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I’m ecstatic to report that as of Monday, October 8, 2012, I turned the final page on my 50 Book Pledge. For those doing the math, that’s nine months, seven days, eleven hours and twenty-eight minutes.

I still can’t believe I did it because when I first set out I wasn’t entirely convinced I could. I considered fifty books in fifty-two weeks a tall order, especially since I’ve never read that many books in a single year before. My greatest fear could be summed up in a single word: Time.

What a fool I was. Time wasn’t a factor at all. In fact, my biggest dilemma ended up being what to read next. But, obviously, that didn’t last very long.

4     # of classics I read

2     # of series I started

3     # of poetry books I read

1     # of books I stopped reading

15   # of books I read by HarperCollins Canada

43   # of authors I read for the first time

The amazing part about participating in the pledge was how it turned me into a literary monster. With every book I finished, I found that my hunger for reading grew exponentially. I couldn’t get enough! In the words of George R.R. Martin the reader in me wanted to live “a thousand lives.” (Now I’ve only got 950 to go.) And that’s precisely why I’m going to continue reading and why I’ll be taking the pledge again next year.

Looking back it’s hard to pick a favourite because I read some truly phenomenal books. Instead, here’s just a small sampling of books that knocked my socks off:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Now that I had finished, the beauty of my dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart …

The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary by Andrew Westoll

Dignity begins when an animal feels that she is the chief instrument of change in her life.

100 Selected Poems by e.e. cummings

i like my body when it is with your body.

It is so quite new a thing.

Muscles better and nerves more.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Once, in my father’s bookshop, I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later—no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget—we will return.

A huge thank you to The Savvy Reader for making 2012 the best reading year of my life!

From time to time I catch myself looking back on the books I read as a child. This past week has been one of those times. I quickly came to realize that a huge majority of the books I cherished featured animals. Some that come to mind are The Berenstain Bears, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Winnie-the-Pooh, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The amazing thing is that these books made me want to learn all I could about animals. For me, there was no better place to do that than the zoo, especially on a warm summer’s day. That’s why I’m delighted to feature The Nature Conservancy of Canada‘s latest contest in partnership with the Toronto Zoo.

Here are the two prizes up for grabs:

1) A symbolic grizzly bear adoption kit! As a Zoo ‘parent’, you’ll receive a Certificate of Adoption with a colour picture of a Toronto Zoo grizzly, an acknowledgment card, an animal fact sheet, newsletters and recognition on the Zoo’s Parents’ Board Wall.

2) One of 2 pairs of Toronto Zoo passes to visit Canada’s premier Zoo. Your free admission includes access to all pavilions, exhibits and daily shows (excluding any separately ticketed events, rides, exhibits and parking).

So, what are you waiting for? The contest ends on Friday, July 27, 2012. Simply click “Same planet. Different world.” and complete the form to enter. Good luck!