannot believe 2019 is over! Did it even happen?! For the Bingleys 2019 was the year of working a lot. Mr. Bingley had an incredibly busy work year with over 50 days of work travel (which was a bit of an adjustment for us!) In addition, my business has grown in size (and amount of work!) and I’ve had to make the shift to wearing my “studio director” hat more often than my “teacher” hat.
But here are some of our non-work highlights of 2019:
1. We saw SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY!!!!! And it was literally the best. thing. ever. 🎶
2. We traveled to our first and second National Park – Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah. 🌄
3. We added Bert to our family and camping got so much more comfortable! 🏕
4. I went to a Jane Austen Writer/Reader Get Together in Washington DC. ✨
~~~
Now, on the blog front it has been quite a busy year…
Let’s see a summary, shall we?
~ Posts ~
- Total # of Blog Posts for 2019 – 177 (2 less than last year!) 👍🏼
- Total # of Reviews Posted in 2019 – 56 (8 less than last year!) 🙁
- Total # of Different Authors Read in 2019 – 62 (19 for the first time!) 🤗
- Total # of Author Features in 2019 – 60 (10 more than last year!) 😮
- Interviews – 6
- Guest Posts – 21
- Excerpts – 20
- Cover Reveals – 13
2019 saw a lovely increase in Author Features, especially cover reveals.
That combined with my rereading several books (to prepare for new installments in series or sequels), resulted in fewer reviews.
Reading Challenges – 1
~ The Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge ~
- Goal: 70 books
- Final Progress: 70 books! Just made it! 😉And I might even pass it as I’m in the middle of The Annotated Little Women and have 3 days left to see if I finish it. 😉
~ Overall Reading Breakdowns ~
Similar to 2018, Austenesque reads are a high percentage of my overall reads – 89% Austenesque.
It looks like I’ve read more non-Pride and Prejudice stories than last year.
In 2018 P&P reads were 82% of my overall Austenesque reads, but in 2019 P&P reads were 69% of my overall Austenesque reads.
And last year Sanditon and The Watsons reads weren’t on this list at all.
Sometimes I feel like I must read P&P variations almost all the time, but this chart shows me that even though it is the highest percentage of what I read, it isn’t as high a percentage as I’d expect.
This chart looks pretty similar to last year, except for the inclusion of Prequels, Continuations, and Retellings which weren’t amongst my reads at all in 2018.
Around 1/3 of my reads were 5 star reads (which has long been a trend for me). Although a bunch of my 5 star reads were rereads this year.
Looks like I read just about as many 2019 reads as I did 2018 reads this year (mostly playing catch up!)
And a good portion of my reads came from the years between 2011-2016, some of which were rereads.
My highest ratings went to Retellings, Prequels, and Alternate POVs this year.
And my lowest average overall was for non-Austenesque reads.
What’s funny is my overall review rating average is exactly the same as last year – 4.39!
~~~
Hope 2020 is a good year for you Meredith with plenty of wonderful reading!!
Thank you, Teresa! I wish the same for you as well, my friend!
I was working on a very similar post for my blog when I was notified of your post, so I came to read it immediately! I love stats and yours are always very interesting I loved seeing your trends this year and I’m curious to see what you will do next year. Congratulations on your 2019 achievements Meredith!
Yay! Looking forward to your post! I’m really glad others are finding it interesting, and I’m not the only one. Hope you are enjoying a wonderful start to 2020!
I’ll publish mine today as soon as I get out of the office and I will appreciate having your opinion on it too 🙂 I love stats, and I always love your stats posts :)))
Yay!!! You did awesome with your reading this year. Did you create an Excel sheet to track the books or is that an online tool? I would be totally interested in using it.
I tracked all the books I read on Goodreads and from there just made word docs and used a calculator to figure out the stats…I probably should look into doing it via spreadsheet instead! LOL! 😉
I am really good with Excel so I am happy to make one and share it with you. That way you can share it with other readers here on your blog. I can look at the criteria here and get an idea of what you use.
