Books Read in 2017

When I wrote a summary of the books I read in 2016, I felt the need to explain how I can read so many books.  This happened because I received several comments in 2016 expressing shock about how many books I had read, and I felt that some people thought I was strange.  I did not see my 2016 reading total of 355 books as being that significant, simply because a large number of them were Hardy Boys books that I read very fast.  Modern books for children can be read faster than vintage books for children.

In 2017, I had a different attitude.  I had no concern about what others thought, but it also helped that I didn't get any odd comments.  I felt quite proud of my reading progress.  Many of the books I read during the first half of 2017 were rather long, and some contained old-fashioned language that made the books harder to read fast.

In my post on my middle of the year reading progress in 2017, I wrote:

The idea of reading one book per day appeals to me, even though it is a daunting task.  I set myself a goal of reading 365 books by the end of 2017.  I have some significant doubt as to whether the goal is reachable, and it depends upon the length of the books I read.  Indeed, I have set the goal at 365 to force myself to keep reading as many books as I can as quickly as I can. 

I have approximately 500 books on my "to read" list.  These are books that I truly want to read very soon, but even at one book per day, I will need around 1 1/2 years to get to all of them.  It's a bit overwhelming and even a little depressing.  By having a goal of one book per day this year, I will make good progress on my reading list.

I had read 181 books as of July 1, which was close to the pace needed to finish the year at an average of one book per day.  I commented about how many of the books I had read were longer books, which made my 2017 reading progress to that point mean a lot more than what my 2016 reading total meant.

On September 30, I updated my reading progress.  I had been on track to read one book per day, but not reading for two weeks due to a loss of interest in reading put that goal in jeopardy.  I finally decided to read Sweet Valley High and got started reading again.

I then realized that several of you misunderstood, so I explained further on October 2.

Some of you feel that my reading goal is causing me stress.  Not at all.  If I don't reach my goal, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.  When I lost interest in reading 2 1/2 weeks ago, it was because I got annoyed with what I was reading.

I had purchased a small number of Baby-Sitters Club books to try out.  I wanted to read every book that I had purchased to get a good sample of the series.  I greatly enjoyed the first few that I read.  I then read a few that I didn't like as much.  I next read one that had an excessive amount of background information done in the style of Girls of Canby Hall, obviously designed to take up many pages.  I became so annoyed that I quit reading.

I was at a loss as to what to read, and I had some other things that took my interest instead.  I wasn't stressed by the reading; it's just that I lost interest in reading temporarily.  I then forced myself into Sweet Valley High, and I'm set again, reading along at a good pace.  

In October, I adjusted my goal of 365 books up to 385 books.  I did not want to meet my goal early and then slacken off like I did near the end of 2016.  I also decided that I wanted to reach at least #100 in the Sweet Valley High series by the end of the year if at all possible.  In November, I decided that I would probably be able to read 400 books by the end of the year, so I made that my new goal.

On November 27, I matched my 2016 total of 355 books read.  I met my original goal of 365 books on December 5.  On either December 20 or 21, I met my first revised goal of 385 books.  I still wasn't absolutely certain even then whether I would actually reach 400 books.  I had known since around October that I would read between 395 and 405 books, but I didn't know exactly how far I would get until December 30.

Around 8 PM on December 31, I finished reading my 403rd book of the year.  I feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction in knowing that I was able to read over 400 books in 2017.

Of the 403 books read in 2017, 80 of them were books that I had read before.  Those books are in blue in the below list.  All books are listed in the order that I read them.

January:  31 books

Girls of Canby Hall #18, 19, Super Edition #1, #20-22, Super Edition #2, #23-26
Nancy Drew Diaries #14
Girls of Canby Hall #27-33
River Heights #1-11, Junior Class Trip

February:  26 books

River Heights #12-16
Nancy Drew On Campus #1-5
Last Act by Christopher Pike
Spellbound by Christopher Pike
Gimme a Kiss by Christopher Pike
Fall Into Darkness by Christopher Pike
Slumber Party by Christopher Pike
Scavenger Hunt by Christopher Pike
Weekend by Christopher Pike
Nancy Drew On Campus #6
Final Friends #1, 2, and 3
Remember Me #1, 2, and 3
Chain Letter by Christopher Pike
Chain Letter 2 by Christopher Pike

