My final total of books read in 2011 was . . .
103!
This is actually the first time since I've been keeping track that I haven't read more than I read the year before. But really, I'm ok with that. ;)
The months I read the most this year were tied March and April with 13 each.
And the least was August when I only read 4.
Averaging 8.3 books a month - pretty good, I'd say.
Some other useless statistics:
# of non-fiction books: 40
youth/childrens: 7
books of poetry: 2
"classics": 5
Winner for Most Pages in a single book: 1011 (Gone with the Wind)
(Runners-up: Scarlett 896, The Thorn Birds 692 and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall 520)
Winner for Learning about Something I Knew Absolutely Nothing About: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (HeLa "immortal" human cells)
Winners for Least Favorite Classic Novels: Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell and On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Book I Most Want to Buy and Reread and Mark and Underline: The Power of Kindness by Piero Ferucci
Book I Recommended for Bookclub: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Most Unexpected Favorite: Gone With the Wind
The Book I Wish I Could Tell Everyone to Read: Undoing Depression by Richard O Connor
Books I Read After I Saw the Movie (and which I thought was better): About a Boy (both about the same), Everything is Illuminated (movie was actually better)
Movies I Saw After I Read the Book: One Day (toss-up, I think I liked the movie better), Gone With The Wind (book so much better)
A lot of times people ask me what kind of books I like to read or what I like to read about and I'm often stumped by that question. It's easier I suppose to limit it to what I don't feel particularly drawn to read: murder mysteries, action/adventure, horror, romance . . . stuff like that. As a general rule, I avoid blood and guts and steamy romance. Other than that, I'll read just about anything.
Some of the things I read about last year (just for fun):
Non-Fiction
linguistics relationships and family writing Holocaust music nature/science weird science depression/mental health/grief/happiness ADHD, Aspergers etc health and fitness
housework addiction religion prisoners of war food play and recreation
Fiction
Frank Lloyd Wright a love affair with a monk Chinese foot-binding traditions midwives time travel and strange children magicians Charles and Catherine Dickens love immigrants dystopian future Trinidad racial segregation journalism crazy musicians cowboys
(just a sample of examples)
And here are some of my favorites I'd recommend from the books I read last year:
1. The History Of Love - Nicole Krauss
2. The Writing Life - Annie Dillard
3. The Power of Kindness - Piero Ferucci
4. The Gifts of Imperfection - Brene Brown
5. Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
6. The Lover's Dictionary - David Levithan
7. Girl in a Blue Dress - Gaynor Arnold
8. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - Aimee Bender
9. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
10. The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise - Julia Stuart
11. The Memory Palace - Mira Bartok
Go check out my Goodreads Profile
here for the complete list of books I've read (and currently reading), ratings, reviews and all that good stuff. Seriously. Goodreads is where it's at, folks. :)
Anyway.
What about you? Have you read any of those? Are you reading anything good? Got something to recommend to me, something you want me to read and talk about?
It's been awhile since we've talked books. Let's do it!:)
My final total of books read in 2011 was . . .
5 comments:
You're amazing!!!! My final count for 2011 was 84 books--i think that's the most I've ever read in a year--but who knows, 2011 was the first year I kept track :D
I really need to read "Gone With the Wind."
Way to go! You amaze me. Loved The History of Love. Love the movie Gone With the Wind. Guess I better read the book.
I haven't counted, but last year was a stinker year for me and reading. I didn't read anything at all in November or December! Didn't I tell you On the Road was dumb? Yep. ;) Good to know you didn't like Cranford, I haven't read it yet but didn't love North and South (though the movie is SOOOO GOOD!) I need to read more. It's just finding the time. Sigh.
Have you read "Alice I Have Been" - Melanie Benjamin? It's good, a bit sad, but still good. By the way, I love your book lists, always gives me ideas for things to read. So, thanks!
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