And I am thinking I will be making a road trip this next summer/fall to North Carolina area (Raleigh) so if it will be a time when you are not traveling I would love to meet up and have lunch or dinner. Yes I am a crazy person but I am not to the point where I need to be medicated….not yet anyway. 🙂
For sure email me if you do end up putting it together, I’m definitely interested!
Definitely let me know when you are near! Raleigh isn’t too far a drive and I would love to meet up!! LOL! Even so, I’d love to meet!
Love seeing your year-long highlights! I got to two National Park this year, too. Love the Smokies and want to see beautiful Shenandoah.
Yay for stats! Fun to see yours. Interesting how a few surprised you when you saw them charted. Made me curious about my own. Only 14% was Austenesque and I had a nice spread of books based on all the novels, genres, and types. No re-reads though, and there are a few I did want to re-read.
Looking forward to seeing your books and life adventures in 2020, Meredith!
That is awesome, Sophia! They are such beautiful and special places, aren’t they?
Your reading always inspires me so much, Sophia! That is great that you had a nice balance for 2019.
Thank you for following along, my friend!
This is always such an interesting post to read! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Victoria! I’m really glad to hear you say it, because it takes a good chunk of time to put together! 😉
I always enjoy seeing your ‘end of the year’ stats. I have to say that I read more non P&Ps this year, thanks to those writing Persuasion retellings. Loved all the pictures you share with us when you camp and seeing the Paul McCartney pics. Hope 2020 is an ever better year! Hugs.
Ooh! I love Persuasion retellings. That is great that you read a bunch this year.
Wishing you the same, my friend! Hugs!
You certainly accomplished much in 2019! I hope 2020 brings even more fulfilling adventures and reading enjoyment. 🙂
Honestly, I feel like I was just barely getting it all in! I wish I could read and blog more!
Thank you for the lovely wishes! I hope you enjoy a fantastic 2020!
Meredith! You put me to shame! ♫
I doubt that! You do so much!!
Congratulations on reaching your Goodreads goal!! Once I add in my last few books and reviews to Goodreads, I’ll break my goal of 80 books read for 2019. I’ve read about half Austenesque and half period mysteries, especially mysteries set during or between WWI and WWII. (I will have to check the final stats to get precise percentages.)
I’ve lately started the Lady Darby series set in the 1830s which is truly excellent, and I’ll finish the final Maisie Dobbs mystery before the year closes, so I’ll have read all 15 books in the series in 2019. Both series are above and beyond the norm of the mystery genre, with deeply-developed characters as well as spine-tingling suspense!!
Here’s to another beautifully literate New Year, everyone!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Thank you, Susanne! 80 is so impressive! I don’t think I’ve ever read that much in a year – I so wish I could though! What a great blend of reading genres!
Oooh. That is a great recommendation! I’m not familiar with this series (nor do I read a lot in the mystery genre) but I like the time period and the fact that you are recommending it so highly!
Thanks for the stats information. You are a busy woman. Keep up the great work. Plus a big thank you for finding all the novels that are either free or in a big sale. We all appreciate your goodness in looking out for us. Wishing you a great and Blessed New Year to you and Mr. Bingley~~~
Thank you so much, MaryAnn! I’m so grateful for your kind words and support! I’m always happy to share any sales for great reads I find! 😉
love reading your stats
Thanks, friend!
Very impressive! I love all your colour coded pie charts etc. You have had an amazing year and I’ve so enjoyed all your wonderful photos.
I sometimes struggle to remember what I did last week so can’t confirm what I did this year alas! I do know that I have spent many, many, many, many happy hours reading and re reading JAFF based on Darcy and Elizabeth ❤️. I’ve also enjoyed some stories about John Thornton (although whether they were all this year is anyone’s guess!)
Besides reading I knitted some jumpers for my twin grandsons and crocheted some blankets for my Mum and other residents of the home she lives in. Maybe not very exciting but definitely fulfilling.
My daughter and her family were unable to visit from Australia this year but I get to Skype regularly and she sends loads of photos and videos so I love those.