March:  29 books

Hardy Boys Adventures #14
See You Later by Christopher Pike
Witch by Christopher Pike
Whisper of Death by Christopher Pike
Die Softly by Christopher Pike
Bury Me Deep by Christopher Pike
Master of Murder by Christopher Pike
Monster by Christopher Pike
Road to Nowhere by Christopher Pike
The Eternal Enemy by Christopher Pike
The Immortal by Christopher Pike
The Wicked Heart by Christopher Pike
The Tachyon Web by Christopher Pike
Midnight Club by Christopher Pike
The Lost Mind by Christopher Pike
The Visitor by Christopher Pike
The Starlight Crystal by Christopher Pike
The Star Group by Christopher Pike
Execution of Innocence by Christopher Pike
The Hollow Skull by Christopher Pike
Spooksville #1
Magic Fire by Christopher Pike
The Grave by Christopher Pike
Spooksville #2, 3
Sati by Christopher Pike
Season of Passage by Christopher Pike
Spooksville #4, 5

April:  24 books

The Listeners by Christopher Pike
The Cold One by Christopher Pike
Spooksville #6-10
Cheerleaders #2
Spooksville #11-13
Tales of Terror #1, 2
Blind Mirror by Christopher Pike
Alosha by Christopher Pike
Shaktra by Christopher Pike
Yanti by Christopher Pike
Spooksville #14, 15, 16, 17
Don Sturdy #1
Spooksville #18
The Mystery of Pelican Cove by Ruby Radford

May:  25 books

Spooksville #19-24
Falling by Christopher Pike
Last Vampire #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Thirst #3, 4
The Secret of Ka by Christopher Pike
Witch World #1, 2
Thirst #5
Strange Girl by Christopher Pike
Wallace Boys #1-5

June:  43 books

Wallace Boys #6-20
Vicky Loring #1, 2
The Ghost Hollow Mystery by Page Carter
Mystery at Ding-Dong Gulch by Page Carter
Patsy Carroll #1
Mystery of Sebastion Island by Margaret Goff Clark
The Haunted Cove by Elizabeth Baldwin Hazelton
Mystery in the Pirate Oak by Helen Fuller Orton
Mystery of the Missing Stamps by Margaret Goff Clark
Mystery in the Apple Orchard by Helen Fuller Orton
Mystery of the Lost Letter by Helen Fuller Orton
Mystery in Old Quebec by Mary C. Jane
Riddle of the Lonely House by Augusta Huiell Seaman
Mystery of the Missing Suitcase by Florence Parry Heide
Mystery at Keyhole Carnival by Florence Parry Heide
Mystery at the Weird Ruins by Christine Noble Govan
Mystery at Redtop Hill by Marjory Schwalje
Diana Winthrop #1
Tom Austen #1
The Mercer Boys' Cruise in the Lassie
Ghost of Follonsbee's Folly by Florence Hightower
Ghost of Windy Hill by Clyde Robert Bulla
The Serpent of Pirate Cove by Bill Knott
Trouble at Turtle Bay by Marie Holmstrand
Patsy Carroll #2
The Green Jade Necklace by Josephine Chase
Bailey Twins #1
Dan Perry #1

July:  42 books

Dan Perry #2, 3
The Girl from the Country by May Hollis Barton
Bob Dexter and the Storm Mountain Mystery
The Highview Mystery by Lawrence A. Keating
Connie Carl at Rainbow Ranch
The Linger-Nots and the Mystery House
The Ranger Boys to the Rescue
The Motor Boys on the Atlantic
Tom Stetson #1
The Motor Girls #1
Dorothy Dale #1
The Mystery of Seneca Hill by Margaret Goff Clark
The Mystery of the Buried Indian Mask by Margaret Goff Clark
Mystery of the Marble Zoo by Margaret Goff Clark
Mystery at Star Lake by Margaret Goff Clark
Adirondack Mountain Mystery by Margaret Goff Clark
Mystery Horse by Margaret Goff Clark
Death at Their Heels by Margaret Goff Clark
Mystery in the Flooded Museum by Margaret Goff Clark
Who Stole Kathy Young? by Margaret Goff Clark
The Latchkey Mystery by Margaret Goff Clark
Bearstone by Will Hobbs
Far North by Will Hobbs
Autumn Street by Lois Lowry
No Monsters in the Closet by Willo Davis Roberts
Don't Hurt Laurie! by Willo Davis Roberts
Three Girl Chums at Laurel Hall by May Hollis Barton
Patsy Carroll #3
Nell Grayson's Ranching Days by May Hollis Barton
Four Little Women of Roxby by May Hollis Barton
Plain Jane and Pretty Betty by May Hollis Barton
Little Miss Sunshine by May Hollis Barton
Hazel Hood's Strange Discovery by May Hollis Barton
Two Girls and a Mystery by May Hollis Barton
The Girls of Lighthouse Island by May Hollis Barton
Kate Martin's Problem by May Hollis Barton
The Girl in the Top Flat by May Hollis Barton
The Search for Peggy Ann by May Hollis Barton
Sallie's Test of Skill by May Hollis Barton
Charlotte Cross and Aunt Deb by May Hollis Barton
Virginia's Venture by May Hollis Barton

