Since 2001, I’ve been keeping track of books which I have read (but not reread – that would be too much work!) For 2010, I wound up reading 61 books, which is lower than I had hoped I would (64 is the most since I started this record-keeping) but still on the upper level of yearly scores.
One of the things that probably took a bit away from my reading was that I was rereading the entire Vorkosigan saga by Lois McMaster Bujold in anticipation of Cryoburn coming out. It was my first time rereading and I almost got the books in the right order (messed one up – whoops!) I enjoyed the reread as much as the initial read, and then capped it all off with Cryoburn, which continued the excellence.
This year had me discovering two wonderful trilogies: the Millennium Trilogy (by Stieg Larsson) and the Hunger Games Trilogy (by Suzanne Collins). Lisbet and Katniss are both women who kick ass (and are on fire, heh) and it was fun getting to read about their adventures.
The year started with me reading the books for my Masters thesis, so I guess I can blame the thesis for not getting more than 61 books read. Heh. But despite the required reading and writing, I got a few classics read, including Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) and The Time Machine (HG Wells). I didn’t get any new Dickens read, but I intend to rectify that this year.
Other notables were the discovery of Poppie Z Brite’s foodie books, Liquor and Prime. I bought the rest which I’ll probably get read this year. Thanks to gregmce for recommending her and for recommending The City and the City by China Mieville.
Chemistry got a good showing this year in popular nonfiction. The Poisoner’s Handbook (Deborah Blum) was excellent and both dad and I finished it while we were visiting my sister this summer. I got about half of The Disappearing Spoon (Sam Kean) read before I had to return the book to the library. But both of those books will be going into my collection when they become paperbacks.
I’ve noticed that many of the books that I read this year came recommended by friends IRL and virtual – thank you for your recs and keep ’em coming! I’m now using the library again (thanks to my Masters program and being able to order books online) and can expand past the books in my own library. Still, I have far too many unread books in my library which I hope to fix (and not by selling ’em!)
(Already for 2011, I have two books read. Plus there’s a partially read one from 2010 that I should finish up. Didn’t get too many books for Christmas, but that’s OK. I have lots to read as it is!)
I only started keeping a book log in… 2004, I think, which is ridiculous. I should’ve started years ago! Ah, you read 61 last year? I reached 68, which disappointed me, but 2010 was disrupted, bleah. And I’m finding it far too easy to surf the Web for hours on my ereader instead of reading books on it, gah. I’m currently reading Cryoburn. Miles Vorkosigan is a loon and I’d missed him. 🙂 I’ve read Stieg Larsson, but not yet Suzanne Collins. I may rectify that this year if I can borrow the trilogy, not buy it. I want to read The Disappearing Spoon, too. Have you read Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel yet? If you want an excellent historical novel, go for it. I can’t wait for the sequel she may be working on. I, too, have far too many unread books, and would like to read them before selling them. Maybe it’ll happen. I doubt it a bit. I’m on my second book of 2010. I really must focus and accelerate the pace, arrggh.
Is it utterly silly of me that I was spoiled for the end of Cryoburn, but it’s making me cry a little, even so?
Nah, not silly at all. I found it quite a blow except that in retrospect, I realized she was foreshadowing it.
As somewhat of a luddite, I’ve found the few ‘classic’ novels I’ve read to be disappointing. Perhaps I have ridiculous expectations given the hype, or lacked the maturity to get ’em (crud knows it was a bad idea to read Lord of the Flies when I was still in primary school). I often wonder whether I’m missing something, or it was more luck that the classics became classics while their contemporaries faded into obscurity. Also, you’ve inspired me to tackle my reading pile as soon as the site update is done!
I had a friend who read calculus textbooks for fun. So I’m not one to criticize people’s reading preferences. 🙂 I didn’t care for Dickens when I was a teen. I really enjoy his writing today. (I’ve always loved his characters, however. Such weird & wonderful people.) Lord of the Flies I’ve not read. I read The Crucible when I was in elementary or middle school – for fun. I really think I should reread it now that I’m an adult and I understand the whole McCarthyism parallels in the story. I thought The Three Muskateers was a Mary Sue (or I guess Marty Stu). So read what you like, if you like to read. 🙂 And yay for tackling reading piles! (I just started the latest (and last?) Tiffany Aching book by Pratchett tonight. Have a Bujold fantasy in my bedroom. Still getting through The Age of Innocence on my phone. And when I get my Doctor Who Magazines read, I have 2 volumes of The Devil’s Panties to read in the bathroom. It’s great to be a bibliophile!)
Whoops, didn’t mean to sound critical; I’m sure there’s nothing particularly wrong with the classics, but I’m bemused about why there’s something so right about ’em! I was about to comment on the calculus textbooks, then realized I’ll be starting a statistics textbook soon, just ‘caus I want to 😛 Ah, yes, DWM, I have two unread issues on my carpet as we speak. Must get to ’em!
Likewise – I didn’t mean to sound critical either! (The joy of the written word where facial and vocal nuances are lost.) Just wanted you to know that I think people who don’t care for classics have just as much right to be bibliophiles as those who do. (And that not all classics are alike! Some suck! I’m looking at you, The Scarlet Letter!) Cool on the stats textbook. Calculus wasn’t my thang, but I rather liked stats.