Thank you for all your reviews and lists Meredith and may 2020 be the best year yet for you and your husband and family.
Picking the colors is a great part of the fun of making these charts, lol!
Goodreads and this blog definitely helps me keep track of all reading related stats! If I had to rely on memory alone, we would not get far!
I’m so glad you enjoyed many hours of reading about your favorite and maybe your second favorite couple. 😉
I’m so impressed that you do both knit and crochet! I only crochet, and only simple basic things.
May 2020 bring you even more wonderful reads and some time with your family!
Hi Meredith!
As always the amount of your readings is amazing! Congrats!. Besides, the lot of work behind the blog (reviews, interviews with authors…) as well as your teaching job!.
Your charts are really insightful 😉
In my case, this year I’ve read more austenesque novels than ever, maybe because this year my family and friends have gifted me more austenesque novels than ever!.
How good you’re reading “Little Women”!. I’m going to watch the movie this evening with my family 😉
And, yesterday I watched Star Wars! WOW, it was great! I enjoyed a lot and I think it’s the golden touch to this 2019.
By the way, want to know a coincidence?. I’m actually reading “The Knight before Christmas” by Marilyn Brant (when I finish it, I’ll read your post) and there’s a scene where Emma’s friend, Jason, tells her that one of his workers has been injured preparing the set for “The play that goes wrong “. Meredith, can you believe that I knew nothing about this play until 2 months ago when I noticed it was on the stages in Madrid and I went to see it a few weeks ago ?WOW, and I knew nothing about “The knight before Christmas” until you mentioned it in your post of published books by the end of month. I asked this book to Santa more less the time I was going to the theater without imagining there would be some connection between them! It’s magic! and I’m in shock LOL.
Well, maybe it’s the magic of Christmas…
I wish you and the friends of your blog all the blessings for 2020! 🙂
Oh Teresa, you are so sweet to say! Others read so much more than I do…each year I’m hoping I could increase it and add more, but I never seem to manage it.
That is wonderful to hear that you are reading more Austenesque novels this year!! I am really glad to hear that your family is gifting you books too – that is one of my favorite types of presents!
I hope you liked Little Women as much as you did Star Wars! That’s great that you got to enjoy the movie with your family!
That is such a fun connection to make with The Knight Before Christmas! Love it! And I hope you enjoy reading Marilyn’s story!
Wishing you all wonderful things for 2020 my sweet friend!
Congratulations on meeting your reading goal despite your heavy workload and fitting in time for some peak experiences! Thanks for this window into your world.
Thank you, Abigail! I appreciate you following along on my adventures and rambles!
Busy lady! Thank you for your stats – wonderful. I envy the experience of seeing Paul McCartney. Last I saw him was in 1966 when I went to see The Beatles on their tour through Germany. I was 15 at that time.
I´m looking forward to your Posts in 2020. Wishing you health and happiness in 2020!
Now that is an enviable experience right there, Dorothee! Lucky you! Paul would have made you proud, he played lots of Beatles songs and even though he is 77, his voice and playing abilities have in now way lost their magic!
Thanks so much for your kind words! Wishing you all the best in 2020!
Your stats are awesome! How did you track all of that? Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Katie! Mostly with Goodreads…and then I pull out the calculator and do some statistics by hand (and then I have to triple check to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes!)
Like many others, I’m impressed with your commitment to reading and reviewing Austenesque fiction! Thanks, Meredith, for all you bring to this community!
Thank you, Christina! It brings me a lot of joy, so I’m happy to devote a lot of time to it!
Meredith, I love your blog posts. Your header pictures are amazing. I love how you change them to match the season. You really have an eye for design as you stage the books just right that makes them look so inviting. I love it. You take great pictures. They are so clear and I love your camping pictures. I can’t wait to see where you and Mr. Bingley go next. Now, my dear… listen to this old lady as my hubby and I listened to our elders… travel while you can. When you are older you will either not want to or can’t. We took their advice and traveled throughout the years of our marriage. We are now health restricted with hubby not being able to travel. Enjoy your youth and vigor. Love life and take great pictures. Those of us who cannot travel will love you for it. Blessings to you and Mr. Bingley as you step boldly into a new and exciting 2020. I look forward to seeing what is in store for you and us. Happy New Year, everyone.