August:  33 books

The Disappearance of Anne Shaw by Augusta Huiell Seaman
The Charlemonte Crest by Augusta Huiell Seaman
Radio Boys #1
Diana Winthrop #2, 3
Doris Fein: Superspy
The Haunted Apartment by Margaret Sutton
Diana Winthrop #4, 5, 6
Mystery on Echo Ridge by Mary C. Jane
Mystery on Nine-Mile Marsh by Mary C. Jane
The Ghost Rock Mystery by Mary C. Jane
Mrs. Wappinger's Secret by Florence Hightower
Tom Stetson #2, 3
Dr. Doom: Superstar
Doris Fein: Quartz Boyar
Nancy Drew Diaries #15
Doris Fein: Phantom of the Casino
Doris Fein: The Mad Samurai
Doris Fein: Deadly Aphrodite
Doris Fein: Murder Is No Joke
Doris Fein: Dead Heat at Long Beach
Doris Fein: Legacy of Terror
Cassandra Best (Cassie B. Jones) #1-4
Mystery at Pemaquid Point by Mary C. Jane
Mystery Back of the Mountain by Mary C. Jane
Mystery at Dead End Farm by Mary C. Jane
Mystery Behind Dark Windows by Mary C. Jane

September:  24 books

Mystery by Moonlight by Mary C. Jane
Mystery in Longfellow Square by Mary C. Jane
Mystery of the Red Carnations by Mary C. Jane
Mystery in Hidden Hollow by Mary C. Jane
Indian Island Mystery by Mary C. Jane
Mystery of the Silent Friends by Robin Gottlieb
The Secret of Crossbone Hill by Wilson Gage
Mystery of Myrtle Grove by Ruby Radford
The Secret of Peach Orchard Plantation by Ruby Radford
The Mystery of Adventure Island by Ruby Radford
Hardy Boys Adventures #15
Secret of Ocean House by Ruby Radford
The Mystery of Magnolia Beach by Ruby Radford
The Mystery of the Nancy Lee by Ruby Radford
Baby-Sitters Club #1, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sweet Valley High #1-5

October:  38 books

Sweet Valley High #6-21, Perfect Summer, #22-24, Special Christmas, #25-27, Spring Break, #28, 29, Malibu Summer, #30-32, Winter Carnival, #33-35, Spring Fever, #36, 37

November:  43 books

Sweet Valley High #38-41, Double Jeopardy, #42-45, On the Run, #46-50, No Place to Hide, #51-55, 56, 57, Deadly Summer, #58-60, Lila's Story, #61-65, Bruce's Story, #66-70, Enid's Story, #71-73

December:  45 books

Sweet Valley High #74-80, Olivia's Story, #81-86, Todd's Story, #87-89, Murder on the Line, #90
Sleuth or Dare #1
Sweet Valley High #91-94, A Night to Remember, #95-111
Sleuth or Dare #2, 3

I do not have a reading goal for 2018.  I'll come up with one at some point.  I do not believe in New Year's resolutions.  I will set a goal when the mood strikes me, and I always set goals that are realistic based on what I know I can accomplish.  I am certain that I will read fewer books in 2018 than I did in 2017.

My immediate goal is one I have had since late September, which is to continue reading through the Sweet Valley High series as fast as I can.  I expect to finish the original Sweet Valley High series sometime in February.  I may read the Sweet Valley University series next, if I am able to get through the first book okay when the time comes.  After that, I might end up reading anything, although the books of Augusta Huiell Seaman are high on my list.