Oh Jeanne, thank you, you are a dear! That is one of the new features I just added and I’m really loving it! They are the pictures I share on Instagram and I’m glad that readers who don’t have Instagram can now see them here…and so far nothing has come out weird looking!
Thank you so much for all the love and kind words you give! I would love to follow your advice for 2020, fingers crossed!
Hugs!
As a faithful reader of your blog it’s fun to see the visuals of what you accomplished. Congrats on meeting your goal! And thank you for keeping us in the loop.
This year I’m looking forward to Sanditon, which is nothing if not jaff, generating an expansion of interest in all her works among the innocent masses, sigh, they have no idea what they are in for.
Thank you, JoEllen, for being such a lovely and faithful reader!
I am looking forward to it too! I have 3 more Sanditon inspired reads that I will be enjoying in 2020! Yes, hopefully it will bring more interest and expand Jane Austen’s reach!
You are SO organized! This stats post was so fun to read.
Making a mental counting of my own, I realized 2019 was the year I read the most JAFF in a year.
Due to a work project I found that JAFF helped me release the anxiety levels.
What I also discovered is that I needed a non-JAFF read every two JAFFs because I tended to mix/forget details of the particular Darcys etc.
So, reading-wise this was an especially good year. (I wish I could say the same about my writing but this is what 2020 is for. 😉 )
So, HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!
I wish you and your Mr. Bingley the best!
(Have I mentioned I’m jealous of you seen Sir Paul McCartney?)
Not as organized as I’d like to be! I love hearing that you read a lot of JAFF this year! And I’m glad it was able it was able to helped you during your work project!
Oh yes! I can easily understand that…I try to do the same with nonP&P and P&P stories.
Good luck with your writing goals for 2020!!
Oh! It was so magical! I highly recommend it!
Love the Christmasy header. 🙂 Your year-end photo round-up is spectacular. I always look forward to your pictures. Like J.W. Garret said regarding travel, there we are at that age and stage. So I’m living vicariously through you. Plus, I think those getaways are extra more important when like you said, Mr. Bingley traveled so much this year.
I love all the stats, and always enjoy this post each year. The stats on your posts I think, are the most interesting to me. That was eye opening. The number of total posts, and the increases in some of those categories. I think that the fact that the cover reveals increased so much means that your posts must be helping our beloved authors in a positive way. I love to see those posts, myself.
Eager to see what stacks up for 2020! The new decade seemed so far off.
Thank you! I’ve had fun taking some bookish photos with our holiday decorations out (they are being put up tomorrow!)
I so agree! I’m hoping we can have more travels together in 2020…just need to coordinate our work schedules!
It is funny to see how some of the stats don’t change very much…like the number of overall posts, or how many non-Austenesque books I read. And I can only seem to get 70 books read for the year.
I really enjoy cover reveals and I’m very happy to help authors with any type of posts they need to share, but cover reveals are so much fun!
Hoping you enjoy many wonderful reads in 2020!
How interesting to see reading stats laid out in different ways! Looks like you had a wonderful year!
So glad you think so! I love looking and comparing stats! 😉
Thank you, Meredith, for your wonderful blog. I enjoy following you and Mr. Bingley. I love your monthly Austenesque Monthly Finds and, of course, your year end stats. Happy New Year.
You are a dear, Eva! Thank you so much for your lovely words and support! So glad you like those features!
What a great post, Meredith! Love your graphs and OMG those wonderful photos!!!
Have a fabulous New year, my friend. Hope it’s full of love and joy and laughter and travel and books books books :))
Fantastic year, Meredith. I am amazed! Your energy and organizational skills blow me away. You seem to get the work of two busy people done…between your job and your blog! We are blessed to have your acquaintance. Thank you for all your work and for sharing it with us.